Forming Your Own Opinion

General
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There are a great many people on these forums. I have to say that I respect everyone on here and I respect your opinion.

Your opinion might be the complete opposite of mine, it may be abysmally negative or glowingly positive, but I respect them because you have come to that opinion based on the facts given to you in one form or another.

An “opinion” is a belief or judgment that falls short of absolute conviction, certainty, or positive knowledge. A lot of these opinions we may not agree with, but given the huge lack of communication how could one not form a negative opinion or view on the game.

Just like the thread that was just “Closed” about Bad Weather, the thread was asked to be closed “before it turns into another just complain about the Devs because we don’t like what they do thread.”

I may not like the complaints, I may not like the negative opinions, but a forum is defined as a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged. You don’t have to agree with those views positive or negative, but the people posting those views (regardless how much I hate them) should be heard just as well as the opposing views.

I say all this as a lot of the threads should be closed once they are resolved, they go off-topic or just end up in a flame fest of derogatory remarks, but a good many of them are closed just because someone states the developers aren’t as active as they should be, the devs don’t communicate well, or even that the devs just gave up on a community.

On top of that I see a lot of posts flagged and you have every right to flag a post if it violates CoC, but don’t flag it just because you disagree with it because it offers an opposing view or opinion.

I for one read these forums often. They show exactly how I would NOT use them if I were a developer of a game. I would use the forum to communicate with my community and make them know I care about them, their concerns and the game. I would be honest, as transparent as possible and straightforward with any information I could.

Not that the developers here are dishonest, but a lack of communication is just that, a lack. That lack creates this sense of impending doom that some of the people worry about. That lack makes a lot of the positive views, posts and comments about the game almost feel empty and just about give the OP a slap in the face.

I love this game and play it for hours every day…but…

Communication, a sense of worth, and just knowing that the devs that made a game I love to play and support actually care about me or the community… is what this community deserves no matter what your opinion is.

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This, this, this, this, this.

Even if they have no real time to work on Boundless any longer, not profitable, busy elsewhere - it would mean a LOT to the community here and their own legacy to just have some straight talk and kind words to all of us who still love this game so much and put so much into it.

The way it comes across now is hurtful… not personally, they can cuss me out or whatever, but it is painful to me on behalf of this community which I have come to really love, people here who I truly care about and think the world of. This community deserves better than this. There are just the most wonderful people here, and this and the joy of the game have meant more than I can say. If they had been quiet all along it would be different, but from going from acting all passionate and soliciting our opinions to leaving players literally begging for help comes across like a big **** you to us, like, well, got all we could off this, time to move on, we’ll keep milking you for awhile while we can but don’t expect that we’ll even acknowledge you as people now.

It would take so little, something like. -

“Hey, we are truly sorry things have gone this way. We really do care and appreciate all of your effort and time here, and we’ll check in as much as we can even if no updates, see how everybody is doing, make sure issues are resolved as quick as we can, maybe play a bit ourselves when we can as we really do love this game still, give feedback on your projects, contribute prizes for contests you might hold. We’ll throw some more special exos out too!”

Still love the game and still grateful for everything. I’m continuing playing and promoting, and spending. But please devs, don’t let this be remembered for going down this way. You and your beautiful creation deserve better.

And also, totally agreed that I respect all of you and your opinions, regardless of any difference there. Once again, love ya! :hugs:

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Look, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not indirectly the one who caused the ‘Bad Weather’ thread to be closed (the one who directly caused it to be closed would be the one who asked for it to be closed, and to no-one’s surprise, it’s always the same people butting heads).

I’m just revolted, disgusted, sick and appalled to see issues like that, then the devs taking many days to notice these issues, applying a band-aid solution which, long-term, doesn’t resolve the issue, but just postpones it.
And all the apologists going “yeah, we love you, thank you so much for fixing the issue, here, take all of my thanks, have a heart emoji, please have my babies!”

