(05-21-2017, 02:32 PM)IvikBlack Wrote: Secondly, the $18 transfer fee is essentially an additional cost imposed beyond the basic buy in on those new players. That is quite clearly not in their favor, nor is it a one-time fee if a person wishes to play multiple characters.

(05-21-2017, 02:57 PM)IvikBlack Wrote: That's an excellent point! It's one I hadn't thought of, but from my experience it is definitely true.

I think there are some drawbacks to a fictionalized approach as well, and in the end what I'd advocate is this: the community should come together to try to start a second unofficial RP server. And, if at the time that Balmung Transfers become available again, people are happy there? Stay there. If they're not, consolidate back into Balmung.

(05-21-2017, 03:51 PM)Strigiforme Wrote: Unlurking just to say I wish I could lovingly embroider Graeham's post and hang it over my fireplace, as it pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly.

I understand getting defensive of a place you love when people are saying they don't find it quite as nice, but if someone has reached this point of frustration in their experience, a page of advice or anecdotes about how other people succeeded is too little, too late. The opportunity to help has come and passed, especially for those who have been trying for years. There are loads of great people on Balmung, but for all the positives that come with a large community, the sad fact is that a lot of people are unable to really connect with them and the desire to transfer to a community where they have a shot at not being invisible is very, very relatable.

(05-21-2017, 03:39 PM)Graeham Wrote: I mean, it's pretty clear by the responses to the numerous threads already discussing this issue that opinions differ on the matter so I don't think anybody should be climbing atop a pedestal and stating with certainty that a particular approach is the 'correct' option.

Not everybody is comfortable with Balmung in its current state. There's plenty of valid reasons as to why someone may wish to move elsewhere. Yes, other communities of role-players will be smaller but that suits some people just fine. Others may move due to suffering major response issues thanks to the server move; especially if they live somewhere in Europe.

I intend to stay for as long as I have friends here. I have a handful of people I trust and care about. I also think it's deceptive to paint Balmung in a solely positive light because it does have its issues and some aspects of the community are pretty rotten. There's stalkers, there's people with no filter in regards to their ERP shenanigans and then there's the numerous flaky individuals who get people's hopes up in regards to promising them role-play only to never deliver and/or they end up just dropping them the moment they find someone newer and fresher to interact with. It happens fairly often when someone commits to a 'romance plot' and suddenly everything else ends up meaning very little by comparison.

Does this happen elsewhere? Of course, but Balmung being so large means there's more good and more bad. Some people are lucky and find some shining gems amongst the muck but others drift about - through no fault of their own - and endure terrible experiences over and over. If it wasn't for the shining gems I found I'd have left this server long ago and I know from what I've heard from other individuals that this is hardly an isolated stance.

(05-21-2017, 04:01 PM)Sig Wrote:

(05-21-2017, 03:51 PM)Strigiforme Wrote: Unlurking just to say I wish I could lovingly embroider Graeham's post and hang it over my fireplace, as it pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly.

I understand getting defensive of a place you love when people are saying they don't find it quite as nice, but if someone has reached this point of frustration in their experience, a page of advice or anecdotes about how other people succeeded is too little, too late. The opportunity to help has come and passed, especially for those who have been trying for years. There are loads of great people on Balmung, but for all the positives that come with a large community, the sad fact is that a lot of people are unable to really connect with them and the desire to transfer to a community where they have a shot at not being invisible is very, very relatable.

Please refer to section of OP regarding leaving server for personal reasons.  Solidarity in the RP community (so that RP remains common, available, and diverse) is more important than misconceptions particular individuals may have about a community that is so large, diverse, and vibrant that it would be disingenuous to impute negative attributes to it as a whole. 

Perhaps I'm very lucky, but I've never had an issue with roving bands of stalkers, 'flaky individuals', or other negative stereotypes.  RPers love to jest about the pervasive nature of such things, but in reality they remain largely mythical.  But, as Gaeham said, these issues will exist on any server, and the problem with a smaller server is that you have no alternatives to escape them.  Momo explained in a prior post the problems that happen if you encounter issues on a smaller server, and the OP explains those problems in great detail.

Again, we don't need to be wedded to Balmung in particular: what is far more important is that the RP community consolidate on one server [at the present time Balmung].  With any luck, perhaps we'll get an official RP server one day, and then the community can move there.

