Isn't this character obsession mostly limited to specific subforums or discussion groups like "Story & Character Discussion"? Which in that case is sort of obvious - it´s in the name. I mean sure Tiktok, instagram and steam forums don't have subforums, but Tiktok isn´t really designed for discussions around how to build the ultimate bardlock, and nobody should use steam forums for any discussion, ever.
Also with gaming media becoming more mainstream, there´s a larger overlap with the type of fans that also obsess over KPop boy bands who bring that culture with them. But I don´t think that it´s "killing" the community, there´s just a larger variety to the community and if you want more of the old school type of discussions around crpg's there are many subforums and places for that as well. Or you can meet and share the same space and accept that we will have different interests within the same cultural phenomenon. Some people probably don't understand people who number crunch and obsess over character multiclass combinations either, that´s what the Build Discussions subforum is for.