You’ll say “it’s always the same people who complain again and again that the game is dead or that the devs are not doing a good job”.
I’ll say it’s always the same people who cry and ask for threads to be closed and buried in the trash-bin off-topic category of the forum.
But we’re all customers and the current situation is not ok. I’m doing my best to stay positive (ask Host, I try to keep myself busy building a tower, and I livestream the game for hours), but it’s hard when you get to experience such issues.

So next time someone makes another thread to mention how the weather is broken… again, I do intend to be there to gloat.

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I didn’t close the thread due to any of the comments. I closed the thread because:
A. Someone posted the issue.
B. A dev reset the servers that fixed (at least for now) the issue.
C. End.

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Still, that’s something I will never understand. The need to close threads, or split them, or the simple need to have an “off-topic” category.

Just let threads be. It’s not like it’s going to get sentient and run away on its little legs. Just let people talk themselves out, then the threads either organically gets back on rails by themselves, or they get dry and die. If you don’t like what’s being said on a thread, turn off the tracking at the bottom of the thread.
image
Easy.

As you’ve just noted, the issue is fixed for now. The issue will come back. Because you’ve closed the other thread, someone will have to make yet another “weather is broken” thread, further down the line.

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It’s the support thread so it’s a little different. Each issue is posted/solved as they come up. It has nothing to do with liking or not liking something.

I don’t mute topics or users (but I understand that some people appreciate that feature).

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In the case of Support threads, I agree. But the ‘bad weather’ issue has not been solved. Just postponed. Do you think the Support category should have a new ‘bad weather’ thread be written every 3 month? There’s apparently already 2 or 3 other threads about it!!!
Instead of closing the latest one, you should’ve merged them.

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I wasn’t really posting in regards to threads being closed so much as to the people in the thread asking them to be closed because of a difference of opinion or view.

I have had words with @Goblinounours, @Xaldafax, @ardele, @Rydralain and a number of others and at times they weren’t the best exchange of words, but I still respect their opinion and wouldn’t flag something they said simply because my opinion differed.

All of the people mentioned above have played the game longer than I have and been through more than I have and their opinion or view of the devs, the state of the game and anything related to Boundless I value. It lets me know that there were better times, better communication and a certain level that we should hold the devs accountable for.

Needless to say, I just hate seeing comments flagged and threads closed simply because of a difference in opinion. The “Bad Weather” post was closed as I felt the issue was resolved fine. As @Goblinounours said it is a sort of band-aid, but at the same time it does solve the issue for the time being.

@majorvex does a wonderful job here putting up with a lot of BS … but she’s still active and helpful. Won’t hear a bad word about her from me.

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Red that’s entirely correct. I offloaded my hoarded goods despite our differences. You listened to understand my pov. And for that, I rewarded you with the nearly 100k items I had and walked away from the game. Just time for me to work on my mental health and feel better despite getting worse. One day I’ll get 6+ hours of straight sleep a night!

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Well I could have probably worded that last request differently but since the work was done and the problem gone it just seemed the posts were taking the thread that way. We’ve had more than enough of those threads and if people wanted to create another one then that is fine but just not take over one.

I don’t feel threads should be closed if there is a different opinion… usually, though, we see those threads get toxic or grow into direct attacks that end up getting them closed. We have seen people use flags as a way to shut down views or try to shut people up. Usually those flags that were not correct were undone by the Devs. I’m not sure what they do now since the game is really on its own mostly.

Honestly, we might have had words but I don’t remember what they were on and the reality is each day is a new day that you can have a good relationship or exchange with someone… Some people can reset and others can’t…

Anyway hope to see you in game…

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Just my point of view but i am less active on the forum some time now… i do check daily (2-3 times) but I barely post or respond anymore.

Main reason is the same topics keep popping up maybe worded differently but basically the same.
And made my point of view clear in the past :wink: .
Plus i hate to repeat myself.

Only post to notify, ask/answer questions or explain stuff to fresh oortians (shriveled to :joy:).

