Concerning the RP boards

[Da Pwny]

I couldn't help but noticing that well over half of the current RP boards are not being used, at all. And although simply ditching these would be a bad waste in some respects, perhaps this might be a nice solution:

take all the boards that aren't being used (including those with no posts) and move them into an "Inactive Threads" board, so that they'll still be around, but not cluttering up space and extending the length of the entire front page into an astronomical waste of space x-x If this cannot be done, then perhaps simply move all the unused RPs into that inactive area, and delete the boards that haven't been used after so long... say, a year (which wouldn't be much of an issue as most haven't been used since 2006 it seems).

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[Caelen]

Considering that the active threads remain at the top of each section, I don't know if that's really necessary. It seems like a waste to get rid of older threads... besides, I haven't read them all yet ^^;

[Ze]

look, thing is, some people can't come back for a long time, it's called life. And they want to post when they come back.

and no disrespect, but it's not your job to dictate what should be done.

Kait knows about the inactive threads and has deleted ones that will never be used again. on occasion, she does a sweep and deletes threads.

but as it is, I know my dead RP's that I can't post in anymore, I still enjoy reading them, even if they were from 2006 or even when I first joined 4 years agoand I don't enjoy the fact that someone is suggesting deleting the boards I put alot of heart into.

I've already lost some of my most original, I'd hate to lose more before I get the time to copy them all.

[The Mammoth]

I really think that the

"No disrespect but its not your job..." was a bit uncalled for.

He was simply making a suggestion. And he didn't say delete them, he said move them to end the clutter. I agree that moving them would be a good idea, but i'm new, so my voice carries little weight. Nonetheless, I think a forum is a collaborative effort, because who created it doesnt have anything to run if there's nobody here. Its an idea that can be discussed that doesnt need comments like "its not your job to decide"

[Da Pwny]

What the hell D: ?! It was a suggestion... you don't need to attack it like a dog to a fat steak.

I know what its like to lose something you worked on for so long and hard, and I would not wish it upon anyone (except those whom might be purposefully godmodding, metagaming, or the like). Its happened to me several times already, and I most certainly did not enjoy it, especially after one incident where I found out that they purposefully deleted the board because of petty issues... *cringes*

All I suggested was, as M recapped, to either move the boards into an inactive area, or delete the boards and move the posts within them to said board... of course I would not like to delete them! That would be a waste of such great material for all to enjoy... I would not want that. If no one is using them or will ever use them, then why have them cascading down an impossibly long list of which most people will only get lost in?

A simple "Here's our copywritten material boards, our older copywritten materials metaboard, and here's our original stuff board" structure would do fine... It would cut down on the clutter, while still having everything in place. And if people wanted something that's already a board and are going to use it, then it could just be brought back out...

That's my suggestion there. Plain and rather simple.
Lets let Kait decide whether it gets trashed or not. And if it does, then fine, that's that.

[Ze]

look, I didn't attack. I just said things plainly. it's rather easy for one bad event to help others spiral out. and as of this morning I'm just being frank today.

I added that 'no disrespect' thing because I knew what I was going to say was going to be a bit harsh. If I hadn't cared about someone getting mad at me I wouldn't have said it at all.

Now, if you just want to say how what I said was or was not warranted, go find a way to fix a cracking heart, and maybe I'll be less frank with you.

and as for the other boards to put the old threads. even if you moved them to another board, like you said, over half of the RP's are dead.

a new board is just a new place to get lost searching.

[knightc3]

Hello all. I would just like to inform you all that when I had signed up on the forum, I had asked Kait if it was possible for her to *move* the orginal theme board above the 'inactive' ones. She had refused saying that she wanted people to see the boards available in hope that they would start posting it it as it was the members who had asked for the boards. And I think she is right considering we have started posting in some of the previously inactive ones already.

Kait, sorry if I twisted your words a bit but I am pretty sure that was the jist of it.

[Kait]

That was indeed the gist of it, and I appreciate you putting that here since I was completely unaware that this conversation was taking place.

I started this forum with Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Original Themes. Every other role playing board you see was created by request of three or more members. The board creation system on this site ensures that every board means something to multiple members. To delete them would be rather disrespectful to those who worked toward their creation.

Also, putting inactive threads in an rpg graveyard of sorts leaves little chance for their revival. Yes, I understand that there are many rpgs here that are ancient and involve members who you've probably never heard of before. However, you'd be surprised at how many times my old friends have come back to rp in something ancient with me. Besides, rearranging the entire structure of the board and hunting down and moving every inactive rpg would require a lot of work that I simply have no interest in doing.

