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Author Topic:   Plea to the CMNs!!

Nell_Smith posted 05-01-99 12:41 AM ET
Guys:
OK so I'm just a lowly player and not a CMN ... but I don't think I'm the only person who's starting to get confused about where to find information on the current Challenge games. If you guys are happier on the Apolyton forum, that's great, but I think everyone will start losing the plot if there are threads here, and on the Apolyton forum, and bits of information arriving by email... all the Challenges seem to be following slightly different rules... would it make sense for one location to be decided upon and used for all "official" type communications? Equally, what about the ongoing storyline threads... will they be here, on Apolyton, or both? It's getting hard to keep track of... especially as both this forum and the Apolyton forum, pretty and UBB-enhanced though they may be, are slooooooow and very hard to use because you can't view the threads and replies in a tree like you can with a newsgroup. Whinge, moan, complain.
Nell... old, senile, and hoping for an easy life
PS: This message cross-posted in both forums as I'm just not sure where you guys are most likely to look... see the problem?

Glak posted 05-01-99 01:23 AM ET
every PBEM game could have a seperate threaded forum. I am already using one for a PBEM game with friends. You can check it out here:
http://disc.server.com/Indices/47133.html
I really think this would be the easiest way to go. The forums are free (if you let them put an ad up) so we can get as many as we want. I really would like the bloodfest to use one if you guys will agree. That way anytime you wanted you could check out who has the game.
Goobmeister posted 05-01-99 02:42 AM ET
Nell, for the time being until we get things straightened out I am trying to post things twice(each place).
I agree that we need a uniform spot.
Glak, what is the differance between having the dedicated thread, and a thread in one of these two forums? I am confused, and not looking to go to a third place if it is not adventageous.
Goob
Aredhran posted 05-01-99 11:39 AM ET
Nell,
I feel your pain. For the time being, I just want to check the Apolyton forums for a while. Their interface is better than this one, they seem to be a bit faster, and they have UBB formatting...
Although alpha.owo.com has the (HUGE) advantage of having many, many more good people around, and the conversations in the Game/Non SMAC forums are much nicer.
So, at least for the Aredhran Challenge, it's a trial period. Let's see how it goes, and we'll make a decision later.
Sorry about the confusion it creates. I don't particularly like the multiplication of places to check out either, even if I'm not *that* old It's just easier to have everything in one place.
And a newsgroup could be a good idea, actually... However I wouldn't be able to check it from work (no NNTP) - wait, maybe that's a good idea after all, I'd get the job done quicker
Aredhran

