Three simple question survey for anybody who played UO in the time period of around 1995 to 2006

[Amplify]

1: Where and when (It does not have to be in UO itself) did you first hear somebody use the term "Toon" to refer to a character?
2: Where do you think or did you hear it first originated from?
3: What shard(s) did you play on actively at the time?

Currently, the internet claims the term originated from Ultima Online and that seems to have been passed on via word of mouth with no attempt to verify it as fact, and no active player from the days of yore that I've asked so far has been able to corroborate or verify this claim. Let's sort this out, where did it come from?

*Update / edit*
After taking the replies here and with a bunch of digging, I've found out that it began in "The Realm Online". This is good because for while a few UO players have propagated this evil, it relieves me to be sure that it wasn't created in UO.

 

[AntyvasII]

My earliest recollection of the term is from the Roger Rabbit movie Roger Rabbit - Wikipedia

 

[Pawain]

I still call them toons. But, I played Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Dune, Populous, Leisure Suit Larry, Sim City, others with little guys that walked around. I have no idea which ones I called toons first.

First Online games I played were on the Sierra Network.

 

[Mil]

I am not fond of the term 'toon' and I will never call my characters that in any MMO.

1. The first time I heard it was in WoW, long after I started play UO. (And I haven't heard many people call their WoW-characters toons, but it was there I heard it first)
2. No idea, never thought of it. I just know I don't like the term.
3. By that time Europa shard was up and I had moved to Europa from Chesapeake.

In the early years of UO I can't recall anyone referring to their characters/chars as a toon.

 

[Tyrath]

The term has been around since the arcade days long before the internet. I remember people in the 80s calling Pacman or Rygar or whatever was their avatar in the arcade games calling them toons.

 

[RockoNV]

1: Where and when (It does not have to be in UO itself) did you first hear somebody use the term "Toon" to refer to a character?
2: Where do you think or did you hear it first originated from?
3: What shard(s) did you play on actively at the time?

Currently, the internet claims the term originated from Ultima Online and that seems to have been passed on via word of mouth with no attempt to verify it as fact, and no active player from the days of yore that I've asked so far has been able to corroborate or verify this claim. Let's sort this out, where did it come from?

Hi,

The first time I recollect hearing it was in UO, NV shard, maybe 2000? I don't remember if it was in mIRC or in game but I do remember asking what "toon" meant and the response was "it's cartoon" and referred to the paper doll/character.

 

[Nero]

Played on Pacific from 1998 to 2001. I have never heard of the word toon during that time.

That having said, Richard Garriott, in combination with UO, did coin terms like "shard", "nerf" and I think also "mmorpg".

 

[Whitewolf of *VK*]

i played pacific from 1997 threw 2004 and then went to WoW, my first time hearing that term was in WoW.

 

[Maximus Neximus]

@Poo probably has the answer

 

[Tina Small]

@Poo probably has the answer

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

[Amber Witch]

In the early days I played GL and Cats. I never heard that word being used to describe a character until maybe 5 years ago when I heard it being used on Atlantic. I don't know why, but it really bugs me when I hear someone use that term. I much prefer to think of ourselves as a characters vs a cartoons. Maybe I take myself too seriously?
As to where it originated? Not a clue.

 

[Danneskjold]

Chessie 98-2005. Never heard the word toon back then. Personally find it offensive.

 

[Percivalgoh]

I first heard it here on Stratics. Played on Pacific (still do). There some objection to the word and personally I don't like the term but others seems to have no problem with it. I think the second place was in game with a new player who I was helping out.

 

[Lord Frodo]

TOON Webster

a
: COMIC STRIP
… launched the 'toon in 1930, with Dagwood as a lazy rich playboy and flapper Blondie as one of his many girlfriends.—Mike Peters

 

[Victim of Siege]

1. First time I heard it was around early 2005 in WoW
2. My gut feeling is it started with Wow
3. In UO I was Playing Siege at the time, In Wow I was playing on Winter something or other. I don't remember exactly.

 

[Spartan]

1: Where and when (It does not have to be in UO itself) did you first hear somebody use the term "Toon" to refer to a character?
2: Where do you think or did you hear it first originated from?
3: What shard(s) did you play on actively at the time?

Currently, the internet claims the term originated from Ultima Online and that seems to have been passed on via word of mouth with no attempt to verify it as fact, and no active player from the days of yore that I've asked so far has been able to corroborate or verify this claim. Let's sort this out, where did it come from?

