Forums aren't what they use to be
- Thread starter xvi
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Alcibiades
Plant Geneticist
Lol no. That would really kill forum activity.
Anyways, on topic, most people have said what i consider to be the true reasons the forum isn't the 'same as it used to be.' (I have a problem with that statement because these forums have been the same way for years tbh, or at least, as long as i've been participating in them).
-Lack of interesting people
-Lack of interesting topics
-Absolute lack of anything 'new and interesting'; the game has essentially been the same for years, and with a declining playerbase things get repetitive since people get locked into 'cliques' and when threads are started bandwagons keep rolling in (whether rightly or wrongly is irrelevant).
-Lack of players in general
- (Seeming) lack of a truly welcoming staff. When i started i was welcomed and entertained by staff members the likes of which we simply haven't seen since they 'retired'. People like Darryl, Charlie_B, Meneldil, and Treedude. Sure T-dude is still around, and i'm sure Mene is kicking about somewhere, but the staff simply isn't what it used to be. For better, or for worse, the 'official' welcoming party of bushtarion seems to hold itself to 'Welcome to the forums, game!" posts and that's it. I may be incorrect and not see behind the scenes PMs, but it strikes me that as a whole we're not overly welcoming (i am certainly guilty of this as well) but if you're staff, you should be leading the charge! Lead by example, and some will follow.
Anyways, i'm sure there are many other reasons but those are some of my 2 (canadian) cents.
EDIT: Another reason for the seemingly 'bullheaded, obstinate' arguing/flaming you see on forums, i think can easily be attributed to people not wanting to 'back down' or be seen to 'lose' in public, so to speak. PM is a far more efficient way of working out problems than through the public forums, but alas, that is a human fault, not specific to just this game.
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I'd really like to see a round where no one puts up their phone numbers. It used to be so rare that someone would offer up their number to be called, but now it is such commonplace. Sure, the majority of those people turn their phones off at night, but still.
There's no controlling the way society acts, but I really think it was a lot more fun having only a few people on at certain times. It definitely brought in a whole other aspect to the game, which, with the way technology is now days, can no longer be matched. If we somehow all decided, on a sort of honor system, to not use contact numbers for a round, I really think it would benefit the game as a whole. Unfortunately there's no way to effectively police that. But it would be fun to see how the game used to be.
There's no controlling the way society acts, but I really think it was a lot more fun having only a few people on at certain times. It definitely brought in a whole other aspect to the game, which, with the way technology is now days, can no longer be matched. If we somehow all decided, on a sort of honor system, to not use contact numbers for a round, I really think it would benefit the game as a whole. Unfortunately there's no way to effectively police that. But it would be fun to see how the game used to be.
timthetyrant
Head Gardener
- Joined
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i would rather read a blue screen of death then this scribbly gook
CrimsonFury88
Harvester
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- Oct 21, 2009
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This.
The whole concept of having to recruit active players from different timezones has been nullified by this.
marvin
Tree Surgeon
This.
Its that dead-wood that kept the forums alive.
CrimsonFury88
Harvester
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...and stopped new players from speaking on here for fear of being flamed -.-
Perhaps, however its not as black and white as you make it out to be. Without any activity at all, i doubt alot of newbies would have found the game atractive at all. Saying that these people should've stoped playing ages ago and we'd have more people playing the game is, lacking a better expression, stupid beyond belief (no offence).
mind you, that alot of the dead-wood you're talking about DID stop playing, yet here we (you) are.
mind you, that alot of the dead-wood you're talking about DID stop playing, yet here we (you) are.
CrimsonFury88
Harvester
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The problem is, the "respectable" people of the game have left.
Back in the olden days of Bush you'd be having a war with the likes of Welshie, Tim, BW, Angela (Although I never would admit to it), Melnibone, Ryu-- etc etc
Nowadays it's just a bunch of strangers with no personality that take things too seriously. 8/10 people I've spoken to in-game this round have been abusive about their attacks on you, or your attacks on them...
Way back when, you could atleast have a laugh about it because people realised that at the end of the day it was just a game.
Cheese
Tree Surgeon
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2007
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- 698
You really are an idiot, you are like a stupid version of blackwolf, at least when blackwolf argued he actually said things with a little bit of sense, you how ever can't accept you are in deed extremely wrong and jump on the omg he's flaming me bandwagon ever time somebody disagrees with you.
You talk about new people not being able to voice their opinions on the forums yet you are 'new' to the forums and you are most certainly voicing your opinion.
Have you kept you're head in the sand all these rounds? The same people don't win every round, yes the round maybe won by one of several groups but that was idientical to rounds ago.
