It's no secret the posting quality around here has plummeted to an all-time low. Even with the oncoming patch, which some detractors have grudgingly accepted as positive, there are a small but persistent group of antagonistic persons who are flooding our boards with the same tired message: The game is irreparably broken, the problems are all systemic, the RMAH is all that blizzard cares about, etc. They offer no solutions, they tear down anyone who claims to still enjoy the game.
We have all replied to their posts or one of their off-topic rants within another, often promising, thread. We have all seen the cancerous ruin spread from Diablo III General Discussion to every other sub-forum. We have all nearly exhausted our patience trying to make them see how unreasonable their arguments are, or simply stop posting on a forum dedicated to a game they passionately hate.
We all know there will be things about the game we dislike. There is no perfect solution to any problem that makes everyone happy all the time. There is never an inappropriate time to air a gripe, legitimacy be damned, BUT and I must stress the BUT the presence of pile-on repeat-posts of the same completely irrational conspiratorial arguments have absolutely gone overboard. When you can type a response to one such post and proceed to copy/paste it a dozen times in as many different threads, all of which are on the first page of these boards, there is a problem.
So what do you personally think about the current forum environment? Take the poll and feel free to leave a comment detailing your opinions on the matter.
As far as actual trolls, they bug me but whatever. What really actually gets to me is the same copy-paste crap I see in every single thread that the people who post actually believe, when there is irrefutable evidence to the contrary. And it's over and over and over again, every thread. It's like these people read the Bnet forums all day and log on here JUST to dump the same brain imploding nonsense.
All I ever see is something along the lines of;
"D3 is broken"
"GG Blizz way to nerf our class"
"If you don't use the RMAH you can't even get into inferno"
"Every patch / hotfix / balance is directly related to moar profits on the RMAH for Blizz"
"I can't believe this game took 11 years to create" (completely wrong btw)
"Every one of these fixes should have been in release"
I actually just got angry typing those things.
Edit; And while I'm angry I might as well add what really irks me the most; "D3 Fockin sucks I hate this game!!!". Then quit. If all you want to do is log on and post this over and over, just quit. But no, they don't quit. They rack up 400+ hours while continually complaining, and it causes a blood vessel to rupture in my temple.
I dont think its "trolling" more that its ppl whining, as Bleu42 said
Those ppl spend more time writing QQ posts on forum then PLAYING the game, its quite sad
I don't tend to differentiate between the two, honestly. Repeating a whine that has been posted dozens of times and repeating it while a nearly identical topic exists on the first page? It may not be trolling by definition, but it's certainly meant to simply incite a flame war or circle jerk of negativity. I'll edit the OP for clarity's sake.
It's no secret the posting quality around here has plummeted to an all-time low. Even with the oncoming patch, which some detractors have grudgingly accepted as positive, there are a small but persistent group of antagonistic persons who are flooding our boards with the same tired message.
We have all replied to their posts or one of their off-topic rants within another, often promising, thread. We have all seen the cancerous ruin spread from Diablo III General Discussion to every other sub-forum. We have all nearly exhausted our repetitious words attempting to calm the rabid haters, make them see reason, or simply stop posting on a forum dedicated to a game they passionately hate.
So what do you personally think about the current forum environment? Take the poll and feel free to leave a comment detailing your opinions on the matter.
I voted that they are not constructive. WTB some moderators who actually give a damn about these forums to start doing their jobs IMO.
Diablo 3 is a TERRIBLE GAME! Everyone should know this by now. I don't understand how people can flame people who make threads about WHY the game is that bad and what has to change.
YOU don't like the game so it is terrible? Seriously child, grow up and show some maturity. Just because you think something doesn't make it a fact, it makes it an opinion. Plus, this site is diablofans.com, not cryaboutdiablo3likealittlebitch.com, if you have a problem with the game take it to the official forums, or did you get banned off them like you should be banned here?
I don't tend to differentiate between the two, honestly. Repeating a whine that has been posted dozens of times and repeating it while a nearly identical topic exists on the first page? It may not be trolling by definition, but it's certainly meant to simply incite a flame war or circle jerk of negativity. I'll edit the OP for clarity's sake.
Oh I wasn't meaning in any way to take the topic to the difference between the two, as I largely agree that I feel about the same towards both =D I just wanted to dial in the exact type that I hated the most lol
You have always struck me as a reasonable person who is perhaps on the other side of the fence, but as this thread goes; it is a complete farce. The poll is ridiculous. By definition, a "troll/whine thread" could not possibly be constructive. Also, your post makes anyone who sees problems in the game out to be unreasonable.
We have all nearly exhausted our repetitious words attempting to calm the rabid haters, make them see reason, or simply stop posting on a forum dedicated to a game they passionately hate.
I realize that this is directed toward the "rabid haters", but I see no provision for those who see real problems with the game but are in fact reasonable. As a result, you have painted anyone who disagrees with you as "unreasonable", and comments such as this:
Even with the oncoming patch, which some detractors have grudgingly accepted as positive
again paint us as people who are somehow invested in the failure of Diablo III. I'm sure you would count me as one of the "detractors", but I don't "grudgingly accept [the patch] as positive", I think it *is* positive, in every sense of the word. It is a patch which incorporates changes that I and people like me have been begging for.
We want the game to be fun. We want the focus to be on fun and not on so-called "balance". When a decision point arises wherein the developers/project managers have to make a choice between something which is potentially OP (but perhaps fun) and a possible nerf, we want them to err on the side of fun (i.e., leave as is), not caution (i.e., "nerf bat!"). We want a game where there are perhaps too many powerful weapons/builds/whatever rather than too few.
I think the developers are seeing that the majority of the playerbase feels this way and are making changes accordingly. For that I am pleased because I want DIII to succeed. I want to be enjoying this game 5+ years from now, but to achieve that, changes need to be made. I like the direction that the game is going and I am willing to be patient.
On topic: no, I don't like those who bitch and moan while proposing no reasonable alternative. I don't like those who troll near every thread with nonsense about how "blizz sucks", how they're incompetent, how they are money hungry, soulless pigs. Conversely, I don't care for those who unthinkingly defend poor design choices. No reasonable person likes either side very much I would wager. Both extremes suck and they make the community worse.
Diablo 3 is a TERRIBLE GAME! Everyone should know this by now. I don't understand how people can flame people who make threads about WHY the game is that bad and what has to change.
