I don't contribute all that much around here -- mostly just snarky comments, +1s, and the occasional Dominionified meme. I'm not a top-tier player... nor even a second-tier player. I don't have deep things to contribute to the strategy discussions.
85% of my interaction with the forums is lurking.
Since the Mafia games began, I have noticed a decrease in Dominion-related discussion. (Yes, I understand this is only anecdotal evidence based on my subjective perception.)
I like Mafia, it's a fun game. But I doubt I'm going to win any popularity points when I say that: it seems the Mafia games are detracting from what draws me to the forums in the first place. People who are playing in them are spending their time and energy on Mafia and not on Dominion. Of course, they are free to do so -- no one is questioning that. It just means that leeches like me who are consumers and not really producers get less material to consume. (Which may not objectively be a bad thing, except for the leech.)
I'm sure there is room for everybody here... well, most people anyways. I, for one, am not really into fan cards and variants. Nor am I into simulation challenges. Puzzles are kind of cool. I have a tough time digging through game logs, so game reports are pleasant IFF there is some text written out about what happened in the game (instead of just posting a log with little/no context). Articles are awesome -- they are what drew me here in the first place (from the blog). Some of the "other board games" and "other games" discussions draw my attention, but generally only if it is something that I already like and want to share it with the forum.
However, with the Mafia games ongoing, it kinda feels like when you're at a party and a big group of people leave to go hang out in the other room and close the door. I mean, since it is a public forum, (to carry the analogy forward:) I am able to look through a window to this other room with this big group in it, all having fun and playing Mafia... but I didn't come to this party to play Mafia, and I certainly didn't come to this party to watch others play it. Granted, those of us who aren't putting most of our time/effort on f.ds Mafia are able to continue hanging out and speaking about Dominion (and other things as well), but there are fewer of us, which means less volume (but not necessarily less quality interaction).
To verify or disprove my feelings on this topic, I scanned through the recent posts of some of f.ds's more noted contributors who are also in Mafia games. I found many who have posted scarcely anything outside of them (or this thread, which directly relates to them). In fact, I found one who, in his last 75 posts, has posted 4 messages in 3 non-Mafia-related threads. Not calling anyone out, because it doesn't really matter in the individual case -- everyone is free to participate in this forum as they please.
I guess my only grumble is that the Dominion discussion feels a little less animated these days.
And in the end, I'm mostly just a lurker, so no one's conscience ought to be pricked by my ramblings. And there will probably be responses saying "you've got it all wrong, paddy" or "you're missing the point, paddy" or "if you don't like it, don't participate in it -- no one is forcing you to pay attention to Mafia stuff, paddy" or "you're a horrible person, paddy" (okay, probably not that last one). And that's fine, because we're all here to express ourselves via text (sometimes images) and each of us are free to do so as we please. I'm probably just an overly pedantic codger who doesn't deal well with change.
True as that might be, from my perspective, it still kinda stinks that there seems to be less Dominion partying going on. I love Dominion partying. +1 to whomever reads my wall of text, even if it causes you to have a spittle-flecked tantrum.