Games forum re-merge

Retr0gamer

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I know one mod who'll not be doing that

Roleplaying is it's own little niche anyway so I doubt there's any crossover. The community forums are their own things.

Rev Hellfire

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Roleplaying is it's own little niche anyway so I doubt there's any crossover. The community forums are their own things.

Yep, totally agree. And in a sense even those niche areas suffered since with the random nature of the layout they got lost the masses.

valleyoftheunos

Just to give my own two cents I feel that multiplatform titles can be discussed in one thread in the games forum where as exclusives and hardware should remain in the specific Nintendo/PS/Xbox forum.

The mods do a great job keeping the place ticking over and regardless of what is sorted out in regard to this issue I doubt it will impact the regularity with which I post on these boards. Cheers guys.

AdMMM

What would be the story with repetitive/frequent questions? I don't think it's fair to ask someone new to the thread to read over the entire thing to see if their particular and exact question has been asked before. Would these threads be merged straight away, let die on their own or perhaps have the user pointed to the OP of a thread which might have answers to some frequently asked questions?

Retr0gamer

If it's a new game with a thread on the first page ask in it. If it isn't then make a new thread. It's the exact same as it's always been on these forums.

Jazzy

NeoKubrick wrote: »

You look incredibly ridiculous condescending to anyone when it's quite clear from the majority of the quoted post that you haven't understood the discussion or grasped what is being discussed.

can you see your tonsils yet?

quarryman

NeoKubrick wrote: »

You look incredibly ridiculous condescending to anyone when it's quite clear from the majority of the quoted post that you haven't understood the discussion or grasped what is being discussed. So, I suggest reading the previous posts, particularly mine, and trying again; however, to be blunt, if you were not able to understand the issue, it's unlikely that when you do understand it, you'll be able to contribute any unique salient points that members, who understood the issue the first time, haven't already posted. So, I'll just answer the relevant and up-to-speed comments.

The Poker isn't more popular than the combined popularity of all other 'Computer Game' forums, which you claimed and it was easily proven wrong with a simple calculation of total posts. If it is constantly active (obviously, you haven't visited the forums in quite a time), then the post count would reflect that and it doesn't. The onus is on you to prove the superior popularity of a set of forums 400k negative relative to another set of forums: fool's errand. There was and will be lulls in 'Computer Game' forums, because the members of the 'Computer Game' forums are not concentrated and are segregated and there are separate communities (Retro, Fighting, Games, MMO, Battlefield, et cetera); that was the point of creating this thread.

This isn't a personal complaint; this is a design complaint of the 'Games' category main page. Of course, this another point you don't understand, but I'll explain why it's substantially more of a hindrance to 'Computer Game' users than it would be, to 'Poker' users.

If the 'Poker' forum was moved to 'Sport' category, there would be a hindrance to Poker users: they would have to find where the 'Poker' forum is. Let's assume that the admins don't have a grace period with a thread explaining the change and a re-direct (propping up your argument even more; so you can't complain it's a favourable example). And let's assume that the user does a basic breadth-first search with no 'clever' search methods (regular Poker user could just go to profile and find last post in the Poker forum). The user would eventually find the Poker forum and therefore, finding the forum would cease to be a hindrance ever again and it would only effect old users who found Poker in the Games category. Contrast that to the 'Computer Games' users old and new who have to constantly ignore an irrelevant forum in a prominent position on a category page dominated by 'Computer Games' and have to constantly scroll extra to the many 'Computer Game' sub-forums on the bottom of the page (one solution was to use the dropdown box which means periodically checking forums, instead of the efficient method of opening the category page and seeing if there are any new posts posted (tip: the logo beside the title glows orange)). If you can't understand that a constant hindrance will always likely be substantially more than a temporary hindrance, then you shouldn't be discussing an issue on good design, or attempting to create a game for that matter.

I genuinely find it very hard to understand anything you write.

From what I gather though would not just have been easier to say:

You guys don't understand.
Don't move the Poker Forum.

2 lines. Point made.

