A quiet observation...Follow

This game has been out for long enough to where there are not as many new players to influx into these boards. I'd bet people are quitting at a faster rate than they are joining this game.

Therefore, many if not most of the players on this forum have "been there, done that." The original reason for these forums was to ask questions or exchange information. Some of this is still being done, but not anywhere near the frequency it was at one time. So, people get bored. The longer you do anything the more and more it has an opportunity to wear on you--either positively or negatively. Some people write "happy friend" threads and some people write "this person sux0rz" threads, it's just whatever floats your boat. Personally the happy hang-out-with-your-pals-in-Ru'lude Gardens threads make me wanna hurl, it's just not in my nature IRL or in-game to be Mr. Social. But that doesn't mean other people can't do it and enjoy it.

Basically it comes down to this, whatever entertains you. I write posts about Hiptaru or some other people who I do not particularly like in-game. Does this mean I hate them IRL? Nope, I don't even know them. I really rarely hate people it's character traits they may possess I despise. Then some people want or need to be liked by everyone, so all they write is nice "let's all get along" junk. To each his own. It's all just a bunch of words on a website anyhow, nothing to be taken too seriously. Everyone gets a little rise or whatever out of something. I prefer the drama, the big gripe threads and people going at it...just my thing. Others don't like it, not their thing. But basically it has come down to "We've become bored."

As for openly volunteering to help random strangers hunt AF keys for hours on end forget it, arrows cost way too much these days :P

I've pretty much given up on the boards, honestly. People only start threads anymore to complain and I've had it. It's a damn shame, but Trizz, unfortunately, has a point. What can you do.

That just makes everything better doesn't it Hip?

I have posted on several forums over the past few years, and I have noticed that all of them so far have at least at one point in time been declared "dead" or have been said to be going "downhill".

Instead of the forum dying, I am suggesting that this forum is just experiencing merely a new incoming generation of people.

This isn't the first time that it has happened.

For those of you that don't know, there used to not be any official server forums. Instead, the server forums were hosted in people's journals, where the journal owner allowed people to post there. For Bismarck, Tsetsuo lent us his journal, and I am still eternally grateful for it.

Then, there were very few posters, maybe 15-17 (including myself, Eleusynia, Tsetsuo, Serim...). A very closeknit community, with advice being given and received, and we were all trying to figure out WHAT in the world were these "Jerry" people, who had all of the same name, and didn't seem to speak a lick of English. The whole Devilwolfpack fiasco is the one bad thing that I could remember that errupted there. The forums were kind of boring after a fashion though, at least imho.

Then the wise and powerful Allakhazam gave us offical server forums. The mood changed once we started posting there, as new members were added (including Nataraja, Merodi, Chops...). These new people brought fresh prespectives to us all, and I think we are better for it. I do remember some of the older, Tsetsuo-journal members kind of resisting these new people, but most of them were accepted eventually.

A couple of the people I talked to at this time said that the boards were "hopeless", and to give up on them. Or this thread for example: http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35&mid=109727210861928357&num=16

Currently, we are going through a "third wave" of immigration, marked by many new people arriving constantly, and some of the older posters starting to post less and less. Eleusynia and Trizzoro has stopped posting frequently, Nata is gone, I myself am not speaking up at every chance anymore...

Its just change. And to quote a certain film with a green ogre in it: "Change is good, Donkey."

If you are looking backwards to how everything used to be, and wishing upon the stars that it will come back, don't get too hopeful.

But I can garantee you that things will settle down, that a lot of the idiots that currently exist will either disappear or get rated down into sub-default (that's below 1.50 karma).

And those that remain, will give a fresh new perspective to everything.

And I welcome you with open arms to Bismarck.

Hmm...

I'm going to go bump up on old thread that I believe was the first thread posted on this forum. Excuse me for a moment^^

Edited, Fri Feb 18 21:09:42 2005 by Nightsintdreams

/hijack
In the phone booth. Start dialing for San Dimas.

(Sorry, LS joke.)

/end hijack

Hmmm... Yeah people like to talk their smack..alot. Hey what can you do? People just don't like everyone you know. Not to mention not everybody cares about that whole "community" word.
After all isn't every player out for him/her self out there. Wow hat was kinda mean to say on my part.. Ah what do I know?

Edited, Sat Feb 19 21:22:01 2005 by dadrtystth

I posted this in a reply to previous thread, but I'll say it again:



In-game, I help whenever I can. I've given up time, XP, and money to help others. I help selflessly and without expecting anything in return. And, I hope more players would do the same. It saddens me to see how many people in-game can't find people to help them with missions, quests, and AF items. It saddens me there aren't many people that are very helpful in Bismarck. I've posted on the KillingIfrit forum: "Where have all the helpful people gone?" If all you can think about is yourself, then you're being selfish. My thinking has always been the same: "Put the needs of others before yourself." Why should I care about how much I'd have to spend to help others? Or, how much XP I will lose? I don't care at all, and others shouldn't, also. It's a game, bottom line. But, let's at least be human, and empathetic and sympathetic to others. We can get that XP back, and that money we've lost. Heck, I have only 1230 gil on me right now. I spent a lot to help others try to get Promyvs and ZM4 and ZM5 done. I didn't care if I lost upwards to 30k gil or 3500 XP. Why should you care also? You shouldn't. You should never expect anything in return when you help others. Look at my quote, it always says: "Do you need any help? /tell Aselin Thank you."

We need more nice, helpful people in this game. We shouldn't come to this Forum to rate down, flame, or insult others. We may be human, but leave the bad qualities of human nature behind, and put others before youself. I am sickened, disgusted, and saddened that all we can really do is hate each other, and degrade and insult others because they are not as the same "quality" or level as yourself. You shouldn't expect a lot from others nor should you expect them to be something else. We can't force people to change or tell them what to do. We can suggest, in as polite as possible, at how they can be better or what they can do to be correct. Like I said, this is not the time or place to insult others.

What's sad, the attitudes shared in this forum and in-game, is what human nature truly is. It may very well be our downfall, our own fault for ending life on Earth. If so, then why must we continue to act in such a manner, whether in-game or in real life.

Thank you. That's my "2 cents" in this matter.

-Aselin

Edited, Sat Feb 19 11:25:10 2005 by octoberasian

SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!!!