Anybody else noticed how depressing the atmosphere is on the Escapist forums?

[Hisshiss]

I'm suprised it took someone this long to make a thread about it lol. I agree for sure though, every single thread almost half the people there have a comment on the lines of "this company is evil" or "this game was always shitty and Im not buying it because X".

I mean there's nothing wrong with being the devils advocate every once and a while, but it just seems like there's a really unnaturally high percentage of people who just say stuff so they can sound like that cool unique guy that "doesnt give in to the hype".

Honestly, I blame Yahtzee. Alot of people want to be like him, so they just spew random "critic" bile in every post. They just aren't as good at it as him, and atleast he's funny about it.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I'm suprised it took someone this long to make a thread about it lol. I agree for sure though, every single thread almost half the people there have a comment on the lines of "this company is evil" or "this game was always shitty and Im not buying it because X".

I mean there's nothing wrong with being the devils advocate every once and a while, but it just seems like there's a really unnaturally high percentage of people who just say stuff so they can sound like that cool unique guy that "doesnt give in to the hype".

Honestly, I blame Yahtzee. Alot of people want to be like him, so they just spew random "critic" bile in every post. They just aren't as good at it as him, and atleast he's funny about it.

This is not the first thread there have been others. Just they were probably before you were posting and thus don't remember. People always complain every now and then that some peopel here can be Yahtzee sheeple. Or my too much changed forum cast off your nighted colour or I will leave you I promise. Every now and then there are threads about people leaving because this place ain't what it used to be. Recently though those people tend to retreat to users threads and resurface with inflammatory comments then eventually get banned. Not all old users are like some go on to become mods and whatever but this does happen to some.

 

[Aeshi]

I'd just like to take the time to point out that the "I, Robot" movie was originally a film with nothing to do with Asimov, but the suits in Hollywood had it tweaked for "Brand Awareness" or something.

 

[Rawne1980]

Sure, there are some real depressing douches, like this guy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view], but most people on this site are okay. I think you're overreacting.

I've seen people put that profile link in so many times and I always fall for it...

One day i'll bloody learn.

On Topic.

I barely notice the depression. Usually in threads surrounding depressing topics can be found a post that makes me chuckle.

Although the few times i've attempted humour i've had to explain it because one of those so called "intelligent" types can't tell humour from serious.

A joke loses it's humour when you have to explain it seven times.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Snip

Is that a Planet Killer from Homeworld I see adorning your profile picture?

Anyway, I tend to think of the Escapist as having fairly good forums. Sure, it can be depressing, often more than most, but in return for that, we get MUCH less fanboys, flame wars and spammers than, say, IGN or GameSpot. Only one that even approaches it is RelicNews.

Another one is that this is a very varied forum. Relatively few American's here, unlike most places. And since America's view of the world tends to be more optimistic than the rest of us, it gives a strong comparison.

 

[Blunderboy]

It's the internet. Everyone's a miserable fucker.
Do what I do. Ignore them, or sometimes, join the buggers.

 

[pandorum]

I LIKED THE PART IN FINAL FANTASY: ADVENT CHILDREN WHERE THE PLOT MADE NO CENTS AND SEPHIROTH SHOUWED UP AND CLOUD USED THE BIGGORON'S SOARD AND ALL THE CHARACTERS FROM FINAL FANTASTY VII SHOUWWED UP END IT WAS TOTAL FANSERIVICE. THAT WAS MY FAVORRITE PART!!!

hey, you're right. being positive does make it more fun!!!

Spelling a major issue when having fun?

 

[DustyDrB]

I feel like a ton of people have left that I enjoyed discussing games with. The site is really slow nowadays compared to what it was. And yes, there is an outbreak of negativity. I've noticed more people who have totally reasonable opinions but don't know how to express them without being contentious and defensive. Some of them would blend in perfectly with the patients I deal with every day.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Does being cynical and contemptuous about the mostly pseudo-intellectual teenage nature of most forum-goers here count?

 

[Randomologist]

I noticed this trend too, it makes me very sad.

I don't know if this is just due to some people having louder voices, though: If my opinion adds nothing that has already been added, I discard whatever I've written, and I'm sure others must do the same.

 

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

In my experience, I suffer from "Amazing Atheist's Stupid Comments Syndrome":

Spoiler

I'll say something completely innocuous, or even objectively correct, and get inundated with confrontational comments. For example, the other day I left a comment about how you can't argue against living near an underfunded nuclear power plant being a bad idea. This statement eventually turned into me somehow being a Captain Planet-educated idiot.

It all comes back to this: No matter what happens, most people on the Internet hate it.

 

[theheroofaction]

Yeah, there are a lot of depressing fucknuts, but most people here keep negative opinions to themselves.

Though it should be known that negative responses garner more attention than other ones. This makes it a very real possibility that some of those people are just trolling. Not the people trying to make a point. I'm talking about guys like the 5-7year guy.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Yeah, I did notice,... but I thought it was me.

