MMORPG.com Blog I wrote in 2007. Do some of these rules still apply?

retrospectic

(Direct Link)

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/retrospectic/082007/298_Things-you-should-know-before-posting-in-General-Discussion-Part-1

I frequented this site a few years ago.  During my time spent here I noticed some trends on the forums.  I compiled a list of some of them.  It has been several years since I've been here.  How much of these is still valid?

(Original Blogpost)

 

Things you should know before posting in General Discussion (Part 1)

(Here is a compiled list of the rules)

1.  If you hate World of Warcraft, you are not alone.  In fact, if you choose to post a thread detailing the reasons you hate World of Warcraft you will more than likely create a long thread where no one listens to anyone else and someone eventually says a bunch of curse words and is banned.  If at all possible, please only reply to anti-WoW threads rather than creating your own.

2.  There is a list of FREE MMORPGs at the top of the forum.  Each one is uniquely crappy and contains just about the same features.  Posting a thread that asks for the best free MMO or for a suggestion will only result in someone from a free MMO company advertising, or someone trying to get you to play Runescape.  Run while you can.

3.  Yes, we already know about Cry Gaia, Dragonball Online, and Harry Potter online.  There have been 5345354 threads for each.  No, we don't know anything else.  Asking for our opinion will result in wild speculations and almost zero helpful information.

4.  Most of us know that SoE sucks.  If you create a thread detailing the ways in which SoE sucks most people will skim your post and then write their own whine post in hopes that someone will finally read about their jedi who sucks now, or that they really wish EQ1 would release another progression server which they wouldn't sign up for anyway.

5. The following topics have been run into the ground more times that Scrooge McDuck's cane:

- Permadeath

-Free for all PvP

-Full loot PvP

-Skill vs. Level based progression

-Casual vs. Hardcore

-Twitch combat

-WE NEED A WESTERN/SCIFI/CYBERPUNK/MAD MAX etc etc etc MMORPG with lasers and pew pew

-I got banned for _____ but I didn't do it!!!!!!!!! Oh wait yes I did lol.

-I didn't win any of the contests =(

-I wish WoW had

- Please, do not take anything anyone says on this board as 100% truth.  Many users enjoy creating dramatic situations and fabricating articles or factual information in order to prove their point.  If anyone quotes an article or tries to make a claim about user numbers please check the facts.  You would be surprised how many people make up their statistical data on the spot

- Although insulting someone's mother/race/sexual preference/creed may tickle your funny bone, it is a bannable offense.  Please try to keep that banter to a minimum.  The best advice is to just walk away when you start to get to the point of internet cat fights.

 

- You might think that creating multiple accounts on MMORPG.com is a great way to win a computer, but it is a fact ticket to being banned.  Just play fair like the rest of us.

- We know that Ultima Online was a great PvP game.  We also know that Ultima Online has drastically changed over the past 10 years.  Any attempt to provoke nostalgia in users will only cause users pain.

-Any post regarding the game DARKFALL will more than likely cause many users to "lol" in real life.  This game has the ultimate case of visions of grandeur.  You may freely post without flame about Darkfall when the game actually becomes more than a flashy website.

- When comparing Warhammer to World of Warcraft please keep in mind the release dates of Warhammer's first incarnation and Warhammer's first incarnation.  Just because you hadn't heard of it doesn't mean it is new.

 -Many posters use sarcasm.  Always be sure to reread posts before going of the deep end.

- Most of us know very little about the actual construction of MMORPGs.  This leads to many of us having wild fantasies about the creation of our "perfect" game.  If you do know about the construction of MMORPGs, please do not crush our dreams.  We enjoy thinking that  full loot, full free for all PVP game could actually have interesting

-If a game has gone from 15.00/month to 0.00/month it probably isn't worth playing.  Period.

- When a company has a press release it isn't a conspiracy to trick gamers into playing their game. 

 

 

Please remove your: 

- Most of us will openly admit that amount of players is not equal to the quality of a game.  Trying to use subscriber figures to prove your point will always result is this argument.  Instead, try figuring out some new angle.