I do agree with most of the posts made positive or negative. But don’t see any point in “adding flowers to the field” or “adding gasoline to the fire”…

( Itching to write more but im not going to :wink: :fire: :fire: :fire::grin: )

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Flags, flags, flags. Here is some more: :cn::de::kenya::portugal::hong_kong:
Stop thinking that flagging is something special. It is just one possible action like reply or liking poist.

Flagging in forum is same like with reporting players in multiplayer games. It is usually just stress relief button to reporter :smiley:

FAQ - Boundless Community have quite good tips to how behave in this forum or anywhere else.

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Yes but some individual or individuals were abusing that. I asked someone in the support forum, “Is your issues resolved?” I was flagged for being off-topic :stuck_out_tongue:

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Then it’s official; flags mean nothing and should be ignored.

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I’ll agree on the last point. @majorvex does a fantastic job of helping to manage the forums. I can always depend upon her to be not only fair, but impartial. Now that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t express her opinion. But she doesn’t attack people like several on this forum have done.
I will always praise her for being the Queen that we deserve.
And lets not forget that she has this position because she earned it.

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Personally got nothing against Majorvex, although I do stand by the notion that, from my previous experience as moderator from years ago, I would not be closing threads so often, as it’s not needed, and having people writting in a thread is certainly not the plague that some would have us believe.
But that’s just me.
Otherwise, I agree, Majorvex is pretty great, and I’ve said more than once how I also respect her impartiality.

But I will fight tooth and nail against this mentality of acting like we should thank devs and send them praises and kisses for doing the bare minimum, as if we were all playing for free (and admittedly, some of us are, but I’m pretty sure a biiiiig chunk of the remaining players are spending money in GleamClub and Sovereign World-Fuel on a regular basis).
An issue that has cropped up about 3 or 4 times already should not receive the used-cheap-band-aid treatment, until it crops up again in a few months. And we’ll just have to redo another stupid thread as people all across the Boundless universe will have to deal with wonky weather for literal days, which will get the same temporary fix and get closed, and so on and so forth.
We are still their customers, and (that might be the ONLY thing where I agree with Conkuur) you would not accept this with any other company.

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I mean, I just started blocking users making the ‘blah, devs bad’ postings, and / or muting the less whiney threads (that attract the blockables), I have no time in my life for that.

That said, and ignoring obviously reportable stuff, I’ll always report something when I believe that it’s clearly acting in bad faith. This happens a lot, allowing the usual ‘who me’ that comes immediately after the person that’s done it has been caught in their bad-fithery <sic>.

I don’t expect, nor feel entitled, to any of the moderation team taking any notice of me. However I’ll always follow my both my head, and my emotional intelligence / gut instincts, on reporting this stuff.

Plus, not that this makes a jot of difference to that, but a decade moderating way more populated (that’s not a slight! - If anything the opposite), and tumultuous (think auld-trite butt faces, and worse / better), waters than these makes me feel absolutely fine in that judgement, but no-one’s perfect.

Suffice to say, reporting is fine, even for those that are doing it based on opinion. Because I trust that the moderation team here are intelligent enough (both types :wink: ) to see that when it happens and just … well … ignore it. I’d also trust them to notice if someone is reporting in bad faith, or see same or similar (range) IPs that happen to be posting almost verbatim the same stuff. Without a report, we cannot expect that a moderator is omniscient enough to know that someone is being a bit of a wally … sometimes people do need to be put on a naughty step, or have a wee ban for a week.

On the flip-side, I’ve seen banned users keep on registering new accounts (over, and over!) because they think they’re unseen. It’s a remarkably good reason to NOT ban IPs 99% of the time, as it allows you to keep the IP pool clean, and stop users jumping around, as they don’t see that an IP is banned, but you can still track them on it.

Basically put: Moderation is a royal pain to do, especially unpaid … However, if the community doesn’t use it then the community does suffer. Sure, moderation *by* the community (by which I mean folks saying “don’t be an idiot” to trolls, etc) is viable, and does a lot of good, but at some level someone needs to just start plucking posts, users, links, etc, etc.

