Current forum category FAIL, been gone for a while Options

[poisonshift]

Right. So I've come back to take a look around. And I've got to say this forum's organization has gone way down. Is this a forum for only one game engine? No. I just stopped and skimmed the forum again to make sure I wasn't speaking from my rear. There are sooo many categories its not even funny. 10 categories? Really? Why? I can see there was a lot of thought into the concept of this layout. Yes the information is there, yes the TOPIC is easy to find. BUT!

This is where we come to a screeching halt. RRR is a multi-platform RPG site and the forum is its lifeblood. Whenever I type rpgrevolution.com/ into my browser and forget to add /forum I'm amazed. I completely forget that the index even exists because the meat and potatoes is all on view here, in the forum.

Time to talk about structure and hierarchy. I don't need to say I know a thing or two about this because it will be plainly obvious that I've done before. Not here. no. And any document you will read on the web about successful navigation will tell you what I'm about to tell you.

Make the content stupidly easily available to the user. Now I'm not saying you should sacrifice what hierarchy you feel is appropriate but there are some things to consider in the context of this being an RPG maker based forum.

All game engine forums? WTF is that? Pardon my French but what is inside that category should be the first thing a person sees when they visit this forum. I can see that this forum has become highly development oriented. And I'm sure that the new moderation force is the best of development, but the way we (devs) organize things to make them more effective for us, isn't necessarily the best way to present information to someone who isn't as dev savvy. Savvy?

So in this breath I will tell you what I think the general layout of the forum should be. Like or like not, I hope you will take this information to heart and seriously consider what I'm saying.

====================
RRR Community Hub
====================
+This is where you have your news from the managment.
+Then you've got a place to establish guidelines, make it... the RRR constitution. It can be amended and commented on if the case is still open for debate.
+Next you'll have a new member introductory thread. This is for 3 reasons.

1. It would be best for a new user to see this first instead at the very bottom of the page (really guys?), so that this user can start off by introducing themselves. The first post goes a long way in cementing a bond with a new user. The user can say hi, ask questions and yadda yadda in their very first post. And that leads to number

2. Nothing makes a new user feel more at home than receiving recognition and positive reinforcement. That means our every day users will be more inclined to stop by the new user forum to welcome our new member, give advice, answer questions. This is a very important strategy.

3. It lets moderation know that there is a new person out there that wants to be a part of RRR. Moderation or a selected taskforce of RRR members should be tasked with seeking out a new user and welcoming them via PM. Ask them if they need any help finding information. Forum support is just a glorified search function, its also person to person contact. Good for keeping new members and rounding out the community. The moderation will easily be able to tell when users are active, but there is a lot of information. This is a huge undertaking, but to put it simply. Establish a taskforce of volunteers who are selected by admin and/or mod to represent themselves as RRR guides. Establish a referral system and a forum for taskforce only volunteers (password) where they can communicate easily with one another. I'll delve into this later.

+You can put the community game here also, it is a major function of RRR and does not need to be defined by its own category. We are trying to get to the content, RRR game is for users familiar in this environment and does not need to be highlighted in such a way.

======================
Game Engine 1 (RPGVX) You will start with the latest and most talked about engine, as popularity decides these engines will switch places)
======================
I'm not going to elaborate to strongly on the components of this type of forum as they're quite obvious and are still in use.
Just a + for every relevant attribute to that system as it integrates to the forum.
A year ago you would have seen the way it was set up.

=====================
Game Engine 2 (RPGXP) Second most popular.
=====================

=====================
and so on.... until there are no engines left. obsolete or under-ly supported or used engines may be rolled into their own category for efficiency and chi sake. much as you have done with the systems with your All game engines forum
=====================

This is getting to be long winded... So I'll just add a little bit more and we can build on it.

What should follow the game engines would be more relevant and organized information. Remember, this is a multi-platforum site. You should remember that instead of lumping things together in a category of what it does instead of what IT pertains to.

Need a forum for resource submission.

Scripts.

Alternatives to game engines. Building with JavaScript for instance. I mean take a look at this: JS RPG. It is an engine written in HTML5 and JavaScript. They have an engine that is browser based, built with the same JavaScript that is currently running this forum and almost every other website you will ever visit. JavaScript is a very powerful tool, not just for webDev, but it can create videogames too. We really need a place for things like this. You can write a game in JavaScript, run it in almost any browser if you do it right and even turn it into an application to sell on mobile devices like Android through GooglePlay. But this isn't a marketing hashout, I can point in all sorts of directions at all sorts of cool things. This would be a great place for me and others to do so. To have place, especially made for this sort of thing. A category.

Then we go on to theory, development, demo, releases. All that sort of fun stuff.

And as always ultimatly end up with the category that is 100% worth nothing but everything.

