Regarding the forums

[Platyna]

I know it is pointless but let's go Lyanna's style:

 

Example (posted by someone else): Events handling.

 

Tech stuff to do: Enable group "Members" to add events to the callendar.

 

Function: Moderator - Events Keeper/Time Keeper to be more Role Playing.

 

Task: Take care so people will not add to the callendar events like date of next special issue of Playboy.

 

Programming required: None.

 

Money required None.

 

Time required to implement: 10 mins.

 

Tools required: ACP access.

 

*Slams her head on the desk and pats herself with the coffee mug.*

 

But I AM A CRAZY ONE!

 

Regards.

[sian]

Wow.. sounds like the forums would be a pretty dull place to visit then. Why not just get more volunteers to moderate them? I'll volunteer as a forum mod.. I'm sure you could get alot of volunteers for that job if you ask.

[Platyna]

Primo: There will be no forum.

Secundo:And who wouldn't want to be a forum moderator?

 

And the main issue is that now forum/game moderators are people who mainly has no time or no will to

do the work they volunteered to. And Roja and Entropy are unable to choose the right people not

because they are idiots or something, but because, SIMPLY, they are not playing this game, not knows

their own people and most relations between them. All people they can trust are developers, but if they will

give such time hungry work like being the tech support and community developers/helpers/moderators

to them they will have no time to work for the project so that way admins are doing only more harm

to their project especially that the more skilled artist or programmer the less social skills he has and

I know it not only from this game but as well IRL - such people should be left alone so they could

express their abilities by staying in the technical development not being dragged out thing they love to,

mainly boring moderation - yes, boring, it is not fascinating work explaining same things, answering

same questions, cutting same flames all over again. But some people does that and enjoys it because

they feel useful and needed, they feel they can contribute to the community, and some pretends that

they are doing it because they are simply power hungry.

 

By destroying the forums Entropy and Roja will cut themselves absolutely from the community, there

will be no field for "head hunting" for development team and community itself will die completly.

And when the community will die, this project, as developed by the community, will die too.

 

Regards.

Edited March 19, 2005 by Platyna

[The_Pale_Elf]

Well, I know that for one, UO has a full forums for the players. Pretty robust setup too, if I remember correctly. They do all their community stuff through the forums. RunUO, the server emulator, has pretty much the same setup. I haven't played too many opther MMORPG's tho, so outside of my experience, I'm sure you're right.

 

We will make sure though that the moderators will follow the rules, and when in doubt they have to asks us first and then, based on our feedback, ban.

 

:lol: That would be great! When will a new system of having mods ask before banning be implemented? The current system of banning with impunity is a real pile. Of course, if it is the administration's feeling that a just decision can be made without involving the accused, then you've got a better setup than the US justice system.

 

Ah well, as... someone, mentioned about older players only staying for the community, I got chased off by it, and I'm still relatively new. I've seen that the admin's failure to set up forums for someone else to manage, has caused them to get run down by handling a community. It's no small task, and I agree with Entropy's stance on this. On the other hand, I seriously hope we get a 'better' system for all, not just one that's easier on the admins. Not for my sake, since I've already cashed in my chips, but I still like some of the people here... (And if plat's not leaving, I ain't leavin', lol!)

[Entropy]

Damn, I am stupid. I looked at the Runescape and Everquest websites, and couldn't find the forums. Guess I need to use my glasses while I am on the computer.

Well, in this new light, I am willing to try something new, and get some new forum admins, see how the things will go. If they do a good job and the amount of flames decrease then the forums will stay. If not, we implement my plan that I mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

[Ruln]

From reading it sounds to me like there are two major problems here.

 

One, a few trouble makers who have to grandstand constantly and can't keep their issues private.

 

Two, the forums are taking up too much time and effort by the people in charge who would much rather be doing something else.

 

I get the imression that int he past others took on the brunt of handling the forums.

 

It seems to me that one answer is for somebody to step up to the plate, start an unofficial forum and minimize the amount of effort the central people in EL have to make in order for that forum/community to function.

 

I've run forums and been a moderator before. It is often a thankless job because to many people are overly obsessed with getting their way and lack clue one as to how much effort goes into the job. They make it stressful and very unfun.

[Platyna]

I was a forum admin and I was doing my job well. Leeloo was forum admin and was doing

her job well to. But we got kicked out...tell me Entropy: How come?

 

Regards.

[crannog]

*edited by crannog to avoid any unneccessary flames*

Edited March 19, 2005 by crannog

[Platyna]

If not me, Mr. Optimus et Maximus that forum would be deleted LONG TIME AGO!

 

Regards.

[Grum]

Hmmm... I'm gonna miss the programming forum. I can see the reason behind this decision, but not having a centralised place to discuss development issues is going to be a pain. Also the suggestions forum, although 99% of the suggestions are either silly, stupid, or undoable, produced a novel idea every once in a while.

 

Oh shit, I see now you're already reconsidering. Oh well, I'll leave the above anyway as something to consider when the forums continue to be a spamfest.

