Cantr: Telling it like it is.

[Cogliostro]

I've been thinking about how Cantr has such a large and important Polish population, as big as the English, and got curious how it developed and grew to become the success it is today. But not in the sense of the history of the Polish characters and player base, more I was interested in how all those Polish players came to be interested in the game (before they ever played it), and what made them join up. There had to be some clearly identifiable set of factors that can be ranked in order of importance in causing that eventual landslide of subscriptions.

How about we try to find out what some of those factors were? I want ask the English the same thing, to try and remember those ancient times before you were signed up for Cantr. Tell us what finally made you. Cantrians, it's time to tell all. Let's hear what was going through your head when you decided to join, what expectations you had, what was the exciting bit and maybe a little about how it turned out to be?

Personally I got curious about Cantr because of the blurb of text where it explained how Jos with his brothers (???) would play a freeform game with many characters made of legos or something like that. This reminded me very much of a very fond childhood memory of playing similar games with my cousins. On the strength of this fond memory I signed up.

The game was nothing like what I expected. The first experience I had was picking up a stone pot far in the desert town with only one other inhabitant. This one was older and told me off for picking it up, saying at other places I'd be killed for doing so. This is how I knew this was a friendly game to play and just right for me. The next character I made accidentally met a few super-roleplayers who spend 24/7 controlling their character in amazing detail, and my cantr career was launched with a whirlpool story spanning many towns and a very tragic ending. Let's hear yours!

[Sunni Daez]

My niece played.. I was visiting her and she talked about it, showed me a few things.. so when I returned, I signed up.. hooked ever since. Lots has changed.. and I do mean lots! Through the game I have actually met awesome people... Randi, Debs, Trae, Pops, Hermi, Shay, Black Canyon, Maelstrom, Redgirl, Sanchez, Surly, Remnant... and so many more that I speak with online..

[cantrlady]

Black Canyon, Maelstrom,

I miss both of them.

[rconley]

Black Canyon, Maelstrom,

I miss both of them.

Me too

[Dudel]

I was bored and looking for something to amuse me while I wasted away the time I wasn't doing anything. During which I shared a PC with my sibling who used the PC for things I would rather not mention.

ANYWAY... I was looking for PbbGs (which is what Cantr is) Persistent Browser Based Game. ACTUALLY, Cantr was the ONLY REAL PbbG out there. Others were "kill this.... get that... move one" types.

I read the Wiki and such for about three days for an approximate total of about 30hours. Debating and thinking and just weighing the "should I, shouldn't I" etc etc etc.

Finally I signed up with a character name I had used before, and still use (actually I used it in Cantr again... recently). After having read the Wiki and learning SOME stuff I STILL had my character ask for a weapon and armor. XD It was an old habit to break, you see.

ANYWAY, that character got a rubber taping knife some direction to get rubber in a nearby location. For shits and giggles I had the character have "odd dreams" and even had him keep a journal. I was generally bored and had WAY to much time which Cantr occupied.

I was just doing whatever... then I had another character spawn in the desert with a note saying he was dropped off by pirates and left to die. XD

ANYWAY, that guy took a bunch of stuff from a common building and ran into a even worse desert type location while my other character stopped while traveling. At which time I lost my "use" of the PC.

Sibling needed it more often for her... "school work" and I was the other "banana" in the equation so lost out. That was in 05 and I didn't get access to a regular PC until October of last year.

At that time I resigned up and had grown up a good chunk so the same mistakes were not made. Actually I kinda just... blurred right into the community. Which is kinda common for me though so nothing should be looked on it.

~~(Tilde)~~

Sometimes I question the validity of the thing as a "game" let alone its amusement and other times it is more fun then a latest gen eye bleed fest of awesome!

I'm not really sure what draws me to Cantr. I think it is the RP but at the same time the "RP" is also Cantr's problem. When Cantr has little to none, I don't care. When Cantr has "too much" and/or things are "thrown at me", I don't care.

When I don't care... I don't play. This is why I've only got the SEVEN. Any more and I'd 100% have to hit the green X. I think too many people over set themselves which results in too many "situations" at one time.

Did that answer the question... any?

[Zanthos]

i dont even know -how- i found this game, it was so long ago, and when i first joined up in middle school i played it for about a month and a half, and decided i hated it and quit.

then, a year or so later, i joined again, and decided i really liked it, and played for years after that, until i deleted my account in a fit of drunken stupidity.

then, a year later, i made a new account. the game is just so unique that it keeps in your mind, you just cant forget it.

that didnt answer your question at all, did it.

[Caesar]

My story seems quite simple.
I have too much fantasy, and I always long to living another live.
Cantr gave me many new lives. And now I am addicted to it.

[Peanut]

Was looking for an online survival game sort of like survival kids for the gameboy.

Found cantr started playing and quit instantly because it wasn't what I had looked for.

Until I came back later when I was a bit more mature and it intrigued me.

The town I spawned in then was called Blojt

[SekoETC]

I liked the "any role imaginable" aspect, although I was disappointed to notice that the system didn't support for example visual arts (back then there wasn't even image upload, if people wanted pictures on the server, they had to sent them to a mailing list and it got stuck if the attachment was too big). And now there are the skills too so although you can still play any role, you might be bad at it and likely to have an easier life if you choose something else.

[Chasing Dingoes]

*points to Caesar* It's all his fault.

[snm2001]

I started playing because Relegalize loved it so much.. now he quit .. but I love it.. being 15 people that arent really me is something I like alot

[Caesar]

*points to Caesar* It's all his fault.

You blame me for showing you something you are now addicted to?

I didn't do such a thing.
Oops... I meant to look a tad more innocent there.

[Dudel]

*points to Caesar* It's all his fault.

You blame me for showing you something you are now addicted to?

You know in a lot of states that is enough to send you to prison.

[Caesar]

*points to Caesar* It's all his fault.

You blame me for showing you something you are now addicted to?

You know in a lot of states that is enough to send you to prison.

Luckily I do not live in the states. I live 'somewhere else'. Besides that I did not introduce her to anything Illegal, therefore I am safe all around the globe.

If you do not count my real crimes, that is. I could get quite the maximum sentence in the United States of America.

[Andu]

If you do not count my real crimes, that is. I could get quite the maximum sentence in the United States of America.

Yeah,sure.