Why do you still come to the Escapist forums?

[Valiance]

I kinda don't.

But now and then it's kind of nice to think about how it was before / shortly after I joined (I lurked for months before making an account). I remember being so excited about each episode of There Will Be Brawl in like 2009 and such. And the first March Madness, and stuff like that. It was really cool. I even had some IRL friends on here back in the day. Kinda crazy. Heh.

I don't mind the declining userbase. The declining quality of discussion and sense of community is kinda saddening to me, but hey. What can one do? It still beats going on social media.

 

[RedDeadFred]

I'm not really sure. I think mostly out of habit. Hard to leave something behind when you've gone to it so often over what has been a surprisingly long time.

 

[IceForce]

Because I want to hold onto the very little recognition I have on this site and wring it for all its worth. I made it on the fucking Wikipedia page, be-otch!

Wait, really? I don't see mention of you on the current page. When was it, maybe there's an archive?

He means his usergroup made it on there, not him specifically.

Near the bottom of the 'History' section:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine)#History

In addition to news articles and videos, the Escapist also hosts an active forum community and usergroups, most notably the Brovengers and Injustice League,

Although I suppose they should really remove the "Brovengers" from there, on account of it kinda imploding and not existing anymore.

 

[Dizchu]

I first came here because of Gamergate. Not because I wanted to slam it or advocate for it, I just wanted to figure out exactly why opinions were so polarised and I wanted to see if there was any middle-ground.

I thought the Escapist was a good idea because it is fairly moderate as far as forums go. People don't often go on insane feminist/reactionary tangents and when they do they get called out for it, no extreme is allowed to exist unquestioned. Meanwhile depending where you go, you'll have an obvious echo chamber environment that leans in one direction or the other. You have the Kotaku In Action-style conspiracy theorists and 4chan-style "I don't care about anything lol" crowd on one hand and the "straight white male is the easiest difficulty setting", "Gamergate is a misogynistic hate mob of angry men that are destroying gaming" crowd on the other.

To be honest I often find the Escapist's forums a good place to prod around for ideas, usually with pretty controversial topics like veganism and "political correctness" (whatever that is). And really, despite the flack I get for holding contrary positions, I do enjoy the responses generally.

 

[IceForce]

The forums just aren't the same anymore, though. It seems like we lost a lot of people last year because of the event that shall not be mentioned.

what event was that?

Gamergate.

If you want to know why it's referred to as "that thing that should not be named", just have a look at some of the replies that followed your post.
On this forum (and possibly elsewhere too), it's the Voldemort of internet arguments. One mere mention, and it's bye-bye thread.

 

[Poetic Nova]

Mostly out of habit. And Zero Punctuation. And part time lurking, part time posting.

 

[Parasondox]

I did come here to feed off of the blood and anger of the innocents but since the "event", that moment that shall not be named, things have become repetitive.

Oh, and the weird talking points of the week. This week, masturbating to taboo things cause, you know, there isn't enough place over the internet for that.

I want to lighten up the mood at times but it just often gets derailed but the "controversy of the week".

So, I now just sit back and watch the world burn around me... And laugh at funny threads.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

To get angry at people who're wrong

As much as it's bleeding users, there's still a number of users whose posts I enjoy reading. Either because they're funny or insightful, or both. I suppose it's also because this is the one online community that I've had any sort of lasting presence on, and it feels familiar (for better and worse).

Phantasy Star Online

Actually, this was the only other video game related site that I've been a member of. I'm always a little surprised when I see other people who've played it, because in real life the only people I knew who had heard of it were those I introduced it to.

Those forums were... interesting though. I remember every couple of weeks someone would come along insisting that they had found out a legitimate way to get Parasitic Gene: Flow, all you needed to do was beat Olga Flow on ultimate with all of the red items in your inventory. The drop chance isn't great, but I promise that it works. What? No I don't have a video, the feed cut out right before I got it

 

[Drathnoxis]

He means his usergroup made it on there, not him specifically.

