Some observations on the forum and users' behavior

[lord of power]

Hello, monkeyman2535 here. I've written a long essay on how I think the forum had arrived at its present state, including a decline in discussion and topic quality. You can read it if you want, but it's rather long, and since nobody here really cares, I don't expect any of you to. The following is a link to my clan website, where I posted the essay. Here you go: https://soulsoftheoldstorm.wordpress.co ... cal-study/

If you have any thoughts or observations about what I've written, please post them in a reply. Some of you are named personally in the essay, but I assure you this was not done for personal reasons. If you're offended, please PM me and we can work it out.

OK thanks bye

[Tempus]

I really appreciate your feedback. Trust me, it's something we've been noticing as well. Have any solutions?


Other then the occasional trolls we get around here. I think there isn't much we could discuss about PlazmaBurst 2. Thus, I believe in the lack of topic's/conversations. Although, we have been getting some neat Pb2.5 ideas and artwork that really helps us get user feed-back.

I can't really force anyone to act mature or post actual content that is helpful or somewhat relevant.

[lord of power]

I really appreciate your feedback. Trust me, it's something we've been noticing as well. Have any solutions?


Other then the occasional trolls we get around here. I think there isn't much we could discuss about PlazmaBurst 2. Thus, I believe in the lack of topic's/conversations. Although, we have been getting some neat Pb2.5 ideas and artwork that really helps us get user feed-back.

I can't really force anyone to act mature or post actual content that is helpful or somewhat relevant.

Thank you for reading, I'm glad you were able to get something out of the post. I understand your position--there's really no way to control the culture of a community from an administrative perspective. I don't think the lack of new content is the root cause of the forum's problems, although it certainly is a contributing factor. I do agree with you about the fan art and PB2.5 ideas, though: those places seem to be two particular niches in the forum that benefit greatly from new ideas and new content.

(I remember back in the day of the forum, a lot of the fun came not from discussing all the new content in the game, but in discussing all the problems with it, and the way we could fix them. However, I'm not sure if that's something we could bring back. I feel like a lot of the people who were involved in that realized a long time ago that none of their ideas were coming to fruition, so they burned out and gave up.)

So I think, as things stand now, you're right. The way out of this funk probably lies in new content, or at least the promise of new content, whether that be fan artists making good art, map-makers making good maps, or Eric making good progress on PB2.5. We already have some of that going-- the way I see it, we just need to kick it into the next gear to get this engine running again.

[Failureguy]

Hello, Failureguy here (I'm not sure if you still remember me but yeah)

I do not do this often so I am not used to this. Forgive me if I offend anyone reading this post, as I may sound immature.

On the topic about the degradation of the PlazmaBurst2 forum, chat and even the game, I agree because back then, the forum is great for discussions and ideas, the chat filled with liveliness and the game was pretty awesome.

However as the years passes on, the game degrades itself to the point guests taken over the game(Just saying), the chat became a grieving place to be and now its 'almost' always empty, and the forum filled with trolls. I'm not saying the forum is that bad, but still, I wish it was as lively as back then. Its not something we can get back.

Now, the forum, there are still good people in it I know it (Hik, GED, you, others), but it has reached to the point that it only seems trolls are present, free-posting and 'purposely' posting offensive replies. Referring to my latest post about the fanart, I got disappointed, no doubt. Back then, there used to be people giving great advice on how to improve. I still ask for constructive feedback on how Io improve, but it seems that some people (Not referring to everyone) who didn't like my drawing or whatever, just hates it and not explaining themselves.

Yes, I am more of a corner person and didn't explore the other various topics, that makes it difficult for me to help if people needed help. Why didn't I explore and help? I was afraid of explaining the wrong details and I still do that. (I still rmb helping people about maps back then)

This is my view so you don't have to agree with the post, and it may sound wrong.

[KARL SERG]

First and foremost, I'm glad that Monkeyman has become serious again (if it really is him, but judging from his prose, I lean toward believing that).

