EB Forum Reforms

[a completely inoffensive name]

Enough of this charade, take it by PM if you have more to say.

Edit: Oh, I see now what you could take as jerkish. Fixed it.

Thank you, I understand what you meant, it just seemed rude to me.

Just to add a personal note here. As of lately I myself have gradually declined in the amount of posts I produce on the EB forums.
The main reason behind this, I believe, is quite simple. After having spent quite a long time on the EB forums (almost 2 years, I frequented the forums long before I joined them) I have seen most topics pop up once, twice or twohundredsixtyseven times already, and is therefore inclined to ignore them when they pop up again.
For example, more then half of the topics on the first page right now have already popped up before, and most likely more than once, and I have already responded to these topics at least once.
The same has begun to become true for the EBII forums.

Yeah, this is the main reason of why spam is occurring more then usual, because over half the topics on the front page every day I search and find 3 exact copies, popping up 6-12 months after the last one died. Now since the last release and the transfer of the EB team to EB2, the EB1 forum has exhausted all topics multiple times, while the EB2 forum has been (with the exception of the occasional preview) just pure speculation, where every possible faction or ability within the Kingdoms engine has been hashed out over and over again. I was really liking those outside the box type of threads such as ancient partying because no one had talked about it before, but it and others were locked, like this one probably will later today. Its a shame, I blame the idiots who went too far with their comments and not the mods for that one though.

Oh also, the more interesting topics such as the now locked "fertility in EB's time" thread, essentially got closed because of idiots posting comments backed up by nothing and seemed like pure opinion more then any factual basis, (which lobf got really upset over). This happens a lot more often then is realized, such as the "Unofficial Little things we want in EB2" thread, where abou reacted the same as lobf did in the fertility thread due to a stupid comment by someone and that ended up getting locked as well (anger spawns more anger etc..).

[Hax]

Well, generally they are, but thread drift is in my opinion a healthy sign of a forum (So long as it stays relatively related to the topic, and not trolling.). Besides, it's hardly /b/.

The EB forums are part of the .org forums. They have their own off-topic forums.

[Subotan]

The EB forums are part of the .org forums. They have their own off-topic forums.

Most EBers never venture out of the EB sub forum into the rest of the .org. I think I've done it once, because I heard there was a babe thread.

[Olaf The Great]

EB might want to invest in it's own forum, so we can avoid the spam and rage.
And who did things worthy of a ban?

[a completely inoffensive name]

Why does it seem like my last post is being ignored?

[||Lz3||]

I think this thread should be closed... in fact, I though it would have been closed the day it was open, I don't know why it's still here...

For offtopic things there's the Frontroom. https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forum...sprune=30&f=48

I think the current management of this subforum is one of the best I've ever seen (by having tolerance and yet being somewhat strick), but if certain individuals keep trying to go over the edge... things won't go nice...

[Mediolanicus]

I think this thread should be closed... in fact, I though it would have been closed the day it was open, I don't know why it's still here...

It just can't be that 7 threads on the first page of this forum are locked (and somehow I feel that because of some people this will end up being number 8).

I wonder whether I should be happy my prediction is about to come true, or sad because every thread where someone dares to give an opinion about something, anything, ends up closed...

[lobf]

Oh also, the more interesting topics such as the now locked "fertility in EB's time" thread, essentially got closed because of idiots posting comments backed up by nothing and seemed like pure opinion more then any factual basis, (which lobf got really upset over). This happens a lot more often then is realized, such as the "Unofficial Little things we want in EB2" thread, where abou reacted the same as lobf did in the fertility thread due to a stupid comment by someone and that ended up getting locked as well (anger spawns more anger etc..).

You understand me.

Anyways- A forum won't survive if it's all business. The team should honestly consider a dedicated "tavern" style forum. I have frequented the Ambrosia Software forums for 5-6 years now, primarily because of the great sense of community that comes from people of shared interests discussing things other than what brought them together. Ambrosia does this by having a forum dedicated to all of their games, and 2 or 3 others dedicated to whatever the forums goers want (It's evolved into a serious discussion forum, a semi-intelligent nonsense forum, and a complete, spamerific, spam-shower-forum.)

The point is, you can't expect a coherent community if all we can talk about is Europa Barbarorum. Trust that we all love your game- It's not like we saw it advertised on MTV or something. So give the people who need it an outlet (an accessible outlet... not the difficult-to-find, more-difficult-to-keep-track-of tavern social group) and sanction off topic discussion somewhere you can control it. I think you'll find you'd have the support of the community at large for policing spam and keeping it corralled into it's area and away from the serious forums.

Seacrest out.

Edit- Oh, and those of you back-seat moderate by posting spam about how a topic should be locked- Shut up. Seriously. You weren't chosen to be a mod for a reason, so don't further derail a topic by talking about how crappy and derailed it is. You suck so hard.

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

Yeah, we suck...

Wait, what?

[Megas Methuselah]

That's right, you suck.

My God, gamegeek2 is such an idiot. Seriously, what kind of kid spams such an important forum with this kind of idiocy? If you're so concerned with pulling a Gracchus, go brown-nose the moderators and discuss it in privacy. Besides, you claim to want "forum reforms," but also happen to make no meaningful propositions yourself. Does it make you feel important, reading your own, useless words? Unable to partake in any acedemic and historic-wise conversations amongst the wise men, you choose to spam this forum with complaints in an attempt to help your already low self-esteem. Well, fall over and rot. I hope the dogs eat your corpse.

