Ah, yes, the classic "I'm leaving" thread. I know many will not care and you'll wish me (not) well, but I'm leaving this community.

The bullying threads, headlined by "How can we be more inclusive to..." that have cropped up denigrating those of us who care about a sense of community proves just how adolescent this community is and how unwilling many of you are in accepting a challenge to improve gaming communities. I have a naive philosophy that I operate under online. I feel the only way that the internet becomes a better place is to challenge those that make it crappy. Anonymity is a powerful cloak and I believe that social resistance is the only real way anything could hope to improve.

When I started playing X-wing, my first concern was whether or not I'd be playing the game with a bunch of man-children, like I've experienced many times before in gaming. I was hoping that this community might be different and I was (naturally) assured that it was different. Those people were wrong. This community is no different than any other "gamer" community out there. Its filled with people who place their own self gratification above a sense of community. There are the positive ones, to be sure, and I appreciate your dedication to improving the hobby. At the same time, as a busy adult, I reserve a personal right to not expose myself to caustic groups of people. The good old boys club is alive and well on this site, and you've made a strong push to crap on anyone who dares bring a dissenting opinion or wants an honest discussion about issues in the hobby. The original troll of the gender thread did exactly what he probably intended to do: show how ugly this community is.

So, I just want some of you to know that, contrary to your passionate personal beliefs, you ARE what is wrong with this hobby. When this game dies (which it eventually will, but I hope not for a while), many of you here will be to blame for it. New players will continue to come here and get curb stomped by those of you who refuse to use your extensive experience with the game for a positive purpose. You'll pretend like it isn't you. You'll scapegoat whatever is convenient. You'll find something to rationalize your poor behavior. And the cycle will repeat. You'll be shocked. You'll be surprised. But it will be no surprise to those of us who actually place community over competition. Thanks for eventually killing a great game and justifying the stereotypes that the general public feels about our passions. It only took you two months of making me feel not welcome on a daily basis before you made one more successful step towards ensuring your exclusive club remains exclusive.

I've decided that as much as I'd enjoy playing games with more women in the hobby, my higher goal is now to prevent anyone from being disappointed by this community in the way I have. Rather than encouraging anyone to join, the better, kinder advice is to explain the consequences of joining this place before they decide. You don't deserve the benefits that different perspectives would bring this game and you are poor ambassadors for the hobby.

So I guess the question we're left with here is, how can we be more inclusive to people that are leaving this forum?

For some reason, the forum has gone off the rails fairly recently. Sadly, I think this is the result if you have a popular game with a very inattentive moderation policy. You probably aren't the only the forums have driven off. The good discussion is very tough to find right now.

Those threads are pretty unacceptable and also fairly typical of established gaming communities. It is a shame.

It is x wing forum tradition to take the piss out of controversial threads after they die down. I've been here long enough to see that is just a stage in the communities healing process. Is cray now but we will be back on track soon.

Well you'll be missed.

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

It's only natural that a game this popular starts to ignite threads like the ones you mentioned. There seems to be some crucial point of popularity and mainstream where influential trolls take root.

I just avoid the threads that I know will anger me and don't care too personally about whether or not my posts are taken seriously. When I really need to be heard, I go elsewhere.

it seems the 'copycat' inclusive threads have nuked much of the intelligent discussion that has appeared in this forum in the past. I have been a member here longer than most and i have noted a definite deterioration of quality discussion. id like to see things get back on track again.

I'm sorry that this seems to be the way things are. I wish there were more rational people that populated the gaming community, but there isn't much to do besides being a good player and community member myself. In any case, sorry to hear the forum has been a sour experience.

it seems the 'copycat' inclusive threads have nuked much of the intelligent discussion that has appeared in this forum in the past. I have been a member here longer than most and i have noted a definite deterioration of quality discussion. id like to see things get back on track again.

What intelligent discussion.

it seems the 'copycat' inclusive threads have nuked much of the intelligent discussion that has appeared in this forum in the past. I have been a member here longer than most and i have noted a definite deterioration of quality discussion. id like to see things get back on track again.

What intelligent discussion.

Agreed. OP of that "discussion" came with their mind already made.

While I understand the frustration with the current state of the community. But, playing devil's advocate here (I have tried to keep my thoughts on inclusive gameplay to myself, as I don't think these forums are the appropriate place to have the discussion), isn't it easy enough to just not enter those threads that don't interest you? I've stayed out of all of them, because I see neither the humor in, nor the need for, these threads. If it's a cathartic environment for them to stay in their echo chambers where they can all pat themselves on the back about their stance (whether they think there should be more done for inclusiveness or if there is already enough done), then at least they are confined to that particular area and not putting the stuff up in other threads.

