Revive Let's talk

[Hunty]

But I feel like it can be implemented immediately, so why not?

Banned!

 

[Troi]

Around Feb-May of last year, I had a lot of tragedies and deaths in the family that caused me to stepcaway from the RP and i left the handling of it to the other mods in the meantime. Currently at work but I have some thoughts about this in general that I'll try to edit this post and update in the next few hours. There have been some really nice suggestions here, both RP and overall site-wide.

Please God come back... I personally really appreciated you running the RP. You did a very good job and I am so glad to see you posting here. I am sorry for the tragedies you have suffered thru but I would hope you would make a return and we can all return to a healthy and fun RP again... I think a lot of RPers would love that and I would not choose anyone else to run it besides you.

 

[Kagutsuchi]

Hey everyone,
It's been a while.

Recently, I've been reconnecting with some of the staff behind the scenes and I wanted to open the door for you to be part of this conversation too.

We all know the forum world isn't what it used to be.
Socials are fast, chaotic, and everywhere and yet some of us still come back here.
Why is that?

I'm not here to make big promises or launch a full rebrand today.
But we are here to listen.

So tell us, what keeps you checking in?

• What would make you want to post more?
• What kind of content, features, or vibes would make AB fun again?
• Are there things you miss (like RP, AMVs, SotW, GFX, theory threads)?
• Or the good old Social Groups?

We're also looking at some small structural changes (like reorganizing the forum layout) and want your input on that too.

Even if you're just lurking feel free to drop a comment.
This place was always built by the people who showed up.
Let's see what's still possible, together.

Cheers,
Versuvio

So, Its good that this conversation is happening, but I think its a little too late. Forum doesn't have enough active members to keep it going, Unless we get the traffic in to the forum.

So what can be done to bring traffic ? Spoilers and Discussion of Mangas. That what got me into NB in the first place. We need to get all mainsteam Manga's / Social and bring all that traffic here. Competition will be discord .. but whatever, I am sharing what's coming to my mind.

I agree with Gutsy, Retire old Staff, Get new one. Re-organize communications.

What I miss from NB .. is everything.
RP, Old Friends, Theory Threads, But now I can utilize Reddit / Discord and get the information. I don't know what will bring AB back to NB Glory. But I want it to be back. Hopefully. Maybe get the Oldies back somehow.

 

[Versuvio]

I get the 'maybe it’s too late' vibe, but I'd rather try than let it fade completely.
Traffic is key, yeah. Spoilers, theories, big manga threads, that's what pulled people in back then.

Not sure the same formula works now, but it's worth exploring. Let's look ahead. If you've got ideas, throw them in.

So, Its good that this conversation is happening, but I think its a little too late. Forum doesn't have enough active members to keep it going, Unless we get the traffic in to the forum.

So what can be done to bring traffic ? Spoilers and Discussion of Mangas. That what got me into NB in the first place. We need to get all mainsteam Manga's / Social and bring all that traffic here. Competition will be discord .. but whatever, I am sharing what's coming to my mind.

I agree with Gutsy, Retire old Staff, Get new one. Re-organize communications.

What I miss from NB .. is everything.
RP, Old Friends, Theory Threads, But now I can utilize Reddit / Discord and get the information. I don't know what will bring AB back to NB Glory. But I want it to be back. Hopefully. Maybe get the Oldies back somehow.

 

[Kagutsuchi]

I get the 'maybe it’s too late' vibe, but I'd rather try than let it fade completely.
Traffic is key, yeah. Spoilers, theories, big manga threads, that's what pulled people in back then.

Not sure the same formula works now, but it's worth exploring. Let's look ahead. If you've got ideas, throw them in.

Ofcourse, I wouldn't want NB to ever die. So Yeah, Whatever comes to mind for the betterment, Go for it.

One Feature I Hated was Name Change, Whenever I would come back after some time, names would be different and I wouldn't be able to recognize anyone.

 

[Lucidus]

So, Its good that this conversation is happening, but I think its a little too late. Forum doesn't have enough active members to keep it going, Unless we get the traffic in to the forum.