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

I have to agree with Methuselah here.

Gamegeek, stop inflating your pompous arse and know your place here. We need no reforms. We're right, and you're wrong, fella; I know an end to spam is an admirable goal. Sometimes I wish that too... But, since we are fallible and gullible humans, some more than others, then you must content yourself with the harsh realities of life. It's the first step towards maturity you know, and one of these harsh facts is that we are going to have SPAM as long as man eats animal derived products and navigate on internet forums. So, there's no way to implement your little utopia. Let's just continue normally, following things as they always were and always should be, and trust the EB forum moderators to do things in the way it pleases them, after all, what is good for them, is good for us too!

[Megas Methuselah]

From the incest thread in the EB2 forum:

Oh my, Cleopatra, is that a SELEUKID?

Maybe if you actually bothered to stop spamming yourself, something can actually be done to help cleanse the forums. However, it just so happens that you are much more hypocritical than George W. Bush. The mere mention of your username makes me sick. Change it. And change your avatar, too. As well as your attitude. Then come back in a few years when you're more mature. Maybe then I'll forgive you. Or maybe I'll just backhand you.

[bovi]

The team should honestly consider a dedicated "tavern" style forum.

There. Is. Already.

[a completely inoffensive name]

There. Is. Already.

Not everyone is in the backroom, and the frontroom consists of (and I am looking at it right now)

"The Word Game" (useless +1 posting)
"True or False..." (useless +1 posting)
"3 word story" (useless +1 posting)
"Official Post Celebration thread" (useless +1 posting)
"Beautiful Girl in Supermarket Problem" (someone asking online for advice on his personal life, oh yay)
"The Heart Attack Grill" (An actual good thread)
"What do you think of the new star trek movie?" (pointless opinion thread)
"Do you prefer subtitles..." (more other peoples opinions)
"Since everyone is seems to explain his personal drama..."(another person asking random online strangers what to do with his personal life)
"I have taken a second job." (good thread)

Just by taking a sample of the top 10 threads right now, only two are good off topic threads where some fun discussion could occur. Sign me up (sarcasm). The spam of the EB forums has been seen to be fun off topic posts that derail the serious conversation into something silly. You point us to the frontroom as the solution to the problem of posters needing silly conversation and yet every day I check the frontroom I see yet another opinion, +1 useless post, or personal advice thread. True off topic silly conversations are dying in the frontroom from what I see so far, and that is seen by the rise of so called "spam" in the EB forum.

[Hax]

From "The Guild FAQ"

• Posts containing addresses of warez sites or anything piracy-related: note that this includes "hacks" designed to enable Shogun: Total War, Medieval: Total War and Rome: Total War to run without a CD. The administration is aware of the fact that some use a "no-CD hack" for the purpose of enhancing their system performance, but we feel that the possible illegal benefits from these hacks outweigh all other considerations. Such hacks also require reverse engineering of the game, and this is in violation of the End User Licence Agreement. Anything pertaining to software piracy in general is highly discouraged.
• Posts containing information on and/or requests for the Shogun: Total War, Medieval: Total War or Rome: Total War CD key codes: if you have lost your CD key, you should contact Electronic Arts or Activision Customer Support. Anyone asking for a CD key here will be assumed to be trying to deny the developers rightful compensation for their work.
• Posts concerning, or asking about, technical specifications for multiplayer cheating. Cheating in the single-player game is a private matter for each user, but cheating in the multiplayer game detracts from everyone's enjoyment, and from the gaming community as a whole.
• Posts containing names of people suspected of cheating in the multiplayer game. This clause has been much debated; its purpose is to avoid fruitless controversy. No conclusive proof on anyone cheating in the multiplayer game can be obtained or presented. Therefore, the Staff and the majority of the patrons (approximately 70% voted in favour) feel that it is for the best to avoid making accusations; even if truthful, their inconclusiveness will probably lead to "flame wars" which are inconvenient to the forum and every member. Keeping of private "cheater blacklists" is allowed, indeed encouraged, but The Guild does not wish to be a medium for this. (Note: in the case of "name posting", the staff will often edit out the name rather than deleting the entire message.)
• Posts containing "spam", such as advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations. Recommending a game you like is not wrong, as long as you are not trying to sell it. User accounts created exclusively for the purpose of posting inconsequential advertisements will be unceremoniously banned.
• Posts containing any generally objectionable material: knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of any law. Posting of copyrighted material, unless the copyright is owned by you or by The Guild, is discouraged. The Guild expects its patrons to remain civil even in the face of disagreements. Any kind of "flaming", slurs, or insults -- addressed to either an individual or a group -- is extremely inappropriate. Please respect etiquette at all times.

Do you now understand? This is not an independent forum. This forum is part of The Guild. The Guild has its rules.

And that's that.

[Foot]

Hello EB Forum Users,

We understand the concern some of you feel about where this forum is going and the behaviour of certain people, who act as instigators and ring-leaders (though I am certain without intent). In the past we have tolerated repeat behaviour from people on matters such as spam and offensive posting. We understand now how this has had a damaging effect on the community-within-a-community we have here. It is no longer good enough for us to just ignore this behaviour, or act on it as if each incident is separate.

We will be making an announcement about changes to our moderating policy soon. Until then we would be grateful if all posting returned to topics about EB and the Ancient World and steered clear of discussion about our future policies.

Kind Regards,