I don't understand how people on a FANSITE should have to put up with people who claim the game sucks, claim they have quit the game, but haven't and are still playing but are just looking to make trouble.
There's a pretty big difference between being constructive and forward-thinking and making a 17th post rehashing your thoughts on why the game sucked 6 weeks ago, whining about stuff Blizzard has acknowledged they are going to fix in the short-term, etc.
There is absolutely NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING, wrong with being forward-thinking and constructive. You'll find people disagreeing with you and that's expected. But you'll largely find people are appreciative of genuine attempts to make the game better. What is unappreciated is exactly shit like what you said. There is nothing productive about saying Diablo is a "terrible game." It may, in fact, be your opinion but if it's so terrible there is absolutely no logical reason as to why you would not either:
1) Quit the game and move on to something you enjoy more;
or
2) Provide some reasonable feedback on the game which hopefully makes the game better for you.
@BigEd
I don't think the OP is referring at all to people like you. I think it's more directed at stuff like... say the TWO threads about "why Diablo is broken" on the front page which are nothing more than rehashes of stuff that's been talked to death on these forums weeks and weeks ago. Hell, the one post is just a cross-post to an Op Ed on TheEscapist... where the guy talks about XFire numbers (which we all know is a giant misnomer to begin with) and how horrible the game is.
I think it's more aimed at people who just say "BLIZZARD IS FAIL" or "D3 SUXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" or "JAY WILSON SHOULD BE SHOT OUT OF A CANNON INTO THE SUN" and not people who are legitemately concerned about the game. There's definitely a chasm of a difference between people who are displeased with aspects of the game, but giving feedback in a productive, constructive, and mature manner and people who are clearly posting just to make a fight. There's a huge difference in the tone of the posts, the reactions they get, etc.
I, personally, don't mind dissenting opinions (even though sometimes I get a bit animated). But I do mind people posting ridiculous shit solely for the purpose of stirring up trouble.
I think the problem we're facing now is more of a where do we draw the line between just legitimately discussing things you'd like improved and complaining for the sake of complaining knowing it won't be changed, and then very obvious trolling. A lot of the reports I see are not trolling and usually fall more into the "complaining for the sake of complaining" area.
We are aware of this problem, but it's a delicate matter so I'm trying to ease into it as lightly and carefully as possible. I'll keep an eye on this thread if you guys want to discuss how you'd personally like to see things conducted and handled, or you can PM me with your idea of where the line should be.
I've been keeping a real close eye the last week now trying to figure out where I want to plant the border on this issue.
Keep this civil so we can possibly get some good feedback on how the people who regularly visit the site feel on this subject so the community and staff can get more on the same page.
You have always struck me as a reasonable person who is perhaps on the other side of the fence, but as this thread goes; it is a complete farce. The poll is ridiculous. By definition, a "troll/whine thread" could not possibly be constructive. Also, your post makes anyone who sees problems in the game out to be unreasonable.
I think we're all aware of the adamant whiners/trolls being discussed. If the subject seemed too general, that's unfortunate, but no I am not insisting that every proposal for a change or question falls into this category. I enlarged and put in bold the pertinent portion of the OP to better reflect this.
I'd also take issue with the charge that I, or anyone else, "blindly," defends every aspect of the game. I've even made threads about my issues (most ado of itemization, some with class balance). As I've posted elsewhere: being a fly and shewing one are not one in the same. A discussion of the forum atmosphere due to the prevalence of a very vocal minority can be reasonable.
I understand you are attempting to emulate a reasonable and dispassionate position, but frankly the more acute rise in "bitch and moan while proposing no reasonable alternative," leaves us little choice but to speak out. I'm not asking detractors to be silent (constructive would be nice), but I would like to hear from the community at large.
I've been keeping a real close eye the last week now trying to figure out where I want to plant the border on this issue.
Keep this civil so we can possibly get some good feedback on how the people who regularly visit the site feel on this subject so the community and staff can get more on the same page.
I'd also take issue with the charge that I, or anyone else, "blindly," defends every aspect of the game....
I didn't mean to imply that you did, I was referring to that group of people in contrast with the "rabid haters" you referred to (i.e., Hadley in this thread). I don't think you blindly defend Blizz, but... "or anyone else"? Why would you take issue with that? You really don't think that both extremes exist?
but frankly the more acute rise in "bitch and moan while proposing no ....reasonable alternative," leaves us little choice but to speak out. I'm not asking detractors to be silent (constructive would be nice), but I would like to hear from the community at large.
Agreed, it's a bit much. It's not like we see just as many threads praising the game. Honestly, I would have no problem with mods preemptively shutting those sort of threads down. If they lack facts or are vitriolic just close 'em.
No, I honestly do not recall anyone always making irrational defense posts. If you can find someone with a track record like that please let me know.
Well, I'm gonna have to cop out here because I really don't feel like doing research at the moment, but what mostly comes to mind is the passionate defense of DIII's online-always design from people here as well as on mmo-champ.
I could admit that it may provide some benefits, but few proponents would ever admit in return that it has obvious problems and, for the majority, is completely unnecessary (thankfully Blizz finally let us know that most people are playing solo, so now I can be confident when I make that claim). For many of us it is simply an encumbrance (and, at times, denies us service or kills our characters), but man, people gave me a lot of crap for my opinion on that one.
I don't know, I've seen it go both ways. I won't deny that the Blizzard bashing trolls are far more plentiful however. I posted this as an edit just a bit ago, but I'll say it again:
but frankly the more acute rise in "bitch and moan while proposing no ....reasonable alternative," leaves us little choice but to speak out. I'm not asking detractors to be silent (constructive would be nice), but I would like to hear from the community at large.
Agreed, it's a bit much. It's not like we see just as many threads praising the game. Honestly, I would have no problem with mods preemptively shutting those sort of threads down. If they lack facts or are vitriolic just close 'em.
It's funny, I just tried searching but can't find it. But I posted a long time ago why I even started using this site.
This community was one of the best around IMHO. almost everyone had good discussion, lots of good thoughts being shared..ect. It was really a nice thing to see.
However, since the games release, these threads have started to show up more and more. It's sad to see, but with any fansite, its going to happen.
People are going to want to share their thoughts, both positive, and even more so negative (most of the happy people are playing or just looking for news). People always feel better when they post their threads saying what they dont like (even if the thread is not adding to much new to an already made topic.)
