Yet another well thought out thread - Forum

Okay folks I’m back with another thread to get the little grey cells working overtime.

As before I don’t expect replies to this thread, in fact I’d prefer that no one replied so it doesn’t descend into a flame war of posts and the point becoming lost as people lose there tempers.

So moving on.

I’m sure those of us who have been around in game for a while will be aware of the limitation place on trial accounts, i.e.

• Trial accounts will no longer be able to use Global chat channels
• Trial Accounts cannot email other players
• Trial Accounts may not level past 13
• Trial Accounts can only have 50k influence
• Trial Accounts cannot invite players to team
• Trial Accounts may join teams, but not invite other players
• Trial Accounts may not join SuperGroups.

Among others.

I think it is time that limitations be introduced to the forums too.

We all know that you must have a game account to register to post in the forum. Which is an excellent idea, if somewhat limiting. Therefore it’s time for an overall.

I’d suggest opening up a board to allow anyone to post, even if they don’t have a game account. This would enable people who are thinking about joining the game the option to ask questions of the current player base. I would think that this “open” board would need to operate differently to the current boards for a number of reason (more on them later). All posts to the “open” board (either new threads or replies) would have to be moderated prior to posting. This would prevent threads being;
• de-railed
• spammed to death
• descending into flame wars
while at the same time making sure that potential new player have a positive first impression of the game / player base.

In addition to the “open” board be available to everyone, the other boards should be hidden, until logged in. We all know that some threads can get a little heated at times, which is not good for new players to see.

Next, “adult” only boards. I don’t have the figures, so this is based on personal experience, but I believe there should be an “adult” board, where some of the forum rules are a little more relaxed. For example, users can have adult conversations, discuss politics, relationships, love life, jobs etc. Let the forum become a place where people can turn to for help and advice. We have a lot of users, and therefore a lot of life experience. We can learn from each other, and help each other when there is no one else to turn to.

Now the limitations, which is were I started.

I know the forum is part of our extended community, but I would like to see posters limited to actual players, i.e. people who
• Have an active account (not lapsed)
• Have spent time (4hrs+) in game in the past month

I’m not sure how many of the people reading this, but PERSONALLY I am growing increasingly frustrated with people posting in threads who spend more time lurking in the forum then they do in game. They appear to post in threads thinking they know everything about the game, and that if anyone disagrees with them or asks for something the other then what is being developed they get shot down.

I’ve lost track of the number of times these lurkers have “forced” me to abandon a thread. I say forced because if I didn’t leave the thread I would end up getting banned.

I would love to spend more time in the forums, discussing the game, and making suggestions to improve it, but these lurkers have put me off. And if they have done that to me, how many others are also effected? I believe that these people who claim to “speak for the masses” have no proof that they do, just as I have no proof that they don’t. Instead I believe that posters should stick to their own point of views, and not claim to be speaking on behalf of others. I know that might be a bit like the pot calling the kettle black but hey ho…

Is it time for poll questions to be introduced? Would this allow more people to take part in discussions, without having to post “/signed” etc.. I think polls would be a good idea.

Finally, de-railers.

How many threads have been de-railed by posters posting random stuff. It’s time to get tough with them. I believe that if a mod spots someone re-railing a thread with comments not related to the topic, that person should be banned from the forums for a month. Repeated offenders banned for six months.

Oh – almost forgot. Brown Nosers. Those people who seem to think they’ll get xp for pointing out where people have broken the forum rules. Newsflash…that’s the mods job, not yours! If you think someone has done something wrong, send a PM to either that person or the mod, nothing is gained by making a post out of it. On a personal point each time I have “broken the rules” I have done so on purpose, and I have NEVER received a warning from a RedName, in fact the last PM I had from a RedName on a subject that some thought broke the rules was a “thank you”, so our rules don’t appear to be set in stone. Repeating them doesn’t make anyone look big.

Hmm… maybe I lost the plot a little here and there, turned out not so much a limitation on the forum, more “time for a make over”.

Not only is that the most verbose post-count attack I've ever seen, but it also manages to use the work 'lurker' in a way that is comepletely different to the entire rest of the internet.

I'm not sure an open board would work - there aren't enough mods to review every single post before allowing it to be posted.
There are only 3 and a half mods here - GhostRaptor takes care of the English language stuff, Kerensky takes care of the German stuff, Palladium takes care of the French stuff, and Aero makes the coffee.
They've all got a pretty big workload as it is, and making them check and approve every single post would quite possibly turn them into raging monsters without a shread of remaining humanity, driven only by the need to kill and destroy and drink more coffee - so I'm not so sure that this is something they'd even consider as part of the upcoming forum overhaul.

