General Discussion

For a long time I felt this forum, MMORPG.com, held some higher standarts of civility and respect, than the many other game forums, who already drowned in flame wars. For me this is highly regrettable, but necessary. I enjoyed and took part in gaming forums for many years, and was active here for the last 2+ years. For me MMOs are hobby and part of my life for almost 5 years now, and as someone who is greatly interested in the ongoings of MMOs I greatly enjoyed discussing about MMOs with others. I personally never minded if people attacked my opinion. I enjoy a good controversy about anything.

But the mood shifted. It began in the offiicial MMO games forums, and now it has dragged down this once good forum, as well. I remember well that it used to be different once, that people were able to talk about MMOs without getting attacked personally. I dunno what caused this changes, but I watch it for a long time now, and for a long while MMORPG.com was relatively free of this. I will never understand this mental framework, where people are suspected, name called and ridiculed. When I see someone with whose opinion I don't agree, I give him at least so much credit as to presume his point is geniune, and not just made off for whatever reason, and I argue over his points, not his person, his grammer, his suspected evil motivations or whatever.

I never expected to be touched with silk gloves in a forum,  I attack controverse points as much as any guy, and its okay to see my points attacked likewise. What I dont understand is the motivation to personally attack someone, simply because I dont share his opinion. And unfortunate the overall mood here changed. Sure, there are some good and fair people here. But the amount of name calling, slandering, ridiculing, suspect and whatever respectless behavior has spread so far here, it makes the atmosphere like a piosonous swamp, often. MMORPG.com was a community I used to feel well with, a place I went to daily and was always looking forward to exchange views, opinions and experiences with. But these days it seems most people cant stand to hear another opinion without calling someone fanboi, troll, drama queen or iliterate these day. I dunno, what happend to you guys? Where did the spirit of chiralry go, where people abstain from mockery and name calling, no matter how hard you attacked his points, but not his PERSON?

Unfortunatly this change reflects the changes in MMOs themselves. Where once MMO playing was only something for a few, now as it became mass market, the aggression level, the sheer amount of name calling and slandering in MMOs has risen dramatically over the last 2 years. And this is unfortunately reflected in this forum now, too. The old Confucian idea that you should treat the next person as you want to be treated is alas forgotten in our days. I dont blame gamers in particular - the loss of personal respect and the desire to degrade the person with another opinion is the trend of our days. But as someone who just posts his honest opinion, when a forum has reached a point that I think to censor myself in order to prevent personal attacks, I see the only way to leave. It is regrettable, because I enjoy debating about MMOs, and for a long time I thought not to "let them win over this place" and tried to stay on the path of sincerity. But at some point the battlefield changed, and right now I dont see there is anything to win here, anymore and the frustration outweights the joy of discussion. People stopped to listen to each other. They stopped to believe the opinion of the other are sincere and geniune. There are a few names, who especially contributed to the devolution of this forum, people you will know, who are all too ready to call someone troll or hateboi or fanboi. People who dont even start to work with your points, but go straight to your personality. People who will not even have so much decency to abstain for attacking your person, when you were already bashed by a dozen others, but like hyenas must bite into the downtrodden.

For me, thats the ultimate cowardice. Sitting safely behind their desk anonymity, they attack in masses, laugh at those who have already been ridiculed by others and not even have the decency to do so in a one VS one level. There was a time when I did not want to give in to such people, who elegantly hide behind smartass comments and forum anonymity (calling someone a troll IS trolling btw!), but there comes a point when the atmosphere is so poisoned, that there is nothing to gain anymore. So I take my leave from this place, and return to passive watcher, for the sake of infos. It is regrettable for me, but those with destructive personalities as so often in history, have successfully ruined another place. Congratulations to your great accomplishment. The real tragedy lies in their own ignorance, that they will never see themselves as they are, and even laugh about their own folly. I just defy to be the whetstone for other people's inferiority complex any longer. Maybe the mods and those left with decency someday find the strength for a purification of this place, but my personal time is too valuable to spent it in a place like this for the time being, so do the only thing I can. I go.

People are just angry because no decent MMO has been released since the Ultima Online / EverQuest days.

... and you say this as if anybody cared. I consider this place quiet enjoyable, actually ... all I do is avoid the trollish threads (read: a lot of them), avoid contentious topics, and watch threads with well-thought out and logical starting posts (read: barely any). Very good experience if you follow those guidelines. ;) Oh, and ignore the flamers, the whiners, the fanboys ... did I miss anybody?

QQ MORE NOOB!!!!111onee!!11one

And him.

I know that over the past five years the number of members of MMORPG.com has doubled.

I don't know if your experience has something to do with some quantitative vs quality thing but we can always blame WoW

Originally posted by Amalaric

People are just angry because no decent MMO has been released since the Ultima Online / EverQuest days.

sooo true

Well, forums are just like the games themselves, when you stop having fun its time to leave.

Sure, forums have their problems, as do games, but I find that's what makes them interesting.  I'm not here to visit happy valley, and can appreciate a good troll thread along with the more high level discussion.

I rarely attack folks, and rarely find myself attacked in return.  I try to carefully think through my replies (doesn't always show, I know) and I never get into pissing contests with people. (I tend to just post my thoughts on a topic and move on)

I am happy posting here, so I'll continue.  I generally dislike official forums due to the general "love-fest" that their policies insist on enforcing. 

MMORPG.com is like professional wrestling, we know its all about posturing and is really all faked, but its fun to watch all the same.

If you are looking for entertainment and thoughtful discussion I suggest the Harvard Review or something along those lines, this is a blue collar site.

Oh yeah, do have to mention one more thing.... posting a goodbye thread in a forum such as this.....

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