A thought about unintended consequences (though I've no complaints about the action taken). It wasn't all that long ago that an IRC webclient was integrated into BattleMaster via a link on the sidebar. When you use Chat for the first time whilst logged in to BattleMaster, it will automatically have you join channels for your realms and islands and throw you into the main BattleMaster channel to boot. As such, players are encouraged to engage with IRC in a way that we have just deemed harmful to the community atmosphere here on the forum.
I know that IRC is slightly different. Likewise, that people have been having conversations about events in BattleMaster on IRC since long before the forum came into being (and that's fine!). But it didn't used to be pushed from the login screen. The difference between the forum and IRC is that the forum is administered by BattleMaster. IRC is not. I wonder if it would not be better to remove IRC's semi-official status and inclusion via the webclient. Instead return to having an arms-length relationship with it. It seems both futile and contradictory to try and improve the community atmosphere here while also promoting an avenue for players to continue their heated discussions and rivalries away from the oversight of battlemaster.org
