StormcrowAug 8, 2023
Chris "Wolfy" Neal
Game companies, please, I am begging you, for the love of whatever deity or consumer brand you hold dear: Stop opening Discords. They're a shit replacement for forums. Please. Fucking... PLEASE
Aug 8, 2023 at 12:37pmWeb
Show threadChris "Wolfy" NealAug 8, 2023

I have 16 of these goddamned servers I'm forced to follow because you're refusing to have catalogued information on a normal-ass website or forum.

16.

And freakin' growing.

Show threadBearmineAug 8, 2023
@wolfyseyes it also means internet searches won’t find any of that information. Which for people like me, who only search for game info, means I’ll never find your official info, ever.
Show threadbriAug 8, 2023
@bearmine @wolfyseyes not to mention none of that information being readily preservable for the future…
Show threadRakuno 🐀Aug 8, 2023
@wolfyseyes I couldn't agree more. Discord is a terrible way to find information at a later date and I definitely do not want to join a server just to see if there is the answer to a question I have!
Show threadThe Kosmikros Sisters 🌐Aug 8, 2023
@wolfyseyes 1,000% this.
Show threadrose (escaped not sanitized)Aug 8, 2023

@wolfyseyes

I agree, but do want to note that the maintenance side of forums is a massive pain.

Just the spam killing can be a lot.

But my previous point is entirely nullified by the hell that is modding in realtime.

This is not a both-sides. It's an oh-my-god-what's-behind-that-door.

(EDIT: For clarity, I'm both a fangirl and a professional community manager. It ain't great sometimes.)

Show threadChris "Wolfy" NealAug 8, 2023
@Rose_On_Mars I definitely don't mean to discredit CM work or how hard forum maintenance is, but Discord causes more problems than it solves, and the modding hell of what is effectively multiple instances of AIM has got to be something else (and another angle I had not considered before now so thank you for that).
Show threadrose (escaped not sanitized)Aug 8, 2023

@wolfyseyes

I've been working on some articles on what I've learned doing CM broadly and moderation in particular.

If you want realtime chat, Discord is the best solution.

But maybe consider you don't want realtime chat.

Unless the client demands it. Unless there's a danger of a rapidly growing fascist fan Discord. Ugh.

At one time, the compromise would have been an official subreddit. And, well.

I don't really know the best path now. Chews on my brain.

Show threadrose (escaped not sanitized)Aug 8, 2023

@wolfyseyes

A sufficiently active forum *is* effectively realtime, but it's archival rather than tears-in-rain.

You can dig out the thread of conversations, even if you do it fast.

I'm lucky enough to be working with a really good and robust forum platform for my current gig. But I sign the checks, so I know it's pretty costy.

If anybody's got better compromises, I would *really* like to hear them.

Show threadrose (escaped not sanitized)Aug 8, 2023

@wolfyseyes

BTW, I didn't think you were bagging on CM work in the OP. I was agreeing and venting.

And hoping maybe someone's documented footwork or experimentation in the area that I've missed.

Show threadYoraAug 8, 2023
@wolfyseyes That's not an issue with Discord, though.
Show threadwelshtrollAug 8, 2023
@wolfyseyes I couldn't agree more.
Plus I'm not going to keep deleting discord servers from my list to join the one for your game.
And it gatekeeps knowledge away from your player-base searching for answers.
Show threadJaedia ⚔️ HannahAug 8, 2023
@welshtroll @wolfyseyes I like having them, I just wish they'd keep their updates simple and not require everybody to be on a certain platform to see them. That's what websites are for.
Show threadEdward CreeAug 9, 2023
@wolfyseyes One of the nice things about IRC is that, it being ephemeral, people aren't tempted to make it stand in for a forum, wiki, or (whisper it) actual fucking documentation.