Nothing ever gets accomplished in the Ideas sub-forum

[captainwalrus]

I find that ideas which try to get off the ground without a map by being put in the Ideas and suggestions sub forum. Why is this. I find that it doesn't realy fufill it's pourpose of nurturing ideas in their infancy. I have no real ways to fix this problem though so I am just sort of pionting it out.

[edbeard]

it's fulfilling its role perfectly which is keeping a lot of crap out of the drafts forum. some of the crap falls through and some stuff in ideas isn't crap but any filtering system has its problems.

ideas flounder because they don't have the right person driving the wheel. 99% of the time you're not going to find someone else to do it for you.

[captainwalrus]

it's fulfilling its role perfectly which is keeping a lot of crap out of the drafts forum. some of the crap falls through and some stuff in ideas isn't crap but any filtering system has its problems.

ideas flounder because they don't have the right person driving the wheel. 99% of the time you're not going to find someone else to do it for you.

I dissagree. Most of the ideas in the ideas + suggestions forum never get off the ground because not many people ever go into the Ideas and Suggestions forum.

[cairnswk]

it's fulfilling its role perfectly which is keeping a lot of crap out of the drafts forum. some of the crap falls through and some stuff in ideas isn't crap but any filtering system has its problems.

ideas flounder because they don't have the right person driving the wheel. 99% of the time you're not going to find someone else to do it for you.

I dissagree. Most of the ideas in the ideas + suggestions forum never get off the ground because not many people ever go into the Ideas and Suggestions forum.

captainwalrus, i am on this site every day, and constantly i see the Ideas Forum rolling over and changing subject.
I agree with edbeard on this one.
Most of the ideas are probably good, but are being posted by players who want certain maps (yesterday almost) without realising that a map's complete development cycle is upward of three months. They also have ideas but they don't have the patience, time or software skills to be them into place. A lot of ideas will probably never go anywhere anyway because there a copyright issues involved.

As edbeard stated a lot of these do fall through the cracks, but this also keeps them out of the Drafts section, and this is a far tidier option for the overall Foundry than what was in place a few months back in history.

[The Neon Peon]

edbeard is right on the money. Got everything down 100% correct. Nothing more to add. He said it all.

[sailorseal]

I agree all I have seen the ideas forum ever do is hide my maps that suck.

[AndyDufresne]

Ideally the Ideas sub-forum wouldn't be as crazy and chaotic as it is, but we just don't have the wo/man power to improve its current state. Perhaps there are interested volunteers who'd like to help wrangle the mass-of-banana-peels that most often is the Idea Subforum? Hm? Anyone? Bueller?

Think of it this way, before this system we've had a number of other trials. At one, point, there was just one forum "the Map Foundry," where everything, discussion, early creation, random ideas, middle development, late development, etc, all took place in this one area. We opened up the Final Forge Sub-forum to give late development maps some more eyes, and we had our very first "Map Ideas Topic" -- a single topic for people to post random ideas in, essentially an abyss of thought. Eventually a Map Ideas and a Discussion subforum to further clear junk out of the main development Foundry. But even with that set up, early drafts of maps were being lost and drowned out, hence now the addition of a Drafting subforum. Short of adding additional idea-esque sub-forums, such as horrible ideas like "Good Ideas" and "Bad Ideas," I'm not sure there is much more we can do in system...unless more wo/man power became available.


--Andy

[sailorseal]

Perhaps there are interested volunteers who'd like to help wrangle the mass-of-banana-peels that most often is the Idea Subforum? Hm? Anyone? Bueller?


--Andy

Since I am no good at making maps themselves but like the foundry, I would volunteer

[the.killing.44]

Ideally the Ideas sub-forum wouldn't be as crazy and chaotic as it is, but we just don't have the wo/man power to improve its current state. Perhaps there are interested volunteers who'd like to help wrangle the mass-of-banana-peels that most often is the Idea Subforum? Hm? Anyone? Bueller?

I would most definitely be interested … I'm always in the foundry.

