Is there a more active place to talk / chat about this game? The forums have always seemed... a little dead. Is there an active discord server or something for the game? I've been looking to get a into league or at least just chatter about the game but this forum just.. uninviting to put it mildly. The steam community page honestly seems more active than this which is shocking.

YES there is a discord channell with like minded players discord.gg/S7xdAwn

I get the invite is invalid or has expired ...

I agree with the OP. For such a splendid game, not much enthusiasm for discussion. If there's an alternate forum, I'd love to be made aware.

I have been coming to this forum very regularly since last October when I first started playing SO7. It has been the only way to learn the game. I have seen posts suggesting activity has dropped but I haven't been around long enough to comment on that.

My best guess is that as the series was developing a few years ago, there were a large number of people learning together via posts in the forum. Some of those players have now moved on to modded games and league racing and if you go into those sections there is still heaps of enthusiasm. Others will still be playing the basic game but are no longer thirsty for more information/views in the way they perhaps were.

I would also guess that in making SO7 more realistic and harder to master, there are far fewer new/casual players and therefore the need to ask simple questions is less. I get the impression that many people are not persevering with the game because it is such a long hard struggle early on, and however long you play it there are still so many imponderables. It appeals to me because that is my nature but I can understand why many would not have the time nor the patience.

I would very much like to read and add to posts that contain information on how best to play, experiments that have worked and those that have not. Seasonal expectations. Great horses. Nightmare horses. Pretty much everyone has a different insight on things and it would be great to share them. But with the current balance of SO7 players, and the fact it takes up so much time to actually play SO7, I don't think that will happen much whether on here or another server.

Finally, it is not correct to suggest the Steam community is more active than here. Their posts consist mainly of complaints that the game doesn't work on Steam (which it does, eventually), and most questions get an answer followed by advice to check out this forum for better information !