Subscription levels dropping

[Imhotepthewise]

3 bucks! Only 3! Stay with us!

 

[Chainsaw]

3 bucks! Only 3! Stay with us!

I cancelled within the last three months because I just don't play 4E anymore and this site doesn't support what I do play (O/AD&D). I'm not going to pay even 1c for the general discussion forum here - I can get general discussion lots of places for free. Plus, for O/AD&D, there are other, dedicated sites that are much better, where newer edition discussion is forbidden. This has eliminated edition wars and fostered more constructive discussion, in my opinion. I'd rather send my dollars to those places. Pretty simple for me.

 

[Morrus]

1) you ask why I don't subscribe

Actually, I asked why some people had recently simultaneously cancelled. The timing makes the probability that it was something specific very recently very high indeed. I'm trying to identify what that thing is.

2) I answer you, critically, but politely.

You were certainly polite.

3) you dismiss my answer and imply that my past behavior has been bad.

I did nothing of the sort. I made a general observation to catsclaw; I'm neither aware of your past behaviour, nor would I mention it in a thread like this if I were aware of it.

4) Another moderator calls out a whole class of reasons someone might not want to subscribe to EnWorld as not germane to this discussion.

Umbran pointed out what specific information I was after in the hope that it would help me gather that information. The other information is certainly interesting, but right at the moment I'm trying to focus on one thing. It's too easy to derail the thread in other directions, and I'd like to stay focussed.

 

[Shazman]

It was generally claimed by those who were at the receiving end of moderation, unsurprisingly.

But there was no bias or opinion from our end. Just little patience for bad behaviour. And, as we've pointed out before, the percentage of rude posts is higher amongst those expressing a negative opinion about something (anything, not just D&D) than someone expressing a positive opinion - it's hard to be rude and complimentary at the same time! Coupled with the fact it's a lot easier to blame someone else for being moderated (the mods, conspiracy theories, secret allegiances with WotC or the Illuminati) than to reflect on one's own behaviour and acknowledge that one might have been acting in a less than perfect manner.

But that's all by-the-by; perceived moderation policies from three years ago are not going to be a reason for someone signing up for a $3 subscription in the last 9 months and cancelling it in the last two.

I wasn't on the receiving end of the moderation, but I saw at least one of example of someone making a slight dig at 4E, which was definitely not extreme enough to warrant and moderator stepping in, yet the poster received a temporary ban without warning. It was to the point that ENWorld had a reputation for one-sided moderation and being a WotC mouthpiece on other foums. If there is enough smoke, there must be a fire behind it. I don't have a problem with moderation that is evenly applied to keep forums a friendly place to visit, but when it gets to the point where it feels like the mods are choosing sides and one side of a dicussion is being shut down more than the other side, I simply cannot rationalize financially supporting that site even if that support gets me perks I really want. I'm sure others feel the same way.

 

[Waylander the Slayer]

Perhaps it has to do with the overall trend with site visits and where 4e is in its product lifecycle.

 

[Sammael]

I cancelled my subscription(s) to resolve the double subscription issue and then re-subscribed - maybe some other people had similar problems?

 

[Wicht]

Perhaps it has to do with the overall trend with site visits and where 4e is in its product lifecycle.

As I actually answered the question (had three subs, dropped 2) I'll venture forth a single off topic post:

As interest in 4e seems to be slightly dropping, I find ENWorld more relevant to my posting habits once again. ENWorld was always, to me, a place where I could read what was going on in the broader DnD world, apart from WotC. Third party publishers made a point of dropping by and many, I think, were in fact partly inspired to get into the business through this site. WotC dropping the OGL actually pushed ENWorld further off my radar and as Paizo picked up the ball, I found myself more and more on their site, as theirs was the place to go to find out what 3pp were doing. While it is still that way, its getting better and I now check out the publishers forum here 2-3 times a week.

For me, the more Morrus can do to get publishers to be involved in the site, the better for the site. One thing I would like to see is moving the publishers forum back into the general area. Those threads don't get that much response there.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I wasn't on the receiving end of the moderation, but I saw at least one of example of someone making a slight dig at 4E, which was definitely not extreme enough to warrant and moderator stepping in, yet the poster received a temporary ban without warning.

I was on the receiving end of moderation and I am a supporter of 4E. People tend to see their own bias in these issues. You can't possibly know every single instance of who's been moderated and which side of the fence they stood on. And if you truly believed that it was a "slight dig," the moderators here are friendly enough that if you PM them about it and don't discuss moderation in-thread they will reconsider. I've seen that happen. They are human and like the rest of us can over-react, have a bad day, or maybe just get sick and tired of a response that might as well be copy-pasted from that poster's last 20 posts.

 

[crazy_cat]

I wont be renewing my subscription - it will expire at the end of this month.

Basically, I just don't find ENWorld offers anything of value any more that I'm actually prepared to pay for. I don't need more PMs, or a bigger signature, or mighty XP powers, or 4e materials in PDF - and I don't need to pay for a forum that I don't find as interesting or relevant to me as it used to be. The fragmentation of the D&D marketplace and move by some players (myself included) away from WOTC D&D to other games (OGL or otherwise) has to my mind seriously diminished the quality and breadth of discussions on ENWorld.

I spend more time now on Paizo and other forums than here as there are few threads here these days that I actually want to follow that don't end up getting mangled and derailed by edition wars.

I also perceive the whole tone and moderation of the board to be more pro WOTC and 4e than neutral when it comes to the whole 'Paizo vs WOTC, I'm right you're wrong, your game is badwrongfun' internet argument. My opinion only obviously - but you did ask.

 

[hewligan]

I cancelled my subscription for 2 reasons:

1) I was hosting a game here, but the game has finished and I visit and post here much less often. When I was hosting the game I wanted to contribute for the effort you put into the site
2) I am a Pathfinder player with no interest in 4e. This site, to me, felt like it moved to much towards 4e, and now I find I scan the General Forum on occasion but rarely find much to read or post on any more.