These Message Boards

[velcrozombie1]

I generally enjoy the boards on here a great deal. There are instances where I will simply bail on a thread when either the conversation becomes circular or it devolves into personal attacks, but most of the other forums or comment sections on the Internet are far uglier than even the worst threads on here. The only other place I frequent that tops this board for quality and politeness of conversation is the comment section of the Onion AVClub - that place is both hilarious and also filled with smart, well-read conversationalists with a lot of knowledge of the topics at hand (movies, music, books, video games, TV series, etc) and fun, homegrown memes that are nevertheless difficult to understand unless you've been visiting for a long time. On the other hand, I can feel my brain dissolving when I start to read Youtube or IMDB comments - just endless pages of angry, misinformed people reacting to each other and burying any incite that tries to emerge.

[Gentlegamer1]

[QUOTE=videogamecritic][QUOTE=Gentlegamer]I still think per post approval needs to be removed... it's a relic of the time when any lurker could leave a message without registering a forum account.[/QUOTE]

True, but there are benefits.

On some boards like CNN, people start sparring with each other, going back and forth and dominating the conversation.  Here, you say your peace, and come back tomorrow to respond to any replies.  That gives more people a chance to chime in.[/QUOTE]People can still chime in. If people start "sparring" or going off topic, that's when a moderator can step in and speak in MODERATOR VOICE to knock it off.

With per post approval, the problem is that the conversation is disjointed based on when posts are approved; you're replying or asking a question, then you seen a whole conversation happened and your post looks completely out of place or misinformed based on the replies ahead of yours that you couldn't even see before.

Anyone else feel this way?

[ptdebate1]

[QUOTE=videogamecritic]I'm really starting to appreciate the quality of these messages boards.  At any given time you can expect interesting discussion and civilized debates about a wide range of game-related topics - classic to modern.  And the people are really nice!  I know it can take time for your message to post, but I think the moderators do a fantastic job of keeping things running smoothly here.

Have you check out the boards on some of the other game sites?  They are HORRIBLE. People are so mean and condescending.  God forbid a newbie come along and ask a basic question.  It's like they all have their exclusive little clubs or something.

And it's even worse on major sites like CNN and SlashDot.  People who obviously know nothing about the subject matter always feel the need to chime in.

I know there are exceptions (I think the Atari Age forums are pretty good), but in general I'd take these boards over all the rest.[/QUOTE]

Agreed 100%, Critic. Thanks for maintaining these boards out of your own pocket and continuing to post excellent reviews!

[wgames771]

I've only been on these boards for a few days, and they are definitely one of the best video game boards on the internet.

[VideoGameCritic]

Another great thing about these boards is that they are truly all inclusive.  We talk about everything from Pong to Watchdogs.  We talk about classic, modern, and everything in the middle.  Good games, bad games, imports, games you never heard on.

I think the people here tend to have an appreciation for ALL games.  Realizing that good gameplay doesn't have an expiration date requires a certain level of experience and maturity.

On some other sites I get the impression that you'd get ripped if you weren't playing the latest patch of the latest first-person-shooter on the newest system.

[Tron1]

Meh.... You guys aren't that great.

[Herschie1]

I'm on Gamefaqs, as well as Operation Sports, and it's like walking on eggshells. On Gamefaqs, everyone seems to have this snarky attitude on there, and on Operation Sports, they like to delete and ban for asking simple questions (Because that question was already answered on page 54 in a 239 page thread). You can talk about things here, and have decent, civil conversations, even when you disagree with each other.  

[pacguy191]

[QUOTE=Tron]Meh.... You guys aren't that great.[/QUOTE]
Dawww we love you too

[Vexer1]

I never felt like I was walking on eggshells at Gamefaqs, all the boards i've posted on there have generally been very friendly and receptive, I didn't get the same "elitist" feel that I got at places like "Rock Paper Shotgun" where it seems like almost every poster(and writer for that matter) is some pseudo-intellectual jackass trying to brag about how smart they are when it comes to games.