In 1997, I was 12 years old. My family bought it's first computer, and after years of using computers in school and playing Sim City 2000 in 5th grade, I could buy my own games.

First games I bought was the Sierra/Dynamix Aces Collection. It came with Red Baron, A-10, AOTP (among others) and Aces of the Deep. First Subsim I ever played, and probably still my favorite.

So, at that time, I was still just a kid, but entering the new world of middle school/junior high.

Happy birthday Subsim. :Kaleun_Salute:

Well done Neal and congratulations for making Subsim the fine thing it is today.

Now 1997.....I was in my 12th year of service in the RAF, maintaining Tornado's at that time. Best job and career I ever had. I was 30 years old, still single (happily married now I hasten to add....just in case the wife reads this :03:) and 5 years away from joining the best dam virtual navy on the Web :up:

Here's to the next 20 years :Kaleun_Cheers:

What went down in 1997.
 

Happy Birthday Subsim.

After having been hired less than a year ago i decided it was high time i got a pc and got connected to this new thing called 'the internet'.

I decided i wasn't gonna be buying any cheap machine either.

I bought a spanking new Pentium 166 MMX with 32mb ram , 2mb matrox mystique graphics card , a 320 mb hdd and a 15inch crt color monitor.

And to get my kicks on this machine i bought 2 video games ; 'Command & Conquer : Red Alert' and a little game called 'Silent Hunter".

All of this just a few days after my 20'th birthday.

:subsim:

1997?

I had gotten out of the navy 2 years prior and was halfway through my BSEE degree program, supplementing my GI Bill and Pell Grant by working as an NRC-licensed Sr. Reactor Operator at the on-campus research reactor.

Joined the navy to see the world and saw the inside of a submarine Maneuvering Room. Got out to get my degree with plans to do stuff in the commercial sector. Ended up working with skimmers where I've seen more of the world than I ever did in the navy...

HAPPY Birthday Subsim

-97 was the year I turned 32.

I didn't have any type of computer or other technical things like NES only thing i had was my tv, radio, cassette player and CD player and my local library.

I was single at that time.

This was the positive side from that year.

I was if I remember correctly on sick leave due to my severe Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, which I by then only have had for about a 1-1½. my life was a living hell at that time, no sleep or maybe 1-3 hours sleep in 24-48 hours.

That's all I can remember from that year. I guess a lot more will pop-up as time goes by.

Markus

Congratulations Neal on 20 years. You should be proud. This is a classy place with lots of good and talented people. You have brought together an outstanding membership and I am glad to be a part of it.:salute:

1997...I can't remember. :O:

Lived in the country, kids we're leaving home and I had not yet played a subsim. Getting ready to retire and not expecting a gold watch.

Thanks for SubSim. :subsim:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUBSIM!
:Kaleun_Cheers:
Well...I copy/paste my comments in SUBSIM FB here:

"I was playing SH1 in my first PC at home - a new IBM Aptiva with W95. Working in engineering (as today and in the same job but now I'm project director; then a junior designer) and not married yet. And reading poetry by Robert Graves and books about fleet boats (Lockwood etc). I have the IBM working yet. In 2000 I knew my future wife and I had a hiatus in playing games in my PC. Married in 2005 and son born in 2007 I started in SUBSIM in 2009 with SH3 and 688i."

Best regards and for another 20 years!!! Many thanks Onkel Neal!

Fitzcarraldo :Kaleun_Salute:

Back in 1997 I was 14, I think I just got my first computer and where I live we had that awesome 56k dial up modem action.

Used to try and muffle the little speaker on it so my parents would not hear me go online at night to chat on ICQ.....thought I was in love everytime a girl laughed at my jokes... listened to grunge music.. a lot.... started surfing.

Congratulations to all for keeping this gem running 20 years! :Kaleun_Cheers:

Just started working full time in a cinema. Contact had just come out. Was still playing 688 attack sub, SH and yes, Das Boot even. We played the movie Das Boot full length version on screen for a special event. Totally forgot about Silent Service sims too.

Welcome aboard!
 

Crappy Year.
 

I had just married my second exwife.

1997 was actually a pretty rough year for me. I had a nervous break-down, similar to what is called PTSD now. I tried "running away", from what or to where wasn't even in my mind. I wasn't thinking straight. Just in a panic. I ended up in the wilderness as far north as I could get in Northern Ontario. After a couple weeks (or maybe more) of survival camping in the forest, I finally snapped out of it, and my mind cleared up. I ended up moving to Sioux Lookout which was quite a ways south of where I had been wandering in the woods. It was quite terrifying, I'll admit, being alone and cut off completely from civilization. However, I don't regret it, it was a powerful learning experience.

Anyways, it wasn't until about two years later, I bought Silent Hunter 2 and quickly discovered the Wolf Pack League and really got into the community. Joined SubSim itself I think about two years after that. I think the socializing, goofing around, and the exchange of knowledge, the art work, the trivia etc in the Wolf Pack League/SubSim community really helped me stabilize, to be honest. SH2/DC was probably my favorite multiplayer game of all time, especially because everyone in SubSim were respectful of others and the agreed upon rules in the game. :subsim: :Kaleun_Cheers:

Happy B-day SubSim....Today is my birthday too!!! Ha, I turned 21 when this forum was created...:Kaleun_Cheers: Other than that, I really do not remember too much that happened in those early 20's, LoL.

Enter your contest. Message from Lane Goodman
 

Hi Neal ,

Remember me Lane Goodman and Jim Woford? I think you were just starting the forum.
If I remember we tested some of Silent Hunter? I was 80 yrs old just a few weeks ago.
I am retired year 1992 from Naval Weapons center at Crane, In.
I think Jim wolford is retired too.
I had Silent Hunter Loaded a few years ago. Just Lost interest. Right now I fly Flight sims FS9 and am a Beta Test for Dutch Owens for his FSCaptain program. I fly DC3 and DC4 Prop planes and saab 340. aircraft . the Fscaptain web site is www.fscaptain.net
I am sure Sub sims have realy changed . When I had silent Hunter installed I had some good patrols.

Regards

Lane Goodman :salute:

In 97 I was in 7th grade, playing 688i, Simcity 2000, SimCopter, and Streets of Simcity.

I don't come here as often as I used to but cheers to 20 years on the web! :Kaleun_Cheers: