I'm growing more and more confident that ASL has a medium to long term future. There's enough interest among younger players to suggest that the game will persist - perhaps even continue to flourish.
The ASL Light Bulb is Getting Brighter
- Thread starter Evan Sherry
- Start date
GeorgeBates
Elder Member
If you find yourself over capacity, I'll round up some sponsors to import your surplus young talent to the Asia-Pac leagues.
Scott Blanton (http://www.gamersarmory.com/) will, and he sells them cheaper than Evan Sherry does. He's usually at ASLOK, so he usually gets SP just a step behind those that pick up at ASLOK.
kcole4001
Stray Cat
Years ago ('80s and probably the '90s as well) the main way ASL got 'exported' was through being carried by service personnel.
Now a person can find out very accurately whether this game is right for them or not and order plenty material to get started, whether solo or with their group
of friends.
For example: I doubt there could have been an Angkor Fest 20 or 30 years ago given the technological leap in the last 10 years that has made communication between enthusiasts
so simple and cheap.
It's just so much easier to get things and get things done now.
FtF play is still much more broadly preferred, but at least there are alternatives, and these alternatives come with little or no cost.
If necessary one can actually play with just the rulebook and VASL.
You couldn't do that 20 years ago.
It's certainly not ideal for everyone, but it definitely is better than not playing at all!
Short version: the information age is good for ASL.
Now a person can find out very accurately whether this game is right for them or not and order plenty material to get started, whether solo or with their group
of friends.
For example: I doubt there could have been an Angkor Fest 20 or 30 years ago given the technological leap in the last 10 years that has made communication between enthusiasts
so simple and cheap.
It's just so much easier to get things and get things done now.
FtF play is still much more broadly preferred, but at least there are alternatives, and these alternatives come with little or no cost.
If necessary one can actually play with just the rulebook and VASL.
You couldn't do that 20 years ago.
It's certainly not ideal for everyone, but it definitely is better than not playing at all!
Short version: the information age is good for ASL.
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I will give it a look. Thanks.
sfcmikej
US Army Retired
In regards to this forum losing it's value I am in agreement with Robin. I think it is a much more valuable resource than Facebook. Facebook is interesting but it is not durable and organized. On Gamesquad a question is posted and I can follow the flow of the discussion. I can search for answers to questions I may have. I can recall a thread I read a while back and find it again for review. On Facebook a question gets posted and the responses can be all jumbled together or spread all over the place. Also on Facebook things just disappear and I have yet to discern a reason or pattern for it. Even when posted to my wall things disappear and are more difficult to follow. I don't stay on Facebook 24/7 either, perhaps if I did I could follow the threads easier but that is not possible nor am I interested in doing that. Gamesquad allows me to jump in when I have the time and it is convenient for me.
As far as the incivility here I just ignore it or enjoy it for the entertainment value. Communicating in writing as we do here is somewhat of a lost art. Many times, it seems to me, slights and offenses are not necessarily intended but due to the writing style come across as harsh. I try to temper my outrage in those cases. Add to that the language barriers, as we have friends here from all over the world, there is little surprise that there are some misunderstandings.
A point of correction though. Someone up thread said you had to pay to post. Although you do have to be a contributing member to post for sale items, you don't to post in all the other forums. I have no issue with this for two reasons. First, I am not selling anything and second, someone is paying for this forum for all to use for free, if you are going to profit from it seems reasonable to me that you should be part of contributors to do so.
Mike
As far as the incivility here I just ignore it or enjoy it for the entertainment value. Communicating in writing as we do here is somewhat of a lost art. Many times, it seems to me, slights and offenses are not necessarily intended but due to the writing style come across as harsh. I try to temper my outrage in those cases. Add to that the language barriers, as we have friends here from all over the world, there is little surprise that there are some misunderstandings.
A point of correction though. Someone up thread said you had to pay to post. Although you do have to be a contributing member to post for sale items, you don't to post in all the other forums. I have no issue with this for two reasons. First, I am not selling anything and second, someone is paying for this forum for all to use for free, if you are going to profit from it seems reasonable to me that you should be part of contributors to do so.
Mike
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And paying a modest sum of money for the access to one folder of the best online resource for ASL is not an unsuperable obstacle.
I personally don't use the Emporium.
I paid to support Don and GS.
I personally don't use the Emporium.
I paid to support Don and GS.
Michael Dorosh
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No.
Most of the constructive conversations are moving to Facebook, a phenomenon not restricted to ASL. I'm surprised this forum has lasted as long as it did with its very public reputation for poor moderation, but either way, anyone using Gamesquad to measure the health of the hobby as a whole is probably misguided.
Spencer Armstrong
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"The bright flare before the sun goes out" is how I've been describing it for a while now. Demographics are killer. Literally.
Retirements are helping in the short to mid-term as players come back. But as the years tick off, that's going to fall the other way. I estimate ASL has 10-15 healthy years left. Just hope I'm able to get back for some of them. :/
Retirements are helping in the short to mid-term as players come back. But as the years tick off, that's going to fall the other way. I estimate ASL has 10-15 healthy years left. Just hope I'm able to get back for some of them. :/
jrv
Forum Guru
Can someone explain to me why I watched that?
JR
JR
jrv
Forum Guru
Are you taking that post as evidence of disrespect? Your definition is very different from mine then.
JR
I have used Scott's services often. Very good and reliable. Truly a pleasure to do business with.
It's cyclical.
There has always been ups and downs in ASL, and GS follows. Players get busy, change hobbies, play other games, families change priorities, etc. But, usually a big event (Code of Bushido, Armies of Oblivion) or a growth in the hobby brings more lifeblood back into the game.
And of course, certain boneheads, use the down turns to advance their own agendas... "The big bullies are mean to me, because I purposely post stupid topics." or "The moderators should have taken my side instead of someone else, so they suck." so they are the cause of the down trend.
There has always been ups and downs in ASL, and GS follows. Players get busy, change hobbies, play other games, families change priorities, etc. But, usually a big event (Code of Bushido, Armies of Oblivion) or a growth in the hobby brings more lifeblood back into the game.
And of course, certain boneheads, use the down turns to advance their own agendas... "The big bullies are mean to me, because I purposely post stupid topics." or "The moderators should have taken my side instead of someone else, so they suck." so they are the cause of the down trend.
Ridiculous and self serving. I have no idea the origins of your problems here on the forum, but your response reflects the point of view of somebody that has had issues here in the past. Facebook is more popular because it's easier to use. As was mentioned before, it's not as durable or organized, so when somebody is searching for a rules question they come here. We've used both in the middle of our games. If klas or jrv is online, GS is as fast for getting the correct answer as FB and likely more apt to be the correct answer. People that need moderation to enjoy themselves on the internet shouldn't be on the internet to begin with.
jrv
Forum Guru
I guess fewer younger generation turn to using forums nowadays as compared to 5 to 10 years back. social media is much more easier to access with the growing number of mobile devices. its not particularly enjoyable to surf GS or even CSM on a mobile device as compared to Facebook. personally, I look at GS as a archive of rule clarifications and FB as a medium to connect to other ASL players around the world. different tools for different purposes.
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Better not know.
Mr Dorosh has been one of the worst trolls here.
He regularily diffuses hostile and sometimes outright wrong information (as far as what I know about what he says about me) - while hardly playing the game at all (he seems to be playing it slightly more nowadays).
His complaint that GS is hostile simply shows that he doesn't know what a looking glass is for.