So what can be done to bring traffic ? Spoilers and Discussion of Mangas. That what got me into NB in the first place. We need to get all mainsteam Manga's / Social and bring all that traffic here. Competition will be discord .. but whatever, I am sharing what's coming to my mind.

I agree with Gutsy, Retire old Staff, Get new one. Re-organize communications.

What I miss from NB .. is everything.
RP, Old Friends, Theory Threads, But now I can utilize Reddit / Discord and get the information. I don't know what will bring AB back to NB Glory. But I want it to be back. Hopefully. Maybe get the Oldies back somehow.

Expanding to include Light Novels discussions as a lot of people discuss chapters in comment sections on sites already, perhaps even looking to host certain light novels could be a possibility.

Post automatically merged: Aug 7, 2025

Ofcourse, I wouldn't want NB to ever die. So Yeah, Whatever comes to mind for the betterment, Go for it.

One Feature I Hated was Name Change, Whenever I would come back after some time, names would be different and I wouldn't be able to recognize anyone.

The name change feature is always good to have though, especially when your making usernames as a kid.

A good way to fix this issue would be to have an update when someone in your friends list changes there name so you can tell.

"RandomShiNobi96 changed their username to RandomfoDDer4lyfe"

This kind of update like shown above would be handy

 

[Detective L]

I miss the RP. I spent most of my time on this site during my school and Uni years and it has sentimental value to me, that's why I've kept logging in and remained in contact with the people from the RP.
I don't have suggestions per se, but would be great to see the site flourish again.

 

[Zatanna]

I get the 'maybe it’s too late' vibe, but I'd rather try than let it fade completely.
Traffic is key, yeah. Spoilers, theories, big manga threads, that's what pulled people in back then.

Not sure the same formula works now, but it's worth exploring. Let's look ahead. If you've got ideas, throw them in.

Ofcourse, I wouldn't want NB to ever die. So Yeah, Whatever comes to mind for the betterment, Go for it.

One Feature I Hated was Name Change, Whenever I would come back after some time, names would be different and I wouldn't be able to recognize anyone.

I wont lie, while forums were fun, a majority of this can all be done on Discord now. Even stuff like threads and things like that can just be ongoing.
It might even be worth considering just migrating to a Discord server. I get that it kinda takes it out of the admin and owners hands, BUT, there would certainly be more traffic and more of a chance for people to interact, rather than posting, then having to wait a day for people to respond etc, it depends on what direction you want to go. Whether thats the authentic forum feel, or actually try to grow and have more people join. Perhaps a combination of the two somehow.
I am neither for nor against it, but just another thing to consider.

 

[Zaphkiel]

Yea, I'd love to see NB make a comeback. Contests, Forum Games -- especially the RP. It had/has no reason to die when so many of us are willing to keep playing and visiting.

 

[Avani 👑]

I wont lie, while forums were fun, a majority of this can all be done on Discord now. Even stuff like threads and things like that can just be ongoing.
It might even be worth considering just migrating to a Discord server. I get that it kinda takes it out of the admin and owners hands, BUT, there would certainly be more traffic and more of a chance for people to interact, rather than posting, then having to wait a day for people to respond etc, it depends on what direction you want to go. Whether thats the authentic forum feel, or actually try to grow and have more people join. Perhaps a combination of the two somehow.
I am neither for nor against it, but just another thing to consider.

Discord has it's plus. However, I like AB because it's not discord...
There are fast food stalls by the street and there are restaurants fine dining etc..

Jokes apart, I really like forums better because that very thing- I can check out the discussions and respond at my own pace. I don't have to rush to chat or miss out if I want to respond. One can have more serious and lengthy discussions at forums than on discord.

I joined a few discords - But I dropped out all of them within a few months. It's ok for some chat but that's it.

 

[Zise]

I think a official discord server for the community can be a great addition to the site if done right. Not to replace the functions of the forum but to enhance it by features that can't be achieved through the site. Such as movie or anime watch parties, community games or music sharing.

 

[The Pervy Sage]

I think a official discord server for the community can be a great addition to the site if done right. Not to replace the functions of the forum but to enhance it by features that can't be achieved through the site. Such as movie or anime watch parties, community games or music sharing.

I honestly think a public discord for all AB members split into sections like forums would work. Have it linked to the site so it's easy to access.