1. First heard the phrase here in the old Spiels 'n' Rants section during PVM/PVP discussions. Personally I had characters - not toons.
2. No guess as to origin, but as I said my first exposure was UO-related.
3. I was playing Pacific at the time of first exposure then moved to Atlantic.

Just for the record, my entry into UO was December 1998. @Pawain ? I played Yserbius on Sierra as well as beta'd The Realm.

 

[jack flash uk]

When LOTRO can out is when I first started seeing it UO has Chars and it bugs me when people use the term toon

 

[PlayerSkillFTW]

Back in the day, we simply referred to our avatars as "chars" (short for "character"). I myself did not hear the term "toon" until around the time of EQ (2001 i think is when i first heard it), and it didn't become a real common term until WoW.
Napa Valley.

The term "toon" isn't native to UO, it's foreign to most of us oldschool UO players. I'd surmise it's origin (in regards to MMOs) was with Everquest.

 

[GarthGrey]

It was "brought to UO" it didn't start here, guaranteed. Been playing since 97 and I remember when it became a thing.

 

[Pawain]

@Pawain ? I played Yserbius on Sierra as well as beta'd The Realm.

I did not play those. I was captivated by the Hoyle card games and Red Baron.

 

[Val-Tur]

UO was the first MMO I played back in 1999. I never heard anyone say it first. It just made sense to me to refer to your "avatar" as a toon or character. People did get pissed off when you called them toons because back then people took it all very serious. Oddly I never remember anyone calling their character an avatar back then.

 

[Poo]

I've been here since 97 and I have always referred to my characters as toons.
I have never played another game.
the term has been used for as long as I have been here playing.
I have no idea who started it or when but it was just what it was called and it fit so it stayed.

 

[Amplify]

After taking the replies here and with a bunch of digging, I've found out that it began in "The Realm Online". This is good because for while a few UO players have propagated this evil, it relieves me to be sure that it wasn't created in UO.

 

[Pawain]

So @Spartan is to blame.

 

[Lord Frodo]

Toon Disney was a 24-hour cable channel owned by The Walt Disney Company in the United States. Launched in 1998.

Disney MovieToons (1990–2003)

Terrytoons was an American animation studio in New Rochelle, New York, that produced animated cartoons for theatrical release from 1929 to 1973 The cartoon industry has use the word toon forever so no MMO created it. It is short for any animated char Mighty Mouse was called a "TOON"

 

[Spartan]

So @Spartan is to blame.

Thanks. Nice to know I accomplished something in my gaming career. But actually, when TSN folded, I was already in a couple other games and let it all go.

 

[John Knighthawke]

When this term first appeared in UO my ears and eyes exploded.

Before that it was "character" or "char" sometimes pronounced with the hard CH like character and sometimes with a soft CH like char-broiled.

Then, one day, someone imported the abomination of "toon" and everyone has used it ever since and it never has ceased to annoy me.

 

[Poo]

with all the haters on here.... hating, i wonder how many nerves this will fray.

Moist Toon!!!!!!

 

[MoonCres]

with all the haters on here.... hating, i wonder how many nerves this will fray.

Moist Toon!!!!!!

You? Not many? Mostly nonsense... unless wiki is broken or personal judgment.

 

[Petra Fyde]

When this term first appeared in UO my ears and eyes exploded.

Before that it was "character" or "char" sometimes pronounced with the hard CH like character and sometimes with a soft CH like char-broiled.

Then, one day, someone imported the abomination of "toon" and everyone has used it ever since and it never has ceased to annoy me.

Not everyone. I refuse point blank to refer to my characters as anything other than characters when speaking or chars when typing.

 

[John Knighthawke]

Not everyone. I refuse point blank to refer to my characters as anything other than characters when speaking or chars when typing.

Me too. At that moment though I didn't feel like typing some a little more specific, like "the use of the word has become common" or something.

For me, that was rage posting.

 

[callum_fitzhugh]

Interesting discussion - I played Europa shard about 2000 to 2007 or something.

I never heard the word toon then [or if did ive forgotten it] liek many above I seem to recall it whilst playing WoW.

it was always char or chars in UO from my memory

 

[Scarlett]

Chessie 98-2005. Never heard the word toon back then. Personally find it offensive.

toon toon toon

 

[Scarlett]

I don't remember the term "toon" back when I started. I remember coming back from an extended break and hearing it. It is not a make or break kind of thing for me. Call yourself what you want. I have never been rigid when it comes to my gameplay or others.

