The Jedi Academy. THE Place for Jedi training.
Forums
Content
The Academy
Learn
Communicate
Personal


Forums | Academy Discussion
TJA is ten! Share your experiences here
Apr 17 2012 03:14pm

Alex Dkana
 - Staff
Alex Dkana
So, May 17th of this year will mark the Tenth Anniversary of The Jedi Academy. You may have already seen or heard of some of the things the Staff have planned to mark this occasion, but it is also a time for looking back.

Whether you are an oldbie who has been here since the dawn of time, or joined years after TJA first opened it's doors (or even only joined recently to play TOR with us :o) we want to hear from you!

Share your stories, anecdotes, screenshots, videos, memories of anything and everything - the good, the bad, and the PINK!

We will be collating some of the choicest recollections into an upcoming series of articles that will be published over Anniversary week.

This place has given us all a lot to talk about over the years, so... who'll go first? :)
_______________
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield | Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken | Rhaiko D'kana - SWTOR EU Guild Co-Founder | Is it what the teacher, teaches? Or what the student learns? A Dkana

This post was edited by Alex Dkana on Apr 17 2012 03:15pm.

< Recent Comments Login and add your comment! Previous Comments >
Comments
Aug 31 2013 05:48am

SaberWeildinKow
 - Student
 SaberWeildinKow

Hm...not sure if I'm considered an oldbie yet, but I post once a year or so, so why not.

I'm 24, married and a father now, but I remembered this game and the good time I had on these servers 10+ years ago. I remember joining the academy, watching those who joined with me get masters, make friends, and really become a part of the community. I didn't act much more maturely than you would expect of a 13 year old, and frankly offended a few people through the forums, but appreciated ya'll letting me hang around anyway. I even thought I played half-decently until Sauce came around and would beat me 49/50 duels :D

Well I guess by now we're probably all oldbies :P

Aug 29 2013 09:38pm

Kamidake Kenji
 - Student
 Kamidake Kenji

Memories of a simpler time...a happier time. :P
_______________
"...wait, what?"

Apr 06 2013 04:21pm

Dash Starlight
 - Jedi Instructor
 Dash Starlight

Quote:
P.S. Dash, for the millionth time, that saber is pink!

BANT! :mad:
_______________
The name is Bond. James Bond.

Apr 04 2013 10:33pm

Milosh
 - Student
 Milosh

I don't even remember how I ended up finding this site.
But from Laziana showing me around the map and the pit dueling for a while, Jaiko showing me the basics of dueling and the philosophy behind it (and then disappearing forever damn it) to the classes, and missing a chance to be Sauce's padawan.

Then that short period when Sauce, Jaina, Dark Daemiser and me were the only people consistently online. Trying to become Jaina's padawan. And those two dueling Dark and me without holding back was the most fun I had with this game.
But also, becoming friends with Saz, which transcended JKA. Years later, he is one of my few very best friends(whiny bitch). I will always remember this place as an integral piece of my teenage years.

P.S. Dash, for the millionth time, that saber is pink!
_______________
Proud fan of DJ Laziana

Mar 30 2013 03:23pm

R2D2
 - Staff
 R2D2

@Ataris... JAbot was your third parent :empire: :D
_______________
"Do or do not, there is no try"
Jedi Master Yoda
Dual Saberist


Mar 27 2013 08:45pm

Ataris
 - Milwaukees Finest
 Ataris

TJA is basically the place where I grew up. I kid you not when I say those countless arguments and occasional bans taught me how to behave more than my parents at that time did.

Don't get me wrong my parents schooled me plenty when I was a kid. But from age 17 (2003) up to around age 20 (2006), when I went to the military, most of my time was spent around the numerous activities that TJA treated us to. Classes, Radio DJing, TS, goofing in-game, trying really hard not to use cursewords on IRC, trying to negotiate with the JAT+ not to be banned when I got in trouble.. Everything was just awesome.

