Don't Kill Me For This

[Giftig]

[kiaz1st]

Thank you for being so polite and considerable, it makes this very easy to reply to.

I don't often interact with the community anymore, I feel I've grown rather distant to it. But I still hang around here, watching and seeing how everyone is and how the community is doing.

I also joined in 2012, and I can definitely remember the FeralHeart you described, the FeralHeart I was drawn to and consumed by. The FeralHeart that gave me a place to belong, a place full of lively, funny, friendly users with beautiful and unique characters. Where roleplay was still fresh and new and exciting, and the maps full to the brim with people in every nook and cranny. Back when it was difficult to secure a spot for your roleplay, or when it was easy to bump into people and make friends, be it through friendly banter and shenanigans, or through an amazing roleplay.

And I agree, FH isn't like that anymore. You described it beautifully, in that it has lost it's colour. The community has worn down, people have become bland or awkward. There are many amazing people still around, still funny and lively people, but the colour has gone.

I can't really say much on the staff. I feel I may have been something of a friend with some of them once? I see them doing their job really. And while I agree freedom of speech is good, I can see why they lock these posts. To stop negativity, to remove clutter. I can't say I agree or disagree, I see both of these points equally valid.

I do like the staff. They are friendly and polite people, who try their best to explain situations to agrivated users, and to do their job while keeping everyone happy. And that's hard. They can't keep everyone happy, and that's a shame. It's difficult for them , they have to distance themselves really, because if they get too involved it will be difficult, painful even to do their job. And it's sad, but they are still the amazing users I knew and loved.

I don't really have much more to say on the matter, but you do describe your thoughts perfectly, I can definitely see what you are saying.

[Reaper]

I completely understand you.

The game has changed a lot in the past years. I didnt join Feralheart when it was out, but I did play it when it had a lot of people, such as 2012. I do miss the roleplays that happened. I know lots of people miss the old maps, but the only thing to do is to get use to the new surroundings. I still love this game, but it does feel a little dead now, like I don't know about some people, but it almost feels like no one really talks anymore. Like I'm the new maps I don't see a lot of socializing, except In groups, but otherwise love the new maps, and think they are beautiful and creative.

As for the staff, I think they are great people. I don't think they are ignoring people. It can get really stressful for them if many people ask for the same thing repeatedly. They want to help everyone and their needs, but it requires more patience, and they are real people, so they do have lives and can get busy.

But other than that I agree with your opinion.

[konjac]

I quite do agree.

When I joined back then, Bonfire used to be my favorite spot. People had chars with splashes of color and personality. I would watch movie clips people made, and I didn't ever spot the word "Literate"  once. Because I ain't that literate.

Now, chars are dull and noone accepts unique, bright chars anymore. They all seem the same color now: grey, grey-brown, or white, or black. I don't feel family anymore now that FH is more mature. It seems like FH has turned around. Movie clips harbor "Literate"  and groups have names I don't get.

The part about the staff, it is quite difficult to talk to them. They work very hard to make everyone happy for this game. It can be daunting to speak with them, since they have such power and they would seem mean since they harbour that strength. But they aren't daunting, they are friendly. They thought the update would bring new life to the game. I don't think the update is bad or anything, just some people dislike the update, some people like it. I'm in between. Some mods have a soft side, some seem ignoring. They actually all have a soft side. No-one would ask any member to be a mod if they are all ignoring. This community is kind. And, as Arctic said, some people just need to let the "Glory Days" of FH go. They don't have that much power to bring it back. Just be happy that FH didn't actually break when it got hacked, so we actually still have the game. The staff are nice, and they will only lock threads like that because they would see the topic their way.

Overall, your description is crystal clear.

And I am not trying to hate or anything. I'm not that type of fluff. 