PaddyBomb

Quick question. Where should we post news concerning consoles? For example Playstation firmware updates or the Playstation Plus thread. Is there a way to put a Playstation prefix in front like the Pro Evo & Fifa forum or should they go in the Playstation forum?

F1ngers

PaddyBomb wrote: »

Quick question. Where should we post news concerning consoles? For example Playstation firmware updates or the Playstation Plus thread. Is there a way to put a Playstation prefix in front like the Pro Evo & Fifa forum or should they go in the Playstation forum?

PSN, PSN+ or firmware updates put them in PS forum.

Unless you're talking aout a game on PSN, then it goes into the Games forum.

Retr0gamer

Although there's exceptions to this I feel. If it's a big news worthy deal like otherOS being taken out of the firmware then it's ok for games.

valleyoftheunos

SO basically its a case of forget about the home forums, everything goes in games>games... ?

Myrddin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Although there's exceptions to this I feel. If it's a big news worthy deal like otherOS being taken out of the firmware then it's ok for games.

Why though? If the main purpose of this whole review is to purify the games & consoles forums, then shouldn't a purely playstation firmware story be in the playstation forum? It's not game related, & has nothing to do with games, so why not use the playstation forum for it?

Whats to distinguish in that case the newer Kinect dahboard release being discussed in games? I just feel that after going to this trouble so far, it's a bit hypocritical to have non-game related threads in the games forum. The console forums run the risk of becoming pointless as it is...

Retr0gamer

Well in the case of Sony getting rid of Other OS in the firmware it was a big news worthy story that affected not just PS consoles since it showed that console manufacturers could just remove features they advertised on their console.

Myrddin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well in the case of Sony getting rid of Other OS in the firmware it was a big news worthy story that affected not just PS consoles since it showed that console manufacturers could just remove features they advertised on their console.

Again though, without seeming to come across as rude here, what relevance has that in a games only forum? I know it's a theoretical example, but if the games forum is going to be for purely games, then that would surely fall into the Playstation forum level of discussion...

Retr0gamer

Well I think something like that would have relevance to not just playstation owners.

Myrddin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well I think something like that would have relevance to not just playstation owners.

They may be, it's just got nothing to do with games Anyway I'm being pedantic now...:)

Retr0gamer

Games general discussion is what we are going for here

Myrddin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Games general discussion is what we are going for here

I dunno, I'm all for a Games general discussion as long as it's about games. I think mixing in threads like the OtherOS removal opens up technicalities for having other psuedo tech threads in here too...and before we know it we're back to square one (mish mash of threads).

If it develops any further, it should be set in stone that the Games forum is for anything & everything that relates directly to games. Using the OtherOS example again, to me, that's a purely Playstation related semi-technical topic & belongs either in the Playstation forum, or whatever forum should serve to discuss console specific discussion.

Sure it's big news, and certainly has its fair share of drama, but if the console forums or future substitute forums are to have any relevance on boards they are going to need every little tid-bit like that to hold their own. Otherwise we're left with the AH version of Games, & nobody wants that

cherryghost

I like the layout so far, I'm posting on threads I wouldn't normally post on

Kinetic^

Happy to finally see this going ahead. There was a lot of fragmentation throughout the games category prior to the move. GG.

Antar Bolaeisk

I don't think it would be a good idea to move all the game discussion in here, in fact I think you should probably get rid of the general game discussion forum in favour of forums dedicated to each of the major platforms, PC, xBox, Playstation and Nintendo with hardware sub-forums in each of the console sections (there's already enough hardware forums dedicated to the PC). That way the console players don't have to worry about becoming jealous over all the free stuff Valve gives away and PC gamers won't have to listen to the consolers congratulate themselves on getting another story related achievement.

Whatever is decided upon, just get rid of all the silly little sub-sub-sub-sub-sub forums at least.

ShaneU

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

I don't think it would be a good idea to move all the game discussion in here, in fact I think you should probably get rid of the general game discussion forum in favour of forums dedicated to each of the major platforms, PC, xBox, Playstation and Nintendo with hardware sub-forums in each of the console sections (there's already enough hardware forums dedicated to the PC). That way the console players don't have to worry about becoming jealous over all the free stuff Valve gives away and PC gamers won't have to listen to the consolers congratulate themselves on getting another story related achievement.