Finally, if the scrolling down the page is at the root of the problem, might I suggest that people start rping in something besides Original Themes? Rp in .Hack and you don't have to do any scrolling at all. I understand the appeal of Original Themes, but I'm personally getting rather tired of that board getting all of the attention so that everything else withers and dies. The funny thing is that there are a lot of the Original Themes rpgs that sound like they'd fit right into a copyrighted topic with no problems at all. We have every sci fi/fantasy legend available here. There's one that you each like, so rp in it already and then it won't be dead and we won't have a problem. Everyone keeps trying to make this site revolve around Original Themes and I won't have it.

And yes, I appreciate suggestions from my members. If I didn't, most of the things on this site wouldn't exist because I wouldn't have thought of them. However, I'm afraid that this is one suggestion that just isn't going to happen. Thanks for asking though.

[piñata]

I tend to gravitate toward a particular area of interest (say, for example, Star Wars) for a few months or even a year, then lose interest in that subject (usually after any RPs I'm in in that board have already died). So I might want to go back to Magic: The Gathering (especially if it's a storyline RP and not a card-playing one) eventually, and would like for it to be on the main page when I do.

As for Original Themes: People are proud of their ideas, and want to shamelessly plug them. That board will always get the most posts, though that doesn't mean that the site revolves around it... there are other boards that get plenty of posts.

[Da Pwny]

ok, in my defense (if i have any left):

1) I understand the need to separate them, and I know there's a lot of stuff in here that I don't recognize right off the bat. I also realize that people do play a part in the making of such a forum. But I've noticed plenty of forums with no posts at all. Why are they around? Memorium of those whom will never be here again?

2) I've seen friends come back before after a year or more of activity... some people whom I've never met before until then became some of my closest friends that I have now. But really, is there that much of a need to keep those boards around to continuously clutter up the forums when you have a pretty good feeling that they won't be coming back? At least with an Inactive area, should they come back, you can just bring it back out and be like "Hi! Welcome back! Here's that board you started on so and so long ago, and we've been keeping the dust off of it for you." Or something like that XD

3) Of course there's plenty in the OT board that could fit into a copywrite section; much of what is around nowadays is either a remake of something old, or taking off of an old idea and modernizing/changing it a bit to make it 'different'. If you look even at the Inheritance trilogy, possibly the most recent example of an epic, there's reminants of Star Wars, Dune, and other sci-fi and fantasy epics in there mixed all together. There really isn't that much that's completely original anymore; just a fact of the life and times we live in, and its not good or bad, its just how the ball rolls.

4) Finally, forgive me if this sounds insulting, but that second-to-last paragraph sounds more like a cop-out to me to get other people to post just for that sake. I know I'm going to be using the .hack forum at some point or another, namely because I'm an all-out freak for most all things .hack, but that doesn't mean I'm one to just start a story and hope it works out for the best without planning it for some length of time (which I'm still doing, but keep getting distracted from...). I like to plan my stuff so that it has a chance for survival... though from there on out its a go-with-the-flow sort of deal XD

I don't know how others do it, but it seems to me that the worst RPs are the ones that have little to no planning. And then again, that's where some of the best ones come from as well. I think it depends more upon the participation from other people and their willingness to make something work than how something starts out... and I've seen what scarce participation has done first hand, many times. Buddies from my other forums can vouch for that... its more than frustrating when people don't participate or refuse to >.< and I know I've done it upon occasion, but usually I keep justified reasons for doing as such. Usually...

and like pinata said, people like to use their own ideas more than other people's, which is why the Original Themes will have more posts guaranteed.

Aaand I'm done. That's the last bit I'll argue, namely because my stomach is growling at me...

[Kait]

Ugh. This is giving me a headache. I personally find your tone very disrespectful, and I don't appreciate it. I listened to your request, I gave it some consideration, I explained my reasons to you, and if none of those reasons work for you, let's try this one. I've been running this forum nonstop for over four years, so things run the way that I want them to. And d**n, I've been doing a pretty good job if I don't say so myself. I've only had to ban one member, I've managed to remain a friend to my members instead of a dictator, and I've received very few complaints from anyone. Things have worked EXTREMELY well for the Haven with the way things are. I've had a grand total of two people complain about the way that the boards are arranged, and everyone else I've listened to is pleased with the current system. This has nothing to do with how rpgs are run or whether or not everything's been done already in some form or another. It's about inactive boards and nothing more. I've given you my answer and that's that.