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A General Observation
Perhaps this ought to go in Site comments. And maybe it will end up there. But the comment needs to start here.
What the hell is going on in our adventure community?
I log on every day. Sometimes three of four times a day. And, with the exception of the current playthrough, which ought to be getting more activity than it does, and the “Adventure game scene… uh” thread, there is virtually no forum activity.
I would wager that not one single thread has been bumped from the front page in over a month.
If I were a newbie, visiting for the first time, I would say “nothin’ going on here.” and move on.
Granted, this has been going on forever. I recently re-read the Adventure Scene of the Day thread that discussed who would take over after Karlok and chrissie stopped posting. The discussion became quite acrimonious at times. But underlying it all was the need to find new people who were interested enough the carry on the task. We did, but that, too, died after eighteen months.
Question: Have we become too insular? Have we made developers feel unwelcome? The are may questions that come to mind. Are we no longer THE place to discuss games? If not, why not?
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I saw GateKeeper have a similar statement: just a general lull in adventure game forums. TBH, I feel like what constitutes adventure games is just different than it used to be, though I do not frequent forums as much as I used to. Not sure if that is a wider phenomena? I used to frequent forums a lot. I really joined here for the community playthrough. It seemed like a really fun engagement. The adventure game scene is fun too, albeit obscure! Also, it is just hard to join a long established forum; a lot of interpersonal dynamics and debates built on prior debates. As you said, inevitably insular.
As far as developers go, I have only seen Indie developers and Ken? or Roberta? Williams posting about Colossal Caves.
Are there that many places to discuss adventure games?? I feel like these things just wax and wane, tbh. Also, January/February suuuuuuucks for time-budgeting.
This has probably something to do with the general decline in the quality of the website. I have hard times even visiting the front page today, not to mention reading the reviews or those promo ads. Just noticed I missed the Aggie awards, and this makes me feel indiffirent. Some American Arcadia won the Reader’s Game of the Year and lots of other nominations. Has anyone even heard of this game before - which looks like a Playstation platformer from the 1990s?
PC means personal computer
Hopefully my perspective as a newcomer might help shed some light. First thing I’ve noticed was how cumbersome it is to navigate on mobile devices which are +60% of global internet traffic (just look at that mess below), and that there seems to be little effort put into updating threads outside of this Forum, like General or Chit Chat, which to me are an ideal first step for many with still just a cursory interest for the genre. And, speaking of acrimonious, my first experience here was someone making a bizarre claim as factual and when asked for any source on it it quickly devolved into moving goalposts and calling someone else I invited to this site a redditor. What an introduction, huh.
On a much more serious note that I feel needs to be shared, and this appears to be the best time to do it: When I asked another friend that introduced me early on to Grim Fandango if she would like to join too, she immediately told me no way! because apparently she did so before only for an admin to start calling her pretty and stuff in the PMs because of her photo, then eventually banned her by accusing her she wasn’t the same person in it. From what I’ve gathered said admin hasn’t posted in quite a while or rarely does anymore.
Some American Arcadia won the Reader’s Game of the Year and lots of other nominations. Has anyone even heard of this game before
I’m surprised you hadn’t yet tbqh. It’s an indie sleeper hit that has been covered in quite a few mainstream gaming sites; even Yahtzee made 2 or 3 videos on it in his new Ramblomatic show.
I saw GateKeeper have a similar statement: just a general lull in adventure game forums. TBH, I feel like what constitutes adventure games is just different than it used to be
Yes, I did say that. I don’t think there’s any extremely active discussion going on anywhere. Although there are places that are a bit more active than AdventureGamers currently is.
Your point about genre definition is true too. At least in some Reddit discussions someone is making a point about something, and the 10 replies that follow point out that it’s not even a real adventure game.
I do not frequent forums as much as I used to. Not sure if that is a wider phenomena? I used to frequent forums a lot.
It is a wider phenomenon.
Old style forum discussions are dying.
I recently joined another forum that is game-related, although not exactly about games. For a few days the latest post in three different subforums was a post made by me, and one subforum still has the most recent post by me that I wrote last week, maybe five days ago.
Are there that many places to discuss adventure games?? I feel like these things just wax and wane, tbh. Also, January/February suuuuuuucks for time-budgeting.
There are many places, but not sure if any are what you are looking for.
There are maybe five forums that are useful (not all of them are in English), there are some Reddit discussions, maybe five Facebook discussion groups, about five Discord discussion groups as well, and so on.
So there are places to get information about new games, promotions, etc., but no one place to have lots of active discussion topics.
