Other than some overzealous ban hammers, I dont really think there is much this site can do to change the popularity. Its not like the other sites are doing amazing and this is the only one floundering. This genre blows right now, and therefore its making everything feel stagnant. If this genre was to take off and thrive then this site would be thriving with it.
This site could be all rosy, positive, ban all the negativity ... none of it would help, and none of that would bring more people. In fact I believe that spicy discussions actually drive more traffic. I think the overwhelming majority agree this genre blows right now, and therefore because there is so much agreement, it makes this site boring.
I remember the PVP'ers vs Carebear theads of old. More train wrecks please!
Comment sections lose money. If you hire forum moderators, that costs far more money than the extra ads that people see while browsing the forums bring in. If you rely on volunteer moderators, that inevitably creates the appearance (and likely the reality) of volunteer mods abusing their power and playing favorites. If you don't have forum moderators at all, then the forum will inevitably useless due to being overrun by spambots, a cesspool of flame wars, or both.
That's why a lot of sites restrict comment sections to paying subscribers. This one doesn't, but the same economic pressures against having a vibrant, free forum are still present.
Well as someone that has been given a lot of vacations, many of which I feel were undeserved, and even more so in cases where I was punished while the troll that was irking me on was not, I can say that kind unfair moderation goes a long way to ensure people find somewhere else to spend their time, and is really not something that "forums" can afford when there are a lot of other means and platforms for people to use to get the same experience.
Case in point, My last break from these forums I opted to check out Reddit again, previously I had not liked the platform, but it seems to have gotten better lately.
My urge to come back here and post, when I feel the moderation team and perhaps some posters here have a bug up their ass about me, has not been strong to say the least, and I wager I am not alone in that feeling
Not to mention this whole place is a depressing hell hole of people that just wax poetically about how great the old games where and how all the modern stuff sucks, which is in my mind, not conductive to a place where I want to talk about MMO's
Just like MMO's it's the players that make the game experience, if this place is dying, look in the mirror as to why.
Reminds me of GW2 players asking why Raids & PvP are dying, when the majority of the people that do that content are complete irredeemable toxic assholes, and yet they can't figure out why no one wants to deal with their bullshit to do that content.
Reported.
I love you too you little shit.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
Other than some overzealous ban hammers, I dont really think there is much this site can do to change the popularity. Its not like the other sites are doing amazing and this is the only one floundering. This genre blows right now, and therefore its making everything feel stagnant. If this genre was to take off and thrive then this site would be thriving with it.
This site could be all rosy, positive, ban all the negativity ... none of it would help, and none of that would bring more people. In fact I believe that spicy discussions actually drive more traffic. I think the overwhelming majority agree this genre blows right now, and therefore because there is so much agreement, it makes this site boring.
I remember the PVP'ers vs Carebear theads of old. More train wrecks please!
I really agree, the genre is an issue, but also being a forum is an issue. It is not like I don't see this problem in the science and politics forums I am on and incase anyone has not noticed, science and politics have not become less relevant as a genre over the last decade.
you're just being paranoyed. Your phone isn't really listening in to your conversations.
Also, here's a feature that tells you what is the name of the song that's currently playing.
Oh come on just because my phone says, "Sorry I didnt quiet catch that?" Doesnt mean its listening It does however show me adverts for things I just mentioned I might be interestend in.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I don't have access to the metrics as you do, so maybe I'm off kilter here, but I never agreed with Bill about launching multiple game sites ( such as GameSpace ), when they could easily have been combined into this one. Could have made an mmorpg section ( which The Pub is intended to be but has become the catch all for everything gaming ), an mmoshooter section, a MOBA section, and of course the General Gaming section which is where singleplayer is supposed to be. Of course, this would have been a lot easier when the site was having its "revamp" ( I'm going to refrain on my opinion there. ) as they could have been big buttons for each section rather than having to access the main forum page to get to the discussion sections as we do now.
So when the site got bought in late 2019, Gamespace and all those other sites didn't come with it. So that's all separate now. I wasn't involved in any of the decisions to launch multiple sites, but thankfully all I need to focus in on is this one (though we do help with our sister sites on the network like MTG Salvation, MMO Champion and others.)
When the old owner did the revamp, he deliberately didn't touch the forums, mostly because of the decades of legacy code at work here. But revamping this and making it more navigable is something we can look at down the road for sure. Just going to depend on if the spend is in lines with the benefits.
I always thought a Point/Counterpoint feature would be fun and interesting. Where you have a topic and a series of points, and one writer takes the pro side and the other takes the con side.
So I've written those style articles and they are not fun, lol. But something to keep inmnd if the coverage dictates. Maybe a point/counterpoint on the Pantheon 247 messaging, or whether Star Citizen is still feeling vaporware-y after the S42 Feature Complete news?
The main problem with this format though is budget. Since we pay our writers, that ties up more budget than normal for the same topic. So it really has to make sense.
Maybe get 2 volunteers for guest spotlights? Call the feature DOUBLETAKE
Make a list of possible topics like you started above. Make a poll to see what's most interesting and that becomes the DoubleTake of the month (or bi-weekly). Maybe bi-weekly is best because you can poll every even week and post every odd week.
