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Ring of Fire

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Spacial

procrastination
Shade2000 said:
All that said, let's just remember that guilt features are not what make a guild great. The quality and enjoyment of clan life is increased by having interesting discussions about pokemon news, the competitive metagame etc. While the whole of Serebii, as a forum, is made for that, what makes a guild different to an ordinary thread is the members who are loyal and know each other well. The guild should be a friendly place to discuss this kind of stuff in peace. This is something this guild has been seriously lacking, the member's abilities to discuss pokemon isn't that it used to be (or what it ever was in THT) so I think that's what we need to work on. No amount of guild features that involve individual participation can bring the guild together, we need to do things together or discuss, then hopefully the thread will become a bit more active.

imo the guild is too structured with too many arbitrary rules and restrictions and not enough battling/chatting etc. but maybe that's just me. I hope the thread becomes more active anyhow

Please pay attention to this ^ I used to really enjoy posting on THT and being part of the community - when it closed and we made RoF instead, things kinda started going...downhill. It was still the same group of people, but the atmosphere felt a bit more formal. Now, I just feel that any comment on news, comp. stuff, etc is just out of place. There's no room for discussion with all of these features flying around, and the atmosphere just isn't friendly.

EDIT: hey Lynx. I see your point but what's good about discussion is that it leads from one thing to another. A half-hearted discussion about Sun and Moon can lead to a really interesting one if you just give it a chance. Rings of fire are formed from one flame.
 
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LynxForte

The Phoenix
EDIT: hey Lynx. I see your point but what's good about discussion is that it leads from one thing to another. A half-hearted discussion about Sun and Moon can lead to a really interesting one if you just give it a chance. Rings of fire are formed from one flame.

I know it can, but my point is that no one is discussing it.
 

LynxForte

The Phoenix
People are discussing it.

And that goes back to the other thing I said, "3 or 4 posts at best." That's not a true discussion. And I'm only using this as an example because it's there, some posts are "It's interesting," or "It looks cool," but there is nothing to go on from that. There is no substance.
 

Shade2000

Shade in Shades
That red isn't about being 100% readable, it's to make sure you notice it. Bright Red is used to get your attention.

You say a guild is about having discussions regarding pokemon, but those are minimal to non-existent. Prior to Sun/Moon being announced, it was pretty dead here. When they got announced activity picked up just a little, but not a lot. Now when we get information, some people want to talk about it and some want to avoid it so they can have a fresh experience so there's almost no conversation about anything. We're about to get a new game and there are usually 3 or 4 posts here at best. How do you get someone to discuss something they do not want to discuss?

I understand the bright red is used to draw attention to an important announcement, but is kind of imperative that you can read the announcement as well. Plus, the large, flaming 'ANNOUNCEMENTS' banner does help make the post more noticeable.

Guilds are about discussion and playing pokemon together in a friendly environment. If the meaning of the guild is not this, then what are they for? Why bother becoming part of one?
The main reason we are not discussing Sun and Moon on here is because no one want to start a conversation about it in this intimidating and oppressive place. Additionally, sometime after the S/M news was announced someone on here said that they did not want spoilers, so all S/M speculations were put in spoiler tags, which although being nice for that person, is generally inconvenient.
I'm not saying we need to force the guild to discuss the S/M news and the S/M news alone, I just feel like we should encourage discussion about any topics to get the conversation flowing. If members of the guild don't want to discuss aspects of Pokemon (or battle or contribute to the guild in general) here together, then, quite frankly, I don't see the point of them being here.

What i'm trying to say is that this guild can be suffocating at times. The general attitude and apparent resentment or avoidance of conversation/interaction that you (and others) seem to harbour is what makes others less likely to start or contribute to a conversation. Also, the general formality makes one feel afraid to post about more trivial things about pokemon, or anything at all. The structure of the guild feels unnatural and constricting, and erases the community feel that used to exist back in THT.

Please pay attention to this ^ I used to really enjoy posting on THT and being part of the community - when it closed and we made RoF instead, things kinda started going...downhill. It was still the same group of people, but the atmosphere felt a bit more formal. Now, I just feel that any comment on news, comp. stuff, etc is just out of place. There's no room for discussion with all of these features flying around, and the atmosphere just isn't friendly.

EDIT: hey Lynx. I see your point but what's good about discussion is that it leads from one thing to another. A half-hearted discussion about Sun and Moon can lead to a really interesting one if you just give it a chance. Rings of fire are formed from one flame.

