Last week marked a couple of milestones for me.
First, and probably most shockingly, I finally turned 40. It wasn’t as stressful a birthday as my 39th was for a number of very personal reasons, and I would have been content to let the day pass without much comment. But 80+ Facebook greetings, some nice emails, IM and IRC messages…people will say things and then there is no escaping the fact.
Second, Flash of Steel passed one million lifetime visits. Now Rock, Paper, Shotgun probably does that in a month. It took me much longer, and though I am addicted to checking my stats, I don’t put a whole lot of stake in them except as trends. I know that if I wrote more often, I would have passed this threshhold months ago.
So, on the birthday front, special thanks to all friends and family that have gotten me this far. Special thanks to that handful of die-hards (you know who you are) that helped me through a few difficult transitions – there are more to come.
On the site front, thanks to everyone that comes back regularly to read even when I update slowly and everyone that comments intelligently and politely on my posts. It means a great deal to me to have an audience that respects what I have tried to do here and that hasn’t harangued me to write more than I have the last 18 months.
I probably won’t be writing in this space in 40 years time, but I will try to hit 1 million visits sooner – and that will mean more updates. I have a lot of stuff backlogged, some of it in reply to what smarter people are writing for money.
No, THANK YOU for making me think a little harder about these games I’ve been enthralled by for the last fifteen years of my life and thus making me fall back in love with them all over again.
Troy thanks for all you do…and Happy Bday.
What Wally said. Thank you for your passion and dedication to the genre and the education of players.
Also, I’m turning 40 on May 3 and wondered if you got any tips? Will there be birthday bumps? (that’s when each party guest kicks you in the bum with their knee for each year of life) Excessive drinking?
People come because you write good stuff, have original things to say, and surround yourself with others who live to your high standards (your contributors list says it all).
I don’t really know you, but from my limited contact you have always been helpful and willing to share your expertise. I hope life treats you well, almost everyone except murderers, molesters and EA management deserves happiness (jk about EA). Congrats on FoS’s success.
No birthday bumps and little celebrating – I am not a birthday kind of guy. Did have whiskey and beer with a friend on Friday, had a free dessert last week at my local bar and my best friend is taking me to dinner once their schedule clears up.
Happy Birthday Troy! Now you can join the old men’s club with the rest of us! :)
Congratulations and happy birthday, Troy! Thanks for all the good work you’ve done.
Congratulations on 40 orbits! Keep going!!! Thanks for all the hard work.
Happy birthday Troy! Thank you for all the work u’ve done and hopefully one day FOS would be as big as RPS.