To The Community, Not The GM's (for once)

[Daft_Brat]

Meh, I'm not into the whole rant and rave about problems that I personally can't offer solutions to. I'm not even addressing this to the GM's really. No, this is to the community, or what's left of it.


SoS was a great game in CB and showed great promise in the beginning of OB. A shift started once the CS was implemented. I've been here since day 1, I know what I'm talking about and how great a game this can be. Game issues have turned the community against itself. We've gone from a small, committed group of players who actually looked after one another while still maintaining friendly competitiveness to one that is more concerned with shunning those outside of guilds, killing people in PvP, and being top dogs.


I know that the first comments will be that we've all been patient and that 'they' aren't listening. They are listening and if you stop complaining long enough to look around you'll see that answers have been given, though they may not be the ones you want, and suggestions have been taken into account. You can sit and list all the issues that you want but the facts are that there are no immediate results to be expected, nor should they be. They can't snap their fingers and fix things any faster than you or I could.


However, I digress. The purpose of this thread was to reach out to the community. To ask that we peel back layers and go back to the tight-knit community that we once were. We've lost a lot of the well-known old-timers who were a driving force for the community; something that the solstice council and all other player recognized within the SoS community and given positions should have striven to replace. =/


This game still has the potential to be great, and I honestly think that one day it will be. The community needs to be the constant in the game. The one thing that stays strong and supportive throughout. I don't care how sappy that sounds, I've invested enough time and energy into this game to have the right to say all of this.


You want change? Look around and fix the things that we've let slide within the community before you blame the game for it.


Honestly, you can flame me if you want, some of you are great at it. But, I still believe that the great times can come back. =/

[thrakx]

I been here too daft and If we could ALL just stop working at cross-purposes a lot more would get done with a concentrated effort and less fragmented opinions.

[VampireMelody]

I agree 100% with both of you. I think if we stopped looking at this game like a race and started appreciating the friendships and bonds you make during a game that everything would go back to how close it was back when I first joined. To many people are worried about who's the best, rather than making friends and everyone being connected somehow. I think that a close community of friends is better than 1000 enemies all flaming each other in a pvp is better any day.
I do miss those days back then. And I hope that everyone will pitch in to return to that state where everyone got along and nothing was wrong~
So how about it guys, lets work on that!

~VM

[Mikitan]

(Outspark forum ate my post just now- so a straight to point summary of what I wrote just now @_@)

Just wow. I couldn't have said it any better.

Although, One quick highlight--

The community needs to be the constant in the game. The one thing that stays strong and supportive throughout.

Everyone needs to stay strong and supportive!! I think we all need a look back to our roots, take what we had from those days and bring them forward into the present & near future. If we all start gathering together with POSITIVE feelings, I'm sure we can all find the joy in the game again.

*scratches head* Man, I wish my post was eaten just now. I had a lot more to add to this all. T_T

[Convent]

All I can do is agree.

And feel guilty for all the complaining I've done. >.<;

[D-Styles]

as much as i agree, i think this game will only get bigger with the amount of ppl playing, so asking us to "peel back layers" is like asking us to get rid of players so we can be a tight community again lol. So long as there are more players coming in, the Survival of the Fittest rule will just keep being a strong role in the game =/. (all in my opinion btw)

oh.. and HI DAFT! *waves*

[TheDarkSenshi]

This is a really good post. I really do hope we can come together instead of apart. Gona take some time tho... ^^'

[Zeltar]

I agree, it's a good time for the community to come together. we do our part to make the game better, and leave others to do their part. I think the most productive thing we can do is to work with the growing community, and work on creating the positive community atmosphere.

Let's all form a big circle in the middle of Essene and sing camp songs. XD

[dannlyn]

Ehh.. it all sounds pretty far fetched and honestly I don't think it can be accomplished. Sure, I'm up for it but you just know that there are those out there who couldn't give a flying eff about sitting around a campfire singing Barney songs and making friends.

Some people just wanna pwn :|

[Zeltar]

yes, everyone is different, and has different motivations. a lot of people like to play games for the competitiveness, trying to be the strongest to Pwn all, and other people play for the community atmosphere.

so the people that want to have fun together and enjoy each others company can do that, while others can go to the most remote maps and solo kill mobs 24/7 till they get to the top, Pwn all, go crazy from the bad exp, and then possibly quit.

I have seen so many of my friends that leveled up early go down that path. and realized that the game should be about having fun, not another chore to do after coming home from work. that's why i left BAMF, and went to the friendly group of Ashguard sect. it's been a lot more fun doing fun things with friends then the same old endless grind. sometimes it's fun not to grind at all, just hang in town and chat to friends.

anyway everyone can do what they want, I’m going to have fun with friends, anyone who wants to join can do. and anyone who wants to do their own thing can do that as well.

