[@The Spectre] The quality of the site seems more dependent on the people inhabiting it than the site itself tbh, even if I agree that having a functional PM system would be nice.

I for one [i]was[/i] here back when the site was founded (forgot my credentials and had to start a new account after a long hiatus; sue me). And I cannot comment on the quality of RP changing much between then and now; RpG has always had its stratified castes of roleplayers, and the swelling bell-curve of mediocrity who comprise the largest bulk of its population. But I like the site a lot more now than I did then, because back then we evidently were the last bastion of cringelord Scene-kiddies after the fall of MySpace, whereas now we've got a larger contingency of people who take writing seriously, who treat it more as a passion than a pastime, who are here for more than just time-whittling escapism.

There's a saying in the self-defense community: "You don't aim a kick for the groin. You aim for the chin and let the groin get in the way." Silly as it may sound, that is the philosophy which will distinguish great writers from good ones. If you want the less colorful Vince Lombardi version, you would rather say, "Chase perfection and catch excellence."

The cliques definitely still exist but unlike Buddha I think they have diminished over the years. I think the site takes roleplay a bit more seriously now, and that's a good thing, even if it's at the cost of raw numbers (namely population). I like to think we've trimmed more fat than meat over the years.