Ritual, Spam etc

[Sarkie]

Hi guys,

Thanks to Apprentice for bringing the Spam to me, I'm sorry I didn't catch it the other day, my Gmail is rather full , I try to remove Spam as and when I see it. (I'm going to see about adding captcha or something)

I have put up a new SiN1 Server for Europe, it's my home PC again, so it is up whenever.

I am going to ask Badman about this site, since I think he is still paying for it etc, for the future, how long we've got it etc.

Also does the community want to start making News Posts / Moderating etc, I don't think there's much point having every user be a Moderator.

Sarkie

[Chriss]

I would like to help at this, especially for ef2.

A while ago I've tried to animate ppl to continue with this site, but it didn't work out... As far as I know the site is paid for at last one more year (I don't remember exactly).
At this time Badman was pretty bussy with etqw. I dono how it is atm, but you should give it a try. He is in europ now, (as far as I know) so if you can't reach him let me know I'm only +1 of his current time zone.

[Apprentice]

Quite honestly, I think that Ritualistic should close its doors. Ritual Entertainment no longer exists so new games won't be released, therefor removing the surviving dependancy of Ritualistic.com. Ritual Entertainment took a gamble three years ago and they simply lost, despite earlier warnings not to take that course of action, yet they did and we all know how that turned out to be.

On top of that, former Ritual employees such as Tom Mustaine and Michael Russel haven't visited Ritualistic eversince they were forced to seek other employment and I doubt that they will ever return here. Last time I checked, Mustaine works at id Software and Michael Russel isn't working within the gameindustry anymore.

I don't see anything in an attempt to infuse life into the boards by making news posts and such. Those might work for several weeks, two to three months tops before it all falls apart and this board becomes the ghost town again that it now is (see earlier mentioned reason). After all that happened with Ritual, I think it's time to let it all come to an end . . .

[Chriss]

@Apprentice, please don't take this personal.
I like to speak honest, I've no intentions to attack you.
I just like to say things in a way that their meaning comes trough without any doubts.

First of all:
I honestly think this site should remain as harbor for Ritual Gamers.
I'm not a native English speaker so it takes me more time and concentration to read and replay on the posts!
But I think it's still worth the effort!

Quite honestly, I think that Ritualistic should close its doors.

What you suggest here is like burning down a museum, because the culture it is about does no longer exist.
You did forget about the relics left behind, in this case the games!

Just to remind you: Ritualistic.com is a official community site, the community does still exist.

I believe you are angry that they didn't listen to you and it all went to death for Ritual
(I'm sure they didn't have much choice of the engine or the publishing platform any more at this time).
Just to let you know: I agree with you about steam almost completely.

On top of that, former Ritual employees such as Tom Mustaine and Michael Russel haven't visited Ritualistic eversince they were forced to seek other employment and I doubt that they will ever return here.

A while ago I posted that this site will go down, since the contract with the Hosting company will end.
Badman told me that there as been taken care about this, so the site will not go down.
As we can all see now so it is the Site is still here.

I don't know if you ever switched from one company to a other,
where you had to learn a bunch of new things, but I can understand pretty well that
they don't had or still don't have the time or the resources to take care about this site.
But the fact that the site is still here shows me that there is at last a will.

I don't see anything in an attempt to infuse life into the boards by making news posts and such.

I think if you want to end this you can do so, just delete the bookmark and close the Tab.
The site can offer still a lot, it's only sad that the most ppl with the power to do something at the site have no time or interest any more.

Just one more thing:
There are always news to post, since this is a community site there will be always mods and events...
Just a example: I'm working since almost two years on a Co-Op Mod for EF2, Modifying over sixty levels, developing a level-script based Mod to grantee a OS independent Mod is a hell lot of work.
The version 3.5 is currently in development and includes not only a Class System,
it also comes with a new mission playable for the first time in Multiplayer.

(Just to let you know, posting this took me almost one hour)

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Chriss

@Apprentice, please don't take this personal.
I like to speak honest, I've no intentions to attack you.
I just like to say things in a way that their meaning comes trough without any doubts.

Dont worry about that, I'm not that easally insulted. Besides, where is it writ that we must have the same opinions about it ??

