Obsidian Portal check-in 2018: Has the site improved?

brookselliotbe303

I'm preparing to share a campaign I've started with a blog audience, and would like to use a wiki-style platform to share game information. I've been using Obsidian Portal on and off for about five years now, and every time I've contemplated paying for an Ascendant membership I've been turned off by complaints and horror stories that have mostly occurred after the site went to new ownership.

The question is, then, have things been getting better? And if not, are there new alternatives (other than hosting my own wiki, which may very well happen but is unlikely at this juncture)? My intent is to provide a platform to share campaign information widely; if I was just running this game for myself and my group I'd use Google Docs.

Comments

  • Leonidas300
    Leonidas300
    Posts: 273 edited January 2020

    I'll give you my honest opinion, YES, things have gotten better. My history with the Obsidian Portal is or was well documented on these forums at one time. Pre-reforge, I loved the portal, it hands down had the best community and did many things well. I was excited and backed the Reforge and well, you know how that turned out. 

    I left the portal in anger and disgust and honestly looked hard for a replacement venue, nothing I really looked at really lived up to the portal. I tried on and off to come back but every time I really considered putting work into it, I just could not.



    So, i don't know about 2 years ago?? (mabye less) I had occasion to happen on an online Obsidian Portal conversation where I heard Kallak had taken the reigns. I reached out to some of the old longtime members I knew and trusted and they told me things had stabalized and improved and honestly, they were right on. 



    I have since reascended and with all due respect to my old campaign which won a CoTM award, my new campaign kicks the shit out of my old one, the improvements made and CSS possibilities really lends itself well to overall campaign management. I am willing to lend my name in support of what Kallak has accomplished (I single him out, because many tried and were felled by the pressure, he steped up and got it done... like a true Spartan).



    Hope this helps,



    Leonidas300

    https://amanifestationofchaosextinctionevent.obsidianportal.com/

    Post edited by Leonidas300 on
  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090

    Hi @brookselliotbe303. To address your question (not that Leo didn't do an awesome job, because he did - but I figure a response from someone in an official role is in order as well): Yes, things have definitely improved around the Portal, and will continue to do so. The site has certainly had some dark days in the past, and the content team (which was not the team during those times) understands the impact that those days had on the userbase. We know that it's incumbant upon us to keep proving to the users that those days aren't ever coming back. As someone who was a user myself during that time, I can assure you I will never permit things to reach that point again (or even anywhere near) - not on my watch.

    @Leonidas300, Thank you for your post on this, it's really nice to know that my work is felt, and that it's (at least to some degree) helping to bring folks back to the site. That means a lot to me. Having said that, I'm obviously not doing it alone. A lot of credit goes to the the other guys on the content team, and to the volunteer level folks who put their passion to work for the community out of pure love. Some folks who deserve particular mention include:

    ChainsawXIV, Jynx001, thaen, Maesenko, Keryth987, twiggyleaf, cgregory, UselessTriviaMan, and killervp.

    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • UselessTriviaMan
    UselessTriviaMan
    Posts: 546

    Thanks for the love, Kallak. :-)

    That said, it appears that this user (who also happens to have a 303 at the end of their username) only became an OP user yesterday, and is not a member of any campaigns.

    Curiouser and curiouser...


    Ptolus, City by the Spire - 2016 Campaign of the Year

    "Please pay attention very carefully, because this is the truest thing a stranger will ever say to you: In the face of such hopelessness as our eventual, unavoidable death, there is little sense in not at least TRYING to accomplish all your wildest dreams in life."  - - Kevin Smith

  • Conan_Lybarian
    Conan_Lybarian
    Posts: 240

    Hey @brookselliotbe303- check out https://mctrollersonstrollmanagement.obsidianportal.com/. A lot of good info for "members" without campaigns, just a forum presence with questions about the awesomeness and improvements that have been made :-)

  • JaymesBolton
    JaymesBolton
    Posts: 278

    Be nice Conan. Unlike the other post this one actually seems to be a genuine question (just trying to give the benefit of the doubt).

    That being said I second everything Leonidas has said. Kallak personally skyped me to help fix a problem with a character sheet. If that is not customer service I don't know what is. 

  • Conan_Lybarian
    Conan_Lybarian
    Posts: 240 edited February 2020

    @JaymesBolton, you're right, and I apologize for jumping to conclusions @brookselliotbe303. You do seem genuinely interested in the state of things. I was going retract my post- but it's outside the edit window time frame. So I will say, it's great to see anyone interested in utilizing the awesome service that is OP. The site is stabilized. @Kallak does an amazing job not only interacting with the community, which he is an active part of as a gamer and designer himself, but also pushing for real change. OP itself has taken a much more User and Gamer focused approach for a while now. I'm fairly new as far as being an active user. I joined a few years ago, using as just more or less a half assed game journal. I wasn't around for the brimstone and fire that you read some of the veteran users post about. But, I am someone who does my research and own testing when deciding to spend what little free time and money I have on a service.