BTW (this just popped in to my head for some reason) what was that webcam chat programme called where you could have dozens of people on your screen at the same time? I remember I used it that one NYE and "everyone" was on it.

In any case I'd like to thank each member that made this place what it was and those lifelong friends that I've made without ever actually meeting any of you face to face. Not to go all soft on you guys now but this place and by extension all of you meant a lot to me growing up.

:alliance::empire::alliance::empire::alliance:

-Tomas

PS.
_______________
[ Honorable mentions: aph3x | Milamber | Bail Hope Belouve | Jaiko D'Kana | Rosered | JediEthic | Mike/JJ/TheKing | Kensei | Dane | Gradius | Thomas Skywalker | Pink Floyd | Setementor | Steinin | Odan-Wei ] [ Owner of: MetaDust's 500th comment! | Eica's 700th comment! | Pink Floyd's 666th, 999th, 1200th and 1337th comment! | DarkRyu's 400th comment! | Redeye's 1st comment! | Cow's 1111st comment! | Rufusan's 75th comment! | Wicek's 3300th and 3400th comment! | Dash Starlight's 2000th comment! | Piccolo's 3400th comment! | Takaru's 300th comment! | Senor Hat's 900th comment! | Rytandus' 4160th comment! | The first ever awarded, the original, the one and only, Catphin Award!!1 ] "Music expresses that which can not be put in to words but can not remain silent."

Mar 21 2013 04:03pm

Kenyon
 - Lord of the Dance
 Kenyon

Quote:
powerstrutting with Kenyon


*struts*

*leaves again*

Mar 11 2013 05:44pm

Casual
 - Student
 Casual

TJA gave me some great memories.

Being bestman at Plank & Menaxia's wedding, powerstrutting with Kenyon, DJ'ing TJA radio, trying to spread some Star Trek gospel among the unbelievers, fooling around in IRC and loving every damned minute of my life with you nerds.

Alas, real life has me the jingles and I only pop in once a year or so to comment in nostalgia posts such as this :)

Missing you all, though!
_______________
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.


Feb 19 2013 12:04pm

Dash Starlight
 - Jedi Instructor
 Dash Starlight

It's really good to hear how much people have been enjoying their time in here. :)

Quote:
Bonus points for anyone who went to the first JA PROM.


I think the first prom I attended to was in 2005 or something. I'm such a newbie :P
_______________
The name is Bond. James Bond.

Feb 15 2013 07:46pm

SilkMonkey
 - Distributor of Cold Ones
 SilkMonkey

Holy crap 10 years?!

Man I am old.

Just wanted to say hello and thanks to everyone who I got to chat with and connect with while I was still in HS/early in my college career. Bonus points for anyone who went to the first JA PROM.
_______________
|-HK-47 -SilkMonkey: You are receiving a warning for being_too_sexy. If you do not stop, action will be taken against you.|| (11:13:43) � Virtue dances for Silk ||Smiling owner of Smilykrazy's 6000th comment =) ||Odan Wei's Proud Big Brother|| Janus is my official TaruTaru Cuddly Animal Type Person. ||(@Virtue) Or you could just be a man and set fire to your genitals.....you won't fall asleep for days after that.......trust me.||Thomas Skywalker er for sexy for sitt eget beste!!!!| Not changing sig until the JA loosens up. (Started: Aug 31, 2005)

Feb 14 2013 11:36pm

Rosie
 - Student
 Rosie

Oh man this is awesome!

MISS AND LOVE YOU GUYS!!

I don't think I've heard or read the word laming since I left bahahahah. I should use it for customers at work.

I don't have any specific memories. Generally trying to become better all the time and being liked by as many as possible :P yes very obsessed. Getting accepted into aurochs was the highlight of my life at that time, so nice to be part of a team and feel needed (ish my kill/death ratio was horrible).

I wish I hadn't been so shy and joined in when everyone went onto TS, seemed like such good fun :)

I probably should not have played as much as I did and tried to socialised a bit more with people in my surrondings but hey ho everything has its time :D

xxxxxxxx

Feb 14 2013 08:40am

Smilykrazy
 - Retired
 Smilykrazy

Wow 10 years old?!! How is that possible since I continue to get younger every year?

