Quote Originally Posted by japanpimp View Post
Now dont take what I said out of context. I said it is pointless for Evony to have an OT on this forum. In fact, I still think it is pointless for Evony to have a forum at all unless it is strictly used for game anouncements and approved instructional information related directly to the game.
As for a community forum, I said before that it is a great social facilitator. But it should be run and managed by the community (i.e. fans), not the company.
I don't feel like falling for trollbait here but I seriously can't tell if you are being serious.

If there had been a community-run forum it will not thrive, it will not receive much, if any attention from the average populace and will home the oldest players who will move on after growing bored and tired of the game/forum. The occasional new face will show up and leave quickly due to lack of activity and content. The only reason this forum has so much activity is because it is linked on the main page of Evony.

Evony cannot pass out information on it's own game, every single bit of information has been acquired by the forumites here. Nothing has ever and will ever be confirmed by the forum unless it's an exploit/balance ready to be changed or is something extremely basic and practically provided in-game. There is a certain factor that given the forum access to pick apart the game provides, it keeps people interested. If Evony provided all the information it would be nothing more than following a guide-book to play the game, I'd much rather figure out the game on my own than have some outside force telling me the way to play best.

Lastly, the forum gives the players an official place to congregate. It allows outside contact from the game, it allows players to receive help if they need it. It gives vital information on updates and news that is released. It promotes social activity within the gaming community and helps everyone become internet friends and have this forum as focal point of their friendship, the off-topic section is often the one that brings this out the most. As for no Off-Topic section, the users are given no freedom without it, they are not allowed to discuss what they wish freely. That is a major driving point to many people if they don't want to talk about the game 100% of the time, it keeps players within the Evony circle rather than finding another place for that type of discussion apart from Evony. If restricted to only game talk there would be many people growing distant to more free forums outside of Evony. Possibly separate branches of Evony fan-forums, if not a whole different topic all-together, which would die off rather quickly once the appeal of a new free forums dies out.

So the forum, and the OTD section are both two of the more major pieces of the puzzle that keep people playing the game.