A bit of unofficial Althanas research

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Was just posting my thoughts, Shin.

A poll is asking the thoughts of the community. Some may agree, others may not. Ultimately your poll was getting the results you were looking for.

In more ways than one, pal.

[Breaker]

Sitting here thinking on it, the "quality of writing taking a back seat" thing doesn't really exist on Althanas.

Even if people are pumping out speed threads with fly-by-seat-of-your-posts stuff, they are still gaining a little writing experience by writing with others, reading threads of others, and making mental notes on improvement on some level.

Quality of writing taking a back seat is just ridiculous.

I'm not sure what you're basing these opinions on, but I'd have to disagree strongly. I've been on Althanas for years and years, and there has always been times when quality of writing takes a back seat, even back in the day when every single completed thread received a full rubric judgment. Every so often there'd be an event that offered 2x EXP or something, and suddenly people who ordinarily scored 65+ would be scoring low 50s because they were churning out threads as fast as possible. The difference is most threads don't get judged now, so trends in quality of writing are less apparent.

And power leveling is not the only reason quality of writing sometimes takes a back seat. Sometimes people just want to blow off steam, or have fun with a unique idea. I'll cite one of my own threads from 3.1 as an example: The Flesh Failures: Empty Orchestra

The above linked thread is the most recent in a string of themed threads I hosted over the years. The purpose of these threads has always just been to mess around and have fun, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that my quality of writing took a back seat to silliness in this thread, and others like it.

To address your other point, if someone is pumping out speed threads or just blowing off steam and being silly, they are by definition not making mental notes for improvement. To make an analogy, you don't get better at baseball by holding a bat any way you like and swinging it around randomly. You get better at baseball by holding the bat properly, and taking a proper stance, and swinging at an appropriate sized ball approaching at an appropriate speed. In other words, to quote and/or paraphrase apparently Vince Lombardi, "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect". This basically just means that in order to see significant improvement in a skill, you need to deliberately try to get better at it, not just participate in it for enjoyment and/or breeze through it as quickly as possible.

For me, Althanas has always been mainly a combination of the first two poll options, with the addition that it has always been a place of learning and teaching, and with a little of the other options thrown in for flavor. When I first came here I was a young teen with literally no concept of how to craft a character, or a story, or properly describe a scene. I remember scoring something like 33/100 on my first ever thread, and the judge was none too kind with his remarks. Now I see Althanas as a place to sharpen my skills and give back to the community through mod work and workshops. I also see it as a place where my quality of writing sometimes takes a back seat to having fun and blowing off steam, or power posting, and I personally didn't feel like Shin was looking down on me for this, or being aggressive or whatever.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

I'm not sure what you're basing these opinions on, but I'd have to disagree strongly. I've been on Althanas for years and years, and there has always been times when quality of writing takes a back seat, even back in the day when every single completed thread received a full rubric judgment. Every so often there'd be an event that offered 2x EXP or something, and suddenly people who ordinarily scored 65+ would be scoring low 50s because they were churning out threads as fast as possible. The difference is most threads don't get judged now, so trends in quality of writing are less apparent.

And power leveling is not the only reason quality of writing sometimes takes a back seat. Sometimes people just want to blow off steam, or have fun with a unique idea. I'll cite one of my own threads from 3.1 as an example: The Flesh Failures: Empty Orchestra

The above linked thread is the most recent in a string of themed threads I hosted over the years. The purpose of these threads has always just been to mess around and have fun, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that my quality of writing took a back seat to silliness in this thread, and others like it.

To address your other point, if someone is pumping out speed threads or just blowing off steam and being silly, they are by definition not making mental notes for improvement. To make an analogy, you don't get better at baseball by holding a bat any way you like and swinging it around randomly. You get better at baseball by holding the bat properly, and taking a proper stance, and swinging at an appropriate sized ball approaching at an appropriate speed. In other words, to quote and/or paraphrase apparently Vince Lombardi, "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect". This basically just means that in order to see significant improvement in a skill, you need to deliberately try to get better at it, not just participate in it for enjoyment and/or breeze through it as quickly as possible.

For me, Althanas has always been mainly a combination of the first two poll options, with the addition that it has always been a place of learning and teaching, and with a little of the other options thrown in for flavor. When I first came here I was a young teen with literally no concept of how to craft a character, or a story, or properly describe a scene. I remember scoring something like 33/100 on my first ever thread, and the judge was none too kind with his remarks. Now I see Althanas as a place to sharpen my skills and give back to the community through mod work and workshops. I also see it as a place where my quality of writing sometimes takes a back seat to having fun and blowing off steam, or power posting, and I personally didn't feel like Shin was looking down on me for this, or being aggressive or whatever.