[thrakx]

i think the best start to this plan would be to get all the old-timers together and come to an understanding. If we(yes myself just as much) can start to agree more, then we can take the pros that have the hours in and make a super strong core group, then with a group like that we can actually USE the influence we have instead of just thinking with our pride.

[Dark_Knight99]

I agree thraxx. Also with the update thread being added and the GM's coming on again to interact with us also helps. There is no reason to argue amonst ourselves.

[Muchiko]

Just gonna skip all replies and post what I thinkx.x
CB was great.... CB was awesome... CB was restricted to a certain amount of players... Early OB? Mostly CB players... The community started to get bigger... and bigger... and bigger...~ Keeping it together is almost impossible now, since so many people play it. Though there are still those who are willing to help each other and keep the community strong - I am one of those who if I can help I will, if someone asks me for help they will get it (unless I'm afk :X).
I always loved the awakening event! Dying without losing exp~ Having fun getting mobbed by Alponses~ Spamming major heal~ Messing with Aly<3~... But in one of the last events all people did was complain... There were a set group of people shouting only complains about exp and no updates and w/e - that really took my motivation to do any further awakening... Why? It's a fun event! I know these complains need to be adressed, I know people want answers and solutions BUT why ruin an event with complains? It's supposed to be fun... I seriously don't get it. I remember before with Fire always messing with Alastor (BTW Fire if you read this - come back to awakenings xD) and other players too like Lahar.
So my point is... Is the game really that bad that all people can do is complain? Can't we have fun? Hanging in town with friends, making suicidal aoe parties (*wink Eri,Daft & Kit xD), messing with GM's~ (stalking ridah <.< >.>), making alts, doing the pet quest... There are so many ways we can still have fun in this game without having to complain about exp, events, updates or GM's.
I have hope that SKing and rider will try their best to make the game better and with that MAYBE - maybe - the community will stop these complains (or find some new ones...<.<) and get closer again.

<.< This was a rant. Thank you >.>

[BellaAnimorum]

I concur with Daft, although my post may not seem like it...

The community was very close knit, and even though I didn't get to enjoy it until the downtime between CB and OB, I have felt as if I were a -small- part of it all too.
However, as has been said, the community grew and grew. It goes like this, you have a circle of say... 30 friends. Now, to anyone who doesn't have that many friends, this number may be intimidating, or even bothersome ("I can't even remember that many peoples' names omg!") Given time and understanding, though, most or all of this group should have a better grasp of eachother, such as wants and desires and likes/dislikes, etc.
All is well.
Later on, however, let's say an influx of 100 more people show up, all newbs, maybe even noobs, all eager to learn the game andhave fun just as much as the first lucky players have been. 30 to 130 (assuming nobody has left in the whole timeframe, which of course, is not the case) people is a staggering increase, and for many, who have established relationships already, it can be trying to make even more friends, get to know more people, spend time with more people... That those who actually know the game sufficiently are now coming to a decision, vaguely, Should I continue to expand my buddy list for these up-and-coming players as well? (Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example, but it gets the point across) There generally is still no question to the level of friendliness of the community, we are either willing to help, or are too busy concentrating on our characters' levels/items/status to lend a hand.
One month passes.
The community is still tight-knit, but a problem arises.
There are more and more people showing up, all asking the same questions, each coming with different expectations, and all full of opinions. Now, what usually happens? Someone makes a rumor, or feels that something is missing, or even becomes dissatisfied with the game altogether. This one person, being in an area full of other potentially fresh people, spurs forward an ugly head of griping and complaining, that moves and morphs gradually forward, sometimes being neglected, sometimes being highlighted, but ultimately making a permenant place in the community. Oh, not to mention EVEN MORE people are showing up. We were at 130 (just bear with this imaginary number, please...) but now the community has swelled to over 300.
More time passes.
The Cash Store is implemented.
There now seems to be two groups (with a third who are unconcerned) pertaining to the CS. Players who freely purchase cash items (and even enthusiastically yearn for more) and those who reject the idea, sticking to the original free-to-play game they have come to know and love. Out of these two groups, people begin brooding over a matter that still hangs over our heads today: Is this game designed solely for the purpose of the CS? All manner of opinions have flared, thoughts displayed readily (and with harsh retort) and even flame wars spring up over it. This further tears the community apart. By now cliques have formed, and several, if not many, of the original players (who helped shape this community) have left for good, leaving behind newer, less experienced people to hold in the reigns. (Yet many of the "originals" remain, there are some that have stepped back and left the matter to the rest of the community to deal with.) Also by now, expereince is becoming a more complained about issue, as well as "lack of added maps".
Skip several months of recycled topics and whining...
"You are all spoiled. o.O"
I believe this is what Break told us. (Am I mistaken?) The community has had well over 1000 players come and go, so many so that it is hard to keep up with, even with all the networkings and word-of-mouth that helps spread even more rumors and general unpleasantness "Did you hear what XXX did to QQQ?" "Yeah I did, I hate that guy/girl!" The experience seems to dissuade many people from staying on the game after certain levels (from what I grasp it's every 20 levels starting from the 40's...) and a new problem arises: Sharing maps. This topic, however, has been beaten to death, and it STILL is a matter that causes people to complain. Many of the original players, who were once so willing to assist are now shut off, sticking to the people they enjoy being with (don't get me wrong, I know many of you are still just as helpful as ever :)) but when compared to the sheer number of newbs who require just as much help now, as they would have then, it would seem to the big picture that there is a distinct lack of able ready-to-help players as a whole. And thus we arrive to present day...

