About the whole "TG-wow people never go outside of the wow community" thing

[Aestryd]

I lurk around TG forums outside of wow, but I've almost never felt the motivation to actually post. I'm someone who very, very rarely posts just a comment or line and tend to prefer to post something rather in depth about a subject that interests me.

I have little to no clue on most of the other games in the TG community, the sandbox posts are either extremely controversial or just one long stubborn argument for the most part (for the most part, and yes this is oversimplifying it), except for the few thought-provoking and/or insightful threads. On the latter threads, I tend to not want to post unless I have something to say, and I rarely have anything provoking or new to say, tbh. TG already does a good job at having people of many different view points comment on stuff already.

Lastly, many of the remaining things that seem to be discussed are either fairly serious topics, or discussion about things that I read in the news etc. and on the odd times that I have inclination to read them, I rarely have the motivation to actually engage in discussion about them.

Reading back on this it seems defensive, and an aggressive response to comments that seem to be made in good fun in some cases and honest ridicule in others, but to be honest I'm getting a bit fed up with people (some of which are in the wow community, so not just people outside it) bringing this up. Yes, I realize that you guys want us to be part of the larger community, and I generally back the sentiment. In fact, I'm willing to bet that a good portion of TG-WoWers haven't really given the "outside" a chance. However, I do feel that if someone prefers to lurk, or spend little to no time in the TG forums community here it shouldn't be held as a fault.

Agree with me? Disagree with me? Let me know in a PM (if you're gonna curse my mother), or here in the thread. Perhaps this can be a vehicle for people to either express their ire over this, or (preferably) go outside TGWoW community.

[Pistos]

Personally I keep up with many of the threads in the Sandbox every time I hop on the forums. Occasionally I'll pop my head into some of the other General Forums. Most of the time its just lurking like you Aest.

Every so often this topic comes up and we're chastised for not being more involved outside this section of the forums. When its brought up by someone outside of the WoW players the tone isn't really inviting. Most of us came to TG through WoW and not the other way around so its kind of natural that we would spend the majority of our time here. Plus most of us (not all) that play this game don't play 14 others. That being said there are many people that play or use to play WoW that are active "out there". Some of us might choose to remain more tight-lipped and just read most of the time.

There is a wealth of information out there and in the case of the Sandbox a wealth of insane opinions . I enjoy the whole community but could live without the feeling that many of the people outside of WoW think of us as shut-ins. While I don't think its something we need to "fix" I did go ahead and post a few of our videos in the Pictures and Screenshots forum. Maybe that will help change some of that perception.

[orion808]

I don't go to most of the other forums due only to limited time. I generally spend about 1-2 hours in the forums each day. If I want to actually play the game, I have to curtail my forum usage a bit. When I have an issue or free time, I mainly visit the sandbox and some of the more relaxed general forums...heck, I'll even visit BF2 PR to see if they've reverted back to the nicer patches...

When I speak of the rest of TG, I only intend that people attempt to go to the other parts of TG and try to get familiar with what is available here. TG has a wealth of information and resources at our disposal.

[Hitchins]

Rather than ask what the strangers in the sandbox or general forums think about something, I can ask what my guildmates, who I spend time playing WoW with, think about various issues. I'd venture to say that WoW has larger squads than any other game, that makes us fairly self sufficient. Every time someone says something about WoW players not visiting the rest of the TG site, I just think, "Why should we, everything we need is here."

[beep]

My "TG Time" is primarily spent in the game-specific forums for (a) games I'm actively playing and (b) games I'm curious about. I do check out the Technical and General Discussion Forums regularly but rarely feel compelled to post.

I agree that WoWheads have a reputation for being isolated, but like most generalizations (!!) it's not fair or accurate for many players.

The TG gamer community is big, diverse and one that should always be a welcoming and positive "oasis" in the internet desert. It bugs me when any gaming group takes shots at another (unless it's in game, of course ).

[Spulat]

The only real response I would have to this post, is that you see the content of The Sandbox and General... but you do NOT see the content that's in the FPS categories; namely the Battlefield 2/2142 forums, and especially in Armed Assault, and Point of Existence/Project Reality.

You should take a glance at some of the stickies and tactical discussions therein. They may not make much sense if you haven't played the games, but rest assured they're dead serious discussions.

The Sandbox and General are just what they are, and I personally infrequently view them. I spend the rest of my time in the Hardware/Software discussions, and working within my IHS and others'. It's the Wild West, man, no one HAS to be in there to have perspective.

[Grunt 70]

Originally Posted by Hitchins

Rather than ask what the strangers in the sandbox or general forums think about something, I can ask what my guildmates, who I spend time playing WoW with, think about various issues. I'd venture to say that WoW has larger squads than any other game, that makes us fairly self sufficient. Every time someone says something about WoW players not visiting the rest of the TG site, I just think, "Why should we, everything we need is here."

