Lack of new people is killing the backroom and the entire forum

After going over a few threads regarding the impact of tribesman being banned and complaining about the state of the backroom it's obvious that this place is suffering from a reverse Eternal September (look it up). A lot of people in just the past two years have left. Older members have lives and the mods are too restrictive on the dialogue. There is a thread in the frontroom filled with names of people no longer here.

I don't know what the answer is, but I feel like this forum is going to have a problem this next year if new people are not coming in. Honestly, I would have to side with people arguing to bring back Tribesman. The backroom is very poor in terms of the discourse.

I feel like if this new Shogun fails like Empire and Napoleon, then we can say good bye to any new members for another 2 years which will effectively kill this forum.

It's true, I don't think anything can be done about it - but I am feeling this everywhere in the forum as I am sure everyone else is.

I was hoping it was just the holiday season, but everything just seems tired and bored nowadays.

When I last was active, you could sit back in your favourite forum, write a reply, click refresh, write another, click refresh.

There was always someone present.

Now you wait for the peak activity just to see something new!

Every forum on the board is dead compared to what it was last year....

I am seriously considering a switch over to the center. I have been browsing the equivalent backroom there and it is quite literally better in every way. Well, I can't say that about the character of the mods, but the discussion and range of topics is much, much better. I think this place is done for. If I am ever gone for long periods of time, it might just be that I am at the center.

Compare the active members .org: ~950-1000 center: ~7000+

You're just saying that because you are (probably) lynched in the mafia game.

I'm sure the Org has had low points, and while I am hardly a valuable contributor and I often disappear for a year or so, I will always come back to this forum if I come back to the internet for pleasure at all.

There's an atmosphere here which is not present in TWC, and in any case I am not about to join any more internet communities and start learning the ropes somewhere else again.

I couldn't abandon the Main Hall.

You'll change your mind. Andres is right - they always come back.

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Originally Posted by Glenn

You're just saying that because you are (probably) lynched in the mafia game.

I'm sure the Org has had low points, and while I am hardly a valuable contributor and I often disappear for a year or so, I will always come back to this forum if I come back to the internet for pleasure at all.

There's an atmosphere here which is not present in TWC, and in any case I am not about to join any more internet communities and start learning the ropes somewhere else again.

I couldn't abandon the Main Hall.

You'll change your mind. Andres is right - they always come back.

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No, I really don't care about a mafia game. I spend most of my time in the backroom attempting to hone arguments, reasoning capability and learning the other sides arguments. I can't really learn new arguments, when there is no new people and the old people simply bring up the same points.

Just listen to Serious Sam!

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Originally Posted by Glenn

Just listen to Serious Sam!

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I never played that series.

Its true, but what can you do.

The modding scene has moved, the MP scene has moved and we don't get many new members. The biggest draw of this forum is the people, or mafia, tbh.

I blame Napoleon.

It is not forbidden for the membership to take initiatives, come up with ideas, or to create content that could draw the attention of new, not yet registered, members.

E.g. it is not forbidden to hunt for news about TW games and post about it in the appropriate tw game related subfora; it is not forbidden to write a guide about a tw game or a faction in a tw game, it is not forbidden to post in the subforum of the most recently released TW game and discuss game mechanics or point out bugs or what not, it is not forbidden to post in the EH and make newbies feel welcome so that they stick around instead of disappearing after three posts.

Being negative and not taking action will only lead to a self fulfilling prophecy :shrug:

The .Org is what it is thanks to its' membership. Sitting on your butt and complaining won't help the .Org. If you really and truly care about this place, then now is the time to stand up and do something. If it is your opinion that you don't have to do anything and that everything should be served to you on a silver plate, then maybe you don't really care.

If TW games are so bad, it is also not forbidden to post in the Arena and share your thoughts about other games.

Just don't make your posts too long so CR and I won't have to delete the parts we can't be bothered to read to make sure there is nothing bad in them. ~;)

Concerning the Backroom, it's true, discussion there is down quite a bit, perhaps this is also because AFAIK new members have to specifically apply to see the Backroom, maybe this should be changed so we get some stragglers to tear apart now and then. On the other hand old topics never change and sooner or later most people will get tired of discussing them over and over again anyway, whether someone brings a slightly new opinion or not. If you can think of some truly revolutionary topics, feel free to post them though.

How would I go about getting access to the Backroom? I am willing to be torn to shreds if my posts aren't to the standard ~;)

Go to Settings, then Permission Groups (or simply follow this LINK).

In the list of groups you can join, look for Backroom. Mark the join group button. Scroll down and click "Join group". Then you have to wait until one of the BR mods grants you permission.

To speed up the proces, you can drop one of the BR mods (CountArach, Ser Clegane, Banquo's Ghost, Seamus Fermanagh) a friendly pm and they'll handle your request asap.

:bow:

Thanks. I look forward to see what lays within.

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Originally Posted by Husar

On the other hand old topics never change and sooner or later most people will get tired of discussing them over and over again anyway, whether someone brings a slightly new opinion or not. If you can think of some truly revolutionary topics, feel free to post them though.

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Looking at the totalwar center backroom here are some conversation we seemed to have skipped over:

"US will lose it's AAA rating if tax extension is passed."
"Number of uninsured in US rises" (up to 50 million now)
"China reveals aircraft carrier plans"
"Actually, America has the most progressive taxation system in the world"

Here is what we have which the center has skipped over:
"What is better then sex?" Really?

Our wikileaks thread hasn't been posted in since the 16th. 14 days ago.

At the present time there is discussion to open up the Backroom to all members - i.e. not to have to ask for permission to join first, so that may help a little.

The arena is doing fine so I don't really mind...