The bolded bit here is really important, just what I was trying to say (i'm not great with words though).
To sum up the problems:
1. Formal structure makes random comments about general activities seem out of place
2. Unfriendly atmosphere leads to lack of discussion

What spacial said about discussion is true, it flows and changes and evolves and moves on. Honestly, it's just the art of conversation and if you don't appreciate it then I fail to see how you can have any friends at all.
 

WhyBuffet

Pokémon Breeder
Okay, here is my two cents on the matter:

On the one hand Shade, I meet many of your points with agreement. When I took over the Ring of Fire, I tried desperately to implement as many fun, interesting, and engaging activities as I could, because I wanted to see this guild become a bustling hub of activity. Several things went wrong while moving in this direction, however:

1) The features became too many, to the point of being overwhelming
2) I became obsessed with activity and the rules thereof, which is perhaps the biggest contributor of the restrictive feeling you've felt

I can admit that these problems are mine and mine alone, and I brought them to the guild. So for that, I apologize.

However, having said all that, allow me to let the other shoe drop. Speaking directly to you Shade, you consistently compare this guild to THT. I understand that you were one of the original members of THT, and you had a lot of fun there. I can respect that. However, even when Fire Hero started the Ring of Fire, you've always made comparisons to how "THT did it better" or "remember the good old days of THT?" Again, I can respect that you miss the guild that brought you joy, but what of the members that were never a part of THT? Is it not somewhat exclusionary to them to consistently mention how THT was superior to this guild?

Guilds change. People change. Just because this guild is not THT and does not have the same "atmosphere" is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It is simply a different thing.
 

LynxForte

The Phoenix
Since we're just calling each other out now Shade, why are you still in this guild at all?

The guild can be suffocating at times but you're still here? Or are you still here? You post like once a month. So why even be in the guild if you yourself cannot contribute to anything? You were an original THT member, so were excluding from the activity rules. You're talking about discussion, but this is the most you have talked about anything here in probably a year. But, since I intimidate you in a since, I am, effective immediately, LEAVING THE RING OF FIRE. Maybe your activity will pick up since I will no longer be around (doubt it).
 

Shade2000

Shade in Shades
Okay, here is my two cents on the matter:

On the one hand Shade, I meet many of your points with agreement. When I took over the Ring of Fire, I tried desperately to implement as many fun, interesting, and engaging activities as I could, because I wanted to see this guild become a bustling hub of activity. Several things went wrong while moving in this direction, however:

1) The features became too many, to the point of being overwhelming
2) I became obsessed with activity and the rules thereof, which is perhaps the biggest contributor of the restrictive feeling you've felt

I can admit that these problems are mine and mine alone, and I brought them to the guild. So for that, I apologize.

However, having said all that, allow me to let the other shoe drop. Speaking directly to you Shade, you consistently compare this guild to THT. I understand that you were one of the original members of THT, and you had a lot of fun there. I can respect that. However, even when Fire Hero started the Ring of Fire, you've always made comparisons to how "THT did it better" or "remember the good old days of THT?" Again, I can respect that you miss the guild that brought you joy, but what of the members that were never a part of THT? Is it not somewhat exclusionary to them to consistently mention how THT was superior to this guild?

Guilds change. People change. Just because this guild is not THT and does not have the same "atmosphere" is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It is simply a different thing.

I can't say it was completely your fault at all, but I must admit the sheer amount of activities added was overwhelming, as you said. I'm glad you recognised this before when you posted about it and wanted to move forward to make it better.

As for the comparisons to THT, in the beginning, RoF was made as a replacement to THT when it was unfairly closed down by the moderators. I remember myself, Fire Hero and some other leaders from THT came together to discuss the direction of the community, as what we had had was great, and in the end, Fire Hero decided on Ring of Fire and we went along with in. Anyway, history lessons aside, here we are almost two years later. I respect that a majority of the guild's members are now not original members of THT but since the standards of THT were what this guild was made after, I think it is only fair that I compare it.
Plus, comparison is how you ascertain whether something is good or not. I am no way saying that RoF is a bad guild, because if it was I wouldn't be here. I can even say with confidence that I think RoF is the best guild, however it is not as good as it could be.

I understand that the guild has changed and I don't resent that fact, but surely the fact that I (and other members) feel unable to post is not a good thing?

Since we're just calling each other out now Shade, why are you still in this guild at all?

