New Community Forum

[Gallion]

Members of the Battlecruiser Community:

These last two weeks has seen some extraordinarily disturbing events. These events have amplified the need for a fan-based community, one in which Derek can concentrate on the technical aspects of the game and the fans can discuss the game unfettered.

This community is undoubtedly the greatest gaming community ever to grace the Internet. As such, there are many of us who will do anything to preserve it.

Derek nearly closed this board and is still considering it. He has also stated that heÔÇÖd like a fan-controlled community to help get the situation under control. The leaders of this community, which he has chosen carefully over the years, have united to make this happen, as quickly as possible.

First a bit of background: When Derek announced that he would be closing the forums, initially we let it ride, thinking that heÔÇÖd change his mind soon enough. In a subsequent post, however, he stated that the decision was nearly irreversible.

During this time, it was noticed that the community was beginning to splinter. No one knew what to do, where to go, or what rules needed to be followed in order to maintain the communityÔÇÖs integrity. This splintering had the potential completely destroy what all of us had enjoyed working so hard for.

As such, a group of the current community leaders ÔÇô myself, Gallion, Blades, Jaguar, and Charles Lindsey ÔÇô met and worked out a plan to reunite the community.

Our goals were greater than that, however. We wanted to keep the community together, but we also wanted to address some of the issues that were splitting us up.

For one, it was becoming obvious that the community was getting too large for one man to handle especially one who doubles as the gameÔÇÖs designer. Imagine ÔÇô designing a game, having to deal with all manners of its development, then going on to be the only person in charge of the communityÔÇÖs development. It worked well when we were smaller as a community, but with the current size, itÔÇÖs a severe detriment. ThatÔÇÖs what we believe to be the reason for DerekÔÇÖs endorsement of creating a fan-based community.

But, in creating a new board for the current community we still run into many issues. There had to be a set of rules and regulations that were well documented, and that NO ONE could circumvent. They had to be inflexible. Furthermore, to support community development those rules needed to be inflexible once put in place and enforced.

We also realized that change is essential. As a result, we set up a system with which both community members and leadership can use alike to create and change policy.

In fact, EVERYTHING has been written in advance as a way to settle disputes BEFORE they arise. This document can be read here. Each point in that document was discussed and UNANIMOUSLY agreed upon.

Members of the Community, please begin holding discussions at our new home. We can all help one another help Derek in doing whatÔÇÖs best for the game and the fan base as a whole.

Derek, we hope you fully endorse this change, and will make this the official community. WeÔÇÖve worked hard to stay true to your vision, spending literally hours in discussions. It is our hope that youÔÇÖll use the current forum for game-specific technical issues and make ours the forum for the community itself. Everyone wins. Change is indeed good.

Even so, all of us are resolved to continue our work on the current forums for as long as necessary. It is our goal to serve the community as a whole, and thatÔÇÖs what we intend to do.

So please, letÔÇÖs get started. The new Battlecruiser Commanders Community forums are located here.

Signed,

Aramike

Blades

Gallion

Chavik

Jaguar

PS: Each of the named will post immediately following this message to signal endorsement and signature.

TTFN

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Gallion ]

[Blades]

Id just like to thank Derek and the Battlecruiser community for being the very best there is. You guys are the reason we're here, and why we want to preserve and protect all our dreams.

Welcome to the new community, and mind the step.

[Charles Lindsey]

What Blades said.

This is gonna work and be good.

[aramike]

Also an echo of Blades'.

~Mike

[Cmdr Nova]

Looks like I got back in time from vacation!

[Aleksey Kichigin]

I'm in, and my Capabilities and skills - at your service!

[Church]

Is the link broken?

Thanks,

Church

[ShoHashi]

Nope, don't think so, Church. I was on it last night. I think that it is probably down temporary for maintenance or finetuning.

Try back later....

[Blades]

It's currently being load tested. There was no way before hand we could test the bandwidth limits so we're having to do it on the fly. When the server reaches capacity, it tends to do things like this. There are also a couple of additional issues with the crappy fasthosts server it's sitting on, which doesnt make things any easier. Some time in the early part of the new year Im setting up a dedicated webserver that will host the new forums without incident, but thats still a week or two away.

Just a couple of glitches. Nothing to worry about chaps. Check back every once in a while and it will be there.

[Blades]

Ok, I kicked it. Go play.

[Church]

Many thanks for the info - look forward to visiting it often.

