This place is dead. Yes, I know, not unlike the Ottoman Empire, our members have been saying that the forums have been on the decline since shortly after they were established. The horse is so dead that we've been kicking dust and bones for the past decade. However, we can't deny the truth: There has been very little activity here in these past few months.
There are many reasons for this:
- For most people, forums have taken a backseat to other forms of social media. Additionally, many members have moved on due to a lack of time and/or interest.
- After New 'n' Tasty's release, Oddworld Inhabitants went through a transitional period, which resulted in a few years of downtime. A lack of activity at OI's end is always a catalyst for periods of extended silence in the forums.
- No new story content in twelve years has also exhausted the reservoir of possible conversations.
- The archaic foundations of the forums could rival the state of RuptureFarms. I'm honestly surprised there wasn't a collapse during the DDoS attack. Without an optimised mobile version, we also significantly limit our number of new members.
Obviously, all of these reasons are out of our control, and unless Alcar hands over the keys to Nate and Xavier, there can't be any aesthetic or structural improvements. Some time ago, we attempted a revolution to erect a new forum with blackjack and hookers, but we're all admittedly too stubborn to let go of everything that's happened here: This is our home, as crappy as it is.
With
Soulstorm brewing away, it's only a matter of time before a wave of new activity crashes into our forgotten shores. When
New 'n' Tasty released, we experienced a steady trickle of additional members, most of whom didn't stay very long. Once
Soulstorm hits, we're bound to see a similar spike in members, and if conditions do not change, we'll probably lose the majority of them. Ergo, I think it's time to attempt some kind of renaissance, and as the hazing of new members has finally appeared to have stopped, there's no better time.
As I've already stated, there's little we can do with the issues stated above, but we can make certain changes and additions to help breath new life into the forums. We need to offer a reason for members, both new and old, to stick around and keep coming back. I have a few ideas, but please contribute any of your own.
I'd like to please request only serious responses in this thread, so please keep all quips to a minimum.
Clubs
I'm not sure if this concept has been attempted in the past, but I'm going to suggest it anyway. Although we have the "I Have Just Seen" and "What Are You Playing" threads, I like the idea of folk experiencing the same content and responding to it at the same time. It would create some fantastic and interesting discourse.
Examples of different Clubs are as follows:
Movie Club
TV Club
Game Club
Book/Comic Book Club
I think the most malleable Clubs for most members would be Movie Club and TV Club, as the content is relatively affordable and ubiquitous. Anyone, anywhere in the world, wouldn't have much trouble getting their hands on the item of the week, even if they don't want to pay. They're also easy to consume—only an hour or so a week.
Member Appreciation
Once again, I'm not entirely certain if this concept has been attempted before. Plenty of forums used to employ this feature in the days of yore. It's a great way to spotlight the importance of each member, their contribution to the forums, and their own life achievements. Not only will this promote a greater sense of community, it will also offer each member a chance to reintroduce themselves and talk about aspects of their life that might not necessarily come up in normal conversation.
Game Nights
I know we all live in different parts of the world, but why should we let that stop us from having fun? Pen and paper role-playing games like
Dungeons & Dragons and
Call of Cthulhu translate surprisingly well to platforms like Google Hangout. Beyond the obviously exciting possibilities—such as a RuptureFarms horror/survival experience, and yes, I am getting ahead of myself—this would be a great way for members to communicate and bond in a more intimate setting.
I realise that these games are limited in terms of how many members could play at a single time, but I see no reason why—if it's a successful experience—we can't have multiple games with multiple members.
Let me know what you all think. Oddworld Forums is quickly approaching its twentieth anniversary, and I'm sure we would all like the next couple of years to be the golden age of this ancient community. Oddworld is back;
Soulstorm is proof of that, and we should embrace what that means.
It's time for this forum to be reborn.
An Opportunity for OWF's Rebirth
