My thoughts on Devstrike

[Elijah2159]

(This is an updated version of a post I made on the WOWS Discord - I'm reposing it here in an attempt to open the floor to discuss Devstrike in it's current state)

After a couple of months on DevStrike I have to say that I am less than pleased with my experience

DevStrike's forum rules are very strict. They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities. For example, they don't allow swearing or profanity at all (unlike the original WOWS forums which allowed it in small amounts). All the strict rules and how they're enforced have greatly degraded from the forum experience and has made some of server members (including me) feel unwelcome - some people have even outright stated this at times.

The staff are also very strict and are completely unopen to public feedback on threads and this makes their site even less welcoming and inviting. This was further reinforced by a discussion that I had with I_cant_Swim on the forums - I highly encourage everybody to read through the entire discussion because it provides some interesting insight on some different aspects of Devstrike and how it's ran (https://discord.com/channels/669128285527080961/1140695330078347294/1177810978956640269). 

Devstrike is very different (and in my opinion worse) than the old WG-ran forums. Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

[Admiral_Karasu]

You probably can guess that I actually like Devstrike a lot more than I like having to use Discord for anything forum related. Discord is great for messaging and other things, but it lacks the forum feel and functionality.

Now, I'm not actually engaged in moderating myself, although I have a moderating stance. I'm also open to discussion and feedback, and it's usually (within reason) better to air your dirty laundry publicly (I know this may bring about shrieks of horror in certain quarters).

I'm not sure what in particular, or in general, you find very strict about the rules. A lot of people have brought up the subject of profanity, so I'm guessing that's one of the things that are seen as being too strict. The issue is twofold, we don't want every post be peppered with swearwords (they actually lose potency if used too liberally, just ask Brian Blessed if you don't believe me). We definitely don't want to see insults or direct attacks, the rules make that very clear, and IMO that needs to be strict. On the other hand, I know that if when posting you start feeling a need to self censor your free expression, it can get very uncomfortable very fast.

Personally, the 'excessive' bit I think is the key operative word in this context.

[Frostbow]

1 hour ago, Elijah2159 said:

They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities.

That is a reasonable rule. Not all of us are okay with profanity, no matter how accustomed we may have become hearing or reading it. Also, I am looking/thinking of the younger generation who may have heard of the game and of Devstrike.net. I would want them to experience the game and engaging in discussions in an environment that has no profanity.

 

1 hour ago, Elijah2159 said:

For example, they don't allow swearing or profanity at all (unlike the original WOWS forums which allowed it in small amounts).

The now deleted/removed/retired World of Warships NA forum automatically deleted certain words that are profane. 

 

1 hour ago, Elijah2159 said:

All the strict rules and how they're enforced have greatly degraded from the forum experience and has made some of server members (including me) feel unwelcome - some people have even outright stated this at times.

The forum experience is not only about rules, although that is where everything starts. It is also about the exchange of ideas, on top of our favorite pastime of whipping WG for their seemingly self-inflicted mistakes (see their recent announcement about removing Airship Escort). 

 

1 hour ago, Elijah2159 said:

Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

And that is totally okay. Me, I just cannot stand the format of a Discord. 

[Kynami]

Discord is fine for subjects that only really have value for a few hours to a couple days. It really isn't a great medium for conversations about long term implications that you'll want to refer back to a few weeks or more into the future for another pass. I know this well enough since I am essentially the main person in charge of balance for a strategy game. And when the move was made to Discord there has definitely been a shift in game knowledge that newer players have. You can mention something in passing and somebody who's been playing for a few months might have a jaw drop moment because they simply didn't know something could be done certain way or even had those options. But before the forums were sunset there was a higher degree of assumed knowledge that people would have simply by having spent a couple hours here and there browsing after-action reports people would make about some of their games or long threads about advanced tactics. Meanwhile on Discord... toss a thread up on an active server and somebody who only pops into the discord every few days will have a blink and you miss it moment.

[Tricericon]

I personally consider Devstrike the best of the three currently available "forums"; IMO Devstrike is better than Reddit is better than Discord, which is more or less useless for this role due to being hard to navigate. I stopped even checking up on it weeks ago. The old forum was better than any currently available option, mostly due to the superior "forum" format combined with a larger poster base that generated more content.

I find the strict prohibition on swearing to be a major asset to this place.

