I'd go with a couple of things:

Influx of new content
Lack of influx of new members who wish to stick around

Tis a natural progression whilst nothing to hold the attention of people. New people arrive to the other forums quite regularly, but they've picked up Freelancer in a bargin bin - play it for a few days, try some mods, then shelve it - after all, the gfx are getting dated (although I still think they are good) and plenty of shiny new games are out to be played/take concentration away. These people don't venture into off topic, only FL discussion and thats about it.

So no-one new really arrives, and older members have kind of "run dry" on discussable issues etc.

It's only really died in this forum within the last 6-8 months though - before then there were still quite a few posters about, but they've moved on too.

To combat this we have a forum "bot" - called Para.

Edited by - Chips on 4/14/2006 11:34:28 AM

what Ponch said.

I'd add that OT is a place that people gravitate to when they've been on the site for a while and have done with FL discussion (for example)

I use Hard-Light Productions forums a lot for FS2 SCP downloads and mods, but I've never once gone onto the OT there. Most OT forums on other gaming websites are pretty poor, usually flamefests for teens, and as such OTs temd not be used by transient users who just come for the facilities and to find out occasional bits of news.

OT isnt the be all and end all of TLR either, although many of the old-lags and regs hang out here, but this is a friendly community with a different approach than many other gaming websites. Its a bit unfair saying its dead, especially when you joined in 2003 but haven't really contributed to OT as much as you migth have. If we all adopted that attitude and waited for other people to post stuff or make sufggestions it really would be dead.

It won't really EVER die, long as the rabbit live!!!

*Shamless plug for our furry friend interjected for Base price of $50 AUS

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Its a bit unfair saying its dead, especially when you joined in 2003 but haven't really contributed to OT as much as you migth have

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I think it's also fair to say that a good number of people "watch" the forum - maybe reading it once a week or so, and contribute only when something really motivates them to post (like a great topic). People are reading...

lurkers = people with nothing to add

and I like OT, i try to contribute in every forum but fanfics (never been a huge fan of the storyline, but the universe is great)

I poke, poke his face, and yet he still ignores me, Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke.

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It won't really EVER die, long as the rabbit live!!!

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apart from him... <shakes head> is there any thread he doesn't hop up in? it's all about bunnies with you, FD, isn't it?

There just haven't been that many good topics lately.

We've pretty much run out of things to argue about, either that, or we've all been proven right or wrong. Besides, people are starting to move away from Freelancer, seeing as how no sequel or expansion pack has been announced. It was fun while it lasted.





w00t! All your oil are belong to U.S.

I'll admit. I'm most likely classified as a lurker. I only really post when something peaks my interest, contrary to my...former days.

*Cough* Did someone call? As for the forum, it is the nature of forums to peak and then begin to decline. Perhaps when Darkstar is released, we will see an influx of new people.

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Perhaps when Darkstar is released, we will see an influx of new people.

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Only if it is covered though... and I don't see anything happening that makes me believe it will be covered by the time it's released - so why would people come here?

I've been looking at Infinity (a long way off, but it's fascinating to watch the development of the project) but resisted the urges to post - because all it is doing is putting news that we won't be following up upon. I don't see the point unless the site or the forums get updated.


Edited by - Chips on 4/15/2006 4:42:12 AM

it's only OT we're talking about, not the site in general. I don't believe for a moment that that only new games attract people to websites/forums - look at wcnews for example, they haven't had a new games to cover since WC Prophecy Secret Ops, yet they go from strength to strength. Hard Light hasn't had a *new* game to cover for about the same length of time, it's all mods and campaigns etc. and they're really busy. Same with the various x2/x3 forums. But their OT's are rubbish, really.

Just 'cos OT's quiet shouldn't reflect on the site overall very much, unfortunately I think TLR's OT has in the past (and I'm as guilty of this as anyone else) been the tail that wags the dog, it's a bit less so now. And I would rather it stay the way it is now, even if you want to class that as moribund, than be full of teens and nutters flaming each other and flooding the forums.

I recently joined BG:BTRL forums to check on the progress of their FS2 SCP total conversion (very impressive it looks btw) but their forums are madness, i just can't cope with them. On TLR, generally if make a sensible post you'll get a sensible answer, but on many other forums (sadly all the ones i tend to take a look at) you'll either get a page of drivel and insults or nothing at all, plus generally speaking we don't have too many keyboard warriors on TLR eager to make a mark for themselves. If TLR ever went the way of a lot of other forums, just a cacophony of banal insults and teh r0xxOx h4XX0r rubbish, you wouldn't see me for dust.

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BG:BTRL forums to check on the progress of their FS2 SCP

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English? I can only guess FS2 is freespace 2... but that's about it

I still like the looks of this forum software which I am sure was the one mentioned around 12-24 months ago. Twould be nice, sub foruming all the extensive Freelancer stuff would be a huge bonus..

Edited by - Chips on 4/15/2006 5:13:43 AM

sorry Mike, just typing for speed; yes it's Freespace 2.

I've always been a lurker, but I still read the forums pretty much every day. I just don't have the energy to contibute to every single thread, especially when the odds are it's come at at some other point before.

That said, I still love the atmosphere in OT, and will probably keep hanging around.