Premium-Only Forum

[72o]

Concise description:
Premium-Only Forum

Specifics:
A forum or two where only premium members can visit and post. Others cannot see it.

This will improve the following aspects of the site:

- reduce spam/trolling, etc.
- increase premiumship (everyone wants what they can't have)
- provide a place for premium-only tournaments, publications, announcements, games, etc.
- will likely reduce the number of idiots' posts I read daily
- did I mention not having to read so much idiotic spam and trolling?

[sailorseal]

As much as I disagree with most your reasons, I agree with the idea

[Tupence]

I'm not quite sure what forums it would include, but would be a nice place for organisers to create their premium-only tournaments

Edit: Actually forget what I said - flexmaster33 runs awesome tournaments and he's freemium himself

[hwhrhett]

Concise description:
Premium-Only Forum

Specifics:
A forum or two where only premium members can visit and post. Others cannot see it.

This will improve the following aspects of the site:

- reduce spam/trolling, etc.
- increase premiumship (everyone wants what they can't have)
- will likely reduce the number of idiots' posts I read daily
- did I mention not having to read so much idiotic spam and trolling?

most spammers/trolls that i see are already premium members... idiots too...

other than that, i like the idea, i just dont think lack will go for it...

[AndyDufresne]

What sort of style of forum would you like to see as Premium Only? Usually, fracturing the forum (by increasing number of forums) drives over all activity down across a wide number of forums. So we'd have to make sure that wouldn't happen.

Perhaps expand upon content of a Premium Only area instead of focusing on what it will improve for now.


--Andy

[Kotaro]

Perhaps a premium only forum, just a small one, that would include a Callouts and a General Discussion?

[colton24]

Concise description:
Premium-Only Forum

Specifics:
A forum or two where only premium members can visit and post. Others cannot see it.

This will improve the following aspects of the site:

- reduce spam/trolling, etc.
- increase premiumship (everyone wants what they can't have)
- provide a place for premium-only tournaments, publications, announcements, games, etc.
- will likely reduce the number of idiots' posts I read daily
- did I mention not having to read so much idiotic spam and trolling?

I like it. But with Callouts,GD,Tournaments(so the freemuim idiots who don't look at the first post to see if they can join can't),and clans(optional).

[owenshooter]

I like it. But with Callouts,GD,Tournaments(so the freemuim idiots who don't look at the first post to see if they can join can't),and clans(optional).

what about all the premium idiots? *cough*... and it is a bad idea to have a premium only forum... a guy with less than 200 posts that hasn't been here for more than 3 months probably hasn't exhausted all his options within the forums for info, entertainment, etc... and if he is looking for a place of like minded people that will only post and not annoy him, perhaps he should start a clan or usergroup. clans have their own forums, afterall...

i think it is a really bad idea to separate paying and non-paying members. what about people like happy2seeyou that were long time premiums and are now freemiums? would she wake up to find herself banished from the kingdom, simply for letting her premium expire? the 3 weeks inbetween my premium memberships would also mean that i wouldn't be able to post or look at the "premium" only forums. this is an elitist suggestion by someone that isn't even active within the forums. poor idea, poorly worded, and if it were ever implemented it would be a huge fiasco. just start your own clan/usergroup and have fun within your own private forum...-0

[AndyDufresne]

Lets keep the discussion on the suggestion. Keep expanding upon what content would be desired, and then eventually why it would be desired.


--Andy

[72o]

I like it. But with Callouts,GD,Tournaments(so the freemuim idiots who don't look at the first post to see if they can join can't),and clans(optional).

what about all the premium idiots? *cough*... and it is a bad idea to have a premium only forum... a guy with less than 200 posts that hasn't been here for more than 3 months probably hasn't exhausted all his options within the forums for info, entertainment, etc... and if he is looking for a place of like minded people that will only post and not annoy him, perhaps he should start a clan or usergroup. clans have their own forums, afterall...

i think it is a really bad idea to separate paying and non-paying members. what about people like happy2seeyou that were long time premiums and are now freemiums? would she wake up to find herself banished from the kingdom, simply for letting her premium expire? the 3 weeks inbetween my premium memberships would also mean that i wouldn't be able to post or look at the "premium" only forums. this is an elitist suggestion by someone that isn't even active within the forums. poor idea, poorly worded, and if it were ever implemented it would be a huge fiasco. just start your own clan/usergroup and have fun within your own private forum...-0

Your points are valid. I have not been here very long, and I don't post extraordinarily often. Part of this is due to my annoyance with what I consider to be spam or otherwise uninteresting discussion, and unfortunately I let that frustration manifest itself in the original post of this thread. I'm sure there are times when my posts are idiotic or otherwise inane to others (or even myself); it's obviously a very subjective evaluation. While paying for premium doesn't automatically guarantee that someone's posts are going to have value, I think that overall it will reduce the number of drive-by posters that inject garbage into discussions.