[CosmoFursi]

i may not truly understand what's happening, cause i'm just too stupid and naive to realize these things, but i mostly see where you're coming from with this.

though i only joined about a year ago, i know how active feralheart used to be back when. which is why i was so interested in it in the first place.

i've seen all the dull and colorless characters, and it upsets me that there are so many. my characters, for example, have plenty color (well maybe not faraji but she's a bombay cat). and it makes me happy to see other brightly colored characters around. but i've noticed that compared to when i first joined there aren't that many colored creatures out there. though i personally don't know the struggles of illiterates, it makes me angry to see other people complaining about their level of literacy.

as for the staff, to me they seemed like regular people. again, cause i'm stupid and naive. but every time i saw a thread get locked because someone mentioned banning or something else, it did make me upset. cause i didn't understand why. at first i thought "huh, maybe it's really a bad thing to talk about banning", but now i've matured a little bit more and i realized it doesn't make sense (this was actually more recently; i only joined the forums a few months ago).

i just don't understand why we can't all get along, and why the staff must lock threads about how someone was banned. i used to see staff as good people who protect others, but as i matured more into this community, i realize, now, that the staff here aren't too "yay".

or maybe i still don't get it, cause i'm just too much of a naive idiot. oh well.

[kiaz1st]

as for the staff, to me they seemed like regular people. again, cause i'm stupid and naive. but every time i saw a thread get locked because someone mentioned banning or something else, it did make me upset. cause i didn't understand why. at first i thought "huh, maybe it's really a bad thing to talk about banning", but now i've matured a little bit more and i realized it doesn't make sense (this was actually more recently; i only joined the forums a few months ago).

i just don't understand why we can't all get along, and why the staff must lock threads about how someone was banned. i used to see staff as good people who protect others, but as i matured more into this community, i realize, now, that the staff here aren't too "yay".

Well actually, with the banning, it does make some sense. If people decide that they can come onto the forums and complain about bans all they want, it's not just negative behavior, but the undermining of good and just rules. Sending a PM to a moderator is what they should do, instead of making a fuss about it publicly on the forums.

Besides, we shouldn't be discussing bans, so I'll leave that be.

Apart from that, you're not naive, it is hard to get a good feel for FH when you haven't been here long, there are things you don't realise until you've been here a while. So don't worry.

[Bloo.]

I joined FH back in 2012, and I always found it, as you said, so full of color and life. You could walk up to anyone and become quick friends and the staff were incredibly easy to talk to and get along with, I myself befriended a number of them and I'm still friends with them to this day.

However, I posted a thread recently about how I felt detached from the community and how it was a "me" problem. I mentioned how I myself had lost my color and spirit in the game and I thought it really was just me. But analyzing what you among others have said, I now realize it's not just me. The community is all the same people day in and day out, doing the same thing talking to the same select few. I find it hard nowadays to spark up conversation with people.

As for staff, I feel intimidated by some of them, which I shouldn't. Mind you, there are some that are very friendly, talkative, and inviting, but there are others who I feel may bite my head off! Haha!

I could be going about that the entirely wrong way, I'm not close with any of them and it may just be their personality! Some of them may just be a little timid or prefer to keep to themselves, and that's okay! I just wish I felt comfortable talking to them without any of them thinking I want to befriend them just because they're staff. I'm a friendly person, the staff  are always online, therefore it's someone whom I can often converse with. I know it's not their job to befriend the community as they're people just as you and I are, but maybe if they showed their soft and squishy side a little more often, more people would realize they're just people. Moderator, Global Moderator, Administrator, they're just titles. They imply authority, yes, but they're just people.

Don't get me wrong, I love nearly everything that the staff do, they're professional and calm and do their best to keep the community unified and having a good time. I suppose I just personally view them more as a 'boss' sort of status haha

I see where you're coming from 100% and I often wish I could go back in time and relive FeralHeart's golden days, but as that's not entirely possible, I'll just have to live with what we've got. I think that after registration opens back up, we'll get a hoard of new members. New members are new faces and that means a huge splash of brand new color to the community. I suppose I really just can't wait~

[Kuri]

i don't mind them locking a few threads but seems like lots get locked just because they didn't want someone posting on it in 4 years time.  If someone does revive an old topic i find it funny or fun.  (Hope registration does open soon, haven't had enough new people in a while.)
As for talking to people, i find you can if you try, most are pretty desperate for someone to talk to.  Some might take ages to reply as they have to type everything out in a translator & then translate their reply back again.

[Wyldercat]

Honestly, I wish more people would post more threads like this in such a calm and orderly way. Kudos all around for ye.

