The Escapist to me. (and its evolution)

[azncutthroat]

Wow... this thread is a real eye opener. People really care about high post counts? That's just fucking pathetic.

My personal gripe with the Escapist it seems to me that most people are content to keep posting their likes/dislikes... for example, the most recent MW2 roast thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.188024-Why-does-everybody-here-seam-to-hate-MW2?page=1] has 8 pages in less than 24 hours.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't be so expressive... I'm just saying that their expressiveness is a little bland and repetitive. And it doesn't help that the mod service encourages such behavior by making members march in straight, neat rows, through (Imo) overbearing crackdowns and rewarding "safe" behavior.

 

[jboking]

True enough, things have changed since I first started lurking. A lot of people that created posts I genuinely enjoyed reading have come and gone(by ban or free will). Sure, I can draw similarities between newer posters to some of the classic guys, thus claiming they are all 'carbon copies' of someone more original. Hell, if I wanted to, I could find a thousand and one reasons why the Escapist has gone down hill. But you know what that would be...

Pretentious.

I argued with myself for quite some time about leaving the Escapist when a few of my favorite posters left, but I stuck by it and eventually some newer posters blossomed. I'm sure it will happen again, people will continue to think and come up with topics that are interesting to read(even if those topics are less frequent than they used to be).

There is one thing that worries me though:

Exclusive member forum access - Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

Does this mean I will need to pay to read worth while posts? Will the rest of the forums slowly rot with horrible topic after horrible topic? Only time can tell, and in a few months I'll know if I should finally leave or not. Let it be known that I will not create some thread touting how I'm leaving forever, as thought the community is losing something amazing by me being gone. I'll just move somewhere new and start over.

To answer the topic in a shorter way: I feel that the evolution of this site could take a bad turn, but I won't judge it until I know for sure where it's going.

 

[azncutthroat]

Exclusive member forum access - Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

The fuck...? Where is that?

 

[jboking]

Exclusive member forum access - Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

The fuck...? Where is that?

you should have gotten a system message about the publishers club that linked you to some details about the club benefits. Under "And more" you'll find "Automatic Contests Entries" and "Exclusive Member Forum Access"

Take a look here to see for yourself.

 

[w@rew0lf]

After reading Spartan Banana's goodbye to everyone, it reminded me of how little I really know about these forums. I have been a loyal Escapist member since around page 2 of Zero Punctuation. I've always enjoyed reading the threads that other people wrote and replied to, though i rarely commented on them. I never really got to recognize anyone in particular either, except for MaxtheReaper.
And now that there are all of these quizzical and questionable things on the site, like Game Dogs and premium membership content, things seem like they are taking a turn for the worse. While this website has been the reason for my personal discovery of brilliant people such as Shamus, Yahtzee, and the LRR crew; I think it's losing some of its charm.
I fear for lovers of the Escapist as a community. Thoughts on the website's evolution?

You're being alarmist. The sites still runs fine and the community is still top-notch. Also alarmists are idiots. Do you want to be an idiot? If so keeping on bringing unimportant things to our attention.

 

[azncutthroat]

Exclusive member forum access - Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

The fuck...? Where is that?

you should have gotten a system message about the publishers club that linked you to some details about the club benefits. Under "And more" you'll find "Automatic Contests Entries" and "Exclusive Member Forum Access"

Take a look here to see for yourself.

But they don't actually have this... "walled garden" up, right? What's the point in paying them to give us an elitist a service that's not even functioning?

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Ahh, more venting for me.

Frankly, I think this is the last straw for my time here. I came here a while ago, though not as long as you two, but the site has changed, and I think I've either outgrown it or out lived it. The giving out exclusive stuff is nice, but not exclusive forums.

At the risk of sounding like a melodramatic *****, I think I may be leaving the site for good, and only popping in once in a while to drop a review or Run review Wars.
I dunno. I mean, its just not the same site I fell in love with. I hate having a huge post count, and that's a big reason that I may be leaving.

I dislike not being able to do something that "isn't pimppeter2" to some people. I was a lot like NoMoreSanity until my ban, and my second ban. But I softened up becuase I didn't want to get into any more trouble. but frankly, I miss being able to argue my ass off (the reason I joined the site), without a group of people that "know me" telling me I'm behaving strangely.

