Easily worth the $5. I wanted the custom avatar access but ultimately I need this forum for so many reasons and would hate to see it go away. I wish it got the recognition from Wizkids that it deserved.

Merry Christmas!

So, I'm assuming I'm not going to get a response. Okay.

I have to echo and mirror what my brother has already said. I have been on this page for 15 years now. I have been contributing to it with Articles, reporting, and volunteering for over a decade at this point (Going all the way back to Critical Hit Magazine). I have written hundreds of front page articles and have been one of the biggest cheerleaders of this page...even in the face of people that would tear it down and spit on it openly. I have been here when WizKids actively supported this page and even partnered with it to make exclusive previews that only WE got and I was fortunate enough to be one of the writers that got to write a few of those previews. I was here during the days of the HeroClix Online and participating in/promoting the tournaments organized on there with the help of the Realms (Which was the origins of the ROC itself).

I have been an adamantium donor for many, many years and it's getting harder and harder to put that much energy into this site when I'm one of the few that still does. I don't know if anybody has noticed or not, but there have been very few Deep Dish Themes articles in these last 3-4 months. While part of that is the fact that I manage a board game store and it's currently Christmas time, it's also because I've had to wade through Advertisements (That I certainly shouldn't be seeing as an adamantium donor), unnecessary capchas that have completely erased articles on me as I am putting finishing touches on them, and the overwhelming sense of defeat and dread as I continually put more effort into the site than the person that owns it. This used to be THE place to come for ANYTHING HeroClix, but I wouldn't doubt for a second if it were to crumble completely if not for the Units section as that seems to be the common thread that keeps people coming here. If not for that (And even that is in serious decline) how long would this site even last? I just can't keep putting my time and energy into something that ultimately seems to want to die. It's like pouring your heart and soul into a relationship while the other person completely ignores you.

Once Christmas is over and my own life reverts back to normal, I will still be doing articles for the site. I love doing it and I love my readers, but as my brother said, "The HCR community needs some promises. We need follow through, but my continued support absolutely hinges on what happens over the next twelve months."

I too wish WizKids would partner with HCRealms to make it the best it could be. But unfortunately they have this idea that the community here is toxic. And honestly, I can't disagree with them sometimes. The trolling and ####-posting has plagued these pages for years. The jerks are always willing to shout above the rest to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear. Also, the site itself fosters animosity from the people that think they are owed a certain level of quality (but aren't they?).

But on the flip side, I have made lifelong friends on these pages and value the good times over the bad one-thousand times over. This site is amazing. Always has been. It just needs some direction and care to get it back on its game. I really hope that 2019 gets it there.

I feel like I'm just piggybacking on your posts at this point, but as far as the toxicity goes, I can't help but feel the same way you do. I warned Typhon and other admins YEARS ago and often that bad apples have to be removed. The fact that we have people here that have posted insanely negative and often uniformed and uneducated drivel. From a customer service standpoint (One I'm insanely familiar with) I got Typhon's point about not wanting to ban people or alienate anybody. EVERY customer was important to him...as well they should be...but at what point is the groundwater poisoned to the point that it is undrinkable for the rest of the community? I think we've reached that point by allowing bad apples to infect the rest of us long ago.

WizKids won't touch this site with a ten foot pole and I can 100% assure you as I volunteer with WizKids all the time at conventions that this site is a joke to them. It hurts me that this is the case as I do care a lot about this site, but we've all allowed it to get this way. Most of the old guard of volunteers, moderators, admins, and other various "Blood Donors" are barely here these days. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I don't think that the majority of them even have looked at HeroClix or this site in years. It's a lawless land, and the few that are trying to help keep the lights on are being besieged on all sides by the negative side of fandom. Hell, there are members of this site that haven't even participated in anything HeroClix related in over a decade (Unless you count their continued presence on this page where the only post they ever make is to tear down other players, the site, or the game itself... (A.K.A....Hate posting)

The fact that people have come on here for years (One even in this exact thread) that only come here to tell of their OWN site that they've made or are making to try to get people to leave this page is indicative of the kind of absence of any authority that I've been speaking of.