I very much agree with many of your points, remarkably about the game's loss of color, as you put it. I was scarcely active in game as of when I rejoined the forum after my first hiatus (which was late 2015/early 2016 around there). It just got redundant. Sittin' around, waitin' for a friendly face; and either they too became inactive, or I was just too shy to approach them. The hackin' situation took it to another level. With the server bein' down so long, as well as the addition of the new login system, many people, whether young or not-involved with the community, were simply led to the false belief that a. their game was broken, or b. the game had at long last shut down. In the "recovery" months, and pretty much everythin' up until the update, the game seemed on its death bed. Nearly all the maps were empty, or without public discussion or "joinable" conversation. I was on the verge of lettin' go of the game entirely before the update.
Personally speakin', I love the update. Yes, it may not seem "traditional," or similar to the usual Feralheart feel, but it wasn't a bad thing in my opinion. However, despite the massive spike in popularity, many people were still unhappy, and even loyal members who stuck through the hackin' situation and the dyin' community were driven to leave.
Even now, I feel the game is slowin' down again. Not nearly as badly as it had before, but still, I can feel it comin' on soon.

Anyways, onto the topic of staff. Before I say anythin' else, I personally am more than contented with the Feralheart staff. I may not agree with every decision, but they are all pleasant people, and I admire their constant involvement with the community.
Now, that bein' said, I do, however, agree that they can be dauntin' to approach or speak to. Although I have considered many staff members, new n' old, pleasant acquaintances, and in a few cases, even friends. Although this may just be my social anxiety and agoraphobia speakin', I'm honestly have a respectful fear of a few. I do not dislike them at all. Couldn't be further from the truth. But I can't help but feel wary when speakin' to them. I suppose it could just be my mind bein' all paranoid about the "never meet yer heroes" expression.
They hold a great power that is both respectable, and enforcable. I look up to and admire them all for that. Especially keepin' calm in some nasty situations.

Although, I do see the reasons for lockin' or deletin' or bannin' certain topics/users. Anarchy is all fun n' games until someone loses an eye. That's what they're tryin' to prevent, I believe. It's not easy to be likable and fun, as they have no doubt achieved, yet keep order without endin' discussions n' the like. I will admit, there have been a small handful of threads in the past few years, that perhaps shouldn't have been locked (at least in my opinion) at the point of discussion they were at, but I will respect their choices, as I look up to them.


So, in my conclusion, I think I'll stay more neutral on this topic. I agree n' disagree with ye in many ways. I wish I would be able to type my perspective on all of the points, but this post is long enough already, so I'll end it here.

[ArcticGalaxy]

As a lot of people already mentioned, I really like how respectful you're being with this thread. If only more people were like that.

I was never around for FeralHeart's "Glory Days" when there were way over a thousand players on at any given time. I joined back in 2014, but there were still quite a few players always roaming around (600-800) and it was quite fun watching everyone. I took a break about a month before the hacking and didn't decided to come back until January of this year. I didn't know about the hacking, and, like a lot of people probably thought, I thought my game was broken. But I searched until I had my answers and finally got back into it. It just takes people a little time to search for answers and they could get back in. But I understand not everyone is going to do that.

As for the staff, at first, they were all rather daunting to me. But I decided to get over my slight wariness of the staff and I've found out they are wonderful, friendly people. They just want what is best for this game, and they thought the update would do the trick. It may not have done it now, and a lot of people are still upset about loosing the old maps. But once registration starts opening again and new faces show up, it may just be the thing we need. New people that come on, see how beautiful the maps are, and stick around. Basically new blood for the game. I think that is just what FeralHeart needs. In my opinion, this is just a low for FeralHeart. I honestly believe that someday, it will spring back and be just as lively as before.

And as for the topic, I'm pretty sure I know which one you are talking about, and a part of me understands how you feel about your friend just simply posting a thread stating her opinion and then a staff just coming and locking it up. But it's not about the staff not valuing their opinion. It's simply the fact that old FeralHeart needs to be let go. It's not coming back. I know that sharing memories about it is ok, they don't want you to just forget about it and not remember. But the fact of the matter is, sometimes when posting threads like that, there may be a few salty people that take advantage of that thread and use it to stir up trouble. Dosen't mean it would have happened, but staff want to keep this forums as clean as possible and avoid any conflicts. Better safe than sorry, no?

Try to be more understanding toward our staff friend. They worked very hard on this update. They take time out of their lives to do anything they can to keep this game running and safe. They truly care about each and every one of us, even if it doesn't seem like it.