I posted this in the Asylum group, so I'll post it here

Its not only the premium content. Its everything. That was just the last straw. When I joined, I couldn't even count the people that I cared about on the forums. It has to do with my sudden "popularity"

Now, I think there's less then ten people that I genuinely like running into on the forums. Souplex, WanderFreak, Zombie Fish, Neon Bob, orranis, and Swollen Goat. Its not to say I don't like the rest of you guys, but its something I've been feeling for a long time even before this.

I've been with the site since '07. And too much has changed. Whether its for the better or the worse is subjective. I frankly feel nothing for the people on here any more.

You're mostly all dull, personality less copies of eachother. Hub is exactly like Furburt, and their exactly like lord C, and Demented teddy, who is exactly like snooty, and JK and ext.

You're all carbon copies of what the regular escapist member is with only half the personality.

I miss being able to call someone a fucking idiot without ten people breething down my neck telling me that "the real pimppeter2 wouldn't say that".

You guys are all nice, but after all it is a fuckin website, and I'm sick and tired of the community.

I feel like the community has out grown me. Its no longer my home site, or even the place I enjoy coming to that much.

I guess its just a habit. I guess my moment of like yours would be when Max was banned. Not that I was particularly close to the kid, but he signified the end of the users I was part of. The other two being people like you and New Classic and Zombie Fish, but for a long time you guys had all been on a posting hiatus, and I never say any of you. Then Max and Sanity got banned, and all I was left with was people like Hub and Furburt, who are great people, but I just don't care about them.

I'll scroll down to read Zombie Fish's or your post, but I rarely scroll to find what Hub has said on the subject.

I feel "trapped" in with a group of people I cannot identify with.

So those are my random musings on the subject taken from conversations I've had today and lumped into a big post for everyone to enjoy.

Again, don't be offended about this. This is just my honest opinion and some venting. I just really need to get this stuff off my chest.

I dunno, I think its a bad idea. Mainly becuase the people that are most loyal to the site are teens like me with too much time on their hands, and no credit cards. I may pay the fee just to "support the site", because I do love the site. But I just can't shake the feeling that things have changed, and for me personally for the worse.

So you're saying you're leaving because you can't be an asshole? The whole point of the Escapist was to discuss things in a mature manner. If you want to be an idiot then go ahead and get banned. We'll just continue being elitists and have intelligent discussions.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I agree that a lot of the users have similar personalities. But that's only because you pointed it out. Thank you for that...

I do think the forums have gotten a little... boring lately, but that's why I'm getting into user groups. Just about every thread is "What is your favorite nostril?" or "which character do you think is funniest?" I didn't realize it until recently because I didn't care much about what I was saying because of the Neo badge, but I think it's always been like that. The other trend is that for the past few weeks there hasn't been any real discussion material. Where are the threads about stopping global warming? What we should do about Zimbabwe? All we have now is a bunch of threads either worshipping the Harm Principle or flame wars between atheists(normally led by Khell Sennet, one of the few I've actually seen an identity for) and religious people. YOU CAN ONLY ARGUE THEOLOGY AND BELIEFS TO A DEGREE, PLEASE STOP FLOODING THE FORUMS WITH THE SAME DAMN ARGUMENTS.

I think one of the things that gets to me about this is that now I'll never be considered one of the Escapist Elites. I could get a 50k post count, the 4 best badges, and I'd still be just another small time poster unless I went premium. I was going for badges and other goals when I first came here, but now what's the point?

I'm going to give it a night to decide whether I'll stay or not though. If I do stay it'll only be for some news posts and maybe some badges. But once I get those I'm gone.

I will actually add my opinion on this later as I can't right now as I am off to school but I'd like to say that it takes more than a high post count in my books to be in the Escapist Elite group. I do giggle everytime I see people who have joined atleast a year if not more after me yet have 10x my post now that is funny. Do I not post enough or did some people have a bit of verbal diahorea? A bit of a joke but how do these people post so much?

