A simple question for a not so simple audience; How did you come across Fallen London? Was it by pure chance? Were you actively looking for it? Were you invited by a friend? Was Google in a good mood? Or was it something else entirely? Simply put, I want to know what it was that lead you to this game and community.
I was introduced to Fallen London by an episode of Extra Credits (A web series based on game development) focusing on non combat game-play. Had it not been for them, I probably would have never even heard of Echo Bazaar before.
Non-Combat Gaming - How to Make Social Mechanics Fun - Extra Credits - YouTube
edited by Koenig on 2/16/2015
It was… coming up on five years ago, now. My friends were abuzz with this browser game that had this fantastic setting and, most amazing of all, recognised nonbinary gender options. I signed up, found that it was right up my alley, and, well, I’m still here. And, incidentally, the the setting’s only gotten fantasticer, and the recognition of nonbinary gender options more sophisticated.[li]
I came here from that same episode of EC! Though I watched it a little later…
A friend started playing it first. She didn’t explicitly tell me about it, but we were chatting over AIM and she started making comments that led me to believe that she was playing some sort of text adventure games - one of those old ones where you manually entered the text. Naturally I started making ridiculous suggestions for what she should try until she revealed that it wasn’t that sort of game. XD I asked for a link once she told me it was on a website, and have been playing ever since.
I was looking for a new FB app.
I had nothing to do one night about a year ago and started Googling around, specifically looking for some kind of engaging story-heavy game to get invested in to pass the time. Fallen London popped up on a few lists and I eventually decided to give it a shot. I made it a few actions in, saw the timer and Nex system and figured "Oh no… It’s one of those sorts of games." Then I promptly quit. But I found myself in the same position a couple months later, came across Fallen London once again, and thought maybe I hadn’t given it enough of a chance. I hadn’t. I got a few actions farther than the first time and was hooked.
I was harangued into trying it by a friend with whom I used to write for/administrate a MUD who quite correctly surmised that FL "Had [me] Written All Over It". Of course, they were entirely correct.
This person is currently very much enjoying the fact that they’ve figured out Ambition: E_____ and I haven’t yet. BUT I AM STILL BUSY SOAKING UP ATMOSPHERE
I read Erin Morganstern’s ‘The Night Circus’ and absolutely loved it. So when I saw, at the back of the book, ‘Continue the story’ or something like that (I can’t remember the exact wording) and a link to the game, I investigated.
The Night Circus game was so perfectly evocative of the book and so beautifully done. There were links in the Night Circus to Fallen London, so eventually, once I’d played through the Night Circus, I thought, ‘I might as well try that…’, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Seventeen months ago I decided to check out the Fallen London setting before backing Sunless Sea, just to make sure it would be money well spent. And as it turned out, a browser game was just what I needed for my ailing computer. We’ll see what happens now that I am about to construct a new machine, able to run games that will let me play as much as I want, when I want, and without a clock ticking away while I’m asleep.
A friend told me about The Night Circus game and from there I found Fallen London.
It’s been a few years now and I honestly can’t remember how I got here. I blame too many visits to the Cave of the Nadir.
It certainly wasn’t via a friend, as I know no one IRL who also plays Fallen London. It wasn’t an active search on my part. It’s possible that I’ve read an article somewhere listing several web-based games and decided to try one at random. Never looked back.
[quote=dov]It’s been a few years now and I honestly can’t remember how I got here. I blame too many visits to the Cave of the Nadir.
It certainly wasn’t via a friend, as I know no one IRL who also plays Fallen London. It wasn’t an active search on my part. [/quote]
Similar here. I know where I was when I started playing (FL become the light in a working day of otherwise unremitting grump), and when. I introduced RL people to it, not they me. Maybe Facebook, as I briefly played Mafia Wars (I am all regret), but I don’t log in using it, don’t think I ever have. I’m guessing I saw something on Twitter.
Like Lady Eris I read The Night Circus and loved it and found the online game and loved it and then found the Neath. So here I am! Thank you, Erin Morganstern!
Extra Credit, although back then Fallen London was simply Echo Bazaar. I came to love the ominous yet quirky nature of the setting and I’ve been around ever since. When Extra Credit first aired that episode a message read over the game saying "We are unexpectedly popular! Servers may run slower." Or something to that effect.
edited by Owen Wulf on 2/17/2015
So I´m not the only one here because of EC? Pleasant surprise indeed
An article on Rock Paper Shotgun just over a year ago.
I haven’t heard of that Night Circus game. Is the book good too? I still haven’t gotten around to reading it.
Fairweather, the book is wonderful! (Actually, I listened to it as an audio book) The story is so rich … that’s the best word for it “rich.” It is definitely art, not a light-read throw-away novel.
It seems to evoke strong opinions - I don’t know many people who are lukewarm about it. But I adored it - I loved everything about it. It’s an exquisite book.
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I read an article about it somewhere (might have been RockPaperShotgun) somewhen around the end of 2010 I think. Decided it sounded like interesting and my kind of game, went and checked it out… only to find you had to have FB or Twitter account to play it. Said ‘B____r OFF’ and a couple alike things, left the page and wrote it off.
Until around early 2012, I stumbled (might also have been on RPS) across the information they had finally implemented logging in by Email. Had nothing better to do, so decided I might go take a looksee now. Have not left since.
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