I spent the greater part of my early 20s here and really enjoyed this community. It was my first real gaming experience and I was actually fairly decent at JK2. I was not so lucky when JKA came out but I still enjoyed the environment. Most public servers were filled with rude people or "Lamers" and it wasn't enjoyable. This place was always the place I could go to and have fun with real genuine people. Of course we had our share of bad eggs but they were few and far between compared to all other servers. It doesn't surprise me that a decade later people are still here and still friends. Makes me happy to see that. :D
_______________
RIP MOM 06/29/58-07/31/08 Married to Koyi Donita 4/30/11

Feb 13 2013 12:08am

MOTREC
 - Student
 MOTREC

Ah yes, JA memories! I have ALOT of them. (having spent days on end hanging with the awesome people here) Going WAAAAAYYYYY back here but... I remember hanging out on teamspeak for "Acey's hour". That was alot of fun! Plus I had never heard an Australian talk before so it was a bit of culture shock too. In fact there were quite a few "Aussies" on teamspeak, Furious, Garos, Senor Hat, Ozzcoz, etc... And ofcourse Acey. They really loved 2 things I used to say, 1) You guys sound like Steve Irwin and 2) "Fosters! Australian for beeaah". ROFL. They tried their hardest to not come undone with me for stuff like that. And then, I almost ended up divorced!!! as soon as my wife heard Roan Belouve (Roan is from England btw) talk on teamspeak. I was like "WTF! My voice is lower than his!" her reply "yeah but he has a low voice and and that accent!" W/E rofl.

I also remember the EXTREMELY fun weekends when Virtue and Kenyon would serenade us! And they did it from their respective homes. They would play guitar and piano together, harmonize with eachother, and sing some really excellent songs. I could have sat there listening to them for hours. I would request songs and Kenyon and Virt would always incorporate my name into the song. It was a blast.

DJsith and alcohol, Here is a brutal combination. Nothing like hearing mild mannered DJsith talk like a dock worker in his drunken stupor lol. He would make fun of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE! OMG!@ there were nights he was real bad. LOL. It was all in good fun but "too much of a good thing" and all that you know.

JJ, OMFG, TALK ABOUT MAKE YOU LAUGH FOREVER!!!????!!!! Holy crap would he go after some people in ts. If JJ didn't like someone, yeah, they were mentally screwed. But mostly he would talk about how much he wanted to sex me and sing like Michael Jackson LOL.
I know I'm going on and on but I can't help it, there are ALOT of stories! There was one time where your's truly,(me), lost his voice. Roan and Vax were on TS and I joined. Well it wasn't too long and they had me on a roll, (those of you who have experienced me know what I'm talking about) and the next thing I know, Roan and Vax got everyone from the Euro server on teamspeak laughing their heads off at me and not having a voice and trying to yell at them. Even my wife was laughing at what she was hearing in the living room. There were like 15 to 20 people on teamspeak that night, ALL LAUGHING AT ME!! Well how I sounded/ what I was saying. Oh yeah, some REALLY GREAT times in the JA. It's nice gaming with "like minded" people. And getting the opportunity to break some of the stereotypes that I had thought were true about different people from all over the world. I learned alot more than how to play a video game, I learned how to be an even better person. That's one thing that you can't get from any class or by following any rules. It's the people who make that sort happen. Happy late 10th Jedi Academy!! And remember, it's just a website with out all of you guys.

This comment was edited by MOTREC on Feb 13 2013 12:09am.

Jan 14 2013 12:27am

PlooKoon
 - Student
 PlooKoon

Hahah Yes DASH! I love you too, and it makes me tearfully happy to think someone remembers my classes and all the other people that you've mentioned. I am currently 21..last year of university. I joined when I was 11, playing with a joystick on jk2 /ultracool with 56k dialup. Essay deadlines for tomorrow but will return to spam with my memories!!! Nice to read all of these bad boys.

