On Intellectual Participation

[Symphony D.]

Retroactive deletion.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Just two or three more people participating some of the time makes a huge difference.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

That speech should be linked to from the NESing guide. I will renew my effots to participate in the community despite my business, and I'll also continue to scout for potential NESers. It's inevitable that some forumgoers will be more prolific than others, but increasing the number of prolific NESers will be good for everyone.

 

[Abaddon]

One ponders how NESing would evolve if all ~80 minds were working on it.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Of course, allowance should be made for the percentage with bad ideas.

 

[Luckymoose]

One ponders how NESing would evolve if all ~80 minds were working on it.

It wouldn't get anywhere. Haven't you seen how the elite few bicker? It would be more fun to watch Hillary try and win the nomination.

 

[Abaddon]

Oh GOD! If you put it like that..

 

[Symphony D.]

Retroactive deletion.

 

[Abaddon]

At a glacial rate.. but any progress is progress!

 

[Neverwonagame3]

Actually, it is concievable that any given step is a backward step. I don't claim to be qualified to say which steps are improvements and which make things worse, but it is possible some have been downgrades.

 

[das]

Frankly very little actual progress can be expected to occur in the discussions themselves; their value is in allowing us to refine our concepts and ideas before we could do something that will constitute actual progress, which is new and/or improved rulesets and new NESes.

 

[human-slaughter]

Id rather just let others make up the rules and I'll play in their NES if I want to.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Frankly very little actual progress can be expected to occur in the discussions themselves; their value is in allowing us to refine our concepts and ideas before we could do something that will constitute actual progress, which is new and/or improved rulesets and new NESes.

das is exactly right. It is only the games that expand the NESing horizon that grow the genre. The older, less complicted rule sets are necessary to bring in new players and to continue to provide ongoing fun in a tried and true manner. New approaches, whether they succeed or fail, provide new ideas that are slowly incorporated into the standard games played by all.

 

[North King]

The older, less complicted rule sets are necessary to bring in new players

This is nonsense, and worse still, highly harmful nonsense. New players do not need to be coddled with ancient, outdated rulesets that in their simplicities are simply moronic "representations" of reality. It is patronizing, and rather silly. So is this strange conception that somehow newer rulesets have to be "more complicated". Some of them will be, but that is not a necessity, nor by any means a goal. The goal is to make them more workable and sensible, not to make them bigger.

I think the above kind of mentality really contributes to this whole "intimidation" thing that some players express -- we seem to be gathering this aura around very long, verbose posts. Improving rulesets does not mean saying more. Actually, any good writer should know that it is best to say what is important with the fewest necessary words.

 

[Neverwonagame3]

I agree with North King on that, although I disagree with the idea that old rulesets are necessarily worse then our current ones.

 

[Shadowbound]

The older rulesets are perceived as easier because most players were first introduced to the geopolitical forum game concept by them, and are thus more familiar with them. New players can learn the game either with new ones or old ones.

 

[Thlayli]

A confluence of factors. First, this spring has been busy, so that's my main reason. Second, more recently I prefer to observe the discussion, and only throw something out if I have something important to say.

Third, what free time I do have is going into sending orders, and working on the timeline for my upcoming NES.

 

[Yui108]

If I need to make my interests known... So be it

 

[Angst]

Thought I should write something here.

I'm too intimidated. When people write a post about 4000 words long, it's normally too big for me to swallow. You guys are too smart for me.

Buhbye.

 

[Warman17]

I voted apathy. Also I find it funny 20% said they do participate which is around the percentage you mentioned in the OP.