 

[Samurai Goomba]

Exclusive member forum access - Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

Discussions will be just as pointless and poorly-phrased there as here. There is no kind of filter limiting who can buy a membership, so all kinds of people will be in there. No worries that the intelligent threads will be quarantined off somewhere. Except maybe on another forum. Burn.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

My opinion, though it never carries alot of weight anywhere, except within arms reach where i can slap people for being dumb.

is that the site is growing, gaining more people, gaining more varieties in it's "audience", and we all know and observe the wonderful effect of mass numbing... the more people in a group the more the norm changes. so the escapist is different than it was before... but that's just an all too common side effect of it becoming more popular and expanding to meet different audiences...

I say "meh" though there aren't as many gems among the turds. there are still gems, and untill the gem to turd ratio drops below 500t/1g i will stay here lurking and posting where i feel like it.

and seriously nobody really knows me it seems... maybe it's because i lurk more than i post.

 

[Darth Caelum]

Well, thanks man. I have just become extremely Depressed.
I come here to enjoy, to let loose once in a while. I already have a lot of Responsibilities in my place so i come here to, well let loose.
NOW, it makes me feel unwelcome, It makes me feel as if i let someone down for some reason.
The Premium DLC hasn't even crossed my mind, until the Backdraft from this thread told me too.
Thank a lot man.

 

[Liberaliter]

I think all the leaving threads are a bit weird and how some people are regarded as celebrities on the escapist of sorts is strange, also why are so many people here insistant on being 'dark' and 'edgy'?

 

[DoW Lowen]

As the population grows, so does homogeneity.

I'm sick of all the list threads here, I remember joining the site because people were talking about really interesting things ALL the time. There was always something to talk about that hasn't been said before. Every time I went into a new forum I learned something, now I'll be honest most of the new users... are kind of uninteresting and trust me MOST OF YOU ARE NOT FUNNY. And the fiasco with March Mayhem made me lose so much respect for this community. It was like being on Gamespot again.

I'm still loyal here, and I'll be around for a while. I suppose I'll be "new generation". But it's disheartening that I make a thread about philosophy and it gets pushed back by "Favorite gaming moments" and "Movies you hated". I want to believe there are intelligent people on this site, and even if we have a different opinion I respect honesty and well-thought out beliefs. And there are, but it's really hard to find them.

But really - I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE IS. That's what Facebook and Twitter are for.

In short there are a lack of interesting people on here, but I suppose that it is like real life. I still come here for the news and videos, but the forums are lacking lately.

Also I miss Max. When he (or she, you know I never really knew) got banned, the forums felt oddly shallow.

 

[notyouraveragejoe]

That's your problem dude...the site's doing just fine and people are getting a little too paranoid about this premium membership deal and overreacting.

Thats what I feel. I mean I think its a pretty good idea. If people want to pay to get an upgraded Escapist then thats up to them. I'm fine with the good old regular.

I think its improving actually. I see a bit more openness amongst topics. I'm glad the admins created new sections (Religion and Politics) in order to keep things more organized. And I'm pretty sure the elitism has dropped (even if a few people are still a bit Snooty...well at least they admit it *looks up at the quoted person*...nah I'm kidding).

 

[Casual Shinji]

I hate to sound like an old fart, but it's just a forum guys.

And as a site grows in popularity, more people will want to join and you might not like all of them.

 

[DoW Lowen]

OT: Since I've joined the escapist, it's become larger, it's gotten more members, and the community has become a lot more... Communal.
But there are ways in which I have become more private and secluded.
Right now, I think that yesterday was the best day the escapist had, and now it's going to be just as good, but there will be people who think they're beter than others just because they payed money, and those people will be scum to me.
Everyone else will be fine, and just the same though.

I don't think the premium membership will be a big deal *flashes shiny badge*

From what I've seen only members who have been here for at least a year will be getting it, and half of them will be getting it just to support the website we love so much. If there is one truth I can hold - it's that people hate paying money unless there is a good reason to do so.

To be frank, do people really pay attention to custom titles and how many posts a person has or how many badges they have in total? Because I just read people's posts and quote them if they said something interesting. I treat everyone the same regardless of title or how many posts.

The new members kind of do. I notice that kind of suck up if your post count has 5 digits. I'll be honest even I did when I first started here. It was my first forum I ever joined and seeing people with 2k posts was something of a phenomena.

