Getting to know you.

I'm new here, and have only met a few of you all in chat/vent/forums. I've been wanting to talk to more of you, but haven't found the time, or motivation, to sit in chat and talk. I thought what better place than the forums, since I'm much better at typing than I am at speaking. Hopefully, I put this in the right sub-section of the forums; if not, mods, feel free to move it.

I haven't found a solid "introductions" thread on here; and reading each topic to glean an idea of who's who is getting tiresome. Hopefully we can all share more about ourselves here, and I'll take the lead:

My RL name is Tim. I'm 26, and live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with my mother and uncle. I do not work and hence have a lot of time for hobbies. I grow orchids, am a fishkeeper, enjoy amateur photography, blog, watch HGTV with a passion, and surf the web doing research most hours of the day. I'm also a computer geek, and have built and maintain all of the pc's in my house.

My MMO experience is spread between two games: World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy XI. I played both for several years, and quit both last spring. In WoW, I was involved in several high-end raiding guilds (one of which was LGBT), and served as an officer in many other guilds "growing up" in WoW.

I have been an avid fan of Star Trek since I was about 10 years old. It started with TNG, and went on for years. I still watch the old movies and episodes when they come on TV, with Voyager being my favorite series. I love the tactical side of things, and used to play "battleship" style games of Star Trek with my friends in middle school. If something's being blown-up, there's a good bet I'll be there.

The last thing is something I have told all of my "guilds" since I've known about it. I suffer from a mental disorder that has put several, and some severe, limitations on my life - one of which is panic issues. It is the reason I play solo - and the reason I do not work. This does not mean I don't want to group with you and do things, it just means that I need some time and lee-way to make my way along with the group. My raiding guilds in WoW would give me time between missions and bosses to collect myself, and come down from my panic attacks.

Aside from the disorder, I am an easy man to get along with. I love all things Star Trek, and will likely be playing STO until it dies.

So I've talked for longer than I thought I would. Now it's your turn.

-Tim

Hi Tim! I'm Brandon, 28... almost 29... wish I was 30. I played every MMO under the sun at least once. I suck at talking about myself, but since you shared something very personal to everyone, I will do the same. I have Tourettes syndrome, but I do not have the verbal ticks thank goodness, just the muscle spasms and bad dyslexia. The doctors also say there is a good chance I will develop Parkinsons. I also have BAD Sleep Apnea, so I have to sleep with a CPAP machine... which makes me sound like Darth Vadar. Its very sexy. My boyfriend loves it.

I think I just wall-of-texted. Anyways, I try to be in Chat and on Vent whenever I can! Hope to see you around.

"Luke, I want to be your daddy!"

That... is... hot.

-Tim

lol ACTUALLY the noise is kinda soothing and helps me sleep. I just wish my voice sounded more James Earl Jones than it does.

Hi Tim!

Welcome to the Fleet. I myself got into trek at a young(er) age. ;) At 15 i started watching TNG and have become a huge fan of trek since then (1995'ish).

There i said it. i'm 30. :) LOL!

Anyhow, I've mainly been on WoW all this time while waiting for STO to become a reality. I also continue to dabble in EvE, which i also enjoy as a game, albeit the learning curve (cliff) and overall depth. I still enjoy it though regardless.

Sorry to hear about your afflictions, but it sounds like you strive to overcome them.. Shows you have strong willpower. In any event, I don't think you have to worry about being under pressure at any time here, I've been with this fleet for about several months and I can say from chatting with everyone regularly that we have a fine group of people here.

We all need solo time, i imagine i will periodically as well. After all, space is the perfect place if one seeks solitude. but don't stray too far so we can save ya from any unforseen attacks. ;)

Welcome again to the fleet!

Hello Tim!

Welcome to Stonewall Fleet! I started watching Trek when I was about 10...I watched the first six original series movies and fell in love with the franchise!

I'm 29 (turn 30 in April), Canadian, married and own a law firm. I enjoy entertaining at parties, cooking, gardening, video gaming and chatting with my Stonewall buddies :)

I haven't played too many MMO's although I play Star Wars Galaxies for many years and Pirates of the Burning Sea as well. I was actually in closed and open beta for PotBS...it was there that I really got into PvP so I am hoping that the ship vs. ship tactical skills that I gained there, both one-on-one and fleet actions will be of some help in STO!

