Silent Hill 2 is the second in a horror series that has long captivated a cult following. Once again, we return to the silent, hauted New England resort town to see things we probably should never see.
James Sunderland, once upon a time, was a happy man. Married to a lovely, frail woman named Mary, his was a good life. They loved each other quite a lot. Unfortunately, the happiness was short-lived. Mary developed a rare disease, one which doctors were unable to cure. James was forced to watch his dear wife wither away, and three years ago, finally die.
Ever since, James has been an emotional train wreck, unable to come to grips with losing Mary. His life, in every aspect, has become sedentary and meaningless. As time goes by, he only sinks further into hopelessness and despair.
Then, one day, he got a letter. The name on the envelope said "Mary". His wife's name. The letter told him that she was waiting for him in their special place, in Silent Hill. A short, simple letter, and it was enough for the grieving James to ignore common sense and return to this misty town, hoping against hope that he would be able to see Mary again.
He had no idea what he was really getting into.
GAMEPLAY: 10/10
I really divide this into two sub-categories.
The actual gameplay itself is pretty standard survival-horror fare. James has about ten weapons at his disposal, both firearms and melee weapons. There are two different types of difficulties you choose upon beginning the game, each with four levels. The first is the Action level, which determines how difficult combat will be for you. On the easiest setting, Beginner, there practially isn't any. Monsters basically ignore you. Dying in beginner mode requires effort. On Hard mode, however, monsters are fast, hunt in packs, and hurt you badly. The one complaint here is that there is a huge jump in difficulty between Hard and Normal, the next level down.
The other difficulty setting is for the game's Riddles. This has three settings, Easy, Normal, and Hard, and a fourth, Extra, is available after clearing all three. Every puzzle or riddle in the game changes depending on this setting. Both the actual nature of the puzzle changes (texts for riddles will be completely different), and the result will also be different. Easy mode is really easy, nothing more than basic deduction is required. On Hard and Extra, you might want to keep a pen and paper handy. None of them are anywhere near obvious.
The actual gameplay itself is pretty standard. You can examine objects, hit monsters with your weapons, and use objects to solve puzzles. It's likely nothing you haven't seen before, and even if you haven't, it's nothing incredibly special anyway.
The other aspect of the gameplay is the game's story, and this is where Silent Hill 2 really shines. It is really difficult to explain this without totally ruining the story for you, but in this town, you meet several other people, and each of them have sordid pasts and ulterior motives. There is Angela Orosco, a young woman you first meet in a graveyard in the midst of searching for her mother. Even from the beginning, she seems to be a little on the wierd side, but you have no idea until later how deep that runs. Then, there is Eddie Dombrowski, a chubby, boyish guy who possesses both a child-like innocence and a devilish capacity for anger. Laura is a young girl who at first appears to be James' foil, yet has connections to Mary that will blow James away. There is Maria, a young woman whom James enounters that looks startlingly like his late wife. And finally, there is the infamous Pyramid Head, a gory butcher who wears blood-stained clothing, a large triangular headgear, excessively large pointed weaponry, and who stalks James like the worst of nightmares.
This game also features great replayability. There are many possible endings to Silent Hill 2 (Five if you have the normal version, seven if you find the Greatest Hits). Each of these endings is determined by many factors, such as how well you maintain your health, how you handle certain objects you acquire, how well you interact with Maria, and many others. Each of the endings is wildly different, and likely you would have to play through each time to see them all. Two of the seven endings are joke endings, the other five are not. If you have the Greatest Hits version, one of these endings is from an extra scenario called Born from a Wish, a short sub-game starring Maria, exploring an area James never sees, and providing great insight into her character and motives.
Graphics: 8/10
This game is a beautiful mess, it must be said.
You explore a great deal of the town of Silent Hill, and the detail is wonderful and elaborate. You feel like you're really walking in a small, deserted town that looks like it was recently inhabited. Inside of buldings the detail is no less elaborate, even though inside and out, your view is limited, outside from the beautiful swirling fog, inside from the complete darkness that only your flashlight can pierce. Textures are wonderful and there is wonderful attention to detail. Character models aren't incredibly spectacular but very appropriate. Expressions, moving lips, gestures are all easy to recognize.
