[Pelican]

In my experience, these boards are like the game, in that you are free to use them your way, for your purposes.

No question the tone can quickly become degrading, insulting, childish, like trolls have taken over. I try to fight back (by steering things back to reality) or just abandon that thread. And through experience there are posters who are deserved pariahs, and, if ignored, they get bored and move on, so the damage is contained.

That said, I still get great ideas on how to play the game, support when I screw something up, encouragement, humor. And there are genuinely touching moments, like someone mentions having been sick, or losing a loved one, or the dreaded job getting in the way of playing the game, and others rush in to show support and kindness. I still have a sense of community, and it makes it seem less weird, to be playing this computer game.

But the big plus for me is the threads on historical seasons, and dynasties, and of course all of the modders. They can be rabbit holes, but filled with rabbits and not trolls. It’s a shame to have to curate my access and avoid certain threads and people; but to me a small price to pay for the genuine diamonds [pun intended] out there.

But I’m always the “glass half full” guy. YMMV.