One general note not directed at anyone in particular, but instead at everyone (including JJJ):
This [at least] the second time in recent memory that a newcomer has come away from a game feeling like the environment was too cliquey. I am certain that nobody intended that; sometimes it's a natural thing when so many people know each other so well. It also isn't necessarily always the fault of the mainstays (sometimes the discordant vibes are shared by the newcomers, but probably not in this instance).
I think we need to make a concerted effort to consider how this experience must feel for those who are not yet familiar with it or with the various personalities involved. It can be a dense and difficult environment to penetrate. I even felt that myself a little bit the first time around, but I tend to be so loud that I overwhelm it anyway. Let's ensure we're giving newcomers a fair shake not just in how we "read" them (because game integrity demands that anything goes on that front) but in how we interact with them and how much space we give them to play on their own terms.