What you suggest here is like burning down a museum, because the culture it is about does no longer exist.
You did forget about the relics left behind, in this case the games!

Just to remind you: Ritualistic.com is a official community site, the community does still exist.

Apart from you, me and several others, this community only comprises out of spambots and people who want support for their pirated copy of Sin:Emergence. Even Varsity (the guy I had the Steam argument with in the thread I've specified earlier) hasn't visited Ritualistic anymore eversince 2006 (and he now knows how not-forthcomming Valve has proven to be). Even the die-hard SiNners seem to have abandoned Ritualistic and either have moved elswhere or are involved with other, non Ritual games.

The board traffic simply dropped from active to barely active after MumboJumbo announced that they've bought Ritual entertainment and that Ritual would now make casual games under the MumboJumbo banner. When this happens, it is often a sign that it can only go downhill from that point and that is simply what happened here.

There are indeed exceptions to the rule: namely Ravenites.com, a community that found their origins on Raven Software's official messageboards and moved to a seporate, privatly owned message board when Raven Software pulled the plug and have remained there to this date. It does happen, only not that very often . . .

I believe you are angry that they didn't listen to you and it all went to death for Ritual
(I'm sure they didn't have much choice of the engine or the publishing platform any more at this time).
Just to let you know: I agree with you about steam almost completely.

On the contrairy, I'm not angry at all. I simply stated several provable facts back then and Ritual decided to cast them aside, which resulted in the debacle called Sin: Episodes. A lot of those issues I'd addressed back then, still remain valid, especially the piracy issues. Even today, it remains very easy to full access to the Steam network and everything that comes with it.

It wasn't that they didn't have a choice, they did have several to choose from, namely Triton back then and IIRC Direct2Drive was just starting or about to start back then. A third option is the delivery system which the game Alpha Prime is using, only I don't know exactly when that started . . .

Within earlier mention post that I made three years ago, Flying Lab's "Pirates of the Buring Sea" was announced to be released through the Steam network. What the real motivations for Flying Lab to switch content delivery system was, remains speculation though I strongly believe that it is due to the piracy issues but fact remains that "Pirates" has been released through the Direct2Drive network rather then through the Steam network, as was initially announced.

A while ago I posted that this site will go down, since the contract with the Hosting company will end.
Badman told me that there as been taken care about this, so the site will not go down.
As we can all see now so it is the Site is still here.

I don't know if you ever switched from one company to a other,
where you had to learn a bunch of new things, but I can understand pretty well that
they don't had or still don't have the time or the resources to take care about this site.
But the fact that the site is still here shows me that there is at last a will.

I think if you want to end this you can do so, just delete the bookmark and close the Tab.
The site can offer still a lot, it's only sad that the most ppl with the power to do something at the site have no time or interest any more.

There is a huge difference is letting a site exist and actually do something with it and they simpy opted for option #1. What good will it a site do if you just let it be ??

It is pretty evident that former-Ritual and now-MumboJumbo employees aren't interested in Ritualistic.com anymore, otherwise they would've visted Ritualistic more often and be involved with it and switching from one employer to another doesn't mean they didn't have found the time to be active here . . .

Just one more thing:
There are always news to post, since this is a community site there will be always mods and events...
Just a example: I'm working since almost two years on a Co-Op Mod for EF2, Modifying over sixty levels, developing a level-script based Mod to grantee a OS independent Mod is a hell lot of work.
The version 3.5 is currently in development and includes not only a Class System,
it also comes with a new mission playable for the first time in Multiplayer.

There are always die-hard games that are still doing things for an older game. You are doing things for EF2 and I recently released something for EF1 but we are both exceptions, nothing more and nothing less and Ritualistic won't thrive from EF2 co-op mod news alone. We'll need other sources only I fear that if we are able to find a handfull, we can only postpone the inevitable and that the well runs dry again.

It would've been easier if the parent company (Ritual) would exist today, then it would've become much easier to maintain such a site and covering other games won't work either, since we would become another Gamespot-like site, from which plenty do exist already and basicly we'll have to start from scratch competing to renowned sites such as Gamespot and that is a battle you don't want to fight . . .

