Membership Is a site's age an issue?

[JByrd 33]

These days, I'll join a site with no questions asked if a friend refers me to it, and I like the overall theme.  In the past, i'd look to how old the site was, and how well run it was because i'd been burned a few times with newer sites shutting down suddenly.  Nothing is more frustrating for me than creating a character, and then not getting to use them for long, or at all.

[SYRE 6]

If the old site has accessible lore then it's a positive, otherwise it can be overwhelming.

[Sage 289]

It honestly depends on my mood, tbh. There are only two times I look at a forum's age. Any other time I don't care.

 

 If I'm looking for something casual that I don't really want to stick around on, I just want something to kill time with, I'll join a brand new baby site. Or, like, my main rp is dragging a little and I've got extra time or need extra muse, I'll join a baby site I'm pretty sure will die off in a few weeks/months and don't have to be invested in. I won't join an older site if this is my MO.

 

But if I'm looking for something I want to be on for a long time, something to dedicate myself to and really get into? Then I look for an older site. If I'm lookin for a home, I'll p much always go for a site with age unless one of my friends refers me to a newer game.

[Morpheus 14]

I voted yes, not because it is an issue per se, but a factor (of many) in my own decision making of whether I join a site.

I am the type of person who digs in roots and sets up shop with the intention of a long haul stay, so for me newer boards do come attached with a level of risk that older boards may not. I wouldn't not join a newer board, but I tend to have greater hesitation or watch and lurk from the sidelines to see how it fares over the first few weeks before committing. I invest a lot of time into developing my plots and it is frustrating to have to move sites and take a few steps back or rejig backstories to fit a new lore, and this is where the benefit of older sites come in. They are tested, their risk of closure is lower (every site is bound to close at some time though). Older sites though, can be daunting, you have established members who have been there for years, events and lore you can be exhaustive, and sometimes they can be a little too comfortable with their pre-established groups to make new members feel welcome. 

[ReDRidingHood 30]

My answer was 'yes' for many reasons that have already been listed.

 

I typically look to join sites that are about 3-6 months old: they survived the opening hurdles, have a semi-established member base, but still have flexibility to get involved in.

 

My complaint with older sites is often that rules were added to deal with specific situations in the past that are now defunct. Sometimes, there are "assumed" rules, too, that they expect members to figure out but are not really listed anywhere. 

 

Sometimes, you can try as hard as you want, but integrating into an older site where the staff seem to prioritize their established members over newcomers ('because you might leave, we'd rather focus on plots we know will last!') make it hard to get to a point where I CAN stay and become an "old member".

 

 

But there are exceptions to this, both new and old, so it's more of the site itself I would consider before joining.

[Rune 1,099]

On 3/20/2018 at 9:59 AM, ReDRidingHood said:

My answer was 'yes' for many reasons that have already been listed.

 

I typically look to join sites that are about 3-6 months old: they survived the opening hurdles, have a semi-established member base, but still have flexibility to get involved in.

 

My complaint with older sites is often that rules were added to deal with specific situations in the past that are now defunct. Sometimes, there are "assumed" rules, too, that they expect members to figure out but are not really listed anywhere. 

 

Sometimes, you can try as hard as you want, but integrating into an older site where the staff seem to prioritize their established members over newcomers ('because you might leave, we'd rather focus on plots we know will last!') make it hard to get to a point where I CAN stay and become an "old member".

 

 

But there are exceptions to this, both new and old, so it's more of the site itself I would consider before joining.

That mentality is so weird to me. I LOVE new members. They're a breath of fresh air! I try to keep at least 1 single character around at all times just so there's a chance of being able to throw romance at newbies. 

 

 

[ReDRidingHood 30]

On 3/22/2018 at 12:45 PM, Rune said:

That mentality is so weird to me. I LOVE new members. They're a breath of fresh air! I try to keep at least 1 single character around at all times just so there's a chance of being able to throw romance at newbies. 

 

 

 

Likewise! I try to keep that in mind even on sites where I'm not staff. I love rping with my regular folks, but i also like getting some new characters involved with mine to get some plots moving forward. 

 

i dont think most sites intentionally start out or have that mentality, but generally if someone says "well if you dont like it you don't have to join" to a new member* who is just asking why something is done a certain way I tend to shy away. 

 

_{*as a side note, I havent had it said to me personally, but when I look at joining sites as a group sometimes this happens.}

[Citrine 2]

It's new to me that more people seem to prefer newer sites! I'm definitely inclined toward going somewhere that's been open for longer than 3 months that seems to have a welcoming community. The only thing that puts me off older sites isn't necessarily its age, but if the player group is upwwards of 25+ people and I can't keep track of everyone who is in the game, that I have trouble with.

 

An older site with a small group of players tends to be my ideal. 

 

Newer sites I've joined have so often crashed and burned over the years after I put a ton of work into a character that I'm just not that motivated anymore; if it's something with a shorter, simpler app I'll give them a try, but if I have to put pages of writing into creation for a site that might not stick around I don't really have the time to dedicate.

[Lucky Cat 83]

I voted no because I couldn't give two craps. A new site should be just as good as an older site if the staff members are committed.

[Jacob 58]

I prefer sites with a long and stable history, even if the community must move elsewhere.  Instant gratification doesn't sit well with me, so I'm fickle in that regard.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Jacob

[Ariah 5]

I don't think there's anything wrong with old sites!  If they're around for as long as they are, then they are clearly doing something right, and I can definitely appreciate the amount of love, lore, and hard work that has been poured into it.  There's the extra advantage, too, of knowing that there's less a likeliness of it dying or closing.

 

That said, I will personally always be more comfortable with smaller communities.  I have an easier time getting to know people when it's more tight-knit and I do tend to get intimidated if it's an established place with a ton of lore and a ton of reading to do.  I think I'm mostly afraid of getting things wrong, especially since I don't have the best reading comprehension skills, which I realize shouldn't be an issue when staff and members alike are more than willing to help, but I like feeling secure from the start.

[Winter in Bohemia 19]

Honestly I think age isn't the issue, it's more consistency. I've been on new boards that have flourished and gone on to do amazingly well and I've been on old boards that have suddenly disappeared as well. I think the main problem is how reliable the staff are as well as the other members of the community!

[Huskerdust 625]

On 3/10/2018 at 12:24 PM, SYRE said:

If the old site has accessible lore then it's a positive, otherwise it can be overwhelming.

 

Pretty much this for me. I don't care about age as long as everything is easy to slip into. Otherwise, my anxiety overwhelms me, worrying that I'll skip something or forget something horribly important.