If battleforums was already dead when we had the Asylum (which many say), then that means that it wasn't doing any good anyway. Yes, removing it may drive away a few members..but we already expect that. Some will welcome change, some won't. Regardless, Battleforums is going in a new direction, and people will have to either accept it..or don't. It's just the way it is. Besides, the Asylum drives in one kind of traffic..and honestly, we don't want that kind of traffic now days anyway.
The removal of the Asylum isn't up for debate (well it is..but this is one thing that won't be changing). It's been deleted..it's gone. It isn't coming back. We'll be bringing in a lot of new content and changes, but for once they won't revolve around the general forums. We're going to be turning BF back into what it was before -- a gaming community. If a handful of people don't like that..then they'll have to find a community that isn't based on gaming.