This.

Being someone who remembers those times, and even before Althanas was a thing and we were mulling about in the interactive village, this rings especially true to me. I remember Storm Veritas stringing me out in my first judgment and I never thought I'd end up writing a JC with the guy eight years later.

I didn't (and don't) see how the wording of the third option before I changed it was offensive. If people are taking issue with it then they are really looking too deeply into the wording, looking for meaning that just isn't there. I would never purposely offend or be aggressive to anyone, and those who know me know that.

[darkest.desires.]

Anyone want ice cream crumbled with cookies?

[Stare]

I would love some that sounds like a great idea ^_^

[Black Shadow]

Althanas is all of these things. You come here to collaborate with other people and their writings, to have fun doing so. Yet at the same time Althanas allows you to develop your skills as a writer, and to develop your writing style.

[Garron]

We could debate this until our fingers go numb.

How do you think we improved our writing back in the day before finding Althanas? We actually did the writing, collaborated with other writers (preferably more talented), and read the stories of others. Albeit, the improvement was extremely slow, but still there. Even if little by little.

I agree fully the detailed feedback and the unique rubric helps immensely with writing improvement. I don't deny that.

Althanas hit me like a brick at first, when receiving detailed and honest feedback. I found out, in the years before, I did only learn little. But, I can't say those years before taught me nothing at all.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

We could debate this until our fingers go numb.

How do you think we improved our writing back in the day before finding Althanas? We actually did the writing, collaborated with other writers (preferably more talented), and read the stories of others. Albeit, the improvement was extremely slow, but still there. Even if little by little.

I agree fully the detailed feedback and the unique rubric helps immensely with writing improvement. I don't deny that.

Althanas hit me like a brick at first, when receiving detailed and honest feedback. I found out, in the years before, I did only learn little. But, I can't say those years before taught me nothing at all.

I agree with this a million, zillion percent. You, right there, listed the ingredients for everything right with Althanas. But do you know where it has lost its way?

When members can come on and make 8/10 threads submitted just smut threads, with little to no intention of achieving anything your post nails (there is one in particular I can actually back this statistic up with).

When the Althies are nominated and only 3/10 people can name a thread for best quest or best battle in a year that had three very solid JC's, the cream of this website. As a member of staff who pours hours into reading people's work, and trying to give them comprehensive, meaningful advice, do you know how much that pisses me off? I can spend up to five hours at a time reading, appraising and helping for it to lead to this: a situation where people would just rather submit a sexually orientated thread to a workshop than write something worthwhile with character development, or read someone's hard work and give them the credit they deserve.

I have become seriously disillusioned with the direction this place is headed. I know I am not alone. If that lands me in hot water, so be it. I miss the days where writers would come here and weave great stories, even if the quality wasn't amazing.

You know what? Pav is a standout example of someone I adore on here. In the last couple of judgments I did for him, I have seen massive passion and improvement from the guy. I used to crucify the guy and I felt like shit for it because he was always giving 110%, but right now I look at him as THE example of where this site should be looking to head. Improvement, smiling all the time while doing it. That is where we should be and we're light years away while people are workshopping blowjob threads and it is being accepted as the norm and even applauded in some quarters.

Fuck knows how we are going to put a tournament together this year or any future year unless its a hentai fanfic competition.

I love this place. I was involved on an emotional level when my best mate in school was commissioned to make the continent that was come to be known as Salvar back in 2001. So I have a very heavy heart when I say what I say. But it needs to be said.

[Lye]

I agree with this a million, zillion percent. You, right there, listed the ingredients for everything right with Althanas. But do you know where it has lost its way?

When members can come on and make 8/10 threads submitted just smut threads, with little to no intention of achieving anything your post nails (there is one in particular I can actually back this statistic up with).

When the Althies are nominated and only 3/10 people can name a thread for best quest or best battle in a year that had three very solid JC's, the cream of this website. As a member of staff who pours hours into reading people's work, and trying to give them comprehensive, meaningful advice, do you know how much that pisses me off? I can spend up to five hours at a time reading, appraising and helping for it to lead to this: a situation where people would just rather submit a sexually orientated thread to a workshop than write something worthwhile with character development.

