Ahh Forums, How I love Thee and How You've Grown!

[Samhayne]

Recently, we've seen some complaints by older forum members who call for a return of "the old Spacetime Forums that I used to know!" The thing is, that's the problem with time. We all change and grow. Just like yearning for the feeling of your first kiss, or your first scary movie or the feeling you had playing your first MMO -you can't really replicate that. It was a moment in time. The forums are not the same as they were in the summer of 2010. I remember those days well myself. The only visitors were a tight knit cadre of fans for Pocket Legends. Fast forward 2 years and over 7 million downloads (and I think closing in on 8 mill) and we have a broader, more diverse forum population.

Ultimately, the forums are what we make them out to be. I challenge our older, veteran posters, to put aside issues they may have with newer members and create discussion and threads they would like to see. Also, if you do come across posts that you feel are, fluff, trolling, pointless or otherwise not in the spirit set forward in our Forum Rules (http://www.spacetimestudios.com/misc.php?do=vsarules) to please make use of the Report Post button and let our Moderation Team know about the post.

Thanks for being part of our community. I look forward to reading your posts and thoughts!

[Mitchturbo]

Well said Sam. I haven't been on these forums for long but I generally like it here a lot and I don't see why some are always complaining (a very small majority)

I think we can thank you, our Admin & Community Guy! And Delphina for making the forums such a good community and how it interacts/goes hand in hand with all your games.

Thanks Super Sam!

[Elyseon]

Half the trolling threads are more useful and entertaining than the majority of these guides, which after a great deal of thought i realized are more or less game reviews, summarizing the basics of gameplay in a tone addressing people who have never played, these guides arent bad they just arent guides and they arent written in the right place

[Samhayne]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?

[morfic]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?

I think that would be an AWESOME contest.

I can't foresee it causing any problems. But it would be a lot of fun.

[Carth]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?
I would like to see that. :D

[octavos]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? *Or, is that just adding to the problem?


I think that would be an AWESOME contest.
I can't foresee it causing any problems. But it would be a lot of fun.

the one that forces a mod to close it wins. :D

[wvhills]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?

If u do it can I enter my scatterbear guide? It was the first troll guide eva! Lol.
Let me make a serious suggestion though- maybe consider moving the archer, enchantress, and bear class headquarters back to the main page. I've noticed a decline in their usage since they were combined under the "classes of pocket legends" heading. When I first started it wasn't a big deal to go there, ask a question in a thread, and get a quick answer. I'd also suggest doing a clean up of the stickied threads in those sections- put the ones that have the best info up top where everyone can see them and take the rest off. If you're worried about cluttering up the homepage you could combine announcements, in development and patch notes (all info that comes from you guys anyway) or delete the entire chrome section and just put a sticky up somewhere explaining how it works (not much going on in the chrome section).

[Elyseon]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?
Do it

[undertheradar]

Funniest troll guide? You guys don't stand a chance

[Moogerfooger]

Well, most of the people who would do well at a troll contest have gotten banned. Self-fulfilling ironic prophecy.

Games wax and wane, oldies move on. Plus get tired of the same discussions over and over.

Instead of hollowly challenging oldies to be more active, we challenge STS to return to its roots and pump out a quality campaign like AO3, or something like the Cyber quests, update skills, and put a level of development into PL like Voleria and DL saw.

[Snakespeare]

Actually, the complainers have a point. They feel the reputation system is the primary problem. These phony unhelpful guides are really people trying to get rep. They see a game and they want to play. Acquire green bars by collecting thanks.

Sam, do you feel the reputation system is helpful? You put it into place for a reason, to encourage community involvement. I didn't like it from the start because I thought it might encourage cliquish behavior. I'm still against it. But since you are the only one who can make the call, do you think it is working or that it's being abused?

[Swords]

Actually, the complainers have a point. They feel the reputation system is the primary problem. These phony unhelpful guides are really people trying to get rep. They see a game and they want to play. Acquire green bars by collecting thanks.

