World of Warcraft®

Doing what I do best, and putting myself on the firing line. Here's a big target for you to aim for, too! <paints on chest>

So here's the deal...I don't know how many of you have been watching the drama unfold on this thread over here:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3595377323

But I wanted to quote something one of the posters said that really struck me:

"I come from another RP server. Do you know why it died? It had absolutely nothing to do with non-RPers. The RP community killed itself, thanks to roleplayers who took drama to an out of character level, including GMs bragging that their thugs could gang up on roleplayers and guilds they didn't approve of and drive them off the server."

How many does this hit home for?

I know it does for me.

Don't get me wrong. I've been on this server for 6 years and counting, in one form or another. I love the friends I've made, the guilds I've had the honor of being in, the events I've attended and held, and the community in general.

But sometimes I see things going on that make me want to cry. Or punch the offenders in the face. (Or sometimes a bit of both..) RPers attacking other RPers OOCly--when we're a minority as it is.

Why? Really, why?

Members of Cenarion Circle, I want to ask you. Have you seen this? Do you see it as a problem?

And more importantly, if so, how are we to fix it?

*stands on the firing line next to Dusty*

When we're such a small percentage of the server, the last thing we need to do is fight one another (or fight anyone at all for that matter, except inside PvP and PvE environments...)

I've watched as people get hurt by it. I'm not sure what the solution is. Some people just seem to want someone else to magically come down from on high and solve it for them, maybe the answer is we need to do more as a community to ensure we're making this a pleasant place to be. I'll continue thinking on the matter, though...

Fairly well-known folks have already left for those aforementioned "greener pastures" - Wyrmrest has been mentioned at least once - since I've been here, and frankly it starts to scare the hell out of me. I came here back in July in search of RP, and I find that the number of people actually doing that is starting to dwindle.

I have admitted at least once in the last month that I am having serious second thoughts, not only of bringing any characters here, but also KEEPING any characters here - for fear that I've suddenly hitched myself to a sinking ship.

I don't see Cenarion Circle as a sinking ship at all. Yes, we have problems as an RP community -- that's one reason I created this thread: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3595370880 (shameless plug ftw!)

But leaving? Considering leaving? That doesn't help -- the only thing to do is try to be part of the solution. The RP is healthy here -- and yes, we do have OOC drama and we have people leave, but we also have new RPers come to our server every day.

Now, if I may be so bold... there was a time not too long ago when we really put our server out there, and our RP blossomed. And then a lot of people said we were losing the quality of the RP we had on our server with all the new people we brought in, and it was about quality not quantity.... but as you're saying now, that's not true.

So, how do we fix the problem? Reignite our recruiting drive. Fresh blood is what keeps servers, even servers like WrA, going.