Dear Devs: Please lock threads that are 3-6 months old without new responses.

[HeulGDarian]

This is my biggest takeaway from this. Just look at all the Bluemage threads that were all dragged back. They all could have been condensed to one, maybe two threads, but people here frequently feel the need to forgo the effort of searching for an already existing thread (sometimes literally only a page or 2 beyond the first page of "New Posts") about a topic they want to discuss and just create their own thread. (Then again, maybe this is just their ego- their "I need to be post #1 on a topic so people see my opinion")

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-kidding-me%21
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...e-a-normal-job
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...change-my-mind.
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...-turn-back-now
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...w-Limited-jobs

And that's not even all the BLU threads that were active at some point or another.

As for the person purposely seeking out and bumping long inactive threads, all these BLU threads are a testament that they're not looking to have an actual discussion on the topic; instead of bumping just one or 2 BLU threads to discuss it, they've gone with like 5. Unfortunately this seems to artfully avoid any moderator repercussions simply because I believe it's not explicitly against the forum rules and appears to at least provide on-topic comments when done so.

its not just blue mage, there are a lot of topics that get a crap ton of threads unnecessarily and the reason is pretty simply. Every time someone doesnt like the opinion that has the most traction in said thread , he will make a new one and try again till he sees the result he wants to see. At some point it becomes extremely tiring so people just stop bothering to answer, meaning it gets increasingly likely for another opinion to arise.
The only time a point can get across to the devs through the forums, is when everyone agrees. Which is extremely rare considering how people are so selfish to the point of being irrational.
I honestly think at this point pole votes with what the devs want to do would be far more efficient than the Forums, ofc they would also need to back it up with talks as to why they want to do said thing, and how said thing makes the game better.



EDIT
should also say that some of the multiple threads are used just to troll.

[Daeriion_Aeradiir]

I'm all for Mega-Threads but after 3/6 months of inactivity the discussion clearly isn't relevant anymore.

And then they release a new item on the mogstation and yet another new redundant thread about why Square is the manifestation of all evil springs up when there's like 10+ topics about the mogstation and all the exact same points from the last 10 times the topic was made get regurgitated.

Plenty of topics can be far older than 6 months and still have relevancy based on new information that is suppled well after the topic concluded its lifespan at the time. Also see the trillion hrothgar/Viera threads that would be infinitely more useful being condensed to a mega thread and is a constant relevant topic, even if it is only brought to the forefront of discussion whenever something is released that excludes them.

Mega-threads are definitely the win-win for both devs and forum goers, but villifying necroing threads if there's relevant discussion to be added is kinda counter-productive when its literally the intent of the developers behind how the forum should be used in their eyes.

[Crushnight]

And then they release a new item on the mogstation and yet another new redundant thread about why Square is the manifestation of all evil springs up when there's like 10+ topics about the mogstation and all the exact same points from the last 10 times the topic was made get regurgitated.

Plenty of topics can be far older than 6 months and still have relevancy based on new information that is suppled well after the topic concluded its lifespan at the time. Also see the trillion hrothgar/Viera threads that would be infinitely more useful being condensed to a mega thread and is a constant relevant topic, even if it is only brought to the forefront of discussion whenever something is released that excludes them.

Mega-threads are definitely the win-win for both devs and forum goers, but villifying necroing threads if there's relevant discussion to be added is kinda counter-productive when its literally the intent of the developers behind how the forum should be used in their eyes.

Honestly cannot win with these forums, look at male Viera thread the amount of times people post to say why is this thread still going(regardless how you feel on the actual point of the thread) add up to pages worth in that very thread.

It is isolated in one singular thread something many people wish would happen across all topics yet it continually gets moaned at for not dying.

People need to choose, singular thread where request for features may never die off or loads of individual threads about your own take on an issue or feature you want.

I prefer 1 singular thread per purpose myself makes it far easier to keep track of but the very forum community itself has to change to make it work.

I mean how many times have you seen an OP with "sorry if this is discussed before", you could check and post in the relevant thread perhaps, no just going to make another one, ok then let's see if your opinion is different from the last one that went on for 30 pages, no, didn't think so.

^ that is this forum, I am accustomed to it so it don't bother me but others aren't.

[Iscah]

Honestly cannot win with these forums, look at male Viera thread the amount of times people post to say why is this thread still going(regardless how you feel on the actual point of the thread) add up to pages worth in that very thread.

I think that's more about the impression that they're still apparently holding out hope for the thing to be added if they just keep it active long enough.

You don't get the same remarks that the Tales From the Duty Finder thread popped up again. (At least I haven't seen any, though it's a little while since I visited the thread.) Instead, people will point newcomers to it when they start individual threads for stories that would belong in it.

If we had one mega Mog Station complaints thread then maybe people would get the idea that it's all been said before, every time a new item gets released. The argument hasn't changed and SE is still clearly turning enough profit to not be concerned by some people's dislike of the price point they set.

[Duskane]

i really dont see a problem.
making a thread like this just adds fuel to the fire giving them attention.

[LaughingBanana]

One thing that I observe:

People are complaining about trolls reviving old threads and/or creating new ones usually featuring a controversial topic of conversation, but judging by the amount of activities and conversations it generated sometimes I wonder, maybe it's actually those trolls that keep the forum alive and breathing after all.

[Deceptus]

This. If threads are locked after three months, he'll bump three-month-old threads. And start them. And bump them with his next account. It's part of what he's already doing.

Selective locking of the threads he bumps (and where the previous post was made by his previous account) would be a start. Nobody wants to discuss it but he just keeps kicking it along.

Completely understood but there needs to be some sort of baseline to curb this type of behavior, currently there isn't. As is shown by the 5 year old threads that have been bumped.

[Iscah]

Completely understood but there needs to be some sort of baseline to curb this type of behavior, currently there isn't. As is shown by the 5 year old threads that have been bumped.

Again, the "something" should be down to more involved moderation of the forums. If he's kicking up threads that are past their use-by date, lock those specific threads so his next incarnation can't do it again.

One thing that I observe:

People are complaining about trolls reviving old threads and/or creating new ones usually featuring a controversial topic of conversation, but judging by the amount of activities and conversations it generated sometimes I wonder, maybe it's actually those trolls that keep the forum alive and breathing after all.

Now imagine if they used their powers for good instead of evil, raised threads because they have interesting content, and actually stuck around for an intelligent conversation.

Right now it's stifling discussion - or making the discussion revolve around the wrong things, i.e. the troll and how to deal with him, rather than the game we're allegedly here to discuss.

(I can only speculate that somewhere in the business hierarchy of SE, someone is taking a similar view that the forum is doing well because there are lots of posts and lots of activity, and all that matters to them is numbers on a spreadsheet showing high engagement with no consideration for the quality of it.)

[SeanCody]

Getting really tired of a single troll able to control the front page by necro'ing months/years old threads.

yeah... there's just way too much spam right now

[SavishSalacious]

I think the forums should lock threads after a week of inactivity.