=====================
SPAM - grill it, its good on buttermilk white or with scrambled eggs and Tilamook medium cheddar cheese.
=====================
This can be a category where people go to talk about anything. Create specific subcategories, one for spam specifically, you don't need to call the major category spam, call it whatever sounds best, I just used it as an example, and if I use 1 more comma I'll save 15% on my car insurance. Dang it. I lost. No more commas for me.
But other categories, movies, tv, zombies, vampires. Whatever you see a trend in that people will talk about don't let another forum steal your users because you don't have a spam topic dedicated to their interests outside of RRR. You can afford the space, they don't get paid for their posts (post count disabled in SPAM category) and they wont have to go somewhere else when their brain tells them it's time to think of Night of the Living Dead because all of this eventing is making me tired, my mind needs a break.

So I leave you with this my dear people. The declaration of independence RRR style. Break free from whatever is happening now, take a step back and ask yourselves what really makes sense. Are we just well experienced devs or are we a bunch of geeks who only really know that this is the place that brings us together where we can be comfortable. Where we can invite new members into this union and make them at home. You will see that you will catch some minds that will take this experience to a whole new level. People who will pick up rgss2, learn it, learn it easily, build things with it. Share those things, make this community stronger.

We want to make a filter in a sandstorm that only lets the right particle through. As it stands, this forum is building a bombshelter.

Your forum social worker-
poisonshift

This post has been edited by poisonshift: Apr 23 2012, 02:03 AM

[Jonnie19]

As it's been stated in each section, RRR are going through a HUGE face lift and changes, the merging of all game forums are only temporary I am sure that eventually they will be split apart again

It will be sorted out soon enough I am sure Sadly these things take times

Although some things that are interesting that would be good to be considered would be the addition of other scripts, including the addition of scripts for alternative engines such as JS RPG....that is something I didn't know about and would be interesting to add in these additions

[poisonshift]

Thanks Jonnie19. I really hope you can work some of these concepts into the plans for the forum. I really do think that this is important. Along with that I just want to post this because it gives you a prime example of what I mean about the organization of the forum.

Here we have a new user... well... really the topic says it all. It tells you about the situation and it tells you about what is happening to the topic. Now you look at the top, it is easy to be confused in a new forum. I've been lost before. Its like a new city, you have to learn where everything is. But at least you know when you're at home. Thus the fact that if the new user forum had been at the top, this may not have happened. Accidents however, cannot be avoided. I just thought it pertinent that I post this since we are on the subject and it is a realtime scenario.

[kaz]

I would draw your attention to this thread which explains the reasons for the total shift in focus.

http://www.rpgrevolution.com/forums/index....showtopic=56026


The new script sections when complete will encourage all areas of scripting- many of the catagories will be reduced- some of these are as it says in the decription "holding areas"-

You must bear with us as these changes happen - each forum is being archived of older stuff, rules changed to make them easier to navigate ect, ect

It is easier doing a section at a time getting it right and moving on to the next.

A lot of time an effort has gone onto the way the forum is moving forward - and at the moment I would say it is half done. Maybe check back in a month or so and see how the final plan works out.

Establish a taskforce of volunteers who are selected by admin and/or mod to represent themselves as RRR guides

Ahead of you there - we now have support staff - and are in the process of allocating their areas as the forums go live!!

[poisonshift]

Groovy on the support staff. It is a really cool system.

I know what the thread is about. I was just putting in my 2 cents. Give you something to think about that you may have missed or overlooked.

I had a lot more to say, but I figured I had rambled on long enough. I know well what an arduous task this sort of thing is. I once had to rebuild an entire database while the user stations were running. Took 12 hrs straight for... god I know not how many variables. I ground upped it without saving once, because the save overrides the existing database and the graphical user interfaces. But the rewards! They are great aren't they. It's getting there that is the difficult part. I like to see activity like this. And I'm hoping that there will be a place for JavaScript. But that is in another topic.

Until then, keep the newbies in mind.

[kaz]

Groovy on the support staff. It is a really cool system.

I know what the thread is about. I was just putting in my 2 cents. Give you something to think about that you may have missed or overlooked.

I had a lot more to say, but I figured I had rambled on long enough. I know well what an arduous task this sort of thing is. I once had to rebuild an entire database while the user stations were running. Took 12 hrs straight for... god I know not how many variables. I ground upped it without saving once, because the save overrides the existing database and the graphical user interfaces. But the rewards! They are great aren't they. It's getting there that is the difficult part. I like to see activity like this. And I'm hoping that there will be a place for JavaScript. But that is in another topic.

Until then, keep the newbies in mind.

Well thanks for the input We do take notice so thanks.

When all the changes are one we are planning a user guide for new people. The new format should - if we get it right- enable several topics by one person relating to their games.

[poisonshift]

Very cool idea!

I see the new user forum has been put back on top. I like it. I have a feeling that this transition is going to majorly benefit the site and I applaud the decisions.

[kaz]

Very cool idea!

I see the new user forum has been put back on top. I like it. I have a feeling that this transition is going to majorly benefit the site and I applaud the decisions.

Used your idea for Community as well!!