IMO they just should use the effort of locking/removing topics to move them to the proper forum and toss the OP a warning about posting the topic in the wrong place.

With this, everything would be at right place, including off-topic stuff at general discussion. Because popping the warning can be automatic (just like most forums do) and moving a topic takes nearly the same effort of locking or deleting it...its not like 2~3 extra clicks per topic can be that bad.

I agree General discussion was way too chaotic...but its exactly what general discusion forums very often are...that's why i've been asking (for a while already) that FFXIV-related topics (specially the ones that receeived dec response) were moved from there to the proper forum. But removing the possibility of off-topic discussions to be taken here would end as a major turnoff to users, shrinking even more the already minimal forum active playerbase.

Once again SE was way too radical regarding its decisions. If its the case of directing forum effort to feedback, then leave just a moderator (or even a voluntary/assistant moderator) taking care of moving topics to its correct forum and then make general discussion o forum where neither devs or community reps would need to actually go.