I have become seriously disillusioned with the direction this place is headed. I know I am not alone. If that lands me in hot water, so be it. I miss the days where writers would come here and weave great stories, even if the quality wasn't amazing.

Nothing quite wrong with smut. Granted, it does seem to take up a large quantity of currently active threads. In the golden days, we had enough members that the smut remained in the underground of the site. People who knew it was there, knew there was quite a bit of it. Those that wanted more of the sword and shield adventure, didn't pay it any mind. Those were days where you'd wake up to 80+ new posts a day. Where you simply could not read nor follow everyone posting. Those were days where I had 10+ IM windows open talking stories or ideas.

As times have changed, our niche has grown smaller. The role play writing is outdated compared to video games, social media, and the thousands of TV channels versus what... 60? 70? back then on cable? Our entertainment options have broadened. The players and members looking for some high fantasy adventure can get it with Skyrim, Final Fantasy, and an infinite amount of mobile games or JRPGS. Even watching people play these games on twitch can fill that escapism itch where we want to slay a dragon or wipe out a bandit camp responsible for raiding a local village.

I can understand the frustration of seeing the place you had many memories change. But the way it also reads is you're upset that the vast majority of content just isn't content you prefer. Much like the arguments back in the day when furry/anthro characters were running rampant. Also, our member base has grown a bit older. Our average age group is no longer 13-18. We're dealing with young adults here 20+. Sex and darker themes are more prevalent. The wonder of adventure is dull, overwritten. How many times can one adventurer find treasure, save an innocent, or triumph over evil?

Much like those times, the theme of smut will also wane. Though maybe it'll transition to straight macabre, horror, or slash material? Maybe back to good ol stick and board adventure!

Who knows? I'm just enjoying the ride, even if it's not my cup of tea.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Nothing quite wrong with smut. Granted, it does seem to take up a large quantity of currently active threads.

Exactly, and we're giving people a 65 score for it. Some people don't even have to pay the AP. Bargain.

In the golden days, we had enough members that the smut remained in the underground of the site. People who knew it was there, knew there was quite a bit of it. Those that wanted more of the sword and shield adventure, didn't pay it any mind.

We had enough decent writers around who could do more than just waggle their funsticks about. I don't think it is a massive co-incidence that when most of them left, the JC forum dried up.

Those were days where you'd wake up to 80+ new posts a day. Where you simply could not read nor follow everyone posting. Those were days where I had 10+ IM windows open talking stories or ideas.

Fantastic times. Perhaps I am living in the past, but it is hard to not love those times.

As times have changed, our niche has grown smaller. The role play writing is outdated compared to video games, social media, and the thousands of TV channels versus what... 60? 70? back then on cable? Our entertainment options have broadened. The players and members looking for some high fantasy adventure can get it with Skyrim, Final Fantasy, and an infinite amount of mobile games or JRPGS. Even watching people play these games on twitch can fill that escapism itch where we want to slay a dragon or wipe out a bandit camp responsible for raiding a local village.

Doubtless. Yet I have across countless young talented writers who grew up in the era of gaming and managed to use their talents on here. Fenn, Ailsa, Redford, and so on.

I can understand the frustration of seeing the place you had many memories change. But the way it also reads is you're upset that the vast majority of content just isn't content you prefer.

Things change, and I've never been afraid of change on any level. But this isn't change - this is eradication of our identity on an industrial scale. I don't prefer one style of content to another as long as its creative and free thinking. I just don't think smut for the sake of smut qualifies.

Much like the arguments back in the day when furry/anthro characters were running rampant. Also, our member base has grown a bit older. Our average age group is no longer 13-18. We're dealing with young adults here 20+. Sex and darker themes are more prevalent. The wonder of adventure is dull, overwritten. How many times can one adventurer find treasure, save an innocent, or triumph over evil?

Sorry, but no. The fact that Althanas has been going as long as it has is because people have imaginations and find different ways to write and quest. Just saying "oh, well we've run out of ideas so we better oil up and get fucking instead" doesn't cut it. I've never had to do that once between age 16 and 32 (now), and I was shagging anything that moved in those times.

Much like those times, the theme of smut will also wane. Though maybe it'll transition to straight macabre, horror, or slash material? Maybe back to good ol stick and board adventure! Who knows? I'm just enjoying the ride, even if it's not my cup of tea.

Maybe you are right. Maybe i'm just old and grumpy, eh.