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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 0:30:44 GMT -5
Hey folks!
It’s time- and perhaps past time- that we had a conversation about the health of this forum. With Pixonic now advertising this place on the in-game splash screen, we’ve seen registrations spike. This is great news, of course- more people mean more ideas and more perspectives. A message board community without fresh membership risks stagnation, and we’re excited to see so many people finding value in what all of us- from mods to admins, trusted contributors to posters- have built here.
Unfortunately, we’ve struggled to find the right balance in terms of board structure, and the content and atmosphere has been impaired. When I arrived at this board, the clubber debates had crept in like kudzu. Then it was matchmaker issues. Now it’s tankers and ditchers. And more matchmaker issues.
For the avoidance of doubt, these are ALL legitimate topics for concern and discussion. We do understand that recent events in the game have caused a great deal of legitimate frustration.
But they also tend to polarize a large segment of the user base, and as a result these arguments tend to overshadow all of the other great discussions, tips, and advice this forum has historically offered.
We’ve all seen the now-familiar pattern. Thread after thread on essentially the same topic. Other threads diverted or straight-up hijacked. Debate becomes argument. Argument becomes hostility. Hostility becomes animus.
It’s unfortunate that we don’t live in a world where people maintain civility and respect for one another even when passionately advocating philosophies at odds with one another…but we don’t.
It’s also lamentable that we don’t live in a world where words are just words, and people don’t take them personally or let them generate ill feeling…but we don’t.
We live in the world we have, and we have to balance all of these things in moderation. The fact is, we’re never going to make everyone happy, but we’re certainly going to continue to try. And that’s why a sense of balance is so essential.
We feel very strongly that the forum is presently imbalanced, and have decided to take the following actions to restore it.
1. First, we’re going to be moving matchmaker/ditching/tanking threads to the Rants section. They’ll still be available for debate- civil or (within moderation) uncivil. Not a whole lot different from the status quo, so those concerned with the liberty of speaking their mind do have an outlet- while those who prefer to avoid that sort of thing can still enjoy the forums.
2. Second, we’ll be requiring “inflammatory topics” to be posted in the Rants section. This includes clubbing, matchmaking, and tanking/ditching discussions. Threads that bend to these topics or are hijacked may end up in Rants, or see the hijacked part moved and the original thread remain, at admin’s discretion.
3. Third, we will be a little more active about rules enforcement and forum curation. Frankly speaking, having a score of threads all essentially about the same topic is not unlike noise pollution, and drowns out some of the forum’s utility. We will step up our vigilance for merging like threads. That’s something we should have been doing more of, and have not. This way everyone still gets to have their say, even if it does get moved to an ongoing conversation.
4. Next, we’ll be taking a more active role in enforcing decorum. Flaming and trolling are already against the forum’s longstanding rules, but we’ve been fairly lax in enforcement. This doesn’t mean we’ll be putting the jackboot down. But it does mean that serial offenders will get a warning PM a little sooner.
5. Finally, there is also an update to the infraction process. Violation of the forum rules will get a PM from the admin team. A second violation within a 30-day window will result in a one-week ban. A third violation makes the ban permanent. 30 days of respect of the rules will wipe the slate clean. For the overwhelming majority of forum posters, this will have no effect. For the few who enjoy playing the wind-up merchant, it's a word of caution. We cannot allow the quality of this forum to degrade for the amusement of a very few.
The overall impact of this initiative is to make a forum that everyone can take something from, and feels welcome to contribute to. We don’t want to be heavy-handed, but rather steer things onto the right course. This is a great community, and we want to help keep it so. As always, we on the administration team understand that this place is nothing without all of you, and we appreciate your understanding and support.
Now, let's go blow up some robots, eh? EDIT: In addition, all "guides" that advocate tanking or ditching will be deleted. Although the forum is of divided consensus as to whether or not this constitutes "cheatng" in a literal sense, content that advocates exploiting or manipulating the game in any way other than straightforward gameplay will not be permitted. Note that content discussing such topics will be permitted, in the appropriate forum. Administration reserves judgment on what constitutes discussion versus advocacy.
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Post by DirtyLikaRat® on Feb 25, 2017 0:47:57 GMT -5
Woooohooo!!! Yea baby! I didn't get any mention in the rules... Nor my atypical DLR behavior, racial slurs, The in depth.. Play by play detailed descriptions if my nude and lubed War Robots battles (flip flops are allowed) to the sounds of Rob Base "It Takes Two"... Picking on astro physicists, trash talking .... W/ pics.. Or my sexual attractions and desires for Willie Dynamite, my Trip Aphids/ancile Leo.. Who I'm actually getting the design drawn as we speak for his tattoo... Long Live Willie Dynamite! Dredd rules... Admins and Moderotters I got your back for life baby
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 0:50:15 GMT -5
DirtyLikaRat® Without you this place is half as interesting, mate.
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Post by [AurN]Zenotaph on Feb 25, 2017 0:50:56 GMT -5
Nice speech! ?
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Post by truechill on Feb 25, 2017 1:00:45 GMT -5
Agreed Edit: Purely in jest, no serious implications intended. |
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Post by launchpad on Feb 25, 2017 1:09:14 GMT -5
And now i felt like senator jar jar binks from naboo who propose the "temporary" total military power to the supreme chancelor.... Lol |
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Post by blastronaut on Feb 25, 2017 2:01:16 GMT -5
I'm disappointed with the decision you have made regarding Guides on Tanking and posts meant to encourage tanking.