In short, the community began as a small town, where everybody knows everyone, and all matters can be taken into consideration easily and with little effort, and grew into a sizable city where most of the time the Joe next to you could care less how your day has been (and if anyone has been to both of these kinds of places, then you should be able to recognize the analogy.) And thus, trying to reclaim our past community would be nigh impossible, unless the number of players drastically diminished...

Okay, sorry for wasting your time, but that's my two cents on this.

[Fireslinger]

wow, Daft, this is a good topic!

I agree with the past responses, all of them xD

CB was amazing, I have been a gamer in various forms (Console, Arcade, and more recently I have entered the realm of online games, SoS being my first.) but I remember CB as one of the best experiences I have had in gaming. The community was small, we were all fairly n00b, and we always found something new to enjoy. (I must have looked pretty funny to some people, I was named Fireslinger, and yet, in CB, I never once slung any Fire) I still remember the last event of CB, "The War." I died soooo much, and yet, did so with my friends, we fought together and died together, and had a heck of a good time. And it got me intensely interested in the storyline, the evil Alastor coming to raze the cities of the fledgling Xenians. I loved it, and the people made it all the more fun.

CB ended, I bonded with the members of the SP Forums during the downtime. And when OB began, it was AWESOME. I still remember checking the server over and over to see if it was up, and I remember being one of the very first to step foot in Essene, right beside my friends and many others who I would come to know well. (back when Essene was a ghost town)

Those first few weeks, heck, the run to 66 and Mage, was another of those gaming experiences I loved. We were all n00b yet again, we had a common goal, and we went after it together.

And then something happened, sometime after that is when I noticed the changes.

Cash shop, the Second Class change and the introduction of AOE skills. New people came, and we saw the first wave of "CS Users" who reached goals with boosters and cash pots that many of us took weeks to do, where they did it in two or three. It created dissension among some players, and as Varn stated, the battle of Cash-Shop Users and Non-Users began. Some AOE-ers no longer partied with those they used to, but instead disappeared into some maps with only an aco to accompany them for favor of better exp.

More players came, and I saw new groups arise. The spammers. Guilds. We as a community became seperated, unity no longer dedicated to the community, but instead to smaller groups of people. More closed off from the community as a whole.

All the while, we had minor storyline events, but the things I grew to know and love about this game lost their... whats the word... lustre. For me, the decline started when Outspark ceased to focus on the GAME, and made the game into a way to just make money.

The true fall of the Golden Days of SoS was the Cash Shop. Like it or not, agree with it or not, it is in the opinion of this avid gamer that the release of Cash Shop brought about the beginning of "SoS:The Business", no longer "SoS:The Game".

I know this to be truth though: the Golden Days will never return again. The community will grow, people will become super-powered in fairly short amounts of time, and Outspark will always be slow when it comes to the game's storyline.

But, that does NOT mean we as players cannot have a Renaissance of sorts, a return of old players, the return to our roots.

THAT is what I crave. New players are the body of SoS, but we, the ones who saw this game built from the ground up, we are the SOUL of SoS.

and dont worry Muxi, Alastor has yet to meet the newly returned Fireslinger... he is in for a surprise xD

[BellaAnimorum]

i think the best start to this plan would be to get all the old-timers together and come to an understanding. If we(yes myself just as much) can start to agree more, then we can take the pros that have the hours in and make a super strong core group, then with a group like that we can actually USE the influence we have instead of just thinking with our pride.

