I'm fine with the rules for giving a game the abandoned tag, they could be better but they aren't bad. What I have a bigger concern with is how easy it is to get that abandoned tag removed. The abandoned tag should come with a bigger penalty, and be harder to remove. Maybe something like:
- Locking the thread upon the tag being applied to a game. This would prevent the game from getting further free publicity, and bury it on the forum. Say what you will, but one of the problems with this game is that this thread remains very active, and new people keep finding the game for the first time. Some portion of those new players become Patrons. The pipeline needs to be cut.
- Upon the abandoned tag being applied to a game, it should require multiple updates and/or posts from the dev to get the tag lifted.
- If an abandoned tag does get lifted, the game should permanently be on a short leash. If the time comes and the game deserves a second abandoned tag, then the tag should be permanent and the game should be banned. All future threads for the game should be banned/locked, no matter how many updates or promises made from the dev. Exclusions would be made on a case by case basis, but the burden of proof should be extremely high.
My issue isn't how long it took Milfy City to get the tag, but it should never have had the tag removed so easily. Everyone could tell that Incestor was acting in bad faith and just threw an update out there to get the tag removed. That sort of situation shouldn't be allowed to happen so easily.
I don't disagree with the principles of your argument, but if this forum/site were to apply judgement that liberally, they may be held accountable for actions they take (some dev may lay a lawsuit on the site for slander/libel defamation, for example).
Regarding your points:
1) I could see this, as long as there was a disclaimer at the top of each page stating the game had been marked due to the dev being incommunicado for the 90 day period defined. Then the new members know WHY they can't post.
NOTE - This should not stop sub-threads for games from existing so the game and its tag could be discussed.
2) I see your point, but who is going to monitor such activity? That is not the point of this forum. We are supposedly here to discuss the games, not require a schedule of release (see "Where it All Began" for an example).
3) If you change the rules for one dev/scenario or another, you run the risk of a discrimination suit. Again, not a risk the owners of the site would (or SHOULD) shoulder regardless of how we feel about it.
This place is where we discuss the games, and if necessary, sometimes their developers as well. I think we get a LOT of leeway in what we say quite often. But I don't think it's the job of this site to police the developers, since, unfortunately, "Caveat Emptor". Or for this game specifically, "NeverTrust Shitstor".
I know I'm pushing the boundary of off-topic here, but I hope I walked the line of answering the question.
