Lorgen, it saddens me that you've developed such a hatred for the NES forum... I know that it can be off-putting at times (believe me, I'm a rather overcritical person of this forum), but I do think that you shouldn't be so quick to attack.
Forum games are quite good, actually, except that there is a mafia game or two going on... NOTW and UGLE games are great, and at least we welcome new members. I read the thread Symphony directed me to regarding the placement of the NES games, and as I read it, it was mainly about; "We are better than anyone else, we do not want new players, and therefore we do not want to move to a sound place in the forums".
EDIT: which is why I really do not like this game to be moved.
I am one of the advocates of moving, and I do that mostly for wanting to find new players, however, most of those who support staying put think we're getting enough new players through players exploring. That's the primary rallying cry, not some bigotry against starting NESers. There could also be the argument that it's easier to help people learn the ropes when there aren't so many learning the ropes...
In any case, almost all of us don't think that newbies are a bad thing at all.
And as I have already written in the game-thread, please ban lurkers from commenting. Lurkers ought to be, lurkers, the game is for the players, and lurkers tend to ruin a game. Lurkers ought to shut up until the game is over.
I can't say that I agree. Lurkers can point out mistakes in an update, compliment the mod or players on some story, or give advice. Also, I do not believe this is quite founded in reality because we're not your run of the mill game. See below.
I`ve just quit because the NES was moved here. I`ve read the link SYmphony gave to another debate about where the NES forums ought to be (previous page, I think), and the message was quite clear; we do not want new players, and when the game I signed up for in the forum games is invaded by lurkers, then I am out. I despise lurkers.
And no, you do not welcome new players here.
Stick around a while--you'll find that even those who do mistrust you will eventually accept you as an NESer, and the reward of being part of a quirky gaming community might be worth it.
Nope, it is not wrong. Hypothetically; if you play chess with your brother/sister/uncle/aunt in a family arrangement. How would you feel if some great-uncle/aunt (lurker) started telling you how to play? They are not part of the game and ought to shut up. That regards every game. Either you play, or you watch, not comment.
Now, I cannot agree with you here. Lurking in a chess game is, for one thing, not so bad, if the advice would be given politely, and as long as the advised didn't specifically say, "no hints". But also, it's somewhat incomparable to the situation you're giving because of the unusual nature of the NES.
NESing is not a game like Civ. I would be annoyed if someone hung over my shoulder, looked critically at my unit placement, and told me to move somewhere, yes. But this isn't Civ. This is, at once, much more realistic, and much more in depth. It's highly multi-player, and the army moves are so much more broad than what you can do in chess and Civ that comments can be the catalyst for an interesting observation or thought that will lead you where you might not have gone.
Furthermore, the moderator is not god, despite what we occasionally act like. We do, indeed, make mistakes, and while it can be disheartening to see someone point it out, in the end, our updates will be better for it. And lurkers can also be a blessing, because there is nothing so gratifying as a simple, "great update!" after you've slaved away for eight hours on a writing that maybe only twenty people will ever see.
So I would argue that lurker comments can be an excellent addition to an NES.
However, spam, which I think is what you might really be getting to the heart of, is definitely NOT welcome, and I agree should be cut down on. Turning the discussion in an NES thread into a meandering philosophical dialog on the meaning of life is somewhat irritating, but lurker comments that compliment the update, give advice, or point out a mistake in the moderator's actions should be lauded.
So, welcoming new players like cleric did in the thread you quoted; So what? We work best in this form. A large influx of new players would mean OMGWTFBBQ11!!! disasters.
is Ok?
Cleric is not known for his diplomacy.
The point that I would say he's getting across is that most new players are welcome additions, but if you have a huge influx, then you're bound to have a few people who don't bother to read, don't bother to write, ruin someone's game, and all for essentially nothing--no one wants that.