Heck maybe even the 2 argument gladiators can be choosen weekly via poll based on volunteers.
--------------------------------------------
Or.. alternate concept:
You have volunteers contribute an article that you highlight and then they defend in the forums
Dunno.. I'm just tossing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. Just thinking of ways to increase engagement.
I actually like these ideas and they have been things I've been kicking around in my head over the past few months.
This might be something to coordinate with Mike B to see if we can put it together. However, these would also need to be paid articles because I don't like the idea of taking content for free. So we would need to work something out as well. But I like the idea of positioning it as a community submission as well, which, even if we pay you for your work and time, it can still be classified as.
Honestly, I've mentioned it a few times in this thread alone and over the years, but if you have a good article idea, I'm open to the pitch. Don't hesitate to reach out to me via email and we can talk about it further as well.
We could probably start with an article that defines some terms, even if those definitions only apply here.
A political piece would probably generate less heat.
We argued for over a decade what the first M in MMORPG means. We still don't agree.
Massive isn't a precise word.
Sure it is. Anything that has mass is massive. Anything that does not have mass is not. For example, electrons are massive and photons are not.
That's entirely relative, isn't it? I mean, an electron to an amoeba isn't "massive" at all, right?
It's not relative at all. Either something is zero or it isn't. The mass of a photon is exactly zero. The mass of an electron is approximately 9.11 x 10^-31 kg, which is definitely not zero. Even moving at relativistic speeds doesn't turn zero mass into non-zero or the other way around.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
We could probably start with an article that defines some terms, even if those definitions only apply here.
A political piece would probably generate less heat.
We argued for over a decade what the first M in MMORPG means. We still don't agree.
Massive isn't a precise word.
Sure it is. Anything that has mass is massive. Anything that does not have mass is not. For example, electrons are massive and photons are not.
That's entirely relative, isn't it? I mean, an electron to an amoeba isn't "massive" at all, right?
It's not relative at all. Either something is zero or it isn't. The mass of a photon is exactly zero. The mass of an electron is approximately 9.11 x 10^-31 kg, which is definitely not zero. Even moving at relativistic speeds doesn't turn zero mass into non-zero or the other way around.
This thinking will come in handy the next time my eyes are bigger than my stomach.
I actually don't think Massive or Massively 'matters', I can remember a few threads where players would tear into each other over which it was. Sure Wikipedia says Massively, I go with that, as they both mean " a lot of players" can we just move on.
Sure it is. Anything that has mass is massive. Anything that does not have mass is not. For example, electrons are massive and photons are not.
I am wondering if Quizzical may be on the same science forums I as I am?
Anyway a photon at rest may have a mass, it is likely these particles do not, but there is no evidence either way.
So why does physics think that photons at rest have no mass? Well if the mass of a photon was not zero then quantum mechanics would be in a lot of trouble, but hey I think QM is the 'emperors new clothes' of physics, so I won't be defending the zero mass position. But on the balance I will lean to no mass.
Comments
This site could be all rosy, positive, ban all the negativity ... none of it would help, and none of that would bring more people. In fact I believe that spicy discussions actually drive more traffic. I think the overwhelming majority agree this genre blows right now, and therefore because there is so much agreement, it makes this site boring.
I remember the PVP'ers vs Carebear theads of old. More train wrecks please!
That's why a lot of sites restrict comment sections to paying subscribers. This one doesn't, but the same economic pressures against having a vibrant, free forum are still present.
Massive isn't a precise word.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
When the old owner did the revamp, he deliberately didn't touch the forums, mostly because of the decades of legacy code at work here. But revamping this and making it more navigable is something we can look at down the road for sure. Just going to depend on if the spend is in lines with the benefits.
This might be something to coordinate with Mike B to see if we can put it together. However, these would also need to be paid articles because I don't like the idea of taking content for free. So we would need to work something out as well. But I like the idea of positioning it as a community submission as well, which, even if we pay you for your work and time, it can still be classified as.
Honestly, I've mentioned it a few times in this thread alone and over the years, but if you have a good article idea, I'm open to the pitch. Don't hesitate to reach out to me via email and we can talk about it further as well.
I mean, an electron to an amoeba isn't "massive" at all, right?
Once upon a time....
All time classic MY NEW FAVORITE POST! (Keep laying those bricks)
"I should point out that no other company has shipped out a beta on a disc before this." - Official Mortal Online Lead Community Moderator
Proudly wearing the Harbinger badge since Dec 23, 2017.
Coined the phrase "Role-Playing a Development Team" January 2018
"Oddly Slap is the main reason I stay in these forums." - Mystichaze April 9th 2018
I'm not sure he has a sense of humor actually.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Heh! True, but equally imprecise.
Once upon a time....
Once upon a time....
Anyway a photon at rest may have a mass, it is likely these particles do not, but there is no evidence either way.
So why does physics think that photons at rest have no mass? Well if the mass of a photon was not zero then quantum mechanics would be in a lot of trouble, but hey I think QM is the 'emperors new clothes' of physics, so I won't be defending the zero mass position. But on the balance I will lean to no mass.