[Chriss]

There are so many Websites these days, so it's hard for a website to get a lot visitors.

If we have this site remaining online then we have at last one harbour for all those who are left alone out there. I think if we just give it up that would be too easy.
At last some news could be posted some events could be organized, BUT I believe ppl are just to lazy to make a change .

BTW: EF2 master server is currently offline, read news.

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Chriss

There are so many Websites these days, so it's hard for a website to get a lot visitors.

Same goes also for TV stations and series. We have too many of them . . .

If we have this site remaining online then we have at last one harbour for all those who are left alone out there. I think if we just give it up that would be too easy.
At last some news could be posted some events could be organized, BUT I believe ppl are just to lazy to make a change .

Sometimes it isn't because people are just lazy, they simply don't have the time anymore. Years ago, they were just students enjoying the typical student life and everything that came with it, especially the days off!

Nowadays those same students have full-time jobs which eats up a lot of time and if they have children by now, you can forget any involvement from them and those are sadly the people we need . . .

BTW: EF2 master server is currently offline, read news.

I've noticed a similair thing with the EF1 master server . . .

[Chriss]

Looks like we are pretty alone here...

[Sarkie]

Well it seems you 2 are the most alive people, and are fighting for it to be up and down.

Thank you very much for your insights they are very useful, the main thing I am seeing is the fact, Ritualistic isn't about SiN as much as I thought. EF2 seems to have a lot of life left in it.

I will have a little chat with Badman about things, since he holds all the keys.

Sometimes it isn't because people are just lazy, they simply don't have the time anymore. Years ago, they were just students enjoying the typical student life and everything that came with it, especially the days off!

Nowadays those same students have full-time jobs which eats up a lot of time and if they have children by now, you can forget any involvement from them and those are sadly the people we need . .

This is very true, especially for me!

Cheers guys, will be back!

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Sarkie

I will have a little chat with Badman about things, since he holds all the keys.

Speaking of which, is he still active around here ?? Last time I saw him was when he stepped into the transporter and re-materialised at SplashDamage. Don't see how he would fit into the picture . . .

[Chriss]

You will see

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Sarkie

Well it seems you 2 are the most alive people, and are fighting for it to be up and down.

It appears that we are, especially when you take a look at the View Forum Leaders section of this board (times are CET and not counting the VIP's):


Administrators

badman 		Last Activity: 08-20-2008 06:52 PM
Hexagon 		Last Activity: 07-14-2005 01:21 AM 
LeftE		Last Activity: 03-26-2008 03:50 AM
Scarcrux		Last Activity: 12-17-2007 08:01 PM 
Stylsy 		Last Activity: 05-16-2008 12:06 AM

Ritual Entertainment

ArchV		Last Activity: 05-17-2006 10:09 PM 
BackSlider 	Last Activity: 04-10-2000 07:00 PM 
Castle 		Last Activity: 10-22-2003 05:17 PM 
charon 		Last Activity: 09-15-2003 07:12 PM 
Chriz_Curra 	Last Activity: 07-27-2004 06:36 PM 
Deathstalker 	Last Activity: 09-30-2006 01:31 AM 
Harward 		Last Activity: 08-23-2003 12:20 AM 
Joshykins 	Last Activity: 08-20-2003 02:54 AM 
levelord 		Last Activity: 11-18-2006 11:21 AM 
Lisa 		Last Activity: 09-18-2006 05:32 PM 
MeatPuppet 	Last Activity: 07-16-2007 03:53 AM 
MoonChild 	Last Activity: 08-19-2006 01:43 AM 
Mr.CleaN 		Last Activity: 05-06-2004 11:49 PM 
Nick_Pappas 	Last Activity: 07-11-2005 05:27 PM 
Normality 	Last Activity: 01-24-2007 11:03 PM 
ParadoX 		Last Activity: 06-23-2006 09:37 PM 
petrol 		Last Activity: 07-01-2003 11:52 PM 
Sevrance 		Last Activity: 05-25-2006 01:32 AM 
ShawnKetcherside 	Last Activity: 05-19-2006 02:04 AM 
ShellSphinx 	Never posted here
Steve Nix 	Last Activity: 12-11-2002 01:12 AM 
Tetrad 		Last Activity: 07-13-2007 04:47 AM 
wyeth[ritual]	Last Activity: 01-20-2004 05:02 AM 
ZakBelica 	Last Activity: 07-16-2005 03:29 AM 
ZMT 		Last Activity: 10-17-2006 09:46 AM