As far as I am concerned, the main problem Devstrike has is that the site is dominated by constant complaining. We need fewer threads about how WG has ruined the game forever and more about gameplay and ships.

[Asym]

1 hour ago, Elijah2159 said:

Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

I can't stand WOWS Discord because it lacks everything a personal conversation contains:  feeling versus screaming at each other; coherent thought versus everyone talking over each other's ideas; or, a conversation versus a Roman Senate where everyone is screaming over each other because......?.....they can.

And, there really isn't anything at all "personal" about Discord.....  It's just a bulletin board where absolutely nothing can be heard over the white noise of a 100 voices talking at one time.  This forum is a place to actually have a conversation.... 

Rules?  What rules???  I don't need to even read them to try and be what is expected of me........  If you need to curse to make a point, you've missed the larger point;  even, before you even get started trying to discuss the real content..... 

 

[Asym]

7 minutes ago, Tricericon said:

As far as I am concerned, the main problem Devstrike has is that the site is dominated by constant complaining. We need fewer threads about how WG has ruined the game forever and more about gameplay and ships.

Complaining has a "value".....at times, a complaint discusses "stuff" no one wants to talk about...  If Santayana had it right in 1905/6 in his 'Life of Reason', and history repeats itself because no one wants to study it, or read it or to listen to the complaints of those older generations, we really are doomed to repeat mistakes over and over and over again.

Complaints are like Movies.....  Some say that Movies are the culture's subconscious speaking about everything the culture is too hard wired to avoid....  Complaints do the same thing:  they repeat what has happened to frustrate us, to anger us or, to hide how poor choices have missed the quality expected....

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.....  or, another I really use all of the time:  "To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say...." 

ITR, if a player has 40K matches and is complaining..........well um, I'd be listening to that complaint seriously......

 

[Kruzenstern]

41 minutes ago, Asym said:

Complaining has a "value".....at times, a complaint discusses "stuff" no one wants to talk about...  If Santayana had it right in 1905/6 in his 'Life of Reason', and history repeats itself because no one wants to study it, or read it or to listen to the complaints of those older generations, we really are doomed to repeat mistakes over and over and over again.

Complaints are like Movies.....  Some say that Movies are the culture's subconscious speaking about everything the culture is too hard wired to avoid....  Complaints do the same thing:  they repeat what has happened to frustrate us, to anger us or, to hide how poor choices have missed the quality expected....

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.....  or, another I really use all of the time:  "To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say...." 

Complaining and justified criticism is important. Also how a society deals with complaints is very important for its progress. In free societies, complaints usually lead to changes for the better and eventually advancement. In authocracies (like WG 😉), complaints are disregarded, complainers are discouraged or worse, and you get stagnation or development in 'odd' directions.

41 minutes ago, Asym said:

ITR, if a player has 40K matches and is complaining..........well um, I'd be listening to that complaint seriously......

Only if that person also has at least average stats. A 40K battle potato should be the LAST person anyone should listen seriously to since he has proven that he will never know what hes talking about. Lost of battles does not at all equal lots of knowledge.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Kruzenstern

[Andrewbassg]

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

After a couple of months on DevStrike I have to say that I am less than pleased with my experience

 

Sorry to hear that.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

DevStrike's forum rules are very strict.

No, they are not. As someone who have been constantly punished, also banned for longer or shorter periods and even permanently on NA....... they are not.

Tell me, how many warnings you've got?

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities

Very good, it is as it should be. We are PLAYERS of WOWS but,  we are very diverse, with very different backgrounds, from very different cultures.   And yes there are different sensitivities.

For example I'm HU from RO. Our common history is filled with ugly episodes from both sides. But we managed to  go past that and usually a) try to avoid contentious issues b) if not, we are making jokes about. Humour is a powerful tool. Helps transform things into good spirit.

An another example, one of my grandfathers was an "illegalist" ( meaning underground communist revolutionary, one of my  childhoods book was a paper of Lenin's  and such I'm pretty versed in marxism, leninist marxism and Il;m fully aware of its fundamental flaws) nevertheless I participated ( as a 15 old)  in my country's anticommunist revolution. However I'm NOT gonna start a discussion on it let alone a debate , because it is not the place for it .

 

The old Eu forum was a very tight knighted community, one had to earn, read fight, for its place. Newcomers, PVE players all were subjected to various degrees of ridicule. And was one of its biggest flaws. Repeating it is recipe for disaster.