Sam, do you feel the reputation system is helpful? You put it into place for a reason, to encourage community involvement. I didn't like it from the start because I thought it might encourage cliquish behavior. I'm still against it. But since you are the only one who can make the call, do you think it is working or that it's being abused?

There are pros and cons to this situation.

[StompArtist]

Actually, the complainers have a point. They feel the reputation system is the primary problem. These phony unhelpful guides are really people trying to get rep. They see a game and they want to play. Acquire green bars by collecting thanks.

Sam, do you feel the reputation system is helpful? You put it into place for a reason, to encourage community involvement. I didn't like it from the start because I thought it might encourage cliquish behavior. I'm still against it. But since you are the only one who can make the call, do you think it is working or that it's being abused?

If they take it away it will make the thanks fairy cry.

[morfic]

There are pros and cons to this situation.

Astute observation! Might help to list those pros and cons. :p

Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using Tapatalk

[FluffNStuff]

This is not the first 'forums are going down hill' era and will not be the last. Only when we consider it an issue does it become an issue. Trust me, I have been here for quite a few, and the heart of the problem is always those who came after us, despite us ALWAYS being those who came after the last group.


Edit: guess this is a Fluff post, so feel free to report.

[Snakespeare]

I'll have to take Sam's non-reply as a "yes" and assume that he does feel the rep system is accomplishing its purpose.

What that means is, the rep system will not change. It works by encouraging posters to create posts that generate thanks (obvious, but bear with me). So this behavior isn't wrong. In fact, it is encouraged. In short, Sam WANTS this culture.

So those who don't like it (like me) will just have to learn to accept it. My trick with accepting things I don't like is to give up the desire to control it. I just tell myself that it's Sam's job and he's paid to do it, and I'm just a volunteer, so my choice is a simple yes-no. Do I continue to volunteer, or pull away? Sometime I do pull back. It can change from day-to-day.

In short, it's not my responsibility and is in fact someone else's job, so I shouldn't waste energy getting upset about it.

[octavos]

In short, it's not my responsibility and is in fact someone else's job, so I shouldn't waste energy getting upset about it.

My thoughts exactly. now, im at peace. :p


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmmrrfJKY7I

[Mitchturbo]

Yeah Bro dont worry about such things :-) relax enjoy life as we know it XD

[Sorcererssoul]

I agree,

Also why not just ignore the 'rep' seekers, if you don't feed them any 'thanks' they will starve and stop eventually ;)
I feel that if you just leave them alone, it eventually will stop and everything goes back to how it was.
I have been on these forums for about a year now and apart from some individuals, I still think this forum hasn't changed much from a year ago.

[Walkhardd]

I never understood why ppl get all worked up over posts. In fact, I like the lame "guides" (term used very loosely) because I know theres going to be some epic troll posts to follow. :D

[Snakespeare]

So here's my newest idea on this problem:

1. To be eligible to even MAKE guides, you should contribute to the Wiki and prove your skills. You then "graduate", getting permission to post under the Guides forum.

2. Guides should have thanks turned off, replaced by a five star rating system. Guides with the most stars would get stickies.

3. People who consistently make great guides should be Chroniclers. Chroniclers should have a vanity (scholar cap with tassle).

[FluffNStuff]

Maybe our next forum contest should be to write the funniest troll guide? Or, is that just adding to the problem?

Like training a dog to bark on command? Fluff Approves!!!

Who's a good poster ... yes your are, yes you are!

[Walkhardd]

So here's my newest idea on this problem:

1. To be eligible to even MAKE guides, you should contribute to the Wiki and prove your skills. You then "graduate", getting permission to post under the Guides forum.

2. Guides should have thanks turned off, replaced by a five star rating system. Guides with the most stars would get stickies.

3. People who consistently make great guides should be Chroniclers. Chroniclers should have a vanity (scholar cap with tassle).

Good ideas.

[undertheradar]

I got it! One option is "thank" and another one is "Kicked in the head". That way, when you see a rep-seeking post, you simply kick them in the head! Genius

[Hankomachos]

I got it! One option is "thank" and another one is "Kicked in the head". That way, when you see a rep-seeking post, you simply kick them in the head! Genius

Brilliant.