Commentary: Arena is dead.

[TheWaste]

My two cents. Only posting quickly cause I'm knee deep in work...

Gonna dot-point this just so I can get as much info down as quickly as I can without the need to string it together with what you fancy people call 'sentences'

-I miss you crazy motherf***s
-I thank everyone on the boards for how much experience the competitions have given me over the years
-I don't want to see it get deleted for archives sake
-Everyone is responsible for the content of the board
-I personally don't believe the board will ever have as much steam as it used to

That said...
I DECLARE ONE FINAL APOCALYPTIC BATTLE, EVERYONE VERSUS EVERYONE IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED SLAUGHTER TO VOLLEY INSULT IMAGES AND BURNS AT EACH OTHER FOR ANYTHING THAT ANYONE HAS EVER DONE ON THE FORUM. LET THIS BATTLE BE THE END OF ALL FLAME WARS AND PETTY ARGUMENTS WHICH HAVE EVER STARTED HERE ON FLASHKIT, AND HALF-ASSED IMAGES WILL BE USED AS BAIT TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE INSULT/JOKES AT THE EXPENSE OF THOSE WHO POSTED THEM.
LETS GET READYYYYYYY TO RUMMMMBLEEE!

Let's bring back the old days, just for a week or so. I demand someone start a thread regarding my above caps-lock induced bile.

[bounceboy]

Well if the arena is dead, don't close it! there's still heaps of good junk people can read through... seriously some people like looking through locked topics and stuff.

[WannaBe_80z]

The revolution has started the arena is packed full of battles again!


oh wait, no. it's still dead.

[silverx2]

i saw alot of people using their mouths, talking alot. but in the end we got two people creating single image threads, a spirited little battle between nats and myself, and just alot more talking.

[WannaBe_80z]

I feel like I should(want) to start a thread but I don't know how reliable I can be with my schedule as of late and laptop...

I don't think this forum should ever be shut down for it's past threads but I don't think this place will ever be what it was...

[bounceboy]

hey peoplez, if you want to start a battle, ACTIONS speak louder than WORDS.

Instead of talking about battling out, just do it please!

[Natsia]

[silverx2]

If the arena is going to stay open i propose new rules.

rule #1: If you are going to start a thread to start a battle it must include your initial serve
Rule #2: If you accept the battle your acceptance must include your return
Rule #3: No single sentence replies. If you like an image awesome, but filling a thread with a bunch of "cool", "nice image", "i like it" responses just fills the thread with nonsense, Thoughtfull Critiques are welcome, If you want to have a battle where kid gloves are on. please add the following to the end of your thread name *no critiques*
Rule #4: Dont start or accept a battle you wont fully participate in, we have open battles for that.

What these rules will accomplish:

person1- No more of this Anyone want to have a battle?
person2- Yeah i would love to
person1- What kind of battle should we have
person2- a battle of images!
person1- What size
person2- this size
person1- ok awesome ill have something up by the end of the week
person3- ill get my popcorn
person4- wow this should be good
*2 weeks later*
person1-Im still doing this just got a little busy, ill have something up by the end of the day or two
*dead thread*

new rules will be this

person1- Id like to have a battle, below is the start image *image*, here are the rules.

Person2- Here is my response to your image *image* bring it filter whore

Person1- heres my response to your response mr lens flare *image*

[littleMatt]

So a person shouldn’t be allowed to express their interest in a battle without having already done a complete return? Even if the turn around proposed by the server is like 3 days? What if you spend 2.5 days working your arse off on a return and someone beats you to it? Seems very silly. I don’t think rushed returns are where it’s at.

[silverx2]

the problem is that people say "yes i would like to battle you!" then its waiting waiting waiting, and maybe there is a return, maybe there is not a return. Once someone calls Dibbs Nobody does anything and everyone waits for one person.

I've seen numerous battles here that i thought about making an image for but seen someone call dibbs, then not doing anything with it.

Thats just my personal opinion though, having watched lots of battles stall early in the process.