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Originally Posted by Husar

Concerning the Backroom, it's true, discussion there is down quite a bit, perhaps this is also because AFAIK new members have to specifically apply to see the Backroom, maybe this should be changed so we get some stragglers to tear apart now and then.

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I had no idea. It hasn't always been that way. Why was that put in place?

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Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger

I had no idea. It hasn't always been that way. Why was that put in place?

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It was to protect children away from the area, as it isn't rated PG-13 and discusses controversial issues.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

Looking at the totalwar center backroom here are some conversation we seemed to have skipped over:

"US will lose it's AAA rating if tax extension is passed."
"Number of uninsured in US rises" (up to 50 million now)
"China reveals aircraft carrier plans"
"Actually, America has the most progressive taxation system in the world"

Here is what we have which the center has skipped over:
"What is better then sex?" Really?

Our wikileaks thread hasn't been posted in since the 16th. 14 days ago.

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The last I looked, the content was to be desired. They were arguing like: "Hitler was an atheist, and he killed millions of people! Atheists are evil."

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Originally Posted by Beskar

The last I looked, the content was to be desired. They were arguing like: "Hitler was an atheist, and he killed millions of people! Atheists are evil."

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It's not on the level you would find at a university, or here, but it's not FreeRepublic. More like high school level. People post links and I would say it is about 75% arguments, 25% talking points.

I am sorry for not doing my part. I do not argue in the depths of the backroom so that I remain a pure and still org-wanting individual. In person, I would argue. Over the computer, not for me. : / I give my sorrows for the backroom ails.

And yes, it is a great shame that the guild has been stricken so. I left (for the second time) in a time of great bounty. The community was not so disgusted with the, and the forum was growing even. But I returned to find this. Almost no life in my most sacred halls. The chapter house was nearly vacant. The frontroom was reduced to nameless spam just to stay alive. The gameroom.....well....the gameroom is still pretty fun, but the rest has slowed dramatically. These are dark times for the org, I am afraid....dark times indeed for us all.

The backroom should be opened for its own survival, I agree. It needs fresh blood. As for the rest of this place....the only thing to do is pray. Pray to the god(s) above that Shogun 2 won't suck. And maybe sacrifice a goat...

Speaking for myself there's only so many times that you can comment on gunbortion etc. threads without repeating yourself. Also it can be a wee bit tiresome being right all the time. :juggle2: :laugh4:

Shouldn't be the other way around? The lack of people is killing the entire forum included the Backroom?
Still there is a lot of people around, if you don't believe me, just ask the lurkers to say hi! Of course we are not very talkative but still... in my humble opinion the forum is far from being dead.

I'm not sure opening the backroom to the general public is a good idea, perhaps making it visible while not open to post for a while could serve as projection of future activity.

By the way, Hi!

+0

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

After going over a few threads regarding the impact of tribesman being banned and complaining about the state of the backroom it's obvious that this place is suffering from a reverse Eternal September (look it up). A lot of people in just the past two years have left. Older members have lives and the mods are too restrictive on the dialogue. There is a thread in the frontroom filled with names of people no longer here.

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First of all, Tribesman was not banned. He left the forum of his own volition.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

I don't know what the answer is, but I feel like this forum is going to have a problem this next year if new people are not coming in. Honestly, I would have to side with people arguing to bring back Tribesman. The backroom is very poor in terms of the discourse.

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If the Backroom suffers poor discourse, then it is up to the members to improve it. Above, you consider us too restrictive but the rules are in place to encourage respect and higher standards of discussion. There are plenty of places on the internet where people can abuse one another and swear. This has never been one of them.

The biggest challenge facing this site is that fewer and fewer new members are signing up. I respectfully suggest that may have something to with the fact that the Totalwar games are not as compelling as they used to be.

We have a decent community in the off-topic fora, but I am fairly sure that it would disintegrate even faster should we loosen the rules. I really don't see what is so difficult about treating other people with respect and dignity.

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Originally Posted by PanzerJaeger

I had no idea. It hasn't always been that way. Why was that put in place?

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It was put in place for a couple of reasons. One, as Beskar noted, because the content was controversial and, in truth, a great many people on the site did not want to have a Backroom style forum or to be exposed to it.

Secondly, because some in the Backroom find it difficult to follow the rules, it makes it a lot easier to exclude those who repeatedly offend without them losing access to the rest of the Org - where they are very often highly valuable contributors.

I really don't care about Backroom but I do care about .Org.

However, recently I find it hard to post anything in here. I had a really difficult period few months ago in real life and I lost my interest to games long time before that. The only TW game I play is actually a RTW mod Europa Barbarorum. I also check the Arena, Throne Room and Monastery but that's all. I guess I am just getting too old for games like TW.

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Originally Posted by Riedquat

I'm not sure opening the backroom to the general public is a good idea, perhaps making it visible while not open to post for a while could serve as projection of future activity.

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I would agree with this. Access should still be controlled, but members should be at least aware of it.

Personally I dont want to have access to the Backroom because Ill be tempted to peek in, and then Ill just get drawn back in all over again, which isnt good for me because I dont like that place too much. Personal preference, really.

But I do remember the days, as late as May of 2009, where, as Glenn put it, "you could sit back in your favourite forum, write a reply, click refresh, write another, click refresh."
Unfortunately that is not the case anymore.
Oh well.

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

Personally I dont want to have access to the Backroom because Ill be tempted to peek in, and then Ill just get drawn back in all over again, which isnt good for me because I dont like that place too much. Personal preference, really.

But I do remember the days, as late as May of 2009, where, as Glenn put it, "you could sit back in your favourite forum, write a reply, click refresh, write another, click refresh."
Unfortunately that is not the case anymore.
Oh well.

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Even I remember that. Those were the days..

I'm disappointed now that I didn't register earlier if things were that active back then. But I suppose i'm here now and I can help the activity by being one of the new people.