Disclaimer: while I am writing this I think I must warn you beforehand that this post might get a bit messy

Quote Originally Posted by [b
Quote[/b] ]This is how the idea is flawed and prejudiced against more specific mods (like mine).
I am starting to regret that I asked the Admins for a subforum, so I really think the modders should discuss this to make sure that we are heading the right way. It's a new feature and we do need to make the right policy to keep everybody happy.

If you look at other gaming sites you see subforums for single mods. So this is nothing new. But should we give every mod a subforum?

Dead forums
The biggest fear I have with this is that sometimes a mod is abandoned or when finished the interest fades as everybody can just play the mod. In that case we will have dead forums. Does this make this make mods more accessible for the normal patrons? If no then the concept has failed since that was my original intention of subforums in the Dungeon.
And then what happens? Should we merge all the threads and put it back into the Engineers Guild? That would create quite a mess.

Active development threads
With this I mean that some threads have loads of posts because the mod is being developed. But that doesn't mean that it should deseverve its own subforum. What if the mod is finished? Will there still be a continious flow of posts?

Subforums are not a prestige thing
I have the feeling that some people think that having a subforum is a wanna-have. When I asked TosaInu for a subforum I didn't do this because I wanted to be special. I did this because I have a vision in which the Two Crowns mod has a forum where there are battlereports, strategies. historical articles, screenshot threads, stories, etc. I have done similar small things for M:TW and people liked it alot, so I know once I start it it will generate alot of interest. And I simply love the 15th century. The mod and the forum are a way to express that fascination. And that has nothing to do with being special. If you doubt my intentions, then have a little patience, I can promise you that the Two Crowns forum will become special.

Is the mod purely for Single Player?
SP mod threads tend to have little activity once the mod is finished. If this is not the case then 90% of the time there is a patron who doesn't know how to install or an update for the mod is being developed.
Mods who also aim for MP will have more activity since people come together to make appointments talk about battles etc.
However this is not always the case since some mods are so good that patrons are posting about strategy and tactics specifically for that mod. This brings me to:

A forum for playing mods
We have forums for mod development, modding issues and modding guides. But one of the biggest flaws of the Dungeon (and which I raised months ago...) is that normal Patrons don't have a place to discuss the non-modding side of mods: actually playing them.
What if we create a forum specifically for playing mods? If patrons come here it will also generate interests for other mods as they read other posts.

Conclusion
The botttomline in my eyes is:

Mod development generates alot of posts, but that is no reason to get a subforum. We should also look at the activity after the mod is finished. Subforums are not meant to provide modders a prominent place to develop their mod. Subforums should provide patrons a place to discuss their favourite mod.

I anxiously await your opinions,
Duke John