Quote:
I love trips down memory lane.


My first class ever was KaTaN's, which was a lot of fun. I participated in many others as well over the years, including:
- PlooKoon's Basic and Advanced Red Stance classes (yes red! :P);
- PlooKoon and Lancer's Single vs. Duals/Staff;
- Virtue's Basic Medium Stance and Advanced Medium Stance;
- Luke's Lightsaber Training (advanced yellow) class;
- Leif's Hybrid Stance class.
And many, many others. Heck, I was even in that class by SmileyKrazy that SaZabi mentioned. He and JK13 won the Tag Team Tourney, me and my partner were the runner ups. I remember it was a VERY good final. Good games, guys. :)

I remember teaming up with Kenny Jowol and Majno as training partners. We'd practise what we had learned together, giving each other feedback and talking things through. That really helped me understand things better. What also helped, was the training I got from so many friends here: PlooKoon, Lancer007, illian D'Kana, Jaiko D'Kana, Jaina D'Kana, Virtue, Dacascos, JK13, Carda and many others.

_______________
Moo

Oct 22 2012 09:20pm

Ðàrth Àpòçålýpsè
 - Student
 ÃÃ rth Àpòçålýpsè

Well I joined JKA multiplayer in 2008 waaaay after the games release.. then I met Jaina on a public server who introduced me to TJA around April 2009, i thought activity was fine, but according to everybody else the game was dead, i wouldn't know though. In terms of it being an academy i was a little disappointed.. i came to TJA looking for tons of training, going to class to class learning and learning and even relearning aspects and mechanics of this game. Dash told me recently that's how TJA WAS, but that's unfortunately not what it was when i joined. I've had 3 good teachers in TJA however, i'd say Dash Starlight, Jaina D'kana, and Xanatos. They taught me much to know in JKA and i'm glad i met them here!

Regardless of my first impression of TJA I've had tons of good memories here, laming people and developing my skills on some of the most trained people of jka, soo yeah this place has room in my heart. I honestly wish I joined upon this games release though, i probably would have had an even greater experience

In fact -[DE]- was mostly brought here for further practice on you great JKA players so i could strengthen my clan.

You guys are great but can you all hop on the TJA servers so we can get some new memories going???
_______________
New -[DE]- Site.

This comment was edited by Ðàrth Àpòçålýpsè on Oct 22 2012 09:23pm.

Oct 02 2012 06:54pm

Jaina D'Kana
 - Jedi Instructor
 Jaina D'Kana

Quote:
Quote:
Love this place! A lot of memories have been collected throughout these 10 years! I could write a much longer post about it, but it would all sum up to I love everything about this place and everyone who is a part of it. Truly grateful to have been part of such a weird, unique, and exciting project.

Anecdotes:
-I was very involved with the planning and execution of the first couple of Thanksgiving tournaments, and I still remember the MASSIVE lag issues plaguing the server with so many people on it. However, we had an awesome time and the tournament had a very grand feel to it. It wasn't a game back then, these duelers meant business!

- One thing that set us apart is the ability to patiently wait in line to duel. The academy always provided a very laid back, calm and respectful environment for all members. Seeing a line of 11 people just simply waiting their turn to duel is inspiring.

- For a more personal anecdote, I'll always remember that Nofrikinfun and I were the first "trialed" knights of the academy (since ShadowSith was first with tourney win). We trialed simultaneously and had lots of very encouraging spectators on the server.

Long live this place!!


I know that I was one of them in line ;) Good Times. Good Classes too.


I often didn't have the patience to queue. I'd just challenge someone and go to another room :D
_______________
INTP

Sep 29 2012 02:02am

GremReaper
 - Student
 GremReaper

Quote:
Love this place! A lot of memories have been collected throughout these 10 years! I could write a much longer post about it, but it would all sum up to I love everything about this place and everyone who is a part of it. Truly grateful to have been part of such a weird, unique, and exciting project.