Even if we were to make such a group, how would we decide "pros" from the rest? The idea is good, but needs more fleshing out. And yes, we could all set our pride aside and try to 'come together, right now...' (eheh, sorry, couldn't resist) in order to figure out what could be done to make the game experience better for all.
But isn't that what the forums are for? :confused:

[thrakx]

i think pro was a poor word choice i guess since it indicates superiority which isnt what i meant. You should be able to figure out what I mean though. Its a general knowledge thing.

[AnimePimp66]

i was about to say.... "pros" so only ppl in CB are pros or yer Friends or "group that u lved with back in yalls noob times are "pros"? and who's to say a certain time the golden days @.@...maybe yer golden days not everyones golden days >.> . i nvr partyed with hardly any of yall cb ppls and i explored and learned the boundary's of this game with my own generation of peeps ive been here since January and ive lved with a group of friends that i have seen come and go and just like the rest of u ppls..... just give it a rest u ppls and c where the game ends....

[Daft_Brat]

i think the best start to this plan would be to get all the old-timers together and come to an understanding. If we(yes myself just as much) can start to agree more, then we can take the pros that have the hours in and make a super strong core group, then with a group like that we can actually USE the influence we have instead of just thinking with our pride.

That's exactly along the lines of what I was thinking. And I don't think Thrakx meant anything by the word Pro. It's the same as when I was talking about the people who have been here a while, who have seen how the community and game have morphed and who remember how it was. He wasn't on about forming an actual 'guild' or 'group' but more like just coming to a common understanding among those who have been here and who recognize what needs to be done. We've lost a lot of those key players but there are still plenty lurking around to be our own type of council or at least a body of players committed to keeping the community a good place to be and the best part of the game.



i was about to say.... "pros" so only ppl in CB are pros or yer Friends or "group that u lved with back in yalls noob times are "pros"? and who's to say a certain time the golden days @.@...maybe yer golden days not everyones golden days >.> . i nvr partyed with hardly any of yall cb ppls and i explored and learned the boundary's of this game with my own generation of peeps ive been here since January and ive lved with a group of friends that i have seen come and go and just like the rest of u ppls..... just give it a rest u ppls and c where the game ends....

We aren't talking about our golden days, we're discussing the game's golden days when people actually gave a crud about the other members of the game. Also, we aren't discussing just CB people but the people who have shown they give any thought at all to the community in general instead of just the grind part of the game.

EDIT: everyone here is a part of the community. All of us, not just those who have been around a while should work together to bring it back up to the way it was. ._. just so you don't think I'm only talking to like old-timers, was just saying that they should feel even more like contributing.

[PayCarebear]

I agree with Daft. When I first joined back in like November (before forum account was deleted >.>;...) what mainly drew me into the game was the awesome community. I had played some other MMORPGs but the community was barely existent and sometimes not there at all. But SOS felt like, well, not a big family but a big extended family. xD And in the first two months of OB it also felt kinda like that but then things just...stopped. And now all we do is complain, myself and some others here included. We complain about the exp, things GMs haven't put in yet, things they really should put in, the spammers, the boosters, a certain guild that shall remain nameless >.>... and tons of other things.

It really is depressing and I miss CB days but I don't think it's ever going to be like that again. Especially with the amount of new players that haven't even heard of CB. But the game is growing, which is good, and I do think that things might change a bit if we stop complaining but the community will never be as close as it was in CB. And we just have to get over that and make OB a better place. (That sounded really sappy but oh well >.>..)

[BellaAnimorum]

And I don't think Thrakx meant anything by the word Pro. It's the same as when I was talking about the people who have been here a while, who have seen how the community and game have morphed and who remember how it was. He wasn't on about forming an actual 'guild' or 'group' but more like just coming to a common understanding among those who have been here and who recognize what needs to be done.

Ahh, my response was more along the lines of agreeing with thrakx's idea, and your explanation Daft. If you guys want, we should first make a -VERY- specific and separate thread for this, where first we round up everyone who would actually willingly contribute to the effort, then next come to a concensus of what we would like to do and see done, etc...
Hmm, it kinda sounds like a player made Council, of sorts.
Anyways, I'm in, if anything comes of this.

[thrakx]

well some one popular make it and ill pop in when it comes.

[Daft_Brat]

well some one popular make it and ill pop in when it comes.

Lol I was thinking along those lines. I nominate Varn. >.>

[Black-Phoenix]

Well, yeah you have a point, and I notice how the community keeps randomly flaming GMs like there are the ones who will change everything thats wrong in 2-3 days. To tell u the truth, the GMs seem like really nice people trying to help, and I hate it when a GM comes and everyone fills around him/her like and angry mob, and while the GMs ask us how we are, everyone is asking pointless questions that they know wont make em happier.

