DI dying?, Long live DI.

This is, in a sense, a pretty difficult post for me to write. But it's one, I think, that is neccessary for DI as a whole.

I think most of us would agree that DI is rather different from other 40k forums. The average DIer is different, I think, to the average poster on some other boards. And what, I think, seperates DI from other forums is the sense of community that surrounds the board. I've made very deep friendships from DI. And that's something priceless.

But the thought that can't escape me at the moment is that, when I started DI three-and-a-bit years ago, it was something rather different to what it is now.

DI has become, for many people, an obligation. Work. Effort. That's nothing I wanted. I wanted it to be fun. So many posters have burnt out, been tired out, lost interest. Influential posters, and my friends, have left the board. I'm also more than aware that I've gathered a bit of (deserved) reputation as a forum nazi. The self-appointed moral guardian of Abraxis. It puts people off from contributing. It damages the board to a degree. Abraxis is causing a headache for a lot of people.
And I'm not entirely sure that Abraxis is a good thing for the board anymore. I'm not sure that my policies and actions at the moment are a good thing for the board.

I was convinced that if we could excessively detail Abraxis all our problems would be solved and that DI would pass into some golden age. I was, perhaps, wrong. Drakkar and I have been dicussing a possible action to try to reverse some of these changes. To take the board back to its' original roots. To make DI a bit more fun and creative to people. The action is, perhaps a little drastic, and is somewhat akin to pruning back a plant aggressively to ensure it flowers beautifully later in the year. Some of the actions might seem drastic, but it could well be for the benefit of the board.

Our proposal is to scrap Abraxis.


...

Drastic? I'm sure some of you might be a bit vocal in your opposition here. At least disappointed that the work of three and a half years would, apparently, be going down the drain. But I'm not sure it was that bad. We always knew that Abraxis wouldn't keep the board going forever. Eventually there was going to have to be a resolution to the storyline, and we were going to move on. Can you imagine a DI in fifteen years' time still focusing on Skalansburg, Mitabrev, Federax? Perhaps the board would still be there, but I doubt the posters would. I remember back in the early days of DI we discussed that after the Chaos forces were 'finished' an Ork Waaaagh! was going to crash through Abraxis. Just to ensure the status quo could never really be reached.

So the idea of leaving Abraxis behind isn't a new one. Abraxis isn't DI, and DI isn't Abraxis. Some of our most successful roleplays haven't even taken place in Abraxis. As to the effort of several years being wasted - I'm not so sure that's true. What we've created in the past three years is the most important thing of all - strong friendships and links, a community that works and enjoys a project. Creatively writing together. I would suggest that the community would continue no matter what the project. In many ways, the community could be enhanced by a new project.

I think that it's important that we have an over-arching storyline. It's what helps to seperate us from other 40k roleplaying forums. But by creating a new storyline, a new basis for our games, it does several things.

It removes me from my high horse. A new sector wouldn't be as 'precious' to me. I wouldn't be the single almighty power of authority, because I'd know just as much as you guys.

It makes the board more egalitarian. Everyone can discuss the foundation of a new sector. What they'd like to see. What enemies they'd want. What forces they'd like to be involved. And so on. We can institute the reforms people were suggesting - 'councils' and the like. It makes it more enjoyable and freer for people. Removes a lot of the obstacles to getting involved they had. We can do things right, right from the start. We can document whatever people wnat. Have a history, have a storyline. Make the new storyline what Abraxis could've - should've been.

Abraxis has grown to such titanic proportions that it's effectively a sector-creation project, like Anargo or Sagrado. It perhaps grew so large, so quickly, that it was beyond the scope of what we were looking for as roleplays - the ordinary, basic human interactions. Abraxis can always continue on DI as a sector creation project, and perhaps it can be revisited in the future. But I'm not sure it's best for the board as a while right now, whilst a new project could interest new(er) posters right from the start.

I'd really like your point of view on this proposal. DI has always aimed to be a democratic board. Without posters there's no point. I don't want to see DI die.

I really don't want to agreee with you. I'm new to the board, but I've already kind of adopted Abraxis as my home.

But, I do agree. In the couple of months I've been here, I've seen how Abraxis is stagnating, and I've seen two forum members, two respected forum members, leave for exactly thhe reasons you specified.

However, I do think we should make some effort to wrap Abraxis up first. One SRP, or a collabrative bit of writing that finishes off the story. . . and then we can put it away.

There's absolutely no way to finish Abraxis in 'one SRP'. It would be ridiculous to try. I'm also not planning on 'finishing' Abraxis, as I still plan to work on it - and those who want to are welcome to. The fact remains that Abraxis perhaps isn't good for the forum as it is now.

It would, I think, be far better to look to the future rather than stagnating in the past.

The other alternative I was considering was to delete DI entirely, but I'm loath to do that.

I hate to say it but scrapping Abraxis as we know it would be a good choice. Its way too big as it is now for all the reasons you mentioned. If we were to take it down to a Abraxis being just a single system, then we could probaly go from there. And itd be almost as easy as selecting planets we like and throwing them in. Hell we could even go down in scale to the point where Abraxis is a single planet in a state of total war.

Now I do know that I really haven't been around much in the last few weeks. And I really think I need to step back from RPing for awhile. Its taking up way too much time that I need for other things. However, I'm not leaving DI. I'll happily help out with re-organizing the board and help make it into something more "user friendly" or whatever.

