Ixion_SEROV
Y2K Hype Beast
- Joined
- May 25, 2021
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 121
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It seems that with the rise of the sterile, modern internet, other more unique aspects of what could once be considered "nerd culture" have gone the way of the dinosaur. This sort of forks off of the idea that the internet now "feels smaller" than it is- or is dead altogether- in that everything has been streamlined and rounded out for consumption by the lowest common denominator. Once upon a time, the 'nerd' was an icon that no one aspired to achieve yet kept in secret, away from mainstream consumption where products, stories, and concepts were kept away from casual exposure and only circulated among those who truly cared about them.
In a way, this same sentiment is echoed by the Retro Video Game enthusiasts of today who archive and preserve the many lost gems of yesteryear through emulation. This same mindset is something I encourage through internet archiving, off-site storage, and a healthy amount of research for the sake of posterity. You can bet that cultural revisionists and and iconoclasts alike will be offended by your efforts- a badge of honor for certain.
Dungeons and Dragons has always been the bellwether for cultural undertones within the 'nerd' circles of modernity. It always remains a bridge too far for most normies to become obsessed with, and it demanding one to apply their imagination means that one cannot succeed here without a modicum of creativity or an inner monologue. Yet still, despite these 'barriers', you can never be too safe. As Dungeons and Dragons has become more popular in recent years, the proverbial bar for storytelling has been visibly lowered.
It is why I encourage anyone and everyone to help do their part to work to preserve sites, supplements, and works from the pre-smart phone era to keep the stories alive and untainted. In recent memory, I can recall Wizards of the Coast addressing the supplements they've been making with derision, mentioning that there are no longer "evil races" as this contributes to wrongful stereotypes in the real world. In doing so, they are elevating modern politics over the classical storytelling which put them on the radar, potentially alienating more of their playerbase in the process. Use this as a cautionary tale for any medium with a long, rich history- video games, literature, newsprint, etc.
As such, I find it important to list and archive several sites that remain holdovers from the previous era of nerd-dom. Like with all the ancient sites that I usually find, these will be older, more unique, and more raw examples of human expression sans the sterilized and smoothed-out look of modern computing.
If anyone knows of any more, please send them my way. It always helps to grow my catalog of classic fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons works.
In a way, this same sentiment is echoed by the Retro Video Game enthusiasts of today who archive and preserve the many lost gems of yesteryear through emulation. This same mindset is something I encourage through internet archiving, off-site storage, and a healthy amount of research for the sake of posterity. You can bet that cultural revisionists and and iconoclasts alike will be offended by your efforts- a badge of honor for certain.
Dungeons and Dragons has always been the bellwether for cultural undertones within the 'nerd' circles of modernity. It always remains a bridge too far for most normies to become obsessed with, and it demanding one to apply their imagination means that one cannot succeed here without a modicum of creativity or an inner monologue. Yet still, despite these 'barriers', you can never be too safe. As Dungeons and Dragons has become more popular in recent years, the proverbial bar for storytelling has been visibly lowered.
It is why I encourage anyone and everyone to help do their part to work to preserve sites, supplements, and works from the pre-smart phone era to keep the stories alive and untainted. In recent memory, I can recall Wizards of the Coast addressing the supplements they've been making with derision, mentioning that there are no longer "evil races" as this contributes to wrongful stereotypes in the real world. In doing so, they are elevating modern politics over the classical storytelling which put them on the radar, potentially alienating more of their playerbase in the process. Use this as a cautionary tale for any medium with a long, rich history- video games, literature, newsprint, etc.
As such, I find it important to list and archive several sites that remain holdovers from the previous era of nerd-dom. Like with all the ancient sites that I usually find, these will be older, more unique, and more raw examples of human expression sans the sterilized and smoothed-out look of modern computing.
Spelljammer: Beyond the Moons (For all your Spelljamming needs)
The official Spelljammer website! New spelljamming ships, spelljamming helms, monsters, SPELLJAMMER 3.5e conversions and more!
www.spelljammer.org
Nerik's Webspace Temporary Index
nerik.orpheusweb.co.uk
If anyone knows of any more, please send them my way. It always helps to grow my catalog of classic fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons works.