I agree with what said by
@EMPEROR_COW and if something I believe that the problem of the casual thread was that various times it ended to become a real casual one (in the meaning that people started to talk about things not part of the casual side of DoA, but just generally). Very likely it would be necessary a slighty major organization and self-limit on the off topic, but something that hardly can be done from the mods operating on the thread but that rather should start from the same users posting on it: something for making of the thread less a chat and more a topic about the general casual world of DoA, however too much rules could even go against the purpose to use it, so the problem is not simple.
Forgive me if I'm wrong (far from me to want say things that aren't true, so please correct me if this is the case), but in addition to the reasons exposed by
@Mr. Wah ,
@CyberEvil and
@Brute that I read in these days and in the last months and about which Emperor has already argumented, I think that in general a such thread it's always been seen as a bad thing additionally even because in the end going against the starting principles of FSD being oriented to a competitive crows: I remember an old post of
@Rikuto where he said that even having making concessions to the people aiming for some casual discussions on the thread (he was saying it in times pre-casual thread), it was necessary to remember that the site remained aimed to the competitive discussion of DoA.
Personally I believe that in all this time, casual thread being the most active of the site or less, the site showned the evidence to keep the flag of place where the Western fans of DoA can go if want really learn and improve in the technical matters of the game. I don't think that the existence or less of the casual is enough to deviate the attention of the old or new users of this site
from the competitive matter, neither to associate the fame of FSD to the casual discussion.
I don't want beat a dead horse so this is just a suggestion, but personally I think that would be more productive for the site to open again the thread rather than closing it, this time setting specific direct rules and guidelines for addressing the behavior of the users posting there (for making the first examples coming in my mind, from to not talk of news before to see posted a related article on the main page, to a list of arguments that should be avoided). But of course you have to do what you think is the best for the community, so no one can force anyone and have to respect your decision.
I hope to not appear biased with my words: you know pretty well that I'm for the most a casual fan of the DoA series and that I was really active in that thread, however this has never prevented me to go to read the technical threads of the site (where I'm not competent for posting something useful) for trying to improve at least of a little my knowledge of the game. I'm really interested in that matter too, only I believe to not have the right mindset for being good, said this I continue to be interested to technical guides, tricks for specific moves or more simple the knowledge of the basis of the DoA mechanics (what I really need), exactly as I can be interested to the work of TN on Rig's peculiar eyebrown.
I wanted just make know my opinion on the matter, like always these are my 2 cents and so pretty far from the absolute truth.