    @brookselliotbe303, I really hope you consider "investing" with OP the way we have. It sounds like what you're looking for, especially considering how easy it is to customize to make is user friendly. I look forward to reading your stuff :-)

    Post edited by Conan_Lybarian on

  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830

    Kallak is the best.

    He loaned me code from way back in the beginning of my campaign.

    Three thumbs up for Kallak.

     

    Now don't ask me about my misgivings with the "owners" and support teams.  My impression is that OP is one of many business ventures they have, and Kallak has been appointed the caretaker.

    Making Kallak the only person singularly devoted to OP. 

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090

    @SkidAce, Hey hey! Great to see you. I'm not quite able to make any official statements on the subject, but there are more than a few things that have changed around the Portal. I'm definitely not the only devoted person these days. Send me a PM at some point, I'd love to catch up.

    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830

    No worries!

    Totally understandable about statements.  And I do constantly see things getting better, so that's great.

  • Keryth987
    Keryth987
    Posts: 1,047

    Thanks for the mention Kallak. And yes, i'd agree things round here have improved. And I'm glad to see the direction OP is going in

  • twiggyleaf
    twiggyleaf
    Posts: 2,006

    Thanks Kallak for the shoutout!  And for brookselliotbe303, I confirm that things are way better here on OP now.  I have always recommended Ascendancy.  I love been an Ascendant member and I highly recommend it to anyone else.

    smiley

     

    "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

    CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.

    Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign

    Inner Council Member

  • Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Posts: 358

    Hmm. Killervp and Twig are still here. Kalak is in charge. Seems like things are getting done. 

    This is my once every few years check in as I consider using OP again. The last few times left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm willing to see how it has evolved. At first glance it all seems positive. Fingers crossed. 

    Game Designer, Pro GM, multiple ENnie Award winner

    GM of Planejammer: The Spelljoined (Pathfinder 1e) Campaign of the Year 2011 and still going strong!

    GM of The Planewalker's Guild (Pathfinder 1e) 

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  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998

    Would love to have you back- things really have improved greatly!  Would love to have the master of Planescape back up and running

    Just trying to help out.

  • SkidAce
    SkidAce
    Posts: 830

    Things are a lot more stable.

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090

    You should check out the last couple of update posts on the blog. Doing so would hopefully show you the level of dedication the current team has.

    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Posts: 358

    I have. As a matter of fact I've rebooted The Spelljoined after a nine-year hiatus and am building out my Starfinder game here. My confidence in the current team and state of affairs is good enough that I have gone Ascendant again. 

    Cheers, and thanks for the kind words! Lovely to see this place in good hands. It's the first time since the Reforge that response has not been slow and kludgy, that by itself is massive. 

     

    Game Designer, Pro GM, multiple ENnie Award winner

    GM of Planejammer: The Spelljoined (Pathfinder 1e) Campaign of the Year 2011 and still going strong!

    GM of The Planewalker's Guild (Pathfinder 1e) 

    Need a GM? Book me today!

  • Kallak
    Kallak
    Posts: 1,090

    We're thrilled to have you back "home". Can't wait to see the campaign updates flowing again.

    All the best,
    - Kallak
  • twiggyleaf
    twiggyleaf
    Posts: 2,006

    Great to see DMLoki back with us.   

    smiley

     

     

    "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

    CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.

    Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign

    Inner Council Member

  • Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Dungeon_Master_Loki
    Posts: 358

    You're too kind, good sir! Rebuilt any gods while I was gone? 

    Game Designer, Pro GM, multiple ENnie Award winner

    GM of Planejammer: The Spelljoined (Pathfinder 1e) Campaign of the Year 2011 and still going strong!

    GM of The Planewalker's Guild (Pathfinder 1e) 

    Need a GM? Book me today!

  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998

    Actually yes- Osiris has been Rebuilt- only took 6 years and 9 months in real life time!

    Just trying to help out.

  • Keryth987
    Keryth987
    Posts: 1,047

    Always great to see an old face return to OP.

    And while I already said things around here are doing better, I will add this. I was here before the Reforge. I won COTM and COTY before the Reforge. I supported the Reforge enthusiastically

    When the Reforge happened, I was disappointed, and spent days fixing Shadows. Yet I stayed

    As the outages and other terrible things happened, I hung in there, Because there was still nothing better available

    And I'm glad I did. Things now are what they were like pre-reforge, except for the community, and that is recovering slowly. And I lay alot of THAT at Kallak's feet.

    And so now I got SHadows on it;s 4 Season/Campaign, another campaign sight developingthere to run on Roll20 after Shadows is over, and several other campaigns simmering on sites here.

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