Three Reasons Creators Should Never Read Their Forums

[hewwo]

A blogpost by Jeff Vogel, semi-famous indy game creator:

http://jeff-vogel.blogspot.com/2011/01/three-reasons-creators-should-never.html

Maybe next time Elliot shows up on this forum we should spank him

[Data]

maybe we shoud spank ourselves before we ever do that to him [:)]

[2guncohen]

You gotta love a good spanking [:D]

[Shark7]

Hmmm, seems like the articles writer had a very bad experience. I'd like to think that (even the rabid fanboys we are) that as a whole, our little community is more helpful and less...well...rabid. I see far more helpful suggestions on this forum as opposed to the open bashing because we didn't get things exactly like we wanted...

Maybe its just that as a whole wargamers tend to be more mature?

[gmot]

This is a very civilized forum I have to say. Hardly any net nerd name calling.

[Simulation01]

Well, everyone has haters.  You just need to put on your hater blockers [8D] and keep going.  If you let some spoiled nerds stop you from interacting with the folks that truly appreciate you, then you will miss out on a fulfilling relationship with wholesome forum denizens and maybe on worthwhile suggestions ( don't throw the wheat out with the chaff ).  No matter what my wishes are for future expansions and updates on this game or whether I get them or not....DW has come the closest yet to giving me what I truly want in a PC game.  It's the most fun you can have with a mouse![:D]

[Data]

I think this game attracts even more technical or chess oriented people than the usual 4x game....we're too occupied with the gameplay to spoil the community with bad stuff
another merrit of DW, I for example have never joined a forum before this even tough i really enjoy other games also

[J HG T]

ORIGINAL: Simulation01
It's the most fun you can have with a mouse![:D]

[Haree78]

I've said this on countless forums now, single player game forums != multiplayer game forums. The difference is worlds apart.

[Lord_Astraios]

Some good point there in that article,  and those above me are right too,  we have a community that have various characteristics that have more civilized discussion than discussions that make no sense,  bashing and no concrete thoughts.   Another problem with huge companies is that their to confident and dont stick with what actually works for everyone,  change is ok,  but really make it with the time to buy the game.  And my last critic is when older games get made then a continuity with the series with a newer game is made,  they hit the rock and stumble,  having examples of the older game and to see which things we can improove,  it never happens,  rare times this goes to account,  even the game can be a little shorter but the gameplay falls even short while they spend tons of money of graphics.

Taking in example Bioware,  they have various games that have great stuff,  but what i like about them is they have good writers and makes the gameplay boost a lot and give ideas to the designers to create those places,  technically everything is attached.

[unclean]

ORIGINAL: Shark7
Hmmm, seems like the articles writer had a very bad experience.

He makes hardcore old-school crpgs, and fans of those games are probably some of the angriest, most crotchity and generally insane people out there.

Also:

"Forums contain a cacophony of people telling you to do diametrically opposite things, very loudly, often for bad reasons."

is probably the best description of a forum I've ever seen.

[hewwo]

True!

But I think this forum is quite good. Maybe though because a relatively small number of people are active in it. Just wait till DW gets a gamespot review and the 13 y/o kids discover this game

[Data]

i recently became a parent so this sounds like....hell

[gmot]

Don't worry about that - it's years away. My kids are 9 and 7 and a real blast. It gets a lot more fun once you're not cleaning their bums 5 times a day...

[Data]

i hear you....that's what i'm waiting for too; right now bums and first steps and teeth and such
discussions and point and click in DW a little later

[BigWolfChris]

They do continuously get louder as they get older mind you
Just happy mine are currently well behaved in comparison to to the rest of the families and friends kids

[Simulation01]

My ex-girlfriend had a little boy that was a terror, but he was my star wars buddy.  Never did I have as much fun getting shot in the back by a 4 year old playing Star Wars: Battlefront or Halo.  I was never an FPS guy.  Yeah, those were interesting times.  

[Solus]

In contrast to what Jeff thinks, sometimes the practice of hiring people to manage the community is a cause of a significant amount of hate, if the communication isn't up to scratch. Civ V is a clear example of that - the publishers have been far too distant and uncommunicative regarding all the problems people have been experiencing (and there's no word at all directly from the devs). A fair number of people have repeatedly said that they wouldn't be so upset if the problems were acknowledged and the developers worked more closely with the players to identify and fix the problems. But that doesn't happen because of the separation between the players and the people who actually created the game.

On the other hand there are forums like this, and Elemental, where the people involved in creating the game are (directly and closely) involved in the community too. And it's not just because everything is new and fresh (it's not). It's because the creators clearly show that their #1 priority is making good games.

Of course there are going to be complaints. But if making good games is the priority, the praise will far outweigh the damnation. (unless, as others have said, it's a multiplayer game with lots of 13 yr olds (chronological or mental). Then there's no hope ).

[hewwo]

I once played an online game of civ 4 with a 13 y/o. He kept spamming everybody with messages like 'I AM A 1337 H4X0R!!' and 'NOOOO LOOK AT THAT N00B WHY IS HE BUILDING FARMS AND NOT MINES WHAT A MORON?????!!!!'

So we ganged up on him, and he soundly defeated all four of us (very experienced civ4 players I should add), all the while yelling obscene things. It was hilarious.

[Shark7]

The last time I had to deal with a trash talking teenager was in the Star Wars Galaxies RPG...he got real quiet when I beat his uber combat avatar with my little support medic. That was classic. [:D]