I have never been part of a LGBT guild before and have found Stonewall to be a wonderful and refreshing experience from other guilds I have been a part of. I can often be found chatting in the room or on Vent.

Thank you for sharing the information with us about your disorder. With sharing this with us, we can endeavour to accommodate your game playing style and make playing STO that much more of an enjoyable experience!

I am glad that you are with us and I'm sure you'll make a great addition to the Stonewall family!

My name is Jesse. I am a 22 year old from Calgary, Canada. I grew up in the most red-neck part of Canada. (think Texas, but with universal healthcare and cold winters) I lived in a small village in the middle of nowhere before moving to bigger towns, and now I live in suburbia.

I think I really started getting into Star Trek around grade 5/6. I remember watching Scorpion as it aired, and thinking it was the most incredible thing on TV. I also remember sitting in front of the Space channel watching a DS9 marathon while I had some sort of uncomfortable reaction to grass of all things. LOL

I had a little TV in my room that I would use to watch DS9 episodes that aired after midnight.

I started playing computer games like Civilization in computer class. I still play Civ4 nowadays. I never really got into FPS games until I came across Wolfenstein Enemy Territory. That was such a great game. After the release of a remake, I found an LGBT gaming community called the Fraggots. I mainly played with them and quickly found how awesome it is to play with a lesbian and other gay guys. :)

I am also fairly interested in politics, but I think my aptitude is geared more towards a different social science. I plan on uprooting myself next fall and moving half way across the continent to Toronto, where I will head off to college.

The biggest challenge for me, has been my social conservative upbringing. I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Things like not celebrating birthdays, Christmas, Valentines day etcetera, did not really bother me, but the requirement to abandon one's self did. I did not accept my sexuality until I happened upon a story of a gay man in my situation. I was able to finally see myself from a wider perspective. I realised that suppressing myself was the cause of a lot of emotional grief and depression. Once I abandoned my desire to conform to my parent's religion, I became a happier person. I appreciate Star Trek, Music, Poetry, Movies etc that help people learn to embrace their individuality, and become their own person.

My turn,

I'm Matt from Orlando, FL. I was born and raised in Germany and moved to the US in 2001.
I work for an Insurance Company (9 to 5 job) and enjoy life to the fullest.
I've been in a long distance relationship which can be quite a difficult but we made the decision to finally move closer to explore the next stage of our relationship. So the plan is for me to move to California sometime next year. All I need is a job (trying to transfer within my company, cross your fingers).

I've been a big star trek fan since TNG came out back in the late 80's, early 90's. It was by far (and still is) my biggest passion. I remember growing up in a small town having to take the train to the next bigger city which always took forever so i could by the most recent novel....good times.

That's just a quick introduction. Ask me questions and I'll be happy to give you the answer.

played tabula rasa and really enjoyed it i dont get what happened to that game :(

I really hate talking about myself, but I thought I'd share a little bit about me since so many have already. But don't get me wrong, I can talk and talk alot...

My name is Darrin, I live in Buffalo, NY and I have been gaming forever, but never got totally into anything to be an expert at it. In gaming and real life, I am a jack of all trades, but I have been looking forward to this release since the early buzz years ago.

My biggest issue is that I am an altoholic and love trying everything out before I actually commit to a character. I am the kind of guy that will switch to another toons if it helps the group out without worrying about my levels or xp. That is why I had to have a few accounts for SWG.

I am gay, I am a trainer/Instructional Designer and almost done being a student (for a while) IRL. I over-analyze and commit to the task at hand. My partner and I have two dogs and they are crazy and wonderful. I am 39 years old and don't feel it.

I look forward to playing with everyone here. Thanks to all that posted and shared information about themsleves here.

Josh, 28, in Arizona here. I'm a big goofball really. Love sci fi and fantasy, grew up playing video games, love football (GO CHARGERS!) and I have also acted and worked as a tech/design/director/producer in theatre for 14 years.

But these days I work the very late/early shift so my afternoons will be spent playing lots of STO. This is my very first gay guild and I gotta admit I think we are a pretty rad bunch so far. Looking forward to blowing up ships with everyone!