The monsters are all suitably disgusting as well. In addition to their initial display of terror, each of them also has a symbolic value that you will discover as you play. Unfortunately, there is little variety in the monsters, but those that are there are chilling in their very appearance. The graphical style in general is predominated by certain colors, such as green, red and brown, and the style fits perfectly with the theme and tone of the game itself.
Sound: 10/10
The sounds of Silent Hill are absolutely spectacular. This game is more musical than the previous, and Akira Yamaoka's music is haunting, melodic, and absolutely perfect for every scene that features it. A lot of it is airy, flowing tunes that run on a slightly depressing note, but there are several guitar and piano pieces that are a delight to hear.
And in those long stretches where there is no music at all to hear, you get to experience the ambience of Silent Hill, which perhaps more than anything is what drags you in and keeps you captivated. It is impossible to fully describe the context of this ambience, since there are so many varieties and variations depending on the situation, but it's this ambience that chills you and creeps you out more effectively than any other aspect of the game.
Sound effects go along this same line. They are clear, crisp, and blend in perfectly with the action. Some of the monsters make noises that will haunt you long after you shut the game off.
Finally, the voice acting, which is an immeasurable improvement over the first game. Every character is given an appropriate voice, the writing is decent and the lines are almost always delivered as intended. Angela's voice actor, in particular, is incredible, even moreso considering that her voice role was by far the most demanding and the hardest to portray correctly. Through their voices you can easily determine their correct personality, and in an entertainment medium where voice acting is usually awful, this is an important achievement.
Final Score: 10/10
Impartiality aside, Silent Hill 2 is one of those games I can play for years and years. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you like Survival horror, and you want a game that is full of mystery, open to interpretation, and may keep you thinking hard for years afterwards, definitely find yourself a copy.
Recently, I managed to get this game I lost from years ago again, and I played it from start to finish. The game is actually a spiritual successor to Secret of Mana, but with a totally different and unrelated storyline. It was made by Square USA, an illl-fated offshoot of Square that also gave us the rather embarressing tgame of "Final Fantasy Mystic Quest".
So, you may wonder after that bit of info if this game measures up to the Mana legacy or if it is no better than the game where you could kill every enemy with cure spells.
The visuals of the game are very nice. I'll get the one complaint I can think of out of the way from the start. There is a bit of a stylistic clash in the game. That is to say, they have 3 different visual styles more or less fighting for dominance. Some things are prerendered CG sprites. Some things are brightly colored with exxagerated features. And finally, the majority of the game is the backgrounds, consisting of more darkly colored and somewhat more realistic locals, but at the same time very expressive. With brightly colored sprites wandering on darkly colored backgrounds, it makes for the clash I spoke of. However, it's really not that bad at all, and in some instances actually makes an interesting statement. Judging the visuals outside of the clash, everything looks simply gorgeous. The style is NOT like Secret of Mana, but it is VERY lovely in it's own right. It really does make it look like you are in another world with science as the ruling force.
The audio... Well first I will tell you this. There is not much in the way of music in the game. There is enough there, but a lot of the areas you will be in have forgone music for the sake of ambient sound. This isn't a bad choice at all though, as the ambiance really helps set the mood of the game very well. From the jungle you start in to the underground caves you wander around to the forest you will crawl through, the ambient sound effects really draw you in. The jungle for example is host to the sounds of ruffling leaves, birds singing off in the distance, and the occasional roar of some prehistoric beast. The sound effects for the actual battles are passable at best. A slash sounds like a slash, a gun sounds...well decent enough. They get the job done, but it's clear they put most of the work into the ambient noises. They did do one thing for the sound effects. The various alchemy formulas you use take their visual effects and sound effects straight from Secret of Mana, meaning they sound (and look) appropriatly magical enough and are very well done.