We are all players of wows, we play what, where and how we see fit. Just because somebody knows something better, it doesn't make him a better person. And certainly doesn't give him the right to ridicule/bully someone else. We can (and will) have our differences of opinions, and we should be able to discuss them.

 

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

For example, they don't allow swearing or profanity at all (

We agreed at the very beginning that fiddlesticks is the cuss word. You can look it up.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

(unlike the original WOWS forums which allowed it in small amounts). A

That's not true. While the NA forums was more liberal than EU, that completely changed after the happy merry couple took over. On  EU we even joked about what become the "land of the free". :)  

As for the issue, freedom of speech is NOT liberty of speech. Freedom and liberty are NOT the same thing.Freedom is the sum of rights granted by a society/community upon its members. Liberty  is personal 

Therefore, freedom is conditional, ergo objective, whereupon liberty is subjective, therefore unconditional and absolute.

One can take the liberty to ignore the constraints of freedom and suffer the consequences.

As a direct example ( to cut the fancy wording) one can drove thru a red light? Of course he can, but he also will suffer the consequence because the red light is there for a good reason.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

All the strict rules and how they're enforced have greatly degraded from the forum experience and has made some of server members (including me) feel unwelcome - some people have even outright stated this at times.

Participating on the forums is not a right, but a privilege. We are a community, within the Wows community, and  yes we have rules. Pretty minimal, I would say.

 As for "feeilng"  unwelcomed........oh boy.....you should have tried EU.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

The staff are also very strict and are completely unopen to public feedback

I'm sorry, but that's just false.  

But it is true that the staff is every bit as human as you. Subject to be mistaken, just like you.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

and this makes their site even less welcoming and inviting.

Well, no offence but the staff is not here to kiss your rounder parts. They, as every human, have their IRL  issues too. So how about taking that approach?

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

This was further reinforced by a discussion that I had with I_cant_Swim on the forums - I highly encourage everybody to read through the entire discussion because it provides some interesting insight on some different aspects of Devstrike and how it's ran (https://discord.com/channels/669128285527080961/1140695330078347294/1177810978956640269). 

 

Im not a discord participant, so unless you provide excerpts( coz you already wrote a bit of an essay so it wouldn't be such a big deal)  I'll pass.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

Devstrike is very different (and in my opinion worse) than the old WG-ran forums. Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

I'm sorry but, for now, I see only entitlement, mimimi and "no meat on the bones", to paraphrase Douglas Murray. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Andrewbassg

[Daniel_Allan_Clark]

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities.

WGs discord is not open to everyone, and there was ridicule of people based on national and regional stereotypes being propagated by WG staff that WG refused to moderate despite it being against the rules.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

The staff are also very strict and are completely unopen to public feedback on threads and this makes their site even less welcoming and inviting.

WG Discord staff are the ones completely unopen to feedback if it differs from what WG staff think. Raise a point of feedback and the first reaction of WG staff is usually to argue with you about it, rather than take it at face value.

This argumentation is often expressed rudely and with no respect or civility to the player community. WG staff insist on any communication being respectful while not responding respectfully themselves. It is a completely dishonest setup of a double standard.

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

What do you guys think of Devstrike?

This place is infinitely preferable to me than any social media being run by WG staff members.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Daniel_Allan_Clark

[DoW_]

I am thankful for the forum and greatly appreciate the effort put forth by those that freely chose to start and run this website. Best wishes. 

[Andrewbassg]

1 hour ago, Kruzenstern said:

Complaining and justified criticism is important. Also how a society deals with complaints is very important for its progress. In free societies, complaints usually lead to changes for the better and eventually advancement. In authocracies (like WG 😉), complaints are disregarded, complainers are discouraged or worse, and you get stagnation or development in 'odd' directions.

This.

But, that's the thing, I don't see  any, lets say valid criticism, I see only" bruhaha I can't  F-bomb around therefore forums bad".

Either he can't formulate a valid criticism, or that's just it. How can I take seriously a criticism if it is not formulated. Not to mention that saying "forum bad" implicitly encompasses everyone who participates.

 

Still, I'm listening, what is the actual issue?

