Tavern Clarification We’ve noticed some confusion about why the goal system is part of the Tavern. So, let’s clear that up.
First and foremost, the Tavern system is completely experimental and we’ve been very open about that from the beginning. That means we’re approaching it differently than other parts of the game.
Originally, the Tavern wasn’t even meant to be part of the game. We used to rely almost entirely on Discord for things like announcements and communication. However, with the recent news that Discord is planning to go public and launch an IPO, we’ve started thinking ahead. A company going public is usually the point when platforms begin to change - often in ways that put profit over user experience. (There’s even a word for this: enshittification.)
Based on how things usually go when a company goes public, we’re genuinely concerned that Discord might follow a similar path. That’s why we’ve made a conscious decision to reduce our reliance on it and start exploring other ways to engage with the community… just in case things go south. Now, to be clear… this isn’t a guarantee. Discord might not change at all. But we’d rather stay ahead of the curve than be caught off guard if it does.
With all that in mind, we introduced the Tavern as an experimental way to communicate in-game. Everything in the Tavern is part of a trial-and-error process. We’re simply testing different ideas to see what works and what doesn’t. The Tavern isn’t meant to be a full-on replacement for Discord. Both can exist side by side. The goal here isn’t to ditch Discord completely... it’s simply to avoid becoming too dependent on it.
Nothing is set in stone. If the system doesn’t serve us or the community well, we’re fully prepared to scrap it entirely. But the objective is incredibly clear… we want to reduce our dependence on Discord, and the Tavern is one step toward that.
Again, we really want to emphasize that the Tavern is very much in an experimental phase. So things might change… possibly a lot… as we figure out what makes sense for the game and the players.
With all that said, just because the Tavern is experimental doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. Our Code of Conduct still applies, and that includes things like spam - which many of you have rightly raised concerns about. We’re actively working on better ways to reduce spam, while also rewarding players who genuinely contribute to the conversation. At the end of the day, a lively Tavern with the occasional low-effort comments is still far better than an empty, abandoned one.
Since this is all still in testing, if the Tavern ends up unused or becomes a mess we can’t clean up, we won’t hesitate to shut it down and go back to the drawing board.
Simply put, let’s see how things go. We hear your concerns about spam, and we get it. But with a few tweaks, and further improvements to our auto moderation system, we believe the Tavern can become a fun, useful space for players to connect. And if it doesn’t work out? Back to the drawing board. That’s the whole point of experimenting - to try things, learn, and improve.