[Xantar]

Originally Posted by Neo

I think you're being a little harsh. There's barely a post in this thread that doesn't acknowledge something of what someone else wrote. A person shouldn't have to completely disect someone's post before posting their own opinion.

Acknowledging someone else's post and responding to it are two different things. So far, I think you're the only person who has actually responded instead of just quoting someone and then running off on what you personally think. Just seriously read through this thread for a second. It's gone to three pages now, and how useful has it been? Do you see any discussion or posts where anybody's making any real progress?

Better yet, make a list of the people who have replied to this thread and then seriously ask yourself how many of them you think are going to make more than one post. That's not discussion. That's spouting.

The feedback I've gotten from features like the gifts and arcade games has been overwhelmingly positive. It's the little things that add character and personality to a site. And good luck trying to find a Survivor-style contest at another site that doesn't degenerate into chaos and die after a few days.

I'm sure the feedback for every new smiley you install is also overwhelmingly positive. That doesn't mean it's worth a hill of beans to you. What counts is what people pay attention to and use, particularly several months after you've installed it. People will not come to GameTavern for the gifts. They will not come to GameTavern or the arcades. And if you got rid of both of them, you would not find your membership changing one way or another.

You will note, by the way, that I never said anything bad about Survivor.

What else is it you think we should offer? There's nothing we can do in the way of regular original content without having a paid staff or industry contacts. GameTavern is one of the few places that is large enough for you to have on-going discussions but small enough that you can maintain some kind of identity. None of us are trying to be intellectual giants here, we just want to have a little fun.

Have regularly updated blogs. Do a comic strip. Write stories. Make up jokes. Post all the silliest Top 10 lists you can think of. Make weekly betting pools based on the videogame industry (e.g. "Place your wagers on whether Nintendo is going to reveal anything about the Revolution this week"). You'd be surprised how popular GameTavern would become if it had a well-functioning and dedicated gambling arena for anybody to come in and play, even if it was for fake money. Post periodic lists of your favorite videogame remixes. Anything. You've got a front page there. Use it or don't even bother.

If all you want is to have a nice little place where people can hang out and have fun and get to know each other, then that's fine too. Just don't be surprised when nobody new shows any interest.