:cheer:

Hey all, I'm Jack, 25 ST. Louis here. I excited about STO, so much so I've dusted off my old Armada and Starfleet Command CDs.
I'm a total nerd for Sci-Fi, ever since I was little. I had every star trek toy or model my poor parents could afford. Fortunately, they were poor, so it didn't quite get to the creepy stage. :)

I've been playing MMOs since I first got hooked with City of Heroes, and it seems to be on it's last legs so I need a new fix. I've been in a ton of gay guilds before, as anyone who has played CoH can tell you, gay people are keeping it alive.

I hope to be scouting the galaxy for some time with you all, and it seems like you're a cool bunch to be doing it with. I'll see y'all in the alpha quadrant.

My Turn

Hi, I'm Joshua. I'm 30, born in Brasil but I grew up in the small tourist resort of Portrush in Northern Ireland. Went to a posh school but chose to do my senior year at a local college as I wanted to study psychology (and be Deanna Troi). Went on to study psychology at university in Edinburgh and then moved to New York for a year, before moving to England and staying there for 8 years. I recently moved back to Belfast in Northern Ireland for my job, and regretting it so far.

Loved Star Trek since about 1990 when I first saw TNG and wanted to be Miles O'Brien (before wanting to be Deanna Troi, lol). I got so into Star Trek that at one stage every present I got was Star Trek related. I was like one of those dads whose kids buy him nothing but golfing tees. I've always been into computer games and am just old enough to remember having to wait for the cassette to load before being able to play on my old ZX81. The only MMO I've really played much before was Pirate Galaxy, but loved the group dynamic and am now even more excited to find a LGBT group to play STO with.

Grew up during the troubles in Northern Ireland but I wasn't really aware of it even though my parents divorced and my Mum got remarried to a man of the opposite religion when I was 5. It wasn't until I was 10 that I got a glimpse of all that. I found out one day that my big brother wasn't my Mum's first child, and that my Stepdad and my Mum had had a baby girl in 1969. But because of how things were back then in Ireland, the baby was taken away. When I was 10 I was told about my sister and that my parents had been trying to find her for 5 years so they had contacted a national TV show as they did personal appeals for lost relatives. We went on the show hoping my sis was watching, but it turned out they had already found her and she was waiting for us. We've been very close ever since, but my Mum's family were not happy that we had exposed their dirty little secret and we never saw them again. Thats their loss though and it did teach me not to tolerate intolerant people.

Taking a break from relationships at the moment as the last one ended badly, so STO came along at the right time to keep me occupied for the forseeable future.

I am sorry to hear about that Joshua. That is so great to hear that you found your sister, and you are completely right when you say that it is your mother's family's loss in choosing to cut off contact.

My grandma has a somewhat similar story because she chose to join another religion instead of Protestantism. I think her family members were hardcore Orangemen. You cannot control whether or not other people choose to be consumed by hatred.

HaHa,
Going through some of the previous posts I realize that the late 70s early 80s was a very popular time for Josh's to be born. So I will start using a nickname that I have had since college and go by Jae. I was raised for the most part in California, but at the age of 12 my parents decided to move to Oklahoma so that my brother and I could know my mom's side of the family. I have been fortunate to have known and loved 6 sets of grandparents and great grandparents. Family is one of the most important things in my life and mine is incredible. I have friends who when they came out to their family they were either disowned or taken to counseling to be "fixed". My family welcomed me with open arms and most of them stated that they had known since I was 7. I once asked my ex what exactly it was that caused him to break up with me, and he stated that it was my family. The one thing he wanted more then anything else in life was a family such as mine, but when it was in his grasp he didn't think he could handle it. That has stuck with me. Many people state that they want something out of life, but when the Fates hand it to them they get scared and walk away from it. I make it a point to keep an open mind about wanting something and that it is truly what I do want. I can type for hours on things I like or dislike but that will just bore you to tears. So I will keep it on the shorter side and say that I love SciFi/Fantasy and haven't been this excited about a new MMO launch...Jan 12 can't get here quick enough!!!

Well, i guess its my turn. Live in tampa, fl. I go to the univ of south florida studying biochemistry. i want to work in pharmacuetical labs making new drugs. I live with a roomate, my friend Tim (TampaFl here in the fleet). Been a sci fi and science geek for as long as i can remember, and I knew i was gay when i was 7. Been a gamer since I was 5 lol my father got me an atari. Painfully single lol Hm.. what else. I am a very open book and brutally honest so feel free to ask me anything here or in chat. Not really sure what else to say in here right now.. oh and yeah I had a crapy family too lol I think we all have that in common as well.