Question: Have we become too insular? Have we made developers feel unwelcome? The are may questions that come to mind. Are we no longer THE place to discuss games? If not, why not?
Some active things, such as the old Following freeware article series, could bring more readers, and more people to discuss the content of those articles. What some other sites do, as they start a new thread for every new game released, could work to some extent too.
Many developers have their own channels, I think. They can have their own social media accounts, and if their games are crowdfunded, those platforms offer a place to discuss their games specifically as well. So they don’t necessarily need to discuss their games here.
On the other hand, if they are discussing things related to actual development, they can do that on sites related to their game engines, AGS, Wintermute, Visionaire, etc. all have their own forums.
So if you want to get in touch with developers, you can do that in many cases. But the discussion is fragmented, and there’s no one stop anywhere to find it all.
Some people who i still keep in contact with have moved on because they got tired of being pitched endless games/kickstarters that were not even really adventure games and they said this site has become nothing but one big advertisement and moved on.
For the record I think another issue is there are no huge games imminently on the horizon that people are truly excited about. I tried the steam nextfest and all the games seemed meh at best. Prim was kind of cool, but a lot are just there. I’m personally interested in foolish Mortals which who knows when that’s coming out, same with old skies and of course the new Broken Sword but there’s no real time frame on any of those games.
Also once again reading is fundamental I didn’t call your friend a redditor. I said he used the term gaslighting like somebody on reddit would. It is the new buzz word of the moment, anytime somebody doesn’t agree with them or points out they’re inaccuracies they say quit gaslighting me, it’s just a trendy word that now means nothing.
I had written a fair chunk on this when I lost everything I typed. One of the main failures, in my view, of the forum software is that if you inadvertently leave the page you lose everything you had typed but not posted which has just happened to me. Might try to redo it when I have some more time.
I was going to end on a a slightly positive note which I shall still do here.
Back in November last year I noticed a high level of views on the “3 Songs In The Moment” thread in the Chit Chat forum (I initiated a thread in the Site Feedback forum in case anyone is feeling really bored) and I’ve been collecting data on this on stray days since. Accordingly I’ve got view counts for the last 45 days from the first page of that forum and it shows that visits, at least, aren’t too bad. Bit of a shame that I don’t have the Adventure forum data but that’s how it is. Just spent a little while collating that information which is below.
Life is what it is.
@Jdawg445 the world gaslighting has been around since the 60’s. Oxford defines it as “The action or process of manipulating a person by psychological means into questioning his or her own sanity.” Things like diminishing and reframing someone’s unpleasant experience for them would be a great example of gaslighting!
Of the two new people addressing the original posting’s questions, one of them being belittled for sharing their forum experience is a great example of what is most certainly insularism or outright antagonism. We are clearly here because of a common interest!
@Jdawg445 the world gaslighting has been around since the 60’s. Oxford defines it as “The action or process of manipulating a person by psychological means into questioning his or her own sanity.” Things like diminishing and reframing someone’s unpleasant experience for them would be a great example of gaslighting!
Of the two new people addressing the original posting’s questions, one of them being belittled for sharing their forum experience is a great example of what is most certainly insularism or outright antagonism. We are clearly here because of a common interest!
whatever, the term gained immense popularity over the last couple of years, the popularity of it use raised with popularity of other words used in therapy. It is used religiously when it doesn’t belong, it’s just eye rolling at this point. It just comes off so babyish, my interaction wasn’t exactly Pleasant with them either but I won’t say they were gaslighting me and Frame an interaction like that, because it’s pointless. We had a disagreement which is one of the tenants of a message board. sometimes you agree, sometimes you disagree. Not every disagreement is gaslighting lol.
Here is an article about it being overused and misused but of course you’ll probably just say this article is gaslighting you and the circle of life continues.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mentalhealthathome.org/2021/07/20/gaslighting-overused/amp/
whatever
Figures. I wonder if this constant dismissal is only directed at new users.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/mentalhealthathome.org/2021/07/20/gaslighting-overused/amp/
Is it surprising that the only source you’ve ever provided for one of your numerous claims turned out to be a blog post by a former nurse?
I’ve been collecting data on this
Now this is interesting. I created 3 of those threads and bumped others. Although admittedly the Twin Peaks one was barebones on content because I was struggling using a phone, the other two were received with little to no fanfare especially when compared to more insulary ones from others, like Anilnam which even a veteran like @chrissie couldn’t seem to decipher. The same goes for the threads I’ve created in Gaming which, despite attracting veterans like @Intense Degree, died after 4 posts. This is just an observation of the overall lack of engagement despite thousands of views.
