I was going to post this on the old forum, but that seems to have already completed it’s move. Didn’t want this to be my second post on here. I had high hopes for this new forum, really, I was all for an update. The old forums were behind, laggy and… well, old. But the new forums aren’t better. they’re worse. yeah, cool, ain’t they shiny and pretty and ****. But I could stick a lick of paint on a broken car, fact is , it’d still be broken. It’s not just the new forum though, it’s the lack of respect and communication taking place between the Episode Team and the actual community. It’s like a freakin’ gang war!
On one side, those who aren’t emotionally invested, those who haven’t taken the time to actually appreciate the posts made on the old forums, are now standing for the new ones because “ooh, pretty!”.
On the other, the community that invested their hearts into their work, who made real friends and work together like a small disfunctional family, are trying to stand and are being ignored, shoved under a rock and kept in the dark with what is essentially the comment of “you’ll get used to it.”
Okay, NO!
For **** sake, Episode, NO! I’m sick of this! Stop acting like you’re listening, because let’s face it, you’re not! You haven’t for years! I’d know, I’ve been around for ages. Back in the stone age where Classic was still awesome and you were just trying to make a game people could enjoy. I miss those days, because back then I had the hope of creating a good story that I could share. you made fun stories that didn’t shake me down for lunch money, and beat me up if I didn’t have any. Didn’t mock me for playing the game without paying. From what I’ve heard, it makes no difference! I’ve seen complains up the ying yang, this and that. Content, Guidelines, picking what you want and ignoring the rest. You made a great game, and you were the best kind of people for also creating a platform for others to use, but now you’re just feeding us scraps and treating us like todlers in a ****ing playpen who’s parents haven’t coughed over the cash to earn our rights to play with the posh kids. GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF…
calm… calm…
Okay, look. Fact is, the community have been some of the most decent, mature people I have ever met. If this was a conference, you’d be lucky if I hadn’t thrown my chair at you, because… seriously, I’m at my limit.
I could list a whole bunch of things that have been upsetting people for ages, myself included, but what difference would it make? The fact is, you never listen. You pretend to care, and we hear nothing. The thing is, your app might be a game, and I don’t know it’s target audience, but I do know that the people on the forums and the people invested in the future of your app are mature and intelligible people. I know, because if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be so invested in the forums or the app as I am. Actually, I’m more invested in the forum, because of the amazing people on here that make my life that little bit more bearable.
Right, down to the core components, before people think I’m just ranting.
The Forums: Forums are a place where people involved in a common thing (a Tv show, an app, a game, etc.) come together to form a community. It is not just about that thing. It’s a place, like a small virtual town, where people come together. Yes, at the heart, the thing that brings them together is thing the forum was made for. Finding glitches, announcing updates, seeking help etc. that’s all a big BIG part of it. But that’s like building an office for people to work, and giving them no break room.
The general chat, the story games and RP section, the Forum games, all that… They’re the little break rooms. Without them, you’re going against human rights and confining your workforce. With them, you offer a space for your community to connect. for people to be people. It’s not the heart of the office, but having them doesn’t mean no work gets done.
Stop treating it like some scum place that does nothing and means nothing. It does. What do you love about your job? The dead little work space, or the lunch breaks where you can mess around with some awesome people? You need to consider both.
So, all of these arguments I’m seeing. “The 1,000,000 replies thread is a waste of space” or “If it doesn’t apply to the app, it shouldn’t be there.” okay, they need to stop. It’s not up to you what you’re community - essentially your staff, because we make stories too, for FREE I might add - find relaxing or amusing. You don’t see a break room with “don’t talk to your family.” or “Work talk only please.” because the whole point of a break is to give you time away from that thing. These new rules you’re putting in? Well, quoting a very intelligent man, by the name of Captain Barbosa:
And the fact is, you’ve never been clear with what you do and don’t want. It’s a forum, it’s like a room full of people, you’re not going to hear everything and making rules ain’t going to change that. You want cooperation? listen to us, and we’ll be more then happy to come to a middle ground. Fact is, you’ve been fighting us for no reason.
okay… I’m going to take a break, but this is hardly the last of me! I have plenty more where that came from, mark my words. This is barely even a scratch on the iceburg of stuff I have to rant about.
Seriously, though. What better place to have that quote. X)