Anecdotes:
-I was very involved with the planning and execution of the first couple of Thanksgiving tournaments, and I still remember the MASSIVE lag issues plaguing the server with so many people on it. However, we had an awesome time and the tournament had a very grand feel to it. It wasn't a game back then, these duelers meant business!

- One thing that set us apart is the ability to patiently wait in line to duel. The academy always provided a very laid back, calm and respectful environment for all members. Seeing a line of 11 people just simply waiting their turn to duel is inspiring.

- For a more personal anecdote, I'll always remember that Nofrikinfun and I were the first "trialed" knights of the academy (since ShadowSith was first with tourney win). We trialed simultaneously and had lots of very encouraging spectators on the server.

Long live this place!!


I know that I was one of them in line ;) Good Times. Good Classes too.
_______________
Xfire--kdgremreaper

Sep 23 2012 03:45pm

Alex Dkana
 - Staff
 Alex Dkana

It was only a little while ago that James was telling me the history of the Hats. :)
_______________
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield | Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken | Rhaiko D'kana - SWTOR EU Guild Co-Founder | Is it what the teacher, teaches? Or what the student learns? A Dkana

Sep 23 2012 05:53am

Senor Hat
 - Student
 Senor Hat

I joined 8 years ago, and just remembered this place exists. Good god

Any oldbies out there remember The Hats? Because you should!

And ty to DJ or whoever did the account sweeping to leave mine in, hahah. And IRC is as idle-y as ever

Edit:
Quote:


Team Derp, Team Awesome, Team Sexeh.

I did some growing up here.


Aw yeah SilkehBabeh
_______________
I have beaten The Internet.
The end guy was hard.


This comment was edited by Senor Hat on Sep 23 2012 05:56am.

Sep 22 2012 10:26pm

Jaina D'Kana
 - Jedi Instructor
 Jaina D'Kana

Quote:
Just had a random thought this morning about....

The day I got 'Married' To JJ.


OMG! Bigamy!
_______________
INTP

Sep 22 2012 09:29pm

Dash Starlight
 - Jedi Instructor
 Dash Starlight

I can imagine that being hard to forget...
_______________
The name is Bond. James Bond.

Sep 21 2012 10:28am

Menaxia
 - Student
 Menaxia

Just had a random thought this morning about....

The day I got 'Married' To JJ.
_______________
This is not the place to look for me

Sep 19 2012 10:30pm

Jaina D'Kana
 - Jedi Instructor
 Jaina D'Kana

Quote:
I still intend to share my own thoughts at some point. :D Honest.


as it's your thread :)
_______________
INTP

This comment was edited by Jaina D'Kana on May 29 2017 04:16pm.

Sep 15 2012 12:13am

Jaiko D'Kana
 - Student
 Jaiko D'Kana

Great post skyler...had a good grin at that! :-)
_______________
The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. William James (1842 - 1910)

Sep 14 2012 07:04pm

skyler_
 - Student
 skyler_

Love this place! A lot of memories have been collected throughout these 10 years! I could write a much longer post about it, but it would all sum up to I love everything about this place and everyone who is a part of it. Truly grateful to have been part of such a weird, unique, and exciting project.

Anecdotes:
-I was very involved with the planning and execution of the first couple of Thanksgiving tournaments, and I still remember the MASSIVE lag issues plaguing the server with so many people on it. However, we had an awesome time and the tournament had a very grand feel to it. It wasn't a game back then, these duelers meant business!

- One thing that set us apart is the ability to patiently wait in line to duel. The academy always provided a very laid back, calm and respectful environment for all members. Seeing a line of 11 people just simply waiting their turn to duel is inspiring.

- For a more personal anecdote, I'll always remember that Nofrikinfun and I were the first "trialed" knights of the academy (since ShadowSith was first with tourney win). We trialed simultaneously and had lots of very encouraging spectators on the server.

Long live this place!!


This comment was edited by skyler_ on Sep 14 2012 07:27pm.

< Recent Comments Login and add your comment! Previous Comments >