Well I have been quiet for a long time about this debate... This is actually my first post on this forums, because I rarely use the forums or get on Feral heart at that matter. This is going to be a long post. I may get some backlashes or should I say"woof" at the mouth from probably both the community and the mods as well, but I am well prepared for that. It is now going on my fourth or fifth week playing on feral heart.
As of last week, I had notice something different about feral heart. For once General was quiet, too quiet so I thought I had general turned off like I always do when I get on feral heart. Turning it is off because I rarely use general and half of the time I always keep it turned off because it is, well annoying for me. However this time general was on... After an hour went by there was still silence in general, so I was like what's going on with general today? Coming to find out hanging beside a group of pride-landers. The leader had said that the mods took down general.
I was like: "What in the world? Since when did they took down general?" This was huge shocker for me, So once I heard the news, I rush to open my browser up and come to the forums just to find out what they were saying was true. General had officially closed down for testings. I shrugged it off because I knew for a fact that General only had little impact on me and that was basically looking for literate role plays.
Now that this whole week is almost over I have been watching on forums about how some of the community does not like this change, and how some love the change and how some really do not care about the changes at all. For the last couple of days of in game ... Feral heart looks DEAD. It is like a ghost town. The two days after this change was made or so, yeah stone bridge and cape portal was populated, and I have to admit I was lagging a bit, but not as much when i had my old computer.
Personally, now that I think about I do not like this change at all and it really is bugging me. I have to admit that there are some players who are running around trying to find people to join their role play. So you can say in a way that this change is making a difference, not a huge HUGE difference. Now here comes my little rant... :
I think some of us need to remember that this is a Game. This is not real life. Since when there was a rule that you HAVE to make friends on the game? I also wonder how in the world can you call a person lazy on the game, for not moving in another spot for an hour. The only thing that you are moving on the game is that four legged pixel furry, & the camera. The only thing that should be moving in real life in order to move your character is using your keyboard interface which require your hands...
I do not recall that it is stated in the game you have to use you real life body to move your character around in the game. So for those who calling other people lazy, please re-think that sentence. Now I was not on late yesterday night, or the other night... But as far as I am concerned that I heard in this topic that players are being banned by mods because they are talking complaining to them in-game. Now personally, I really am not taking sides because unless I see actual footage or screenshots of this then I cannot really say this is true or not. However I will say this though even if it is true or not, it needs to be said.
Banning players on here for 3 or more months because they are stating their opinions on the game or talking about it in front of you, gives you no right excuse to just ban them because of they are delivering a speech. That is really just plain childish. There are other ways to deal with that kind of situation instead of calling players "uneducated" and "spoiled brats" then topping it off with a ban. Now that is what I really call childish... In fact Half of this community and half of the Mods here really need to grow up.
Now before you start jumping down my throat, because I know that one of you are... I also would like to point out to the community as well. Raz said this was a test. He never said this is permanent... No matter how many people complain, Raz decision is most likely to be final on this. Be even grateful that he did not shut down Feral heart for 2 weeks or more because of this trolling/spamming business. Then not only would you not have general, you would also not be available to play feral heart as well.
Back onto the subject about the mods: The mods would like to play the game in peace without you guys jumping down their throat about general being taken down. I kind of feel their pain, because at the end of the day they are human. However, instead of just banning people without warning they could have just told those particular players to take it up in the forums. It also seems to be clear that not every Mod agrees with this decision being made... There can be also a possibility that some of the mods did not see this coming.
The players that were calling the Mods "lazy" and "good for nothing." Like I stated above about the mods being childish, you are being childish as well. The Mods also told the community to be open minded about this decision, but the half of the community is not being open minded about this decision. So you can say it like this towards the mods and why they are not actually taking your opinions at the moment. It is almost a week... Right off the bat as soon as Raz stated he closed down general for testing, half of the community outraged. Why should they listen to us? When we did not give them a week before lashing out on them.
What CloudFish had said about the Mods not posting no updates in the last three months and all of the sudden we get some random news about Arokai' how is that game dealing with feral heart? I do not know... and then all of sudden we get another update and what do we get? A slap in a face then having a remark saying "Deal with it." I have been quiet far too long & I have to say that it is almost been a week, and half of community is not happy with this decision.
For those who saying general is just a chat & what is so special about general? Yeah, you are right. General was just a chat... That has been with us since the beginning of this game. Taking that chat out of the game is like taking a chunk of the game out. Like other people who had stated not everyone comes on this game to just role play, some come on here to chat. To those who can download maps and still can use general in private maps all I have to say is. That is awesome, great news. However for those who cannot download maps they are suffering.
General is what kept this community alive. Yeah I have been aware that there has been spamming, trolling and conflicts on the chat, but at the same time we also have conflicts in real life. There are times where we have to accept change, however if you play your cards right. You can revert that change... So not all of time we will accept changes. That is how life go, but remember this is the "internet".
The mods tell us that we need to get off the rock and go makes friends, well for some of us General chat helped us find our friends/buddies. It also helped us find our groups and role plays. I have a feeling if this keeps up. More players will end up quitting this game, a lot have already left because the lack of continent in this game. You cannot get mad at Raz or the mods, because they had stated that they cannot get the codec from Kov, I thought I saw a post where they actually did stated that, and not only that. Kov refuses to give the game codec out.
The mods are trying their best to keep this community alive and lag free. The way I am seeing in this test, that it seems that Raz and the mods are trying to make sure the community move around instead of staying on a rock/some remote area talking on general for 24 hours or more. With them just sitting in that same area, others who are trying to enter fluorite, ficho or bonfire will eventually crash due to the over populated area, and just only taking general off because of the trolling and spamming.
If you cannot stand this decision the mods & Raz had made you can keep voicing your opinion about your dislike in this change or do what some of the others like me for example did. "Leave." and find another game to play until they decide to put general chat back on. Or you can stay and if they decide to keep this change you can just deal with it. Both the community and the Moderators need to come up with some kind of agreement here. Both sides need to open minded not just one.
I have to agree there should have been a poll for this on the website and on DA, and while I am at it there should be an age verification when you first enter the site it will ask for the year you were born date and month and stated that this game is recommended for 13 years of age and older, like Terra and Blade and soul have for age verification That should have been at least created after that incident when feral heart was forced shut down due to parents complaining. So that way parents does not have a to come blasting the mods or Raz out for not controlling the game. Anyway I am sorry for the long rant, but this need to be said. I know I had made some typos in this but it is because I am tired.