I think what this really comes down to is the difference between why people go to idc. Some view it as an extension of the forums, some view it as a break from the forums, sometimes new players show up seeking game information. It has in fact always been a mix.

The idea of multiple chat channels is very appealing. I get that there is the option for irc. A while back I mentioned the idea of additional chat channels and the ability to have a private chat or a klan chat, whichever admin I was talking to said that if people want more chat options, take it to irc.

I just don’t understand why that is a good option for the game. Why is purposely sending players off site a good plan? That makes zero sense. Idc as either a wall of spam or as a sanitized snooze fest is just bad for the game, bad for the flamebate community.

It’s a really fine line. I’ve seen some really cool things that would be considered spam. I’ve also seen some conversations that made me bail faster than a counting script. Some people converse so incessantly that their conversation seems like spam.

Overall, rather than hard rules that need to be policed and are therefore radically subject to selective modding, I’d much rather see multiple channels and the ability to block/unblock players.