Yep I am another one of the Golden Age members who has all but disappeared around here.

It has taken me a little while to even respond to this, mainly because I haven't been sure what to say.

For years I logged on here daily, I found a wonderful little home to explore my creativity, I met amazing people who now populate my Facebook feed. But then life happened, kids and moves and general adulthood. I have tried to come back occasionally, checking in and hoping to maybe find a new game, but it never stuck like it had in the past. I point no fingers.

I understand everyone feeling saddened and nostalgic about this, I too grieve for the young carefree days of constant posting.

I also agree with sentiments that this site simply cannot stand up to the changes in the internet around it, and that that has dealt the site a hard blow. I also know from my own experience trying to run a blog that keeping up with everything is a HUGE job. Olan has done his best, and I totally applaud all of his efforts, but without dedicating his career to this site this was inevitable.

Sometimes we are simply pulled in too many different directions.

I hope that some of you can pull together and keep the site going, but it's a selfish plea that I also know I will be unable to offer much help with.

I thank all of you for every post and every PM that over the years has inspired me and brought smiles to my life.

I don't want to jump any guns, but I believe that not only can we have a Revival here at the Inn, but I believe we can take it to heights never before achieved.

We'll see what comes of this, but rest assured that we, as staff (including Olan), aren't giving up just yet.

I love this place, we take everything in stride and nothing can knock us out. We continue to see new members, and the forums are coming to life again already. I am eager to start Slate game, and to hopefully spend many nights in DragonChat as we did before. I do have issues with the chat but I will get over it

Well damn. I guess this means I'll have to come back. Not that I was ever really gone. Not sure it would be possible for me to run a game again, but perhaps, just perhaps, it would be possible for me to play in one again.... Oh, I would like that. I would like that a lot.

I already said some, quoting Olan: "eloquent words" on Facebook, so I will not repeat myself. I'll be short and to the point this time.

I love the Inn. I love my fellow staff members. I love all the Innmates we have, the games, the chat, the other forums, the emoticons. I love the way the site looks even if it hasn't really evolved in many years. Who cares? It looks and works and smells just like it should. It's home.

And I'm with Brom on this one. Let's keep it the Inn alive! Let's give it a push and breathe new life into it! Let's return the Red Dragon Inn to the greatness it used to be. Let's... Let's... Let us come back home and play!

There is indeed a relation between good games and good members when it comes to games. As far as my activity has been, it has been incredibly sparse compared to how it used to be. Unfortunately, my current circumstances are very disagreeable, and not very conducive to a long game.

That being said, part of the allure of the newer multiplayer games may have to do with regards to set up, or lack thereof. The demographic that likes to work with the numbers and set up every detail on their character sheet might have diminished. A change in organization of games might then assist newcomers - perhaps the numbers intimidate them, or they do not know where to begin when it comes to staring at the empty character sheet in front of them.

This isn't something that every GM will be willing to do, nor even need to do, but if there is recruitment of the type 'you tell me what it is you would like your character to be', then the GM also gets the benefit of keeping some numbers hidden, which could help prevent power play that creeps into games now and then, at the expense of more work for the GM.

In the end, smaller games (in terms of the number of people) will be best to begin and maintain. It's certainly a thrill if you post a recruitment for a game and end up with a lot of players, but the balance between numbers and punctuality has to be taken into account.

I am honoured that you would include my name among the pillars you mention here, but that being said, I am also sorry to the GMs I have let down in the past. I'm not without fault myself in this regard.

I hope to be able to play more and return, but that isn't entirely up to me.

...Get the crash cart! I'm not losing this one!

Hiya. Been away a while, but back now and have a real need to weigh in.

Simply put, I love this Inn. Like so many others, real life took me away from the fun I had here. When I first found the Inn several years ago, I was single and going to college full-time. I had a good deal of time to write and game at the Inn. Had many a good bit of fun with everything, from full games down to the fun word games and such. And who doesn't love a Demonic Vending machine?