I can't believe the quote above comes from the keyboard of a fellow TGer. Even if its a select few players espousing attitudes like this it's no wonder the WoW community has earned the reputation for being so inside of itself.

Though I play Armed Assault almost exclusively I, like most other TG regulars, spend much time reading over the Sandbox and even other game specific forums. Interaction with people like Leejo, Whiskey 6, Cingular Duality, Mosely, Ferris Bueller and many others has taught me that even if I disagree with people I can learn from them.

I encourage the all TG'ers to branch out and experience all that the TG forums have to offer. You'll find yourself significanlty enriched.

[Happy-WoW]

I think you are naive Grunt to think the WoW community inside TG developed the way it has. Anything outside of the WoW forums is nothing but WoW bashing.

For example:

Originally Posted by Ferris Bueller

... WOW players would get decimated, just as their souls have been already by playing the god forsaken game.

And that comes from someone you respect? And Ferris isnt the only one. I could probably link literaly hundreds of WoW bashing replies.

How would you feel if people do nothing but bash the game you play? I personally cant stand FPS's but do i go and troll their forums taking cheap shots whenever I can?

The only thing I have learned from going outside the WoW forums is that the rest of the community doesnt really want the WoW player base.

[orion808]

Not that they don't want the WoW player base...it's that they don't understand it, or make broad assumptions like this one that I am making.

WoW is set up differently that most other games, especially FPS, in that we do most of our communicating in game rather than on the forums. The forums are used for strategies, polls, and coordinating squad/guild-wide events. This means, by nature, we are in the game more than out, and some don't use the forums to their full extent because they don't have to.

It is understood why a WoW player might not go view much else in the forum tree here at TG...nonetheless, we'd like to encourage them to at least look around once in a while so they are aware of the greater community.

When WoW falls to the wayside, we'd expect those players to find homes within other parts of the community...which they have been.

[Catman1975]

I don't see the problem with people in the WOW community not venturing out into the other sections of TG. When I started here I only played 2142 and I stayed in the 2142 section. If you don't play the other games, why would you care what's going on out there. Do those of us that don't play WoW come in here just to see what you guys are saying? probably not. I do, but then again I'm out in left field and WoW has always been one of those games I wanted to try, but didn't want to pay the monthly subscription fee.

As for the Sandbox, I ventured in there a few times and while I might read it, I probably won't post again. Whenever I log in I click on the "new posts" tabs and see if anything strikes my fancy.

As for Ferris' comments, you have to take that with a grain of salt, we really joke around and give each other a hard time in the battlefield forums. So while Ferris might have been serious about being decimated, I doubt he reallying thinks your souls have been decimated.

[Hitchins]

If I have a topic to discuss, I'm going to discuss it with people who know me rather than people who do not. For me, it is that simple. I spent more time today surfing some other TG forums, and I saw posts that could have been made on any of the other non-TG forums that are already on my list of "forums to read". It isn't personal, the other TG forums just don't interest me.

All this of course, is purely my viewpoint, and I post it to try and help others understand at least why I don't visit other TG forums. There's plenty of WoW TG members that don't even visit the WoW section of the forums, so hoping that they will visit other sections is futile.

If/When another game comes out that I am interested in, I'll be seeing what the other TG WoW players are doing, but I won't go and ask the whole TG community.

Grunt 70(or anyone), please point out where my viewpoint goes against what TG is about:

Originally Posted by Apophis

1) Create an environment conducive for mature gamers to enjoy the games they play without the everyday interference from the less-than-mature gamers.

2) Create an environment where there was mutual respect for your fellow gamers and where all members would be working together to advance the enjoyment of their hobby.

3) Support game play in a near-simulation environment. Where the focus of play would not be solely on doing what it takes to win, but doing so utilizing real-world combat strategy and tactics rather than leveraging exploits provided to players by the design of the game engine, regardless of the level of advantage, if any, it gives over the opposing team.

[Spulat]

When I visit the TG forums, I hit "New Posts" to get an idea of what everyone is saying, and where. It catches the forums I'm primarily interested in (Call of Duty, 2142, General RPG, Hardware/Software) and then everything else.

Which is how I came across the Warhammer post in the WoW area, and replied in it to state that there were other Warhammer threads (complete with links) and that people were more than welcome to visit them; one of those posts was a Warhammer forum request petition.

Additionally, from my experience in public forums, as well as being a forum moderator myself (of the now-defunct VBoard.com for the 01-06 Sentra SE-R and Spec V...), people were always encouraged to SEARCH on their topic before posting. I don't encounter that sort of attitude here, and it doesn't appear to me that people have that much trouble using the search function, so really it's worth no more mention that that.

Which, finally, may have been part of the spawning of this post. Pun intended.

[Grunt 70]

Originally Posted by Happy-WoW

I think you are naive Grunt to think the WoW community inside TG developed the way it has. Anything outside of the WoW forums is nothing but WoW bashing.

