Forum splitting poll

Ivan Pedroso · #1 September 15th, 2004, 05:04 AM

Lately i have come to think that page one of this forum is clogged with MP-threads. Three reasons to this comes to mind:

(1) The community has grown - sweet.
(2) The strategial nuances and the game mechanics of this great game has been discussed at length, and most of the exciting questions have been answored - that's great (and expected since the game was released a year ago).
(3) Some prominent forum characters have left: Zen, Norfleet, SaberCherry (some time ago), ... - this is sad, and might be related to (2) [don't remind me of ANY other reasons].

MP-threads a great, but ONLY when they are "open". If I look at page one now, I can count (stickies excluded):
17 threads in total.
9 of these are MP related.

of these 9:
2 are open (one is a plea fore a substitute, and not truly "open").
6 are closed (useless to non-participants more or less).
1 Esben's server thread (very important IMO).

I have a suggestion, split the forum in two.
(1) ongoing/closed MP game threads.
(2) all other, including open MP game threads.

People would then rename their thread when it is closed or a sub has been found (a little work), a moderator will now know it is time to move it (some work, don't know how much, but should be little). This will ensure that most of us will still read the main forum mostly, and therefore it shouldn't split up our small'ish community.

The only problem I can see is what to do with Esben's thread. I suggest leaving it in the main forum (it will attract people to MP), and putting a closed sticky with a link to it in the "closed"-MP forum for easy acces.

PDF · #2 September 15th, 2004, 06:07 AM

2 forums for me :
I prefer not to split the forums too much - the community isn't that large !, but I think all MP games discussion could be put apart from all "game topics" discussions.

Alneyan · #3 September 15th, 2004, 10:30 AM

One forum for me; as long as threads have explicit names (mainly for AARs and MP games), it should work out quite well.

deccan · #4 September 15th, 2004, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Ivan Pedroso said:
MP-threads a great, but ONLY when they are "open".

Actually I even read MP threads that are closed and that I'm not playing. I find that much useful info can be gleaned therein. Not only strategies and such, but also individual player personalities and how they usually play and so forth.

Edi · #5 September 16th, 2004, 09:38 AM

Two or three, at least the ongoing games/AARs should have their own section, with the game mechanics, faq, and mapmaking/modding discussions in the other (or mapmaking/modding in a separate forum, if warranted). It gets bloody tedious to scan past all the MP threads that clutter the first page, more difficult to find anything.

Edi

Ivan Pedroso · #6 September 16th, 2004, 11:12 AM

Quote:

deccan said:

Quote:

Ivan Pedroso said:
MP-threads a great, but ONLY when they are "open".

Actually I even read MP threads that are closed and that I'm not playing. I find that much useful info can be gleaned therein. Not only strategies and such, but also individual player personalities and how they usually play and so forth.

Well to be honest I've read alot of them too

I've not learned alot about tactics from them, but you are right about player personalities. There are definetly some persons I've discovered I wouldn't wanna play against (i.e. spend months in "company" with), but that's only a few. There are lots of (mature) people who manage to play competitively AND retaining a friendly attitude. Myself and my real-life buddies (see "Battle of the Danes") have talked about entering the MP-scene, but ALL (or at least the majority) og the games announced in here are played on HUGE maps, which in my oppinion leads to boring games, with boring strategies (see the various threads on "clams", "soul contracts", "wish", "mad castling" etc).

[damn I'm in a rambling moode

]

Perhaps I should just start a public MP-game on a smaller map - anyone interested ? (send me a PM if you enjoyed our semi-ARR and would like to participate in a game that'll be played in a similar atmosphere).

Pickles · #7 September 16th, 2004, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Ivan Pedroso said:
Perhaps I should just start a public MP-game on a smaller map - anyone interested ? (send me a PM if you enjoyed our semi-ARR and would like to participate in a game that'll be played in a similar atmosphere).

Yes me.

I am all for little intense maps

Pickles

Cainehill · #8 September 16th, 2004, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Ivan Pedroso said:
Perhaps I should just start a public MP-game on a smaller map - anyone interested ? (send me a PM if you enjoyed our semi-ARR and would like to participate in a game that'll be played in a similar atmosphere).

Depending on the planned pace (after around turn 20 or 30, 48QH gives more flexibility in finding the half hour to hour a turn can take), I'd be interested. The smaller maps are definately a nice change of pace, and also avoid the micromanagement hassles of large maps in the late games.

Soapyfrog · #9 September 16th, 2004, 03:17 PM

For sure I'd be up for a small map game! My disdain for the effects of large map/long games is well registered

Truper · #10 September 16th, 2004, 05:19 PM

Gandalf: One thing about the PBEM forum which already exists - it isn't a Dominions 2 forum, but a Shrapnel Games forum - or at least that's how I recall Richard describing it when he instituted it. I think if we had a Domionions 2 Multiplayer Games forum in addition to this one, people would use it. Looking for a game to play in? Go to the multiplayer forum. Looking to polish up your game before taking the MP plunge? Use this forum, where discussion on strategy won't be buried in new game annoncements, and ongoing game problems/propaganda.