So I just got done reading this thread here: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/farewell/page1

And honestly, I'm feeling the same way Klumpen is, although I have some different reasons. I have the same gripe about classic Baldur's Gate no longer being available without the remakes, but my different reasons are a bit more personal:

-As I move into the professional world and away from college, I just don't have as much time to play video games anymore.

-This thread:
https://www.gog.com/forum/baldurs_gate_series/can_someone_give_me_some_real_life_examples_of_alignmentsok_heres_a_few/page1. What started off as something the OP probably originally intended to be something fun quickly devolved into 2 nerds arguing about something really, really, REALLY stupid. This by itself wouldn't turn me away from the forums, but I was in the middle of a BG playthrough, and was hopefully going to actually complete the game for the first time. However, this thread happened, and I haven't been able to have fun with the game since then. It really killed my enjoyment, and I haven't picked the game up in a few weeks.

-A few days later, because of the first reason, and also to make myself feel a little bit better after the second, I held a giveaway: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/nmorello11s_bonus_key_giveaway/page1. This attracted a wave of scammers (although props to those of you who called them out), and although I specifically asked for people with massive backlogs not to claim anything, a lot of them did. It was also a mess of people trying to claim games that they already owned. This last one absolutely KILLED my faith in the GOG community, and was the final nail in the coffin for me.

Although GOG wasn't my first gaming home, it will always be my first choice. I've been giving this site and these forums a lot of love since joining back in 2012, but I think 2016 will be the end of it. I may occasionally post in here if I have an in game problem that needs to be solved, and check up on this thread for the week, but aside from that I'm not looking into these threads anymore.

I may not have been as active in the community as Klumpen was, but just like him, I don't mean to make any enemies here, and I hope you understand.
-Peace,
Nmorello11

Sad it has come to this for your. Like you, I am a rare poster since my family and work take much of my time so gaming and forums take little. I do enjoy partaking in the fun around here, periodically, and it's usually after a sale or something that brings me back to see what I've missed after a hiatus. Maybe that's all it will be for you as well. Good Luck!

Yarp. I can see them fishes. Good on you on your travels!

No not really. Ever have something that you love, then something bad happened while you did it, and then you never did it again? For example, when I was a kid, I used to love 3 musketeers bars. However, one time I ate one, and I threw up. I don't think I've had a 3 musketeers bars since then.

This is the reason there is the saying "If you fall off the horse, get right back on and keep riding". Conquer your fear, basically. Especially if it's "something that you love".

I'll finish BG someday (hell, probably within the next few months), just not right now. And yeah, I know eventually, I'll forget about that thread and be able to enjoy the game again. The negative experience I've had lately with these forums lately is why I'm walking away.

...Actually I now that I think about it, I probably have had a 3 musketeers bar sometime since that happened more than 10 years ago, but I can count on one hand the amount I've had since then.

That I can relate to. There are times to get back on the horse and there are times when there's little point in doing so.

I do kind of wonder how much longer I'm going to bother hanging out here. I've got other things to do, I'm buying fewer games and there's a lot of unpleasant pricks around here these days. I don't really log in a whole lot unless I'm actively interested in a thread, but it seems like there's a smaller and smaller number of threads that interest me. And a larger and larger number of dickheads to contend with when there is a thread I'm interested in.

Years ago, things were a lot more interesting. But, it seems that every year Mr. Gog does his sale and there's a huge influx of people with no particular connection to the site and a larger proportion of them not being interested in preserving the forum culture.

I don't do any sorts of giveaways any more because I'd rather not be a part of the problem. It's been awesome that people were so generous in the past, but these days it just attracts scammers, rule breakers and people who aren't interested in contributing to forum life.

I don't really see things changing for the better any time soon because it's become popular to bitch about alts and scammers and there's enough people that are unwilling to change their rules to discourage scamming that it continues. Even just pointing out that this is the internet and that there are trolls and scammers that will cheat is enough to get people upset.