.44

[samuelc812]

Andy you know very well that there are many people who are ready and willing to help

[gimil]

Well if you guys wanna post ideas on how to strealmine the ideas form then by all means suggest them. You never know you may get asked to impliment your idea

[the.killing.44]

Well I don't really know how this would coincide with the fact that the CAs are supposed to have the [brackets] reserved for stamps and such, but first off I'd suggest posters with a draft post [R] for rough draft before the title while posters who just have an idea just post a normal title.

Also, have a separate subforum to separate [Vacationed] maps from the others.
I can think of others, these are just quick ones. If someone's interested, talk to me goose

.44

[samuelc812]

Perhaps you could have a rule in there that if something isn't posted in an ideas thread for more than 5 days than the thread is locked and moved to the heap, as this would show there is no interest in the map idea... (a bit like the Cheating and Abuse Forum when reports don't get posted in for 5 days after they have been closed they are locked).

I also think we could do with A Sub-Forum for Vacationed Maps, This would not only clean up the Map/Ideas Forum but also create a place where vacationed maps can stay while they get a tan and sip martini's

[sailorseal]

I would also have ideas that go five days with out posts would be moved to recycling and create a separate sub-forum for vacationed maps. I think there should also be a sub-forum for advanced ideas, ideas that people like that just haven't had a draft yet or have a early draft. I think people need to have tags in the title like, [Need Partner], [Need Mapmaker], [Need Approval] and [Creating Draft]
This way people who are looking to work on maps are directed easily and ideas can be turned into drafts. I think every thread in map ideas should have a auto created poll that goes for a week saying,
Should the idea move on?
Yes
No
Develop your concept

and the results help decide the idea's fate

[the.killing.44]

Another thing I would like to see happen is to differentiate between suggestions for gameplay, graphics, or a map itself. [Bracketed text] would help, but if that's not possible then (Parentheses) are always fine. Some examples from real threads:
[S]flash-animated replays?
[M]Croatian Map (or Balkan)
[R]Fast Tactics
S = general suggestion
M = map sugg
R = rough draft (not enough to go to Drafting Room)

.44

[MrBenn]

Well I don't really know how this would coincide with the fact that the CAs are supposed to have the [brackets] reserved for stamps and such, but first off I'd suggest posters with a draft post [R] for rough draft before the title while posters who just have an idea just post a normal title.

Also, have a separate subforum to separate [Vacationed] maps from the others.
I can think of others, these are just quick ones. If someone's interested, talk to me goose

.44

For maps that are just an idea, we have the Ideas sub-forum, and for maps with a draft (even a rough one), we have the Drafting Room...

It's sometimes difficult to know when a map has gone on vacation, but we do move things to the Recycling room if they remain dormant for too long, or if people say they're stopping for a while...

Perhaps you could have a rule in there that if something isn't posted in an ideas thread for more than 5 days than the thread is locked and moved to the heap, as this would show there is no interest in the map idea... (a bit like the Cheating and Abuse Forum when reports don't get posted in for 5 days after they have been closed they are locked).

I also think we could do with A Sub-Forum for Vacationed Maps, This would not only clean up the Map/Ideas Forum but also create a place where vacationed maps can stay while they get a tan and sip martini's

The difference between C&A and a map, is that a map thread should only be closed once it is is finished, or work on it has stopped... The Scrap Heap was recently renamed to the Recycling Bin to better reflect that maps in there haven't necessarily seen the last light of day - maps go there for they're extended vacations, and several have returned. The problem with a sub-forum for vacationed maps, is that too often maps stay on holiday permanently

[the.killing.44]

For maps that are just an idea, we have the Ideas sub-forum, and for maps with a draft (even a rough one), we have the Drafting Room...

But that's the problem — I can pick out multiple maps that have drafts but are still in here. You moved Oval Wars (with cause, I am in no way arguing that decision) to Ideas with a draft, and Ore Wars has 2 versions but is still in the Ideas subforum.