I should note the combat system. They didn't break the mold when it came to combat. You press the button to attack the enemy. Different weapons have different attack methods, like a wide sweep, a forward lunge, or something unorthodox. However, there are only 4 weapon types (swords, spears, axes, and one bazooka with 3 types of ammo). There are 4 different weapons in each catagory though (except bazooka), but that doesn't give much variation. You'll end up just using the strongest one you have in any given situation. Each weapon does have an extra feature. Spears can be thrown to trigger switches. Axes can break down barriers. Swords can... be swords.... um I got nothing for that, but they do swing the fastest. Just as in Mana, you can level up your skill with any weapon you have (not just for catagory, each individual weapon must be levelled up seperatly, annoyingly enough). For each level, you can hold down the B button to charge up for an increasinly powerful charge attack. Even with individual level up meters for individual weapons, the charged attacks are the same in each catagory (ie; all swords use the same 3 charge attacks).
Moving along, there is another character. The boy's best friend, his faithful dog. Due to the dog's physical form nearly being lost when he chewed on some cables, his body is permanently linked to the world, probably due to some alchemy, and so every major region you go to, your dog will change appearence and will have different capabilities. You'll see your dog be a prehistoric beastly hound in one place, a sleek, quick, and jumpy greyhound in another, and later a pink poodle and eventually even a funky looking robot dog that looks to be somewhere between Aibo and a toaster (in fact, it's standing animation shows it cooking toast). The dog's weapons are just the teeth and claws (and laser cannon eventually :D), and the only equipment it has is it's collar. The dog also isn't capable of enough intelligent though to use alchemy, so he's there basically as the physical might. Keep in mind that if the boy dies, game over, but the dog "dying" just means he'll walk around exxhausted behind you unable to fight.
The main battle "gimic" of this game is the magic system. It's actually not magic but the "science" of alchemy. From the moment you enter the world you'll start learning all manner of alchemic formulas and collecting ingredients. Alchemy works by combining various basic components to produce all sorts of effects. For example, you can turn lead into gold, or in this game, turn one part granite and two parts sulfer into a giant fist that crushes an enemy, or two parts crude oil and one part sulfer into an explosion of flames. To heal yourself, one part water, and one part clay, boom, you recover. MP does not exist in the game, instead you'll find yourself always refilling your ingredients. You can only equip so many "formulas" at a time by the way, so you'll need to think of what you can need before setting out to whatever combat zone you are heading to next. This system is actually pretty fun. As you roam around, your dog has a special ability that allows it to sniff out all sorts of secrets. Just hold L or R and follow it if it starts walking. Examine where it stops and you'll usually find some ingrediants. This all sounds great, in theory, but they messed up the execution. Namely, as in Secret of Mana, you can level up your spells. Unfortunatly, rather than have catagories (for example, alchemy comes in either light and dark, you could have levelled up each of those catagories), you actually level up each individual formula. This is not a good thing. Considering you need alchemy ingrediants just to use each formula, it makes levelling up cost WAY too much money. You'll end up really just levelling up a few basic spells when you have the money to throw around on it. For example, curing. As a result, you will likely end up ignoring the majority of attack alchemy, loading yourself up with a lot more buffing and curing alchemy. You'll still use alchemy all the time, but the attack formulas will likely end up off your list, as you will see that you do a lot more damage with your weapons than any of your unlevelled attack formulas. Had they changed this whole thing it could have been a lot better.
As an aside, if they ever make a successor, I would really like to experiment with ingredients to make my own formulas. As it is, you have to find alchemy masters all over the world to teach you new formulas. It would be nice if you had a little lab to yourself where you could mix ingrediants of your choosing to make your own spells. Like, ingrediants like sulfer and oil create combustion effects, and ingrediants like water have a healing effect. Maybe mixing a part oil, salt, and water produces a formula that sets an enemy on fire, restoring your health for each bit of damage their immolation does to them? Well, back to the review.