Long-time donor, long-time end user. I appreciate this site, warts and all. I will continue to donate.

That being said (and I know my requests will have no teeth once you receive my donation), I'd very much appreciate COMMENTS opened up on ALL the Units pages in perpetuity. Reading and contributing to the back-and-forth discussion of clever team-building, enthusiasm (or derision) for particular pieces, WizKids mistakes, etc. is vital for my continued participation.

Also, should I expect my current expiration in February be pro-rated so my re-upped membership would expire in Feb. 2020?

(Also, a few months back I offered to volunteer my time to help clean up typos, add Real Names and missing Keywords etc. to the Units pages, if manpower is an issue. Just LMK.)

I haven't found any other site with a better units section. I used to rarely visit "al's clix cave", but i think thats been defunct for a long time. Last time i looked for it i couldnt find it. So this is the go-to units place for me.

Indeed, I am a Bronze donor now, and I could be more if I saw more resolution of site issues and developments, or less if the site quality continues to diminish.

I'm sorry about the loss of your job, and times must be hectic, and I know this site probably doesn't call as much attention to you as it used to do. But like other's have said, we need the addressing of issues we're having with the site and we need to see changes. If you can't do these things, either let those who can or are willing to develop the site do so or just shut it down.

We understand that you own the hcrealms and have been at its helm from the onset, and we are grateful for that. But even the Late Great Stan Lee knew when it was time to pass on the reigns of Marvel to those that could take it forward.

That having been said, I want to see these changes (these should probably have their own thread - a site development's list) to the hcrealms if you are asking for my continued donation or even an increase of such:

1. Updates of the Units Section, including pictures and fixing of typos, misinformation, and treatment of Title Characters (for example) with complete text.

2. Removal/deletion of unused areas of the site which just take up space (e.g. albums, faqs, calendar, etc.). Maybe some of this stuff interests members, idk, but let's face it, the Units Section is the priority and it needs a lot more attention and development.

3. Voting system to allow for member abuse reporting/banning (if a FB group page can control its members, why can't hcrealms?).

4. More interactivity for unit reviews, grading fig effectiveness, meta/casual-use, win/loss ratio, sculpt design, etc.

That's pretty much it. I'm not saying get it all done now, just give us a schedule of development when we can see these fixes and improvements and many of us will be happy to donate (in fact, stop calling it a donation, and start calling it an investment, because many of us would like to invest in making this site better.)

Alas, it is defunct.

I’m thinking my double donor from last time should still be going. Is there any way to check on this?

Well, I donated again whether my last double donor should be still active or not. There were many years I enjoyed the site without being able to donate, so I can now and did. Merry Christmas everybody and to you big T, hope the new year brings us everyone good fortune and much happiness!

I would like to add, I miss the units section’s promptness, completeness, and the ability to comment on a unit while it is “fresh”. I commented rarely, but absolutely love reading others comments and ratings and suggested uses for any particular figure. Good or bad. Anyway, hope the ship gets righted soon.

I use this site regularly and am happy to help support it, but want to echo many other members in asking for more timely Units Section updates, and more active virus/malware monitoring. I can enter the homepage via my workstation in my office which has very aggressive virus protection, antispyware and malware avoidance, but have to enter via the "Units Section side door" if I visit on my tablet.

Good luck T, I hope 2019 is a better year for you !!

Edit: now let's hope the merge utility will kick-in after the DDD closes so I can extend my membership into 2025.

To be objective, the situation is as much of WizKids own making as it is for any fan base hate mongering. I've been hobby gaming for over 40 years, and while I've definitely seen worse customer and retailer treatment by game publishers in that time - repeatedly - I would not put WizKids in the positive column. "Two times easier to collect Armor Wars." "Con in your store." No replacements for defective chase figures, super booster figures, or even fixed content packs. Those are just off the top of my head, but the list is legion.

