Why so quiet?

Where is everyone? Did the forum move, or is it officially abandoned? D:

I don't know, but the people from SSL I talk to generally complain of a decline of RP - perhaps the lack of activity on WAL correlates with that.

There are simply no posters around, chats and folks aren't communicating all that much anymore it seems.

On that matter, how was your day?

Well, the only regular posts, for quite some time, have been me copying lore stuff from wowinsider and Manovan updating his epic story.

The fact that when people do post, they get pretty much no response what-so-ever certainly doesn't encourage them to keep contributing. I think its a reflection of the lack of open rp being created and advertised in game. As ever, the guilds chug along keeping their members happy, for the most part, but that's about it

I doubt i'll keep maintaining this forum much longer. Most likely, i'll lock it and simply keep it as an archive of all the work people have put in over the years.

By the way... Bilgewater Irregulars? Who the heck are they, Vypra?

That was me and Vex's new guild

Oh, that new guild. Sounds like it has goblinoid flavour.

yup. was going to be a mercenary group led by a goblin preist

But I guess it didn't get to the stage to get a recruitment post here...

This was the recruitment ad posted both here and on the realm forum...one reply on each...

Oh, I see. I was searching for the post at the wrong place.

It probably doesn't help that all the old RP guilds hate eachothers guts these days..

Yeah, as far as I see, Quint has a point there.
Of course, conflict-based RP can be a lot of fun, if it's done in a clever way. However, it holds the risk of getting into a very pushy, violent OOC conflict, with power RP and forced compromises. Also, it's not everyone's cup of tea - but those who prefer a more relaxed, laid-back RP cannot find their place in a world where the dominant roleplayers fight all the time.
Which reminds me, it appears to me that mocking each other's RP style became quite a habit. Just because one guild participates on heavy military RP or PvPRP, and the other follows a more peaceful one, with pub nights, or with family relations, it doesn't mean either's RP is inferior to the other.
Also, there should be a level of tolerance in lore-bending; we should not dismiss a guild just because it doesn't follow Blizzard lore from letter to letter (especially since Blizzard themselves bend their lore around all the time); those who ridicule others for lore-breaking can find themselves breaking other points of the lore.
SSL had a really nice, enjoyable RP community when I used to play there. When I came back for a month recently, I found very little remaining from that (although I have to admit the Hallow's End party in the Plaguelands was something I really enjoyed). Don't forget that RP should be a community experience, and not something you should do with your tiny closed circle. Or do it with your closed circle - but be tolerant towards those that are not in it.

There has been a lot of ooc tension between the larger guilds lately. Almost all of them are also struggling with internal conflict and issues. All of this has taken it's toll on rp and server activity is very low right now.

But we have not given up! We'll rise again, so to speak. It will just take some work and time.

I can't speak for everyone, but the Heritage has been forced due to various circumstances to turn inwards in their rp in the past few months/half year.. But we're working to change that! We're not dead.

Some of the problems mentioned here are by no means unique to SSL. My own feeling is that the various changes to the game over the years (x-realm BGs/instances/transfers) have really destroyed the unique identity and feel of many realms, rp and otherwise.

Specifically to SSL and to WAL there is something I would like to mention however. Whatever you do in life, networking is a basic and fundamental skill. You don't even need to be a great communicator, just as long as you share with people what you are doing. It's amazing just how by doing this how many others you find with like ideas - how many situations where you can help each other - how many great potentials.

You can have the greatest rp, events and stories, but if nobody knows about them other than your immediate circle, they will never grow.

If everyone is working in their own little "silo" of rp newcomers will similarily assume there is nothing to be found here, and go elsewhere. Eventually even your own little silo of rp will fail, as over time there is always a natural loss as people move onto other things.

Despite some of the rather comical nonsense said about WAL over the years, it has always had a very simple goal: to facilitate this networking. To enable YOU the participants to build your networks and build a bigger and brighter community. I think it was successful in this regard for a long time. Clearly it is not the case any longer.

But don't worry... we won't be sat at home booing our eyes out. Forums and communities tend to have a finite life span. I've enjoyed my time on SSL and WAL immensely, even the drama's and rage have been entertaining.

Take it easy out there!

Atleast the Horde-side has decent RP-guilds...

After Pilus left in search of better RP, the whole Alliance RP-community collapsed.
Tbh, I had hope for Cataclysm and some new RP-experiences, but I've given up on those. I think the last time I RP'ed was over 9 months ago. I don't want that to be my last RP ever, but I'm starting to think it will.

oh yeah, forgot this: QQ

Aw, poop. WAL closing the doors. :(

Guess I can't really complain because I'm not on SSL anymore, but I'll miss it being here nonetheless.

The guild I'm currently in is only recently showing signs of decline in RP, and not by a lot... but still noticeable in my opinion. I can really see the whole "keeping it within the guild" thing in it too. Drama flared out between us and another big RP guild. Them accusing us from taking their members and whatnot. Blablabla, nothing interesting for you guys. My point was, as Vex already pointed out, it's not something that's unique to SSL.


Best of luck to all ya'll! Maybe we'll see each other in another game, all together again, when Blizzard finally manages to kill WoW.

<3


PS. Or maybe I'm the only one here that's not currently on SSL? If that's the case, that last sentence is kind of silly. :P

Things come and go, I gotta share Vexacus opinion about things coming to an end but it was fun till it lasted and as WoW is getting a MMO kept alife by getting more and more easy its a matter of time till the subscription fee goes boom!

As to the community, the community will live on in smaller groups here and there around other MMO's or games in general. Except nice Roleplay and PvP, raids or whatnot in WoW I also made a lot of stuff with folks from there outside the game.

However WAL will always be as a monument of what has been going on SSL

Go on, mons!

If you close the forum, then how can Vypra read my story?

I'll leave the story archive open as people don't have to be playing WoW to decide to write a story about it

Will probably leave this forum open too i guess if people want it...

Random Carp ftw!

Leaf wrote:

Random Carp ftw!

QFT!
Lets not forget all the WAL-drama!
LOVE IT!