Glak posted 05-01-99 01:48 PM ET
I just think having a whole threaded forum is better than having one thread in a non threaded forum. I don't like how to read anything here you actually have to click on the thread and see all of the messages. Also I don't want to have to download this thread when it gets to be 200+ messages, at I dl at 6-7mb a minute imagine what modem users must feel. The emails are somewhat confusing and either have to be deleted after reading or left as clutter.
In a threaded forum all you have to do is check it to see whose turn it is and if it is yours you take your turn. Then you post saying whose turn it currently is. Other people can check at any time to see where the game it. When a problem comes up you can reply to each other and discuss it, much faster than you could through email.
As for checking multiple forums: you can check threaded forums much faster. Messages that you have read are a different color and they stay that way for a while (as long as you have your browser set to). You are always sure what messages are new and what are old. You don't have to sort through the forum to find this thread and click on it, only to find that no one has added any messages. Quite simply I think non threaded forums are a poor substitute for a threaded forum. I have no idea why firaxis and apolyton would favor them. Most companies and sites use threaded forums.
If you folks are against the idea that is ok with me. I have had good experiences with my current forum. We have not had to use email except for diplomacy and the actual sending of the game. At any time players can check to see where the game is and if there are any mix ups. Usually all it takes is a single click on a bookmark.
Glak posted 05-01-99 02:03 PM ET
Aredhran,
I must admit that I have never used news groups but I have heard that they are similar to threaded forums (this is a non threaded forum, the bad kind). If you haven't already check the link in my post above. Is that what you are looking for? The messages that end with [nt] have no text (you just read the subject) while the other ones are part of a branching discussion. It isn't very interesting to read because there are only four players and we don't really have anything to say. Consider using one in your game. To get your own forum click on the link to the server corporation, I think it is the red bar under the ad. They are free but you have to have an ad.
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Author	Topic: Plea to the CMNs!!
Nell_Smith	posted 05-01-99 12:41 AM ET Guys: OK so I'm just a lowly player and not a CMN ... but I don't think I'm the only person who's starting to get confused about where to find information on the current Challenge games. If you guys are happier on the Apolyton forum, that's great, but I think everyone will start losing the plot if there are threads here, and on the Apolyton forum, and bits of information arriving by email... all the Challenges seem to be following slightly different rules... would it make sense for one location to be decided upon and used for all "official" type communications? Equally, what about the ongoing storyline threads... will they be here, on Apolyton, or both? It's getting hard to keep track of... especially as both this forum and the Apolyton forum, pretty and UBB-enhanced though they may be, are slooooooow and very hard to use because you can't view the threads and replies in a tree like you can with a newsgroup. Whinge, moan, complain. Nell... old, senile, and hoping for an easy life PS: This message cross-posted in both forums as I'm just not sure where you guys are most likely to look... see the problem?
Glak	posted 05-01-99 01:23 AM ET every PBEM game could have a seperate threaded forum. I am already using one for a PBEM game with friends. You can check it out here: http://disc.server.com/Indices/47133.html I really think this would be the easiest way to go. The forums are free (if you let them put an ad up) so we can get as many as we want. I really would like the bloodfest to use one if you guys will agree. That way anytime you wanted you could check out who has the game.
Goobmeister	posted 05-01-99 02:42 AM ET Nell, for the time being until we get things straightened out I am trying to post things twice(each place). I agree that we need a uniform spot. Glak, what is the differance between having the dedicated thread, and a thread in one of these two forums? I am confused, and not looking to go to a third place if it is not adventageous. Goob
Aredhran	posted 05-01-99 11:39 AM ET Nell, I feel your pain. For the time being, I just want to check the Apolyton forums for a while. Their interface is better than this one, they seem to be a bit faster, and they have UBB formatting... Although alpha.owo.com has the (HUGE) advantage of having many, many more good people around, and the conversations in the Game/Non SMAC forums are much nicer. So, at least for the Aredhran Challenge, it's a trial period. Let's see how it goes, and we'll make a decision later. Sorry about the confusion it creates. I don't particularly like the multiplication of places to check out either, even if I'm not that old It's just easier to have everything in one place. And a newsgroup could be a good idea, actually... However I wouldn't be able to check it from work (no NNTP) - wait, maybe that's a good idea after all, I'd get the job done quicker Aredhran
Glak	posted 05-01-99 01:48 PM ET I just think having a whole threaded forum is better than having one thread in a non threaded forum. I don't like how to read anything here you actually have to click on the thread and see all of the messages. Also I don't want to have to download this thread when it gets to be 200+ messages, at I dl at 6-7mb a minute imagine what modem users must feel. The emails are somewhat confusing and either have to be deleted after reading or left as clutter. In a threaded forum all you have to do is check it to see whose turn it is and if it is yours you take your turn. Then you post saying whose turn it currently is. Other people can check at any time to see where the game it. When a problem comes up you can reply to each other and discuss it, much faster than you could through email. As for checking multiple forums: you can check threaded forums much faster. Messages that you have read are a different color and they stay that way for a while (as long as you have your browser set to). You are always sure what messages are new and what are old. You don't have to sort through the forum to find this thread and click on it, only to find that no one has added any messages. Quite simply I think non threaded forums are a poor substitute for a threaded forum. I have no idea why firaxis and apolyton would favor them. Most companies and sites use threaded forums. If you folks are against the idea that is ok with me. I have had good experiences with my current forum. We have not had to use email except for diplomacy and the actual sending of the game. At any time players can check to see where the game is and if there are any mix ups. Usually all it takes is a single click on a bookmark.
Glak	posted 05-01-99 02:03 PM ET Aredhran, I must admit that I have never used news groups but I have heard that they are similar to threaded forums (this is a non threaded forum, the bad kind). If you haven't already check the link in my post above. Is that what you are looking for? The messages that end with [nt] have no text (you just read the subject) while the other ones are part of a branching discussion. It isn't very interesting to read because there are only four players and we don't really have anything to say. Consider using one in your game. To get your own forum click on the link to the server corporation, I think it is the red bar under the ad. They are free but you have to have an ad.