So, I guess I’m here to do an NHS Clap for the moderators, and I’ll be here each Thursday to do so! :wink:

Quite separately … all our lives are … generally … a bit boring … and we invent drama at whatever level to spice that up … noticing that in yourself and trying to curtail it is hellishly difficult … and in the end, horrendously boring. Plus, it means less nice brain chemicals from the interactions that drama creates … it’s horrible, I know, I know. :weary: …

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I suppose more to the point I do understand how talking bad about the game, the devs or the servers could be bad and hurt the community more than it helps, but at this point it is more than obvious that the lack of communication by the devs has hurt more than helped the game.

No need to sugar coat that or flag a post stating that or ask a thread to be closed simply because something like that has been stated over and over.

If I was @james, I would be going over the forums every few days just to educate myself on the game and how the current community feels about it. I am quite sure he does check the forums and if he does I just wished he would show some form of caring about the community and its current state.

Anyways, I am not James. So I will play the game every day as I do and work on my color storage, my concrete shop, and help out in DK Mall where I can. If anyone needs anything in game just ask, I’d be glad to help.

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Hiya, @Redlotus, was that a reply to, or referencing, my post? I couldn’t tell by any obvious (literal) indicators … but one could assume (given the timing and initial language) that it was … that said, I will personally assume otherwise.

However I’ll mention a couple of things based on that post.

I would reiterate (from my previous post) that a moderator is easily capable of discerning the difference between someone reporting a post because they disagree with it, and a genuine report. They’re also capable of discerning a bad faith take, or even a weaponised spate of reports.

Secondly, I’d softly say that making out that people who report posts might seem like bad guys is essentially saying “snitches get stitches!” This makes people not feel welcome in a community, because they feel that their voices don’t matter.

Moderation is not a mentally easy task. So, having prominent community members (of which I’m definitely not one) voicing concerns about how and where it’s used by the users themselves makes those users feel like they’re less than worthy.

Anyone can report something for whatever reason they feel, it’s up to the moderation team to handle it however they feel fit and within any (hopefully internal) rules structure that they have. That’s how it works … it’s why moderators exist, it’s why they’re chosen to do the job, and it’s why their position is wholly unenviable in communities.

Hell … I’ve seen reporting be weaponised by groups intent on damaging communities. Now I don’t think any of the people whining about devs here would be horrible enough to do that to the mod team, but if they did, again … it’s not any of my business. The mod team will handle it how they handle it.

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I’m 90% sure the community has nothing to do with the game’s current health. Gotta stop trying to blame players.

SURE, we as players have had some level of impact over the development, but I’m pretty sure the things which have been done because of player-made complaints or suggestions were nothing, or they were things that were needed and would’ve had to be added sooner or later (I specifically mean things like plot protection).

The current health of the game is all on Square Enix & Wonderstruck for mis-managing the entire thing, taking on a far too ambitious project for what Square Enix was ready to back, not taking the right priorities, and failing with the marketing…
I’d say the biggest fail goes to the marketing. Even I never heard of Boundless before someone pointed it out to me. I never saw any trailer by myself, had to look for them. I’d expect that from an indie game nobody talks about.
Had Square Enix been able to bring-in more players in 2018, the game would’ve made more money and they might’ve seen a reason to keep investing more into it.
As a player, you can see how, in a parallel universe, Boundless could have gone toe-to-toe with Minecraft. The potential is still there. Right now, the systems are all there, it just needs a few more things.

But when you see how the [bad weather] issue is being BigQuotesOpensolvedBigQuotesClose, I think you can’t blame people who say the game is “dead” on Steam and such. It’s not a measly hundred or so players that will make the game “alive”. Boundless is on its last leg. And yeah, all we can do is attempt to put our collective heads in the sand to ignore this as we keep playing Boundless until the end, or go play other games.

I wish I could say “it could all change, even now, if Square Enix made a big effort with marketing”, but the devs have moved on, and I don’t think they’ll ever come back to give Boundless what it needs.

Love you too. :kissing_heart:

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