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Next, “adult” only boards. I don’t have the figures, so this is based on personal experience, but I believe there should be an “adult” board, where some of the forum rules are a little more relaxed. For example, users can have adult conversations, discuss politics, relationships, love life, jobs etc. Let the forum become a place where people can turn to for help and advice. We have a lot of users, and therefore a lot of life experience. We can learn from each other, and help each other when there is no one else to turn to.


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Oh dear god, NO.

The game is rated 16+, so you can't really have an 18+ or 21+ section of the forums.

well i just found my first post for fail blog...

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Next, “adult” only boards. I don’t have the figures, so this is based on personal experience, but I believe there should be an “adult” board, where some of the forum rules are a little more relaxed. For example, users can have adult conversations, discuss politics, relationships, love life, jobs etc. Let the forum become a place where people can turn to for help and advice. We have a lot of users, and therefore a lot of life experience. We can learn from each other, and help each other when there is no one else to turn to.


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Oh dear god, NO.

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I agree totally. This is jsut plain daft. Both you and Taurus have every right to your opinions and your ideas, and you are more than welcome to express them.

But it is you who are the forcing ones here, or at least you would be if you werent being resisted as hard as Gordon Brown from developing any common sense (dodges the incoming barrage from that comment - its an opinion, deal with it :P )
Your ideas and opinions are just that. They are not canon. People, time and again from the looks of it, have come back to those ideas and said 'No thank you, we dont think it will work.' Again, again again and again, you come back and say, essentially, 'We think these ideas are good and thus we shall pester the hell out of people until we get our way so there, theres nothing you can do about it [Insert chosen excuse, freedom of speech etc. here]'.

Just grow the hell up and know when you can't have your own way. Everyone had to learn sometime. And I only just got on the forums, so you cant accuse me of lurking. Also, I look on them either before or after I log into the game for playing and enjoying.

You dont have to deal with it if you dont want to. But, hey, freedom of speech, and thus freedom of flak.

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Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

I struggle to see the benefits of your suggestions.

Trial accounts are certainly not an issue now. The measure already in place have been very effective

I appreciate the sentiment of allowing non-subscribed members to be able to at least have a Q&A type forum but I think that can open a huge can of worms and as has to be so heavily moderated it'd be a huge white elephant - and could seriously impact on subscription fees.

Adult boards? No way!!!!! Vehemently no way!!!! If I need to discuss non-game issues relating to me and mine, the absolute last place I'd bring them is here. I play CoX to get away from reality.

Thread derailments? Well clearly the current policy is working ok up til now. Banning people for a month? You'd end up with tumbleweed within about 23.76 seconds. It would totally derail the entire forum

Brown Nosers? You've been thanked by a red name huh? So, people who actually attempt to follow the rules and politely point them out when they perceive a breach should be censured? And actually something is gained from it, because it does point out to less experienced posters that a rule breach has taken place and there may be a consequence. So, I suggest you learn to live with that particular aspect of the rules.

"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

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Next, “adult” only boards. I don’t have the figures, so this is based on personal experience, but I believe there should be an “adult” board, where some of the forum rules are a little more relaxed. For example, users can have adult conversations, discuss politics, relationships, love life, jobs etc. Let the forum become a place where people can turn to for help and advice. We have a lot of users, and therefore a lot of life experience. We can learn from each other, and help each other when there is no one else to turn to.


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Oh dear god, NO.

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I agree totally. This is jsut plain daft. Both you and Taurus have every right to your opinions and your ideas, and you are more than welcome to express them.

But it is you who are the forcing ones here, or at least you would be if you werent being resisted as hard as Gordon Brown from developing any common sense (dodges the incoming barrage from that comment - its an opinion, deal with it :P )
Your ideas and opinions are just that. They are not canon. People, time and again from the looks of it, have come back to those ideas and said 'No thank you, we dont think it will work.' Again, again again and again, you come back and say, essentially, 'We think these ideas are good and thus we shall pester the hell out of people until we get our way so there, theres nothing you can do about it [Insert chosen excuse, freedom of speech etc. here]'.

Just grow the hell up and know when you can't have your own way. Everyone had to learn sometime. And I only just got on the forums, so you cant accuse me of lurking. Also, I look on them either before or after I log into the game for playing and enjoying.

You dont have to deal with it if you dont want to. But, hey, freedom of speech, and thus freedom of flak.

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And some people have also said that if there was such a feature (in the other threads) they would use it. So no matter how much u say about myself and Jade, there are people that do aggree with us and until those people no longer reply or in positive I will continue to publish my thoughs and ideas about where I see the game going and how we could better improve a game I enjoy greatly.

