I have heard the same complaints about every single out-of-game communication method since I joined the game in January 2004.
"The discussion list is ruining the game!"
"IRC is ruining the game!"
"The forum is ruining the game!"
I have always, categorically, disagreed, and frankly, never moreso than now.
More than any of the other out-of-game channels, Discord provides a way to create a genuine community around BattleMaster like never before. The people who come on there regularly are vastly more likely to stay engaged with the game and their fellow players, because they become much more real to them.
If you have had bad experiences on Discord, then I am truly sorry. I, personally, didn't notice you come on, or didn't know it because you used different names there than here. But I assure you, the rules of the Social Contract apply just as strongly on Discord as they do within the game, and when we see toxic interactions happening, we do our best to step in and stop them—as you yourself noted, the people who were insulting you were muted.
I also absolutely agree that Discord is not, should never be, and will never be, a requirement for playing the game, any more than IRC, the discussion list, or the forum were. It is a way to participate in the BattleMaster community and get to know your fellow players better as players. It is, frankly, something that I would recommend to any player with the available time to poke at it, and an open enough mind to come to it without expecting it to be a hive of scum and villainy—but I promise you, I will fight for every player's right to play the game purely by playing the game, if that is their preferred style.
Now, as I said, I have heard the cries of "Discord is ruining the game" for some time, but very rarely in reference to specific instances (and on the occasions when it was in reference to specific instances, they have almost invariably been provably false). Could you articulate for me some specific incidents that you believe were caused or exacerbated by Discord, and why?
