Hi Everyone,
First, I want to be crystal clear, the following does not apply to the Wikis themselves, solely to the forums here.
Someone once said, "It's time to leave the party, honey. We've had a lovely visit, but all good things must come to an end."
This forum was founded about 5 years ago. It was based on the need for the DSouls community to have a place to gather, discuss, and share ideas about the game they were ever so passionate about. We all have fond memories of the time we've spent here, and to be honest, some not so fond memories. All said, though, it was a fantastic party. Today, however, is a different world then it was 5 years ago.
Whether we like it or not, the social landscape of the internet has evolved and internet forums as we once knew them are slowly being replaced. With things like reddit and twitter, it is simply impossible to provide the level of interaction that those provide. They not only do it for niche games, they are able to do them across all the interests that people have, and all under one account. You need not re-establish your reputation at each forum, as your reputation follows with you. Some may argue whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless it is the way the social media landscape is moving.
No one need be concerned about the Wikis as those will continue to be developed for each new game that comes out in the "Souls" universe. Those are still heavily utilized, and have always seen far more traffic then the forums. It's easy to think that since only a few contribute to the wiki they aren't heavily utilized, but the data does not support that. The fact is that most out there consume information; they don't provide it. That is just the nature of humans.
The activity here is dwindled to the point where whole sections of the forums have not had a post in months. The posts that do happen are limited to only a few participants and most of those seem to be moderators. I know some will be upset by this decision, but there simply is not enough participation to continue down this road. The board would require a major overhaul to get it up to the latest version, and it'd be easier to replace it completely. However, that would still require a lot of effort and there are simply too few users left.
For all of those who have participated here at the forums, for the invaluable assistance the moderators (past and present) have given, I am truly grateful. I won't single individuals out, because I will forget someone and they will be somewhat hurt. Just know that I appreciate all the work everyone poured into this community. The support I've seen from this community is awe inspiring and quite humbling. I will always cherish this experience and I thank all of you for allowing me to have it.
The forums will be placed in read-only mode starting the end of November this year. They will remain in that state for an indefinite period of time.
I'm allowing anyone to post in this thread, to say your goodbyes and share your thoughts if you so wish.
tl;dr -- I'm putting the forums in read-only mode at the end of November. It's been a great ride, but it is time for the ride to come to an end. I love all of you and cherish the time we've spent! The wikis will still be maintained, and new ones will be developed for each new game that comes out related to the "Souls" theme. Good night, all.
Yours,
Stooge
