Topic: Dead?

[Syphon]

So there's not a lot of posting going on here. Are we still active?
One would expect people to be here more what with covid and all.

Where's my boys at?
And girls.

[GamesPoet]

Well I was away for four days at Historicon, although yep I'm still here. 

[Michael Stockin]

Still here, but have been mostly painting non Empire stuff so have not shared it here.
Having said that, I have almost finished a unit of Imperial Ogre Mercenaries, so will post those soon.







Edit: Rebuild from quote.

[GamesPoet]

We're ok if ya post non-empire armies.  Besides, if I recall ya have an Imperial force fighting a Dark elf force here.

However, I do not have a dead army, and I am not dead yet either.

[Syphon]

Still here, but have been mostly painting non Empire stuff so have not shared it here.
Having said that, I have almost finished a unit of Imperial Ogre Mercenaries, so will post those soon.

How do you even paint 10mm figures?

[Jmash]

I'm still heeere!

[GamesPoet]

His line of 6mm sci-fi figures ... awesome.  Unfortunately, never got around to ordering any.  It would have been the first time I owned 6mm.

[Syphon]

His line of 6mm sci-fi figures ... awesome.  Unfortunately, never got around to ordering any.  It would have been the first time I owned 6mm.

Other than...hehe.

[Zygmund]

Not quite dead yet, but I feel the writing has been on the wall for a good time now.



Consider that an increasing part of the threads & messages - especially during the USA elections year - was in the Electors/Back Table. Add the vast number of crap-posting bots (visible explosion of new members and new topics 2019-2020). Topical discussion on The Empire and anything Warhammer and Hobby related has waned much steeper than visible in these numbers. So the recent numbers of the real hobby-related activity in the above table are actually significantly smaller.

Old members leaving, fewer old members posting, fewer new members joining, fewer new members posting or staying for any longer time. More and more, the discussion here depends on a handful of very active people who have chosen not to join FB or any other social media channels where the party is going on strong. Perhaps the number & activity of these people is large enough to keep this forum going on years still, if they just like & can tolerate each others' company.

For myself, I've been struck by the waning lately. I consider the leaving of active hobbyists a real loss: 023, Midaski and, recently, Michael Stockin. Many, MANY more old and recent members have left or at least haven't posted anything for a long while. The project logs and hobby reports grow fewer. This is making the forum less interesting. And all the while there's a vast amount of stuff on Lead Adventure Forum (LAF) and in FB & other social media channels.

It is a competition, and I feel W-E is losing badly. With so diverse hobbies these days, do we actually need W-E? The active gamers already went to the fora where their version of the game is being actively played & discussed. Why wouldn't the remaining hobbyists move to LAF?

Really don't know how often I'll bother to post here anymore. Sorry, that sounds very pessimistic.

Here's the question:
When do the powers behind this forum decide the next time if they want to pay for keeping this forum online? When is the next software update needed and do the keepers have the impetus to run that update? Is Warhammer-Empire being mirrored in the wayback machine? There's a lot of info and ideas here, worth of archiving.

-Z

[warhammerlord_soth]

The board seems to be here to stay for the time being.
That said, there are other ways of communicating than forums, and they are often easier to use.
Having a rather complete Empire army for over a decade doesn't stimulate posts about building new troops in my case. Currently, hobby-wise, I am more into 3D printing. I have been working on and off a Death Korps of Krieg army for some time now, but haven't posted about it here for some reason...
So far the negative.
On the positive side, even the old grognards in my club are taking up WFB in some form or other lately, mostly Warhammer Renaissance. And with the Old World revival due in a year or so, new people may venture here.
So I'm hoping for improvement in the near future

[Jmash]

Gotta say I do sometimes feel like I joined at a bad time - the back table around the elections had a lot to answer for some of the older members leaving right around the time I'd just joined! Didn't realise Michael Stockin had left either - thought he was on here pretty recently but maybe I've missed something

[GamesPoet]

There are things under consideration.  However, getting through the current time frame, and to the point where hopefully GW really does come through on having the Old World back in circulation, could be good as well.  A lot of that is up to those who want this place to be around, and can come up with creative ways to keep the community here moving forward.

I realize there will be naysayers, and even folks who sometimes just show up to do just that.  So when those folks aren't here, there is less controversy to show up to see, and "social media" has already shown that negativity sucks people in again and again.  It is harder in life to get ourselves to think in a positive direction, although when we do, life improves for those who are part of such a community.

