Okay, what happened to the escapist forums while I was away.

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

What happened?

Plus, some people on the internet got upset about video games.

This response is so perfect, I feel dirty quoting it.

OT: In anycase, I think its kind of interesting that people from 2014 are now asking what the heck happened. Preaching to the choir of the older folks still around I think.

 

[Zontar]

It's starting to get better, but I wouldn't exactly call the 5 months of re-runs from YouTube shows better content.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. It can't be Good Bad Flicks, that's following the norm around here of things being posted here a week before they're posted on YouTube (in fact, to my knowledge Honest Game Trailers is the only thing which is posted here at the same time as YouTube)

You know, you'd think the consistent demonstration that conservatives like myself are the minority within GamerGate would have clued people in that conservatives are, in fact, a minority within GamerGate.

What demonstration? The only evidence I've ever seen that "proves" that GamerGate isn't predominantly conservative was in one of Sargon of Akkad's videos, the evidence in question being a screenshot of a political graph with a cluster of dots mostly placed in the Left-wing/Libertarian corner, completely devoid of any context or statistics that can verify that this is indeed representative of GamerGate. I'm just saying it's really easy for people to get the wrong impression of you, when you do so little correct their misconceptions and then have the balls to claim that its been more than enough.

It's not that much, I'll admit, and more could (and probably should) be done to verify it, but let's be honest here, there's a lot more backing up what I said then the claim that GG is predominantly or entirely Conservative. I know my politics (I'm a conservative myself) sure doesn't match up with the people I speak to about GG.

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

This may be just me:
I've been on this site for a couple of years now, and it has always been my go-to "internet forum". I liked the discussions being had and I thought I could find a community here. Then Gamer-Gate happened.

Like a lot of sites, the forums here were ablaze with debate(read: arguing) on the subject. While I personally didn't identify with either side, I at least enjoyed the fact that the gaming community were all talking about the same thing. But towards the tail end(or what I thought was the tail end) of the backlash, I had to take a break from the forums due my having to return home from school and no longer having internet. I finally was able to dive back in yesterday and all I have to say is:

What the hell happened?
The forums are by no means ruined but it seemed like every post I clicked on yesterday quickly descended into accusations of sexism, being a SJW, and dismissal of other peoples opinion. It is far more common on some threads to find snarky ways of saying "your opinon/concern is invalid" then it is to find actually acknowledgement and discussion of those opinions. Lots of times they show up out of nowhere, as if some people here actively won't allow a discussion without it.
I know that this kind of thing is pretty common place on the internet but I can't say I remember the escapist forums having this undertone of hatred and resentment toward each other. It's has such a toxic feeling to it.

Was this the aftermath of the arguing that I left during?
Does anyone else get this feeling?
What is the cause of this attitude?

Again, this may be just me.

[NOTE: For the sake of discussion, please take the mindset that no particular "faction"(GG'ers, SJW's, etc) is inherently right or wrong in their opinions.]

Your join date says you've been here 1 year. Maybe you lurked but by post count and join date I gather you weren't a very active participant

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

GG was the worse thing ever for this site. Now I have no problem discussing issues but once you start adding terms like "GG" and "anti GG" everything just gets negative. I think we can add that to the list of things to never talk about because neither side will ever agree. Kinda like a christian and an Atheist will never change their opinions or sides. Neither with the GG/AGG people change their sides or agree with the other side. Complete waste of time and just complete negativity. Look above and they are adding politics to GG? Politics is another thing not worth discussing because Conservative voters will never agree with Labour.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

Everything's still running along on schedule, just like the trains

Who do we thank for this again?

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

The forums did go pear-shaped for awhile there, and as you said, almost every reasonable discussion devolved into SJW and GG or other type of prejudice and abuse oe side-taking and blaming. I think a lot of people just had enough and didn't post at all during that time (myself included, though I hardly count as I never got involved in a heated discussion).

There are still reasonable discussions to be had, many in fact, just not near as many as before this shit started. I think the escapist also got rid of/lost a few key contributors which led to a bit of migration, leaving only the vocal crowd who want to stay for the sake of pushing their agenda, arguing, correcting wrong opinions and overall tiresome threads.

But keep digging, the good actual game-related threads are still out there in droves my friend.

 

[Cold Shiny]

Don't ask me bro, I just live here.

I mean I actually live here.

Like I'm an actual cybernetic being that exists solely in the Escapist forums.

Mods are still ignorant of the situation.