The guild can be suffocating at times but you're still here? Or are you still here? You post like once a month. So why even be in the guild if you yourself cannot contribute to anything? You were an original THT member, so were excluding from the activity rules. You're talking about discussion, but this is the most you have talked about anything here in probably a year. But, since I intimidate you in a since, I am, effective immediately, LEAVING THE RING OF FIRE. Maybe your activity will pick up since I will no longer be around (doubt it).

My intention wasn't to resort to 'calling out' each other, but I must admit I got a bit harsh there.

The guild can be suffocating at times, and i felt like my casual-player posts are out of place among the increasing number of competitive centred posts, which is mostly what discouraged me from posting. I felt like that I would be slated for not knowing a lot of things about competitive pokemon. I used to post more regularly before I got the golden truant ability, but nearly all of posts (some of which were open, and asked questions) were ignored so I felt out of place and gradually posted less and less. However, the reason I stuck around was because I liked to read the discussions and get news from here about new developments in the pokemon world.
It's not necessarily you that intimidated me, and I'm sorry that I attacked you solely for that, as I generally like you as a guild member. I would like to say I would be more active after you left, but I doubt I will, but either way, I'm sorry to see you go.
 

Spacial

procrastination
Okay, here is my two cents on the matter:

On the one hand Shade, I meet many of your points with agreement. When I took over the Ring of Fire, I tried desperately to implement as many fun, interesting, and engaging activities as I could, because I wanted to see this guild become a bustling hub of activity. Several things went wrong while moving in this direction, however:

1) The features became too many, to the point of being overwhelming
2) I became obsessed with activity and the rules thereof, which is perhaps the biggest contributor of the restrictive feeling you've felt

I can admit that these problems are mine and mine alone, and I brought them to the guild. So for that, I apologize.

However, having said all that, allow me to let the other shoe drop. Speaking directly to you Shade, you consistently compare this guild to THT. I understand that you were one of the original members of THT, and you had a lot of fun there. I can respect that. However, even when Fire Hero started the Ring of Fire, you've always made comparisons to how "THT did it better" or "remember the good old days of THT?" Again, I can respect that you miss the guild that brought you joy, but what of the members that were never a part of THT? Is it not somewhat exclusionary to them to consistently mention how THT was superior to this guild?

Guilds change. People change. Just because this guild is not THT and does not have the same "atmosphere" is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It is simply a different thing.

First of all I recognise the effort that you've put into RoF and I really appreciate it. You clearly care a lot about it and have all of our best interests in mind. Thank you.

However, you're right. People change. It's not due to the fault of your features that RoF feels unfriendly (nor is it your fault, Lynx - I'm sorry you feel that you have no option but to leave). It's the people. I'm sure if we put in some time and made an effort to open up conversation, I'd get to know the new members who've joined since...I guess since around when Sun and Moon were announced. However, none of them (that I've noticed, I'm sorry if you're reading this and disagree) have tried to contribute to our community. They've given the guild a very detached atmosphere, and (I'm very sorry I don't mean to insult you personally, I'm just making a general point) don't bring any personality here.

Also, don't blame Shade for comparing RoF to THT. That thread of discussion was started by me. Besides, we have reason to compare THT with RoF. When THT was closed - unfairly - we decided to create RoF as a second THT, somewhere for us to rebuild our community after THT was shut down. Thus it's fair to compare the two, because all of our expectations going into RoF were that we were going to build on our bonds from THT and create an even stronger guild. Instead we grew apart and tried to fill the gaps in our community with new features. Now Fire Hero's pottered off, Snivy and Ninja Eevee (and Shade and I) are inactive, and we're arguing. We even drove Lynx out, which I'm very sorry for.

If we just address the issues with the guild, as Why tried to do, then we can bring the community of old and new members together.

EDIT: can second Shade's point about feeling unable to post. I've had my posts ignored a lot - I don't think anyone's spoken to me directly on this thread between now and when I posted about losing my copy of Omega Ruby, which contained all of my competitive Pokémon. I tried to share something and was given no attention, which definitely contributed to my lack of activity.
 
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DJSummers

Ground-Type Champion
Well, I'm not going to go back and quote everything, but this discussion has told us that we need, less strict rules, and features, and more general conversation, whether its Pokemon related or not.

Shade2000 said:
The guild can be suffocating at times, and i felt like my casual-player posts are out of place among the increasing number of competitive centred posts, which is mostly what discouraged me from posting. I felt like that I would be slated for not knowing a lot of things about competitive pokemon. I used to post more regularly before I got the golden truant ability, but nearly all of posts (some of which were open, and asked questions) were ignored so I felt out of place and gradually posted less and less.