Since then, I've gotten married, acquired a stepson, graduated college, and entered the workforce as a machinist. My free time got kicked in the groin. I let myself get away from this place, and I regret it.

To its closing, I repeat a resounding Hell No. If there is anything I can do to assist with keeping the place open, contact me and let me know. There's no reason I can't budget a bit of time for the Inn. I should have done it before now.

This is more than a gaming forum to me. I met one of my best friends here. I formed many online friendships. I enjoyed seeing the writings of those friends.

I'm back, and I'm going to stay, even if it's a once-a-week check in/game post.

I love you guys. Don't wander off.

Olan, it really looks like you started something here! I'm so glad to see all these faces here, both old and new. Right now we're gaining Innmates faster than we're gaining new games! I was thinking about this last night, and I don't know if this is my place to say, but the site could use a few things:

1. Let's get at least one or two more games open with experienced DMs. Like I said, we're gaining members faster than games. No game to play means no reason to stay.

2. Let's build an "Inn-troduction to Play-by-Post Gaming" post, including rules of etiquette and how to start your own game. It seems this method of play is becoming more rare, and as a result new player confidence has cratered.

3. Please make the main forum page easier to find. This could very well be a huge limiting factor - on my old computer I had the Forum Main bookmarked, because I could never remember how to get to certain places here. Now I know how the site is laid out I can navigate better, but it can be off-putting to the generation that grew up with Facebook.

Again, I don't know that this is my place to say, I'm just telling it like I see it from my perspective.

I am working on a brand new game system designed strictly for the inn and on line playing. It will be a Gladiator style game.

I have been thinking about the guide to games and RDI article. It is a good idea, probably necessary but I am a bit pressed for time.

Suggest away anytime you want. We love to her input.

Let me just float this idea out there

What if we made a sort of meta-game thread, sort of a free-form RP version of this forum.

It could be sort of like the default bar that always happens in the chat RP - such and such walks in, dusts off his cloak, orders a froth'n'slosh. It could even have a big black dog named Fred who likes to abduct (and nuzzle) sleeping patrons. A place like this might give new members a place to flex their writing muscles and would be a fun place to launch new adventures from.

the chat used to have a fairly standing room like that.

i've played with the idea of moving the rp chat game to the forum. beings its hit or miss on game nights. but i keep it in chat because it keeps chat useful an its faster pace.

but its still a good idea.
we need more draw's to keep new ppl involved past the initial few days.

envisioned Fred being a black dragon.. not a dog ... but that's how my mind formed him way back when I first joined the inn.

I also remember that before the first crash, the chatroom was open for all, members and those wanting to lurk for awhile before joining the site.. Perhaps, bossman, you can bring that style of chatroom back? but you probably also have your reasons as to why you've changed that particular set up for chat.. if so disregard my suggestion.

Chat always required membership. Lack of that makes it crazy difficult to moderate - which we'd rather never do at all.

maybe i remembered it wrong. It was a long time ago. Though, now that you say that.. I can understand the reasoning behind it.

I don't know if I could consider myself one of those "Golden Age" members that a couple other folks here can lay claim to, but I can say with certainty that a great deal of the names poking around here are ones unfamiliar to me. By that measure, most who still frequent here probably won't recall me, either.

That said, I spent a number of years dumping my free time into the forums here; primarily as a DM, but from time to time taking on the personality of a player, as well. I made a lot of friends here, and met quite a lot of good people. I also know I'm as guilty as they come for having up-and-left here without notice as life tended to get in the way.

However, I would still take periodic looks in to see how things are, and still spot a few of those who resolutely remained here. Admirable dedication, I do have to say.

Even though I rarely make an appearance here these days, and though I've felt the urges to attempt yet another game, I don't know if its even remotely realistic for me to do so on a shift worker's lifestyle. But, you never know...

Nevertheless, I don't wish to see this place perish. Though minor by compare to my time around here, seeing any amount of activity is pleasing to my eye, and I hope that perhaps another Golden Age may arise.