 

1 hour ago, Kruzenstern said:

Only if that person also has at least average stats. A 40K battle potato should be the LAST person anyone should listen seriously to since he has proven that he will never know what hes talking about. Lost of battles does not at all equal lots of knowledge.

Sorry, no. Only if the person is not capable of formulating proper points, but even then, he should not be subjected to ridicule/bully.

I don't play Cv;s but I can dismantle any pro Cv rework argument into noice small multicoloured ribbons.

 BUT, no one forces anyone to take him (or me 🙂 )"seriously" That's a personal decision.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Andrewbassg

[Admiral_Karasu]

@Elijah2159 should really answer this himself, but what I gathered is that we should be more open to publicly debates about this community/forum and the rules that govern our interactions here. More open to feedback, and along those lines.

The problem with feedback is that we cannot respond to every feedback because we need to collate all the feedback we get. Where I think we can improve is providing clearer means of collecting unsolicited feedback from the community members.

[Tpaktop2_1 NA]

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

(This is an updated version of a post I made on the WOWS Discord - I'm reposing it here in an attempt to open the floor to discuss Devstrike in it's current state)

After a couple of months on DevStrike I have to say that I am less than pleased with my experience

DevStrike's forum rules are very strict. They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities. For example, they don't allow swearing or profanity at all (unlike the original WOWS forums which allowed it in small amounts). All the strict rules and how they're enforced have greatly degraded from the forum experience and has made some of server members (including me) feel unwelcome - some people have even outright stated this at times.

The staff are also very strict and are completely unopen to public feedback on threads and this makes their site even less welcoming and inviting. This was further reinforced by a discussion that I had with I_cant_Swim on the forums - I highly encourage everybody to read through the entire discussion because it provides some interesting insight on some different aspects of Devstrike and how it's ran (https://discord.com/channels/669128285527080961/1140695330078347294/1177810978956640269). 

Devstrike is very different (and in my opinion worse) than the old WG-ran forums. Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

Well at least DevStrike cares and manage things better with their rules than WG.  I can tell the difference in the positive for DevStrike when compared to the old WoWS forums. At least DevStrike is doesn't strip you of your WoWS Alpha tester status without provocation or with warning escalation steps. The WG moderators just went and did it to me. Of course I have no proof now since WG has wiped the forum to cover their tracks. With Discord I know that is a mess because like the WoWS forums, no one is managing it other than muting the dislikes. I have to say the mods on DevStrike have been helpful and informative. I don't see examples of your problems with DevStrike OP. And IMO if you are swearing for your conversation, you really have lost the art of discussion.  See you on the high seas. 

[Arcus_Aesopi]

4 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

(This is an updated version of a post I made on the WOWS Discord - I'm reposing it here in an attempt to open the floor to discuss Devstrike in it's current state)

After a couple of months on DevStrike I have to say that I am less than pleased with my experience

DevStrike's forum rules are very strict. They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities. For example, they don't allow swearing or profanity at all (unlike the original WOWS forums which allowed it in small amounts). All the strict rules and how they're enforced have greatly degraded from the forum experience and has made some of server members (including me) feel unwelcome - some people have even outright stated this at times.

The staff are also very strict and are completely unopen to public feedback on threads and this makes their site even less welcoming and inviting. This was further reinforced by a discussion that I had with I_cant_Swim on the forums - I highly encourage everybody to read through the entire discussion because it provides some interesting insight on some different aspects of Devstrike and how it's ran (https://discord.com/channels/669128285527080961/1140695330078347294/1177810978956640269). 

Devstrike is very different (and in my opinion worse) than the old WG-ran forums. Personally, I'll be sticking with the WOWS Discord for now.

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

Since you asked...

I think meta-discussions like this are one of the reasons that WG discontinued the forums.  It's not about the game or the experience, offers nothing positive to anyone and calls out individuals for "perceived" slights which don't actually exist.  I'm glad Devstrike exists as an alternative to WOWS discord where there are actual staff people paid to put up with nonsense.

Since this discussion by the op already has occurred on an appropriate thread, this re-post of a re-post appears to be just petulant (re-)trolling.

Unfortunately, responding to trolls just begets more trolling...  Hopefully the mods will move this to the other thread so folks can see the pointlessness of this kind of faux "feedback".  Keep it all in one place...

[Kiruna]

3 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

DevStrike's forum rules are very strict. They're very particular about their forum being open for everybody from all regions, all cultures, and all sensitivities.