All in all, it's Mana gameplay, with alchemy for magic, and for the most part it's done well, thus making for a fun game.
Story, well, that's all interesting... Really, it's a shame what they ended up with. It all comes off like they couldn't decide if they wanted a serious story or a comedy. There are very strong elements of both in this game, and the end result just seems... poorly written. The jokes, well, some of them are pretty funny, though some are just lame. For example, the main character has always wanted to be the star of a cheesy 1940's sci-fi movie and so he takes every opportunity to compare every situation he's in with made up movies. Some stuff is pretty funny though, but even those, a lot of them are done at the most inappropriate times, when the story is trying to be serious.
About the serious stuff. There seems to be some goal of trying to make serious elements of the story, like what the nature of "real" is, or the effects outsiders can have on a world, even if that world is created by those very outsiders, and the typical stuff regarding "balance", the consequences of free will, basically stuff you might imagine is the case when a core gameplay element is alchemy. There are 4 "leaders" of the 4 worlds within this world, each of them having an incredible amount of alchemic power. They even created concentrated beads filled with alchemy that let you summon them at any time to use their various skills. Near the end you even learn a formula to make these "call beads" yourself. However, an evil force is in the works (well duh, there's no point in a combat system without someone to fight) which has created 4 evil twin versions of the leaders to replace them. Now, that's where the flaws in their storytelling really show. Sometimes it's actually pretty serious, for example in the dark ages world where you meet everyone being oppressed by their previously generous queen and they seem to really be questining things. In fact, here you even meet Cecil from Final Fantasy IV (he runs a weapon shop and gives you his bazooka). But other times, it's just comedy. Now, that's fine and all, but the way they did it leaves it lacking. There are some places where how they did it was just very awkward or ruined the moment outright. With some work though, the story could have been done very well and the comedy could be done at the right moments too.
The controls are exactly what you would expect. A button for fighting, one to "dash", direct control of the character, and the need to pause in order to cast spells by selecting them from a menu.
In summery, the gameplay is a fair copy of Secret of Mana but with alchemy. It is only single player unfortunatly. The world isn't as large, but large enough. In the end, the game is very fun, and you may find yourself addicted, but it's just not as good as Secret of Mana. A game that is worth owning if you want something new, but it could have been better.
You were once the king of the streets. Your car and your skills made you unstoppable, until you beat the wrong guy, and you ended up in a hospital bed for months. When you finally got back to normal, you'd lost all your street cred, and you fly out to the city of Bayview to rebuild and reclaim your career. Fortunately, your sister has a good friend who's a well known racer in Bayview, by the name of Rachel Tellers (voiced by Brooke Burke). Rachel helps you get back on your feet by helping you buy your first car and instructing you on the workings of Bayview. Soon after she sees your skills, she becomes your manager, and will become your main source of information on sponsorship deals, photo ops, and general tips. From there, you're off to make a name for yourself and take back the streets.
<b>GRAPHICS</b>
There are many cars you will be able to drive and all are meticulously detailed, and you'll recognize them in real life on the streets. Of course, no racer will take you seriously in a car filled with stock parts, so it's time to juice up your ride to the teeth. Bumper, side skirts, spoilers, exhaust tips, mirrors, window tints...by the time you're done, you should barely be able to recognize the car you bought originally, but I guarantee you won't miss it. Sparks fly as you brush against walls, headlights shine realistically. If you can see it, you can customize it, and the options are nearly endless. You'll never have to worry about looking exactly like your competition.
<b>SOUND</b>
The game sports THX sound quality, so revving engines and screeching tires sound crisp and realistic. There are no complaints in the sound department. As for music, the game offers a wide array of songs in it's soundtrack ranging from rock to rap. Depending on your tastes, this could be a good or bad part of the game, but luckily, EA included a feature that lets you mix and match songs so you decide when they play, or even if they play at all. So in that way, even if you don't like most of the music, you don't have to suffer through it. Though it is only a matter of personal preference, I do find some of the rap tracks in the game detestable and nauseating, but am relieved that they can be removed.
