RPGnet

• 1. Founding And Early History

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  Emma and Sandy Antunes stood at the center of a digital storm in 1996. They launched RPGnet to unify transient game sites that scattered across the early internet. Shawn Althouse, known online as etrigan, joined them alongside Brian David Phillips. Their goal was simple yet ambitious: create a single hub for role-playing enthusiasts who felt isolated on smaller forums. The founders recognized that gaming communities needed a permanent home rather than fleeting discussion boards. This vision transformed how players connected with one another during the late nineties.

• 2. Corporate Ownership Transitions

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  Skotos Tech purchased RPGnet in 2001 while allowing creative autonomy to remain intact. Shannon Appelcline now runs operations under Skotos leadership. Volunteer moderators and administrators continue to maintain daily forum activities. In 2024, RPGMatch acquired development duties from the previous owners. The administration of the forums remained independent despite the change in ownership. This transition preserved the site's core identity while shifting technical responsibilities to new hands. Industry observers noted the rarity of such an arrangement in modern web hosting.

• 3. Forum Software Evolution

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  Matt's WWWBoard script powered the original 1997 RPGnet forums. These early message boards used threaded styles common to other platforms of the era. Game design and industry news dominated initial discussions. A migration to vBulletin occurred in 2002, adding sections for growing player bases. The board operated on vBulletin software for sixteen years until November 2018. That month saw a final move to XenForo 2 packages. Tabletop Roleplaying Open became the most active forum by post volume. Video games, play-by-post, and board game threads expanded alongside traditional role-playing discussions.

• 4. Community Culture And Moderation

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  RPGnet developed numerous in-jokes and taglines over its two decades of operation. Recurring flame wars emerged as part of the community’s natural evolution. Many professional game writers, artists, and designers participate regularly in these spaces. Content rules are enforced by moderators who act with broad discretion. They can do what they feel is necessary to promote well-being beyond written guidelines. This approach keeps forums friendly even when heated debates arise. A public list of sanctions and bans allows users to track moderation decisions. Other platforms have referenced RPGnet policies when drafting their own community standards.

• 5. Review Archive And Publishing Schedule

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  Approximately 13,000 reviews populate the RPGnet archive today. Most entries cover roleplaying games or supplements from various publishers. Users contributed many reviews of board and card games in recent years. Movies, books, music albums, and comics appear less frequently but remain part of the collection. The review system underwent an overhaul in early 2003 to improve navigation. Cross-references now link related content within the massive database. Reviews appear on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays according to a strict schedule. RPG titles publish on Mondays and Fridays while other products arrive on Wednesdays.

• 6. Editorial Columns And Industry Voices

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  RPGnet hosts approximately twenty regular columns that rotate on a four-week cycle. Three to four columns post during typical weeks depending on columnist availability. Gamemasters offer advice to peers through these pages as a primary focus. Notable examples include Behind the Counter which details retail store operations. Freelancing is Not Free describes how to work independently in the gaming industry. Ross Winn, Chad Underkoffler, and Matt Drake are among the veteran columnists featured. Sandy Antunes maintained a monthly column without interruption since inception. Columns Editing transitioned through C.W. Richeson, Shannon Appelcline, Michael Fiegel, and finally back to Appelcline by January 2008.