For example:


And that comes from someone you respect? And Ferris isnt the only one. I could probably link literaly hundreds of WoW bashing replies.

How would you feel if people do nothing but bash the game you play? I personally cant stand FPS's but do i go and troll their forums taking cheap shots whenever I can?

The only thing I have learned from going outside the WoW forums is that the rest of the community doesnt really want the WoW player base.

I didn't say anything about respect. Whether I respect Ferris or not is something that stays with me. I said I visit the sandbox to learn from others, especially when their view diverges from mine. Some of them guys are a little right of Attilla the hun. But that's okay..I'm a centrist at best and even have been called a liberal at various time.

And I didn't say anything about the TG primer. My point was regardless or our point of view or circumstance we should endeavor to glean what we can from all viewpoints. The poster's comments indicated a highly limited viewpoint coupled with no desire to look beyond this viewpoint. While not spelled out in the primer I've seen this type of attitude few times from other TGers. On the whole my experience with others here runs towards open healty discourse, certainly opposite to the attitude of "I don't need to know anything outside of the WoW community" comment I remarked upon.

[Starrocketer]

~Compared to some of the other members I may be rather new to tactical gamer (such as Lunatg, Apophis, Crebis) ,though I have been with TG for now 2.5+ years and I have a great big love and understanding for this guild and it's principals. What does this have to do with posting or being interactive in the other areas of TG's forums? It's only saying that I have absolutly no intention (nor many of our WoWcrack TG'rs) of discluding myself from the other areas and resourses Tactical Gamer's forums have to offer.

Though for those of you who are not in the WoW TG community, Please understand this: World of Warcraft is a slow and steady sort of game. You work your way through many levels of game play and exploration WITH the people in this guild and various friendly players you meet along the way- inside the game. Nearly 98%-100% of all conversation is expressed INSIDE the game. Most of everything we could possibly come up with as far as life, adventure, current events, and general/ extensive game play is talked about in the in-game guild chat and personal player to player (whisper function) chat.

With that said it is very, very rare of ANYONE in World of Warcraft to venture into the TG WoW forums for any information short of the serious mature players that raid in the instances of World of Warcraft. And when we do, our conversations are relativly short and goofy relaiting directly to World of Warcraft.

Please, oh PLEASE, dont' take this sort of conversing attitude as one of exclusion of the many resourses and conversations going on in the other areas of Tactical Gamer's forums. For those of us in the World of warcraft guild, we like to post and talk about World of Warcraft events and ideas! It's realy very fun for us in this aspect. With that in mind, we see no point to explore the other forums because of time commitment, or simple un-interest.

We will make a quick post or thread on an idea we have in World of Warcraft in TG's World of Warcraft forum, then immediatly retreat to our wonder world in WoW

Ulitmatly understand this: We love world of warcraft and it's a time consuming game that takes intesnse amount of concentration and attention. It's not a matter of not wanting conversation with other members of the extensive Tactical Gamer community, it's simply that the majority of us discuss things inside the game, and when we do venture to the forums we make a quick comment in the WoW-TG forums then go back to talking inside the game.

This act of communication is extreamly different than the communication function of all the First Person Shooters (FPS's) that TG is apart of. In most if not all FPS's you don't have time to stop and carry long conversations in game without some morron comming by and taking the opportunity to shoot your head off :P . In world of warcraft, we have limitless amounts of time to stop what we're doing, chat for extended periods of time, then move on to whatever else we want to do in the game. This is possibly the most attractive feature of World of Warcraft. Extended conversation with other people with the same immediate interests, in the very game your enjoying playing!

Much love to the TG Community <3

Star~
~ A faithfull TG member for life <3 ^(^-^) ~

[SmokingTarpan]

Not quite sure what really sparked this, though I've got an idea or two. In any case, here's my take on it.

Most people tend to find TG due to a specific game they play. For shooters and whatnot, new peoples just wander onto the TG server and keep coming back. For RPG/MMO games, I'm assuming they find TG because of a run-in with the guild. Regardless of how people find TG, sometimes people wander onto the forums afterward, sometimes they don't. Those that do tend to either lurk or just stick within their respective game forum until they decide to wander out into the greater forum community. I found TG with BF2, and only cared about that forum for some time. I don't think it's a big deal if people only stay in one area, and if people are giving fellow TG members crap about not going into the other areas of the forums (or not going onto the forums at all) and being "part of the community", then that's bad juju in my opinion. The moment you join a TG guild or become a regular on one of our servers, you are part of the community.

The only time I would truly attempt to push someone to poke into the other areas of the forums is if they were considering playing a new/different game. The reason behind this is that the team-oriented mindset carries into every game TG plays; so if the community has something going (or is thinking about it), you know you'll find like-minded players. It's all well and good if you can get your ten Henry the Who: Conqueror's Edition buddies to check out an upcoming game... but what if you could hook up with fifty other like-minded people doing the same?