Indeed, the Community is not what it used to be, many of the iconic users have left and their absence has reduced the attractiveness of these Forums (although I personally don't miss few of them). I doubt a lot can be done at this point, though. Many of us are at the end of our Adolescence or the beginning of our Youth, a time when little time and interest remains in rebuilding something we could have rebuilt if we were a few years younger (but lacked the intellect to do so). I still remember how seriously I used to take things in the past...

Maybe we have to rely on the trendsetters that will come in case we (here I mean users who have potential and were here earlier, still being here: the Staff, Mingo, GED, Hik, others) aren't going to do much.

I don't really know, though. By what I've intuitively learnt so far, when somebody has a lot of knowledge about something and is sensible at the same time, he/she will hesitate to do much because of fearing not to break what already exists, while less sensible People might do something indeed, risking to break what already exists in the process.

I also fear that it's the Human nature that is responsible for much of this, meaning that it inevitably tends to happen unless certain conditions are established. I wished I could do more, I'm not going to try to find excuses because of why I can't, but I really believe I can't do much at the moment...

[Silent Aurora]

Hello, monkeyman2535 here. I've written a long essay on how I think the forum had arrived at its present state, including a decline in discussion and topic quality. You can read it if you want, but it's rather long, and since nobody here really cares, I don't expect any of you to. The following is a link to my clan website, where I posted the essay. Here you go: https://soulsoftheoldstorm.wordpress.co ... cal-study/

If you have any thoughts or observations about what I've written, please post them in a reply. Some of you are named personally in the essay, but I assure you this was not done for personal reasons. If you're offended, please PM me and we can work it out.

Don't just copy and paste what he wrote, if you're going to contribute, then do it the right way. Don't free-post.

[tehswordninja]

This is a well made topic.

I've noticed a lot of this happening, which is why I try (probably I could try harder) to give actual feedback when I can.

Like Tempus said, I think its due to the fact we've basically talked about everything to talk about in terms of PB2, now its just recycling topics, or just using 'boring' topics.
A lot of older, sometimes more mature users have left, users who've grown up with PB2 and are therefore older, but now we seem to be getting more younger users which are generally less mature, leading to some of the things you discussed.

[Syluster]

I have been noticing that many people not just on the fourms but the community as well are leaving to proceed and move forward in the real world to set business and life goals to ensure the most outcome possibilities that the real world has to offer.

Chat is not what it was before as there is a average of 7-9 people on everyday maximum which shows that the people still care and support this website as well as the staff team and administration to socialize and moderate especially for the new coming users which might not understand the rules and site.

It also really seems that i'm the only one contributing or online on the fourms site as I provide off-topic content relating to preferences, gaming, & etc. I might see a average of 2-3 posts everyday because I and as many of the people that want to keep this community alive contribute activity on the forums trying to socialize with other users.

This is a very excellent topic, Nice job Monkeyman.

[lord of power]

Failureguy, I assure you that I absolutely remember who you are and couldn't possibly ever forget you; and Karl, I assure you I am monkeyman2535 and you have no reason to doubt me on that (except maybe I'm Chig and I hacked all his accounts ).

I'd like to thank each and every one of you for reading this and for leaving such excellent and thoughtful replies. I'm well aware that many of us are drifting away from PB2 as the game decays, things get old, and we grow up and move on to bigger and better things in real life, and that that's a significant reason for the forums falling apart.

I don't think there's any way we can stop that from happening--time is inexorable, after all. But the replies you've all made on this topic so far show that thoughtful, reasoned, and caring discourse is still possible here. Please, by all means, continue to reply here, and then take the same kind of attitude you've taken to this post to the rest of the forums. That's the only way it'll become a better place.

(And if, for whatever reason, you want to talk to me about anything, here's a link to my clan's discord server: https://discord.gg/JeHCK3m )