Castlewars

-This is not a biography about Bowser. This is not a biography about Dark Bowser. This is not a guide on how to troll (well, I'm not a troll anyhow). This is a biography of Castlewars' Neoseeking life - and you will actually marvel at how much effort went into it, compared with my age. However, it is very long, so I'l break it up into sections according to the year.

1999

In the beginning...

In the beginning...back in 1999, Neoseeker was a small, yet really active domain. It hadn't opened to the public until later that year, after the name "Neoseeker" was brainstormed. Soon afterwards, Red established his first account, in early 2000. However, I was only two years old when the site went into action and so had never heard of it. What I do know is that it has expanded over the years, and there are over 450k members on the site. But a lot of those have not been on Neo for ages. Only a handful remain, and I'm one of them. If you don't want to leaf through my activity, here's a rundown of what's happened to my account...

2009

Finding Neo

So it was actually back in 2009, not 2011, that I actually found the site. So, I was going through my computer like I always did, and I was playing Super Mario World. What was bugging me was how to get to Valley Fortress. So I googled it, and the first result that came up was Neoseeker. I checked it out, regarding my behaviour of always clicking the first result, and sure there was. Originally, I thought that it was only a cheats website, but later, I discovered New Super Mario Bros. DS's cheats.
It was there that I found a link for the forum. I eagerly clicked it, but I thought that I had to register. I didn't want to, and started leafing through the threads of the forum, which was pretty much dead.

2010

Guest appearances

Flirting around the NSMBDS forum shortly after discovering the site, I began to make my first batch of posts. Strangely, I felt proud of my "unwashed heathen" rank, because I though that all the other members' ranks were strange. I then moved on - to Super Mario 64 DS. Posts there increased in size, so I resized my post form to gigantic proportions - and it still is. All was well until I was fenced off. I discovered only registered members could post, so I left. Then I went over to R/S/E and they were fenced off to guests as well. Trying to post in Super Mario World turned out good results. I could still post, but I was unaware that I was bumping threads.

2011

Signing up

However, it wasn't until that day - March the 2nd, 2011, that I joined, after three failed attempts. I got my status, avatar and Neohome straight away before the real thing - posting. In just 7 days, I gained the chance to get a CT. Shortly afterwards, I gained my first 6 Neopoints.

Serebii days

Then I walked over to Serebii. For most of May '11, I stayed over there, learning the basics of posting good messages. At the start of June, however, I got banned for a week, so I decided to make a return - only to discover that 2 posts of mine were deleted. I took this as heed and began posting here again.
Then the week was over, and I posted in Serebii again. Totally unaware that I was posting too many one-liners, I came back for the second time, soon making Neo my home.

Friends and PMs

After updating a few more cheats and grabbing more levels, I reached the "dangerous" rank. This was when I was posting in the BiS forum, which was active at the time. This was also where I met Guilphlosion - my first friend, before changing my status once again and sending my first ever PM - a request for a Wi-Fi battle with the said member. It wasn't the first PM ever on the internet - I had sent many PMs over on Serebii.

Quiz days

Then I walked over to Pokemon Emerald to start my first ever quiz, the basis for another quiz which was started two weeks later in GSMB. The Pokemon quiz got loads of insults. The Mario quiz started out well, but complaints over the rules in the second thread forced my seat to be overthrown by Giga Bowser and Name Undisclosed. The quizzes were also the origin of my mythical status - the fact that I was a "very decent quiz runner".

Getting creative

200 posts. Next rank - "no-stoppin-me-now". This was when I discovered the collections list. I went ballistic with it and started adding games to my collection, marking them as completed or not. Then I hit 264 posts. I left the collections list, changed my status for the third time, and returned to the BiS forum, which was slightly less active than it used to be. Starting up a thread, I - by fate - ran into my second Neofriend - Rainvainz. I asked him for a Wi-Fi battle, but his DS was broken. At the same time, I hit the "mad messenger" rank, before becoming the all-time top poster of that forum - a feat that still lives on.

Getting the facelift I needed

2 cheats and 200 posts later, my profile icons got a facelift as I walked over the 500 mark. Nothing much happened in that time, but I did submit another two cheats before making another 75 posts - reaching the "threadnought" rank. After sending a PM to Symphonic Abyss about his absence from the quiz, I friended him, along with his alt. Another member called dr_octagonapus wanted his thread answered as quickly as possible (in the Pokemon Emerald forum) so I went over and replied by "Not until someone gives us some spritesheets to build out of". This was the connecting point between me and dr_octagonapus, who has sadly left.

From DB to Bowser

Now at the "high on "N"" rank, I changed my avatar - a long time since I had done so. This was the turning point. First - Dark Bowser. Now, it was Bowser that was grabbing my attention. After adding yet another cheat, I changed my status for the fifth time. Then I went on my way and posted just enough messages for a rank up. Then, I went over and submitted some more cheats (again).

