The little countdown timer has finally reached zero, and LSF is 10 today! Woo hoo! \ ^o^ /
So happy tenth anniversary to the forum! I guess we could call it a birthday, too, but "tenth anniversary" sounds so much more mature and romantic. "Tenth birthday" makes me think of grade schoolers running amok with party hats strapped to their heads (actually, being one of them sounds pretty fun too, now that I think about it more....)
I had a special 10th anniversary visual novel I was trying to get done for today, but it looks like it's going to be next week probably. It introduces you to Lemma, the forum mascot in the little picture up there in the left corner, explains the origins of the forum, and has some nice trivia and nostalgic bits. Better to do it right, though! As they say in anime, please look forward to it
A little bit about Lemma :)
As someone who's been around (though in and out at times) since the very beginning, it's been incredible to watch the forum grow. Not just the forum, but the people and the english visual novel scene, too. I'm proud and humbled that a little site I created a decade ago has played a part in so many people's creative development. I think Lemma is smiling a little brighter in the logo today
It fit so well with 10 LSF years! But the best thing, perhaps, is that this forum has "gotten away from me" - which I see as meaning its members, through their drive, helpfulness, and continued participation, have put in a lot of time to keep it rolling and evolving into what it is today. Thank you, everyone, for all the hard work, positive contributions, and neat games!
“Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
I've retired from forum administration. I do not add people to the "adult" group, deactivate accounts, nor any other administrative task. Please direct admin/mod issues to PyTom or the other mods : )
As of a few moments ago, it's been ten years since Blue Lemma started this forum.
Ten years - a time for celebration, and a time for reflection.
First, I think we should all take a moment to celebrate Lemma, and his foresight in founding this place. Rather than simply creating a place to discuss his games, he had the foresight to create a place where people could discuss the creation of visual novels in general. That was something that few if any people had done. And it grew slowly at first - it took six months for the forum to grow to twenty users. But he kept that little spark of a forum alive, and it slowly grew until it became the huge and vibrant forum that we have today.
So to my good friend Lemma - thank you, and congratulations.
I think that there are a lot of reasons why we've succeeded - why we're still around and growing after all these years. Here are a couple:
First, I think it's because we're not elitist. There are forums out there that seem to actively discourage inexperienced people - that discourage you from asking questions, that mock your work if it's not a professional level. That's not what we stand for. Today's newbie is next year's veteran, three years from now's expert, and five years from now's professional. Where necessary, we may criticize to help people grow - but we do so in a supportive way, because we respect what people do when they release games.
Second, I think that part of the reason why we're still around is that we've reinvented ourselves multiple times. The forum started off focused on Ren'Ai games - the old fashioned bishoujo games I so love. After that, we had a series of darker games, with more dramatic storylines. Then came the wave of otome games - one that's still ongoing, and is being joined by a new wave of bishoujo games. With the occasional friction here and there, we've accepted these changes to the culture - but also kept the forum open to the people who embrace the older styles of game, and to those who are pioneering new waves. And I hope that we keep up this openness - let's welcome new people to the community as we ourselves were welcomed.
But I think the real credit for LSF's success and longevity goes to the community. The thousands of users who make up the forum - those who make the over 600 games that have been released here to date, those who support them, and even those who simply lurk to see what's going on. It's you who made this community what it is, and what it will be going forward.
I've prepared a little visualization for this occasion - using the gource tool, I prepared a visualization of the last ten years of the growth of the forum through ten years of posters. You probably want to watch this on youtube in 1080 HD if you can.
Finally, in conclusion, let me just say that I think that right now, the forum seems to be operating the best it's ever been. We have an increasing range of topics, people are more supportive than ever, the level of discussion in the creator's corner is some of the highest it's ever been, and we're making more games than ever.
As we enter our second decade, let me just say to our members - past, present, and future - thank you for letting me be a part of this.
Supporting creators since 2004 (When was the last time you backed up your game?)
It goes without saying, but PyTom also deserves tons of credit not only for creating Ren'Py and enabling greater participation in VN development, but for keeping the forum hosted and running. This stuff ain't cheap in time or money, folks
“Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
I've retired from forum administration. I do not add people to the "adult" group, deactivate accounts, nor any other administrative task. Please direct admin/mod issues to PyTom or the other mods : )
Completed: Toire No Hanako, Li'l Red [NaNoRenO 2013], The One in LOVE [NaNoRenO 2014], Running Blade [NaNoRenO 2016], The Other Question, To The Girl With Sunflowers
I was part of only a few months of those 10 years, but, hey, congratulations to Lemma and Tom, and to all the people who helped to keep this good place alive!
Happy anniversary! I appreciate all that this forum and community have to offer, even if I haven't taken full advantage of it yet.
So congrats on the ten years, and here's to another ten~!
I look forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary.
"We must teach them through the tools with which they are comfortable."
The #renpy IRC channel is a great place to chat with other devs. Due to the nature of IRC and timezone differences, people probably won't reply right away.
If you'd like to view or use any code from my VN PM me. All code is freely available without restriction, but also without warranty or (much) support.
Completed: Dreams of the Skies, Anton's Vacation, Luka, The Halberd and The Tiger, Rising Angels, Pyrite Heart, Rising Angels: Reborn, The Halberd and The Fox, VN Tycoon, RA: Hope
@9-of-hearts and TWaK: In ten years, you won't visit the forum... THE FORUM WILL VISIT YOU. O___O
“Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
I've retired from forum administration. I do not add people to the "adult" group, deactivate accounts, nor any other administrative task. Please direct admin/mod issues to PyTom or the other mods : )
Happy Lemma Soft Forums 10th Anniversary! Everyone here helps shape this community and make it what it is, so let's continue to keep this place alive and well. Now, time to celebrate!
