Okay, I'll only say this once and make it relatively quick because I've been gone for a little while and will continue to be gone for a lot longer. It's kinda rantish, but I'd at least enjoy it if people read it and gave actual coherent thought to it. If anybody wants to, sticky it, announce it, whatever. Just as long as people will actually pay some damn attention or something.

But to put it relatively simple, for the majority of people in this community and those wanting to see it grow and succeed..

We need to pick up the pace.

And by 'pick up the pace', I don't mean work more on aesthetics, I don't mean add more cool gadgets, I don't mean tell all your friends, but what I mean is actually work and PARTICIPATE so that we can keep around those that are already here. It doesn't even have to be a lot, it really doesn't. Even just being consistently active in one or two subforums is good enough, but please, I implore you guys, DO SOMETHING.

Less than a dozen people posting consistently does not reflect well on the community, especially when the chat (Well, from when I last saw it) sees upwards of two or three times that number every single day, and there are a hell of a lot more people here. The summer's arrived and already I can see the new user influx. It's ridiculous. Two weeks not here and I come back and see a whole bunch of new threads in the welcome area and only two people, or at most three, replying to any of them. If I was a new member and came in to that kind of reception, I'd slide on out of here too. It's absolutely necessary that people feel welcomed and wanted and can actually, you know, visibly see the forum being active in more than just a couple of places. And that's just the beginning of things.

Beyond rolling out the welcome mat, a successful community requires actual participation from droves of its numbers. A few members cannot carry a community, especially one of such size, on their back alone. It's a group effort. And contrary to popular belief, starting a half-assed unplanned RP that dies in three days does NOT constitute participation, for the record. Participation is engagement beyond just roleplaying and characters.

Everybody that goes in chat, do you know why chat can thrive so well? Because communication transcends a bunch of people playing characters. Between those hours of roleplaying nightly, there's actual interaction, there are people making friends (Or sometimes enemies) and actually learning about those around them. This same idea needs to be taken and applied here on the forums for the sake of a better community as a whole.

Small communities are alright, but only when they're actual communities and not just a number of completely separate and isolated roleplays taking place between separated and isolated members that otherwise do not and will not say a word to one another, all bound together simply by being on the same forums. I only say this because I love roleplaying, I love RPGateway and the friends I've made here, and I'd really like this place to succeed.

But if during the most open time of the year, during the rush, during the time when new members will come pouring in looking for some acceptance, some hospitality, some activity, and some fun and they receive only one or the above or sometimes none of the above, there is a problem. Quit slacking, seriously. I'm not even saying to go all out and post a hundred times per day, but just a few posts here or there in a couple of forums every day or so from everybody adds up damn quick and at least makes it seem like we're trying.

What I go through and see right now though doesn't look like that at all. Sure, some people might need help in learning how to RP, but more often than not they just need help in actually knowing where to start, and it's damn hard to pick a place to do that when there's barely a flicker of life anywhere, and most places where there is are dying quick.

I only wrote this because it might be the only chance I have for a while to really get my thoughts out there on what's going on here currently, being away from chat for good and heavily involved in school and other outside programs for this summer and coming fall.

But honestly, just at least pretend to skim this or something. Eric has poured himself into this place, I've been trying and willing to do the same for as long as I've been here, and there are more out there trying to do the same, but at this rate it seems like most could really care less.

Actually, I was just thinking that the other day. We may have a large number posted in our "total members" section, but of those who actually RP and stay active on these boards... it's pathetic. These forums are dying, but I try not to just say this. I have tried to join as many RPs and greet as many people as possible, but there is only so much 1 person can do. I thank you Kouketsu for pointing this out in my stead, for I didn't feel it was my place to point such a thing out. So please people, try and make a more conscious effort to contribute to this community which I hold so dear to myself.

If you need someone for the member retention team, I'm in. I don't want to see this place go down. I haven't been here long, but I love it.

Okay, when someone comes in here and says "I'm new here but not to roleplaying", I think it should be the duty of the people who welcome them to suggest at least one rp each that they can join. What do you guys think?

Also, our threads such as "Rp rules" and "profile builder"... those need to be VERY accessible. I have a hard time finding them when I'm trying to point new people in the right direction. Maybe in multiple forums? can we do that?

PunkRockinHobbit wrote:If you need someone for the member retention team, I'm in. I don't want to see this place go down. I haven't been here long, but I love it.

Ditto. I like to think I already try to do all that as much as possible, but obviously I could already do more. So, I'm in.

^^; I'm sorry...(I grew up Irish Catholic-no matter how pagan I am now-so yes, I do feel personal guilt for this.) Um...The only reason I don't post more is because I'm not used to being, well, a n00b. I've been posting on the same forum for over three years, and it feels really weird to become active in a new one. (I've joined and dropped one or two in the past few years, but I really think this seems like fun, so I don't want to start off sounding n00bish.) *bows* I will try to post more...It will probably make me more comfortable, anyway.

I will try to participate more. Especially in the Welcomes section. I love to welcome newcomers.

I'm still working on having Gwing Comics- however I'll transition to make them RPGateway comics soon.
(I want to do a massive upload on the comics. So taking time to do that.)

Things have been hectic on this side, Shima is working full time- I'm working two jobs and
we're packing to move to Boston.

But! I'll try to be more visible... Oh look! -greets new member, scaring them to death-

... Well... I try... I shall not lose!

Yea, I've been on this site for a few days, and have started a couple of rp's and posted in some. However, there have been no responses to them. Which is sad, because other than the unactive part of the site, I really enjoy it. So far I haven't seen anything posted like "Inuyasha runs into the room, and cuts all the bad guys down, and saves Kagome, who kissess him and says Inuyasha you're so cool". We have intellegent enough posts, that i've seen we just need people to be active. Which I will be

Kill_Gorgeous,

Have you advertised in the RP Advertisements?

*pouts* Drat, I want to finish the Academy soon...;-;

Yea I have, actually I'll just wait until it gets to the next page and probably advertise again, or something like that.

wait, did we lose our gallery? ::goes to look::

ERIC! Bring the gallery back! No wonder Edge hasn't updated the comic in like, forever. What happened to it!?!

*Speaking in 3rd person*

That, and Edge-kun is currently dying at his new job. However he'll make a new topic and begin to repost the old comics at least.

Eh? Comics? O.O Ooh...Dokko desuka?

Yes. Usually I'd be long gone by now, since the forums are very inactive, but I am staying here, reading posts, and seeing how I can improve by myself before searching for a more active rp site. I like this because people are very good at what they write.

A friend and I were joking, "Maybe they post when they're taking breaks from writing their novels." That's what it seems like.

Anywho, I'm going to keep giving this place a chance. I really hope things do pick up around here.

To answer Rin's implied criticism, and speaking purely personally, many of my post take a long time sometimes hours to craft. Okay I know it doesn't look like it when you read them, but they do take time, and I my time is limited. So what am I to do, post more worse posts, contribute to games that do not inspire me just because we need contributions even though they will not inspire others? Everything that isn't posting in games is wasted effort, from a certain point of view. And lets look at how many people actually post in games, rather than the other areas of the forum, including some of the admin and mod staff.

Basically tell me what I am doing wrong.