Taking a Break

[Olaf the Stout]

I think that you are making a wise move GoodKingJayIII. If you aren't enjoying things here at the moment then taking a break for a bit is a good idea.

I myself haven't been spending as much time here on EN World as late. That's mainly due to 4E. I'm not anti-4E or a 3.xE fanboi. It is just that I have yet to buy 4E and don't plan to this year at least (although I probably will next year). Most threads on the boards at the moment are about 4E and since I am not playing 4E I don't really have much interest or anything to add to those threads.

Hopefully in a few months things will die down and the General forum will become more "general" again, with people discussing things other than just 4E. Until then I'll probably continue to hang out in Off-topic and a couple of the other boards while occasionally browsing the General forum.

Olaf the Stout

 

[LightPhoenix]

For what it's worth, add me to the list of people who at the very least recognizes your name.

There's an unfortunate and oft repeated idea that I definitely think applies here. Negative is louder than positive. That is to say, people will be very vocal about what they find to be negative. On the other hand, people tend not to comment about what they find to be positive.

However, I don't think it's just that. I think that of late there has been a larger degree of fighting and a lesser degree of debate and discussion. The prime example of this is the edition wars - I know there are civil threads about the edition differences, but they're buried by fighting. Often I'm finding this is usually a handful of people going back and forth and not moving on, as if the topic can be won. However, even with that, I think what we all need to be aware of is where we cross the line from discussion and debating the issue to "debating" opinion. When that point of the conversation is reached, the thread is effectively done.

Personally, I'm hoping that it's the large influx of people brought about by the increased membership of the site and the release of 4E. I'm hoping that it will settle down over time, much as the 3E turmoil did.

Anyway, if you're not enjoying the site, and you feel you have to step away, then that's what you should do. Hopefully you'll come back, because ENWorld needs more people that have your mindset GoodKingJayIII. Until then, best of luck to you and yours.

 

[Ourph]

I've got to agree with the OP on this one. Sadly I don't think there is much that can be done about it.

I think a couple of weeks with the mods doing Whirlwind Attacks with their banhammers +5 (+10 vs. trolls) might do the trick.

 

[Eosin the Red]

GoodKing,

Don't feel alone. I don't visit nearly as much as I normally do and I find myself more snappish with threadcrappers. I just tone down the visits for a month or two and then recheck the site. I've always considered this a place for roleplayers not for which edition or which brand of RPG you play but lately for those of us looking for content and ideas the creek has been dry.

 

[Fenes]

Forum ignore helps a lot. I put three people on ignore this week, and the forums look much more friendly now.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

Also be assured that, while we're going through a rough patch, this is not the new status quo. There are some discussions going on behind the scenes as to what can be done to make ENW the friendly, civil, informative place that we all know it can be.

This is good to know. In my tenure here the mods have always been solid enforcers of the rules without being overbearing. I think they've had to step things up in recent months with everyone being hot and bothered over the new edition. But it's nice to know you're brainstorming about how to get back to the good stuff.

There's an unfortunate and oft repeated idea that I definitely think applies here. Negative is louder than positive. That is to say, people will be very vocal about what they find to be negative. On the other hand, people tend not to comment about what they find to be positive.

I think this is true, but having been on both sides, I think there is a tendency by the "positives" to increase their volume. It's a reaction that tends to lead to a repetitive cycle that ultimately goes nowhere.

This is part and parcel anywhere on internet forums, but the level of courtesy and discourse has always been much higher here. However, though my evidence is only anecdotal and based on my singular point of view, I'm prepared to say that it's gotten worse over the past year. Now that the new edition is out, hopefully things will die down. But as someone else said, I don't think we can lay all the blame at 4e.

At any rate, it sounds like you might have (drums please) forum burn-out.

That's definitely part of it. I spent a lot of time scouring this place for 4th edition tidbits. Now I'm interested in the new content and discussion, but there's all this One True Game nonsense popping up, and not in the friendly diaglo way.

Here's where it's tough to draw observations based on the internet. Knowing Jay in person, I can say that he's the most laid back guy in history. (Okay, maybe not all history, but recent history.) I'm still hanging around, but Jay's observations are spot on.

Thanks Bill. Despite the distance, we need to do some gaming again!

 

[Jhaelen]

Forum ignore helps a lot. I put three people on ignore this week, and the forums look much more friendly now.

Well, the ignore feature, nice as it is, only helps to a certain degree:

You still see their posts when someone is quoting them and when one of them derails a thread, you'll immediately notice as well: If a 'mostly harmless (TM)' thread I've been interested in and maybe posted in 'explodes' overnight and is suddenly 3-5 pages longer, more often than not, it's one of my special friends' doing.
At least now you can fork a thread, once it's been completely derailed by someone.

Still, I'd like to commend the mods on doing a good job. I don't think there's much that could be done to improve the boards.

Anyway, taking a break is usually a good idea. I'm spending too much time hanging around here, as well.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I have to agree with you, GKJ. EN World right now is a somewhat depressing place. If we could get some good conversation topics going in General that are edition-neutral, it would help. A lot.

Any ideas?

 

[krissbeth]

Jay is good people.

I agree with most of what he's said.

The result is... I'm at a loss for where to go for (not totally GM-focused) gaming forums now. Sadness.

 

[Rel]

I have to agree with you, GKJ. EN World right now is a somewhat depressing place. If we could get some good conversation topics going in General that are edition-neutral, it would help. A lot.

Any ideas?

"Rel's GMing Skillz: Amazing or Just Plain Awesome?"