3 years later... what happened?

[Hydrahunter]

I'm not so sure that its the forums themselves that have changed over the years but rather an influx of new people with rather extreme viewpoints who are very keen on making sure everyone knows about them. I probably don't have the best judgment on this, considering how little I actually post, but as a professional lurker who checks the site every day the only people I really enjoy reading posts from are the oldies. Then again, I got a message from someone on my birthday wishing me a happy birthday even though we've never talked before so what do I know?

Edit: Wow, its been so long since I last posted I had to agree to the new Forums rules to post again. Maybe I should try to post more.

 

[winginson]

I think the main problem is too many threads breaking their chains and escaping from the dungeon that is R&P.

 

[BabySinclair]

Well, at least the number of pony posts have declined.

Thank god.

We have lost a number of shows since I got on, though several were intended to have short or set run-times. I mainly lurk and post when I feel like it but that's dropped off in the past few months. (Didn't even notice I had the triple stein until just now.) Fewer topics pop up that I want to post on. I normally just check the OT and Gaming forums but the concept of discourse does seem to to be diminishing with all of the pitchforks and torches that keep getting thrown around every time two people have different opinions and topics for R&P keeping ending up on OT, insert news event here and complain about related politics here threads.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I can't be bothered to think of anything more interesting than 'snip'. It's been a long evening.

I disagree, with some smaller agreements.

We're still having those discussions, and many users actually put forward level-headed summations of their views to actually produce a discussion. I'll give you that there might be a few more people either:
1 - refusing to allow any view but their own
2 - doing so in a needlessly vindictive manner
3 - trying to score points off other users by sniping at others' opinions, of all things
4 - dragging the thread down in that stinking 'I'm going to quote every line from your argument and dispute them seperately' manner and trying to play some sort of absurd 'I pointed out a logical fallacy' bingo

But these discussions are still happening, and people are putting forward good points. Just some posters are better than others, when conduct is concerned.

I reckon what you're suggesting has happened is something of an exaggeration, I certainly haven't noticed that kind of attitude going on outside of individual posters, certainly doesn't represent the community as a whole. Though I'm not about to admit that it sometimes happens, perhaps more frequently than it used to, I don't know, I don't really remember what goes on here, despite being here since 2008 apparently (1000 posts as I am), wasn't really around on the forums for this 'March Madness' or whatever it was; so you can probably discount my opinion there.

I certainly haven't seen any console fanboyism or PC elitism for a while anyway...but the plain spiteful nature of some posts is not pleasant and certainly not welcome here, no matter how much one cares about vidyagames. We have a forum for hating each other, it's called R & P.

 

[xmbts]

I think my posts just slowly became more negative as time went on.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Sorry that your celebration got hijacked Guffe, congrats and all that. On what is now on-topic...I don't think there's ever going to be a utopia, and if there was then I wasn't here to see it. Sometimes I do get bullshit quotes basically trying to make me feel bad, but I just ignore that shit and pretend I never read it. Even with that, it's still better than so many other gaming-related sites out there. If it's vitriolic now, it's only relative to 2008 or whatever and not to other places.

Besides, in the past few months I've met some wonderful people and it's been great. I've had Nouw eagerly try to help me get into Bioshock (which I am so far enjoying), and a nice fellow offered to personally let me PM him if I had any issues with certain levels in Valkyria Chronicles. Caramel Frappe shot me a friend request "just because I seemed like a nice person". You've gotta take the good with the bad wherever you go. I'll deal with trolls (even though they most certainly aren't, oh gracious mods) as long as I don't bite and play their game if it means I get to have the great experiences that comes with being here. If it really was all doom and gloom, I would've peaced out a long time ago.

 

[RicoADF]

I feel the forums have changed a lot on here. Especially since late 2011. I used to frequent this site all the time, post a lot and generally spend a good deal of time here.
.

that was when I started posting more frequently....I cant really remember much change... maybe the topics became more asinine?

OT: I think about the site and how I'm on it so much as second nature (its always the first site I go on) I'm beggining to think this place is some kind of addiction, but to be fair I havnt found a better forum

I'm not addicted, I only visit the site 350 times a day, it use to be less before I got a smart phone, but still not addicted...... well there was this one time I had no net, and well..... let's not talk about that ok XD

 

[Yabba]

can somone tell me what it is?

It just seems that lately, hostilities and vitriol here have been pretty bad.

I mean, I can't create a thread thesedays without boatloads of passive-aggressive snark, no matter what the topic.
And I can't make a post, no matter how innocuous, without getting an inbox full of angry quotes.

Actually that makes sense, I spent years lurking and not making account but around that transition period I made an account and started posting, but getting respones I did not expect from my past experiences from lurking.

 

[klaynexas3]

I feel the forums have changed a lot on here. Especially since late 2011. I used to frequent this site all the time, post a lot and generally spend a good deal of time here.

Nowadays I can't stand a majority of this sites users and their attitude towards things.

This is also how I feel.
I pretty much come here out of habit and I spend most my time in one user group nowadays. More fun, less hassle.

I know dem feels.

I don't know what happened to the forums in the last 6 months, but I don't like it.

I can't even put my finger on it, something just changed for the worse.

