[2020] Doesnt locking a thread make it hard to.... communicate?

Old threads get locked because there's a lot of info in them, that doesn't apply anymore. I've just locked a few today for that reason. Asking for help in a thread of a relevant topic might seem like the best way to get help with your problem, but it actually isn't. People will respond to the original OP moreso than the latest comment. Starting a new thread is much better.

There's also all the changes to the game over the years. Every DLC release comes with a free patch for the game that changes things. Bugs are fixed obviously, so what caused an issue 3 years ago might be completely different from today. And then there's mods. Old threads might recommend mods that are now broken. Bringing them back to life gets news subscribers for those old broken mods, which in turn means people end up with new problems instead of a better gameplay experience.

So threads aren't locked to shut down a topic or stop people from getting help. It's to get them the best help, that's relevant to their problem. :)

I hope that makes sense. Otherwise please ask! I'd be happy to elaborate on things that aren't clear. :)

There are definitely also situations, where I might leave a thread open because the discussion is still very relevant or the new comments added something really valuable. Just like sometimes I'll lock one because it's more bickering than discussion. A locked thread doesn't mean that the topic can't be discussed - and in most cases I leave either a comment or DM the poster with encouragement to start a new one instead.

Feedback is always valuable, even when it's negative. The only cases where things get deleted, is when we move into rude unconstructive posts. Players calling each other names for disagreeing isn't okay. Talking about disliking something or how they'd like it to be different is perfectly fine. :)

When to lock an old thread and move into a new one, and when to stick with the old one is a constant balancing act, and I have no doubt that I or the lovely moderators helping out don't always get it right. And I'm always happy to have the discussion about what works and what doesn't. My goal is after all to make sure everyone gets the info they need to get back to enjoying the game. :)

I really wish Steam had a little "This thread is X months old, are you sure you want to comment on it?" popup or notice somewhere - because who hasn't missed the date and necroed an old thread! :P Especially when searching some old ones might pop up, and the date of posts is not particularly visible.

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