I've personally been trying to contribute to the forums, either with something humorous (see my thread on Game Mechanic X being OP), or more serious fare with my current "What do you own too much of" thread. I think there's enough of us here to be able to enjoy the space while letting those that are uninterested in having their points refuted having their own small corner to use however they see fit.

It's the internet, what do you expect?

Please show me a popular message board where opinion don't clash.

Have you been to the destiny, or cod, or any video game forums?

They are just appalling. Honest to God, the things people say is ungodly.

I haven't been around here much lately because of other things, and or missed some of these heated topics over the last few weeks, but this is a good community.

How many times have I seen the same question asked and someone politely answers

Anywhere else, they just be told to search.

How many times have I seen people ask advice about tournament builds and people kindly answer.

It's the internet, and as things get popular your bound to get more new comers and a few bad apples.

What I don't like is how you seem to have included everyone on this message board into one group because of a few bad people?

Isn't that offensive?

I kind if take it that way.

Sure some posts may get heated, but I've seen a lot if debates that take place and everyone remains calm, in a mature way

There are times where someone posts something, thinking they are correct, and when everyone disagree with them, they get offended.

I believe this place is better than most message boards.

Just have to report anything offensive and move on

Edit

But maybe I'm out if the loop, but i haven't seen anything offensive, but today I saw a lot of inclusive threads and was wondering, what up with that

Well, bye. One last drama thread hurrah I see..

I'm tired of the "how can we be more inclusive of.."

Poor people

People born on Thursdays

People born during a leap year

People who work night shifts

Women gamers

Underprivileged

People born in Antarctica

People living in Ethiopia

Etc...

Just play the game. Enjoy it. Critique it.

If you can't afford it, sorry.

If you don't feel comfortable in your skin, sorry.

If you were born under a full moon on a Tuesday, sorry..

Hopefully FFG will finally make a few forum moderators...

I've only been around since just before wave four hit the shelves and even I know that there's a marked difference in the forum quality.

I used to be able to get 30 responses on a list critique. Now it's a struggle to get ten.

It usually gets better just after a release. You get more in depth theoretical discussion.

I agree with you, it is a shame that you are leaving. I have been here a good long while too.

There are to many hateful know it all old farts and young stupid brats now. Then you get static from the drive by gang that come and go. FFG has allowed this to happen. When guys like me tried to argue the warnings and chill some of the bad apples I got shushed down or ignored too, so I am just about done here. I started a little G+ community all about modeling and some of the cooler stuff that some of us do with the hobby and almost nobody here joined it... so they just don't like me or they are full of whatever and just want to stay here and complain.

I am cool all day with it because I have my toys and my nice game room, and I am very happy in my sand box, but it is ass to see a nice little community go to hell the way that this one has.

it seems the 'copycat' inclusive threads have nuked much of the intelligent discussion that has appeared in this forum in the past. I have been a member here longer than most and i have noted a definite deterioration of quality discussion. id like to see things get back on track again.

Have you seen what the original "inclusives threads" have devolved into?

So if your leaving can we have your stuff?

So if your leaving can we have your stuff?

Wathever you do, don't ask if you can have somebody's wife ok?

I agree with you, it is a shame that you are leaving. I have been here a good long while too.

There are to many hateful know it all old farts and young stupid brats now. Then you get static from the drive by gang that come and go. FFG has allowed this to happen. When guys like me tried to argue the warnings and chill some of the bad apples I got shushed down or ignored too, so I am just about done here. I started a little G+ community all about modeling and some of the cooler stuff that some of us do with the hobby and almost nobody here joined it... so they just don't like me or they are full of whatever and just want to stay here and complain.

I am cool all day with it because I have my toys and my nice game room, and I am very happy in my sand box, but it is ass to see a nice little community go to hell the way that this one has.

It's okay. I like you. I'm just really technologically illiterate. Maybe they should an inclusive thread for me too. complete with a picture on how to use google plus! Haha. .

Alright, real talk. Let me tell you a little bit about myself, so you know my position on this issue, and why I think these threads are silly.

I am from Dayton Ohio, and I have been a gamer for 14 years. I have played warhammer 40k, battletech, heavy gear, and now x-wing, and across a lot of different areas of the country. I am a lot more experienced with minatures gaming than most people on this forum.