I'm not talking about turning 'Abraxis' into a system. I'm not talking about turning 'Abraxis' into a planet. Abraxis is a sector and will stay a sector, but will no longer be the focus of DI's games.* I'm talking about creating a new storyline entirely. A system may be enough for us. It entirely depends. But I think we need to re-focus DI on what it's meant to be about - character interaction, good roleplays, and fun.

Trying to reinstate the rock-solid community that made DI what it is would also be extremely desirable.





*On an unrelated note - sector creation projects aren't inherently wrong and can be entirely fulfilling and successful - see the Anargo Sector Project. It just, however, became too much of a focus of DI, when it shouldn't have.

I would love nothing more than to be able to continue GtG and revamp SSOTR. It's not that I don't have the inclination, I just no longer have the time. However, I shall return!

...I just don't know when.

I haven't been here long enough to truely have an opinion, so... if this is what you think best then do it.

Avenger - if this new setting becomes a reality, it's posters like you who'd be able to truly make a difference. DI's always attempted to be an egalitarian board, where posters who've been here a day have a say alongside posters who've been here three years. Please, speak up. You're obviously here because you want to be - at the end of the day, forums are a fun choice. So, if DI means something to you, please just give an opinion.

Well, i can't say i wasn't expecting this to pop up soonish..... Nevertheless, I regret it. I have been on the board now for about a year and I still think it is by far the best RP site i have seen.

All the point you have stated are true, it would be a shame to remove Abraxis from DI, and might be a bit drastic. However, maybe it is better to focus on a single Sub-Sector, not as large as entire sector, nevertheless, a possibility to have a lot of planets.

I'm not entirely new here, but I've not taken part in any sort of Abraxis-important RPs. However, I think that removing Abraxis from DI entirely would be a bad move.

I think that it should be the RP creator's choice of whether the RP takes place in Abraxis. However, it should be stressed that Abraxis isn't the main focus of DI; that the roleplays are. So we would have some Abraxis-important roleplays, such as GtG, as well as stand-alone roleplays.

Abael, we already do that. Notice the "Other Roleplays" thread.




That said, I think starting from scratch would make it a thousand times easier to start RPs and carry them out to the end. Starting from scratch, we would be able to reorganize everything more efficiently, and have more wide-spread information for potential GMs to decide on running an RP, rather than have our RPs need weeks to start because the info is unavailable or has to be discussed (such as battles going on, planet topography, etc...).

That said, I don't remember saying we would be CANCELLING or ERASING everything we have done until now. Personally, I advocate for keeping as many planets as we can intact, then work our way from there, creating systems and putting those planets in them, as well as some new.




That said, a plan I explained to Mol was about system creation. My idea was letting each member of DI who wanted to create "his own system". The planets, and the history of that system in Abraxis. Of course, we would set down some rules and guidelines (the first are mandatory, the second aren't) for planet creation, and you guys could work within those limits to create your own original planets, regiments, etc...

'Stand fast brothers!!!'

DI will never die!!! not as long as i can still type adn the site is still up. (i'll have conversations with my self if need be!!!)

As for its future of Abraxis, i agree that leaving abraxis may be a good idea for organisational purposes and for the thrill/adventure of a new environment.

As others have said i believe that simply wrapping up Abraxis would be a sin against the Emperor (and it would mean no more GtG).

The question gentlepersons is where do we go? i think it may be fun to link the abraxis sector with the new system/planet, perhaps by means of an RP of some sort?

(if you need help creating a new system, im sure i can awake Brother Ancient Silent Psycho, me and him creat several new systems for our gaming)

I'm all for moving on from Abraxis. I've never really connected it with it as a sector anyways, it's always just been an subliminally known fact. I hardly know of its backstory or half of its planets.

Something new would be nice.

I have to admit that Abraxis is a big ... hassle, to keep straight. It appears (to my admittedly inexperienced eye) to have gotten a bit out of control, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for the GMs and players, particularly Medic and Molotov, who make it successful.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those with the inclination, or, more importantly, the time to help. While SRPs can work well individually, I think several running at once PLUS a bunch of standard RPs all in the same setting may be overdoing it. As has been pointed out, we're not in the business of sector creation.

Every RP needs a certain amount of backstory, but who uses all of it? Think of the background books and settings for pnp games like Dungeons and Dragons. Who buys all of them, and once bought, uses everything?

Especially if we want to keep new players, we don't want to overwhelm people with information. Not only do we have characters to keep straight, but units and planets, all slotting in somewhere.

That said, I am still thinking about TGWS, which under the circumstances may or may not be set in Abraxis. One of the reasons it hasn't gone forward is that I personally can't visualize the sector too well... but if people are willing to play and it will help keep the board running, I'm willing to try. In Abraxis or out.

I know I haven't been around much, and in some cases I've left games hanging. I don't intend that to happen again.

This post has been edited by JenBurdoo on Oct 23 2006, 02:56 AM

Alright, so most people seem in favour of the suggestion. The question is - what next? I want this to be an egalitarian, democratic creation. I'm not going to arbitrarily take control. So, I'm open to your suggestions, thoughts, theories and ideas. The more you contribute, the more DI will be like you want. The better DI will be.