Best regards,

Church

[Guest]

I second the above...looks like it's going to be great.

-GD

[Guest]

Geez. go on vacation and they post it!!

Anyway, we have worked hard on this little project, I believe that you commanders should like it, and like it a lot!!

Mind the rules and have fun!!!

[Thomas Siemens]

Very nice! I think I like it!

Just registered over there, this time as "Gudihl".

Best regards.

[Guest Remo Williams]

Interesting, good luck with the new forum commanders.

[Epsilon 5]

I see a bunch of roll calls coming for everyone

[Urza]

I can see leaving for Miami was a mistake. Why does everything have to happen when I'm not here?

At any rate, that community thing reads like the constitution. (that's a good thing). One question, though. Can known official bc3000ad forum members be automatically promoted to full member?

One note: Since when could you no longer delete your own posts? (maybe it's just me)

[ 01-03-2002: Message edited by: Urza ]

[Charles Lindsey]

And the rules for the new forum were debated about just like the Constitution I imagine. Really we did.

Fresh Forum , Fresh Start is what was decided.

If you enjoy the fan forum you will be a member in no time.

Not being able to delete your own posts on this board has been around for quite a while. You can still edit it to no content. (sometimes a bad thing.)

[Blades]

Just a quick reminder to those lurkers and post holiday browsers, the new commanders community forum (With swanky new title graphic) is awaiting your membership at www.bcforum.i8i.co.uk! If you havent registered on there yet, why? Whats your excuse? You have none. Go. Go now.

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Blades ]

[Charles Lindsey]

quote:

---

Read This First! Register BCM! VCF Site Home Commanders Community Forum

---

Plus a spiffy new link at the top of the main page of this forum.

Thank you Derek.

[Epsilon 5]

and we have the final community forum logo, thanks to Eclipse

[Supreme Cmdr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Charles Lindsey:

Plus a spiffy new link at the top of the main page of this forum.

Thank you Derek.

---

np

[Supreme Cmdr]

Be advised

I have removed the BCC link from the site and will be killing this thread later tonite.

As of today, I want NO references made to that site, on this board.

First warning

Last warning

This directive is NOT open to discussion. Send me a private post if you want, but any and all emails about this WILL be deleted and you WILL be banned from here. REGARDLESS of tenure.

ps: If you were wondering, read Charles' Post he re

[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

[Supreme Cmdr]

I have been reading the forum hurdles thread and some emails from a lot of people I trust (including Chavik).

As such, while I won't be posting on BCC until further notice, I have put back the link to BCC on this forum so that n00bs can find their way there.

As I said to everyone who sent me email

Thanks for your support. The reason I contact you and the others whom I hold in the HIGHEST regard and have the utmost respect for, is because I knew that if my decision was incorrect, that I would be advised and be put in a postition to rethink this IF I had made a mistake. So far everyone I have told this to (the admins, mods and regs) agree with my decision.

Charles is NOT banned from the site though, he is still welcome there. The only difference being that he is no longer part of my most trusted inner circle of people I have come to trust over the years - and who, regardless of my own shortcomings (we know there are many), will stand by me regardless.

Again, thanks for your support

The BCC forum, I thought, was a place which would uphold its own charter principles (which I 100% agree with and support), not a place for bashing me and/or my life's work just because some idiot feels that while they can't do it HERE, they can do it THERE. I don't own the site, nor do I have any control over it. As such, I can only take whatever action I deem necessary in distancing myself from it without adversely affecting the hardwork that has gone into the creation of that site. For example, one of two items in the XP1 feature list were based on my reading that thread. A thread I don't encourage here because it becomes too distracting for me. Why? Because I come here frequently and several times a day. I go to the BC forum less frequently and can easily shrug off anything I wish and not have to deal with deleting posts, posting etc. I just read. And leave.

If anything, this incident just serves to prove my point. Without a FIRM grip on forum rules, THIS can and will happen. It happens on ALL gaming forums because idiots feel that they CAN do that. Which is why my policies on THIS site, will never change - as they relate to maintaining law and order.

I don't plan on closing down this official forum anytime soon. As such it will remain the official BC board.

That is all

[ 01-09-2002: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

[aramike]

Thanks for rethinking this.

It is a forum based upon those principles. While I don't know what exactly was said I do know that the VERY FIRST GUIDELINE in our rules document prevents flames of anyone whatsoever. So, when that happened, the thread should have been deleted and the poster's abilities revoked.

It'll be discussed for certain.