All right, I wanted to post my thoughts on this whole subject earlier but felt I was a bit too late once some emotional posts started to occur. At the request of Zeupar and some rethinking on my part, I felt that it is necessary to get my opinions down. Firstly I want to wish Thorn and Paraxade well, as they obviously have decided that it is time for them move on as their priorities have shifted. Good luck, and have fun with your current projects. I really appreciated the efforts you two took to help the site and get things done.
Now, I've been a member of TSC for just about 8 years. Not the longest compared to when I could have joined and to other older members, but pretty long. I've seen members come and go, great battles in many games between myself and other competitors, and impressive acts of skill in video games in general. I was very active in the TSC IRC channel from 2007-2010 and such great times were had there from the constant general talk, to competing, to organizing Super Smash Bros. Brawl matches; it was a great community. Now, I took a leave for about 3 and a half years from competing and online communities in general, so I missed a lot of the decline of the older member activity and growth of the newer communities that occurred in 2011-2013. However, my research showed that TSC was great and active, although the community started to shift in behavior and style, which is okay.
Fast forward until now, and I see a site that is dying in certain parts, but not the whole. I know the site is outdated and needs an active developer as well as many new features, but I believe the driving spirit is still there. The individual communities that the site has broken into still compete, drive competition, and that ends up on the site in the form of videos, guides, and submissions. I may be biased since I'm part of the Sonic Heroes community which is doing well in terms of activity, but I see the Sonic 06 community thriving as well and other communities doing well. If you look at the site, we still get submissions in each day, which is great. I know the community has split and many people have said they are leaving (which is sad) but that is life. People move on, and decide to do other things. Take DsS's post for example: He is a great person who gave his heart to Sonic gaming and competing for many years and just has decided it's time for him to move on. It's the way of life, in a way a circle of life. I thought I was done with competitive gaming (for many reasons) back when I took my leave in 2010, and I did so for over 3 years. However, the spirit and fire that was inside me never died, and I ended up returning to the scene and communities, which I felt was a great choice I made. You never know, people that leave may be back someday, as interests change and often return to what they used to be, and with that comes new perspective. You just never know, as you can find yourself stopping activities you thought you never would abandon, and vice versa.
Now, obviously the site is in need of a lot of help, and the parts of the community that are leaving only add to that issue. I do agree that the past history of the site needs to be kept preserved, but not at the expense of future progress. If the site can be made better, do it. Otherwise I think it is a bad choice if you want the site to die or keep declining for histories' sake. Things change and sites evolve; I'm pretty sure that people would rather take the site evolving, getting better and progressing rather than dying. There is still a market in this day and age for video game competition sites, and I wholeheartedly want to see TSC keep going and become better. I still see new members coming in, and although old ones are leaving (which is entirely their decision, they choose what they want to do with their lives), there can still be hope for the site. I do not know how much longer the current activity state of TSC will keep going on, but there is no doubt that upgrading the site will bring in new competitors and community members in general. The site is not "dead" yet, but it is hard to tell when exactly it will die, if it does at all. I don't know if the site needs a reboot, upgrade or complete restructure. I do know though that I will be with TSC for as long as I can.
TSC is an incredible website that has given me access to meeting many great players and people over the years, and I won't leave the site after what I have experienced. What good will it do for me to leave a site that still has competition, good people and good times to still be had? Obviously that may not be the case now for other players, but for me, I'll be here and keep competing. Whether the site doesn't get any help and dies someday or gets the upgrades it needs and flourishes once more, I'll be here competing as it's fun, I learn more things, and there is no better database/website for the highest-level Sonic gaming. I don't think TSC should be chasing its past and trying to become what it once was in terms of "prime level style/activity"; embrace the fact that the site's largest growth period probably is over, and focus on the future. Acceptance of that will help build direction and focus for TSC's next steps. In addition, that mindset/outcome may come with activity comparable to its prime, but that is hard to say.
I'm willing to help the site in any way I can, and I don't see a reason to stop competing here at this time. I really hope that the people that can make a difference in the Administration of this site do so, and continue to do so. Good luck to all of the current Administrators, especially FlyingFox, Zeupar and GerbilSoft to keep on managing TSC, as those three are the most active now that I can see from this viewpoint.
All in all, TSC is place that I think can still be viable in the present day, and it really all comes down to the community and players involved. If there is no interest anymore, the site dies. If even a couple people want to still compete and see what this site has amassed over its 12 year history, then it's a win for TSC. You never know who will come around one day and change things. Remember, your past can be both beneficial and detrimental. Do not fear over using the past as a positive/driving factor, but know how to utilize that correctly. I wish all players luck that are leaving or have left, and remember, you may be surprised about what you decide upon in the future.
I'm glad to still be a part of TSC, and I know a bunch of other people are too. I know this was a long post so I may have forgotten something, but I felt I made myself clear about my own thoughts. A possible expansion post might be necessary if I feel the need to write something else. :P