(05-21-2017, 04:14 PM)Oswin Wrote:

(05-21-2017, 04:01 PM)Sig Wrote:

(05-21-2017, 03:51 PM)Strigiforme Wrote: Unlurking just to say I wish I could lovingly embroider Graeham's post and hang it over my fireplace, as it pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly.

I understand getting defensive of a place you love when people are saying they don't find it quite as nice, but if someone has reached this point of frustration in their experience, a page of advice or anecdotes about how other people succeeded is too little, too late. The opportunity to help has come and passed, especially for those who have been trying for years. There are loads of great people on Balmung, but for all the positives that come with a large community, the sad fact is that a lot of people are unable to really connect with them and the desire to transfer to a community where they have a shot at not being invisible is very, very relatable.

Please refer to section of OP regarding leaving server for personal reasons.  Solidarity in the RP community (so that RP remains common, available, and diverse) is more important than misconceptions particular individuals may have about a community that is so large, diverse, and vibrant that it would be disingenuous to impute negative attributes to it as a whole. 

Perhaps I'm very lucky, but I've never had an issue with roving bands of stalkers, 'flaky individuals', or other negative stereotypes.  RPers love to jest about the pervasive nature of such things, but in reality they remain largely mythical.  But, as Gaeham said, these issues will exist on any server, and the problem with a smaller server is that you have no alternatives to escape them.  Momo explained in a prior post the problems that happen if you encounter issues on a smaller server, and the OP explains those problems in great detail.

Again, we don't need to be wedded to Balmung in particular: what is far more important is that the RP community consolidate on one server [at the present time Balmung].  With any luck, perhaps we'll get an official RP server one day, and then the community can move there.

I take offense to this. To say that the player exclusion, stalkers and cliques are mythical is wholly uncalled for. There are many people that have experienced such behavior and to outright dismiss them is unacceptable. It could be in the minority of the experiences, but there are experiences that happen on a daily occurrence.

The fact people have been on that end of the equation is why some of these small communities exist.

(05-21-2017, 03:51 PM)Strigiforme Wrote: Unlurking just to say I wish I could lovingly embroider Graeham's post and hang it over my fireplace, as it pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly.

I understand getting defensive of a place you love when people are saying they don't find it quite as nice, but if someone has reached this point of frustration in their experience, a page of advice or anecdotes about how other people succeeded is too little, too late. The opportunity to help has come and passed, especially for those who have been trying for years. There are loads of great people on Balmung, but for all the positives that come with a large community, the sad fact is that a lot of people are unable to really connect with them and the desire to transfer to a community where they have a shot at not being invisible is very, very relatable.

(05-21-2017, 04:14 PM)Oswin Wrote:

(05-21-2017, 04:01 PM)Sig Wrote:

(05-21-2017, 03:51 PM)Strigiforme Wrote: Unlurking just to say I wish I could lovingly embroider Graeham's post and hang it over my fireplace, as it pretty much sums up my feelings perfectly.

I understand getting defensive of a place you love when people are saying they don't find it quite as nice, but if someone has reached this point of frustration in their experience, a page of advice or anecdotes about how other people succeeded is too little, too late. The opportunity to help has come and passed, especially for those who have been trying for years. There are loads of great people on Balmung, but for all the positives that come with a large community, the sad fact is that a lot of people are unable to really connect with them and the desire to transfer to a community where they have a shot at not being invisible is very, very relatable.

Please refer to section of OP regarding leaving server for personal reasons.  Solidarity in the RP community (so that RP remains common, available, and diverse) is more important than misconceptions particular individuals may have about a community that is so large, diverse, and vibrant that it would be disingenuous to impute negative attributes to it as a whole. 

Perhaps I'm very lucky, but I've never had an issue with roving bands of stalkers, 'flaky individuals', or other negative stereotypes.  RPers love to jest about the pervasive nature of such things, but in reality they remain largely mythical.  But, as Gaeham said, these issues will exist on any server, and the problem with a smaller server is that you have no alternatives to escape them.  Momo explained in a prior post the problems that happen if you encounter issues on a smaller server, and the OP explains those problems in great detail.

Again, we don't need to be wedded to Balmung in particular: what is far more important is that the RP community consolidate on one server [at the present time Balmung].  With any luck, perhaps we'll get an official RP server one day, and then the community can move there.

I take offense to this. To say that the player exclusion, stalkers and cliques are mythical is wholly uncalled for. There are many people that have experienced such behavior and to outright dismiss them is unacceptable. It could be in the minority of the experiences, but there are experiences that happen on a daily occurrence.

The fact people have been on that end of the equation is why some of these small communities exist.