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14 Oct 2006, 00:00
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#1
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thinking, that's all.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 867
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A circular problem
It occured to me the other day that every other week on here someone says:
Quote:
Originally Posted by some randomer
But the PA forums aren't representative of the whole PA community.
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I think they probably would be if discussion on here more clearly contributed (and related) to the game itself.
So firstly they should have content that actually provokes players to come back to check the forums (once a month announcements don't). Interesting alliance discussions, more pa team interaction with game development discussions (in the big debates we occasionally have, I tend to only see Kal input into discussion), etc would be a good start. Half the problem is that to the average player, the majority of the content on these forums isn't relevant to them.
Since the strength of the PA community is largely found in alliance groups, that's probably also the best way to get people involved in the forums. Many alliances here have 30 or more active users on their own forums. A lot of players find it important to represent and show off their allegiance periodically on irc etc, if these forums were relevant to them I think many would probably want to show it here too.
The planetarion forums would be representative of the community if the community had reason to come on the forums. We're not going to get anywhere fast by coming to a collective understanding here and then dismissing it because it's not a perfect representation of the community.
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[1up], Ascendancy Events Organiser & eXilition HC
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14 Oct 2006, 04:16
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,081
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Re: A circular problem
Before I say anything else, I'll let you know that I have indeed been drinking. Just because I've closed the other tabs I replied to.
IMO its a catch 22 situation. The forums seem closed off because we have a dwindling community. As such, secrets need to be kept better because if you're too loose in who knows what you become pretty fragile. However, we won't get a larger community and thus looser discussion until 'secrets' can be exposed day in, day out.
I don't think anyone is to blame.
Perhaps once the passport system (lol) is complete and we can have automatic sign-up for the forums come with playing the game we will see some of those people hiding come forward.
__________________
Dynamic Salvage!
[16:10:34] <[lfc]stif|afk> "dont be the worst in your alliance, join CT. We have Arfy!"
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14 Oct 2006, 08:34
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#3
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Bad Girl
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: right here..right now
Posts: 1,055
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Re: A circular problem
If *some* didnt flame, insult or just plain advertise their own alliance rather than actually answer the threads, a good few more would probably post.
look at how many threads turn into an arguement over X v's X.
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R1 - noob
R2,3,4, - ICD | R5 -ICD HC |R6 - HR Command | R7 - HR Command/NoS
R8,9,9.5,- HR HC /NoS Exec | R10 - HR HC | R10.5 - HR HC (FYTFO with LCH)
R11 -> NOW HR HC
(a round history not condusive to suceeding in exams, having a life or much sleep )
I'm not misunderstood ... I'm EVIL
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14 Oct 2006, 20:23
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#4
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thinking, that's all.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 867
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Re: A circular problem
You clearly hadn't been drinking for very long Arfy, the post was very coherent The passport system would be a great way in which to attract interest to the forums. I still see that as a secondary issue though, those users will still have very little reason to keep coming back to the forums. I don't think it's actually that difficult to move players from the game to the forums.
An (inevitable) increase forum users would have a positive effect on discussion here. It's important to consider that actually we're looking for discussion about the game, not just about the people playing it. To get that, we've got to make the forums useful, they need to be given some purpose. It's probably a good idea to make it known (and true) that decisions are made based on forum discussions and collective opinion.
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[1up], Ascendancy Events Organiser & eXilition HC
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15 Oct 2006, 00:36
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,081
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Re: A circular problem
Really cba to read and reply, but I was really drunk. I just took a really long time going over all the spelling errors.
__________________
Dynamic Salvage!
[16:10:34] <[lfc]stif|afk> "dont be the worst in your alliance, join CT. We have Arfy!"
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15 Oct 2006, 03:15
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#6
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Retired
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Back Porch Bar
Posts: 2,593
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Re: A circular problem
Quote:
Originally Posted by bwtmc
You clearly hadn't been drinking for very long Arfy, the post was very coherent The passport system would be a great way in which to attract interest to the forums. I still see that as a secondary issue though, those users will still have very little reason to keep coming back to the forums. I don't think it's actually that difficult to move players from the game to the forums.
An (inevitable) increase forum users would have a positive effect on discussion here. It's important to consider that actually we're looking for discussion about the game, not just about the people playing it. To get that, we've got to make the forums useful, they need to be given some purpose. It's probably a good idea to make it known (and true) that decisions are made based on forum discussions and collective opinion.
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I hate quote-posting, but there is nothing I can add to this to reinforce the point.
__________________
I'd rather be fishing.
Utterly useless since r3
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16 Oct 2006, 19:48
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#7
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Bona Fide Jesus Freak
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: In the Word of the Lord
Posts: 765
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Re: A circular problem
Planets: 2057
With roughly 400 or so inactives.
The main problem with forum usage is that there are not as many players around. This is the worst fall round I have seen for number of players. Maybe increased forum usage would improve the player base as well but also an area of the forum dedicated to new users might help.
__________________
Matthew 24:9 (New International Version) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."
Who the hell gave you posrep you christian fundamentalist?
god is bollox, mkay and you are not discussing it
You're not the voice of Christianity di**head.
CT R22-20, [1up] R18-16, TGV R15,
The Illuminati - [NoS] - R14-13
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17 Oct 2006, 11:18
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#8
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thinking, that's all.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 867
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Re: A circular problem
Well, it's an issue, it's not a damning problem though. If 1600 people had a reason (even a small one) to come here we'd have a lot more going on. And obviously with more people, the ones already here have more reason to come back and we'd see a greater overall contribution with ref. to Suggestions etc.
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[1up], Ascendancy Events Organiser & eXilition HC
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17 Oct 2006, 17:00
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#9
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WP <3
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 79
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Re: A circular problem
maybe a newbie section would help. somewhere where players new to PA can ask those stupid questions and not feel bad about asking them there.
Also these threads are less likely to turn into a x vs x flame war as described by misty.
on the whole imo the forum community needs to be alot more accomadating to the newer members of the boards. Nurture (sp?) them rather than boasting your own ego by flaming them down.
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18 Oct 2006, 02:34
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#10
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Commodore
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 3,176
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Re: A circular problem
Quote:
Originally Posted by M0shy
maybe a newbie section would help. somewhere where players new to PA can ask those stupid questions and not feel bad about asking them there.
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You mean, Something like the Planetarion Help Desk Forum, where "Help and support for any problems you have with Planetarion, or any resources (ADB, Portal,Forums)", or perhaps more like Strategic Discussions, where people can "Discuss everything strategical and tactical about Planetarion." Frankly, both of these forums cover everything that was in the old "Newbie Help" forum, but without duplicating everything (i remember when the only difference between Newbie Help and Strategy was that Newbie Help had a couple of "What's an Astropod" threads mixed in to all the normal ship discussions).
Quote:
Also these threads are less likely to turn into a x vs x flame war as described by misty.
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Flame wars tend not to happen in both of those forums, as i fall on flamers very quickly. Both of these forums are for learning, not tossing grenades.
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#Strategy ; #Support - Sovereign
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"The Cake is a Lie."
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