So were are they? i see nothing but no's here.

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I will continue to publish my thoughs and ideas about where I see the game going and how we could better improve a game I enjoy greatly.

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Just don't make them demands - those always look bad

No ta, these are open public forums having a mod read all posts before going on would make it a nazi state

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So were are they? i see nothing but no's here.

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Open eyes. Look in my thread. Read. Think about it. Read again. They are there look harder.

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So were are they? i see nothing but no's here.

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Open eyes. Look in my thread. Read. Think about it. Read again. They are there look harder.

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Is that the deleted thread or the locked thread?

My thread wasnt deleted. In the locked thread there are people saying if the option is there they would use it and my current thread that hasnt been locked some also agree with aspects of the suggestion.

Is this April Fools day or smt

/unsigned

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Is this April Fools day or smt

/unsigned

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No - it was an attempt at making the forums a better place.

Failed that objective then.

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Is this April Fools day or smt

/unsigned

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No - it was an attempt at making the forums a better place.

Failed that objective then.

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Because I think it wasn't really very well thought out - the cost of hiring extra mods just to read and approve posts just wouldn't make any sense.
Right now, the forums function like just about every other game forum, which seems to be the best available model.

the forums work as they are granted moderators arent as active as they could be as they all have more importan NC jobs to get on with, but when they do step upto the mark they do it quickly swiftly and the issue is over.. I think for the majority of the part they have done a fantastic job and i hope and kinda know they will.

Ive had a few pm convo with alex/GR and he is a jolly nice chappy if i dont say so myself, but he is fair.

my brother has been suppended from these forums on both his accounts for being a complete div. I read some of his posts and tbth even though hes my brother he did deserve it... and guess what how it was done was fair, swift and accurate.

There is no real problem with these forums. The only problem is the members of this forum becoz we're all unquie, but without this unquienness the world would be a much boringer place to live in, and this unquieness is what makes these forums better than the US ones and makes the communtiy as a whole (even if some of us dont get along) a better place to be. y fix smt if it doesnt really need fixing

A good reply - some points of to be noted there by all.

I was hoping to sitmulate suggestions on how things could be better.

A wise man once said "Nothing is perfect, everything could be improved".

I fail to see how your "open" forum is more open. It seems to put limits on things that don't need to be limited for people who pay to play. And of course it would be nice to people who are still trying to find out whether they want to play a game but maybe make a subforum for that or something.

So yes people post off topic(derailing)...I know I do...always with the intention to bring a smile on someone's face(the non joker way). It's not a crime...I certainly mean no harm by it nor I doubt many others do.

Lurkers are...if I remember correctly people who read but most of the time do not post. I doubt they are the ones who put you off the threads. Although that was already pointed out by someone.

Most of the time I see a flame war starting the next day the topic is closed. Or I see a redname posting in it.

Don't know about the brown nosing. Never felt the need to report a post and I do think that GR and friends are doing a good job as far as I'm concerned and I see no reason to get good friends with GR(unless he can give me player housing or faster flying powers ).

I say no to an adult forum. There are other places to go for that kind of discussions and although I generally like the people on these forums I doubt they want to hear about my love life

I honestly can't see how it bothers you that people spend more times on the forums then ingame, really...it's their money...if they want to spend 15 euro/pounds/dollars/etc. per month to post on a forum...by all means.

And limiting posting to people who play at least four hours per month? What for the people who just don't have the time to do that...or worse...play 3 hours and 59 minutes and can't post because of that one minute and they have to wait a whole month again...

All in all I think this idea only came from you because your last few posts weren't really appreciated by some other people. Which is what happens on a forum as it is a place of discussion. I'm sure that in this post I have said things you disagree with, and that GG thinks my priorities need to be sorted .

I'm sure someone will correct me on this, but would not having 'adults only' and 'public' boards dilute the amount of stuff going on in the main board? And I enjoy reading the stuff here (sad chap that I am). Just a thought.

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A wise man once said "Nothing is perfect, everything could be improved".


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A wise man also said "if its not broken why fix it "

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A wise man once said "Nothing is perfect, everything could be improved".


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A wise man also said "if its not broken why fix it "

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i believe i said that in my post before this :P

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A wise man once said "Nothing is perfect, everything could be improved".


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A wise man also said "if its not broken why fix it "

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i believe i said that in my post before this :P

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This is pretty much the principal im sticking to. Improvement is good, obviously, but only if it can be impleted well and quickly.

Also, Im sorry if I seem offensive at times, but I sometimes think things 'sound' stupid when there typed, as you cant hear the actual tone of voice. The threads title does strike me as nothing more than slighty egotistical, also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.