Near the bottom of the 'History' section:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine)#History

In addition to news articles and videos, the Escapist also hosts an active forum community and usergroups, most notably the Brovengers and Injustice League,

Oh, well that's kind of cool. Taco News deserves mention on there too though.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Much like other people, usergroups and users that I still talk to.

Oh, and Critical Miss.

 

[LostCrusader]

Because one of these days I'm going to find the door to that basement everyone is warning new members to stay out of. I just know the old members are hiding something good down there. Probably candy...

 

[Barbas]

(Snip).

Well, if it helps, every time I see your name come up in threads I go "Yay, that guy's still alive!"

(Snip).

The state of the Game Industry Discussion forum is and always will be a result of the actions of its members, the same as all parts of the site.

That comment went through several drafts, but that was the most impartial one and I like to think the more senior mods would approve.

 

[happyninja42]

Mostly habit, mostly to occupy my attention when work is slow, and the occasional interesting conversation. I avoid most threads though, either due to lack of interest, or the flammability level of the topic.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

You're a damn liar Taco!

Or you're not and you've simply been removed from the wiki. Usergroup doesn't count.

Why wouldn't usergroups count? It's a symbolic representation of who I am as a meatbag

As a king once said, 'L'etat c'est moi'

Oh, well that's kind of cool. Taco News deserves mention on there too though.

Thank you but I don't think the staff really gives two darns of those things I went and done did

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

There are a few people around these parts that I still like talking to in the forums. Then there are user groups, but it's mainly one I hang out in and chat with a bunch of people who I think are pretty rad.

I still enjoy the content around here like Critical Miss and Agents of Cosplay, for instance.

Some topics of discussion around the forums are still pretty great to read through, except for GiD. Fuck that place.

I haven't been around these parts as long as the older farts in this thread, but I still feel like I've been around here for forever. I still enjoy this place despite a certain few who really try their hardest to not make it fun. I haven't been around as much due to my insanely busy schedule of work, school, second job, and binge drinking not sleeping. Maybe it's out of habit, but, like I said, there are a few people I enjoy talking to around these parts and I would miss them terribly if I stopped coming.

 

[Albino Boo]

Habit and hourly sexting with Baffle. Especially the sexting

 

[vallorn]

I find forums in general to be the better part of the internet for discussion (Above the swamp of social media or the Mordor of the internet that is Youtube Comments), and though this forum has seen better days it's still got a good quality of members. Plus I think this place can be improved and I'm not letting it fall apart without a fight.

I come here because it's one of the tabs that opens every time I launch my browser. That, and I have to look at a mod queue that is slowly making me more disillusioned.
All the R&P nonsense kinda makes me miss the likes of Hubilub, Furburt & company. They were at least entertaining sometimes. Wading through posts people report because R&P is serious business and humour is not allowed is not entertaining.
Oh, and I guess a lack of alternatives also plays into why I stick around. Got involved in one other community, but things went a bit sour there.

I think the Mellow Leprechauns went off to make their own forum (With hookers, blackjack, and I think weed as well).

 

[F-I-D-O]

I'm always more of a lurker in forums/sites I visit. But the visiting the Escpaist became a habit I'm not eager to break. I'm in a few user groups, but not really active. I post occasionally, and consistently go through the forum looking and reading topics. The Escapist just always felt fairly moderate, and more willing to discuss issues before hurling insults. I miss some of the more prevalent people of old like Fugtrump, but places change over time.

 

[New Frontiersman]

I have no idea, honestly. It's never been that great here, and it's not gotten better. I can't stand the community, the shows I used to like, There Will Be Brawl, Extra Credits, and Jimquizition have all long since left, and the one thing that kept me coming here, my old friends, barely come on any more either.

Bad habits, maybe? Perhaps some latent masochistic tendencies? I really should stop. I can get game news from other sites. Ones that infuriate me less.