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:04:45 GMT -5
I'm disappointed with the decision you have made regarding Guides on Tanking and posts meant to encourage tanking. I understand, and I appreciate the civility in your post. Players looking for that sort of content might be directed to the various Facebook groups dedicated to War Robots, which have few (if any) expectations of conduct. |
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:07:06 GMT -5
I'm disappointed with the decision you have made regarding Guides on Tanking and posts meant to encourage tanking. Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? Please don't. |
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Post by blastronaut on Feb 25, 2017 2:07:47 GMT -5
I'm disappointed with the decision you have made regarding Guides on Tanking and posts meant to encourage tanking. Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? ~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. |
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:08:59 GMT -5
Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? ~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. Enough. |
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Post by sochilli (Saltesers) on Feb 25, 2017 2:10:15 GMT -5
I'm disappointed with the decision you have made regarding Guides on Tanking and posts meant to encourage tanking. (post) Before this gets taken the wrong way, you might want to rephrase this. js |
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Post by Spoopy Scary Haunter on Feb 25, 2017 2:10:29 GMT -5
Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? Please don't. Sorry ? |
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Post by sochilli (Saltesers) on Feb 25, 2017 2:10:55 GMT -5
Before this gets taken the wrong way, you might want to rephrase this. js Jeez I was too late. lets just stop. |
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Post by Spoopy Scary Haunter on Feb 25, 2017 2:11:13 GMT -5
Before this gets taken the wrong way, you might want to rephrase this. js Already done |
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Post by Vindictive999 on Feb 25, 2017 2:18:43 GMT -5
Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? ~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. Blast why don't you be quiet please? |
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Post by Strayed on Feb 25, 2017 2:26:00 GMT -5
Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? ~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. And that's why we aren't outright banning discussion of tanking and going on a holy crusade to ban all tankers. |
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Post by launchpad on Feb 25, 2017 2:26:19 GMT -5
Huh...How does it feel, not being able to advertise cheating? ~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. Dude, do not defy the post of the KING! No matter what arguments or logic you present, as long they already decided than it is. They own the forum. If you disagree, go make your own forum. Lol |
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Post by googleme on Feb 25, 2017 2:26:21 GMT -5
I am sad that we need rule #2. There are legitimate and important reasons to discuss those topics. Moving them to the rants moves them to the margin. I do agree that many threads get hijacked but the enforcement of the other rules should help keep the theads on topic and the discussion civil.
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:32:40 GMT -5
~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. Dude, do not defy the post of the KING! No matter what arguments or logic you present, as long they already decided than it is. They own the forum. If you disagree, go make your own forum. Lol This is precisely the sort of trolly, flame-baiting content that has had its run, and is getting curbed. |
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:33:50 GMT -5
I am sad that we need rule #2. There are legitimate and important reasons to discuss those topics. Moving them to the rants moves them to the margin. I do agree that many threads get hijacked but the enforcement of the other rules should help keep the theads on topic and the discussion civil. I don't disagree. But we've seen where relatively open and unfettered content gets us, too. Needs to be a middle ground. |
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Post by spawnreaper on Feb 25, 2017 2:36:48 GMT -5
~80% of forum members don't consider tanking to be cheating. Blast why don't you be quite please? Because 80% of us respect his opinion. |
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Post by Spoopy Scary Haunter on Feb 25, 2017 2:43:29 GMT -5
Blast why don't you be quite please? Because 80% of us respect his opinion. Pretty sure there are more than 5 people on the forum, might want to re-check that math, buddy |
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Post by spawnreaper on Feb 25, 2017 2:45:46 GMT -5
Because 80% of us respect his opinion. Pretty sure there are more than 5 people on the forum, might want to re-check that math, buddy I'll do that mr. 20% |
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Post by [AurN]Zenotaph on Feb 25, 2017 2:47:30 GMT -5
Oh boy. Here we go again...
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:47:41 GMT -5
His penchant for trolling will probably land him in the dock at some point, but I genuinely enjoy blastronaut |
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Post by mijapi300 on Feb 25, 2017 2:51:39 GMT -5
This is awesome news. I'm new to War Robots (about two weeks), so I haven't seen the forum without all the MM complaints. It'll be nice to see what else people talk about here lol.
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:53:30 GMT -5
M8, you and greyghost are about the only people that support this ideal (I think maybe boomsplat to, but not sure.). I mean, let's just say there are about 200 people on the forum who support tanking, there is another 1300 against you You guys are hijacking this thread. This is exactly what we're talking about. I could start a thread called, "Why I love Destriers," and you lot could turn it into an argument. I'm headed to bed. I'll check this in the morning. Any more of the same and I'll cut it and ship it to Rants, at the least. |
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Post by Dredd77 on Feb 25, 2017 2:54:53 GMT -5
This is awesome news. I'm new to War Robots (about two weeks), so I haven't seen the forum without all the MM complaints. It'll be nice to see what else people talk about here lol. It wasn't always this negative. And we're taking it back. Appreciate the support! |
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Post by Strayed on Feb 25, 2017 2:54:53 GMT -5
Break it up guys. We are actually enforcing the rules now.
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![[AurN]Zenotaph Avatar](http://www.teeri.net/aurn/aurnlogo28feb1-avatar.jpg){kind=avatar}
