Org Promotion

[Axalon]

On one interesting note, Axalon's fix is undoing edyzmedieval's fix for Warhammer: Total War. Instead of having empty/quiet forums within a game section, Avalon is suggesting they be on the main index, bloating it with sub-forums that receive next to no use.

Maybe I’m reading you all wrong, but you look at this “Axalon-fix” with a short-term-only perspective - expand your perspective. The suggestions on that was devised with a long-term perspective and general competitiveness in mind, not short-term fixes and cosiness. A section that might be empty to today, need not necessarily stay that way forever, or be true for tomorrow. That is - IF - we can bother too offer/build up attractive enough settings for each game, ready for instant use - whenever the chance comes. My drafted model enables such instant use, it enables the possibility for people to start building up a section and micro-community there - whenever they like too - simply by the generous infrastructure offered there - generous enough to be seriously hard to pass on. Which is basically the whole point. Generating activity and interest by advantageous, attractive, and overtly dedicated settings - effectively competing. This regardless the game. That in turn drastically increases the sites overall chances of hitting home for every visitor that comes here, regardless of her preferences. If we got all games covered with equal measure, we will hit home be sheer default… The overall chance for him/her staying here increases big time - "this place have all I need, are interested in and more... The other sites don't have all that, like this, or as visible..." And you basically hooked yourself another interested member, willing to stick around some more, possibly posting here as well. That’s the general idea with my draft…

The "Edyz-fix" (on warhammer) does hardly afford any of that. It does not even consider such things as it its only focuses on short term cosiness and goals. While long term, its actually crippling/damaging a section to serve some short-term-only supposed cosy feeling. Why? It disables the sections chances to grow and compete with other sites counterparts - simply because it does not afford or allow attractive enough settings for people interested in that game (Warhammer in this case). It bunches up things, it decreases index-visibility and overview on what’s happening in that area. The very stuff that makes it less competitive with other sites, structurally speaking. As people will and can get better settings and infrastructure elsewhere, they will naturally will go there, instead of here. As long as this place can offer generous settings for TW-game1, it got a chance to grow and compete. Failing that, this place end up with no chance in that particular game. That's the difference here between the two “fixes”. A chance (somehow) for growth, or no (or disabled) chance for growth.

And yes, this do come at the price that the index will be larger, this is true - if implemented. Then again, a larger index is a small and easy price to pay as to increase this sites chances for survival - I think anyways. Bunching stuff together (especially things that do not naturally belong together) to make short term gains in "cosy", typically means slow death in general.

Speaking of popular forums which use a similar layout, there is Paradoxplaza which the structure of that was originally inspired from, as it provided an area for people to contribute in general, then specific sub-forums for dedicated space.

I can only speak for myself, and… That (Paradoxplaza) layout just suck, even for such games, hell for any games. Personally, I would eagerly go elsewhere if I was presented a choice. In terms of TW, as long as the TWC exists, that's probably the place where I would go, as most folk already have. Much for the same reasons I would imagine. I'll take that superior TWC-index any day over that poor Paradox-index layout.

This kept the game community more unified opposed to more spread out.

I don’t buy that a sites general super-community is a healthy or viable way of approaching things or a much useful perspective anywhere actually - or how to successfully construct a strong and flexible index for that matter. That Paradox-layout essentially serve as a warning example of what we should NOT do. Its riddled with flaws, failures and short-comings. And as long as the TWC exists, this place have little choice but to compete on those terms (thank god for the TWC!), as it simply kills any such layout all over. It outshines and outdoes it in every turn, making it plain irrelevant. As is essentially what have happened to this site.

Just read post:65 again… And think over what I am trying to say there about micro-communities…

The other suggestion was simply reversing the order the games were presented in, so older games at the top and newer games at the bottom. If this 'fix' was really so clear-cut, I would have done it already. But honesty, that change will have no impact on anything.

Not entirely true… What I actually did do in that draft, was to use a chronological order in my forwarded index-draft as I had only two rational options to go with - chronological or reversed chronological order. I selected the former as that is the one most rarely used in various TW-forums thus far. A chronological order would (at least in a small way help) set this place apart more then just doing what everyone else already does (using a reversed chronological order) - while still remaining perfectly easy to understand and follow all the same. In truth it makes little difference to me personally which order is used of the two, but I think I prefer the chronological one, myself.

Regardless, it will have impact on the site somehow, and there is zero doubt about it. So declaring that it “will have no impact on anything.” - is simply untrue (or BS, whatever you prefer). Obviously it will set this place apart from the rest – as already mentioned. It would also make the short-term supposed "Warhammer-problem" with inactive/unused sub-sections/forums disappear all the way down to the bottom of the index - short term anyways. Long term that should not matter much, if all things are properly set up (for Warhammer that is). Thirdly, and this is the most significant part (I think), as it is, short term, the MTW1-section and the RTW1-section are both probably among the top3 strongest/most active micro-(TW-)communities on this site at this point - why should these folks have their games placed near the bottom of a site, when that very site is clearly screaming for activity? These sections are more active then essentially everything else TW-wise, especially if we include mods in that. Makes little sense right? A chronological order would actually handle that more effectively then a reversed order would, as the latter places (almost) all and (currently) less active TW-games ahead of these two.

So... It certainly can have an impact on something for this site - that is - if we bother to examine things seriously enough. The "no impact on anything"-notion is without substance and its untrue. It will clearly have an impact on something, if applied on this site, there is little doubt about that. It would be very good news for RTW1 and MTW1, if implemented, that much is clear... It would also be bad news for Attila and RTW2, that much is also clear. So, it will have impact, alright...

I have made minor changes to the index, and elsewhere based on posts in here already, it is part of the practice of adapting and reacting to feedback.

Again, it’s the big changes that this place really needs, the sooner you get on that, the better.
I have already helped you with a basic draft. I will try to help you some more - if you let me.

- A