 

[Lucidus]

Discord has it's plus. However, I like AB because it's not discord...
There are fast food stalls by the street and there are restaurants fine dining etc..

Jokes apart, I really like forums better because that very thing- I can check out the discussions and respond at my own pace. I don't have to rush to chat or miss out if I want to respond. One can have more serious and lengthy discussions at forums than on discord.

I joined a few discords - But I dropped out all of them within a few months. It's ok for some chat but that's it.

This was my sentiments exactly in a previous post. Forums feel much cleaner and I don't need to sift through so much trash during a busy day. A forum feels well organised and a nice pace, if two people are active the pace can even pick up.

A forum just feels better for also making discussion threads or debate threads

 

[Troi]

Discord is too fast for old people like me. I can really put my thoughts on a forum format without the subject changing 85 times by the time I wake up from a nap.

 

[RAMENATOR]

My key take-away from the most recent feedback is: branching out may be good, as long as you don’t lose sight of what’s “unique” about this site. From a business sense, if you want growth, you need to adapt but don’t lose what set’s you apart from the competition.

A complete shift to Discord or whatever would mean starting over and you’d need a dedicated team to lay that groundwork and build anew. Already established manga/anime discords would have the advantage and the big question for new members would be: why leave x for y? What does y have that x doesn’t?

 

[The Pervy Sage]

My key take-away from the most recent feedback is: branching out may be good, as long as you don’t lose sight of what’s “unique” about this site. From a business sense, if you want growth, you need to adapt but don’t lose what set’s you apart from the competition.

A complete shift to Discord or whatever would mean starting over and you’d need a dedicated team to lay that groundwork and build anew. Already established manga/anime discords would have the advantage and the big question for new members would be: why leave x for y? What does y have that x doesn’t?

Shift to discord? Nah. Forums offer stuff discord can't. A sense of permanence etc.

Working side by side would work.

 

[Tsuki]

Just throwing out a thought.

The forum could thrive by helping others thrive. I’m thinking of artists, writers, and content creators. Essentially people who produce "entertainment". There has already been art and fanfic contests here, so the concept isn’t far-fetched. The forum could become a hub where they - and people who show interest - gather. They could promote YouTube videos discussing the latest manga chapters or showcase their artwork. This could boost traffic and help build communities within the forum.

I understand that there are rules regarding promoting/advertising, but again, just an idea that crossed my mind.

Edit: Content creators could promote their videos here in exchange of mentioning the forum either in their video or the video description (with a link).

 

[Xylon]

I would take this feedback with a grain of salt, including my own. People don't fully know what they want. You might find support for revival in responses but it may not materialize.
Cloud flare made it impossible to work with the site, that much I recall. I also understand somewhat why cloudflare was necessary.
Mobile site was not mobile friendly, and cloudflare+ads made it worse.

In my opinion, the time for Forums and boards is indeed long gone. People that are willing to use them, have likely already used them before. Keeping this format means relying on an existing community that will not grow.
People use discord to chat more personally, and reddit to discuss more broadly about topics. You should have all 3.
- Discord has a 90/10 split on subscriptions. That's a source of revenue
- Reddit does not allow direct monetization, but large communities take sponsorships. Specially referral links.
- Anime culture has grown but forums have not, people who partake in discussions on subreddits may find their way to the site and discord. All those things we did here, from spoilers discussions, draws and art competitions. I see all of it frequently on subreddits and discord channels. But I doubt it would flourish on a site others cant find their way around naturally.
- You should keep the site, ideally without redundancy, maybe as blog or a forum to discuss topics that would otherwise be restricted on other platforms. Its independent ad revenue. Feed traffic from discord and reddit to the site to allow it to keep growing, because scam sites with similar names rank higher than this on google.

 

[Never]

I think a full migration to discord is a mistake, like Pervy said it's much harder to track things on there and things would get messy. Discord should really just be used as an "enhancement" like Zise suggested

 

[Hunty]

I think a official discord server for the community can be a great addition to the site if done right. Not to replace the functions of the forum but to enhance it by features that can't be achieved through the site. Such as movie or anime watch parties, community games or music sharing.

is there a way that we can integrate that?