Important topic.
#1
Fri, 08/10/2012 - 14:50
Important topic.
If you are an active member of this clan, I would like you to post something about this topic. Please be prepared to spend some time. The topic has grown at a very quick rate.
You can find it here:
http://www.2old2play.com/forum/talk-back/topic/do-clans-help-or-hinder-2old2play-498413
Thanks for posting the link. A good topic of discussion, one which I think is a good subject to discuss objectively.
I have been thinking similar thoughts myself regarding 2old2rpg. Since the topic out there is already up in the air and it looks like they are coming up with some general conclusions, mayhap we discuss our own.
When I created 2old2rpg back in the day it was because there was no place on 2o2p to discuss rpg's. My mistake was making it a closed clan and not open. But I tried my best to make it known it was here, no one would be denied access and the only way to lose it would be if you were disrespectful of others. I only had to enforce it once at the very begginning of the clans life. I did want it closed for that reason though. I wanted to be able to remove people who would troll or grief others. That line of thinking wasn't reallyt necessary here at 2o2p.
Like I said, the clan was started because a lack of ability to discuss rpg's in the general forums, without them getting hidden behind walls of halo, cod and GoW topics. Also it was to hopefully bring the RPG community together and make finding game time with one another easier. I believe it worked in some regards, but in other ways it did not. After some time doodi added the RPG section in the general forums and removed any real need for 2old2rpg. It is obvious that there are members that really enjoy it in here but in the end this clans role is redundant, and perhaps hinders the effectiveness of the whole community by segregating information and like minded gamers. I had some issues in my life and stepped away from an administrative role in the clan. But I have been watching with keen interest as others have tried admirably to breath fresh life into it. But I believe it is simply a redundant feature on 2o2p that mostly splits the community. If we closed the clan down, I think it would perhaps be a benefit to everyone here.
Po, I am inclined to agree.
I must say that a couple things have "irked" me some of late. A 2o2rpg member that was a recent add had to post in the new to town forum about where to look for other people playing an MMO. They never came here to ask. I was a little upset they never came here to ask us and they never came to make an introduction either. On the later part, very few of the newly added people have at least made an introduction either.
With the discussion on the clans bringing this to light; would you all agree it may be more "approachable" having just the RPG forum and not a dedicated clan? Honestly, we don't have a dedicated raid/farming set. No formal online play group(although there does seem a core group of 2o2rpg ME3 and BL2 people forming) so to speak of. When there is a major MMORPG release it seems that everyone seems to go their seperate ways here.
With an open RPG section with dedicated mods/admins for RPG or MMO events maybe it will be a tad easier to form gaming groups.
I have given this a great deal of thought as well in the past few months.
2old2RPG essentially "runs itself" with minimal need for a moderator at the moment, which makes my "job" easy, frankly.
Aside from creating a few threads each week or picking out information that I think might have slipped through the cracks or some sort of new or amusing news, this is a very hands-off forum.
Opening it up would definitely spark more interest in the forum and widen the appeal to others. Likewise, it would allow more brazen conversation, I think.
It is a double edged blade, honestly, but I would say we have maybe two dozen active members and an untold number of lurking members who may be viewing content, but don't contribute. Our total membership for this clan is just shy of 190 members, just as a point of information.
I've discussed this offline with other members who were opposed to opening forum to the public, but if 2old2play has more of a gateway for entrance at some point, referrals, applications, etc, I don't think we're talking about anything within our group that isn't more easily discussed with more members who may be more active.
Additionally, game nights/weekends for a launch of Borderlands 2, for example, may generate more groups that can play during regular and off times of the day.
I would be happy to moderate a more active clan, though Loc and I might be overwhelmed a bit if we get thrown to the wolves and would lean on other folks in our little community to help keep it civil.
Cad
I know that some of those members do not even come to the site anymore. I hate to drop them because some of them are still on my FL and still regular RPG players.
I don't mind the lurkers, I do want them to feel at home and if they want to chip in, they are always welcome to.
I have heard grumblings myself from members that they may not want "chat" with the "general population" on the site either. Frankly spoken, they don't want to get flamed or trolled. That is something that obviously bothers people enough to push them to the sidelines.
This is true of a lot of people on the site. Wether or not it happens on the site it is an issue some people take to heart. I honestly like the clan idea but, the RPG section on the main forum is probably the best one out there. If they could set up the other genre forums in that manner (have sub forums for specific games within it) and get rid of the divisions, this would be a start to streamline the forums and possibly increase activity if clans were curtailed in some manner (charging money or getting rid of them).
About 30 people on my friends list who I met through the site have yet to post more than a handful of messages if that since V3. I don't think a change is going to make them post more or even visit the site.
I think its an accurate observation that flaming and trolling are extremely uncommon in the public area of the site. But it would be nice to hear from others in this group about how they feel. Is this group more of a sanctuary to some? If so it demonstrates why some would prefer it remain closed, as I was unaware of this before. If that is the case then by all means this community should stay where it is. Please if you feel that way speak up. If you don't then it strengthens the argument that 2old2rpg is simply an unnecessary redundancy.
I like the RPG small town clan site. I get a feel for the people here and that helps in situations where you want advice, not ego wars. Continuity is good for me.
You know, I have had people on my FL since I first came here from the old xbox.com boards but haven't seen them around the site.
An example would be Mike The Knife. Still very active, still has 2old2play, yet I don't remember seeing a post or a blog from the guy since the V3 release. In fact, I only played a few times with MTK on R6 Vegas but had a good time.
Most people know my personal thoughts about this. The one thing that keeps me around anymore is this closed clan (2o2rpg). I don't have to worry about trolling/flaming or instances of losing this clan like I did with 2o4duty .. I don't have to worry about my personal beliefs about the leader of the group attacking a clan memeber that wasn't in a joking manner that says suck it up as your an adult ..
I am one of the few members that think like this.
Yeah, the moderator is a narcissistic jerk. But that's why we love LocGaw. I kid!
You don't love me? I am hurt by these words.
lol
I prefer the closed clan forums to the open forums. I find you can joke around a little more as well as share sensitive information (i.e. passwords for servers or other information you don't want to share with everyone on the planet). That's my preference. I mean honestly it's easy enough to join clans here.....look how many I'm in lol I don't see it as much of a barrier. I guess it's kind of like watching a band at an arena or going to a club.
@LOC .... MTK is also trying to get his start up business ran and in the eyes of the public ... Which is a really good product which is why you haven't seen him around ...
No kidding? Good for him!