<b>GAMEPLAY</b>
You're never without plenty of racing opportunities in Bayview, and the types of races are broken down into six different categories. Circuit, which places you on a set track that you must run laps around and, obviously, finish first. Sprint, which is a one-way race to to the end of a predetermined route. Drift, where you are given points for how well you slice around corners, drift, and slide along the track. You can win a drift race even if you finish dead last (or not at all) by having the most points. Street-X, which are basically enclosed, short, and very tight Curcuit races. Drag, which you must time your gearshifts perfectly to get maximum speed out of your ride to finish first. Finally, U.R.L. races (Short for Underground Racing League). These races are most commonly held on closed tracks or airport runways. U.R.L. races are very similar to Circuit races, only with more and better competition, no traffic, and worth much more prize money. The U.R.L. is invitation only, and you're only invited into the U.R.L races once you've landed a sponsor and shown your stuff on the streets. There is also one other optional type of race, called Outrun. While driving around the city, you may spot other street racers out riding. Get up close to them and they may challenge you to an Outrun race. The object of Outrun is self-explanatory: outrun your opponent. If you're trailing, stay on them and catch up as best you can. If you're ahead, do whatever you can to lose your pursuer. If a certain distance comes between you two, the winner gets a small amount of money, and some Outruns will reward you with unique parts and modifications.
Beyond upgrading the looks of your ride, you must also make sure it's just as pretty under the hood. Bayviews many performance shops can help you, as Rachel herself says, "Help turn your kitten into a tiger". Upgrade your engine, transmission, wheels, turbo, suspension, add nitrous, reduce your weight, and watch your top speed go through the roof.
Beyond that, there's only one thing left to do: Hit the gas and finish first. There are some small extras though. For instance, once you've installed nitrous oxide in your car, you can fill it even beyond it's capacity by exhibiting driving skills. Narrowly avoiding accidents, slicing through corners, taking the lead in a race, or finishing with a best lap time. An overfull nitrous tank might be just what you need to give you that boost to finish first. Realistic physics also allow skilled drivers to cause their opponents to spin out or force them into accidents. Don't forget though, that they can do it all to you too, so keep control of your car as best you can. Hey, this is the underground! The only rule is to win! Once you feel like you're good enough, you can take your car online and race against people all over the world.
One gripe I do have with the game is it's lack of damage. Sure, having to fix busted parts between races may be a bit of a hassle, but it kind of takes a bite out of the realism if you slam into a wall at 130 miles per hour, take no damage, and then just back up and drive away. Traffic accidents seem more like Hot Wheels cars smacking into each other on a track than full-blown collisions. You do get to see all accidents in slo-mo though, so even though they're unimpressive, they can still look cool.
<b>CONTROLS</b>
Controls are responsive and tight. While you can program whatever suits your taste, the original setup works just fine, and everything you need is easily at hand. Applying decals and parts to your car couldn't be easier and the interface is slick and easy to use.
<b>REPLAYABILITY</b>
Infinite replayability. Even after you've finished the story mode, you can quickly and easily set up any type of race you want, wherever you want, with whichever car you want. The game never gets stale.
Need For Speed Underground 2 will surely sate any hungry racers appetite and even appeals to those who wouldn't normally buy many racing games (I can attest to this). While it's by no means perfect, it's high replayability, amount of customization options, and decent visual polish certainly make this a ride worth taking. 8.5 out of 10.0
Here's an old post of mine that I made in Tendo City before this forum existed. I thought I'd re-post it, and make little edits here and there (such as adding a score out of 10, as requested my Barbara EdenMaster & Rtan (I'm too lazy to come up with a silly name for him)). So here it is:
----
God damn it, people, you just love to keep things from old beanjo, don't you? Once again, you've failed to let me in on an underrated yet awesome N64 title. CHOKE ON AIR, YOU BUNCH OF NEGLIGENT SONS (and daughters) OF SEA COWS!!!