As someone who admins their own forum, they must be inclusive. It is the only way for the community to thrive and prosper. Like all communities they must have some guidelines or rules to follow. My forums, yes, we allow a general profanity now and then. However, if I saw a post like I have seen some chats in game, it would either be deleted or edited and the person would be suspended for a time. The admin and moderators here have outlined their rules as they have seen fit to try and encourage discussion while also encouraging a good time while you are here. Personally, I think that is a good thing especially as some of the community in game are not overly receptive to newer players. 

I personally prefers forums over discord. Discord is fine for general chit chat that doesn’t have any real informational value. However as a platform that is to be in place of forums for important information about the game or how a particular ship plays in various modes, it is a terrible replacement. While old for some ships, LWM guides still have some good information to them. The WG discord is also horribly organized which does not help newer players either. 

[HogHammer]

9 minutes ago, Arcusaesopi said:

Since this discussion by the op already has occurred on an appropriate thread, this re-post of a re-post appears to be just petulant (re-)trolling.

Unfortunately, responding to trolls just begets more trolling...  Hopefully the mods will move this to the other thread so folks can see the pointlessness of this kind of faux "feedback".

I don't believe the original post by @Elijah2159 here was an attempt at trolling, and I'll leave it at that. 

[Andrewbassg]

49 minutes ago, Arcusaesopi said:

 Hopefully the mods will move this to the other thread so folks can see the pointlessness of this kind of faux "feedback".  Keep all the excrement in one place...

I disagree. While the post have no place here, this kind of argument was extensively used on both past forums to justify pushing WG agenda and stiffle criticism.

Lets not repeat the same MO, our forums  has nothing to hide.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Andrewbassg

[Verblonde]

4 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

I tend to think we've done most of this conversation already over on the T&Cs thread from yesterday, so I'll just answer this specific trio of questions.

Overall, I feel Devstrike is pretty good, and I remain very grateful to the folks who set it up; a key part of my remaining interested and engaged with the game is the community, and this forum is the only effective place to stay connected with that community (IMO). WG's statements to the effect that the 'replacements' for the official forum are more than satisfactory are the faecal-emanations-from-the-north-end-of-a-south-bound-bovine-male (see, we don't need to swear to make a point).

I do like it *but* although I do find it pretty welcoming, the vibe - to me - is not as comfortable as the old forum. The reasons for this are linguistic, and probably inevitable; as others have observed, we have users of several different versions of English on here, and the differences between those are a lot more than not being able to spell 'colour' correctly, or being unaware that the device that moves you between floors in a tall building is a 'lift' - it impacts how you read, write, and comprehend the language. For example, as a user of British English, one of the replies I got on the T&Cs thread simply reads as a swearing-free variation on the theme of fornication and travel (see, still no swearing); I'm reasonably confident that the reverse is also true, and that this was not the author's intention.

Which brings me to the rules. Given the stated aims of the forum, I think that - overall - they're fair enough. A ban on 'curses and naughty words' (Goons quote, for the elderly amongst us) is reasonable, given that we have pretty much the full gamut of English users on here, and said imprecations have widely varying levels of 'seriousness' depending on which linguistic tradition you're from. I am concerned about the absolute language used in the rules (as remarked elsewhere, the word 'excessive' that was apparently in the original forum's rules matters); for those of us who prefer to adhere to the rules, there is a danger of self-censorship, eggshell walking, and a loss of fun/wit. That said, as explained, there is a reason for said absolute rules, and this is the price we pay for what is basically a worthwhile forum.

If you trawl through my posts (although why would you; I suspect it would be rather tedious), you'll see very few imprecations, and that I only use them sparingly (and commonly as a source of humour, although I got a clip round the ear for using a Trainspotting reference, which was still undoubtedly a swear so fair enough). I'm happy to eliminate such things entirely for the overall good though; it'll just make this site less fun for me personally as it eliminates a source of potential wit and amusement.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Verblonde

[Andrewbassg]

7 minutes ago, Verblonde said:

I tend to think we've done most of this conversation already over on the T&Cs thread from yesterday, so I'll just answer this specific trio of questions.

Umm...it seems that I missed that one.....

[Verblonde]

4 minutes ago, Andrewbassg said:

Umm...it seems that I missed that one.....