[Entropy]

I am reconsidering, but it's up to the players. If they can keep it civil, then they will stay, otherwise they will go.

[Roja]

Hmmm... I'm gonna miss the programming forum. I can see the reason behind this decision, but not having a centralised place to discuss development issues is going to be a pain.

Grum, the idea was to get rid of all the "general chat" type forums, even if we did delete the forums, we would always have DEVELOPER forums, such as programming/art/sound& music, those will ALWAYS stay.

[Grum]

Hmmm... I'm gonna miss the programming forum. I can see the reason behind this decision, but not having a centralised place to discuss development issues is going to be a pain.

Grum, the idea was to get rid of all the "general chat" type forums, even if we did delete the forums, we would always have DEVELOPER forums, such as programming/art/sound& music, those will ALWAYS stay.

Gah, that'll teach me to read. You're right, it's all there in Ent's original post. Sorry.

[Master_Templar]

I volunteer to help with the forums if Ent and Roja decide to keep them.

[Annastina]

Someone said Ultima Inline and Dark Age of Camelot do not have forums.

 

Someone mentioned already the UO one so I will add DAoC is adding one due to public demand. http://www.camelotherald.com/more/1598.shtml

 

DAoC already had several unofficial ones. After rereading this thread, it is obvious then they all have or will have public forums. All MMORPGS do. Unless they are pre-beta.

 

[edited by teh nazi Entropy to remove flamebaits]

[Roja]

Everyone can help us keep the forums by discouraging spam from other users, and also encouraging mature intelligent conversation.

[Annastina]

[comments removed]

 

 

Pax.

Edited March 19, 2005 by Annastina

[Dorplein]

I think you should give the power over these forums to some other people, remove bans ect ect and make them unofficial. Keep the link on the EL website. You won't have to look at the forums again.

[Wolf_Lord]

Aright, lets see what Idea's we can come up with here to help this process along.

 

-Get rid of the flames forum all together

 

-Bans forum and Abuse Forum

Make this particular forum, if you decide to keep it of course a special forum where only the players name and the reason for the ban are posted, I.E. only people that have the ability to ban are allowed to make a post and disable all reply capabilities. First post in the forum should be... (If you were banned and you think you were banned unfairly, contact the person that banned you, or other members of the developement team and it will be looked into.

DO NOT create a post in another thread trying to defend yourself as this will result in your permanant and complete ban from both the forums and the game indefinetly

 

Basicaly just set it up as an informational forum, I've played for about one and a half years now and have never been banned yet... I don't know dosen't seem like it should be that complicated to me. Also with the Bell Canada thing... make a single pinned topic explaining what they have to do and who they have to contact to get that issue taken care of.

 

-Announcements, News of Game updates, and Rules forums

 

You could consolidated these forums and make one group called "Important Game Information and Rules"

 

Only people with access to this forum would be allowed to post, no replies allowed...

 

Gaming Community forum

-General chat (if you want to keep it that is)

-Suggestion

-Programing and Bug Reports

-Stories, Sound and Art (could set up one forum with all of them or leave them all seperate)

 

And then of course good old off topic.

Pinned (Flames, profanity and *going offtopic*) in the off topic forum are stricly prohibited and may result in a temporary or permanant ban from the forums. Off topic means non game related, it dosen't mean ruining a non game releated thread with information that has no point to the original post.

 

I think that if you simply limit the areas that need moderating, get rid of the problem forums that cause the issues in the first place and effecitviely implement a disiplinary system... we may have a chance at saving the forums... I hope I hope I hope I hope I hope.

 

NeoSeS

[SirKillAlot]

Ent.. You have to login on runescape to get the forum, and you have to be a member to post.

[crannog]

thats a good point ska...

 

but it all comes down to software and/or coding....

 

i am sure if there was a way...someone would consider it.

 

i know I for one am totaly sick of ppl who are no longer members posting, spamming and flaming.

[SirKillAlot]

I think the problem is lack of moderators that are specifically for the forum. Yes almost every group has 1-2 moderators.. But they are mostly helping ingame and only on the forum a few times a day. I think you should appoint some moderators who are on the forums often.. *hint*

[The_Piper]

One suggestion, not shure if it can be made technically:

 

Only registered players are allowed to post in forums. And the registration of new players must be confirmed by a mod.

 

And the delay between registration and sending the email which confirms the registration is 24 hours.

 

So you decrease dramatically the possibility of making always new chars and spam in forums.

 

Meaning: Spam is reduced and the 24 hour delay would *hopefully* annoy the spammers.

 

And.. you can *ban* ppl now. They must wait 24 hours to create a new account.

 

Piper

[Daxon]

This is done on the Lineage I forums, 'cept on those forums, you have to have a paid account (register with CC# and all), and if you screw up, they'll just ban that CC#. Has proven to be very effective.

 

Good idea.

[SirKillAlot]

Don't invision forums have a warning system? You could try using that. Or a personally warning system rule sort of thing.. First offense against rules is warning, second is 10 days permissions removed, 3rd is 30 days, 4th is 1 year, 5th is ban?