I'll throw mine out there too since we're all sharing =)

My name is Amanda, I'm 23, and I was born in, and currently still live in, Nebraska. Currently I have 2 semesters left before I get my bachelors in history/English with a minor in classics, and will go on for my masters in English after that. I also work full time in retail on the side. My life is rather uneventful and boring aside from that, single currently, but that leaves more time for STO right? :P

I wasn't a Star Trek fan until the age of around 13 or 14. I had seen Star Trek many times before then, my parents love both TOS and TNG so I saw quite a bit of it growing up but it wasn't until I was turned on the television a bit early for...I think it was Xena at the time and I caught the tail end of Dark Frontier part 2, right when Janeway busts into the Queen's chamber, I was hooked from then on.

MMOwise I've played most all of them. I started with Star Wars Galaxies, but left shortly after the NGE like a lot of people did lol. I dabble in WoW from time to time but have never gotten a character to endgame there. I spent the better part of 2 years playing LOTRO and have only recently let that game slide a little in favor of DDO, which aside from a lack of a lot of mmo features, is really fun mechanic wise in my opinion. I love the combat system there. In all my mmo games however I usually lean towards healer/medic roles. I just love em.

I knew this was going to be a great place, but to come in and see the very first Getting to Know You post talking about panic issues just made my heart grow a billion sizes. I have spent most of my life dealing with depression and general/social anxiety, and only in the past three years or so has that dealing been anywhere near effective. Due to this, I've always struggled with the social aspect of online gaming, but I'm hoping that with STO I can turn over a new leaf.

I'm Chrissy, I'm 26, and I live in Michigan. I have a BA in English and Psychology and an MA in Education and with all that combined I am working as a substitute teacher because there are no jobs here in Michigan. When I was 11 and saw TNG for the first time, I decided that I wanted to be Beverly Crusher but alas, in high school I realized that while I may love reading about medicine, and while I may dye my hair various shades of red (what- if your childhood heroes were Crusher, Anne of Green Gables, and Alanna from Tamora Pierce's novels, you'd dye too!) it was never, ever going to give me the emotional capacity or the hand-eye coordination to be a doctor. Turns out that the only other thing I loved was teaching English.

I realized I was bi at age 17 and came out to my immediate family a year later. My parents and brother have always been very supportive of me. My social anxiety kept me from dating very often, but I had a girlfriend in college, and now I am that demon of the community that is a bisexual woman dating a man. I didn't intend it, it just sorta happened. He knows and accepts that I'm bi, and I adore him, and so I don't much agonize over it.

My primary hobby is reading. I read obsessively. It is my favorite thing in the world. I'm not a great video game player, but I do try very hard. I mostly play adventure games (Zelda, Okami, Point-and-Click PC games) and I played WOW for awhile but got stuck at level 15 because I was too shy to find people to quest with. As for Trek, I've been a fan (of various levels of obsession) since I was 11. I enjoy DS9 the most, but have the greatest amount of love for TNG.

I look forward to meeting everyone!

Aw sweetie... I had social anxiety for a long time too, and I still have mild general anxiety. I'm not a very outgoing person in public/social settings either. That has gotten much better though, and I think online communities help that to a degree. I had to be careful to not let them become a crutch for reality. Oddly enough I am a loner on MMOS, but IO think STO will be different :) Again, welcome.

Hi everyone,

Well, my name is Tim and i live in St Ives, Cambridgeshire in the UK. I'm a 43 year old gay man who has fostered two teenage boys. (They were my friends kids, parents got divorced, kids were going into care. So i stepped in).

Have just come to the end of a major battle in my life. I was diagnosed with cancer and have spent a year battling with it. Have just been given the all clear so as you can imagine, myself and my son's are over the moon. :)

Have been an avid star trek fan for as long as i can remember. Have played virtually all MMO's out there and worked for Sony Online Entertainment as a Server GM for Everquest until they relocated the UK office to India.

I'm single.....just not had time to find a partner, also makes it difficult as my son's take up a bit of my time and gaming takes up the other part....lol

Really looking forward to getting to meet some friends in STO. It's going to be a blast and I'm sure a hell of a lot of fun. I've already pre-ordered and am just awaiting for the 12th Jan and then its Open Beta and all systems go. :)

Hope to see you all in game and also on the forums and chat room more now that i have my life settled down.