[sandyrivers]

This is all acedemic, because I think at this point no change will bring back the arena to what it used to be, but I think it would work better if you did this:

1) Thread starter starts the volley by posting an image with the rules. Once of the rules is the turn around time.

2) Someone calls dibs and is then on the clock. He/she has the number of days set forth in the rules to turn in a return.

3) If said return is not submitted by the time stated in the rules expires, the battle is then open to whoever wants it next. The new person calls it and the original taker is bumped. Doesn't matter if he/she was almost done or not.

Lather, rinse, repeat. That way someone can call dibs, but the thread doesn't have to die if that person bails.

[silverx2]

the time frame needs to be shorter, if someone has 7 days per the rules, then doesnt do anything, might as well call the thread doa.

[Jujumon]

i saw alot of people using their mouths, talking alot..

[bounceboy]

silver's rules are okay but not everybody has the time?

[Jujumon]

only need silver's rule #4 actually, which as we all know, hard to enforce upon others.

[Ghostgirl705]

Wow, I have not been here in ages, though I do pop in every so often. I have to say it makes me extremely sad to read this thread first. Couple of things about the Arena that I have to QFT

Most of you people shaped my career today.

Before I contributed in the Arena, I didnt know a lick about design. Through my years of participating, I've actually gained enough design sense to actually make a living doing it. Granted, I rarely do any design work for clients, but I have and it's because I learned how in the Arena.

I don't know most of the nasty threads people are referring to, because like I said I haven't been here in ages. But if it wasn't for Flashkit and specifically the help and critiques I got in the Arena I probably would be working some horrible sales job right now and not the best job of my life. I would be awful sad to see that go, even if it is only an archive.

[Chelle2008]

holy smokes.

adding to the haven't been here in ages crew... i too have fond arena memories and will mourn it's passing... though apparantly it's already passed!



ah, but the place sure still is orange lol.


well, wow.

hope all's well with all you old school fk'ers, and I too can say I owe the ol' Arena quite a bit due to knowledge learned here.

*tips 40oz to Arena*

[gerbick]

Holy ****. Back to back blasts from the past.

[emo_boy]

I haven't been here for a while either but I remember the good old days of PS Tennis or "battles" too. I began learning Photoshop through forum matches and eventually led to me creating my own website, heavily used for Photoshop matches. We (Abstract Influence) even engaged in a couple inter-forum matches against FlashKit. Those were fun times but those days seem to be coming to an end. But if it wasn't for all those times spent on volleys, I may not be doing graphic design for a living as I do now. So those matches were important nonetheless, a lot of talent emerged from them.

Most, if not all, of the stuff in the Arena was a style or look or something you couldn't get away with in your daily operations if you wanted to.

That is so true. It really was a creative outlet for people. Where you could experiment with new techniques and styles but also have the ability to trash talk your opponent (in a friendly matter).

I've noticed other sites where it's "died" off too, just not here.

Yes. My forum is virtually dead since we were largely comprised of Photoshop matches. Now our free stock photos is really the only reason visitors come.

But Twelvestone's battle area is dead as with pretty much all of the old regular communities that participated (Design Phorum, Graphic-forums, Were-here, Were Over There, DQS, Inosteve, Australian InFront, Low Opacity, Komprehend, Kirupa).

I think it's partly because the "main" contributors have moved on. Grew up. Or simply don't have the time or desire. I fit into the latter, now that I design all day long for a living, it's less appealing to do it in my spare time (and not get paid for it). Also, I think design forums are just seeing less and less traffic (and maybe even forums as a whole). Blame it on social networking (facebook/myspace/twitter) or the economy (although I don't really see how) but whatever the reason is, Photoshop Tennis is over.

As someone said in this thread, "it's gone but not forgotten".

[label]

Those where the glory days my friends. Just like Chelle2008 I haven't been here for ages! But its sad to come back and see that a place where many of us use to play and develop our creativity skills is on the downers. Anyways. Just dropping by and as always glad to see some old timers are still here!

Cheerios!