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Why is this forum so happy?


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Every other forum has been taken over by nasty, vicious invective. I find it hard not to get angry reading the IL2 forum, for example: no matter what someone posts, the discussion gets turned into an exchange of vehement nationalistic accusations (they deliberately sabotaged the performance of my country's stuff, or you're biased, or how would you know, you weren't there, etc, etc). This is not just in IL2, but pretty much everywhere on the internet: a complete breakdown of civility, immediate and virulent accusations with the harshest language people can muster.

Everywhere, that is, except for here. Why are people on this forum (relatively) immune to this disease?

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Originally posted by Andreas:

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  • The loving moderation of the bald one</font>

Except that the IL2 forum (for example) is also moderated by some increasingly grey haired people who are starting to hate their job. Thread after thread gets locked as few threads go beyond 5 posts before they degenerate into angry, nationalistic invective.
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Originally posted by flamingknives:

Of the forum members that I've met, I'm the youngest by a decade.

And I'm 23.

Explains a fair bit, IMO

Unfortunately, I don't think that explains it either, as the anger seems to be independent of age. Yes, the younger people make broader and less educated statements filled with offensive language, but the older folks tend to launch into page long diatribes. These essays may be filled with facts, but their anger is so great that they've lost control and start twisting facts out of control to feed the bitterness. Post after post, what angered them in one topic carries over to a new topic, where, at first opportunity, they launch into vicious invective to prove a point lost elsewhere.
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The <big>Cheery Waffle</big> thread, of course.

Think of it as a lamp banishing the darkness. A silver lining for the dark clouds. A bottle opener for the thirsty. A smiling Graemlin in the middle of a groggish dissertation on penetration values. A thick layer of mulch to hold back the weeds of the Peng thread. tongue.gif:D

Or maybe Axe was right after all. :D :eek: :D

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Originally posted by Phemur:

I also think its because of familiarity. From what I've read, quite a few have met outside of the virtual world.

That may have something to do with it. Some other factors that may contribute...

There was already a thriving community here long before the game even came out.

The average age group for the board is older than generally seen on game forums. While there may be older posters over at IL2's forum, I'd be willing to bet that the average age is much younger than here.

I suspect that the solid core of posters here can trace their gaming roots back to miniatures or board games rather than just computer games. They are, by their nature, more social than computer games.

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I have to say that I think the game itself deserves some of the credit. For all the reasons we like it, it attracts the kind of people who make this a good forum.

Also, the forum is to a significant degree self-policing. We all value the atmosphere and will defend it. If any new poster comes in spewing uniformed nationalistic invective, there are several dozen people here who can hand him a deftly handled dicing and slicing. After three or four of these good folks have done their elegant work, the poster generally changes his ways or disappears. I've seen this happen several times. Usually Matt doesn't have to bother to intervene.

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Originally posted by Scheer:

Because we´re not a bunch of thirteen year old assholes.

Except those lunatics in the Peng thread, of course.

Not that they are thirteen year old ... :D

I admit that the lunacy is quite well contained inside the dreaded "Peng" threads, but sadly that doesn't change the fact that I've heard the worst jokes and puns ever in this forum. It appears that most of the WWII history hobbyists have the sense of humor comparable to a rotten piece of Edam cheese. :mad:
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On what you have said I feel much of it is true

I'm 41 yrs old and have been gaming since I was 15

I play RPG's,miniture wargames,board games,&computer games(CCG are the the devil's work tongue.gif

Heck I even co-run security at the Stratigicon gaming cons out here in L.A. 3 times a year

QUOTE]That may have something to do with it. Some other factors that may contribute...

There was already a thriving community here long before the game even came out.

The average age group for the board is older than generally seen on game forums. While there may be older posters over at IL2's forum, I'd be willing to bet that the average age is much younger than here.

I suspect that the solid core of posters here can trace their gaming roots back to miniatures or board games rather than just computer games. They are, by their nature, more social than computer games. [/QB]

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It appears that most of the WWII history hobbyists have the sense of humor comparable to a rotten piece of Edam cheese.

Or a secondary level Physics teacher.

Seconded on the tabletop wargaming.

There, if you're an unpleasant person, people simply don't play you and you quickly lose interest (most of the time, at least)

[ October 20, 2003, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: flamingknives ]

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Originally posted by Dave H:

The <big>Cheery Waffle</big> thread, of course.

Think of it as a lamp banishing the darkness. A silver lining for the dark clouds. A bottle opener for the thirsty. A smiling Graemlin in the middle of a groggish dissertation on penetration values. A thick layer of mulch to hold back the weeds of the Peng thread. tongue.gif:D

Or maybe Axe was right after all. :D :eek: :D

Bah! It is the wonderful outlet provided by the Peng Challenge Thread that keeps this Board in line. The Cheery Wafflers are pretenders. Worse, they are the problem!

Holy War on the Goodalers! Smite them!

Now see what you've done Sightreader!

Get the impaling poles!

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I think the type of game is important. In a turn based tactical wargame it is best to take things slow and thorough, getting exited gets people killed. People who enjoy that type of game are more levelheaded, and if they are not they quickly learn to be.

Aircombat on the other hand, is twitch gaming at it's worst (your whole body twitches not just left hand). Thinking is ill advised, everything happens too fast to be pondered on, you have to go by your instinct. People who enjoy that kind of game are the reason why there were ridiculous kill overclaims in all airforces of WWII.

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Originally posted by flamingknives:

Of the forum members that I've met, I'm the youngest by a decade.

And I'm 23.

Explains a fair bit, IMO

Your not the youngest... I'm 18. :D Unlike the punk kids on other forums I feel no need to bash people. Why you ask? Its because I'm a nice guy.

[ October 20, 2003, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: Panzerman ]

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Originally posted by sightreader:

Every other forum has been taken over by nasty, vicious invective. ...{snip to the point}...

Everywhere, that is, except for here. Why are people on this forum (relatively) immune to this disease?

Honestly? Because the nicest people play Combat Mission.
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i think it's the infestation of grogs. nasty bloody things. they're all "what's your source" this. and "Glantz says" that.

it's hard to accuse people of bias when they've got facts they can quote.

also, the game is a long drawn out thing. you play over days to months by email. you make friends this way. i think the general forum tends to lack this social glue and is the poorer for it.

{edit for apostrophe redface.gif }

[ October 20, 2003, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Other Means ]

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