You talk about welshie and angela, well back when they played the round was either won by virus, angelas group or welshie it's the same now except the names have changed. Saying you like pictures so much
Please for the love of god don't take this as a personal dig as you said about your posts this is just some light hearted banter
CrimsonFury88
Harvester
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Please for the love of god don't take this as a personal dig as you said about your posts this is just some light hearted banter
You know, if you put less effort into expressing your collosal ego on the forums, and more effort into RL, you might actually get somewhere
I stress "might" as the key word.
There were *plenty* of abusive people back in the day.
And there are plenty of "respectable" people still about if you take the trouble to look out for them, rather than assuming everyone is out to get you. I'll grant you we've lost many great characters, but then the game has lost alot of its players, so that's to be expected.
The real difference between old forums and new? On the old forums we didn't have a 'shining' past to keep comparing too. We have a pretty similar ratio of idiocy to intelligence, wit to vulgarity and modesty to arrogance that we did 20-30 rounds ago. Only difference is we now have that added moaning about times past that stifles any sense of optimism.
As to the activity thing; the world has changed in the last 5-6 years. It's neither azzer's, the game's, or the player's fault that mobile internet has spread so rapidly. Going backwards to what the game used to be is not an option, because the world it is set in has changed. The game and its players must adapt to this and not try to keep fighting it. Expecting people not to log in to their mobile net devices to send out, or sit by idly and watch their allies die when they know they can avert it with a simple text, is simply not realistic.
This is not merely another tool of the old active elite. Many old pros have been driven out by such requirements, and many brand new players have very quickly taken it up. I think you'd be surprised by how many of the "FTW brigade" you like to keep banging on about (by this I assume you mean players in the top 2/3 alliances) were completely unknown names 4-5 rounds ago. It is simply what people are prepared to do now, old and new. If you are really concerned that it is hurting the game then you will make forward thinking suggestions for how the game can adapt to this environment, rather than continually whining and fighting a battle you will inevitably lose.
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Cheese
Tree Surgeon
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- 698
Please for the love of god don't take this as a personal dig as you said about your posts this is just some light hearted banter
You know, if you put less effort into expressing your collosal ego on the forums, and more effort into RL, you might actually get somewhere
I stress "might" as the key word.
You go on about how different the 'real world' and the 'online world' are, yet for some reason you always need to bring the 'real world' into the forums which is a part of the 'online world'. Why is this? Because if these 'worlds' are so different how can you understand anything about a person's 'real world' when all you ever see them is through this online world.
I will simplify this for you,
You have no idea how well I succeed in the real world, in fact you know nothing about me what so ever, so don't make comments on something you know nothing about.
But hey I can excuse you for the attempt at a personal insult...
Wrong.
Nowadays it's those people's members who lead the alliances.
Strangers you say?
Here is a *rought* list of the past 15 round top rank 1/2 ish leaders who have always been in the top factions.
Kuda,
Twigley,
Martin,
Stevegod,
Twigley,
Polo,
Iceofire,
Twigley,
Lukey,
Welshie,
Lukey,
Twigley,
Iceofire,
Blackwolf,
Iceofire,
Lukey,
Meneldil,
Angela,
Martin,
Blackwolf,
Microchip,
Lda,
Angela,
Treedude,
Welshie,
Welshie,
Sordes,
Angela,
Welshie,
You will see there really isnt much change at all, just some factions have joined together / split off.
All of those players played since r4/5.
I was in Blackwolfs or Welshie's or Martin's ally. Welshie and Martin have both been in my allies.
Lukey has been in Martin's and Blackwolfs ally. He has had Martin in his own alliances.
Kuda was always with Angela ...
For a fair few rounds you've had me and Iceofire battle out with me having members from virus and the dutch allies i was in and him having alot of core's members like cheese.
You still see polo and martin pop up in allies that are very reminisent of their style allies.
Change = barely any... just the leaders members have become the leaders.
Hobbezak
Garden Designer
It's funny how BlackWolf keeps getting dragged into these kind of discussions. Back when he played, he got flamed to death on these forums by just about everyone, and now that he has quit, he's suddenly indispensable, one of the best on the forums, a beacon of light from the past who's departure left the forums to rot...
I've said this before, people romanticise the past way too much...
edit: and people taking attacks on them personally has been around for as long as I have, again that is since r10...
common enemys makes friends hobbe, so, BW was/is actually needed on the forums.
people just want to blow off some steam from time to time
It's mostly me, I think, and that's mostly because I played with him every round.
I've also played quite a few rounds with Twigs, and while what he did this round was a little over the top (it does sound like he gave people some heads up though), he's still an alright guy and this game would be worse off without him. He provides more entertainment than most everyone else in the game. It all just depends on how you look at things.
CrimsonFury88
Harvester
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- Oct 21, 2009
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BlackWolf was a controversial character, but he made things interesting. A bit like Sordes.. What happened to that guy?