[sector24]

I would say the forum is run "efficiently". I wouldn't say it's run "well". Here's why I think this; when I moderated forums in the past, I always made sure that I was also a member of the forums that I moderated. I contributed in a positive fashion, occasionally joked around with the members, but most importantly the members knew that I was a fan of the game first, and a moderator second. And if I had to bring down the ban hammer, I did it with the member's understanding that I am one of them and it was best for the community. They didn't always agree with me but they understod that I understood their interests. The people who work at Shrapnel are distinctly "outside" the community.

I don't know if you have a favorite Dominions nation/spell/unit, or a list of things you like (or don't like) about the game. I don't even know if you play Dominions 3 or have even tried it. I don't even know if you like video games or just work at Shrapnel because your husband does. You have invested nothing personal to Dominions 3, so when you are called in to ban someone its like you're the meteorite from deep space that purges Atlantis from the seas.

When this happens in the future, I think a better approach would be for one of the volunteer moderators who is a "member" of the forum to do the banning and you support them in your decision. When Shrapnel Games does the banning it makes you look like the faceless entity the draws universal ire while at the same time making it look like the volunteer moderators can't actually moderate without you. Additionally, it's very poor form to delete threads without explanation. A simple, "We are removing this thread from public view pending a review" goes a long way towards appearing less totalitarian.

I don't post this to be negative, I hope something constructive can be taken from it. Even if your decision was correct, you lack (and have always lacked) the soft touch that makes hard decisions bearable. I think the biggest stink about the whole thing is that it doesn't seem like the community believes that Shrapnel Games has the best interests of Dominions 3 at heart.