6 hours ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

Also worth noting you have four posts, and are probably a newer player.

Some people have been playing X-Wing for over five years now. Burnout is inevitable.

I've been playing for about 2 years. I choose not to post most of the time because most of the stuff on here isn't worth commenting on

18 hours ago, Scammarato182 said:

I've been playing for about 2 years. I choose not to post most of the time because most of the stuff on here isn't worth commenting on

Very true, but nevertheless two years is a lot different than five. Burnout happens, independently of the quality of a game/hobby, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that and often players can come back after a break from a game. Though problematic metas or toxic communities can certainly contribute to burnout, and I think both have been the case for X-Wing as of late.

For many players, the "newness" of X-Wing has worn off and the honeymoon phase is over.

In the first couple years, the forums and online community were top-notch, with so many discussions about positive reactions to the game and its components. Members were eager to share their storage solutions or teach some of their strategic findings, and the basic dynamics and strategy of the game were still an interesting black-box to be puzzled through. Local tourneys were exciting times to meet new players and get some shiny acrylic swag or alternate art.

All of those aspects of the game have long since lost their luster: storage issues have been largely solved, and there's not much new to offer on the matter; the games basic strategic and tactical elements have been largely figured out and discussed to death, and casting back that curtain has revealed to some extent a disappointing glimpse at the meager man Oz pulling all the strings of the game, who is far less impressive or interesting than we might have hoped, and even tourneys have lost their appeal with fewer and fewer faces (especially new faces) at each event and with the prize support being pretty 'meh,' often rehasing past prizes while frequently being less impressive than the many third party alternatives for swag.

Couple that growing staleness with the surge in toxicity of the online forums, and you've got a community that has nothing new or interesting to say and yet is eager to bicker and insult during every conversation about nothing. As to what caused the toxicity, who knows. It really started about two years ago when the Intentional Draw rule caused a massive rift in the community, and wherein you had "idols" and "ambassadors" of the community who used to be friends calling each other vile names (e.g. Hothie vs Heaver). There was also a rise of fire-stoking, often poking at the imagined differences between the "Casual" and "Competitive" player. And then you had posters with a personal axe to grind, who turned every topic into their crusade (eg "boo turrets!") or into nonsense ("yay breakfast"). Couple this with the growing disillusionment of the post-honeymoon phase of the X-Wing Meta that has likely contributed to increasing frustration/disappoint with the game and sprinkle in a little of the frustration and polarization people feel about the Post 2016 world in general, where civility and kindness seem like they've gone extinct, and you get a recipe for one toxic place.