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[blahpers]

I feel like we gamers could be making much more meaningful connections here if not for certain policies that I'm probably not allowed to bring up.

What do you folks think? Are we really happy staying at arm's length during times like these?

[Ambrosia Slaad]

The moderation required to re-enable such discussions are significant in person-power, and have in the past proven emotionally draining to the moderators themselves. It is a thankless undertaking. I'd rather Paizo spend their limited resources on the existing staff to handle customer support issues for their products and not on endlessly trying to fight messageboard fires.

There is a wealth of places available on the Internet to hold such discussions. There are even free messageboard and chat services available if you can find dedicated people willing to donate their time and emotional spoons to moderate it. If you or someone else were to set one (or more) up, I'm sure it'd be fine for you to link it in this thread.

[CrystalSeas]

I think it's useful to have a place of respite from whatever real-world stressors you want to not think about for an hour or two.

And I really don't want Paizo customer service staff to have a heavier workload as they try to keep the company functioning and afloat. They are overloaded as is, and having trouble keeping up with emails and posts in the CS forum.

I've got plenty of places to talk about "all that stuff". I'm grateful this site isn't flooded with anxieties and anguish as well.

[Orthos]

Even for the sense that some of the subjects in-question are unavoidable in this day and age because if you tried to completely avoid the subject entirely it would mean simply not discussing day to day life at all, it requires either a reliable level of self-moderation from the participants or a level of dedicated observance from the staff. If you look around the community you can find some threads where people tend to congregate that manage to have the level of self-moderation necessary to have such discussions, but almost anywhere outside those extremely limited scopes, the instant certain subjects are broached, hostility and the crossing of lines inevitably results.

As Amby said, the best place for that sort of thing is a well-moderated, well-staffed place where that sort of discussion can be properly observed, policed, and organized; and for the time being, especially with the current state of the company and the staff re: everything, this isn't the place for that.

[avr]

I'm as happy not knowing certain things about the other forumites here. There was a brief gap in moderation when a covid-19 lockdown started, and it did show an ugly side of a few people.

As well as forming meaningful connections that kind of openness leads to divisions. So long as we're just discussing role-playing games we don't actually need said openness.

[TriOmegaZero]

I've formed plenty of meaningful connections with Paizo forumites through PaizoCon and other events. And certain policies never interfered with that. Let gaming be the path through which those bridges are built.

[Mark Hoover 330]

Games in general have a winner and a loser; that's contentious competition. The only thing different about a tabletop RPG is that the whole thing is cooperative. These games breed their own community by their nature.

Not every player chooses to stay in the same game with the same people, and that stinks, but the game itself is a medium that encourages and empowers everyone at the table to strive for equal fun. Its not players versus GM; it's not GM versus PCs. Its everyone at the table playing a game together, with the same common goal of having a good time.

At least, that's what I've always believed, since I was a little kid. I hope that's the reality. I hope everyone feels like that.

I hope.

I've made a couple friends on these boards. More than that, I've found common ground and compromise here. On the internet. I mean... COME ON! That's gotta be worth something right there!

Hopefully everyone jumping into this thread to read and respond is doing well and staying safe. Despite certain actions I've taken in a nearby city in recent days, I know that I am. If there is a place we'd like to discuss, please point the way and I'll come chatting.

[DungeonmasterCal]

Maybe a forum post that links to a site not on the Paizo page such as a Facebook, Twitter, or something else page for folks to discuss topics that are blocked or moderated here would work. People could see the title of the thread and ask to join the group at the other location. Even then I'd worry that things would spiral out of control, tempers would flare, feelings would be hurt, and friendships damaged. I know the current political climate and especially the last week has seen a large number of friends that I've known as far back as kindergarten posting angry diatribes about my personal beliefs and stances, calling me names and even threatening me with physical harm before "unfriending" me. I'm very capable of remaining friends with people despite differing opinions but most don't seem to be able to do that anymore, seeing any opposition to their views as personal attacks on them or their pet topics.

Discussing certain topics without rancor, especially in our society today, is especially difficult, no matter the intent of the original poster. Personally I'm content to leave my politics and views on current events off of the Paizo boards. If someone here feels a need to bring something up between me and them they can private message me or use my actual email address, which is at the bottom of my Paizo bio.

[Pan]

Things are certainly a lot different depending on your circumstances. I miss all the great convos here on myriad of topics (though the incendiary and offensive never really bother me as long as it wasnt personal). Its a lot of work for Paizo to put up with all that for not much gain. Dems da breaks I suppose.

Gorbs will be along any min to tell you how lucky you are that the forums even exist in any fashion.

[TOZ]

^he's right, you know

[John Woodford]

What Ambrosia Slaad said, upthread (with a friendly amendment: in addition to customer support, resolving website issues).