I didn’t read what lamb responded with bc I’m sure it was utter nonsense, but anyways I think Im out like a lot of my other companions. doom and gatekeeper and a few others its been real.
@Jdawg445: Womp womp!
2 biggest reasons, that can change quickly:
1) Forum is still part of the main website, and in order for forum to attract visitors, main site needs a lot of work to at least get back to the earlier quality. First and foremost, more “soul” and personal touches in articles, less AI generated text. The latest “Broken Age” retrospective article is a fresh and original example of a needed articles to break the monotony.
Hype-o-Meter has Firmament and STASIS there, for Christ’s sake, while lacks new announced Broken Sword games, for example. It’s obsolete as hell.
2) The forum software is a piece of garbage. Even the old forum was more efficient and provided more options.
It is true we’re entering (for a long time) age of social networks, Discord, reddit and other channels, but just like a sweet turntable on a pair of a wooden speakers, there will always be place for forum discussions, but it needs to work properly.
Recently finished: Four Last Things 4/5, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout 5/5, Chains of Satinav 3,95/5, A Vampyre Story 88, Sam Peters 3/5, Broken Sword 1 4,5/5, Broken Sword 2 4,3/5, Broken Sword 3 85, Broken Sword 5 81, Gray Matter 4/5\nCurrently playing: Broken Sword 4, Keepsake (Let\‘s Play), Callahan\‘s Crosstime Saloon (post-Community Playthrough)\nLooking forward to: A Playwright’s Tale
First and foremost, more “soul” and personal touches in articles, less AI generated text.
Yes, I totally agree with this. I would love some more thought-provoking articles, and would be happy to contribute towards efforts for these.
What kind of articles would people like to see?
As we talked about earlier in one of the threads, the definition of an adventure game has changed quite a bit. I would be interested in an article that continues to explore: what is an adventure game? There are so few mainstream point’n'clicks today compared to the hey dey of Lucasarts & Sierra (or, at least, that’s how it seems). But there are a lot of indie games that play with the formula of a point’n'click.
I also thought it might be interesting to write an article about the role of death in adventure games. Not just for the characters, but also how a player is engaged with death. For example, the brutal and iterative deaths of Sierra games were a hallmark and expectation, but also an opportunity for humor and (perhaps rarely) guidance. Whereas Lucasarts, of course, used this expectation as a point of humor. Later games, however, give the experience of death without the punishment of it by having auto-savepoints. And, for the characters, there are of course a lot of games that deal with the inevitability of death (Syberia), the afterlife (Grim Fandango), or loss (Silence).
Anyways, I would be interested in what kinds of articles others would be interested in?
Anyways, I would be interested in what kinds of articles others would be interested in?
There are plenty of good ideas to write about.
“Adventure games you never knew that even existed” might be an interesting article series, covering some very obscure games, freeware gems, fan translated foreign language games, or playing some games from other genres in a completely different way (for instance, playing some RPGs avoiding all combat that can be avoided and turning them more or less into adventure games).
What has worked brilliantly in a podcast format is how two people are watching some TV series, one of them being familiar with the material and the other one a complete newbie, and approaching it from two different viewpoints. Such approach in the article format with adventure games could work with some adjustments. It could even use some random generator, so that the games covered are randomly chosen from the game database, meaning there’s no bias in the game selection.
And there’s no need to re-invent the wheel. Just bring back stuff like Following freeware, which was a nice article series.
If someone wants to go very deep into this, it would be possible to do some media research, like read old magazines and such, and compare how adventure games were received in the media during different decades, in different countries, how the reception varied between general game magazines vs. platform-dedicated magazines, etc. It’s very niche stuff, but has anyone ever written stuff like that?
So there’s plenty to write about, if someone actually wants to write.
“soul” and personal touches in articles
Yes, I totally agree with this.
“Soul” is such an ambiguous non-term, though. Everyone projects onto it their personal tastes, usually nostalgic. I tend to interpret it as adding “personal touches” so… Does it mean uncommon topics for you two? If that’s the case then “X genre games you never knew existed” is what every gaming site posts, often with the keyword Underrated (sorry Gate).
Is the real issue here the articles themselves, when from what I can tell the site’s traffic isn’t that bad, or the Forum (i.e. the community) which I think we can all agree is a wasteland especially outside of Adventure? What did OP ask and how did we get here?
@Jdawg445: Womp womp!
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