If you ask me, it's that there has been more political and religious like threads that have slipped onto the Off-Topic section. So all that hostility that was once contained in the R&P board is able to flow through the other boards. Which is sad really. I for one use to only post in there[R&P], as I found there were some good debaters worth doing just that with, but recently it just sort of wore on me all the people that had no idea what they were talking about or just couldn't make a point without spewing hate towards any opposition. When there is a political type thread on this board, however, it's seemed to be mostly the spewing of hate when met with opposition, without many people actually in it for a debate. Though, the hostility may be displaced from the fact that currently the media is turned more so against us, EA and Activision have been acting more greedy than usual, and the community itself has its defining issues(DRM and such) to deal with that divides it more than ever.

 

[Vault101]

People have become whiny doomsayers. Every other thread now is "Gaming is going to die!", "Game X sucks!", "Fuck those fans of X!", or "Company X is the devil and is destroying the industry and I won't cater to me and blah blah blah *starts foaming at the mouth*".

This should HOPEFULLY subside in the coming months... maybe.

and your saying things have changed?

You didn't hear? It was canceled this year

whoa...seriously!?

hahah well I guess did kind of evoke the "this voting thing does not conform with my opionion..therefore I DEEM IT BULLSHIT!! ARRRGGHHH!!!"

OT: mabye the reason I'm unfazed by the aparent "hate" here is because I kind got over that back when I first came and nowdays I tend to be kind of snarkey/passive agressive myself

 

[JoJo]

I mean this in the least offensive way posssible Topaz but there's been several times this year when you have acted rather hostile in my eyes, such as the recent banned-avatar prank or back in the thread when the Bro-Injustice war was declared over. Have you considered the possibility that your own attitude sometimes colours your interactions with other users?

If I've come across as overly hostile, I apologize.

I'm going with what Zhukov said on page 1 of this thread. It sorta has a "rub off" effect.
Put it down to the fact that I've had too many run-ins with people like The Cool Kid, fapper plain, etc.

[small]On the subject of that, I am eternally grateful that assholeish users like them always get banned relatively quickly.[/small]

Heh, it's fine, I'm no innocent flower myself, though I was surprised when you said you'd laugh if we were banned. That kinda hurt. I do feel strongly though if we are to improve as a community we all need to look at our own posts first and be proactive in bringing back the fun we had last year

 

[MercurySteam]

As probably one of the oldest members n this thread, I can certainly say that things have changed dramatically. Shows have come and gone (Lisa Foiles, Extra Credits)and Yahtzee has kinda dropped in popularity over the years and of course, the forums have completel changed. Is it all for the better? Probably not, but change is inevitable. Maybe I'm just an old geezer.

 

[Leemaster777]

Dude, this is so trippy. I just got my Landmark badge TODAY!

I hadn't realized I had been on these forums for so long. Kinda weird, when I think about it. Glad I stuck around, though. You guys are gentlemen and scholars, all.

 

[Sh1nobu]

Long time lurker here, and I have to admit that there are less and less threads that I read from top to bottom. All the sexism and rape threads just bore me to tears.

I did like the "I'm about to be dumped." thread this week tho, lots of good life advice there.

I also really miss Extra Credit threads. The new site's comments are really tough to read.

 

[Elftrash]

Would it be ironic for me to point out that, given the content, contributors and writing in this thread, that it is one of the more interesting, thoughtful and well articulated I have seen in some time ?

Did I mention polite ?

Guffe: Congrats, strange how those little things always make you look forward to your inbox.

 

[Sh1nobu]

Would it be ironic for me to point out that, given the content, contributors and writing in this thread, that it is one of the more interesting, thoughtful and well articulated I have seen in some time ?

Did I mention polite ?

Guffe: Congrats, strange how those little things always make you look forward to your inbox.

I'd probably blame all the lurkers who have come out of hiding.

 

[Weaver]

I still remember 2008! Those were the days

 

[DustyDrB]

Gonna agree with the remarks on the hostility of the forums. With that and the fact that I just don't really feel connected to this place anymore, I'm just not around so much anymore. I maybe get like 10 posts a month here anymore, far less than my past involvement. Some of the posters I used to like have disappeared. I've found other outlets that fit me better. I dunno. It was a good run. Thanks, Escapist. Nothing lasts forever, though.

 

[Overusedname]

I feel the forums have changed a lot on here. Especially since late 2011. I used to frequent this site all the time, post a lot and generally spend a good deal of time here.

Nowadays I can't stand a majority of this sites users and their attitude towards things. A friend of mine felt the same and he just stopped coming to this site all together.

Not gonna lie...haven't even been here a full year and I went through the same motions. Just on a smaller scale.

...I feel, odd in the off-topic section. Like any little thing will just set everyone off. And whenever anyone tries to address a problem with a popular view, they don't just get shot down or insulted, they get DOGGED for it, and get accused of conspiracies or some kind of false-equivelent sexism/homophobia/racism/whatever of some kind, with no evidence at all.

It's getting kinda....awkward.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Yep, put me down as another user with a 5-digit post count who's none-too-impressed with how hostile the forums have become lately...

I hav'n't noticed