DKC Atlas Forum

[VideoViking]

The DKC-Atlas was a haven for Donkey Kong fans of all generations. Levels were documented and level editors were programmed. The forum was open to discourse, and the discourse paved way to a chat box. But those days may be over...

As we're well aware, the activity of this site is at a standstill. So has the webmaster, Qyzbud, who has relatively stayed silent these past few months, if not the whole year. The only ones left who really take after the site are Simion and myself (even if to just check up on the place every now and then). The lack of any forward developments and interest, coupled with yesterday's IP resolve issue, has led me to believe the greatest fear of all.

Has the Atlas run its course? Is there nothing more that's needed to be done?

Will the site shut down?

I am calling on the mods and webmaster to discuss the current state of the Atlas.

[Simion32]

I really feel we're missing something here. As in, there is more that could be done with the community.

But as it stands, I'm the only moderator left, and I even check the site and chat box every day even if nothing has really happened on the forum in general.

I'm even here more than our site creator, Qyzbud, who apparently has other things to do in life -- and has been completely absent from the forum even after I tried to make contact with him on Telegram (he hasn't responded further after someone let him know that I had a PM in waiting and he PMed me back stating that he'd give it a go, but he never did!!). Qyzbud's absence started who knows when, but it's disturbing to see the site fall by the wayside in the past year.

Compounding the issues are that users are currently disabled from signing up, supposedly just to prevent spambots from signing up, but even then, no one can get an account now that registration is closed and Qyzbud isn't around for the lucky few who can get a referral from some other Atlas member.

I've had plans for sharing DKCLB once it comes along (on this site), and my recent developments have brought DKCLB into open-source territory due to several issues with me not being able to get anything done on DELTA. I'd rather work solely on DELTA and get it working so that I can get something out of this massive effort, and DKCLB will come forth in the aftermath of DELTA's later release(s). But strictly speaking, I won't have the resources or time to put "fuel" into a DKCLB-powered resurgence in site activity until possibly a couple of years from now.

This site is going nowhere fast, and I feel that even with our meager efforts, we will not be able to uphold this site's integrity unless something is done.

I'll probably make another post here in this topic, but those are some of my thoughts thus far.

[amanezco]

I love this website for its comprehensive maps and artwork collection as well as the forum. I used to read forum with so much joy when it was active. Nowadays, I think everyone is more active on DKvine. I hope DKC atlas will stay alive.

I also think we need to make a DKC campaign to get more attention from Nintendo and get new games coming in the future. With new games, all fan sites get back to life

[Blaziken257]

I haven't been here myself in a while but that's mainly due to being busy with life for a long time. I mainly focus on ROM hacking and I've slowed down a lot in the past two years due to being busy, so I haven't had much to contribute, if anything (though I really want to release an improved version of the DKL3 English patch one day, I've been sitting on that for a while). It's sad that Qyzbud hasn't been seen in a while, and I hope that isn't the case forever. And I hope this forum doesn't disappear anytime soon.

[OneOf99]

Although I really want to see more activity happen here, it really is hard to be part of a community that is just unable to grow. Ever since that stuff with the bots making tons of posts that caused Qyzbud to shut down the registration we've only been able to be stagnant or declining. So I don't think it's really a surprise as to what has happened. The only place here that is still semi-alive is the "Count to 5000" thread and the chat, and neither of those can really draw new people. I'm glad I found this place right before it shut down, but I don't see the DKC Atlas ever rising again due to the current circumstances.

[Cosmicman]

I really don't want to see this site disappear, the maps and gallery section helps me so much with my project, on top of an amazing community, even though I don't post much I'm constantly visiting and using the website's resources as references.

[wuffalo]

I think the biggest factor for inactivity would be generations. And what i mean by that is that, well, the first wave of users have mostly moved on in their lives, but theres nothing really there to bring in new users. The DKC Atlas Twitter hasnt tweeted in a loong while, so theres no online presence for people to learn about the site. And the closed registrations don't help, either.

[Super Luigi!]

I don't know about the state of the Atlas, but I do think we need something. If Qyzbud returned, that would be a good start, because then we could discuss opening registration and advertisement. Although I regularly take vacations from this site, I do still care about it, and I could possibly help by visiting more.