.44

[samuelc812]

Well then put a time limit on it, say a map can only stay on vacation for 1 month before being moved to the Recycling. If an idea was to go forward, then there would either have to be a draft made meaning it could be moved into the Drafting Room or people are generally interested in the idea and posting in the thread. If this isn't happening then there is no reason for it to stay there, chances are they posted it there hoping someone else would pick it up and make it for the site, which may i say hardly ever happens The Map/Ideas Sub-Forum could be a lot more clean this way and keep the Recycling Bin for the Clutter.

I disagree about tags we don't really need more tags for ideas, this sub-forum is generally not really paid that much attention, More tags would just make things a hell of a lot more complicated for new people trying to get used to the foundry, they would probably get spooked and never come back.

[sailorseal]

Simple tags would be useful and maybe a ideas thread CA, who would only work in ideas to make it run more smoothly

[gimil]

Take into consideration guys that more subforums = more confusion in terms of infrastructure for new comers.

There is some ideas to think about:

-Vacation maps get stickied in the recycle bin. This puts them out the road but easy to find again. If a map is on vacation for more than one month it gets unstickied. If a map maker wants to find it again they can hunt the furnace for it
-Ideas in the ideas forum that don't get posted in for 5 days are moved to the recycle bin. This will leave only ideas currently being discussed in the ideas forum and utilise the recycle bin even more to hold rubbish (which it is suppose to do).
-Tags in title for ideas, but only ones with crystal clear intent e.g. [Graphics Artist Needed] or [idea] etc etc.
-Locking threads as already mentioned should never really need to be done for a map development thread wether draft or idea. There is no reason to stop any discussion
-Another new map ideas thread listing all those former ideas that have been mentioned. A large task but 2-3 helpers working together could get it done easy.

[the.killing.44]

I agree with most all those ideas. It's not as much an idea as much a problem — people do post drafts in the Ideas forum; mainly ones that do only belong in the Ideas forum. I think this is the right idea, although Benn said that all drafts should go in the aptly named Drafting Room . The problem with his statement is that he moved Oval Wars back to ideas, which did have a draft (although the map had no merit at all). So, I do believe that Ideas should be home to rough rough drafts, because it helps keep the Drafting Room cleaner. The thing about the Foundry is that it gets neater and neater down the road, as it should. And should stay that way .

-Another new map ideas thread listing all those former ideas that have been mentioned. A large task but 2-3 helpers working together could get it done easy.

*puts up hand* So, a list of ideas, all as clickys to the threads?

.44

[gimil]

-Another new map ideas thread listing all those former ideas that have been mentioned. A large task but 2-3 helpers working together could get it done easy.

*puts up hand* So, a list of ideas, all as clickys to the threads?

.44

It will be no easy feat, I can promise you that

[LED ZEPPELINER]

maybe actually split it, a section for ideas, which are concepts that have a rough map and suggestions, for people with an idea, but who dont have a map to go with it

I think every thread in map ideas should have a auto created poll that goes for a week saying,
Should the idea move on?
Yes
No
Develop your concept

and the results help decide the idea's fate

also i agree with sailorseals idea about the poll, that way the forum will not be cluttered with maps that people have no intrest with.

[LED ZEPPELINER]

-Another new map ideas thread listing all those former ideas that have been mentioned. A large task but 2-3 helpers working together could get it done easy.

*puts up hand* So, a list of ideas, all as clickys to the threads?

.44

It will be no easy feat, I can promise you that

if it is "a list of ideas, all as clickys to the threads?"
then i am in

i know were not talking about this, but in the foundry discussion, maybe make two seperate subforums, one for tutorials and another for general discusion

[gimil]

maybe actually split it, a section for ideas, which are concepts that have a rough map and suggestions, for people with an idea, but who dont have a map to go with it

I think every thread in map ideas should have a auto created poll that goes for a week saying,
Should the idea move on?
Yes
No
Develop your concept

and the results help decide the idea's fate

also i agree with sailorseals idea about the poll, that way the forum will not be cluttered with maps that people have no intrest with.

The less spliting we do the better. Spliting up ideas and concept makes things a little more difficult with no real benefit. Auto poles are a pretty pointless idea as well to be honest. The criteria to decide a threats fate is pretty simple. I am also sure that php doesn't have an auto poll function.