I am not what you would think of as your typical gamer, as a person. I have split my time in the last few years between Ohio and China, where I have made a plethora of friends. I can count men and women from every continent but Africa and Antarctica as personal friends. I have friends who are extremely conservative evangelical christians, politically active atheists, and everything in between. I have dined with millionaires in Shanghai, and split cocaine and beer with poor hillbillies at barn parties. I can get along with almost anyone, because I know how to compromise as a person with other people. I don't mean that I just get along with these people, or tolerate being around them, but build the kind of personal friendships where you can discuss your hopes, dreams, and fears openly and honestly.

As far as women go, I am certainly not a ladies man, but I get along fine with them. I've shared love and friendship and all those other wonderful things with women from 3 continents between 2 of them. I have always been a good friend first. My apartment in college was a short walk from the local bars, and a few of the girls I knew, knew that they could always crash at my place if they got too drunk to drive home. And I am glad I had a reputation as someone you could trust.

I'm telling you all this to let you know that I am not your stereotypical neckbeard basement dweller, and that I am also not some charicature of the guys you see on Mad Men. But I post the way I do because I can't take these threads seriously.

What do you want me to do about this issue? Go around telling women 'hey, I play miniature games too and am not a creepy basement dweller'? How do I go about breaking the negative stereotype single handedly?

And really, who cares? Miniature gaming isn't the only thing you can do to have fun. So if a girl thinks 'well maybe I would play x-wing, but i'll probably be playing with a bunch of creepers', she is just going to find something else to do. And that isn't my loss. I can't single handedly change the world, and I don't know that I care to. I watch my own behavior, but I can't spend all my time worrying about what other people are up to. There are lots of communities out there who's demographics do not represent the overall population. My grandma used to knit with a group of friends. They were all old women. Should she have made an effort to be more inclusive? Or should she have just accepted her hobby for what it is and gotten what enjoyment should could out of this.

I've decided that as much as I'd enjoy playing games with more women in the hobby, my higher goal is now to prevent anyone from being disappointed by this community in the way I have. Rather than encouraging anyone to join, the better, kinder advice is to explain the consequences of joining this place before they decide. You don't deserve the benefits that different perspectives would bring this game and you are poor ambassadors for the hobby.

Yes, please go, and take this self righteous garbage with you.

I am glad I get to play x-wing. Days I play x-wing mean those are days I am not working 15 hours. I am not fighting off cockroaches in a third world-esque apartment anymore. I don't live in an area being invaded by ISIS, my village isn't being ravaged by Ebola. I have a roof over my head, no diseases, and the freetime to play with plastic toys.

So you come into this forum, a place for people to discuss plastic minature games, and go 'no, you are doing it wrong because there arent enough women.' And I say 'what should I do about that'? And get told I need to behave better around women. When I know I don't have an issue interacting with women, there is no other answer given. None the less, I am now a bully and a poor ambassador for the hobby. If I am going to devote my time to changing a pressing issue in the world, it won't be the lack of women in miniature gaming. There are far, far worse things going on.

it seems the 'copycat' inclusive threads have nuked much of the intelligent discussion that has appeared in this forum in the past. I have been a member here longer than most and i have noted a definite deterioration of quality discussion. id like to see things get back on track again.

Have you seen what the original "inclusives threads" have devolved into?

The one deleted and the two that got locked by mods?

What do you hope to achieve with this thread? Add to the drama?

That thread (in its three reincarnations) was made fun of because it was *all* everybody talked about. It still is a discussion going nowhere, with almost no contributions from girls (just one). Making "copycat" threads is the community's way of saying "move on".

You may think of it as childish, but I think your pissing at us before leaving is just as childish.

I agree with you, it is a shame that you are leaving. I have been here a good long while too.

There are to many hateful know it all old farts and young stupid brats now. Then you get static from the drive by gang that come and go. FFG has allowed this to happen. When guys like me tried to argue the warnings and chill some of the bad apples I got shushed down or ignored too, so I am just about done here. I started a little G+ community all about modeling and some of the cooler stuff that some of us do with the hobby and almost nobody here joined it... so they just don't like me or they are full of whatever and just want to stay here and complain.

I am cool all day with it because I have my toys and my nice game room, and I am very happy in my sand box, but it is ass to see a nice little community go to hell the way that this one has.

It's okay. I like you. I'm just really technologically illiterate. Maybe they should an inclusive thread for me too. complete with a picture on how to use google plus! Haha. .

All you have to do is go to your account and open this group and start typing and posting links and whatever like any other forum. If you can read emails then you can post in the groups you join!