A Winter Request from CoG Staff

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Howdy Forum Friends!

The Choice of Games Team would like to start a new tradition around here.
We are approaching (currently in?) the “Holiday Season” and we know that it is a difficult and stressful time for many folks. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere there’s winter approaching and daylight saving time ending soon. With colder months and creeping darkness, many of us are not feeling amazing, not to mention the pandemic we are still grappling with, especially so in the U.S. We have noticed that this time of year leads to more dust ups and conflict than usual.

This is why we ask the forum and our entire community for the next few weeks to:

  1. Be kind, niceness is often a veneer so please make an effort to be truly kind to one another.
  2. Please don’t initiate big discussions on the nature of Choice of Games/Hosted Games as a business.

We promise that:
a) We are aware of your concerns.
b) We are actively creating strategies to address them.
c) It’s fine for you to not like how things are in here. We like you and want you here, and we welcome feedback and discussion. Those discussions are not being “banned” we only ask that you give our moderators, our Staff, and all of your fellow forum-goers a break from these topics for the season.

It’s a time of year when maybe we’re all feeling our grievances with the world a little more, but rather than raise those grievances, please make it a little easier on everyone else and keep the mood on the forum as light as possible. A lot of us need a place where the mood is light and supportive right now.

We hope to do this PSA every year and is certainly not directed at anyone in particular. Please, have those discussions, but let’s not have any more until after January 10th. That being said, I would love to turn this into a fun thread, so please share something you are excited for this season and into the new year! Or tag one of your favorite folks on the forum and let them know what you appreciate about them. :heart:

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Never a bad time to remind folks to treat each other well.

I know I for one am looking forward to having a regular Christmas after last year’s largely virtual affair. Our girls got their first dose a couple weeks ago and have the second coming on December 4th, so we’ll have a week before the big day to cram some events in and then be able to resume some traditions with extended family.

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I was happy when I saw a video of a dog with a flower crown waiting for the interaction with the butterflies in his garden. Thinking that we can live together in harmony makes me happy and if I can make my presence more comfortable I will be willing to do it since I know what it feels like to have to deal with things and more so now that we need things to stay calm and we can chat in a quieter environment. And just like a sea current after a storm we will wake up with a beautiful sunset at dawn lighting our way and being able to move on.

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Man, I’ll echo your comments about the kiddos.

I’m grateful for my kiddos being able to go back to school, allowing them to socialize and develop as they should. My kids were troopers, but after a year of ‘screen instruction’ they desperately needed to be around others their age. It was taking a big toll, and my wife and I worried about them constantly. I feel they are in a much better place this Thanksgiving.

This is an outstanding community, and I only wish I had more time to devote to strengthening it.

I nominate @Havenstone as a forum member I respect and admire both for his creative work (XoR) and his mature, measured approach to communicating with folks here.

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I am excited about Halo Infinite coming out next month. Just hoping 343 didn’t torch another Halo game.

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I’m just so excited to see the look on my husband’s face when he sees his Christmas present. (He doesn’t know this forum exists, so it’s safe for me to gush in anticipation!) He used to have an extensive comic book collection, but his ex-wife threw it out. I can’t replace all those vintage originals, but I got him the Howard the Duck omnibus - the whole original run in one volume. I managed to find a new copy on eBay for half of what it would have cost on Amazon.

It’s not quite holiday-related, but I’m also especially excited this week to be celebrating two major milestones I once never could have dreamed would happen. Today marks eighteen years that I’ve been out of the hospital, despite continuing to struggle with a chronic illness. And tomorrow is my tenth wedding anniversary. I’m not exactly the most likable or easy-to-live-with person, and yet this amazing guy has put up with me for ten entire journeys around the sun. I am so thrilled just to be spending the holidays with him and our pug - there’s no one on earth I’d rather be with more.

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I’m grateful for @CJW for all their work on CSIDE–I’ve put >500k words through it this year, so thanks for creating a platform to help bring my dreams to life. Thanks, too, for all the incisive responses on the programming thread. :writing_hand: :brain: :raised_hands:

I’m also thankful for @dashingdon Thanks for giving my art a place to live and be read across the world without ever asking for a cent from me. :pray: :handshake: :earth_americas:

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Could you do like a vote and we choose a game or two with a far off release date and we bring it closer say Christmas or New Year as a holiday present for everyone :snowman::snowman:

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Hear hear! Two legends of this place who, if they are not exactly unsung heroes, certainly can never be sung of enough.