Topic are going to be remade, subjects are going to be talked about over and over. There is only so much to bring up and people will always want to bring up their views in their own thread, nothing wrong with that at face value.
HOWEVER, with that said, there is a fine line with being a thread that has a negative view that can still have a discussion ,and one that just closes it off and says from the start "everyone else is wrong" These are NOT always trolls. People really due have negative feelings, and they want to share them with people. (even if some people don't want to hear of it). They just... dont word them in a way that is going to get a good response (usually they are just upset or have such a strong feeling one way, they just don't care to think about the outcome of the way the post is directed). [Granted there are trolls that do it :P)
Another reason users like to share these kind of threads, is due to the response. These threads often grow the fastest and have the highest post counts (and ironically, they statistically have the highest returning views) (granted they can be a pain for the moderators to look through as they always result to such a high level of trolling by page 2) but people like to return to these, its drama, and people love it =/
You could look at it one way and say if it's a topic like that, you can just avoid it, let the people that want to debate and discuss it do it, and the others just leave it alone. However even with that solution, you are still going to see that thread, and just get mad inside when you see a thought you don't agree with, it just happens...so that's not really a perfect solution either.
The bottom line users should be allowed to post these negative view points, or what have you, but they NEED to start doing it in a way that leaves room for talking. They don't even have to be "constructive" in the terms of adding "ideas to the game to make it better" it can just be a conversation or a debate (as long as it stays in line) about why they don't like it, or the game being based around the RMAH or w/e other hot topic they want. but the OP needs to format the post, and word it in a way that's not going to bring trolling by page 2.
Looking at mmo-champ, the largest fansite forums for a blizzard title. You're going to see threads where people post like that. It's just what happens, and what a lot of people want to post about. Though (this is a personal feeling) I can't stand the " i'm quitting" threads/posts. They just do nothing for me. They also bring a lot of trolling. BUT even those threads can be okay IF the op just takes the time to say list the reasons why. This can now bring a discussions about X reasons. [Those threads even get pretty big on mmochamp as well (it's also about how the community can transform that thread into a good debate or what have you)
TL:DR SO with all that wall of text.. to me it comes down to: its not what they are posting about, its how they are posting. Those negative posts are fine (imo) IF they can just word them in a way that won't bring trolling, and that is where the trick will come in.
Also a poll is not going to help to much here. A thread does not need to always be constructive to have a good talk going. Can be a thread just to talk/debate. Not so black and white as that. So if someone has a thought or feeling on this subject, I strongly suggest posting in this thread, and sharing that, instead of just voting
I also think this will clear up some once 1.0.4 hits!
[Please ignore the many grammar and typos in this. I'm currently working on about 8 different projects, and have had almost no sleep the last few days :D]
So.. you are complaining about other ppl complaining.
There are an incredible number of fallacies going around by some posters, my favorite is: "why are you complaining about Diablo in a site that is called Diablo FANS!!11!!!. /facepalm.
The game could be called DiabloSUCKS and if the game was excelent (or at least without major flaws) I would be posting my opinion about how I like some mechanig, or what detail could be improved, etc.
Other critical misstake I see sometimes, is that ppl think that if I dont suggest a solution to the problem, I dont have the rigt to even speak about the problem... let me ask you, since when?.
I can speak about something I think its flawed, or it can be improved somehow, and dont have a fucking idea about how to fix it. Seriously, cut the crap.
I really like D3, I played like 250+ hours, but I think it has major flaws within the very core of the game. Every friend/mate I have that was playing this game, stopped playing it, at all, some weeks ago. And Im not talking about 2 or 3, im talking about 30+ players.
Its amazing how the QQ about the QQ'ers, is more rude and stupid than the actual QQ about the game.
So.. you are complaining about other ppl complaining.
There are an incredible number of fallacies going around by some posters, my favorite is: "why are you complaining about Diablo in a site that is called Diablo FANS!!11!!!. /facepalm.
The game could be called DiabloSUCKS and if the game was excelent (or at least without major flaws) I would be posting my opinion about how I like some mechanig, or what detail could be improved, etc.
Other critical misstake I see sometimes, is that ppl think that if I dont suggest a solution to the problem, I dont have the rigt to even speak about the problem... let me ask you, since when?.
I can speak about something I think its flawed, or it can be improved somehow, and dont have a fucking idea about how to fix it. Seriously, cut the crap.
I really like D3, I played like 250+ hours, but I think it has major flaws within the very core of the game. Every friend/mate I have that was playing this game, stopped playing it, at all, some weeks ago. And Im not talking about 2 or 3, im talking about 30+ players.
Its amazing how the QQ about the QQ'ers, is more rude and stupid than the actual QQ about the game.
If people have a problem with the game why post it on these boards at all? What is that going to do for anyone besides making them feel better because they got to vent their frustrations? If they have a problem post it on the official boards, not on unofficial boards that Blizzard may skim once a month if that.
You talk about the QQ about QQers being rude and stupid, how smart are they to whine and bitch on an unofficial forum while giving no credible feedback at all? Their opinion isn't going to get to the people that actually matter, so what is the point? That's like yelling out their window that they don't like the food from a restaurant 10 miles away. Guess what? THEY WON'T HEAR YOU!
As to your opinion about the Diablofans comment, if they can articulate their problem intelligently without raging like a 2 year old and give a suggestion on fixing the problem then fine. They can post all they want even though it won't matter at all. But when they act like a child "THIS GAME IS TERRIBLE" then at that point they're acting like a baby and should be treated as such.
Well, I like this thread because, honestly, it's pretty neat to hear what the mods have to say about what they feel the site should be. I know Daemaro is probably annoyed with many of my reports! But nonetheless I have personally tried to clean up my posting style to be more solutions-oriented and avoid total RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE because everyone is guilty of it from time to time. What's frustrating is the people who are constantly guilty of it.
Now I'm probably barking up the wrong tree here because I don't think any of this will ever manifest itself into change because it's more societal problems than anything, but here goes...
I get frustrated with topics like "Why Diablo is Broken" ... it is just, I don't know, I feel like it's antagonistic from the start. Some of this is due to the complete lack of emotion in text and the inability to interpret vocal tone and inflection that we readily have in spoken communication. I find myself much more interested in discussing things if the same sentiments were expressed as "Some Things I Feel are Bad about Diablo." Something about it just triggers a very different emotion in my brain. Saying that a game is broken, for example, just feels ridiculously negative from the get-go. It feels like it's already careened far past the event horizon and will never come back from the abyss.