 

[direkiller]

It's starting to get better, but I wouldn't exactly call the 5 months of re-runs from YouTube shows better content.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. It can't be Good Bad Flicks, that's following the norm around here of things being posted here a week before they're posted on YouTube (in fact, to my knowledge Honest Game Trailers is the only thing which is posted here at the same time as YouTube)

It was before they got here, as I said it's getting better.

Smosh who just sota did a video drive by of old content
& Game Theory was posting just old stuff for a while

 

[Zontar]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've just never believed GG's assessments of itself. I'd guess a lot of people believe that the people who cried about GAD were people described in GAD articles.

Problem with that assessment is that the people described in the GAD articles is that it applies to most gamers, even many of the people who defended them when their own authors never did.

It's like when Fox News makes an article paining all Democrats as flag burning people who want to take away your guns and right to be Christian and Democrats get upset. Can't really blame the Democrats in that situation, but because Gamers aren't people in the eyes of a shocking number of people dependent on Gamers for their income, stupidity should never be given a free pass.

A lot of companies felt it was wrong after all. It's the reason Gawker is at risk of bankruptcy.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Like I said in that OTHER thread...

Look no farther than the discussion and argument going on in THIS thread for an explanation.

It's. All. The. Same. Argument. Repeated. Over. And. Over. And. Over. And. Over.

People can't help but carry it around to other discussions.
People are entrenched.
People are bitter.
People are aware of the rules preventing outright attacks.
People react to the aforementioned rules by being passive aggressive twats to one another.
Some people aren't as good at it as others.
Some people get banned.
Some people make new accounts.


The cream of the crop remain.

Toxicity ensues.

I suggest perusing threads that don't involve social justice, GG, gender, identity, or any other hot button nonsense that's been infecting everything if you don't want to participate.

If you DO want to participate? Post away.

Treat it like a rage simulator and enjoy the return on your time investment.

Or, alternatively, treat everybody kindly and don't fall prey to circular BS. >_>

 

[Zen Bard]

Conservation of Rage.

We're filling in the anger vacuum left by Jim Sterling and MovieBob.

I miss those guys...

 

[Battenberg]

Some content creators left and much better ones took their place.

I would disagree with you hard on that but regardless the loss of content creators was inevitably going to lead to people leaving along with them. Plus of course the banhammer is in full force for a lot of minor stuff. Plus the site is like 50% adverts at this point. Plus in my opinion the overall quality of content is worse in both the funny stuff and the more serious debate/ reviews.

If the Escapist forums were a real life place at this point they would be the wasteland from Mad Max with nothing but a few crazy people hanging on in the vague hope things will get better and a lot of loud shouty people determined that it's vital for people to hear and agree with their views on the same old crap non-stop.

 

[IceForce]

Well see, people keep being wrong, on my internet.

And we can't have that.

 

[The Bucket]

The political cleansing of "immoral progressives" claimed many short-term victims, although it's long-term effects cannot be accurately predicted. As new gamers come into the medium and look at what's been done, it's not much of a calling card to make the pitch "Come join the conservative broforce and burn effigies of Sarkeesian!" so "Ethics in games journalism" continues to be the public relations euphemism for modern conservative gamers.

You know, you'd think the consistent demonstration that conservatives like myself are the minority within GamerGate would have clued people in that conservatives are, in fact, a minority within GamerGate.

OT: What happened is some people left and others got banned. Some content creators left and much better ones took their place.

Whatever your opinions of Jim, Bob, etc., none of the new people they brought in have anywhere near the popularity and potential to draw new posters in that they had.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Well see, people keep being wrong, on my internet.

And we can't have that.

You know, this is the best answer there is.

I originally came in to ask where are you people who are making these threads coming in from? Where are you spending your time on the internet that you don't realize that is how people are now?

Youtube comment sections are full of evil. Comments of News Pages are full of Bile. Picture sites make people rich because they are mocking someone or are a repository for snappy, dismissive come backs for forum sites. In the last five to seven years, The population of the world seems to soured over something after finding a stick lodged up its ass and therefore finds the huge sections of the world lacking, in need of a cleanse.

