244 replies to this topic

[Bagheera]

Niko Snow, on 21 March 2013 - 02:01 PM, said:

So, what sub-forum(s) would you like to see?

It might just be me, but it seems that "Mechs" and "Loadouts" could be combined into a single sub-section.

[Devil Fox]

I'm actually quite disappointed you completely changed the forum layout... bad enough you were hiding all the critical feedback threads in a sub-forum. But now there's just too many sub-forums to even bother with this website anymore... it was much easier to browse the topics and look at what was interesting on any subject across general discussion or the 2 guide sub-forums of general and battlemech.

Now it's too confusing, too many sub-forums, and too much of a headache to actually find anything, post anywhere... so why weren't the community asked if they liked the forums the way it was? Afterall we're the ones who have to use this site, otherwise it might be time to find another forum to talk about mwo on since nothing seems to come of this one...

[Parnage Winters]

The only reason this thread isn't longer is because no one can find it so they are posting feedback of the same kind in other places. Think about that.

[Tennex]

needs a "news" subforum for people to discuss latest MWO news.

[Noesis]

I for one see it as a very useful bonus that PGI and IGP can filter topic material more readily as a result of the recent forum changes. If it means that staff can concentrate their efforts better into tasks that is their specific function then it makes a lot of sense. There's more than enough mods already working to help collate an holistic picture also at the same time, not that as part of teamwork of personal interests those needs aren't satisfied anyhow so I don't see the demarcation of topic material preventative to this either.

To me this just seems that there is potential for the development staff to spend less time sifting through loads of posts, which I'm happy to say are mostly constructive, but were as part of old GD structure intermixed and therefore hard to find or navigate for topic discussion pertinent to areas or fields of interest.

This problem would likely only worsen in the future with the growth of the player base.

As a suggestion to some people who are concerned about where to post as opposed to adapting to the new situation then the maybe the idea of providing a helpful forum sitemap might be useful, though for myself personally its seems mostly intuitive and likely if you do accidentally file something in the wrong area I'd expect the mods to move it to where it belongs until things become more familiar.

Personally I welcome the change as a result if it helps staff focus better on their development activities as it means they are being more efficient with my monetary contributions. And it isn't really that big a deal to get used to a new forum structure.

[Devil Fox]

Noesis, on 23 April 2013 - 06:27 PM, said:

I for one see it as a very useful bonus that PGI and IGP can filter topic material more readily as a result of the recent forum changes. If it means that staff can concentrate their efforts better into tasks that is their specific function then it makes a lot of sense. There's more than enough mods already working to help collate an holistic picture also at the same time, not that as part of teamwork of personal interests those needs aren't satisfied anyhow so I don't see the demarcation of topic material preventative to this either.

To me this just seems that there is potential for the development staff to spend less time sifting through loads of posts, which I'm happy to say are mostly constructive, but were as part of old GD structure intermixed and therefore hard to find or navigate for topic discussion pertinent to areas or fields of interest.

This problem would likely only worsen in the future with the growth of the player base.

As a suggestion to some people who are concerned about where to post as opposed to adapting to the new situation then the maybe the idea of providing a helpful forum sitemap might be useful, though for myself personally its seems mostly intuitive and likely if you do accidentally file something in the wrong area I'd expect the mods to move it to where it belongs until things become more familiar.

Personally I welcome the change as a result if it helps staff focus better on their development activities as it means they are being more efficient with my monetary contributions. And it isn't really that big a deal to get used to a new forum structure.

You might like it... but I don't want to navigate 10+ subforums to find relevant topics I might like to read, why? Because I have better things to do with my time then try and figure out what my post about a mech build should go, nor am I a player that focuses on only one weight class so sub-forums based on weight-class only get me another 4 forums I have to sift through.

It's might make it easier for mod's to classify topics into 'simple' terms, but it doesn't mean it helps PGI collect criticism of the game because at present they do that by hiding feedback thread in their 'heat-sink topic' sub-forum, which isn't invitingly named either... Why so many sub-forums also? Mechs and Load-out Sub-forums in general are covered by the Guides Battlemech sub-forum (before it was split into 4 weight class BS), the reason people talked about the min general forums was due to meta game issues/developments around the chassis which leads to a greater discussion on the pros/cons over a statistical analysis of the build that another sub-forum allows.

I just don't see the overall reason for these changes other then to attempt to hide trends in thread creation from the general user and confuse those that approach the forum. In others words... they don't care about the core forum user experience, why if I was a fresh player this place would confuse the hell out of me, hell it still does now. So I bring the question back... why wasn't the community told that a forum overhaul was coming, or shown the finalized layout for comment?

[Rofl]

I'm pretty sure this is the only game to ever go online and remove it's general forum. Even WoT, as listed, as a centralized "Gameplay Discussion" board that is by it's own labeling: "The main section and backbone of the forums." It has subforums, but people can also post to it.

This is what you need PGI. A centralized primary board for anything not able to be completely boxed in a particular fashion. I suggest we call it "General Discussion"

I am a genius.