Super Moderators

Filth		Last Activity: 05-19-2006 06:08 AM 
JezzyBall		Last Activity: 08-15-2008 06:33 PM
Sarkie		Last Activity: Today 11:42 AM
SpaecKow 		Last Activity: 10-18-2005 05:29 PM 
Sui 		Last Activity: 11-19-2006 04:59 AM

I've highlighted the people who have visited Ritualistic at least this year and as you can see, that number isn't really large and if you take a look at when they last made a post here:

badman 		05-08-2007, 01:09 AM 
LeftE 		04-26-2007, 06:24 PM 
Stylsy 		08-12-2007, 12:03 PM 
JezzyBall 	05-15-2007, 07:45 PM

... it's pretty safe to say that the interest has been lost by the people who are supposed to "lead" this community. I say again to close Ritualistic.com and let Ritual Entertainment live on in memories rather then being discrased by the amount of spambots, for which another one has been active here today . . .

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Sarkie

I am going to ask Badman about this site, since I think he is still paying for it etc, for the future, how long we've got it etc.

It's been over a month now, made any progress since then ??

Also does the community want to start making News Posts / Moderating etc, I don't think there's much point having every user be a Moderator.

We don't need that every user is a moderator, we simply need active moderators and administrators, which is currently not the case hence the amount of spambots we had the last few days.

The lack of active moderators and administrators only proves more and more that Ritualistic.com should close its doors. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times and Ritualistic's time has come to an end . . .

[Chriss]

Let things just be.
It's payed, so why not have it be there then ?

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Chriss

Let things just be.
It's payed, so why not have it be there then ?

Do you honestly want to remember Ritualistic.com as a dead community site which has been abandoned by its users and where spambots roam around freely or do you want to remember it as a community website, with all good memories accociated with it ??

Take a look at today's registrations:

ADDECTVEM		Newbie Today 0 Today
SmallAlice	Newbie Today 1 Today
Keskmoumelo	Newbie Today 0 Today
Toradol		Newbie Today 0 Today
JesteZete1	Newbie Today 0 Today
sexgirlinLA	Newbie Today 0 Today
Magariesta	Newbie Today 0 Today
Rexdiodia		Newbie Today 0 Today
Nalfriffern	Newbie Today 0 Today
anogbendarige	Newbie Today 0 Today
VWJohn		Newbie Today 1 Today
Moullygagma	Newbie Today 0 Today
KathrynBorland	Newbie Today 0 Today
Unarburadcarm	Newbie Today 1 Today
swimile		Newbie Today 0 Today
kebpapecame	Newbie Today 0 Today
Doovoloutty	Newbie Today 0 Today
GRARECODA		Newbie Today 0 Today
unsoftfuelt	Newbie Today 0 Today
awackCewSar	Newbie Today 0 Today
sleewrisy		Newbie Today 1 Today
GluptGomjoumB	Newbie Today 0 Today
gragmateR		Newbie Today 0 Today
acaviniasia	Newbie Today 0 Today
CrigopeDDog	Newbie Today 0 Today
LydiaRamirez	Newbie Today 0 Today
JesicaSmith	Newbie Today 1 Today
EnviviffBiaph2	Newbie Today 0 Today
Doktorbig		Newbie Today 0 Today
Anitastarzzz	Casual Today 30 Today
vaniaandkiclaveds	Newbie Today 0 Today
skelvekarve	Newbie Today 1 Today
Immurnors		Newbie Today 0 Today
excissuts		Newbie Today 0 Today
Crarlyfadiafrm	Newbie Today 0 Today
mugaripuplile	Newbie Today 1 Today
Cunsedeerebum	Newbie Today 1 Today
sadovaya-mebel	Newbie Today 0 Today
insosseNeomma	Newbie Today 1 Today
SvetLAnkA		Newbie Today 0 Today
Nawloceaw		Newbie Today 1 Today
RaleTeeltylib	Newbie Today 0 Today
PresidentX	Newbie Today 0 Today
#hokinggfddddrsf	Newbie Today 0 Today
ruitteemy		Newbie Today 0 Today
fmanbio		Newbie Today 0 Today
zxXxSexyBabyxXxz	Newbie Today 1 Today
Dionnasal		Newbie Today 0 Today
Frinnatahwsbi	Newbie Today 0 Today
Moonika_sexy_moon	Newbie Today 0 Today
HailMaryPC	Newbie Today 0 Today
liefrinaria	Newbie Today 0 Today
RaymondIU		Newbie Today 4 Today
denceDumneill	Newbie Today 0 Today
Tubirrara		Newbie Today 0 Today
Hitnetcrite	Newbie Today 0 Today
basettasex	Newbie Today 0 Today
VefDarbrall	Newbie Today 1 Today
Limbibsnubs	Newbie Today 1 Today