It meant something back then, for most people every post has to count - has to have value. Now I see people who have been here half as long as me hitting 15k posts. And I post almost every day. Now the title of "Gone Gonzo" is like owning the first iPod. A big deal, but now they're so cheap and easy to get, everyone stop giving a damn.

 

[MercenaryCanary]

A lot of the people seem so stuck up.

This is pretty much every single internet community ever.
The Escapist is good for me, because unlike the other communities, I don't have to read garbled half-retarded wording, and some of the threads here are nice.
I do hate it when we have a bunch of threads that are similar though.
I really do.
Burn in hell, repeat threads.
Burn in hell now.

 

[Kud]

Ahh, more venting for me.

Frankly, I think this is the last straw for my time here. I came here a while ago, though not as long as you two, but the site has changed, and I think I've either outgrown it or out lived it. The giving out exclusive stuff is nice, but not exclusive forums.

At the risk of sounding like a melodramatic *****, I think I may be leaving the site for good, and only popping in once in a while to drop a review or Run review Wars.
I dunno. I mean, its just not the same site I fell in love with. I hate having a huge post count, and that's a big reason that I may be leaving.

I dislike not being able to do something that "isn't pimppeter2" to some people. I was a lot like NoMoreSanity until my ban, and my second ban. But I softened up becuase I didn't want to get into any more trouble. but frankly, I miss being able to argue my ass off (the reason I joined the site), without a group of people that "know me" telling me I'm behaving strangely.

I posted this in the Asylum group, so I'll post it here

Its not only the premium content. Its everything. That was just the last straw. When I joined, I couldn't even count the people that I cared about on the forums. It has to do with my sudden "popularity"

Now, I think there's less then ten people that I genuinely like running into on the forums. Souplex, WanderFreak, Zombie Fish, Neon Bob, orranis, and Swollen Goat. Its not to say I don't like the rest of you guys, but its something I've been feeling for a long time even before this.

I've been with the site since '07. And too much has changed. Whether its for the better or the worse is subjective. I frankly feel nothing for the people on here any more.

You're mostly all dull, personality less copies of eachother. Hub is exactly like Furburt, and their exactly like lord C, and Demented teddy, who is exactly like snooty, and JK and ext.

You're all carbon copies of what the regular escapist member is with only half the personality.

I miss being able to call someone a fucking idiot without ten people breething down my neck telling me that "the real pimppeter2 wouldn't say that".

You guys are all nice, but after all it is a fuckin website, and I'm sick and tired of the community.

I feel like the community has out grown me. Its no longer my home site, or even the place I enjoy coming to that much.

I guess its just a habit. I guess my moment of like yours would be when Max was banned. Not that I was particularly close to the kid, but he signified the end of the users I was part of. The other two being people like you and New Classic and Zombie Fish, but for a long time you guys had all been on a posting hiatus, and I never say any of you. Then Max and Sanity got banned, and all I was left with was people like Hub and Furburt, who are great people, but I just don't care about them.

I'll scroll down to read Zombie Fish's or your post, but I rarely scroll to find what Hub has said on the subject.

I feel "trapped" in with a group of people I cannot identify with.

So those are my random musings on the subject taken from conversations I've had today and lumped into a big post for everyone to enjoy.

Again, don't be offended about this. This is just my honest opinion and some venting. I just really need to get this stuff off my chest.

I dunno, I think its a bad idea. Mainly becuase the people that are most loyal to the site are teens like me with too much time on their hands, and no credit cards. I may pay the fee just to "support the site", because I do love the site. But I just can't shake the feeling that things have changed, and for me personally for the worse.

I couldn't agree more.

These days I cannot find anyone worth talking to anymore and everyone is just the same.

I had actually quit about 3 weeks ago, but I came on to check ZP and I saw this thread, and your post.

You are right.

[sup][sup][sup]Missle to K9[/sup][/sup][/sup]

 

[oppp7]

I will actually add my opinion on this later as I can't right now as I am off to school but I'd like to say that it takes more than a high post count in my books to be in the Escapist Elite group. I do giggle everytime I see people who have joined atleast a year if not more after me yet have 10x my post now that is funny. Do I not post enough or did some people have a bit of verbal diahorea? A bit of a joke but how do these people post so much?

They either play a lot of forum games or post in user groups(namely the Asylum). And some of them post a lot.