And WizKids being dismissive of any input outside its own in-house staff long pre-dates the current toxicity on this site. From the early days of Infinity Challenge and Hypertime very savvy input on dial design, game effect balance, rule terminology has been presented by folks who in several cases became tournament champions and in a couple cases even set designers (or prospects). Sure there is always a very skewed noise to signal ratio inherent in such fan input. But rather than tap into it as a valuable resource (particularly in the area of rulebook design and editing, where volunteer input from certain members on this site would have been priceless), WizKids snidely dismissed it, setting a tone in how they regarded their customers that still poisons the well to this day.

The issue is not that WizKids has made such mistakes. All game publishers eventually do, to some degree. It is that WizKids has continued to make them. And rarely have they even acknowledge it has happened, let alone apologize or atone for it.

I can think of no other game publisher in my long history, other than Games Workshop, that has managed that spotty of a customer relations track record without folding within a matter of a few years.

Its clear WizKids has borne witness to some extraordinarily passionate personnel over the years. Frequently lauded by name on this site. Old timers can recall multiple threads giving shout outs to Rose for going above and beyond in customer service. But designers, sculptors, judges, and even a couple reps have been singled out for praise. Just as much, mostly from the marketing and managerial side, there has been a tone-deaf dealing with the customer and retailer base. One that, for anyone who peruses other hobby game forums with regards to WizKids reputation outside the HeroClix community, is considered unacceptable by expectations most hobby game customers have for the products they purchase.

In such a situation, the soil was ripe for a crop of customer reaction toxicity. A game publisher that continues to make mistakes and neither rectifies them nor provides an outlet to discuss them - combined with a well-known fan site that becomes the dumping ground for anger when there is no other outlet. And in my opinion the handling of it on this site has been dysfunctional for years. Not because such commentary was not censored (when commentary is blatantly false, the proper response is to call it out in open discussion, not remove it). But because legitimate grievances and customer expectations have frequently been smugly dismissed or ridiculed, sometimes with participation of moderators making it appear to be the "official" stance of the site. In the face of such, reasonably aggrieved parties typically turn vocally angry - or leave altogether. What remains to feed the discourse are the fringe participants, most of the reasonable folk having left the room for good.

Again this is a situation as much of WizKids making as any other cause. It will never be remedied without their acknowledgement and efforts to mend the fence. The lack of leadership at the helm of this site is just salt in that wound.

Excuse me Henry Potter...



One more "fool" contributing; I just repeated my Adamantium donation. I definitely think the site is worth my support. The site has given me a lot in 16+ years and has allowed me to contribute in ways other than financial. I'm participating on an extremely well-designed website that has a few rough edges, but it is one that I'd like to be on for the next seventeen years. If I could put a small wish list of my own together for Typhon:

• Turn on (i.e. allow) comments on all 2018 units. There are a some of the 2018 LE that aren't taking comments.
• Update the units for mistakes (as identified in the correct forum), and flagging/locking the threads as fixed. If possible, I'd suggest disabling the auto-lock feature of threads in that forum.
• Keep an eye on the malicious ads (when possible)

For the rest of the users:

• Tone down the entitlement. 2018 was the first time in almost a dozen years that I had a post of mine deleted. Unsurprisingly, the common feature was calling out a "rules authority's" hypocrisy. You are trusted with a small amount of authority, it means that you cannot be seen as petty.
• Please triple-check the dials before entering them into the units section pipeline. Evidence threads ask for images/scans of the cards for a reason. I am as anxious as anyone to be able to add figures to possible team builds, but rushing to have the units complete leads to an unending chorus of "fix the units".

I'll finish with this: I've had a long period of unemployment and it is harder than many can imagine. It can be very difficult to ask for help, and even sharing that news is not easy. It is extremely cruel to have to read/listen to accusations of "not doing enough". Those of us who have been unwillingly unemployed always have that thought running through our heads; a chorus of external voices echoing a similar sentiment isn't helping.

As 2018 comes to a close, I want to wish the best to all members of the extended HCRealms family and hope that 2019 brings good things.