So I bought this game recently, for a measly 4 bucks (maybe 5, I don't remember - I buy old N64 games all the time). I heard that it was a sleeper hit, and remembered that those who played it and talked about it on message boards had loved it. So I bought it in hopes that it would be another Rocket: Robot on Wheels, a simple yet addictive title hidden among piles of gaming excrimient.
So anyways, who else was left back at the station when the Body Harvest hype train departed? Well, you sure wouldn't have to walk far to get back on it, 'cos it broke down about a mile down the tracks. Because people are dumb.
The graphics of Body Harvest are simple, but they get the job done. Given that the player gets to run around in enormous fields and cities, the simplicity of the graphics can be excused. The game plays a little like GTA, actually (its maker is DMA). You have to jump in and drive random cars travel the map more quickly, which so far (I'm only in the 1946 Greece stage right now, but there are different stages which I assume have different cars) range from tanks to motorcycles. However, the gameplay differs between the two games in that Body Harvest is more oriented towards puzzle solving and bug shooting. The shooting parts have been ridiculously easy so far, but I finally got stuck at one point at the end of the stage where I have to fight this huge, hard boss. Oh, and there ARE civilians running around that you can run over or use as target practice, although if you kill enough, you lose the game. :( There are a few parts where you even have to save civilians in cities from invading alien insects.
The atmosphere of this game is the best part! The very first feeling I got when playing was that it felt like Starship Troopers in video game form. I'm a sucker for sci-fi, so this enhances the experence all the more for me. The background music is very creepy, and it gave me an uneasy feeling after listening to it nonstop for a span of a couple hours. A game hasn't had that ability to genuinely creep me out since Silent Hill (for PSX). I doubt it'd creep many other people out, though... it's just one of those strange situations where something very simple can make you and you alone feel anxious and panicky.
I have only a few qualms with this game. For one: the save points are spread far apart! This actually only bothered me when I got stuck at one point in the game (this was before I found the first save point) and ended up running around in circles for a good hour and making no progress whatsoever. I didn't want to play the game, but I wanted to first find a save point before quitting. I actually wouldn't have been stuck, had I known that I was actively being given clues via informations transmissions. When an information transmission arrives, an "E" icon appears next to the energy bar, and I could never figure out what that damned E meant until recently, so I just ignored it. Anyways, the player doesn't reach the first save point until 1/4th the way through the first stage. Then, generally, when another 25% of progress through the stage is made, the player is given another save point.
Secondly, if the player dies just once, it's GAME OVER. I've died a few times, mosty by either drowning or a large bug landing on my head (they're beamed down from the sky when you fight them). The player is advised to retrace his steps back to save points often, just in case the shit hits the fan in the middle of a mission.
The puzzles in this game are pretty easy, especially with the information transmissions as an aid. For example, at one point, you need to find a way to break down a blockage in the road, to get a cog from a miller to give to a different character, who in turn opens a water gate for you.
The weapons, so far, are nothing short of awesome. At the start, you're given a standard pistol that can't run out of ammo. Later on, you find a machine gun, dynomite (although I've never used that in battle), and my personal favorite so far, the sun shield. :D This baby is used to reflect a powerful beam of sunlight and fry insects, I suppose to allude to the archetypal mischievous kid who uses a magnifying glass to burn ants.
The bottom line: Body Harvest is awesome, so if any of you see it in the store for just a few bucks, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I don't know what games (other than GTA) I can use as a point of reference, since this one is quite unique. It isn't all that much like Jet Force Gemini... it's less concentrated on shooting and more concentrated on puzzles. Plus, it's stages are much longer, although I believe there are only four of them in total. I suppose I'd describe it best as a cross between GTA and Jet Force Gemini (although I'm sure there are better games to compare it to).
Okay, so there was a huge piece of earth-shattering action going on last night. I'm going to explain what happened, and the causes.