As for being afraid to post, you shouldn't be, there's other topics you can always post here no matter what the conversation currently being talked about is. Sometimes we need a subject changer.

There were topics where I've known nothing about and I just kinda ignored then some of the time, the other half of the time, I'd probably just ask a question about it, or tried to get an entire different conversation started.

For ignoring questions, that would depend if its directed at a specific person or everyone in general. Usually if I don't know, I won't answer it as I could be wrong. But if the question was ignored completely, it works to at least bring it up again just in case it was accidentally overlooked.
 

Shade2000

Shade in Shades
Well, that brings a less awful end to the argument, which I now regret starting. Sorry for rocking the boat guys.

Onto something else, a discussion. Since I complained about the lack of these, I thought I might as well start one about the newest Sun and Moon trailer. (i think it's the newest?)

Personally, I really like the Sun exclusive designs. I much prefer Midday Lycanroc to Midnight, and Passimian to Oranguru (based off design, i haven't really been paying attention to the abilities etc.).

I'm also super pumped that trainer customisation is coming back, as I really enjoyed it in XY and it gave me something to spend my money on. The clothes in the trailers looked nice so far, and i'm happy they now have a 'burgundy' colour for hair, as that's basically the same as my hair colour.

Just to let you know, I'm going to play Sun, as the male avatar and start with Poppilo. I'm going back to my roots with this one, as that is how i always used to start a game (male + water starter).


I also read somewhere that there is another way to complete the game other than beating all the gyms, is this true? It wasn't an official source, but this is scaring me as I don't like that idea. Also does anyone know for sure if they're scrapping mega evolution or is it just speculation? I hope they don't, personally, as it would be stupid to add it in as a feature and then take i away so soon.
 

WhyBuffet

Pokémon Breeder
Announcements_zpsxx7f46ub.png

I don't really quite know how to start this off, so I will try not to mince words and just come right out with it. Okay, a few words of mincing first: the following announcement is in no way prompted by the discussion from earlier. If anything, that discussion simply expedited the process of me making this announcement. This has been in the works for a long time in my mind, and due to the recent conversation regarding guild un-satisfaction, it made more sense to announce this now rather than later; I don't want to string people along if I can help it. The long and short of it is that I am closing the Ring of Fire. The long-winded explanation is below:

I have realized for a long time now that the Ring of Fire has been a bit of a mess. Again, this has mainly been due to my leadership and "newness" at being in charge, so I'm sorry if I sort of ran this guild into the ground with the overload of stuff. When I made my first announcement about what people wanted to see stay/go, I already had it in my mind that I was going to start a fresh new guild, and I wanted ideas on what could be improved for the "new start." I am not trying to "abandon" the Ring of Fire; it has been a great honour to be the leader of this guild. However, the "Ring of Fire" was inherited by me from Fire Hero, and as a result I had to take everything that came with it - most notably the theme. I have nothing against the theme of this guild, however if given my way I would construct a guild around an entirely new theme altogether: Attack on Titan.

I love Attack on Titan, and I've had it in my head for a long time now to start an Attack on Titan-themed guild, similar to what TEF has with a Brave Default-themed guild. Obviously that vision of mine never transpired, as you cannot run two guilds at once. Also, when I came up with this vision, activity was pretty regular around here, and I also sucked at making any kind of usable art, so the idea was shelved. However, activity has reached an all-time low around here, and I've gotten much better at making rudimentary userbars/artwork. I therefore feel that the time is right to make a fresh start in a new guild.

Again, I want to thank you all for putting up with me this past year. You've all been great, and even though things could have gone a bit better at times, at the end of the day we always had each other's backs, and I know if I ever needed any one of you, you'd be there in a heartbeat.

So where do we go from here? I personally am going to attempt to open up a new guild (with an Attack on Titan theme). Anyone here is free to join that guild, if it gets approval; even if you don't know a thing about Attack on Titan, it's not like the guild will centre around that. It will simply be a theme, a backdrop, for a Pokémon guild, a Pokémon guild that will incorporate the best of the Ring of Fire along with what I've learned being the RoF leader for the past year. I will learn from my mistakes and make the best of the new guild. The new guild will (upon approval) be a place where members have several paths from which to choose; members can simply be causal members who come just for the conversation (which I intend to bring back to its full glory), or members can become hardcore breeders or battlers within the guild. There will be no repercussions or "inactivity rules" for people who decide to choose either path. I hope to see many of you join this potential new guild.

I end with a word to a moderator. I am officially closing this guild.
 
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