Getting 1K

The next point was a milestone in my Neoseeking life - I hit 1000 posts. My profile icons got a facelift, and I ranked up. In celebration to this, I changed my CT - a long time after I did so before, when I hit 50 posts. Taking advantage of the oversight that allowed members to add themselves as friends, I added myself as a friend, then added 6 cheats. The rest of the time spent was posting in the forums before meeting Shayne Orok (otherwise known as shayne), the singer, in the Super Mario Bros. forum. Going over to a thread that sounded appealing, I started to communicate with him, before finally friending him. He shouldn't be called the biggest spammer, as he had lots of free time, which he filled with Neoseeker. In fact, he got to 8000 in just a few months - something that I couldn't do.

Starting up the Gallery

It was longer than 30 days since I had my account, so it was time to get my gallery pumped up and going. The first 43 images flooded into my gallery. Then I went off to add some more cheats before adding another 18 images, then changed my status for the sixth time, but this time using HTML coding to make it red. An appreciation thread (which later turned out to be a joke) flooded my PM inbox. Taking it seriously, I said my thanks.

Riot and rebellion!

But over in GSMB, there was a different story to tell. Riot and rebellion had broken out in my quiz. I changed my CT to reflect this, added yet another cheat, but then contributed through a different means - screenshots. Adding three, I changed my CT again, because my quiz had finally been overthrown. The rebellion was successful. Moving on, I added another 5 cheats, and for the seventh time, my status got an uplift, to reflect the fact that I couldn't run a quiz properly. But I got on pretty well with this.

2012

"Why is everyone hating my videos?"

Hundreds of posts later, my profile icons received another facelift. However, much of the time spent in the "true seeker (2K Remix)" rank was posting, so, in a short space of time, I brushed the rank aside, and ranked my way up. But over on YouTube, my latest video has received just one dislike. Not knowing it, I complained through a thread. Without realising it, members saw the thread and used it as a way of trolling me. It was a trollfest that had veered out of control! My status also reflected this. Changing it for the eighth time, it actually worsened the problem - and it's still happening.

1 year on Neo!

Moving on, I ranked up again, but my account was celebrating something special - its first birthday. My CT went through three changes - one before the account's birthday, one on the actual day, and another on the day after the birthday. Then I changed my avatar to a walking Bowser, the one I still have today, and updated my CT another four times, finally ending on "(bowser)" the one I still have today.

Contributing again

But changing my status for the ninth time encouraged hate over the Neo account itself. I didn't change it, but continued on my way. Next rank - the one I still have today. Then I added seven cheats - a long time since I had made any contributions.

Starting up a new forum

Another highlight occurred when I was asking for a new forum. I made the profile, and guess what - it worked. Super Mario All Stars + Super Mario World was now on Neoseeker! However, not many big events happened in this time, apart from more cheats, threads, and most of all, posts.

Loungin' around in the PokeLounge

Then I went over to start posting in the PokeLounge. This was where I was meant to be posting as I am only 14, and Loungin' was meant for young adults. Four threads were made and their exact copies in Loungin', and then - suprise, surprise, I changed my CT. Because that also encouraged hate, I was forced to change it back.

Bugs and albums

Then I started to file bugs in the bug report forums without getting confirmation. I had matured much enough to file bugs without asking. This did come out with risks - my bugs being bad bugged became an open possibility. Then a record 46 new images entered what was to become my biggest gallery album. Then it was more posts and threads before, a few days later, it was time to edit that album again.

Time to change my name!

Then, yes, the moment of it all. One of the most memorable moments in my career on Neo. However, I couldn't do this because of a browser issue, so I went over to file the bug. However, it hasn't been fixed yet, only confirmed. However, I deleted the suggestion using the humble Delete key to put forward this moment - changing my name to Castlewars instead of castlewars!

Rigorous CT changes

Ambling away at posting and making new threads, I continued to post as usual. At the start of May, my CT went through rigorous changes. My avatar returned to Dark Bowser, my sig linked, and my avatar was Dark Bowser - in a rage!

I did it!

I finally did it yesterday! I managed to get to 4000 posts and the "Hooked on Neo" rank! My icons changed colour. It was a rather refreshing change, compared to the brown that I originally had to put up with, but the biggest problem was that I was only posting about five messages in a day. Starting from yesterday, my PPD started to increase, and currently it is standing at around 15, and you'll find out why in the next chapter.

Preparing to go bust...

Unfortunately, I had submitted many bad bugged bug reports when I was around the 4050 stage. I knew that bad bugged bug reports auto-deleted themselves, so I had to soften the impact I was about to get from losing 10 posts. To do this, I had to increase my PPD. It's now standing around 25, so that meant that I actually did get some posts from out of the lost posts.

Bust!

There I went. I went bust. I was originally at 4249 posts yesterday, and when I made my first post, I found myself at 4239, a clear sign that I had gone bust. No avail! I increased my posting rate yet again, and found myself at 4264 at the end of the month. However, today, I went bust again, and lost six posts. It wasn't a great deal, but I think I should stay away from the bug forums.

But that's it...

It's still prone to updates, you know. Stay tuned, as you never know when to expect the next update!