[TheMadTypist]

I find the current layout more irritating than the last- it may be easier to moderate, and the developers may get more of what they want out of it, but the old format provided a location where it was possible to visit, with one click, and take the pulse of the community, get a feel for what it was thinking and saying, a central location to congregate.

A user just clicking into the forum may not know whether he wants to see threads about 'mechs or loadouts, or tactics or what have you. The previous design had a central hub from which alternate, supporting sections spread. This one is a spiderwebbing mess that practically requires you spread your attention across multiple tabs. I'd have less of a problem with it if you hadn't been so bloody-minded, so topically stringent when you were splitting it up- do we really need five sections to replace one?

You're putting more barriers in front of the basic user, making it harder for that user to interact with and feel a part of the community. This game has enough issues bringing in new blood, enough accusations of being niche and esoteric, without the forums themselves contributing to that problem.

[LockeJaw]

Edit: Deleted and moved to the proper response thread since an un-named mod pointed someone to the wrong thread for feedback.

Edited by LockeJaw, 23 April 2013 - 07:47 PM.

[SUBZERO8K]

This new forum layout is an absolute nightmare to navigate. Lots of the different sub-forums should be combined and a General Discussion board should be added back.

As it stands, it's hard to figure out where I need to go to view content I'm interested in, as it's all segregated into sub-forums.There are currently 53 sub-forums here, not including the International Language section. FIFTY-THREE.

[TheMadTypist]

Apparently, this isn't actually the thread where they're looking for feedback about the change. Go figure, a thread titled "Forum Suggestions" isn't for suggestions about the forum.

We were apparently looking for this: http://mwomercs.com/...fic-sub-forums/

Shame we couldn't find it. If only there were a centralized location where this kind of feedback thread could be located so that it was easier to find and actually served its purpose.

[Dikaiosyne26]

Trial of Refusal against the change or Trial of Possession for the old General Discussion forum?

[LockeJaw]

Ok... now I'm getting mildly irritated.

Are we supposed to post here, or

http://mwomercs.com/...fic-sub-forums/

B/c different mods have pointed at different threads tonight, and then JetCom'd valid feedback threads.

[TheMadTypist]

Here's a suggestion for you: Take a page from Planetside 2's book and use Topic Prefixes instead.

They have a gameplay discussion forum that is one centralized thing, as visible in this link:
http://forums.statio...-discussion.32/

However, you may notice the prefixes some of the thread titles have, such as

[Suggestion] Thread Title Goes Here

When you click the prefix, it filters that forum and only displays the threads with that specific prefix, which if we are going by the previous example appears as such:
http://forums.statio...32/&prefix_id=5

Examples of prefixes that work include [Suggestion], [Guide], [PSA], and [BUG].

We get our big centralized community center back, officials get the ability to filter through all the topics more easily. I guarantee it's a more acceptable system than... all this.

[CMDR Sunset Shimmer]

re-add the General discussion area.

Subforums are fine, but now there's no "one stop shop" as it were. This is quite the inconvinence.

[Rattlehead NZ]

The way things use to be

1) Check General
2) Check Balance
3) Check Suggestions
4) Check latest posts in announcements and command for latest offical information.

How easy is that? And to think the devs admited to not looking at general topics that often anyway. Now i have to look at 6 different sub forums just under general. Think i won't bother using the forums that much now

[Reptilizer]

Well, i see what you did there and i am not convinced that it will do any good to the game.
Burning down the place where criticism (not always constructive though) is being voiced will bring silence.
But being part of a game where community is a very important aspect and not having a place for said community will kill the community and the game in the longer run. At least for me.

That said, we need a forum for metagame discussions. Most of the stuff that i miss now in those pesky subforums were metagame related discussions.
Bring em back please!

[Parnage Winters]

Just as an aside. You happen to be missing an invader clan. Nova Cat love please.

[Lokust Davion]

Niko Snow, on 21 March 2013 - 02:01 PM, said:

The HPG Network, or Forums, as some like to call them, are essential to us in many ways.
We rely on organization of various forms of Feedback and ideas to allow for easy flow of this information to help us make the game better.

Similarly, the forums are very much the home of this Community in many ways. In recognition of such, I am opening up this discussion floor for ideas for how to change the forum structure to make it more intuitive and useful for you, the MechWarriors.

So, what sub-forum(s) would you like to see?

We don't want sub forums... WE WANT GENERAL DISCUSSION!!!

[Escef]

Parnage, on 24 April 2013 - 12:02 AM, said:

Just as an aside. You happen to be missing an invader clan. Nova Cat love please.

They're also missing the Steel Vipers. And the Diamond Sharks.

And there's a good reason for this. None of those 3 clans were a part of the initial invasion. The Vipers and Cats were brought in a year after the Battle of Radstadt (OCT 3050). So, until Wave 5 of Operation Revival (NOV 3051), the Inner Sphere has no real knowledge of these clans existence. And the Diamond Sharks do not show up until the Battle of Tukayyid (MAY 3052), and were not a significant presence for several more years after.