I'm not surprised: one 'difficulty' with Devstrike (for me anyway) is that important stuff periodically appears in places other than the 'general discussion' section. I'm trying to get out of the habit - acquired on the official forum - of ignoring almost all the other sections most of the time...

[Tricericon]

2 hours ago, Asym said:

Complaining has a "value".....at times, a complaint discusses "stuff" no one wants to talk about...  If Santayana had it right in 1905/6 in his 'Life of Reason', and history repeats itself because no one wants to study it, or read it or to listen to the complaints of those older generations, we really are doomed to repeat mistakes over and over and over again.

Complaints are like Movies.....  Some say that Movies are the culture's subconscious speaking about everything the culture is too hard wired to avoid....  Complaints do the same thing:  they repeat what has happened to frustrate us, to anger us or, to hide how poor choices have missed the quality expected....

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.....  or, another I really use all of the time:  "To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say...." 

ITR, if a player has 40K matches and is complaining..........well um, I'd be listening to that complaint seriously......

 

To be clear, I'm not saying that people shouldn't be allowed to complain or that those complaints don't or can't have value - I agree with enough of the complaints that I haven't spent a cent on WoWS or WoT since 2019 - I'm only saying that the sheer amount of it makes the forum experience unpleasant for me.

[clammboy]

As I have stated before I love the job everyone on Devstike has done . I like devstrike infitnely better then Discord but not as much as the old forums.

This is probably do to familiarity as I'm not sure where everything is on devstrike.

Also I am a little more conscious of making fun of things or people over here the atmosphere is a little more uptight for lack of a better word . Seems many people get offended here very easily especially if you dont like there stance on things. Maybe it's just me or because there are not as many members on here so you see the same opinions a lot.

Either way I still really like it here I can't thank the people enough who set this up. I am sure it will continue to evolve and get better as time goes by . Thanks again.

 

 

[Wolfswetpaws]

5 hours ago, Elijah2159 said:

What do you guys think of Devstrike? Do you like it? What do you guys think about the rules?

DevStrike was created by players as a place for players (of World of Warships) to congregate as a community.
The endeavor is worthwhile, in my opinion.
In a way, DevStrike is a "new Phoenix risen from the ashes" of the old (and shutdown) World of Warships forums.
DevStrike is also independent.  

"Do you like it?"  
Yes!  I <bleep>ing LOVE DevStrike!  🙂 

"What do you guys think about the rules?"
Remember that this is a place for players from around the world and who may be as young as 7 years old (because the game allows players that young).
I think the rules are reasonable and appropriate.
People who apply themselves, to learning interesting and entertaining ways of expressing their sentiments, should have no problem thriving, in my opinion.  🙂 

Everyone here is a sentient being.  And we're visiting a "public territory" or "neutral ground" by being here.

As Members of this Forum, we agree to the published rules.
If the rules have been "tightened up" a bit since Day One of DevStrike, it is for good reasons which were distilled from experiences of the Forum Moderators and the Forum Members (in my opinion, at least).
Membership rules and "terms of service" are commonplace on the internet, nowadays, for various reasons of diplomacy, legal liability, age appropriate content criteria and other concerns.
If one wants to seek out places which allow stronger language and more toxic environments, then I'm confident such places exist.

As for the Discord site?
Personally, I'm not a fan of the very name "Discord" becuase of my understanding of the definition of the word discord.
But, perhaps, that's just me, eh?  🙂 

I think your choice to remain here or leave here is your decision @Elijah2159.  
Personally, I feel that DevStrike has a lot to offer.
Life is short.  I hope your journey leads to happiness.

[Gillhunter]

24 minutes ago, Tricericon said:

To be clear, I'm not saying that people shouldn't be allowed to complain or that those complaints don't or can't have value - I agree with enough of the complaints that I haven't spent a cent on WoWS or WoT since 2019 - I'm only saying that the sheer amount of it makes the forum experience unpleasant for me.

I'm very thankful that this forum exists. I'm not a fan of discord or reddit for that matter. I think the people on the forum love the game, but many are somewhat disillusioned with decisions that WOWs has made over the years. I find that people that defend every WOWs decision unpleasant personally.

As far as profanities, as a Navy vet I can "cuss like a sailor". However, IMO if you have to use profanities to make your point you have lost the argument already. 

Thanks again for the folks that started and keep the site running.