Thoughts on the forum's new layout?

[KingCharizard]

That is why we don't have a forum for early ideas.
The plot and idea space was flooded with bad threads. It got to the point where me and Avatar found it hard to sort out the junk from something worth while.

yes I agree some topics only had a game name and 3 sentences of the story, not an idea if you ask me. thats why I tried to create my guide. I think it may help but not really. Well anyways I can make the changes work.

 

[Avatar]

If the Drawing Board is like the old Showcase, shouldn't we also have a thread for plot and story ideas (i.e. like the old forum, but as a single thread)? There's nowhere for people to get feedback on early ideas anymore.

The section is intended for games that don't quite have the progress needed (and the quality of the thread, etc) plus the idea and story threads from the old section.
The difference is that not just every thread is going to be allowed through now.

I personally don't want to shut out the people who have potential and well developed ideas for games. However, I do wish to keep the terrible ones to a minimum.

 

[Worldslayer608]

Personally, I think this new setup is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn't solve a lot of the issues that I see as a fellow member.

I don't know what is going on as far as moderation goes, but I see a lot of posts in the general GD section which would probably best fit into the drawing board, and they tend to stay in the general GD.

When I come to the GD section the main section is where I like to look for open discussions. Like this one. Then I look in the Drawing board for ideas people have for games, or announcements pertaining to a game someone is going to start or has started. The showcase is where I go to see games that are in consistent development, and games that have proved to be worth watching.

But in reality, when I visit, I see a lot of shotty posts in sections where they don't really need to be. I see game announcements in the GD section as opposed to the DB, I see posts lacking in detail in the DB, and I see game ideas being posted in the showcase.

I hate seeing a post about an up coming game and all it tells me is what it is being programmed in and a very very very rough story line.

I think posts in the showcase need to pend for approval, and I think a posting structure should be enforced for the drawing board.

 

[~JV~]

Well, I guess they will still start moving threads to the current sections. Pokémon Eternity for example needs to go the showcase and Essentials, PE:O etc to the resource area. Also, I still think that the requiriments are too low and not based on the game itself, but in the organisation of the thread, I can have a junk game and post it in a organisated way (with 10 screens showing the d/p hero in one of those boring routes) that it will get into the showcase. (A good example would be Rise of Oblivion, Sandstone, Rogue, Starfall and SA (not sure). No offense, but these games are still REALLY unpolished, they have future, but shouldn't be on the SC). Maybe having a decent gameplay video or demo as requirement should be enough. This an easy task for any game that deserves to be in this area.

 

[Klofkac]

It is good idea to make resources subforum. I like it.

 

[Worldslayer608]

Well, I guess they will still start moving threads to the current sections. Pokémon Eternity for example needs to go the showcase and Essentials, PE:O etc to the resource area. Also, I still think that the requiriments are too low and not based on the game itself, but in the organisation of the thread, I can have a junk game and post it in a organisated way (with 10 screens showing the d/p hero in one of those boring routes) that it will get into the showcase. (A good example would be Rise of Oblivion, Sandstone, Rogue, Starfall and SA (not sure). No offense, but these games are still REALLY unpolished, they have future, but shouldn't be on the SC). Maybe having a decent gameplay video or demo as requirement should be enough. This an easy task for any game that deserves to be in this area.

Which is why I think that any posts in the Showcase should need to be submitted, and wait for a moderators review before it is actually posted for everyone to see.

 

[Neo-Dragon]

But in reality, when I visit, I see a lot of shotty posts in sections where they don't really need to be. I see game announcements in the GD section as opposed to the DB, I see posts lacking in detail in the DB, and I see game ideas being posted in the showcase.

I hate seeing a post about an up coming game and all it tells me is what it is being programmed in and a very very very rough story line.

Remember that anything that was there before the change is unaffected.
So that goes for a lot of the plain threads that were in the plot and idea space now in the Drawing board.

Any opening post in the showcase (even back from the Game Showcase "era" ) meets all the requirements so I have no clue what your talking about there.

And like Avatar said, we're not trying to block people from posting their threads, just trying to enforce rules to help them improve the quality. So let's get "real" lads, at the end of the day, it's your opening posts that are getting complained against. Me and Avatar are doing our jobs of enforcing the rules and guides, that's all. You guys write em.

 

[Worldslayer608]

Remember that anything that was there before the change is unaffected.
So that goes for a lot of the plain threads that were in the plot and idea space now in the Drawing board.

Any opening post in the showcase (even back from the Game Showcase "era" ) meets all the requirements so I have no clue what your talking about there.