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Yeah I’m afraid there’s no Christmas celebration for me this year (again)The government decided to place a lockdown or full restrictions of moving pretty much from mid December to early January :slightly_frowning_face:but I hope you guys have a great holiday :snowman:

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I am so sorry to hear about this, and I hope that you may still have some semblance of a Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays in such conditions from the bottom of my heart! Though I recognize the importance of health and safety, I will still be crossing my fingers for a holiday miracle on behalf of all those caught in misfortunate situations this holiday season! :cry:

It is a bittersweet holiday season for me, but I shall push aside all the chaos and stress concerning college (really, I have no right to complain with the good luck I have been receiving in my education as of late but my poor habits of paralyzing panic have yet to be shaken) with the eager anticipation to be reunited with my family! Certain events have made it so that some deeply sentimental places and persons will no longer be with us, but I am determined to still cherish these small pockets of time with those I love dearly.

This time of year is always one for me to reflect upon just how fortunate I am compared to those I’ve descended from, and how far my family has risen above their past compared to my early childhood. It really is something worth tearing up at and drawing a sense of pride from, as well as a bottomless gratitude for all the sacrifices made for me to be where I am today.

I hope everyone else may also find a silver lining in this Holiday Season!

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I’m excited that next week I formally hand over my current day job to my successor. :slight_smile: I’ll be winding down and helping out for a few more months, but there’ll be a lot less weighty responsibility and rather more time for writing.

I’ll be with my in-laws in Ipswich for Christmas, which is always fantastic – we all get along really well, and my mother-in-law’s Christmas dinner is exceptional. It’ll be the first time we’ve been able to celebrate together in a couple of years.

And then I’ll look forward to the start of the holiday season in March! (In keeping with my friend Melissa’s epic zing, but I do also like Easter even more than Christmas)

As for community members, I want to give a shout out to the mods. Any internet forum is always only a month away (at best) from spiraling into hard-to-reverse toxicity. I’m grateful to the folks who have chosen to give some of their time and energy to preventing that here.

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Forever grateful to @Jacic for all the help they gave me when I was starting out! There were others too, and I’ll get to them in time, but Jacic was the first and deserves the initial mention.

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Personally, I am thankful for so-called “Overdone” American brickwork, that saved me from a man who decided to play Grand Theft Auto in real life. Without it I would be dead or seriously injured.

I am thankful to the judges of the 2022 Oklahoma calendar photography contest an hourish before all that they were selecting the picture of Driver (Rest In Peace Circa 2009-2013) doing what Bulldogs do best, annoying a bull who probably became someone’s lunch (Rest In BBQ Circa 2005-2016.)

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As far as people on here @Jackpot1776 and @Gilbert_Gallo for working with me, you’ll with what it is in time. There are some speedbumps, but it’ll be worth it. Nows not a time for advertising, so I’ll just say that those who have seen it have said “Very interesting.” “I’m disappointed I haven’t thought of that.” and “Why are you following me home you wacko!”

Jackpot serving as a coder/voice of reason, and Gilbert being an experienced development veteran. Together we are very intelligent, with a very impressive brain cell total count of 3.

Other people helped out a little also, but they’re not here but I still am thankful.

I am also thankful for @122B for being an excellent sounding board, and person to talk to on account of being saner than most on the website. In the spirit of Christmas, I won’t even call him a Crumpet Stuffer. Instead, I’ll call him the more festive Stocking Stuffer.

I am of course extremely thankful to @hustlertwo because he helped mentor me. Probably wouldn’t be here if not for him.

I am mildly thankful that I got to see a comment good enough to be temporarily hidden. Always like to see the mighty fall.

Though I’m not sure what rule they broke, it was still mildly funny.

I am also thankful I got out of those madhouses. Places are a punishment for existing. I am very thankful that alternatives are becoming more sought after. I would talk about the true colors of public education, and how I found out after accidentally starting a nationwide protest, but now is not the time. None the less I am thankful a light is being shown on the darkness I furthered. I learned my lesson, I only hope to fix it.

You seem nice. I’d say don’t be too hard on yourself, but the most confident people are often the dumbest, none the less I am happy for you.

Thank you, for unrelated reasons I know what it feels like. My best suggestion is to call them, preferably with video, and send something by mail, or order something for them, the “Purchase this as a gift.” Button exists for a reason.

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I’m grateful for the joy that gets brought to me daily by cows

Nothing else, I just think they’re neat and you should too !

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The world would be a better place with more random shout-outs to cows. :slightly_smiling_face:

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This makes 4 cow-ments in a row. I am also thankful for them, they taste good, and the land rented off to them lets the family keep the cabin for hunting, or atleast and being together. Sadly I couldn’t go any of this year because my mom decided to start a blood feud over something my uncle did over a decade ago. I am thankful for the time I did get to spend with them.

Not so much my sister, but still.

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I love @poison_mara and the love she shares with all of us. Thank you for being here! And happy holiday season everyone! Ps: everybody come here in Southern Italy where the sun always shine and let’s celebrate together! :beer:

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