This post will be somewhat personal as I think it would be appropriate to discuss my own story regarding why I came back, as it is relevant to the thread and would give insight as to why I felt it was a good time to return. Of course, likening old members' returns could be a sign Feralheart is "getting better," but every user has a different story regarding to what drew them back in.
In my case, I initially decided to take a leave from Feralheart for a variety of reasons back in late 2014, however I did not officially announce my leave until mid-2015. I planned to deactivate my account, mainly because I felt I would never return—I thought I would just be too busy for the game heading forward. I was not necessarily happy with how certain things were handled, as well as the direction the Feralheart community was heading at the time, so I felt it would be best to simply close myself off. I disconnected myself from anything remotely related to Feralheart, and never expected myself to look back, despite loving the game to bits. Not shockingly, I eventually "caved in" years later and had to check out how the game has been. After all, even several years later, Feralheart still had a big place in my heart.
Out of curiosity, I decided to take a peak on the forum in around late October, mainly because I missed the game and all of the friendships I made throughout the years. When I logged on, I was greeted with quite a shock when I stumbled upon the No-Mod October thread. I was unsettled, but intrigued by it, as well as other events I missed during my hiatus, such as the notorious 2015 hacking, and the game update, among other things. I originally was not going to come back, but I decided to make a 'return thread' in early January, officiating that I was finally coming back.
So, why did I decide to check out the forum and stick around amidst such a controversial time for FH? Honestly, it was just mere coincidence that so much was happening when I logged on. I had no idea whom the staff team consisted of or who a majority of the forum posters were. I felt isolated in such a familiar, yet unfamiliar environment. As cheesy and silly as this may sound, I felt Feralheart needed as much help as it could get. The general chaos alone encouraged me to return, as I genuinely wanted to offer as much discussion as I could. Am I happy I came back? Yes, very much so, and I am sure many others are happy with how Feralheart has changed, both management and community-wise.
Besides my story, in my opinion, I believe returning members will only help to stimulate new ideas and potentially inspire change. Will it take a push? Probably, but in the end, we all share—both new and old community members—the common goal of making Feralheart a better place. Still, the game cannot alone be revived with just old community members. There needs to be collaboration, honest dedication, and a little bit of risk-taking between both parties.
