Building a Community

[Buster's Uncle]

I just tripped over the link to a previous demogame thread I started, Mart
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=8329.0
-Which has a link in the second post to your previous talk in that direction - and people responding...

[Metaliturtle]

I'm friggin' here dagnabit whurrr did mah smaileyz go?

[Buster's Uncle]

The plant one?

I'll add it later today - everybody get's a free request on that if they really want it.  Later additions, you have to talk me into.

[Buster's Uncle]

Mart?  Have I gone too far?

[Mart]

Our succession game has slowed down. I am curious, how it is going to continue.
Let us see, if it is going to keep interest for longer time.
I have an idea for a "question" thread asking about what people think about it.
You mentioned that previously, but we haven't talked about it: each team would have a private subforum here? Accessible only for team members?

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes.  Whatever it needs/takes.

Of course if any other forum ends up in, I intended to encourage them to host their own - when it's made visible afterwards, content for them.  Gotta make it a good deal for them.

[Mart]

The way I imagine this, we have a DG here. Some people from other sites participate. That increases interest in SMACX, so after this future DG such forum-based teams may form.

And as I think about it, I am almost 100% sure, this next DG should be 3 teams.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yes.  I'm realistic about trying to organize something more complex - nobody in power elsewhere is as interested in this as I or I'd have gotten quicker responses.  I suppose your point is one I should make in future followups - that encouraging participation will definitely make it easier and more feasible in the future.  A lotta SMACers are something(s) else, too, where we don't compete, or they'd already be over here, so we pose little threat.

[Buster's Uncle]

...I'm talking to self biased now -he became a BE mod at 'poly when the subforum was created last year, and we've talked about activity building stuff a lot in the past; he's supermod, and could expand his portfolio if he wanted.  He used to participate in AC Stories there before my time.  He's actually only made grunts of acknowledgement that I was talking to him - but that's a big improvement on what I've been getting from everyone but Solver, whom I'm also IMing with...

[Buster's Uncle]

BTW, I can think of a few places I could talk up a demogame on Facebook - not team stuff, except for a 'polytubbie nexus I know of, but we might pull a few blokes that way.

Go or wait a bit, Mart?

[Mart]

Maybe we can do announcements after threads with discussions start here? There should be something to talk about. And it is better to have clear idea what DG it is going to be. Otherwise, we can end up "diluted."

Meanwhile, I think about details. The succession game shows something, like we generally do not like too large games. I mean large maps, many bases, stuff like that. Important hint for the settings. It does follow trend that there was from ACDG1 to ACDG3.
Also, from number of downloads I can see, only some people watch game very closely. Core players would do it, or would need to do it. Casual players will read posts not necessarily taking closer look into turns.

[Buster's Uncle]

Makes sense.  It would probably be a mistake to pull attention and then make them wait however long it takes us to get a lot closer to ready.

The succession game is only going through a slow week, you know.  It's a good game, and it's going to continue to be good.  Geo having a bad week has been a temporary problem.  I'm following in the sense that I'm enjoying the discussion a LOT more than the average TTT...  -Not so much with the looking at turns saves.  I expect I'm far from alone, and I bet you'll find views out of proportion to posts.  I haven't checked yet...

[Buster's Uncle]

I just made a post and realized it was one of my 'Kirk speeches' -as you'll all have noticed, this thread is for motivational pep-talks to the citizens and policy statements about how we run things and why, to get us all on the same page and pulling together- so here:

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.

AC2 is by SMACers, for SMACers, and we're committed to that.  We can do it.

[Buster's Uncle]

Couple of things following on that last:  it's from an exchange about my current thoughts on the proper place of BE and Bug/Patch in the forum structure, (and the description labels on various subforums) and I'm looking for feedback.  This is your place, and you have a say in things.

---

Mart, (keep it up with the taking patchable issues to Yitzi, BTW - that's valuable to the community on multiple levels at once.)

MP is in its current powerhouse activity state mostly because of your efforts in the last seven months - MP is great and important, but MPlayers do have that unfortunate tendency to not crawl out of the Mcave as much as other members with different interests participate in multiple parts of our forum; part of my enthusiasm for the demogame is as a way to leverage our present activity strength there into growth/excitement/diversity of content for all of AC2 and especially MP.

I take it we're sorta waiting for the succession game to wind down before we bear down on firming up the plan and going full-court on talking it up to people (or talking then firming w/ feedback)?  And who do you see in charge of the demogame as it's in progress?  I assume you intend to do setup, but if you want to play -if that's ethical for the one who set up in a team game- I'll have to unless sisko or someone steps up.  Just wondering.

And finally - I do have this vision of demogame progress reports, perhaps AARs, which would be an interesting exercise if each team was doing one to inform and entertain the spectators w/o giving too much away to the competition...

[Geo]

AAR's are so much work. Even more then medium demogame turn reports.