OP you ain't seen nothing, go to 4chan's video game board if you wanna see real shit posting.

Agree.

I was here during the early days of GOG. I used to spend a lot of time on this forum, but I saw the writing on the wall and stopped posting. Its been on a downward slide ever since, and they will still not instate moderators. When they do, I will consider returning.

I do however have my attention drawn to threads like this about this issue, hence my reply, and support for change.

It was a big deal when it first launched because all of a sudden a community had sprouted up around a store which sold old games and wanted to make those games work for you. They also wanted to engage with you to make the whole experience really enjoyable. A lot of us are dismayed to see GOG simply forget about a wonderful community they created and slip up on an amazing opportunity to support it.

So yeah, there's plenty of reason to get emotional about it. Online communities can be very important to some people.

Yeah I agree I mean I don't always put GOG first on my list when it comes to buying newer games, but over the last 4 years or so it has been the community that has kept me coming back. So yeah I agree it's kinda sad to see GOG forgetting about it.

It's been established a long time ago but the regular forum users are indeed just a small minority when it comes to GOG sales.

The thing is: Normally the forum would not be a big deal under normal circumstances. Heck, that's one reason why I never go to Steam forums. But this was one of the few forums that I frequented almost on a daily basis because it was pretty mighty decent, even good I'd say. So once you have a nice thing you don't really want to see it go away. Sure, problems are inevitable, but how long does it take to fix one?

No. The reasons why I bought games here is because of the DRM-free scheme, however I have also received a very nice number of games as gifts and giveaway prizes from this community in moments in my life when justifying a game purchase was not really possible, thus my entertainment options shrinked. A very large portion of these people who have been nice to me stopped coming to the forums a while ago for their current state. Yes, I understand such is the fate of popularity, and yes, GOG is a store before a forum, but if you have a successful tool in your utility belt you're going to want to use it and keep it.

Let me use an analogy in this case: The forums are like the employee of the month thing in a company. Totally unnecessary. A picture on the wall. Most employees don't even care, but once the system goes broken there will be employees that cared. There were those who liked to compete for a picture on the wall through work, not favors from the boss. They won't quit their job, but they sure as hell won't give their best anymore since they don't get to see their mugshot on a wall now.

Oh, I am not saying the forums give the store a purpose, however just like in politics I use all the necessary tools to achieve my goal. You see, this is all coincidental. Or so I tell me. The whole point is that I've had a backlog for some time now, a backlog that I've been meaning to tackle, a backlog so big that it will take some time for me to reduce it to nothingness. Thus, considering the current state of the forums it is rather easy to pick this course of action in order to stimulate some action. (Though I myself am questioning whether any complaints have any effect at this point)
Not the cleanest politics tactics, but if it gets shit done then by all means I shall use it. I still got my backlog, you know?
Furthermore I want to point out that the forum has also been although rarely a reason for some customers to make more purchases here or to join the store altogether. It's the nice friendly attitude that attracts people. So in the early days you could say the forum was a rather useful mechanic of keeping people happy. What do you think would happen in a political system where you make a minority unhappy? Regardless how small it will be vocal, and even if you're ready to take the heat there will at least be some heat.

Putting aside the fact that these particular sales a tiny drop in GOG's revenue, a user that plans to hold a GA or do some gifting has already made the purchase.

This is a very important point.

As the demographic of GOG has shifted (it seems to have come to a head with Witcher 3's release), the original core of members who came here for good OLD game were most likely a more mature audience or younger people with more mature tastes.

Now that demographic is being whittled down with a greater mix of people with more diverse ages and opinions and therefore antagonisms have become more pronounced.

I've seen better forums and worse forums, but this one seems to be heading in a downward spiral.

I don't have any suggestions as to how it can be improved, other than dump "rep", so it will be interesting to see how GOG deals with it.

Yes, but the potential stays there regardless. A user who does not wish to host any more giveaways will not make anymore extra purchases. In business all these types of estimates count.

