Newbie impressions of SW Chaos

[Sandalu]

So, after being here for a day or two I like the site and everyone I've met seems friendly enough. But imo, the biggest flaw of the site is the community feels all....disjointed, you know? Other RP boards I've been on have had things where all the regulars were in one place, weather a Skype group, or a "Main RP" which all characters were in it (There was a "good" and "bad" faction, each had their own topic where all the Good characters were automatically in the Good guy topic and all the Bad characters were in the Bad guy topic. Then there was a third Topic in which both sides were all together. It not only made things interesting having every Good and Bad character together, seeing fights and sudden alliances and so on. But it also made it feel like all the regulars were in one place on the Forums).

Where as here, it feels so...quiet. Everyone comes off as having their own little social clique with their own group of friends that they chat with and if you're new, it's really difficult to get to know lots of the members when no one is on the built in Discord app, and when you feel so...isolated I suppose, because it seems like everyone has their own social clique and you, being new, aren't part of any of them.

Also, it seems if you're new then you just never get any actual replies. Which is quite surprising considering the number of active members daily and how active they are. You make Threads and just get no replies, make and send PM's and again, no replies. I dunno about anyone else, but again it comes off as you aren't part of anyones social clique here, so good luck getting any responses. Not a very welcoming or nice feeling tbh. I feel this again, all stems from socially everyone being all disjointed and not in one centralised place.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like the site or community. I'm just saying the impressions I get as someone new.

There have been times in the two days I've been here where I've sent PM's and gotten no reply despite the person posting in Topics after getting the PM's to the point I just feel ignored, or like yesterday I made a topic specifically asking for feedback and despite a fair few people checking it out, I got pretty much no feedback at all.

I dunno, just my impressions so far. Not trying to bash the community or anger anyone. Just saying how everything comes off as a new guy here.

 

[Tanith Alde]

[member="Sandalu"]

DONT DO IT!

I tried writing an article liek this when I first joined. The ammoutn fo hate and flames I got, still feeling them today.

But while your point is valid, that just isn't the kind of sight this is.

You're apparently used to more structed, or maintained rps.

This site has hundreads, maybe thousands of writers every day,having on main thing just would not work, theres far too many people. Chaos gives you the freedom to write and develope your own stories, with or without others. Just talk to people more, I gurantee, within a week, youll have your own clique of people you post with regularly. Also, joinin ga faction really really helps

 

[Connor Harrison]

[member=Sandalu] A very brave and welcomed post from you, and a valued post as well from a new member to the community. Thank you for this.

I agree that still I find there is a big mountain to climb if you're new to get attention from others in regards to RP threads and ideas you may front - be it people see you as new and feel you don't have expertise or you aren't "established" as a character enough. I don't know.

I do feel there is a real divide between regular members and new members and I've said from the start when I joined over 2 years ago that more should be done to welcome newbies and show a wider interaction not just restricted to the "New Member" welcome thread.

Hopefully this will change, and people will find the confidence in approaching new members and vice versa approaching established members to take a few risks and discover some real talent we may let slip by because they fall into that "non-established newbie" look with an empty profile and little post count. We were all there once.

Branch out - be brave - join Factions - establish yourself and don't let your confidence be rocked early on and you'll soon have a good community around you that you can then pass onto other new members.

 

[Nima Tann]

Well it happens.

You keep on moving and throwing ideas everywhere, then you'll get noticed and boom! Everything is going to be alright from then. The path to become a regular member is filled with stones and sharp glass pieces, it may hurt you or it may make you want to give up and go back, but when you cross that path, it means you've done it.

So, my advice for this, keep being you and good stuff will happen.

[member="Sandalu"]

 

[Sandalu]

Well it happens.

You keep on moving and throwing ideas everywhere, then you'll get noticed and boom! Everything is going to be alright from then. The path to become a regular member is filled with stones and sharp glass pieces, it may hurt you or it may make you want to give up and go back, but when you cross that path, it means you've done it.

So, my advice for this, keep being you and good stuff will happen.

[member="Sandalu"]

[member="Nima Tann"] Maybe so, but I do feel there really should be like a Skype group, or more people should get on the General part of the SW Chaos Server on the Discord app built into the site. It's like a ghost town. If there was one social place where the regulars all hung out, be it Skype or Discord, then it would make things SO much better for new members and would pretty much eliminate the problem I mentioned I feel there is here.