I think that your concerns over separation of premiums and freemiums are not entirely without merit; however, I think having access to some of these "bonus features" might actually convince some of these folks to buy premium for the first time, or again, as the case may be.

Some of the suggestions already in this thread are good ones -

A callouts forum for premiums only (could include speed games, plus less likelihood of multis)
A tournaments forum for premiums only (same)
A strategy forum that has strategy discussed/suggested by those who have achieved success at it (instead of thread after thread of dice complaints and "how do i use clickies")


I'm sure there's a lot of directions we can go with this. Anyone have any thoughts on it?

[AndyDufresne]

Also, would like everyone to take into account that increased forums, means increased moderation requirements, which could mean a larger Team CC. Not that is bad, but just pointing out that if we expand our forum more and more, we may need more and more coverage! (So go apply in the Announcement topic. )


--Andy

[Tupence]

I'm not quite sure what forums it would include, but would be a nice place for organisers to create their premium-only tournaments

Actually forget what I said - flexmaster33 runs awesome tournaments and he's freemium himself

[heavycola]

I have not been here very long, and I don't post extraordinarily often. Part of this is due to my annoyance with what I consider to be spam or otherwise uninteresting discussion

So why not post something interesting. Physician, heal thyself.

[mibi]

Looks like the powers that be are more interested in this idea then one would suspect.

[lord voldemort]

i think premium only forum isnt a great idea.
sure u could create a premium only usergroup
but whats the point i say
and you will never get rid of spamming/trolling

[72o]

One other idea, although I'm sure it will burn this suggestion permanently, and probably get this thread locked up tight -

A premium-only "Flamehaus".

This would likely be a magnet for all of the posts I so eloquently denounced in my OP. A place where all of the "the mods are mean to me" and "(so and so) is a troller/baiter/spammer/flamer" posts can go. Since so many seemed to love that about this forum, and constantly bemoan the demise of the last flame forum, they will once again have a home and they won't spread this activity into the other parts of the forum.

It can still have the rules of the rest of the forum (no foul language, direct flames, etc.), but all of the indirect flames (although some are creative) and otherwise (IMO) useless jabber can go on where those that want to partake may do so, and those that don't, won't.

Also, those that really do want to partake in this activity will have to pay for premium. No more "I'm not buying premium because they banned _____" or "I'm not renewing premium until FW returns".

What say you?

[AndyDufresne]

Looks like the powers that be are more interested in this idea then one would suspect.

Just trying to facilitate discussion on suggestions to determine their merits! I'd do it more with other suggestions, but sometimes I don't have much input for some of the gameplay ones!


--Andy

[ubersky]

How about considering instead of a Premium Only "area", think about adding a Premium Only "Filter".

What I mean is, we interact with the site in various ways very day, game finder, forum, chat, start game, etc.

It might be simpler to add a premium only filter option to the searches and views (something that affects site-wide) instead of creating separate areas.

You could then:

• Search for games by Preems only
• Start Games that allow Preems only
• Filter forum topics or posts by Preems only
• Post content viewable by Preems only (topic level)
• etc

I don't know how workable this would be, but it wouldn't be any more isolationist than a Preem only area.

I've never been a fan of "Caste-ing" sites like this, but I do know that site maintainers have to give some benefits to people that pay $$$ for the services. If enough of the paying people are requesting some sort of isolation from what seems to be a problem of freem spam, then it may be something to look at.

Also, as an addition, I would provide an option to apply the same filters to "friends" list people, which would allow preems to interact in the same way with friends that are freems.

I think Lack has a hard job figuring out what is the right balance of benefit to people that pay, and injury to the large community of people that don't, but make the site what it is.