RPGWatch - The End is Nigh

For the last few years I've been thinking about what I want to do with RPGWatch. The reason for this is that I have lost all stamina with respect to RPGWatch. I found and find no enjoyment in the things I do here anymore and I find it a chore to continue doing them, so I end up not doing them anymore or only partially.

The interests I have in this phase of my life, simply do not match with what RPGWatch is anymore and I like to do other things that bring me more joy and fulfilment. RPGWatch has changed over the years, but so have I.

As mentioned, this is something I am feeling for quite some time and there isn't a particular reason why I am telling you my decision now and not in a couple of months or a year, besides that I think it is about time to let you know this and not drag this on much longer.

I have decided to stop RPGWatch. The option to fund RPGwatch via Paypal has already stopped and the funding we still have is sufficient to make us go on until the end of July, which would then also be the end date.

I've started with RPGDot in 2000 and created, together with the RPGDot team, RPGWatch in 2006. I have many fond memories of those 22 years. Also a couple of bad ones, but lets not dwell on those. Once RPGWatch is gone, I'm sure there will be days in the future where I will not only miss RPGWatch, but will miss especially the RPGWatch team and the people I like and liked to interact with on our forums.

Eventhough my feelings about RPGWatch are no longer the same, I am proud of everything we did and have accomplished in the past years and I really want to thank all of you for being with us.

I'm sorry for bringing this bad news to you.

More information.

Is it impossible to pass the reins on to someone else?

Ouch! Sad news, but I feel for you.

pibbuR who for the moment really doesn't know what to say except best wishes.

Oh man. Sorry to hear that. This has been my place for rpg news since inception. I can't imagine going to the codex…

Originally Posted by lackblogger
Is it impossible to pass the reins on to someone else?

Not impossible, but very hard, as I am very picky with respect to whom those reins could be moved to.

Then again, there are still three months to go, which is about the same time Arhu and I needed to get a first version of RPGWatch going and we created it from scratch. These days an existing framework could get a functional site up and running much faster. In July everybody can then move over to this new location, which probably looks better as well

Nooooo!!!!

I'm so sorry to hear you feel this way, but of course have nothing but respect for your decision. I will miss this site as it is the only forum I regularly come back to even after all these years.

I wish you nothing but the best Myrthos, and I wish to say thanks to you and all the mods for the time we got.

Ugh. Where will I get my CRPG news and posts?

Oh man, I didn't see this coming. A damn shame! RPG Watch has been my goto website for RPG news and discussion for years and years. It has been the best site for RPG news on the internet, bar none.

That said, I can imagine that after maintaining this site for that long, it could get tiring and people have different interests that can pop up and so on, all perfectly understandable.

Myrthos deserves a ton of credit for running this site for so many years. Hopefully, some enterprising ambitious rpg watcher out there can take the great spirit of this site, and carry it on, so all the regulars will have a new place to go for rpg news and discussion. I have grown very fond of most of the regulars here, I must say.

I see that there is also a possibility mentioned, that a new person will "takeover" for Myrthos, which would be outstanding as well! I will have my fingers crossed that RPG watch will continue, in some form or another!

I will definitely miss this great site.

From what you indicate it seems as though you are making the right decision. It can be difficult to want to maintain a site like this, and it is often the case that someone's interests change in a way that it can become a chore.

I hope that whatever you move onto is fulfilling.

Sad to hear it

Damn i visited this site and rpgdot every day for the last 17 years or so.. but surely i understand your concerns. To be honest i did not think that a single person is still responsible for the whole backend. As others have stated: maybe you could give over the torch to a trusted group of people and retire from rpgwatch.

Myrthos,

This is really sad news to me. Since the end of 2013 I come here on a daily basis (even if I don't post comments every single day) to read the news and, why not?, interact even if virtually with this community, which I really love to be a part of. I truly like it here, being here, belonging here. One thing is for sure: I'll miss this place, I'll miss you all.

Anyway, I do understand you and I respect your decision. Best wishes for you and your family!! A big THANK YOU for having dedicated a good chunk of your life running RPGDot (which I was never a member, sadly) and RPGWatch!! You took care of RPGWatch in the best possible way and words will never be enough to thank you for the excellent work done here! My compliments are also extended to the entire RPGWatch team (admins, moderators, news editors and the like), as you've also done an excellent job over all these years.

I just feel like I could cry, seriously..

EDIT: Much like @Arkadia7 above, I'm too crossing my fingers in the hopes someone else steps up to keep RPGWatch going on!

I blame lackblogger

But seriously, is there someone you trust amongst the current admins that can continue this thing? Then again, I imagine you've already canvassed them, and that leads to this post.
I'd be pretty sad to see the site go. I don't post as often as I'd like, but I visit daily.

Edit: at least you're telling us. Back in the day, Saint Proverbius just stopped turning up at the Codex, leaving us leftover admins to scrap it out.

I hope RPGWatch can continue under new administration… the real strength of RPGWatch is the great community it has developed. It is not easy to build such a great community, and it would be a real shame to lose that!

WTF?! What a way to ruin a weekend! It's your site and decision but it will be missed. This was my daily site when I was still on dial up internet! It loaded quickly compared to a lot of others
I'll miss this place in the run up to Starfield, Avowed and Elder Scrolls 6!
Best of luck to you Myrthos, thanks for my t-shirt! and thanks for providing a great source of our favorite RPG news

All I can say is thank you to you @Arhu and the rest of the team over the many many years of enjoyment this site has brought me.
You and the team will be sorely missed.

It has literally been 16 years of my life with this website as my main favourite to go to on a daily basis. So thank you.

I fully understand that if it's not making you happy then you should stop.

Is there some way to archive everything in a simple package?
I love going back through some of the conversations on here (Especially the "Return of the Daily Smile" thread).

I'm so sorry you feel that way, and for the bad news.

I've only registered lately, though I've known the site for much longer. It's one of the finest I've seen, and it's been around for so long. You and the whole team should be proud for this achievement indeed!

I'll dearly miss the Watch, I hope we can find a way to keep it running but I understand and respect your desire to move over to something else after all this time and all that must have changed.

A big thank you for all the work and energy you put into this project

Originally Posted by Jaguar
Oh man. Sorry to hear that. This has been my place for rpg news since inception. I can't imagine going to the codex

Same here, on both counts

I'm not even sure what to say about this yet….I am hoping someone will keep it going, as warty as we are it's a bit like a family here and it would be a shame to lose it all.