This really is a vicious little circle thoug, isn't it? If all the old members, who made that classy, great community, fall silent, no wonder the forum gets worse and worse.

I understand why you and others made that choice, and the burden of introducing at least basic features needed to keep the place odrderly falls on GOG, but still there is some degree of responsibility on the community's side to not let the trolls win and dictate the tone of this forum.

Please, don't get me wrong, when I say "responsibility" I don't mean that you HAVE to be active, but I strongly urge you to be. If all the users I have seen say similiar things in the last weeks about not being as active here as they used to be actually did become active again, the trolls be damned, all their trolling would be overshadowed by all the smart discussions, silly fun, and generous giveaways we could have then.

We need GOG to give us the tools to save this forum, from the most basic chat features to some kind of anti-troll means(like pay-gate for downvoting, posting links and sending PMs), but WE need to make this a forum one still worth saving.

I guess this is my general call to all users, lurkers and the old guard, and all who fell silent in recent time. I call upon GOG users everywhere. Post. Post today. Post tomorrow. Post till the last troll has been driven from our soil!

Maybe that's a good thing. *shrug* I tend to spend too much time in this place as is and barely participating. Since I never really got all that attached unlike others all this hoo-ha of late seems like a bunch of silliness to me. I just ignore it and move on to something else. There are many more important things in life than the trivial goings-on of an internet forum.

This whole great GOG community sentiment has also baffled me for some time, expecting GOG to be this all-benevolent gamer haven or some rubbish like that. GOG's a business first and foremost, and that's never changed. Some people just don't seem to be able to get their heads wrapped around the fact that as it grows the community part becomes less important (and obviously more unwieldy to handle).

I'm here for the games, and if the forum implodes at some point: c'est la vie!

My personal, humble opinion, is that too many people lately, make too many fuss, over practically nothing. I myself am continually and targetedly downrepped, but not only i don't nag (anymore, from past a point onwards), but actually turned it into amusement, fun and a personal source of entertainment.

I myself rarely downvote, even if certain people are rude as hell and provoking like there is no tomorrow. Falling in the trap to get mad, annoyed or give to someone more stupid than you, the pleasure to achieve their goals of annoying you, is out of the question, for the intellectual superior. Much like a martial artist refuses to wreck someone provoking him out there.

My personal, humble suggestion, is for people to stop summoning "blues" and demanding censorship/moderation/tight surveillance. Whenever someone annoys you, just answer to them with the same tone, instead of asking for blues to start throwing hammers. Freedom is something priceless and invaluable, that only when lost, people tend to realize and appreciate its true value and then, not always. Then again, as per the entire human history's recordings, people love slavery and chains, be them physical or imaginary. Please, think outside the box, for a change.

Unless of course you want to get temporarily banned from the forum over trivial stuff every now and then, for example just for discussing *Witcher world* women and sexuality, from a middle aged, sexless/asexual, femdom moderator, accusing you of insulting *real world* women and you being an amoral, sexist, pig, enemy of all women worldwide. And other mods ban you temporarily even further, just because you appeal for that decision and kindly request for them to advice their colleagues stop mixing fantasy with reality.

Please stop stirring up sh*tstorms. Dictatorships and nazi banhammers are not that pleasant, for that i guarantee it to you personally; not even sados enjoy them, trust me, believe it.

*****P.S. Think also about the possibility of PROVOCATORS doing all those chaotic stuff, so they can force other users to demand forum police and ultimately it being instigated, not by the real owners and authority, but by the no-more free members' demand, instead! Torch the damn trojan horse, fools, don't bring it with them in!*****

That is exactly what no one was demanding or even suggesting. So far the popular conclusions are

-fix the chat already
-either get rid of rep system or make downvoting a pay-gated feature
-moderation only in the extent of dealing with things like multiple account trolls harrasing people with threats

hardly a call for censorship and tight surveillance.

Never mind that. I always kill two birds with one stone. Or one bird with two stones. Besides, i analyzed rep matter, too...