Suspect "social media" will continue to draw folks, perhaps even keep them from returning.  However, ultimately our site is some what in the hands of those who do show up.  It's about finding at the heart of our individual selves what we find is important, what we like about this community, and doing our best to contribute what we can, enjoy, and share.

I'm very thankful this community is still here, even at a reduced level.  Hope folks who remain will stick it out and see what we might find around the next corner.  Being actual and positively contributing members is what this community can and needs to be about.

Thanks to all those who are still here.  I appreciate your contributions.

[GamesPoet]

Came across this today ...

"There is a symbiotic relationship, an intrinsic link, between storytelling and community, between community and art ... "

He said further "... between community and science and technology, ..."

And then even further, although not sure it is fully down the line I was looking to pull from for my next thought below, but here it is in it's fullness anyway "... between community and economics.  It is my belief that, that abstract economic theory denies the needs of a community or denies the contribution that community makes to economy, is short sighted, cruel, and untenable.  The fact is, whether your a rock star, whether your a welder at a ship yard, or a tribesman in the upper Amazon, or the Queen of England, at the end of the day, we're all in the same boat."

(by Sting at TED Talks in 2014.)

So maybe some of that applies here as well, yet regardless ... if you're reading this with any interest at all, get back to your economics, and your science and technology, your art, your storytelling, and post in this community.  It can grow and prosper, and be a place of peace and joy and comfort.  As most are aware, life is short.  Do what you can to bring yourself what brings beauty into to your hobby world while you can, and help keep the community moving forward.  It is a bit of united we stand, divided we fall, so stick it out, make it a place you can be proud to call your community.  Live and breath it, and balance it with the rest of your world.  Be healthy and kind, funny and fun.

Cheers!

[Perambulator]

So maybe some of that applies here as well, yet regardless ... if you're reading this with any interest at all, get back to your economics, and your science and technology, your art, your storytelling, and post in this community.  It can grow and prosper, and be a place of peace and joy and comfort.  As most are aware, life is short.  Do what you can to bring yourself what brings beauty into to your hobby world while you can, and help keep the community moving forward.  It is a bit of united we stand, divided we fall, so stick it out, make it a place you can be proud to call your community.  Live and breath it, and balance it with the rest of your world.  Be healthy and kind, funny and fun.

Cheers!

Well said.     

[Zygmund]

if you're reading this with any interest at all, get back to your economics, and your science and technology, your art, your storytelling, and post in this community.  It can grow and prosper, and be a place of peace and joy and comfort.  As most are aware, life is short.  Do what you can to bring yourself what brings beauty into to your hobby world while you can, and help keep the community moving forward.  It is a bit of united we stand, divided we fall, so stick it out, make it a place you can be proud to call your community.  Live and breath it, and balance it with the rest of your world.  Be healthy and kind, funny and fun.

Love your attitude!

But why bother if the other hobby groups and sites and media platforms do it better? Is this site more about the division than about the unision? Are people here willingly staying out of the party that is going on elsewhere? What is the glue keeping this community together - other than it once was a large and lively community?

Sorry again for my pessimism regarding the utility of this site. But I think these questions need to be asked. And answered truthfully.

Put my thoughts into that other thread.

-Z

[The Black Knight]

I wouldn't say that this place is any more dead than the other faction-centric forums out there. Da Warpath, Carpe Noctem, Ulthuan, Bugman's Brewery...all seem to be in a similar derelict state. A handful of people are pulling it forward. This is not gonna change as many have said that the archaic technical nature of forums is just not attractive enough for the younger generation. Perhaps the Old World is gonna pull some people back in. The best thing we can do is NOT to antagonize older members via pointless political arguments. Unfortunately, a lot of damage has been done already, which is a great shame.

[GamesPoet]

if you're reading this with any interest at all, get back to your economics, and your science and technology, your art, your storytelling, and post in this community.  It can grow and prosper, and be a place of peace and joy and comfort.  As most are aware, life is short.  Do what you can to bring yourself what brings beauty into to your hobby world while you can, and help keep the community moving forward.  It is a bit of united we stand, divided we fall, so stick it out, make it a place you can be proud to call your community.  Live and breath it, and balance it with the rest of your world.  Be healthy and kind, funny and fun.

Love your attitude!

But why bother if the other hobby groups and sites and media platforms do it better? Is this site more about the division than about the unision? Are people here willingly staying out of the party that is going on elsewhere? What is the glue keeping this community together - other than it once was a large and lively community?

Sorry again for my pessimism regarding the utility of this site. But I think these questions need to be asked. And answered truthfully.

Put my thoughts into that other thread.