New member joins and posts their welcome Topic, Someone welcomes them and tells them to join the community on Skype/Discord, Boom! New member joins and immediately has lots of people to talk with, get to know, and get eased into the community. Rather then this sort of...disjointed feeling there currently is.

I just feel one central social place to chat with all the members would pretty much erase this issue.

 

[Asemir]

[member=Sandalu]

I agree with you, but I believe this is a common trait of large communities that have years of history. People tend to gravitate towards groups that they are familiar with. They become comfortable with those they've written with for years. It's not unlike Real Life. Thus, like Real Life, it takes extra energy/impetus to welcome new members into the group. And also like in Real Life, it takes additional work for new members to break through existing social barriers.

Yes, there should probably be a Staff initiative to take in new members and actively incorporate them into the community. But, we've always had this guideline that we avoid holding hands as much as possible. We encourage initiative from our members, but that does have its downsides, as is evidenced in the new-member experience.

Another thing to keep in mind is that sometimes it just takes time for replies or feedback or whatever to roll in. You'll find that many members of the community, especially the more established members, have a lot of Real Life obligations that forces them to focus on either their IC pursuits or replying to OOC threads. It's sometimes hard to find time to do both. Give it more than a day before you feel discouraged.

That said, if you'd like an RP partner, send me a PM. I'm always up for new ideas, provided your fine with my slower than average IC posting speed.

Edit

Regarding Skype/Discord, speaking from personal experience, I don't have the time to idle on a voice chat server anymore. Many of the Staff and other members are the same way. Again, Real Life obligations keep us from doing so.

Now, to be honest, I wasn't even aware of a Discord-embedded app until you brought it up. >.>

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Sandalu"] - Chaos has features like Looking for Group. and yes if you talk to folks, they talk back. We also have Discord (I think that's the name if I'm wrong someone will correct me) that is available and reaches members.



Welcome to Chaos.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Discord is a passing fad.

And a community wide Skype chat sounds... Confrontational.

That's a lot a big personalities smooshed into one room.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

[member="Sandalu"]

I'm new here too, so only have one piece of advice:

It's a cliche - but that doesn't mean it's not true. Keep plugging away and you'll find reliable writing buddies. It just takes time if you're new.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

[member="Darth Vornskr"] - Unless your bathing habits have improved, isn't being smooshed into a room with you chemical warfare?

I agree though, the community can be disjointed. But, I would say it is less a flaw, or a virtue, and more just how things go.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

A community skype chat? With more than 80 people in one chat room at once pls no my unbroken skype begs you. I don't need to wake up to 100,000 daily messages to scroll through.

But yeah the community has its own cliques here and there, its hard to keep unity when a site gets so popular and large as Chaos has gotten. But theres still ways to find those communities, and associate with other ones.

 

[Orihime Ike]

[member="Sandalu"] well if you ever want to thread and have someone with no real life reply to you akk the time... I am around and like meeting new people. [member="Sorel Crieff"] is also a great one to rp wth and drag into threads.

 

[Jsc]

Critiquing the Critic

But imo, the biggest flaw of the site is the community feels all....disjointed, you know?

The website is designed this way on purpose. As, where you see "disjointed", we see "sandbox". Where you see "cliques", we see "Factions". This is a design specification and not an accident. This is normal, on purpose, and emotionally okay.

..because it seems like everyone has their own social clique and you, being new, aren't part of any of them.

This is why it's called being "New". As opposed to being "Veteran". This is normal, in accords with real life, and; again, surprisingly okay.

Also, it seems..

This is a perception. And one you are completely welcome to. Even to express in public and receive feedback from. As, ...Again. You are new. Thusly. Your experience, and your perception, will change with time.

...

Thank you for your review. I hope in time that you will discover that being "New", is exactly the feelings that you are experiencing right now. And, that this always normal, common, and okay. Indeed. With enough time and effort, you will soon be "Old". As many of us are. Having experienced exactly what you are going through right now.

So. Enjoy being "New". Lulz. It won't last forever. It's just a part of life.