I see people that ask them the same questions over, and over and over again, even after they know its been worked with.

By the way, I only read the first post on this topic.

[catry]

I was originally gonna post something different, but seeing today's wedding changed my mind quite a bit...

I loved this community when I first came. Not everyone was nice and friendly, but even the few "Bad apples" added some welcome uniqueness and diversity to our little community.

Now that the population has grown exponentially, it seems like the Bad Apples are also multiplying. At today's wedding I was appalled by how disrespectful people were, talking during the ceremony, ignoring requests to get off the carpet, even disrespecting the GM when he warped them off the carpet by going right back. It's as if the community is basically turning into a massive reflection of real life (for me anyway) which sorta defeats the purpose of it being an RPG >.> But I digress...

I think with the way the game is growing older players need to band together and be a positive example for newer players. New players learn by experience, just like we did, and I bet a more positive experience would create a much more enjoyable overall experience for us all.

In other words, I agree with Dafty and thrakx >.> I just felt like rambling <3

[BellaAnimorum]

If nobody jumps on it... I'll start the thread, and announce it in game tomorrow.

[Varlin]

With my whole heart I agree with daft, fireslinger, muxi and the whole lot of those who posted messages with the same mindset and goal. I will first admit thing have changed and daft I kinda went a bit crazy in pvp.. those who i pissed off... please except my apologies if you are reading this... i just like to kill... but yeah lets work on moving back to where we came from and have better days where everybody knows each other and we are all mostly friends.

[PayCarebear]

At today's wedding I was appalled by how disrespectful people were, talking during the ceremony, ignoring requests to get off the carpet, even disrespecting the GM when he warped them off the carpet by going right back. It's as if the community is basically turning into a massive reflection of real life (for me anyway) which sorta defeats the purpose of it being an RPG >.> But I digress...

Yeah, the last five or so weddings I've been to have been like that. T_T But I don't think Drekard has had to warp them off the carpet in any that I've been to. o.O But he has to say it like five times for even some of them to get off the carpet. And the constant talking is horrible, I'd hate to have someone (or many someones T_T) interrupting my wedding like that. It's sad and depressing for the couple getting married and even the friends of the couple that want their friend to have a good experience and whatnot. :X

There has to be something they can do about that. Maybe a mass-mute button for that area? xD

You never know... >.>

[kanoona]

eeep sooo many long posts >.<;;
i made half way down the 2nd page w00t :D
i agree 100% and im glad u made this thread.
i havn't been playing as much cuz its jst lame to see everyone complain all the time.
complaining makes no one happy >.<
I jst hope that everyone that is agreeing well keep to it after maitanence tonight if everything isn't acording to your plans >.<
this is our first test! go go go we can dooo eeeet :D

[gigglesofwisdom]

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l419/w00tDevin/CB.jpg
Yah I miss CB to Daft :/

[StriderHiryu]

CB was the best haha, in pvp we didnt have people complain about our group ( Steparus group XD ) killing randomly in pvp. It was Steps group vs Botsais group. We had people actually...try and level and challenge us and Botsais group did that and we actually had a challenge :D


Those were the days...


here were the Final CB pvp winners, Team Step vs Team Botsai, we won! Bwuahwhrhawurh
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9161/cbwinnerst8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
]

[dylanangel]

I've been here since week 2 of CB and I was so excited to play this game every day. I met a bunch of amazing people and when CB ended I was anxiously awaiting the day to come back. It was all so fresh and new the beginning of OB. All the friends I knew in CB were returning and I was getting that happy feeling back again. True it has changed but not so much for me. I make my daily time with my friends and new people. I don't let the constant annoying rants of what they expect and what they aren't getting get me down.
Being on the SoS council I know of some things that are coming so I am going to continue to keep that happy "cant wait for it" attitude.
I'm always game for meeting new people and helping my fellow players get to their goals.
I know this community can get back to what it was if we each work on it.

[gigglesofwisdom]

CB was the best haha, in pvp we didnt have people complain about our group ( Steparus group XD ) killing randomly in pvp. It was Steps group vs Botsais group. We had people actually...try and level and challenge us and Botsais group did that and we actually had a challenge :D


Those were the days...


here were the Final CB pvp winners, Team Step vs Team Botsai, we won! Bwuahwhrhawurh
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9161/cbwinnerst8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
]

I remember beating you in a team PvP event :3... Either that or you were on my team xD