Those people will come back when there's a major update.  I've been called a fanboy on a few places- generally it's easier to just say yeah, I am, so what and let others deal.

[" I will now attempt to make the perfect post that illustrates all basic opinions of the forum"

"screw it...for now, this game sucks, but I love it and all of you are geek nerds who I really respect so make me new mods that I can play with".

I think that covers it. "]

Now GCFL thats way too funny to the point and alot of love behind it, man cant stop laughing.

I think one of the reasons our community here is so good is due to demographics.  We were all a bit pissed off at Elemental's launch (you guys spent $50, I spent millions, so you can imagine my feelings on it).  But we're also almost universally adults over 25 years of age who a) want this game to succeed and can see where things are going.

We've all been around games for a long time and many people here know how things here are different than elsewhere.  We don't have to rely on Elemental's sales to fund continued work on it.  I'd insist on Elemental evolving into the game we want even if it didn't sell another copy.  This is something that we can do because we're the studio and the publisher and most of our revenue doesn't come from games.

As an Elemental "newcomer" with only one post to date, I have to say that really I am waiting for the code base to settle down and the c++ SDK to be released (if ever).  That will allow more significant mods, and thus draw in a larger crowd.

I say "newcomer" because I have been following Elementals progress for over a year.  I only signed up recently to post my inital impressions and have since gone back into lurker mode.

Now Kael is on board expect to see more traffic coming in.  I also think that more people would hang out here more if the board had more sub boards.  Look at Civfanatics Civ V board.  It has 8 top level boards, 18 sub-boards, and 1 sub-sub board.  This gives plenty of room for everyone to post in their favourite section.

Now compare Elemental forums: 8 top level boards only.  (Not including off-topic boards here).  No sub-boards.  So everything is all jammed up in every board.  Mods board especially needs to have multiple sub-boards for Graphics, Python, C++, Faction Design, etc so posts aren't all jammed up.

Also, major mods need to start getting there own sub-boards to give more space for relevent mod development and discussions instead of all crammed into one thread.

Once this is done, expect to see traffic increase and also a more general feel that the Elemental community has "grown up".

Combining the news of Kael joining the Elemental Production Team, and a tidbit from another post by FrogBoss regarding future soft-core titles.. 

...Coming soon from HarDock Productions: Sins of an Elemental Empire

Promised features:

1) Take control as the magical Sovereigngali, expanding your fantasies turn by turn.

2) Recruit heroines, explore dark dungeons, and collect scalps as the game unfolds.

3) Randomly generated worlds rich with targets ripe for conquest.

4) Custom units, Tactical moves allow your desires to be unleashed.

5) Online multiplayer cyber supporting 16 players at once.

The Limited Edition will be released with some pewter toys and a gama sutra.

...Unbeknownst to the developers, launching a new type of soft-core title is fraught with pratfalls (from heaven, PFfH). The production date will see the title launched with many promised features missing or incompletely implemented, causing an uproar, the collective frustration of the users not being able to release their pent-up desires boils over into the forums..

I have been impressed with the maturity I have seem in this community.  I have also been impressed with the 'forgiveness' i have seen in this community.  The free wheeling conversations, dialogs, and debates rarely seem to be taken personally.  And that bodes well for these forums remaining an incubator of ideas for SD/developers, and remaining a forge to make new and better mods.  I have participated in several communities, including one that remained 'private' to keep oblivion trolls out.  However, this set of forums is the very best. 

I like me too.

I suppose I could be put in a fanboy type of video game player.

Aside from crashes and horrible online game play for FPS shooters, I always look for the good in games. Even if they have obvious probelms that almost everyone hates/dislikes. I understand that if you pay for something it should be decent/up to standards ect... but to be honest it really never bothered me. Wether it was any of the Total War games at the release, HOMM5 which many said was weak compared to HOMM3. Many more examples that I can't think of.

Unbalanced gameplay, broken factions,races,weapons or game mechanics, cheesy exploits, meh. I still play it and hope they fix it, if they do great, if not I will find a way to enjoy the game regardless.

Bought Elemental a day or 2 after it came out, was happy with it even with all the probelms, CTD's were a pain but other than that there was alot to like. Its gotten better and tweaked as time has gone on, the promise of free expansions are the only reason I am not playing right now. Not because the game is not fun as it is to me.

I don't try to defend the game from people who have issues with it as I have never tried to convince others that  a game is this or that.Tell my opinion only.  Stating facts is fine, faults and merits are all well and good. But if I think the game is fun, there is nothing anyone can say that can change that fact.

I do read alot of what people like and don't like of this game.(and others that I play.)

There was alot of negative things said about this game, alot of people said it was "unplayable" early on, even a month after it came out. To each his/her own I guess. I continue to hope that it gets better and can't wait for the expansions. Also I have heard alot of good things about Stardock and that was part of the reason I bought the game.