Flight Rising Discussion

As a regular of the Suggestions board, I really wish the developers or at the very least the volunteer mods paid some more attention to that corner. :(

There was a thread some months ago that suggested having threads of certain topics (such as Imperial breed change scrolls) be locked as soon as someone with the ability to do so saw it in order to prevent or restrict the potential for threads to get toxic. It made me think quite a bit and I feel like there's two main reasons that the board is as toxic as it is (or as people say it is; honestly, when you frequent the board it isn't as scary as people make it out to be, especially if you add your two cents in a respectful manner).

The first reason which is something I touched on in the thread is people speaking on behalf of the developers. There are so many times on threads where people don't support a suggestion because "it'd take too long to program" or "it's way too complicated to code" and I really want these people to explain why these suggestions are too tough for the engineers to handle. The people who hold these views tend to be stubborn which I think adds to this negative impression of the board, especially since those discussions don't go anywhere...how can you argue against that unless you're a web developer or someone who knows the languages necessary for building a game like FR?

The second reason is that the developers aren't entirely transparent on site features. It'd be good to have a sticky or something where the developers list impossible suggestions (such as releasing Imperial scrolls, for example, or maybe a Bond All Familiars button, or others). There are many topics we as users are left in the dark about so you have people on one side saying "devs said six years ago this wouldn't happen" and other people on the other side saying "well FR's vision changes over the years so maybe we should revisit this idea?" I get why the developers don't comment on any thread besides for moderation purposes, but I wish we got some more closure on some things (is this feature impossible to implement with how FR's programming structure is? Or are your feet down on never releasing Imperial change scrolls ever again? Things like that).

I really like the Suggestions board because I get to write lengthy posts, much like this one. :P I like engaging in friendly debates with other people, especially if we're on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to supporting an idea or not. I also love building ideas up or brainstorming for budding suggestions. It's a great board to talk to people about FR in depth depending on the thread.

People get real passionate sometimes, or they respond with hostility because people come in with a hostile attitude, but it's also incredibly easy to respond with kindness, not reply at all, or block the people who are being prickly (maybe even more after the blocking system gets updated...if it does. I hope it does!).

If you're worried about your stance on a suggestion, I wouldn't be. People play FR differently than you and may find something to be devastating while it'd help you, and vice versa. It's not bad to want single-color scrolls or a bond all familiars button, especially since the developers have the final say on suggestions anyway.

Also, remember you can send in suggestions through Support, for those suggestions you want to send the developers' way but don't want to grace the board. It's a completely valid way of giving feedback for the game as a whole.

[quote name="Mystiek" date="2021-02-28 18:13:22" ] Suggestions forum is flight risings twitter. A horrible place that is not for the weak of heart. You must hold strong to your opinions there and never let up. If you have an opinion you’re passionate about your probably going to have to fight for it. Meanwhile I still frequent the suggestions forum mainly because I still believe the 5th anniversary’s eye update was the worst thing to come to the site and I hope to see it changed. Be it rehauled completely or made more accessible than just rng breeding that can take years if you want a certain type. [/quote] 10000% this which is why i go there largely to 1) sit back with popcorn over arguments 2) read longposts about how a suggestion would make the site turn itself inside out

I dont go on there usually unless to give supports

yeahno, I don't see the point, personally. it's not like any user suggestions ever get used by the site runners, aside from maybe cute familiar ideas. it's just a place for the players to let off steam and believe they have any input on how the site is run. I'd be surprised if the admins pay any attention to it at all. I'm not bitter oh wait

[quote name="Coincidence" date="2021-02-28 18:13:05" ] Some people are really passionate about what they believe. The Suggestions forum, I feel, is just a tar pit of misconstrued intentions. Some people reply succinctly. Others take that as snappishness. It is as both Shakespearean comedies and tragedies go; brought about by miscommunication and rash action. [/quote] Real talk. but I do love a good debate, so I like the forum. just remember to stay hydrated and take breaks from the internet, and if you feel anxious posting there, it'd be best to just avoid it. there are ways to discuss the site and make suggestions without going into what is essentially a debate forum!

[quote name="NightVale" date="2021-02-28 20:59:37" ] yeahno, I don't see the point, personally. it's not like any user suggestions ever get used by the site runners, aside from maybe cute familiar ideas. it's just a place for the players to let off steam and believe they have any input on how the site is run. I'd be surprised if the admins pay any attention to it at all. I'm not bitter oh wait [/quote] Silhouette Scrolls started in Suggestions forum. Dragon scenes came from Suggestions. Fiona was introduced because people wanted a way to "complete" their bestiary without having to buy super expensive familiars. Multiple changes at different times were made to the dragon page update because of user feedback and suggestions. Koi is almost certainly a response to people wanting more multi-colored terts and unique accent colors. It's a bit disingenuous to say staff doesn't notice anything.

inb4 this thread gets taken down by the mods

It is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. However, most of the regulars really aren't bad. (Jemadar needs an award for Most Reasonable Player.)

If someone brings an attitude, they will get one back, I'm not on a dom team anymore (and you couldn't pay me to run dom again) so I have no forks to give. That's still different than being "mean".

There is a difference in my way of thinking, though, between being "hostile" and just being straightforward. If I say "no support" and I explain my position, I'm aware my tone can be blunt, but it's usually not personal, I'm addressing the idea - however some people on this site take any and all disagreement as a personal attack. There is nastiness and toxicity on the Suggestions forum and I've blocked a couple of people because of it. But most of the time when people complain about the Suggestions forum being "mean" it's because they don't like being disagreed with and probably didn't use the forum search to find out they're igniting a powder keg (like insisting Unnamed exalts be banned) and people are tired of that topic coming up 50 times a month.

I will say that I give supports more often than no supports. If I "no support" I'm almost always thinking of the good of the site (and its economy), sometimes I've no supported suggestions I like on a personal level but know would be bad if they were implemented as official policies or updates.

I've been popping into the suggestions forums more lately, and honestly? Gonna second what @/Almedha said. It's just kinda fun to debate, as long as it remains respectful.

It just so happens that I got into a bit of a debate with Almedha on a suggestions thread not long ago, and while we didn't end up agreeing (and I had to stop replying because I ran out of energy for long posts lol) I still feel like they were respectful and overall the conversation was really interesting and engaging. I walked away with a better understanding of the other side's opinion, even if I still don't agree with it.

That's the sort of conversation I like to see on the Suggestions forums, and hope to see more of.

Unfortunately, it is also very true that it can devolve into toxicity. Mostly I just do my best to avoid those kinds of conversations. There's a certain point at which I'd just simply disengage, or just let the mods handle it if it crosses a line.

[quote name="Werepunk" date="2021-02-28 21:20:25" ] It just so happens that I got into a bit of a debate with Almedha on a suggestions thread not long ago, and while we didn't end up agreeing (and I had to stop replying because I ran out of energy for long posts lol) I still feel like they were respectful and overall the conversation was really interesting and engaging. I walked away with a better understanding of the other side's opinion, even if I still don't agree with it. [/quote] If we're giving shoutouts, then I'd like to say Stormfly is an amazing regular who is super fun and nice to discuss with in threads. I've had a few back-and-forths with them and they've always ended on a pleasant note!