Whatever is decided upon, just get rid of all the silly little sub-sub-sub-sub-sub forums at least.

But what if a game is on more than one platform? :pac:

Antar Bolaeisk

ShaneU wrote: »

But what if a game is on more than one platform? :pac:

Then have threads for it in each of the relevant categories.

Take Fallout: New Vegas for example since it's one of the latest multi-platform releases. I'm sure the xBox/PS3 crowd don't want to hear the PC crowd drone on about mods/tweaks/community patches and likewise the PC gamers don't really care about console specific issues as it doesn't affect them.

There's plenty benefits and downsides to adopting either approach but a specific forum for each platform might be an easier route than having one all-encompassing video game discussion forum.

TheChrisD

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Then have threads for it in each of the relevant categories.

Except then that fragments the main discussion and primary points that occur on all platforms will be repeated up to four times in those respective threads.

Irish Halo

So you want to

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

get rid of the general game discussion forum in favour of forums dedicated to each of the major platforms, PC, xBox, Playstation and Nintendo with hardware sub-forums in each of the console sections

i.e split up the discussions into sub forums and

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

get rid of all the silly little sub-sub-sub-sub-sub forums at least.

i.e. remove the sub forums.

I like the "new" format, it gives an insight into things I don't usually pay attention to because I stick to the Nintendo forum (currently only have Nintendo hardware).

Grayditch

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

That way the console players don't have to worry about becoming jealous over all the free stuff Valve gives away and PC gamers won't have to listen to the consolers congratulate themselves on getting another story related achievement.

:cool:

Cool dude alert.

Kinetic^

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

That way the console players don't have to worry about becoming jealous over all the free stuff Valve gives away and PC gamers won't have to listen to the consolers congratulate themselves on getting another story related achievement.

Achievements are already out for PC games and console players really need to press valve for free content rather than just accepting the price.

quarryman

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Then have threads for it in each of the relevant categories.

Take Fallout: New Vegas for example since it's one of the latest multi-platform releases. I'm sure the xBox/PS3 crowd don't want to hear the PC crowd drone on about mods/tweaks/community patches and likewise the PC gamers don't really care about console specific issues as it doesn't affect them.

There's plenty benefits and downsides to adopting either approach but a specific forum for each platform might be an easier route than having one all-encompassing video game discussion forum.

Have you even read this thread?! This is exactly what the re-merge is a about - NOT doing that.

Splitting discussion into separate forums has damaged the community here. Pulling the games discussion back to one forum is the best move in ages and hopefully it stays this way.

Antar Bolaeisk

Irish Halo wrote: »

So you want to i.e split up the discussions into sub forums and i.e. remove the sub forums.

I like the "new" format, it gives an insight into things I don't usually pay attention to because I stick to the Nintendo forum (currently only have Nintendo hardware).

I mean get rid of all the silly little sub-forums like the myriad of forums in the Shooter category.

My view would be:

Video Games

-PC (because it has to go on top )

-xBox

-Hardware

-Playstation

-Hardware

-Nintendo

-Hardware

-Sega

-Hardware

Poker

Toys and Board Games

TheChrisD wrote: »

Except then that fragments the main discussion and primary points that occur on all platforms will be repeated up to four times in those respective threads.

I did say there were benefits and draw backs to both approaches and this would be one of the drawbacks.

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Achievements are already out for PC games

I know, I just couldn't really think of any console specific chatter

quarryman wrote: »

Have you even read this thread?! This is exactly what the re-merge is a about - NOT doing that.

Splitting discussion into separate forums has damaged the community here. Pulling the games discussion back to one forum is the best move in ages and hopefully it stays this way.

Apologies for putting forward a viewpoint contrary to your own.

Mr E

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Apologies for putting forward a viewpoint contrary to your own.

Contrary to the whole thread, my friend. The reason for the merge was that conversation had become fragmented and diluted across multiple forums. 3 or 4 Medal of Honor threads, Red Dead Redemption threads, Call of Duty threads, etc.