And like Avatar said, we're not trying to block people from posting their threads, just trying to enforce rules to help them improve the quality. So let's get "real" lads, at the end of the day, it's your opening posts that are getting complained against. Me and Avatar are doing our jobs of enforcing the rules and guides, that's all. You guys write em.

I guess I meant posts that are not really polished... when I say polished I am trying to get at the fact that they don't show much if any effort put into it. I.e plug and play templates for tiles and or characters. It is one thing if they use plug and play templates and show some sort of event or script showing that they are serious about working on their project, but it is another to show generic templates and events for their screens. Someone posted some of what I am getting at before hand.

I don't mean to sound like I am stepping on toes, but I think the division between showcase and story board needs to be more definitive.

 

[Neo-Dragon]

And my point is it(The Showcase) will be(more definitive from Drawing Board) from now on.
Posts are already moderated there and me and Avatar will do our best to make sure projects deserve to be in that section.

Please read: Threads in that section before the revamp were not effected. Starting now, you will notice a different in the threads that get approved into that section compared to the old Games Showcase

 

[Avatar]

Please stop complaining about threads being in the wrong areas. We can't get to all of them 24/7 and I certainly don't see any of you reporting them.

 

[Neo-Dragon]

.... and I certainly don't see any of you reporting them.

Oh no. I think you just opened the flood gates.
Expect to see around 10 reports next time you log on :P

 

[Worldslayer608]

Please stop complaining about threads being in the wrong areas. We can't get to all of them 24/7 and I certainly don't see any of you reporting them.

I understand why they are in the "wrong section" and that posts that are older than the restructure are unaffected by it. I am just curious as to why.

Is there a particular reason there are only 2 moderators in this section?

Lack of reporting? Before the restructure I never really felt the need to report, as you two mods seem to be on long enough to see the posts I am seeing. I intend on reporting now for the sole fact that lack of reporting was mentioned.

Sorry to be the annoying member, but huh...

 

[Avatar]

Is there a particular reason there are only 2 moderators in this section?

For the same reason that there's only 1-2 moderators in other sections. More aren't needed at the moment.

Lack of reporting? Before the restructure I never really felt the need to report, as you two mods seem to be on long enough to see the posts I am seeing.

And that's the problem. There are a lot of members (not confined to Game Dev only) who complain about threads being in the wrong areas (etc) yet don't try to do their part by reporting them.

 

[Worldslayer608]

For the same reason that there's only 1-2 moderators in other sections. More aren't needed at the moment.

And that's the problem. There are a lot of members (not confined to Game Dev only) who complain about threads being in the wrong areas (etc) yet don't try to do their part by reporting them.

I would say this section ran a bit rampant, but that is just my opinion. I hope this change will cure that. If a section is running rampant, it is also my opinion that moderation is struggling, either due to the mods not having enough time to get to everything, or the mods really just not making an effort to be a moderator. Not saying that you guys are of the latter ones.

Either way, each circumstance is easily corrected with new moderators to pick up slack in wherever moderation is slacking.

That being said, I still like this section far more than the ROM Hacking section I am glad I made the change, Avatar and Neo are more interactive it seems, and I would rather read threads in the wrong sections, or unpolished threads than read threads created by someone who probably should not be on the internet communicating with people in a social environment.

I am excited for the change, I am glad it has transpired.

I can't force the others to report either. But I guess I can do my part

 

[KingCharizard]

I have a question why keep the archived games sub forums? Most of the games in there are unfinished and not worth keeping. Why do you lock topics that shouldn't be posted it would be better if they were just deleted.

 

[Avatar]

They are a part of the sections's history. That, and all of the posts in there still count toward your total posts.

PC doesn't delete old threads. It doesn't strictly pertain to Game Dev.
We just happen to have archive sub-forums because we needed a place to store old locked threads so they didn't clutter the main section.

 

[KingCharizard]

They are a part of the sections's history. That, and all of the posts in there still count toward your total posts.

PC doesn't delete old threads. It doesn't strictly pertain to Game Dev.
We just happen to have archive sub-forums because we needed a place to store old locked threads so they didn't clutter the main section.

Understood that seems reasonable. good to know now.

 

[help-14]

I think we need one archived forum not two, you should delete one and move it's topic to other.

 

[Avatar]

One is a sub-section to the other. It doesn't cluster when viewing the Game Development section.

I don't see (nor feel) the need to have it deleted.

 

[Yuoaman]

One is a sub-section to the other. It doesn't cluster when viewing the Game Development section.

I don't see (nor feel) the need to have it deleted.

I feel the same way. Despite many of my early topics being... well... truly pathetic, I'd like to know that I can look back on my past, rather than having them just be deleted.