 

[GarthGrey]

I remember the old UO boards (although I forget the name) and the uproar it caused when the first Non UO person referred to characters as toons....

 

[Nyses]

whether you like the term "Toon" or not, it is here to stay, much like the work Ain't, was improper English, until enough people started using it, and it was finally included in the dictionary. Language is fluid. Why do you think you can barely understand "Old English" (17th century)?

 

[Lord Frodo]

I remember the old UO boards (although I forget the name) and the uproar it caused when the first Non UO person referred to characters as toons....

There were no non UO people on the first UO Forum, just like the current UO Forum you had to have an active account that was tied to your Forum Account.

 

[GarthGrey]

There were no non UO people on the first UO Forum, just like the current UO Forum you had to have an active account that was tied to your Forum Account.

I should have reworded that to actually mean (not original UO players).

 

[Nonel]

I heard it and used it pretty early in the game. At least pre-16 but maybe in T2A era. I never used it at first. Always said, "char". But one day I did. Someone got mad at me and ranted about how its a "character" not a "toon" and gave me reasons why I shouldnt say "toon".

 

[Gidge]

Toon appear around the same time WTB and WTS. I would ask.."What do you mean by...?" even thought I knew to force them to say it. That's when wow people either came back or found UO

 

[Nonel]

I at least remember seeing "toon" used years before I ever saw "PvE"

 

[Lieutenant Dan!]

I remember always using the term 'Char' when i started playing in the pre-AOS era around 2000. It wasn't until around 2008 when a friend from work got me playing WoW when i first hear the term 'Toon'. I didn't like it at first but it's grown on me since then.

Another term the WoW generation got wrong was the term 'Raid'. Before I started playing WoW I asked my buddy if they did raids and he said 'yeah, almost every night'.
To my dismay I later found out their term for raid was nothing more than doing a normal PvE instance dungeon lol. I later explained to him that the term 'Raids' was coined from UO and was PvP related when one guild try to kill another guild and take over the spawn they were working on. I was wtf man, you don't 'raid' a pve spawn! You 'raid' other players!

 

[RockoNV]

Heard it long before WoW. As I said earlier, it was used in UO a couple years in and it was certainly used in SWG.

 

[Nonel]

UO was the first MMO I played back in 1999. I never heard anyone say it first. It just made sense to me to refer to your "avatar" as a toon or character. People did get pissed off when you called them toons because back then people took it all very serious. Oddly I never remember anyone calling their character an avatar back then.

I used to refer to my paperdoll as an avatar. I knew other people did, too. That was another one I got hollered at by someone over. Something about how my character is my "avatar" and that thing I'm talking about is a "paperdoll".

It now occurs to me that people used to get REALLY up in arms about these things.

 

[CrazyJoe]

The year was 2000 when we all stumbled onto HomestarRunner.com

 

[Pawain]

They update as often as UO!

 

[Gem]

1: Where and when (It does not have to be in UO itself) did you first hear somebody use the term "Toon" to refer to a character?
2: Where do you think or did you hear it first originated from?
3: What shard(s) did you play on actively at the time?

Currently, the internet claims the term originated from Ultima Online and that seems to have been passed on via word of mouth with no attempt to verify it as fact, and no active player from the days of yore that I've asked so far has been able to corroborate or verify this claim. Let's sort this out, where did it come from?

*Update / edit*
After taking the replies here and with a bunch of digging, I've found out that it began in "The Realm Online". This is good because for while a few UO players have propagated this evil, it relieves me to be sure that it wasn't created in UO.

I have played UO since beta and I played the Realm before that. I can definitely confim we called them toons in the Realm. They also invented freebee gifts, usually drops of baldrics. Everyone was obsessed with them

 

[AntyvasII]

I have played UO since beta and I played the Realm before that. I can definitely confim we called them toons in the Realm. They also invented freebee gifts, usually drops of baldrics. Everyone was obsessed with them

Why, did they have different colors or styles?

 

[AdamPD]

My earliest recollection of the term is from the Roger Rabbit movie Roger Rabbit - Wikipedia

Lol, same here.
Marvin Acme leaving toontown to his beloved toons!

 

[Laura_Gold]

3. Baja