I'm glad it wasn't. See, some positivity.

Anyway, what did you expect? There's a lot of teenagers here and Yahtzee is their role model on this site.

Also, I'm having an exposition of my work in a few days. YAAAAAAAY, more positivity!!!

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Who ISN'T depressed?

Skynet's catching up on modern technology and living metal has been invented. We are just waiting for the inevitable...

 

[EeveeElectro]

There's a thread like this every other week. No wonder we're miserable if people keep telling us we are...
I'm just going to put it down to we're fairly geeky here and was probably tormented by bullies for a good portion of our school life, you'd be right miserable after that. Maybe... I was, but I'm a happy chappy now. (what's the point getting sad about it?!)
Or maybe they think 'I won't get my hopes up, I'd rather be pleasently surprised than dissapointed.'

 

[TheAceTheOne]

Right now, I have a reason to be depressed.

My girlfriend of six years just broke up with me because "she needs to grow herself alone before she can grow with others" (her phrasing). I love her with all my heart, still, and I don't know if she'll keep talking to me (I hope she does).

...But I'm staying positive. I can use this negativity to be stronger.

DAMNIT PEOPLE, WE NEED MOAR OPTIMISTS!

On these forums as well as in general.

I've posted depressing topics before. The forums are a place to get stuff off my mind, for me, when I can't do it anywhere else.

That's no excuse for the sheer amount of pessimists, but it is at least a bit justifiable. It does get irritating, though, and I've found myself angry at myself for posting depressing stuff.

 

[Feylynn]

I've said it before, and I will say it again: cynicism is a bitter and ABSOLUTELY POINTLESS emotion. It accomplishes nothing, and does nothing but to make the practitioner of the emotion, the cynic themselves, look like a bitter, antagonist, shallow, and absolutely joyless person. The worse thing is these people are being cynical over media! Not only are they engrossed in this unproductive and terrible emotion, but they hold this destructive and terrible emotion towards a fucking leisure activity!

I might be an asshole. Hell, I might even be a pretty snarky asshole. But you know what? I'm not a cynic, and I am exceedingly proud of that fact.

"Being a snarky asshole is a bitter and pointless condition. It accomplishes little and does nothing but make the practitioner of the sentiment, the asshole themselves, look like a bitter, antagonistic, shallow, and absolutely sadistic(though not joyless because they are finding their kicks somewhere apparently) person. The worst thing is these people are angrily deriding a deep seated mental state in a selfish fit!

Not only are they engrossed in this unproductive and terrible practice, but they wield this destructive and terrible force intentionally at any target in sight."

Self proclaimed and everything, I had to say it.

Sorry, in all seriousness, I find a lot of the backlash here either really depressing in itself or very poorly conveyed sarcasm, I'm not entirely sure.
Some posts could really stand to be reeled on on the depressing spectrum but I don't believe it's all that hard to just ignore them, granted it wouldn't be all that hard to leave the worst of expressed messages out of public forum.

Maybe it's just me but I don't subscribe exclusively as an optimist/pessimist, that's altered by mood and subject.
Maybe we could optimistically assume some of them were just having a bad day or had a personal issue with that one particular post rather then cynically assuming all of them are like that about everything.

 

[Vandenberg1]

This is because reality is boring and almost everyone hates it, along with hating those who somehow enjoy reality, the site is called "Escapist" for a reason, most of us are pessimists or escapists or cynical or generally moody to some extent, not everyone is like that but most who browse the site sadly fall under these categories.

Personally I fall under the reality is boring part category with minor cynicism.

Realitys boring for pussies. Go rick climbing or hiking in the woods and tell me your bored... Now if your a fat guy on his laptop 24/7 I have no sympathy. I lost 88 pounds in 8 months and am becoming a Marine medic because being a heathen nerd got old... Heahthen soldier/doctor? EPIC

I love Rick climbing too! Mr.Astley got pretty pissed of at me though.

Uhg, Laptop skips around alot when I'm online. Hard to write anything:/

 

[Vandenberg1]

Right now, I have a reason to be depressed.

My girlfriend of six years just broke up with me because "she needs to grow herself alone before she can grow with others" (her phrasing). I love her with all my heart, still, and I don't know if she'll keep talking to me (I hope she does).

...But I'm staying positive. I can use this negativity to be stronger.

DAMNIT PEOPLE, WE NEED MOAR OPTIMISTS!

On these forums as well as in general.

I've posted depressing topics before. The forums are a place to get stuff off my mind, for me, when I can't do it anywhere else.

That's no excuse for the sheer amount of pessimists, but it is at least a bit justifiable. It does get irritating, though, and I've found myself angry at myself for posting depressing stuff.

Sounds like you need to drive over there, grab her shoulders... and kiss her like you never did before... Or if you wanna be a MAN, grab all the shit she gave you, knock on door, and throw it in her house after you kicked her new man's ass.