Censorship - The forum doesn't need a censor system. It doesn't need censoring at all. This isn't a classroom, it's an online forum. Part of humor is swearing. Part of memes and what embodies the internet is swearing. Part of discussion and debates is swearing. The mods and admins are afraid of flame wars and 'sensitive' or 'personal' topics. Because most of the time, the guy has something legitimate to say. Everybody gets angry. And everybody swears to some extent. If you posted that you've never swore, you're a liar. Simple as that. Why disallow something that's a staple in modern life? I have a problem with 'bad' words in general. The idea is ridiculous. What makes a word bad? They're just words. And if someone can't handle the occasional (Want to be allies? Sometimes I like to pretend I am a princess riding a pony..), (Want to be allies? Sometimes I like to pretend I am a princess riding a pony..), hell, or damn; then they don't belong in a place which is specifically designed for the free exchange of ideas and opinions.
Mods - I'm going to start this off with a statement, that any mod must keep in mind as he is reading this. I don't have anything against the mods. Well, not personally that is.
Firstly, it was my understanding that mods were supposed to be more active than the average user. Sure, you have Ryan and Shelton, but everyone else can't truly be classified as active. And don't say "But I'm on all the time!", because that's not being active. The point is actually DOING SOMETHING while you're on. Staff inactivity is a huge problem. Tell the mods to be more active. And if they don't follow that advice, replace them.
Secondly, some mods just don't know what they're doing. They lock threads that shouldn't be locked, they say a simple argument is a flame war, they do everything wrong except delete bots. They royally (Want to be allies? Sometimes I like to pretend I am a princess riding a pony..) up every step of the way. Why? Because they never had time to adjust. Institute a training camp for mods. They should stay there for at least 1 to 2 months before becoming a mod. Introduce them to common situations and see how they react.
- You could do it over Skype.
- You could do it by PM.
- The most logical option would be doing it on RC.
Forum changes - Kenny's 3rd proposal in 'drastic, necessary changes' passed almost unanimously. I know the game comes first, but you need to do this. It's what will keep the forum alive, even for a short time. And don't say the devs don't have time. Because I was playing on RC, and I saw global chat. They put it here days later. Not weeks or months, days. Why can't they work that efficiently with other suggestions? They're obviously capable. You use RC for testing the game, but it has a forum that's sitting there, waiting to be utilized. Use it.
Lawlessness... kind of -
Quote:
But this community needs to be let loose, it needs to be encouraged not policed. This is a time where someone like good ole' Harvester or Peter is needed. Please take my last bit of advice and scrap a few rules, loosen up the system and make a fresh start on the forums, reorganize everything to be more dynamic, bring back the Tribune and bring back the days where leaders made age-long speeches that made the community tremble and long to one day rise to the stars and have the right of speech themselves as the absolute victor of a worthy era!
The mods need to stop barging in on arguments and debates. Let people say what they want to. Let them argue. Loosen up.
Less sections/forum revamp - There are way too many sections. If that doesn't contribute to inactivity, it certainly contributes to the illusion of inactivity. There are 18 sections, and this forum is essentially dead. See what I mean?
There are many ways this could be set up. The point is that it needs to be done. I think with some planning and conservation we could all agree on a final product. Hell, one idea was this.
Code:
Announcements
Introductions
General
-world sub sections
Questions
Strategies/guides
Discussions
Misc.
The final thing is working together. You have inactivity, you have disorganization, you have disregard. Yet IMO, the most horrific thing is that you also have an extremely dedicated community and invaluable resources, and you're not utilizing them. I hope with all my heart that this is the last time I say this. The why is there, find a how.