I get frustrated when people bring in "facts" like MetaCritic ratings where Diablo 3 had a ridiculous number of 0/10 ratings within 24 hours of release and want to tell me/us/whomever that it's proof that D3 sucks hard. The XFire thing is another point of contention with me. It's ridiculous to claim that D3 populations went down 80% according to XFire when XFire (and other overlays) cause the D3 client to crash. I feel like it's a symptom of the 24-hour news cycle where nothing has to be investigated and nothing has to be sourced. Balloon Boy is stuck in a silver UFO balloon thing above Colorado? MUST BE TRUE PUT IT ON THE AIR NOW! Don't take any time to actually do *investigative* journalism, just report on Tweets and rumors. The sad truth is that we've had several threads which cite both MetaCritic and XFire blindly as "evidence" that the game blows hard despite them being as far from evidence as possible.
I feel like a bit more acting like educated, semi-mature, reasonable people who sometimes even have a sense of humor would really be great. But, alas, these are not things you can moderate. They are problems with people.
Having worked several years in retail I can honestly say that you hear 10x as many unhappy people speak up as you do happy people. Most people who are pleased with something don't feel the need to share it, they just integrate it happily into their lives. People who are displeased with a product (say for instance they accidentally picked out a rotten piece of produce - shockingly it happens) tend to let everyone within earshot know how displeased they are. Sadly the things I appreciated most while I was working shitty retail jobs were people who knew how to handle their displeasure and NOT make a huge scene out of it - those people do exist believe it or not. There are people who can return a rotten tomato to the grocery store without making a huge stink and trumping up how inconvenient it was on their lives.
Ultimately, I think these forums would be "nicer" if more people learned to simply not make mountains out of molehills. D3 isn't exactly what you want? Eh.. ok, fine. Let's not make it into some kind of "Blizzard kicked my dog" thing. Let's address it reasonably and rationally. Hell, D3 isn't exactly what *I* want and I'm generally pleased with the game. I don't think that anyone really gains anything if I decided that everyone else must share in my misery over <thing that I don't particularly like> though. At the end of the day trying to make others miserable just because I don't want to be alone in my misery leads to nothing but a malcontent and angsty community. We saw this early on in WoW too. If anyone remembers what the Battle.net forums were like back then, well you know what I'm talking about - it was post after post of people laying it on thick about how dreadful every last little bit of everything was. It truly epitomized making mountains out of molehills.
But, I'm pretty sure that misery loves company, and that's a pretty large portion of what we're seeing. People with gripes may very well feel like if they don't force us all on board with their opinions then they won't get things changed. I think that's the driving motivator behind "the game is dead" posts honestly. I think that's always been the motivator behind calling games "dead," be it WoW, or D3, or D2, or whatever. If we can be convinced that the game has died then, perhaps, we'll start getting on board with suggestions to "save" it and that will help convince Blizzard to do what the poster wants. And, ultimately, that's what people want - to have the game changed in a manner they believe will benefit themselves the most.
Holy ... fuck ... I applaud anyone who actually read that. I think I need to go to bed now. Hopefully you people don't think I'm a sociopath.
TL;DR:
I don't think the problems that plague this forum, or any other forum, are totally moderatable. They're problems with people, problems that are far larger than Diablo 3, or Diablofans.com, or even a city or state.
So.. you are complaining about other ppl complaining.
There are an incredible number of fallacies going around by some posters, my favorite is: "why are you complaining about Diablo in a site that is called Diablo FANS!!11!!!. /facepalm.
The game could be called DiabloSUCKS and if the game was excelent (or at least without major flaws) I would be posting my opinion about how I like some mechanig, or what detail could be improved, etc.
Other critical misstake I see sometimes, is that ppl think that if I dont suggest a solution to the problem, I dont have the rigt to even speak about the problem... let me ask you, since when?.
I can speak about something I think its flawed, or it can be improved somehow, and dont have a fucking idea about how to fix it. Seriously, cut the crap.
I really like D3, I played like 250+ hours, but I think it has major flaws within the very core of the game. Every friend/mate I have that was playing this game, stopped playing it, at all, some weeks ago. And Im not talking about 2 or 3, im talking about 30+ players.
Its amazing how the QQ about the QQ'ers, is more rude and stupid than the actual QQ about the game.
I don't think the OP is just QQing about the QQers. Its an issue a lot have brought up, and a talk about it is not going to hurt (though this may not be directly Diablo related =P
I want'ed to reply to your post for a few reasons.
1) The way you worded this post, could bring trolling/flaming. There is no reasons to add /facepalm, or just wording it in a hostile way. Due to this, im afraid people will just over look your post as a troll post (100% based on the way its formed, this was one of the points I brought up, the user can have 100% valid good points, its just how they are presented)
2) I Agree with one of your points
Other critical misstake I see sometimes, is that ppl think that if I dont suggest a solution to the problem, I dont have the rigt to even speak about the problem... let me ask you, since when?.
and that was a point I was making about a post not having to be constructive to be good, and I agree with this 100%.
A post does not need to provide new ideas /solutions. It can be 100% about what you don't like, as long as the topic leads to a disccustion. Maybe now the community can reply and say they agree or don't. The ones that do agree can now share ideas that they think would fix it (even if the OP couldnt)
So negative posts that don't give solutions are not bad at all. its all about how they come off in the end. So I think the above point is a good one to be looked at
I get frustrated with topics like "Why Diablo is Broken" ... it is just, I don't know, I feel like it's antagonistic from the start. Some of this is due to the complete lack of emotion in text and the inability to interpret vocal tone and inflection that we readily have in spoken communication. I find myself much more interested in discussing things if the same sentiments were expressed as "Some Things I Feel are Bad about Diablo." Something about it just triggers a very different emotion in my brain. Saying that a game is broken, for example, just feels ridiculously negative from the get-go. It feels like it's already careened far past the event horizon and will never come back from the abyss.
This is one of the threads that is somewhat okay from the start IMO. He posts an article, but before that he asks "hear some feedback on what you think about it"
Right there, people can now say they agree, they don't agree. There was room for a good talk. People that just could not stand the article have the choice to not read the thread. But people do anyway, and they let the emotions get the best of them. (People are very very passionate about Diablo 3, which is great!) One strong post leads to another, and then another, and soon the whole topic gets out of hand even when the OP was not so much in the wrong.
