3 years later... what happened?

[Ashhearth]

I don't have the badge even though I meet the monthly requirement.... (my lurking is quite impressive) As for the current trend of excessive aggression I see it to and it makes me sad I would post more if it wasn't that I didn't feel the need to get leaped on for things I've said.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

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.

And it shows, even from some such as you Daystar. Ever since your community spot light, you haven't posted as much (I mean comparatively. I swear last summer you were in the teen-thousands and then you hit 21,000 or so and have slowed down a bit).

Though maybe it has to do with some sort of external factors? Idk...

The atmosphere on the escapist is just a little... l33t for me now. It's somehow a sorry cross between "two mainstream" and too "pompous".

Well I was in work shortly after the Spotlight, so that's the main reason my posting rate has slowed down.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Congrats on your 36 month badge! As for the off-topic topic, I've noticed people here are perfectly friendly, as long as you agree to everything they do and don't show them evidence against what they believe. Then again, I spend a lot of time afraid to post in the gaming forums, because every time I even obliquely mention something nice about EA, or especially Bioware, I get at least 10 people quoting me, telling me that I'm an idiot who supports the downfall of the gaming industry, and that I need to support the ultimate gift of gaming called Valve to forgive my gaming sins.

Well, not in those words, but that's the general gist of what happens. It's gotten to the point where I've stopped being annoyed by it, and started just shaking my head in humor at how zealously people attack EA for talking about something. Or publishing a game. Or laying off employees. Or existing.

 

[F'Angus]

1. Congrats on the badge.

2. Hell yes 4-0 win over Wigan. Get in Suarez. YNWA

3. I can't say I've really noticed much agression here...but I don't come here every day, tend to have periods of lots of posting. But then again I also live in a world of Rainbows and Marshmellows.

 

[Jedamethis]

I never posted that much to start with, but there was usually at least one interesting thread a month...then less. And now less.
Where've all the amusing threads gone?
*grumbles and sits in comfy armchair rather than actually doing anything*

 

[CManator]

Yeah, i'll admit things have changed. I don't post much, but still lurk when I can.

It seems to be all about the hot button topics these days, and while I'm glad my preferred medium is getting more attention, I fear it's the wrong kind. Gamers are taking up arms, taking sides, turning on eachother. It's not just gaming either. The next few years will be interesting if nothing else.

It's not just here though, I think gaming and the internet in general are in for some rough times. It's hard to stay interested anymore but I have little else to fall back on.

Not really sure where i'm going with this, just sharing some loosely related thoughts. Carry on.

 

[Froggy Slayer]

every time I even obliquely mention something nice about EA, or especially Bioware, I get at least 10 people quoting me, telling me that I'm an idiot who supports the downfall of the gaming industry, and that I need to support the ultimate gift of gaming called Valve to forgive my gaming sins.g.

YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES FOR THIS HERESY; DEATH OR EXILE

 

[Skops]

I just got the badge today myself (whoo! Go me!).

I rarely post here anymore, I did frequently in my first year but after that I went back into lurking as I do now. I see a lot of hostility in the forums, in the last year or so. It seems like the gaming community can't go 3 weeks without declaring something "Officially the worst" or exploding the forums with the new nerdgasm like Skyrim. Other things I've seen a lot lately is people advertising their Let's Plays Youtube channel, or technical issues, which aren't even discussions. I should just stop looking at the Gaming Forum in general I guess.

 

[Guffe]

2. Hell yes 4-0 win over Wigan. Get in Suarez. YNWA

Dude!!!¨
Getin here
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Barclays-Premier-League
NOW!!!

I never posted that much to start with,

*looks at your writing*
*looks at your post count*
*looks at your writing*

Guffe is confused...
...Guffe hit himself in his confusion!

 

[Jedamethis]

I never posted that much to start with,

*looks at your writing*
*looks at your post count*
*looks at your writing*

Guffe is confused...
...Guffe hit himself in his confusion!

Aha, yeah, well...it's all relative!

 

[Woodsey]

New here. The hostility I've seen so far defies logic. People will get in your face, even if you agreed with something they said.

Yes, we KNOW they fucking will. Jesus!

OT: I just kind of click my Escapist bookmark out of habit. I don't know if anything's changed particularly, just seems like I've seen every topic known to man.

 

[Darks63]

Grats on the badge just got mine recently too.

On the Derail maybe the community is responding to the changes to the overall gaming community which at this moment is under attack from forces of which most of us cant really fight. Such events is bound to provoke anger and cynicism in people.

Also it seems like as games get more mainstream maybe (this is just an observation not my true view) People arent liking the implications of games becoming more mainstream with all the negatives that it brings. Gamer used to put you in a subculture now its just a thing most people do hell with the rise facebook games and tablet games even my mom plays games as much as I do.

 

[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.