It's unfortunate, but that's a mature forum. Too many people to know personally and too many different opinions of what the forum should be like. I'm not sure it would have gotten to this point so quickly if we could have had some moderation and a judicious number of subfora to work with. I can't blame you or anybody for that. It's getting to be a bit like the Dutch boy that put his finger in the dike. Mr. Gog doesn't give a crap about what goes on on the forum as long as it isn't illegal and it shows.

I remember back in the day they'd actually enforce the rules about insulting other forum goers, but I'm not sure the last time that happened.

Leaving is your choice, but leaving as protest isn't gonna help since GOG isn't and wasn't designed to be a forum and it will never be its primary purpose. The community made itself great by its own doing. And leaving just makes the opposite happen.

That's a real problem. There's been tongue in cheek suggestions that if $unpopularCandidateX is elected that people will move to Canada and that doesn't really solve anything. It makes things worse in the US and as great as Canada is in many ways, they have their own set of problems, none of which is going to be improved by having Americans move to Canada.

Same goes here. If a lot of people leave as a protest, then that just leaves the people who don't care or that came after the fact.

Here's a question for the folks following this thread:

Would you rather have a "hands off" approach from GOG regarding the forums, or a micromanaged pit of draconian rules?

I ask this because I spent 3 years playing World of Tanks and their forums...if you even mention in passing conversation other gaming products (War Thunder, World of Warcraft, etc.) you get a warning, then a week's ban, and then perma-ban from forums (not game). Even console games from old systems like NES and SNES are not allowed to be mentioned in ANY form or place whatsoever.

The forums over there are a police state, and no fun whatsoever. One of the many reasons I quit playing and had my account deleted.

I personally prefer a little latitude and freedom when forums are concerned. Trolling and things like that just roll off my back. It's just part of internet culture. You need tough skin. However, I draw the line at doxxing and real life threats.

So, what say you GOG forum goers? Freedom or forum police state?

Forum police state. All the way. But not for what you might think. Only for political/ethnic/social discussions. This is a GAMING forum, and people come here for games. I don't want to ban political/ethnic/social discussions, it's always interesting to hear someone different's take on a topic, but just that the staff need a firm grip on it. I don't think GOG benefits from letting people saying Hitler didn't do anything wrong running free, whether they're just low-life scum internet trolls or really convinced Hitler did nothing wrong.

Freedom of speech is beautiful, but only if you accept to endorse responsability of your own saying. Otherwise, it's just a playground for aggression, slander, libel and propaganda. GOG, take your responsibilities.

Somebody here said that GOG has never been a forum to start with. It's sadly true. GOG is a company, selling products, which in itself is perfectly fine. But GOG could have been sooo much more in every aspect if only they took the time to cultivate that forum approach, to cultivate a community. But no.

I think what I would prefer would be mostly hands off, with moderation to cover the worst cases.

Basically, I would draw the line at things like personal attacks. Once a user posts a personal attack on another user, it is at that point that a mod needs to step in and (on first offense) warn the user and take away rep.

(Of note, I think mods should be the only ones to have the power to take away rep. This would solve the problem with downrep abuse, at least until someone hacks into a blue account, at which point the site has more serious problems to deal with.)

How about you quit going around to every farewell post to tell everyone how much everyone else should hate a bunch of people on these forums?

Do you really think you are making this forum a better place by calling people "dickheads"? Do you really think it's helping going around to all these threads telling people how nobody is "trolling correctly" like you do and people in the old days did? Do you really think its helping by you trying to foster this "us against them" mentality? Calling out all the gift givers and calling them the real problem on the forums?

What I see is someone who's never given anything away here, calling all gifters the problem and asking everyone to agree with you. All the while, most of your posts are about problems with GoG; problem you have with various groups of people on these forums; and why you think the forums suck.

Maybe you need to look at yourself in the mirror and see that you are the one with a problem...

Good luck to the OP. Could be worse. Could be the Steam forums :P