What is meant by "do it better", because a person currently can post their photos faster elsewhere?  How is this site about "division", because we focus on the Empire that is supposably being brought back, and we've opened up a W:AoS area that doesn't get used much?  Are "people here willingly staying out of the party" when so many folks have turned to W:AoS the fruit of the moment or are you referring to something else (sorry, but this positive attitude isn't catching the negative drift)?  And how can someone say that the only thing keeping this together is that it once was a large and lively community when there are folks here sharing and living and breathing helping to hold it in place with hobby stuff and other things?

Feel free to keep the discussion going, although so far I'm gotten confused about what this is all about.  Maybe I'll find it in the other thread?

[GamesPoet]

I wouldn't say that this place is any more dead than the other faction-centric forums out there. Da Warpath, Carpe Noctem, Ulthuan, Bugman's Brewery...all seem to be in a similar derelict state. A handful of people are pulling it forward. This is not gonna change as many have said that the archaic technical nature of forums is just not attractive enough for the younger generation. Perhaps the Old World is gonna pull some people back in. The best thing we can do is NOT to antagonize older members via pointless political arguments. Unfortunately, a lot of damage has been done already, which is a great shame.

Someone put up some information somewhere regarding what is happening with the various forums, although I can't locate it at the moment.  There's a small effort happening here to look at other ways for the forum to move forward, yet so far we haven't located something to our liking, yet feel free to suggest options, but one thing we're not interested in having is a facebum page that doesn't allow for developing a history, and individual presence, and is just a marketing page for the flavor of the moment.  Older members have been antagonized, although I'm not convinced that's the only reason some have left, and there's many more life reasons that different folks move off in different directions.  The biggest factor seems that when WFB ceased to be supported, folks turned to other games, and despite are attempt at fracturing off forums here, that really never took off.  Folks migrated in the hobby, as humans do, and there is certainly less of a reason to come her with GW having blown up the Olde World years ago.  It's not easy sticking this out, it's not easy continuing along with a sense of community that oiginaily wrapped around something many folks just are not playing currently nor being marketed to the global public at large.

[Zygmund]

But why bother if the other hobby groups and sites and media platforms do it better? Is this site more about the division than about the unision? Are people here willingly staying out of the party that is going on elsewhere? What is the glue keeping this community together - other than it once was a large and lively community?

Sorry again for my pessimism regarding the utility of this site. But I think these questions need to be asked. And answered truthfully.

What is meant by "do it better", because a person currently can post their photos faster elsewhere?

Photos is a big part of it. Also, there is no need to log into specific fora, when FB automatically collects the discussions you want to follow.Lastly, there is the volume. Most already moved to use the social media (not just FB), and are unlikely to move back. So if you want to meet people & discuss the Empire with them, go to meet them where they are. These other sites "do it better" in that sense.

How is this site about "division"

Only in the sense that people who don't want to join the social media are locking themselves off from what's going on there. This is also my answer to the "staying away from the party" question.

My choice of words was not the best one here.

...because we focus on the Empire...

Most of the posts here are not about the Empire, whereas in the FB Empire groups nearly all are. I don't mean to blame those who come here to talk politics, films, memes, 40K etc. But the reality is that this site's focus on Empire has greatly eroded. The Tavern - and for a few years the Back Table - has become the most active part of this forum.

And how can someone say that the only thing keeping this together is that it once was a large and lively community when there are folks here sharing and living and breathing helping to hold it in place with hobby stuff and other things?

I was harsh. I'm sorry.

But the community that shares, lives and breaths the Empire is elsewhere. If someone wants to share, live and breath the Empire today, I cannot honestly direct him/her to this site. There's so much more going on elsewhere. Ask anything over at FB, and you get more answers by more people. More discussion.

This doesn't mean the active members of Warhammer-Empire cannot keep this thing together, as in going on. I believe they can. Already the top five posters write 50 % of all posts here, and start a major part of the threads. Nearly a third of the posts are by you, GP. This is true dedication.

-Z

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

I am not sure, it has that much to do with the format. Let us face it: it is only logical that all the old WFB fora received serious, even lethal wounds, when WFB was obliterated. If we look at the stats, our own forum experienced a massive hemorrhage since 2015. At least, we survived, contrary to other races.  Perhaps the release of the "Old World" (if ever) will rejuvenate the membership here.

[Syphon]

At least, we survived, contrary to other races.

"Humans, the cockroaches of WFB"

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

That is a rather reproachful remark...

[warhammerlord_soth]

As a cockroach, I resent your remark ?

[GamesPoet]