Dear Fandom

[mark_asphodel]

Not just the FE fandom, but pretty much everyone I've ever joined.  But since those of you out there on f-list land are from the FE crowd, listen up.

This has irked me for years, but since darling raphien  mentioned something about "a sinking ship," it's time for a reality check.  Or at least some perspective.

Stop bitching about how fandom is dying.  You

Comments

[sailorvfan10]

Yeah, the GET OFF MY LAWN attitude is really off putting. I often wax nostalgic about the Good Old Days in fandom, but I'm never complaining the fandom is dying or whatever. People might say it's because FE fandom is old or some shizz, but look at Weiss Kreuz fandom. The anime's been over since '01 and yet there's still fic, discussion, a kink meme, and a badfic sporking site. And icons. Look at Zelda! LOOK AT HARRY POTTER. And Gundam Wing! Gundam Wing's been over since like, 2000 or whenever the dub came out and finished, and it's THRIVING.

So age =/= activity of a fandom.

Also some games are more popular than others. Elibe and Tellius are still huge, and for people who want Magvel, Jugdral, or Archanea that's...well, not fun for them. Part of the reason I don't go looking for FE fic much anymore is because I can't FIND MUCH. And yet I don't complain, I just wait for people who do write Archanea to put something new out. Or I write it.

MAJOR TURN OFF FOR NEWBIES? Newbie bashing. People one minute complaining the fandom is dying and needs more people, and when more people arrive they say OH THE NEWBIES ARE RUINING EVERYTHING. So newbies then gtfo because they don't want to be bashed because some old timers just can't let go of the past.

These people want dead fandoms? I'll give them dead fandoms. I'll point them in the direction of G-Gundam fandom. It was dying even before the fandom started, all the way back in 2002. Once the show ended, it pretty much died. Sukisho fandom is pretty much dead as well--one of my fics from TWO YEARS AGO is on the front page.

Fire Emblem isn't dead, but it will be if people don't let go of being miserable about how "nothing's like it used to be" (oh, when a lot of fic was OOC and badly written?) because not only are we not going to get new people, but people like myself are going to get fed up and leave.

In fact if it wasn't for all of my friends in this fandom, I would've left a long time ago.

Then again what do I know I joined back in 2005.

[mark_asphodel]

and a badfic sporking site.

Holy hell, what a sporking site. She actually is pretty funny, too- not as epic as ficbitches, but better than what the Potter sporkings degraded to.

and when more people arrive they say OH THE NEWBIES ARE RUINING EVERYTHING.

I actually don't recall seeing this. Maybe some people got the impression, but FE has been a delightful change from the norm in this regard. I didn't ever feel like I had to "present credentials" to be allowed an opinion. Though I do recall when Raphi got jumped last year-- sad.

But if you want new blood, screaming about how bad things have gotten is NOT the way. Who wants to set up shop in a place that's about to implode?

Fire Emblem isn't dead, but it will be if people don't let go of being miserable about how "nothing's like it used to be"

It'll be interesting to see what happens if FE12 actually attracts new writers.

[sailorvfan10]

I check there every week too because I like her sporking style. Sure, it's not as awesome as Ficbitches, but I've found that good, funny, and TACTFUL sporkers are few and far between these days. Normally I don't even bother with sporking sites because I can do that myself, so when I find a good one, well... I'm excited.

I got that impression from something I read off of a forum, so maybe that was the thought process/general consensous there, but from my end of the fandom, I haven't heard much. Then again I feel I run in circles that aren't filled with elitist assholes who go BAAWWWW about newbies. So. Also, the FFN forums are known for their stupidity, so I should take everything said there with a grain of salt.

When I was a newbie in FE fandom I had to give over my fic credentials in some sort of discussion simply because they "hadn't seen my name before", mostly because I wrote for the then tiny FE6 fandom. I showed them, my ten or so fics written for FE6, and they slinked away probably feeling like an idiot. But it's not like I'm applying to be a quantum physicist or something where experience and references and what have you is necessary.

First FE12 needs to make it over the pond, and if it doesn't, someone's gotta make a fan translation. But I'd welcome them all the same because yay new people! And that's what fandom needs--people, new blood.

[mark_asphodel]

Sporking is like MSTing-- most of the "sporks" are no better in quality than the material they intend to eviscerate.

But it's not like I'm applying to be a quantum physicist or something where experience and references and what have you is necessary.

Well, a lot of fandoms do act this way. I was expecting some kind of "border guard" shakedown in FE fandom.

Fanbrat Guard: What are your credentials?
Me: I played one FE game through twice.
Guard: Which game?
Me: FE11.
Guard: There is no FE11! Access DENIED!

I was pleasantly surprised that nobody was in the guard shack and I could walk right in.

[sailorvfan10]

In fact sometimes the fics they're MSTing and sporking are better written than the MST or sporking.

Aww, if that were the case, I'd have to dig a tunnel and sneak in D: ...maybe. I came here because of Tellius and Elibe, so I might have been thrown out then instead? idk. Good thing there is no guard shack.

Yet.