The issue started right after the first few posts.. They are not adding to the disccustion and just making it going into a negative hole.
The next issue comes, well if that happens, should it just be locked? The issue there is all the people that ARE reading it and do want to talk about it. Like I said, those threads get the most returning views (not just people that have accounts either). But at the same time, they can get so crazy there is no way a mode can always fully clean it up. We try sometimes by posting something in there. Sometimes it works. other times it does not.
IMO only, I feel like locking a thread that some DO like, is just not a good solution when its being ruined by some that just don't communicate well, or attack the idea in a not helpful way. Its a tough situation.
I get frustrated when people bring in "facts" like MetaCritic ratings where Diablo 3 had a ridiculous number of 0/10 ratings within 24 hours of release and want to tell me/us/whomever that it's proof that D3 sucks hard. The XFire thing is another point of contention with me. It's ridiculous to claim that D3 populations went down 80% according to XFire when XFire (and other overlays) cause the D3 client to crash. I feel like it's a symptom of the 24-hour news cycle where nothing has to be investigated and nothing has to be sourced. Balloon Boy is stuck in a silver UFO balloon thing above Colorado? MUST BE TRUE PUT IT ON THE AIR NOW! Don't take any time to actually do *investigative* journalism, just report on Tweets and rumors. The sad truth is that we've had several threads which cite both MetaCritic and XFire blindly as "evidence" that the game blows hard despite them being as far from evidence as possible.
all I can say to this is I agree, I won't get into to much detail, but I get what you're going at, and I agree, that's where some threads turn south. But the problem comes when one set of people "Know they are facts" and they are set "Know they are not facts" they don't think about the other person, they just attack, and /facepalm...ect
That right there sets a horrible mode for the whole topic, and it will usually go down from there.
I feel like a bit more acting like educated, semi-mature, reasonable people who sometimes even have a sense of humor would really be great. But, alas, these are not things you can moderate. They are problems with people.
Who wouldnt love that
Having worked several years in retail I can honestly say that you hear 10x as many unhappy people speak up as you do happy people. Most people who are pleased with something don't feel the need to share it, they just integrate it happily into their lives. People who are displeased with a product (say for instance they accidentally picked out a rotten piece of produce - shockingly it happens) tend to let everyone within earshot know how displeased they are. Sadly the things I appreciated most while I was working shitty retail jobs were people who knew how to handle their displeasure and NOT make a huge scene out of it - those people do exist believe it or not. There are people who can return a rotten tomato to the grocery store without making a huge stink and trumping up how inconvenient it was on their lives.
yep this is what I was saying. People like to post negative things. even tho we are a fansite, people want to share ALL their feelings and thoughts, and a great deal of the time, those are the feelings we will see, as those are the ones people want to be vocal about.
and I never want to work retail ever again.. the horror stories man, the horror.
Ultimately, I think these forums would be "nicer" if more people learned to simply not make mountains out of molehills. D3 isn't exactly what you want? Eh.. ok, fine. Let's not make it into some kind of "Blizzard kicked my dog" thing. Let's address it reasonably and rationally. Hell, D3 isn't exactly what *I* want and I'm generally pleased with the game. I don't think that anyone really gains anything if I decided that everyone else must share in my misery over <thing that I don't particularly like> though. At the end of the day trying to make others miserable just because I don't want to be alone in my misery leads to nothing but a malcontent and angsty community. We saw this early on in WoW too. If anyone remembers what the Battle.net forums were like back then, well you know what I'm talking about - it was post after post of people laying it on thick about how dreadful every last little bit of everything was. It truly epitomized making mountains out of molehills.
But, I'm pretty sure that misery loves company, and that's a pretty large portion of what we're seeing. People with gripes may very well feel like if they don't force us all on board with their opinions then they won't get things changed. I think that's the driving motivator behind "the game is dead" posts honestly. I think that's always been the motivator behind calling games "dead," be it WoW, or D3, or D2, or whatever. If we can be convinced that the game has died then, perhaps, we'll start getting on board with suggestions to "save" it and that will help convince Blizzard to do what the poster wants. And, ultimately, that's what people want - to have the game changed in a manner they believe will benefit themselves the most.
Holy ... fuck ... I applaud anyone who actually read that. I think I need to go to bed now. Hopefully you people don't think I'm a sociopath.
TL;DR:
I don't think the problems that plague this forum, or any other forum, are totally moderatable. They're problems with people, problems that are far larger than Diablo 3, or Diablofans.com, or even a city or state.
and once 1.0.4 comes out, and then 1.1 I have a feeling it will turn back into that. D2 had a very rough start with the same kind of threads. Just needs time.
[PLEASE once again, as I posted in the first thread, note I have almost no sleep, and am working on a few things as I type this, Grammar / typos / and maybe a bad way of explaining myself may have slipped in here, please keep in mind]
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It's no secret the posting quality around here has plummeted to an all-time low. Even with the oncoming patch, which some detractors have grudgingly accepted as positive, there are a small but persistent group of antagonistic persons who are flooding our boards with the same tired message: The game is irreparably broken, the problems are all systemic, the RMAH is all that blizzard cares about, etc. They offer no solutions, they tear down anyone who claims to still enjoy the game.
We have all replied to their posts or one of their off-topic rants within another, often promising, thread. We have all seen the cancerous ruin spread from Diablo III General Discussion to every other sub-forum. We have all nearly exhausted our patience trying to make them see how unreasonable their arguments are, or simply stop posting on a forum dedicated to a game they passionately hate.
We all know there will be things about the game we dislike. There is no perfect solution to any problem that makes everyone happy all the time. There is never an inappropriate time to air a gripe, legitimacy be damned, BUT and I must stress the BUT the presence of pile-on repeat-posts of the same completely irrational conspiratorial arguments have absolutely gone overboard. When you can type a response to one such post and proceed to copy/paste it a dozen times in as many different threads, all of which are on the first page of these boards, there is a problem.
So what do you personally think about the current forum environment? Take the poll and feel free to leave a comment detailing your opinions on the matter.
