Hey Frog,

When I've engaged in the discussions it is because I've enjoyed it, so there hasn't been any loss on my part and I've been happy to go on as long as I felt like it. The moment I would be annoyed by taking part in the discussions I'd just quit. I've never been fazed or demoralised or dejected about any of those exchanges, actually to the contrary, I've been having great fun, so there has been no downside about the discussions for me at least. I would have been quite happy to go on, but the powers that be have felt like clamping down on things and that is probably a good thing, because - as I see it - that will mainly dampen the "other side"...

You haven't been around for so long, but the RoF forum was more or less the same as this forum two years ago. An equal amount of unreasonable FlaK came that sim's way and I felt I'd stand up for it, which I did. Now the "other side" has melted away from that forum and I hope the same will be the case in here, when the many bugs of CoD are gradually dealt with.

But you know what? RoF was actually hanging in the balance for a while. And if there had been exclusively withering criticism of it in the forum, with none of the positives ever being mentioned, I think it could very well have gone the way of Whirlybirds over Vietnam, or whatever that chopper sim was called. Who knows if anybody would have made the crucial cash injection in the programming team if the those who [severely disliked] RoF had had the scene to themselves, as they wanted?

There was a clear attempt to bury that sim, by those who [severely disliked] the DRM and the online requirement. They were more than happy to kill the sim to force through their point. Anyway, via PM's I know that my combativeness was appreciated by those who - due to their position - couldn't really get into the rough and tumble.

I am not taking any credit for RoF surviving that rough patch. That credit goes exclusively to Jason and the programming team. But I just felt RoF was being treated in an unfair way, because some people totally out-shouted the ones who tried to enjoy what was there. And I guess my attitude towards what I see as unbalanced criticism is to stand up for what has the potential to be really good. Turning the other cheek doesn't always work in the real world, unfortunately. Most importantly I've had fun discussing, because sometimes the [severe dislikers] have just been too way over the top. Like calling a sim that has received 3 patches in three months "abandonware"...

This is my last posting and last read of this thread. See you around Frog... (PM sent to you)