(Note: I reworked the text a few times, shortening it radically. I spent much more time shortening it than writing it, and this is the best I could make out of it. So pretty please, give it a chance, it's about a complicated and abstract matter. You won't need longer than a few minutes, anyway)
People tend to behave like CoD-kiddies in the cRPG community. Both ingame and on the forums.
Ingame they want to play an entirely skill based game without a lot of interaction with teammates. the problem is that this doesn't apply to cRPG, which has a lot more depth. You are free to play the game in a more "mindless" way, for relaxing purposes and whatnot, but as long as no REAL teamplay takes place, you are simply playing the game wrong, or, to say it a nicer way, you are not playing the whole game. This is fine, as long as you are aware of it and don't base any buff or nerf suggestions on YOUR way to play the game. Playing without tactics removes your right for suggestions, easy as that. cRPG is just not a game for immediate gratification, you have to work towards ending the round successfully, it's about winning the battle, not making kills.
And on the forums you also have to check if you are behaving like a child. Children are not capable in putting themselves into the position of others, and so do many community members seem to be. They don't want to understand or accept that the other classes have a justification for their existance, and that they have the SAME right for fun like your class. And people also like to play down the fact that their class could possibly annoy other classes and even frustrate them in some situations.
And then the cRPG community should ask themselves, how much they should involve themselves into lobbying for balance changes. How much do people understand of balancing? I really saw some shocking definitions on this board of what balancing seems to be for people. And do they have any other idea than buffing or nerfing? Because especially nerfing others seems to be a popular solution, leading to the nerfing spiral we currently have, and as you can see with the latest patches it hasn't stopped yet.
What changed after all that nerfs? Compare the classes to what they were one or two years ago, and then compare the amount of complaints and lobyying. If anything, things got worse. The philosophy of fixing by buffing or nerfing has failed, it's time for creative solutions. I hope the devs are currently working on a new battle mode, similar to the new siege mode they introduced. (Something where flags are recaputrable, in difference to the current conquest mode). My hopes are that this mode could fix a lot of problems, because in my eyes the root of all evil in cRPG is the horribly plain, loveless battle game mode which is nothing more than a round based team deathmatch. It has no soul, no charm, and favours some classes over others. Infantry is as much suited for battle mode as cavalry is for siege mode. But you need to think outside the box to see that, and this is what I am missing in the biggest part of the community. Everyone is sitting inside his box and tries to poke or shoot the others in ther boxes.
I'd like to suggest ten commandments, which everybody is free to follow, but always keep in mind if you are not agreeing, that you should not ask what the community can do for you, better ask what you can do for your community. Yes, I misused that famus sentence once more. I hate myself for it, trust me.
1. Accept that other classes have a right of existance, just as much as yours.
2. Accept that other classes have a right for fun, just as much as yours.
3. Accept that your class can possibly annoy and frustrate other classes.
4. Be always kind to your fellow community members, and try to understand their point of view.
5. Don't hate on other classes, they play to have fun, not to ruin yours. Nobody here is malevolent.
6. Don't suggest nerfs. Ever. If anything, suggest a buff.
7. Keep up discussion discipline. Don't become unobjective, insulting, provocative or something like that. Try to solve the issue, not to "win".
8. Always try to play WITH your teammates on the server, not only along with them. Give teamplay a try. The game gains quality with it.
9. Stay always kind. It's really a basic and obvious rule for a good community, and yet people forget about it regularly. Don't get yourself driven by emotions. What are you? A girl? (Sorry, girls, this one was on you
)
10. Praise the devs. They don't do a perfect job, and they often behave like dickheads, but if you criticize them, criticize their work, and don't insult them. I think this is another important aspect, as it has impact on how good, how fast and how long your mod will be supported and further developed.