[Ninni973]

Sorry for the bump here. Now I don't want to cause any trouble or anything, but has it ever occurred to you guys that Qyzbud might be dead, not just online, but in real life too? Think about it, he's been gone for nearly two years now and counting, what he was doing (making money to fix his house, as Super Luigi! said in the DKC dream topic) should have been done a long time ago, and he never PMed Simion32 back on Telegram even after someone else let him know that he had a PM waiting for him.

If Qyzbud is really dead, DKC Atlas is truly effed . This was the first forum I've ever signed up on, and the only forum I keep coming back to, for the DKC4 topic, for the chat, for the fanmade DKC music, the soundfonts, and for other topics too. To see it fade into obscurity breaks my heart, and I really wish to see it thrive again like back in the old days. As Simion32 said, something has to be done with the forums in order for it to become active again.

Rest in peace, Qyzbud. This site and forum would not have existed without you, and we all thank you for everything you've done for us. It was really nice talking to you on chat, talking about DKC, DKL, and other things too. I will cherish these amazing memories and experiences, always. May God, the angels, the banana birds and their queen watch over you.

[Simion32]

Qyzbud has been on in the past few months, at least, which means he's probably just really busy with crap.

He was last visiting the site (according to his account page) on Thu Dec 12, 2019 at 2:39 am....

And something tells me he's never even noticed this topic.

[Ninni973]

Well, that's good to hear that he's still alive. And you're right, he should have noticed this topic by now.

Unless it's true that he's really dead in real life and A. it's either a family member (probably his brother or sister) logging into his account, but doesn't know how to manage the site, so he/she just logs out after a while without asking for help, or B. a hacker that's probably trying to mess with us or doesn't know how to manage the site, so logs out without asking for help much like the previous hypothesis, or C. that's his ghost trying to manage the site, but cannot bring himself to let people know that he's dead out of fear that everyone will think that this site is haunted, so logs out afterwards.

[Super Luigi!]

I doubt he's deceased. Qyzbud will likely return eventually, even if that means a few more years. Until then, we must all live on the best we can.

[Ninni973]

You know, something hit me just now. I have a terrible feeling that when Qyzbud does come back, he'll be a completely different person. Like, he'll come back as a enraged, despicable douchebag going "f--- YOU A-holes, I HATE ALL OF YOU, DON'T effing PISS ME OFF OR I'LL RIP OFF YOUR HEAD!!!", probably from all of the stress and PTSD from whatever he's been doing the past nearly two years and counting. I mean, no offense to him or anybody else, but you know how some people are when they come back from the army. Maybe Qyzbud's doing just that, you know?

If we get a grumpy-ass Qyzbud who hates everybody, Simion32 might have to take over as the webmaster. It's just how I feel, so please respect that and also, don't hate me for trying to express my thoughts. Also, sorry if I over-exaggerated how Qyzbud will act if he does come back from the army.

[the_kong_br]

Perhaps the subject (Donkey Kong Country), however attractive and nostalgic it may be, does not promote the functioning of an Internet Board ... but here there are issues so deep about specific issues of the trilogy (and others) that no Board has ... I even translated some topics for other famous Brazilian Boards ...

[rainbowsprinklez]

I feel like Simion has long since thought of a solution to this. Will you create an archival copy of the atlas's forums? Just, there is a wealth of knowledge. I know I would be interested in an offline copy!

[thetoad11]

I was here to follow projects and maybe write music for them but then people stopped using the forum to update their projects so I kinda became without a purpose. I check back in every once in a while but I never seem to have a reason to actually post.

[Blaziken257]

I wonder if it makes sense for there to be a Discord to complement this forum. I'm not the first one with this idea, but I know a couple or so people (excluding myself) who already use Discord. It would solve the issue of new people being unable to register (which apparently has been an issue in this forum for a while). It wouldn't even have to be run by Qyzbud (since nobody has been able to reach him in years). And I've noticed that Discords tend to be more active than any forums that are complemented by them. I've never run a Discord so I don't know how difficult it would be, but it might bring new life to this community. I hope someone considers it.

[rainbowsprinklez]

https://discord.gg/qPCcTcF

[Blaziken257]

There was a Discord all this time and I didn't know it?

[rainbowsprinklez]

Seems like it! The discord is pretty dead too...