People wear labels to declare one side to be stupid and their own beliefs are the one true way. Republicans, Democrats, West, East, Poor, Rich, Progressive, Conservative, Gamergate, Anti Gamergate, Religious, Atheist, Fox News, CNN, Hardcore Gamer, Casuals, Call of Duty Fan, Dudebro, Feminist, Stay At Home Mom, Police Supporter, Minority, White, American, Non American, Torie, "It's Soccer", "It's Football", Graphics Whore, Story Whore, Gameply Whore, Loot whore, Apple, Android, Pro Gunner, Anti Gunner, Climate Change is real, Climate change is a myth, Occupy Wall Street, Tea Partiers, Slut Shamers, Pro Sexuality, Marvel, DC, Zombies are still cool, Zombies suck, Hipster, 'Mundanes', Grammer Nazis, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Fiction Shippers, Bronies (although I don't know if that's still a thing), Furries, Furry haters, Pew Dee Pie Fans, Markiplier Fans, SJWs, Anti SJWs, People who just leap on a woman if she says anything that still reminds us that life isn't totally fair for them, people who just leap on ANYONE if they remind the world that life isn't totally fair for them .... Everyone is just running headlong into camps so they can turn and hate people!

There are no discussions! There are no free exchange of ideas. There's no "agree to disagree" or "well, we're different so we can co-exist"... It's only "You're different, so sit there while I berate you for all your faults for not being as right as me". The celebration of glib, insufferable characters like 'House' and 'Sherlock', the genius who has nothing but contempt for people who don't see the world like they do is very telling. It's not just that other people are wrong, they must be made to feel inferior to how correct I am.

The World are becoming jerks. Self-aggrandising insufferable prigs who are spurred on their twitter/facebook/youtube up votes to let them know they are the One... they are the only true source of intelligence in the world and they owe it to Human History to smash any dissent with flame and insults so there can only be those who walk in the path of The Way of the One.

It's the Population of the World. The Escapist has the population in it. It was bound to happen.


*I put that one in quotes because my hipster friends call non hipsters that. I don't know if they are the only ones

 

[Zontar]

Whatever your opinions of Jim, Bob, etc., none of the new people they brought in have anywhere near the popularity and potential to draw new posters in that they had.

That's true, but then again that's for the same reason the WiiU isn't the best selling console of this generation: popularity and quality don't go hand in hand. After all given one of Jim's main character traits (being a no bullshit pro-consumer advocate) turned out to be just a character trait and not part of who he actually was, and Bob's mental breakdown that had started long before he got axed, it's genuinely amazing either still has any fans.

Besides, Cecil is filling Bob's niche here now, and he's much better at it.

 

[Kross]

Be the forums that you want to be. Talk about what interests you, play with each other if so inclined.

We're working on reinvigorating the general site content, and in the middle of a long tedious progress of consolidating and updating some of the site tech, so hopefully there will be some more interesting seeds of discussion... soon

Please don't spit on the floor or each other while you're guests in our house, otherwise make yourselves at home. Eventually the construction noise will stop, and hopefully something entertaining will happen.

The mods are here to keep things tolerable, and are being driven slowly insane by constant bombardment from sophists. I like to think it makes them stronger. Please bear with them, and understand they're just trying to keep the conversation moving. They have my blessing (if not all the powers that be) to try for the ricochet if the effort is warranted to help someone back out the front door. Trust me, it's not worth the hassle for them to arbitrarily turn off random people's posting privileges. Such is the life of a free forum with open registration. Please keep that in mind when typing bits to populate my databases with.

 

[Scow2]

Social justice in video games is the new Mass Effect 3 ending.

They are quite similar, but LGBT has more colors. Progress!

But they get angrier if you think they're all the same but don't treat them all the same, or vice versa, or something like that. Or not.

I blame the decline on Fappy getting sortabanned, unbanned, but ultimately because he changed his avatar from that winking cat I always looked forward to seeing on posts. It's all your fault, Fappy!

It has nothing to do with the hemorrage of a lot of good content. I still miss Doraleous and Associates, and Unforgotten Realms, and Unskippable, and moviebob (as much as I disagreed with his politics).


... But at least the Mass Effect controversy had everyone talking about videogames here...

Hey, Obsidian - can you please make an awesome RPG series like Bioware did, then fuck up the ending so we have something fun to talk about? I hear "Rocks Fall, everyone dies" could be sufficiently counterclimactic.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

Ayyy lmao

Always good to hear about new stuff on the horizon, Kross

 

[Johnlives]

What happened? I started posting regularly from September last year. It's from around then that a whole bunch of people started to get themselves banned (probably on purpose) or left. It's too big a coincidence. If you are looking for someone to blame, blame me.