Antti Tuomisto · @BaronDante_AE
1st Apr 2013 from TwitLonger
What does AQ Mean to You Contest Entry:
So... what does AQ mean to me?
AQ was the first game by AE I encountered, nearly 7 years ago. It didn't really catch on then, since I've never liked RPG's all that much. It did, however, introduce me to Dragonfable. After a while of not catching on either for me, at some point, I made a Forum account, and ever since then, I think I could count the days AE hasn't been a part of my daily routines with my two good hands. This doesn't include times when I had no choice on the matter obviously. Since then, I've been there for each and every AE game made. While most would say DF is my main priority (And on a large level, it is. Even if I do say so myself, I am a relatively well known player at this point. Mostly due to DF), but as it stands now, AQ might be the game I would consider the best.
Lately I've been playing the game far more than any of the others, and I'm really itching for whenever I have the time to focus enough and go through the story. When I began playing, my main 'thing' for games was game play. Stories and such weren't all that interesting. While I still think game play is extremely important, especially with AE games I consider the story to be the main priority. And AQ just DOES that.
However, as I mentioned, my life is very largely influenced by AE, and none of that would've happened was it not for AQ. I didn't have a good time as a teen. I really didn't. It might not be an exaggeration to say I wouldn't be here without AE. That, and my extremely egoistical way of thinking back then. It was easy for me to justify to endure those years under the pretext that "the people on the forums need me".
Another thing I've noticed that when it comes to many things, I don't really show much emotion over things. It's actually sort of worrisome, really. For example, when my grandmother was hospitalized. Everyone that knew about that really displayed a lot of fear and worry over that. I really... didn't. Yet, from the recent years, I can remember a few times when I just couldn't keep that up. One of those would be Serenity and Imaru being brought together by the AE. The amount of sheer emotion from that night was simply staggering. I'm definitely not, let's say, a romantic person. I have close friends, and I see their relationships grow much more closely, but I just don't get the same kind of feelings from seeing it.
Another thing that AE brought about to me was the Twitter community. As it stands, I have a small group of people I talk more or less every single day, and while some of them may have drifted away from AE for some reasons, and how we may make incredibly negative comments over things that happen over at AE, I feel the most free discussing with them. In fact, I talk with them about anything. I cannot imagine having found such great people without AE, really. I also can't imagine my life to begin with. I do think I would've became a programmer or something similar anyways, but AE has just strengthened that want further.
So. What does AQ really mean to me? In short, it has really made me into what I am. It may be the sole reason FOR my life. There really isn't a stronger positive impact to my life. And it will keep doing that, hopefully for years to come.