Basically, the flashpoint was the Reviews forum, which I recently revived. As soon as I did, I and Edenmaster drafted a series of rules and guidelines for reviews that were to be posted. These rules were not new to the Reviews forum. They have been in effect, if unwritten, since we started doing them four years ago. Some of them I tuned down or eliminated, by request.
OB1 writes a pair of "reviews" that totally, flagrantly disregard these rules. As such, I have Edenmaster remove them. This was done both with proper warning beforehand, and proper explanation afterwards.
OB1 decides to express his discontent by writing a thread that is inflammatory to say the least. I respond. As usual, it escalated. Soon, the flavor of the comments he posted about me go from merely inflammatory to rude, outright lies and personal insults. He makes ridiculous accusations towards me, and I respond with quite an unhappy tone.
This went on for several hours. And it resulted in him deciding to leave for good.
Now, I want to stress that I did not ban OB1. In no way was he forced or coerced into leaving Tendo City. What he did was of his own free will, including starting the argument and escalating it the way he did. I gave him many, many chances to stop without consequence. He was determined to push me until I gave up and let him have his way. I was not about to do that. I almost never make a point to mention, but this is my place, and while I always welcome advice from people, I do not enjoy getting second-guessed, nor do I like being threatened and pressured into doing anything.
So what has happened is that OB1 is gone, presumably. I have removed his administration abilities. I will not ban him, and he is welcome to return any time he pleases, as long as he remembers how to conduct his behavior. I will not restore his admin priveleges, because I no longer feel I could trust him with that sort of power, but I will not stop him if he has a change of heart and decides he can be a normal human being once again.
I was not at all happy to experience what I did, and I am not happy with the result. I did not want him gone. I never had the problems with him that some have,until last night anyway. It's been weighing on my mind all day. But I did what I had to do.
OB1, if you read this, and I'm quite sure you will, I don't want anything from you. I won't demand an apology or anything. The door's always open. I hope you have the chance to look back and see what you did, and see it for what it really was.
Oh, to clarify. The boards did go down for a good deal of the day, and I know some people suspected him. It was not his doing. It was actually mine, and it was an accident.
Well, apparently while I was gone yesterday for most of the latter half of the day, quite a few things happened and our most prominent member left in anger, which is not usually a good thing as it is hard to reverse a decision like that. Anyway, so what exactly does that mean for TC as a whole? I'm sure most of you are thinking "Finally! Now maybe things will quite down here and be more peaceful". Yes, that's true I suppose, but I think the danger here is that things will become TOO peaceful, if you catch my meaning.
In a very real way, OB1 has been the fuel that has kept Tendocity's fire burning for the past year or two. We've been bleeding badly here for a long time, people have been leaving and the people that are here have been posting less and less. Now, every single potential post maybe by OB1 is gone, which is likely a good 25% of the posts made. That's big, but it does deeper than that. Think on this for a moment: how many posts did OB1 generate INdirectly. A large portion of ABF's posts were arguements with OB1. Now those posts won't be forthcoming anymore. A large portion of MY posts have been in direct response to something OB1 posted. Now those posts won't be forthcoming.
OB1 is likely the single most important member to keeping TC alive aside from Ryan. Without him, there's going to be a lot of slack to take up and I just don't think there's enough interest from other members to do it. There's a real danger here that, maybe not in one week or two, but perhaps in four or five months, that TC could become a ghost town.
I'm not going to pass blame or judgement on anyone here, that would just be pointless, but I think we need to step back here and look at the future of our little forum. TC's on life-support right now and is fading fast, even quicker now than it has been for past year, so unless something happens soon...
I have a quick question that I wanted to ask you guys. Do you believe that human beings are inherently good or evil. I'm not looking for a discussion or a debate (hence it is not going in thr debate forum, where this kind of question might seem to fit in better). Please just answer the question and maybe a couple sentences about why you think that. I believe this is a key viewpoint into why people believe what they do, and I was just curious what you all thought. Since we have a pretty good range of beliefs here, and since I know most of you pretty well, I thought you would be good people to ask. Thanks!
