Should Bug/Patch be a subforum of Modding instead? ATTENTION: .EXE CODERS

[sisko]

I will make the patches more visible to everyone sometime this week.

We have links to the patches on every page of the forum now (right column under the 'User' box).

[Buster's Uncle]

I wanted to update on my latest thinking about BE's undeserved topping of the root in hopes for the future, and, in re-reading the thread to refresh my memory, I've taken Plotinus' thoughts about Bug/Patch to heart.

BE is on its way out.  I'm going to wait until the Rising Tide expansion is out for two or weeks and results in little activity, if that happens, then throw it under all the SMACX into the Other Games category with Other Games and Pandora's Box.  Now, I do hope that someone will step up on the BE Beginner's Strategy Guide, and suspect it would be powerful googling-bait, and could make a difference, so don't get your hopes TOO high, but very probably Other Games before the year is out, depending on the timing of RT.

Now.  Whether to Move Bug/Patch up to root or to merge with Modding?  This could happen tomorrow if I get a flood of replies agreeing on one.  Bug/Patch is the workshop of the single hands-down biggest content asset to promoting this community, the .exe patches, and I'd put it under TOE and over Modding in the root, or in a merge, change the name to "Modding-Bug/Patch" and combine descriptions thus: "Imperative: Build/For .exe modders and the people who love them".

-Unless someone has a better idea.  Thoughts?

[Buster's Uncle]

Hmm.  I like a forum showing a chilled sense of humor in things like subforum descriptions as a point of helping establish atmosphere and influencing our culture -and my own druthers for a touch of wit are served- but I wonder if a more newb/lurker-friendly "Game modding of all sorts - bug reports and feature requests for the .exe patch projects in the works" wouldn't supersede that in being functional/utilitarian.

A cuter way to put it that was clever and that as clear would suit me best, of course.  "Mandate: Build" is a more evocative hook for Modding, and I hate to give it up, but not explicit and as idiot-proof, not that we want idiots.

Labeling/branding is not something people tend to notice or give much thought, but it's powerful and important.

Feedback?

[Geo]

I'm probably the only regular here who played quite a bit of Beyond Earth, so don't see a pressing reason to keep it at the top. Even with Rising Tide emerging ln the horizon.
No, the core 'business' of the forum is either the Rec Commons or multiplayer, with modding a strong second.
You could try keep the witty labels for the subsections under the main sections? For instance, "Off Topic" as main header with the Rec Commons (banter), Information Networks (science articles) Hologram Theater (movies and stuff) Virtual World (games),... and so on under it?

[Buster's Uncle]

That's not bad at all - keep the wit, add a terse, clear, parenthetical label at the end -or beginning.  I'll probably do that.  Let me put my subconscious on it for a day or two...

I'm not worried about your participation in BE, you know - or Blanek's or sisko's (when he's not in RL time-heck), or the other established contributors who have interest in talking about BE.  It's on top -sisko moved it there without telling me, but I get why- for the lurkers to find.  Thinking long-range requires that we give the FAR NEWER similar games a chance to draw fresh blood as they're released or get patched/improved and their audience finds them and maybe us.  It only sucks a little, for the SMACers we're really about, to give the Shiny New Thing you like its unfair chance.  This could be rendered moot if Rising Tide is good/popular enough and Beginners' Guides happen and do their search-baity job, so do keep googling for and posting RT news...

Rising Tide will make the acronym BERT, you know.

[Geo]

"BERT, there's a banana in your pants."

[Buster's Uncle]

I done et too much - BERT!

[Buster's Uncle]

No, the core 'business' of the forum is either the Rec Commons or multiplayer, with modding a strong second.

Beg to differ.  OT is the heart of what's in it for me - this forum is my scam to get interesting people to talk to, as I've freely owned before.  But OT is a tail that always tries to wag the dog of gaming, if a robust OT like I still hope for, and that way lies 'poly and the Troll Pit w/ no on-topic worth mentioning besides a fairly healthy Spanish language sub - and that includes their BE, which self biased hasn't given up on, and is a little healthier than our BE - you ought to check it; it's actually moderated.

But we are and must remain, a gaming forum, or all the drama crap we started a specialty shop to get away from happens.  Currently MP is most active - that changes all the time according to who's fired up about what, and who notices and has time lately.  I could bring Modding back on top for non-me activity in a few weeks if I had time right now.  I wish we had more of the casual lightweight "who's your favorite leader" stuff that's about all that has legs at CFC AC, and more (even hardcore) strategy discussion - something lurkers who have mastered beating easy level love.

Wherever the most activity is, our core business is talking SMAC.

[Geo]

You must've purchased a nice Virtual World lately.

[Buster's Uncle]

Because I broke into a 'Kirk speech' mid-conversation?

Nossir; I'm just crazy.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yitzi, I'd really like your feedback on the recent thoughts about forum structure and all, as you're the one I most need to please, currently.  -Also, the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Alpha_Centauri

Check the last paragraph.  Someone has noticed y'all's work and done some (somewhat sloppy) updating.  I'll definitely take it as-is, but there's much room for improvement if we can talk a Wikipedia editor into doing it w/ a suggested text...

-Everyone else can chip in, too.

[Yitzi]

Yitzi, I'd really like your feedback on the recent thoughts about forum structure and all, as you're the one I most need to please, currently.

I'm ok with pretty much any of the proposals, but I do think that keeping OT secondary to AC is essential.

  -Also, the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Alpha_Centauri

Check the last paragraph.  Someone has noticed y'all's work and done some (somewhat sloppy) updating.  I'll definitely take it as-is, but there's much room for improvement if we can talk a Wikipedia editor into doing it w/ a suggested text...

-Everyone else can chip in, too.

I'm ok either way.

[Buster's Uncle]

Okay; that's what I needed to know, and good to have that straight.

BTW - "We have a neat, chilled-out and mature OT community" ain't much of a newb draw, for that matter; gaming content IS.