: None of my responses here are said in anything but love (I don't think
: they're in anyway going to be hateful, I just wanted to paint a picture of
: how I'm presenting my words), I would hope that I have spent enough time
: around here to have some credibility to this statement.

Of course and I appreciate the gesture. :)

: This is the case in any forum though Levi, it's the same reason people have
: been all but banned from the DBO forums and others, whose leaving was
: welcomed via other member's posts, leaving of their own dissatisfied
: accord there. Those people (both at D* and H*) in no way represent the
: community by large, and I know you are aware of that.

I agree, and some of this is entirely on me for having less and less patience with disrespectful comments. I've actually managed to cut myself off from a lot of internet use where once I was a bit more addicted to it. I've found that I'm happier now but the trade-off is that when I DO use the internet, I have a lower tolerance for some of the shadier elements commonly found in it. I've also posted less and less at DBO because of this as well.

On the flipside, I do still think here's been a change in the platform the community rests on in recent years. Others have touched on this, but back when HBO was the core community, there was a common focus that led to a great mixing pot of fan creations and fun. There's still some of that at HBO and DBO now, but each have diminished the other in some ways, not to mention each forum is sort of spinning around multiple cores now, too. HBO has Bungie-Halo and 343i-Halo and it doesn't always mix well. DBO has what-Destiny-should-be and what-Destiny-is and those issues knock heads often as well. There are also a lot more sites and media avenues out there now for fandom and creations which means less wondrous things and fewer new users flow into either site.

My initial post was obviously poorly-executed. I was trying to convey my reaction to these developments and the negativity that, while perhaps no more louder than before, is louder simply because what's around it is quieter, myself included.

I have a personal bond with HBO, but it is not a superior-than-thou attitude or something else sinister; it instead is a place of fond memories and a canvas that led to a lot of art and LAN parties and PAXes and more. It gave me opportunities that have enriched my life and if anything, I owe it greatly for that. But my active relationship with it has become more of a forlorn one now, looking back at the times I had fun and wistfully sighing - like thinking of an old flame or something. Nostalgia will kill you in time, and all that. :)

None of this is intended to be an objective assessment of the community or insulting to anyone - there's still good conversations and bunch of lovely people here. HBO, from my perception, just has a different balance and some different tones than it used to, as I described above, which makes it hard for me to connect with and actually post often. When I do want to, I get caught up in the negative stuff instead of what drew me in in the first place.

I guess I wanted people to know this struggle I have with it, and if that resonates with some and generates constructive thinking, great! If a person disagrees and they're happy with everything, then that's fine too. I just felt compelled to say my own stake aloud to a place that's important to me. I'm ashamed I turned it into melodrama.

: I am unsure though of what you mean by the accepted canon of good and bad
: entries in the Halo universe. I don't think you could poll everyone who's
: posted to HBO in the past year and get a consensus on any lore material,
: but people do have opinions and are more than welcome to share them
: without attack. I don't believe HBO has ever made an official statement on
: what is 'good canon' or 'bad canon'. Coincidentally, the closest you could
: probably ever get all of us to agree on something would be "A Fistful
: of Arrows" which many of us remain convinced is canon, or at least
: our own head-canon! :)

Thanks. :)

I think that comment was a bit of a tangent. There was a couple of posts I was going to reply to but ultimately didn't because I felt like I had to write an essay describing why I liked the HGN first. :) That's what I was thinking when I said it 'wears me out' or that a conversation doesn't feel inviting in my original post.

I think because a lot of us are common posters (or at least I used to be), sometimes we all take certain premises for granted which can create a sort of roadblock that others have to get around when joining a conversation. Like going into a Star Wars forum with a love for Jar Jar Binks or something, heh. Does that make sense?

: This is unfortunate that the comments from two (maybe three) posters has
: turned you off from what really is one of the best discussions we've had
: at HBO lately. The blank slate vs fleshed out protagonist is one with
: obvious value to both Halo/Bungie/343I fans and fans of video games in
: general. People stated their opinions, but other than a two or three
: people equating Bungie management to genitalia or lower body orifices, it
: has remained very civil and well thought out. It might not be opinions or
: statements we agree with, but I feel like the attacks have been very few
: and far between, less than average even for an online discussion.

That's quite possible, and I didn't mean to condemn or derail the conversation as a whole. I actually WANTED to reply to the blank slate discussion but, yeah, a few comments here and there at the start detoured me and I wrote my reactionary post instead. :/

: I think this is where some might find an air of disdain toward the general
: HBO community. While I whole-heartedly believe you have every right in the
: world to express your disappointment in what you perceive is a disconnect
: with a community you were once very involved in, it might be a case where
: there is a better way to present that. I, personally, would love to
: continue to see you participate in any discussion here, or even post some
: new Halo art. Your digital comic proves beyond any doubt that you excel in
: both! I know you are passionate about the content Bungie Studios puts out,
: but I do believe there is value in both what 343I is doing with Halo these
: days, and what the people here at HBO have to say about it. Would love for
: you to be a part of that Levi, any time you would like to!

: - MacGyver10

I really didn't want to come across with disdain or anger. In no way do I think, "HBO has failed ME, and I've got better things to do, you fools! Bwahahaha" Like I said, it's like an old love and I am bound to it in a personal way, whether I actively post here or not.

I look at DBO as an admin and struggle to find a way to generate more good vibes and comradery (not that it doesn't have any) and find myself at a loss. In a similar failure, because of the way things have changed, I can no longer jump into Halo lore like I used to love to do. In my head, Forerunners are humans, for example, and some big swaths of 343i's interpretations doesn't gel with my inner canon, even though I think the studio is full of talented, passionate people.

That all ties into my interest in making fanart too (even though it still happens from time to time). I mean if I made another Halo comic right now, it would be something that I felt resonated with my own interpretation of Halo and thus contradict a bunch of 343i stuff. And I don't want to be that kind of guy, spreading dissent among the active ranks. :/

Again, I appreciate the kind gesture and apologize to anyone who may have been offended by my original post, and if you know me, played with me, or hung out in real life with me, I have never thought less of you. Hopefully my feelings make a bit more sense now. Though, after scarab's response to it, I really don't see myself wanting to come back here for a while, even if it is just because of one or two bad apples. I didn't eat till 6:00 PM because of this so I am apparently terrible at dealing with mean folk on the internet - even when they're surrounded by 40 lovely people. :)

My very first post on HBO a long time ago was misinterpreted as me dismissing other people's rebuttals when I was actually trying to say I, myself, was rambling and running the conversation into the ground. I guess I haven't learned anything, hah.

Farewell, HBO, for now! I wish you the best. :)