All I ever see is something along the lines of;
"D3 is broken"
"GG Blizz way to nerf our class"
"If you don't use the RMAH you can't even get into inferno"
"Every patch / hotfix / balance is directly related to moar profits on the RMAH for Blizz"
"I can't believe this game took 11 years to create" (completely wrong btw)
"Every one of these fixes should have been in release"
I actually just got angry typing those things.
Edit; And while I'm angry I might as well add what really irks me the most; "D3 Fockin sucks I hate this game!!!". Then quit. If all you want to do is log on and post this over and over, just quit. But no, they don't quit. They rack up 400+ hours while continually complaining, and it causes a blood vessel to rupture in my temple.
Those ppl spend more time writing QQ posts on forum then PLAYING the game, its quite sad
I voted that they are not constructive. WTB some moderators who actually give a damn about these forums to start doing their jobs IMO.
YOU don't like the game so it is terrible? Seriously child, grow up and show some maturity. Just because you think something doesn't make it a fact, it makes it an opinion. Plus, this site is diablofans.com, not cryaboutdiablo3likealittlebitch.com, if you have a problem with the game take it to the official forums, or did you get banned off them like you should be banned here?
Oh I wasn't meaning in any way to take the topic to the difference between the two, as I largely agree that I feel about the same towards both =D I just wanted to dial in the exact type that I hated the most lol
Public poll results are nice.
I realize that this is directed toward the "rabid haters", but I see no provision for those who see real problems with the game but are in fact reasonable. As a result, you have painted anyone who disagrees with you as "unreasonable", and comments such as this:
again paint us as people who are somehow invested in the failure of Diablo III. I'm sure you would count me as one of the "detractors", but I don't "grudgingly accept [the patch] as positive", I think it *is* positive, in every sense of the word. It is a patch which incorporates changes that I and people like me have been begging for.
We want the game to be fun. We want the focus to be on fun and not on so-called "balance". When a decision point arises wherein the developers/project managers have to make a choice between something which is potentially OP (but perhaps fun) and a possible nerf, we want them to err on the side of fun (i.e., leave as is), not caution (i.e., "nerf bat!"). We want a game where there are perhaps too many powerful weapons/builds/whatever rather than too few.
I think the developers are seeing that the majority of the playerbase feels this way and are making changes accordingly. For that I am pleased because I want DIII to succeed. I want to be enjoying this game 5+ years from now, but to achieve that, changes need to be made. I like the direction that the game is going and I am willing to be patient.
On topic: no, I don't like those who bitch and moan while proposing no reasonable alternative. I don't like those who troll near every thread with nonsense about how "blizz sucks", how they're incompetent, how they are money hungry, soulless pigs. Conversely, I don't care for those who unthinkingly defend poor design choices. No reasonable person likes either side very much I would wager. Both extremes suck and they make the community worse.
I don't understand how people on a FANSITE should have to put up with people who claim the game sucks, claim they have quit the game, but haven't and are still playing but are just looking to make trouble.
There's a pretty big difference between being constructive and forward-thinking and making a 17th post rehashing your thoughts on why the game sucked 6 weeks ago, whining about stuff Blizzard has acknowledged they are going to fix in the short-term, etc.
There is absolutely NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING, wrong with being forward-thinking and constructive. You'll find people disagreeing with you and that's expected. But you'll largely find people are appreciative of genuine attempts to make the game better. What is unappreciated is exactly shit like what you said. There is nothing productive about saying Diablo is a "terrible game." It may, in fact, be your opinion but if it's so terrible there is absolutely no logical reason as to why you would not either:
1) Quit the game and move on to something you enjoy more;
or
2) Provide some reasonable feedback on the game which hopefully makes the game better for you.
@BigEd
I don't think the OP is referring at all to people like you. I think it's more directed at stuff like... say the TWO threads about "why Diablo is broken" on the front page which are nothing more than rehashes of stuff that's been talked to death on these forums weeks and weeks ago. Hell, the one post is just a cross-post to an Op Ed on TheEscapist... where the guy talks about XFire numbers (which we all know is a giant misnomer to begin with) and how horrible the game is.
I think it's more aimed at people who just say "BLIZZARD IS FAIL" or "D3 SUXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" or "JAY WILSON SHOULD BE SHOT OUT OF A CANNON INTO THE SUN" and not people who are legitemately concerned about the game. There's definitely a chasm of a difference between people who are displeased with aspects of the game, but giving feedback in a productive, constructive, and mature manner and people who are clearly posting just to make a fight. There's a huge difference in the tone of the posts, the reactions they get, etc.
I, personally, don't mind dissenting opinions (even though sometimes I get a bit animated). But I do mind people posting ridiculous shit solely for the purpose of stirring up trouble.
We are aware of this problem, but it's a delicate matter so I'm trying to ease into it as lightly and carefully as possible. I'll keep an eye on this thread if you guys want to discuss how you'd personally like to see things conducted and handled, or you can PM me with your idea of where the line should be.
I've been keeping a real close eye the last week now trying to figure out where I want to plant the border on this issue.
Keep this civil so we can possibly get some good feedback on how the people who regularly visit the site feel on this subject so the community and staff can get more on the same page.
Thanks.
I think we're all aware of the adamant whiners/trolls being discussed. If the subject seemed too general, that's unfortunate, but no I am not insisting that every proposal for a change or question falls into this category. I enlarged and put in bold the pertinent portion of the OP to better reflect this.
I'd also take issue with the charge that I, or anyone else, "blindly," defends every aspect of the game. I've even made threads about my issues (most ado of itemization, some with class balance). As I've posted elsewhere: being a fly and shewing one are not one in the same. A discussion of the forum atmosphere due to the prevalence of a very vocal minority can be reasonable.
I understand you are attempting to emulate a reasonable and dispassionate position, but frankly the more acute rise in "bitch and moan while proposing no reasonable alternative," leaves us little choice but to speak out. I'm not asking detractors to be silent (constructive would be nice), but I would like to hear from the community at large.
Good to hear!
I didn't mean to imply that you did, I was referring to that group of people in contrast with the "rabid haters" you referred to (i.e., Hadley in this thread). I don't think you blindly defend Blizz, but... "or anyone else"? Why would you take issue with that? You really don't think that both extremes exist?
Well... I hope I'm not emulating anything and actually mean what I say...
Agreed, it's a bit much. It's not like we see just as many threads praising the game. Honestly, I would have no problem with mods preemptively shutting those sort of threads down. If they lack facts or are vitriolic just close 'em.
No, I honestly do not recall anyone always making irrational defense posts. If you can find someone with a track record like that please let me know.
Well, I'm gonna have to cop out here because I really don't feel like doing research at the moment, but what mostly comes to mind is the passionate defense of DIII's online-always design from people here as well as on mmo-champ.
I could admit that it may provide some benefits, but few proponents would ever admit in return that it has obvious problems and, for the majority, is completely unnecessary (thankfully Blizz finally let us know that most people are playing solo, so now I can be confident when I make that claim). For many of us it is simply an encumbrance (and, at times, denies us service or kills our characters), but man, people gave me a lot of crap for my opinion on that one.
I don't know, I've seen it go both ways. I won't deny that the Blizzard bashing trolls are far more plentiful however. I posted this as an edit just a bit ago, but I'll say it again:
Agreed, it's a bit much. It's not like we see just as many threads praising the game. Honestly, I would have no problem with mods preemptively shutting those sort of threads down. If they lack facts or are vitriolic just close 'em.
This community was one of the best around IMHO. almost everyone had good discussion, lots of good thoughts being shared..ect. It was really a nice thing to see.
However, since the games release, these threads have started to show up more and more. It's sad to see, but with any fansite, its going to happen.
People are going to want to share their thoughts, both positive, and even more so negative (most of the happy people are playing or just looking for news). People always feel better when they post their threads saying what they dont like (even if the thread is not adding to much new to an already made topic.)
Topic are going to be remade, subjects are going to be talked about over and over. There is only so much to bring up and people will always want to bring up their views in their own thread, nothing wrong with that at face value.
HOWEVER, with that said, there is a fine line with being a thread that has a negative view that can still have a discussion ,and one that just closes it off and says from the start "everyone else is wrong" These are NOT always trolls. People really due have negative feelings, and they want to share them with people. (even if some people don't want to hear of it). They just... dont word them in a way that is going to get a good response (usually they are just upset or have such a strong feeling one way, they just don't care to think about the outcome of the way the post is directed). [Granted there are trolls that do it :P)
Another reason users like to share these kind of threads, is due to the response. These threads often grow the fastest and have the highest post counts (and ironically, they statistically have the highest returning views) (granted they can be a pain for the moderators to look through as they always result to such a high level of trolling by page 2) but people like to return to these, its drama, and people love it =/
You could look at it one way and say if it's a topic like that, you can just avoid it, let the people that want to debate and discuss it do it, and the others just leave it alone. However even with that solution, you are still going to see that thread, and just get mad inside when you see a thought you don't agree with, it just happens...so that's not really a perfect solution either.
The bottom line users should be allowed to post these negative view points, or what have you, but they NEED to start doing it in a way that leaves room for talking. They don't even have to be "constructive" in the terms of adding "ideas to the game to make it better" it can just be a conversation or a debate (as long as it stays in line) about why they don't like it, or the game being based around the RMAH or w/e other hot topic they want. but the OP needs to format the post, and word it in a way that's not going to bring trolling by page 2.
Looking at mmo-champ, the largest fansite forums for a blizzard title. You're going to see threads where people post like that. It's just what happens, and what a lot of people want to post about. Though (this is a personal feeling) I can't stand the " i'm quitting" threads/posts. They just do nothing for me. They also bring a lot of trolling. BUT even those threads can be okay IF the op just takes the time to say list the reasons why. This can now bring a discussions about X reasons. [Those threads even get pretty big on mmochamp as well (it's also about how the community can transform that thread into a good debate or what have you)
TL:DR SO with all that wall of text.. to me it comes down to: its not what they are posting about, its how they are posting. Those negative posts are fine (imo) IF they can just word them in a way that won't bring trolling, and that is where the trick will come in.
Also a poll is not going to help to much here. A thread does not need to always be constructive to have a good talk going. Can be a thread just to talk/debate. Not so black and white as that. So if someone has a thought or feeling on this subject, I strongly suggest posting in this thread, and sharing that, instead of just voting
I also think this will clear up some once 1.0.4 hits!
[Please ignore the many grammar and typos in this. I'm currently working on about 8 different projects, and have had almost no sleep the last few days :D]
There are an incredible number of fallacies going around by some posters, my favorite is: "why are you complaining about Diablo in a site that is called Diablo FANS!!11!!!. /facepalm.
The game could be called DiabloSUCKS and if the game was excelent (or at least without major flaws) I would be posting my opinion about how I like some mechanig, or what detail could be improved, etc.
Other critical misstake I see sometimes, is that ppl think that if I dont suggest a solution to the problem, I dont have the rigt to even speak about the problem... let me ask you, since when?.
I can speak about something I think its flawed, or it can be improved somehow, and dont have a fucking idea about how to fix it. Seriously, cut the crap.
I really like D3, I played like 250+ hours, but I think it has major flaws within the very core of the game. Every friend/mate I have that was playing this game, stopped playing it, at all, some weeks ago. And Im not talking about 2 or 3, im talking about 30+ players.
Its amazing how the QQ about the QQ'ers, is more rude and stupid than the actual QQ about the game.
If people have a problem with the game why post it on these boards at all? What is that going to do for anyone besides making them feel better because they got to vent their frustrations? If they have a problem post it on the official boards, not on unofficial boards that Blizzard may skim once a month if that.
You talk about the QQ about QQers being rude and stupid, how smart are they to whine and bitch on an unofficial forum while giving no credible feedback at all? Their opinion isn't going to get to the people that actually matter, so what is the point? That's like yelling out their window that they don't like the food from a restaurant 10 miles away. Guess what? THEY WON'T HEAR YOU!
As to your opinion about the Diablofans comment, if they can articulate their problem intelligently without raging like a 2 year old and give a suggestion on fixing the problem then fine. They can post all they want even though it won't matter at all. But when they act like a child "THIS GAME IS TERRIBLE" then at that point they're acting like a baby and should be treated as such.
Now I'm probably barking up the wrong tree here because I don't think any of this will ever manifest itself into change because it's more societal problems than anything, but here goes...
I get frustrated with topics like "Why Diablo is Broken" ... it is just, I don't know, I feel like it's antagonistic from the start. Some of this is due to the complete lack of emotion in text and the inability to interpret vocal tone and inflection that we readily have in spoken communication. I find myself much more interested in discussing things if the same sentiments were expressed as "Some Things I Feel are Bad about Diablo." Something about it just triggers a very different emotion in my brain. Saying that a game is broken, for example, just feels ridiculously negative from the get-go. It feels like it's already careened far past the event horizon and will never come back from the abyss.
I get frustrated when people bring in "facts" like MetaCritic ratings where Diablo 3 had a ridiculous number of 0/10 ratings within 24 hours of release and want to tell me/us/whomever that it's proof that D3 sucks hard. The XFire thing is another point of contention with me. It's ridiculous to claim that D3 populations went down 80% according to XFire when XFire (and other overlays) cause the D3 client to crash. I feel like it's a symptom of the 24-hour news cycle where nothing has to be investigated and nothing has to be sourced. Balloon Boy is stuck in a silver UFO balloon thing above Colorado? MUST BE TRUE PUT IT ON THE AIR NOW! Don't take any time to actually do *investigative* journalism, just report on Tweets and rumors. The sad truth is that we've had several threads which cite both MetaCritic and XFire blindly as "evidence" that the game blows hard despite them being as far from evidence as possible.
I feel like a bit more acting like educated, semi-mature, reasonable people who sometimes even have a sense of humor would really be great. But, alas, these are not things you can moderate. They are problems with people.
Having worked several years in retail I can honestly say that you hear 10x as many unhappy people speak up as you do happy people. Most people who are pleased with something don't feel the need to share it, they just integrate it happily into their lives. People who are displeased with a product (say for instance they accidentally picked out a rotten piece of produce - shockingly it happens) tend to let everyone within earshot know how displeased they are. Sadly the things I appreciated most while I was working shitty retail jobs were people who knew how to handle their displeasure and NOT make a huge scene out of it - those people do exist believe it or not. There are people who can return a rotten tomato to the grocery store without making a huge stink and trumping up how inconvenient it was on their lives.
Ultimately, I think these forums would be "nicer" if more people learned to simply not make mountains out of molehills. D3 isn't exactly what you want? Eh.. ok, fine. Let's not make it into some kind of "Blizzard kicked my dog" thing. Let's address it reasonably and rationally. Hell, D3 isn't exactly what *I* want and I'm generally pleased with the game. I don't think that anyone really gains anything if I decided that everyone else must share in my misery over <thing that I don't particularly like> though. At the end of the day trying to make others miserable just because I don't want to be alone in my misery leads to nothing but a malcontent and angsty community. We saw this early on in WoW too. If anyone remembers what the Battle.net forums were like back then, well you know what I'm talking about - it was post after post of people laying it on thick about how dreadful every last little bit of everything was. It truly epitomized making mountains out of molehills.
But, I'm pretty sure that misery loves company, and that's a pretty large portion of what we're seeing. People with gripes may very well feel like if they don't force us all on board with their opinions then they won't get things changed. I think that's the driving motivator behind "the game is dead" posts honestly. I think that's always been the motivator behind calling games "dead," be it WoW, or D3, or D2, or whatever. If we can be convinced that the game has died then, perhaps, we'll start getting on board with suggestions to "save" it and that will help convince Blizzard to do what the poster wants. And, ultimately, that's what people want - to have the game changed in a manner they believe will benefit themselves the most.
Holy ... fuck ... I applaud anyone who actually read that. I think I need to go to bed now. Hopefully you people don't think I'm a sociopath.
TL;DR:
I don't think the problems that plague this forum, or any other forum, are totally moderatable. They're problems with people, problems that are far larger than Diablo 3, or Diablofans.com, or even a city or state.
I don't think the OP is just QQing about the QQers. Its an issue a lot have brought up, and a talk about it is not going to hurt (though this may not be directly Diablo related =P
I want'ed to reply to your post for a few reasons.
1) The way you worded this post, could bring trolling/flaming. There is no reasons to add /facepalm, or just wording it in a hostile way. Due to this, im afraid people will just over look your post as a troll post (100% based on the way its formed, this was one of the points I brought up, the user can have 100% valid good points, its just how they are presented)
2) I Agree with one of your points
and that was a point I was making about a post not having to be constructive to be good, and I agree with this 100%.
A post does not need to provide new ideas /solutions. It can be 100% about what you don't like, as long as the topic leads to a disccustion. Maybe now the community can reply and say they agree or don't. The ones that do agree can now share ideas that they think would fix it (even if the OP couldnt)
So negative posts that don't give solutions are not bad at all. its all about how they come off in the end. So I think the above point is a good one to be looked at
This is one of the threads that is somewhat okay from the start IMO. He posts an article, but before that he asks "hear some feedback on what you think about it"
Right there, people can now say they agree, they don't agree. There was room for a good talk. People that just could not stand the article have the choice to not read the thread. But people do anyway, and they let the emotions get the best of them. (People are very very passionate about Diablo 3, which is great!) One strong post leads to another, and then another, and soon the whole topic gets out of hand even when the OP was not so much in the wrong.
The issue started right after the first few posts.. They are not adding to the disccustion and just making it going into a negative hole.
The next issue comes, well if that happens, should it just be locked? The issue there is all the people that ARE reading it and do want to talk about it. Like I said, those threads get the most returning views (not just people that have accounts either). But at the same time, they can get so crazy there is no way a mode can always fully clean it up. We try sometimes by posting something in there. Sometimes it works. other times it does not.
IMO only, I feel like locking a thread that some DO like, is just not a good solution when its being ruined by some that just don't communicate well, or attack the idea in a not helpful way. Its a tough situation.
all I can say to this is I agree, I won't get into to much detail, but I get what you're going at, and I agree, that's where some threads turn south. But the problem comes when one set of people "Know they are facts" and they are set "Know they are not facts" they don't think about the other person, they just attack, and /facepalm...ect
That right there sets a horrible mode for the whole topic, and it will usually go down from there.
Who wouldnt love that
yep this is what I was saying. People like to post negative things. even tho we are a fansite, people want to share ALL their feelings and thoughts, and a great deal of the time, those are the feelings we will see, as those are the ones people want to be vocal about.
and I never want to work retail ever again.. the horror stories man, the horror.
and once 1.0.4 comes out, and then 1.1 I have a feeling it will turn back into that. D2 had a very rough start with the same kind of threads. Just needs time.
[PLEASE once again, as I posted in the first thread, note I have almost no sleep, and am working on a few things as I type this, Grammar / typos / and maybe a bad way of explaining myself may have slipped in here, please keep in mind]