- Please refrain from replying to the original post of a thread which has reached 100+ posts.  More than likely the thread will have devolved by then into a cesspool of insults or some sort of comparison to WoW or Ultima Online.  Your post will more than likely be flamed or ignored.  I know you had a great idea, but none of them will care.

- Be aware that the World of Warcraft General Discussion board is a lot like the Mos Eisley cantina.  Many users there attempt to flame every post, even the whole-heartedly genuine ones.  A lot of these flames are so grammatically incorrect that the average human cannot withstand reading one without many of his or her braincells committing suicide.

- Also, the World of Warcraft General Discussion board is not your own personal Thotbott butler.  If you are wondering where to hunt, LOOK IT UP.  9 million people play WoW.  I think at least one of them has a blog about leveling you can find on google.

- If you consider yourself a veteran of the MMORPG genre, please do not act like the King of Awesomeville.  Playing a lot games does not make you the authority on what people like or what is cool.  The next time you feel like getting up on your e-high horse just try and say "Well, I've played 10 MMORPGs" to any girl at the mall.

- If you've only played a game to 30 of 70 levels you are not an authority.  The main reasons you quit are probably your own fault, and no one feels sorry for you besides yourself.  If you wish to attempt to warn others about the game you only half-assed, please run around Wal-Mart screaming  " STRANGLETHORN VALE IS TO MUCH GRIND!!!!  OH NOES!!!!" instead.  It will reach more potential players than coming here and spouting ignorant and biased reviews.

-If you plan on posting a "What MMO should I play?" thread, please refrain from posts like the following:

"im lookin 4 a game wit elfs n lasers ok some mounts 2 thx"

The creation of such a thread will only result in players suggesting whatever MMO they play and EVE.  Be more specific!!!

-I know that forums are not your 8th grade classrooms, but please use paragraphs and some punctuation.  A thread which contains a page worth of text with no place to pause will result in most users ignoring your post.  These posts are also known as "wall o text".  Be aware that all they do is hurt us.

-This forum contains many text formating tools.  That being said, posting a reply in XX-LARGE does not cause users to find your post any more intelligent than it is.  The attention it brings is much like that of Nancy Grace screaming at everyone she disagrees with.

Originally posted by Yukkione 

Another type of post that some need to be aware of... This is the one where some shlube says something like.... I just ordered this system from UberRig.Com, will it play X?... Dude, we know  that you know it will play the damned game... thats why you spent 4K on it. What your really doing here is fishing for idiots who will think you're cool because you have this computer. It's really no different than people who have their computer specs listed in their Sig...A shallow and transparent plea for attention.

great post btw...

-Also, asking if specs for a rig that came out in 1993 will play _______.  It won't.  I'm sorry.  I'm sure you can find a download for the demo of DOOM or Duke Nukem.

-There is no such thing as an unbiased post.  You will always formulate a review based upon experiences and the opinions you've created based on those experiences.  Considering the "other side" of an argument merely proves that you have an opinion to refute.  Instead, just reply to another Vanguard post with your observations.  If you're lucky, the post will be ignored, and you won't be banned for calling someone a @#%^@&;^.

- The User Interface (UI) that most games adopt has been around in 3D and 2D gaming for a long time.  Saying that game X copied game Y is futile. A health bar is a health bar.  This argument holds no ground.

 

retrospectic

I believe the missing image is a man wearing a tinfoil hat.  I could be mistaken.

erictlewis

You already violated a big one,  necro of a very old post, so you can bet your going to get nailed for that one.

retrospectic

Well, it isn't specifically an old post.  I used the blog feature and created a new post.  Just trying to see how things have changed around here.  If I remember correctly, it is only frowned upon if you go way way back and reply to old posts to bring them back to the front page.

Edit: Also, from what I remember (not sure if anything has changed since I last posted frequently) that rule is in place to discourage people from populating the front page of The Pub with posts from years ago.  I remember that happening a few times.  Some of it was interesting.  People were reviving posts with speculations about the release of The Burning Crusade.  I can understand how that could be used to grief the website, though.