It's clear to me that there are two games, Battlemaster, and Forummaster.
This is from a long-time player, and I have received quite a few similar comments recently.
This is a very serious and honest topic, and I want this to be a constructive discussion despite the obvious potential for degeneration into a flamewar. Destructive and insulting postings
will be deleted, even if they contain constructive parts as well.
Those players are right. The forum has 3000-4000 postings a month. That is about the same as most game worlds have player-written messages in a month. It is a considerable volume. The impact on the game is judged differently by different people. Many welcome the forum, others abhor it. One thing is indisputable, though: Only a part of the game community participates in the forum. Only 500 people have ever posted anything, and a couple of those are probably not playing anymore. About 100 posters have 90% of the postings between them. Maybe 200 people can be considered active participants.
The forum does inflate the presence of its most active participants far beyond their in-game presence. If you read the forums, you can easily get the impression that maybe 20 people are running the show. There is also a certain in-crowd phenomenon - the forum crowd is different from the general player base, with different priorities and considerations.
Most of you know that I was very reluctant to open the forums and have always believed that forums are dangerous beasts. While I have come to appreciate the forums as well, I still believe that for every good they bring, they also bring ill and they do damage the game. And more importantly, many players and former players believe the same thing, which is a damage in itself.
I want to keep the forums around. At the same time, we must go back to a world where people can play the game without participating in the forum
and feel ok about it. The importantance of the forums - real or imagined - has to decrease dramatically. Stuff that is important needs to find its way to the players who don't participate in the forums. And the negative mood and hostility on the forum needs to drop
a lot.
I'm sure that many will violently oppose my assessment. Do so, in a constructive manner. After you've done so, visit
this link and find yourself on that list. If you are on the first 2 pages, I believe it is fair to say that you are involved deeply enough that is is difficult for you to understand how an outsider, a player who is not a forum regular, feels.
If you are not a forum regular, I am especially interested in your view and suggestions. And you have my word that any posting that attacks you for posting your opinion will be mercilessly deleted with warning points to the offender. Please do speak your mind, even if - especially if - it is an unpopular opinion.
This is an experiment in community self-policing. My goals are outlined above. If the community can find a way to solve these, I will be thrilled and very happy. If not, I will have a go at it, benevolent dictator style.