Tell me: who of them is NOT a spambot ??

(List has been updated over the course of the evening)

[Apprentice]

Slight bump to get this past the spambot messages. Can be deleted when they have been delt with . . .

[JezzyBall]

Hey guys. Stopped in and tried to delete a bunch of the crap. Be good. Frag on.

[Apprentice]

So it's been (almost) three months now. Any news to report or did Badman decide not to be bothered with Ritual(istic) anymore ??

[Zer0]

This place is a ghost town. You really need to move on.

[badman]

I stop by every now and then... keep in mind that account activity is only updated if people are logged, which I'm typically not.

The site is staying up. I'm not sure why that is even being debated. It's a great archive for all of Ritual's games and the forums are just as useful for finding answer to technical issues and the like.

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by badman

I stop by every now and then... keep in mind that account activity is only updated if people are logged, which I'm typically not.

The site is staying up. I'm not sure why that is even being debated. It's a great archive for all of Ritual's games and the forums are just as useful for finding answer to technical issues and the like.

Does that mean that you and the rest of the admin/moderator team will take a more active role here regarding spambots (both in posts and registered users) and such ??

As for the forums as one big archive, there are other means to it and most of the issues discussed here are already covered in the publisher's support systems. Keeping the forums up is almost like keeping that Italian lady alive who has been in a coma for 17 years. Do you honestly want to keep Ritualistic up for such an amount of time ??

[badman]

Support systems like ... this one?

This site is one of the only places on the web to come to for information about Ritual. It stays up for that reason alone. If that irritates you so much, I invite you to remove it from your bookmarks.

[Apprentice]

Originally Posted by badman

Support systems like ... this one?

Another reason why you never should have bothered with Steam

This site is one of the only places on the web to come to for information about Ritual. It stays up for that reason alone. If that irritates you so much, I invite you to remove it from your bookmarks.

I already have. No use of visiting a forum where I can get cheap watches and such. Plenty of those things in my mailboxes. Also, you did not answer my question:

Does that mean that you and the rest of the admin/moderator team will take a more active role here regarding spambots (both in posts and registered users) and such ??

Care to answer ??

[Chriss]

@Apprentice
I don't want to argue with you, since it seams you turn things until they fit your point of view, so I would consider it highly pointless. But I am serious asking my self if you have any intention to do something constructive or do you just like criticising everything ?

All I ever did read from you was criticism, criticism, criticism, criticism... Now I am asking you because I want to know if I can skip your future posts, which could save me a lot of time!

Don't take this as offence but it's about time we talk honestly about that, just keep on posting doesn't keep a forum alive, it's the content, and don't tell me you already know that, since you wanted this forums to be shut down!

So give me a clear statement, can I expect your future posts to be worth reading or should I skip them,
skip or read ?
Thank you!

[Apprentice]

First, it's called an opinion and last time I checked, I am still entitled to have one and I reserve the right to issue that one way or another.

Secondly, I am not the one who has to pay how-many-bucks a month to allow spambots roaming about freely here with their cheap watches and other crap they try to sell here OR giving support to people who have downloaded a pirated version of the game that has ended Ritual Entertainment and with little visitation from Badman and the other administrators & moderators, it's money down the drain if you ask me, especially on the long run . . . :laugh: :laugh: