New Forum structure

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Lisertan
GIANTS Software | Community Manager
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New Forum structure

Post by Lisertan »

Hello,

If you look around the forum today, you will notice some changes. In this thread I want to give you an overview of what was done and why it was done.

First of all:

I know it looks weird at first and it will certainly take a few days for those of you who have been here for many years to get used to the changes. Give it some time. There is no ideal time for such a change, but I think between the games (FS17, Platinum, Switch and FS18 are released, FS19 is still a while away) is the best moment for such a change.

Why did we do it?


Unfortunately, the forum was extremely confusing, especially for new players. Some of the main criticisms I've heard in the last 10 months have been:
  • Too many subforums
  • No 'direct forums' but only subforums to write to (especially for mobile users this seem to be a problem)
  • The forum is extremely confusing, especially for new players.
I wanted to address these problems. On the one hand I looked at the forums we have, on the other hand I scurried some beginners through the forum and asked them where they would look for which things. You can see the result in the new distribution. Above all, I think the goal of reducing subforums DRASTICALLY is very well visible.


Things that have changed:

A lot of things!
  • The news area is still there where it was last year's migration.
  • General discussions, the most popular forum now has a prominent place right underneath it
  • Technical questions is now a main forum, the subforums required by QA are right underneath as subforums.
  • Modding is now also a main forum
  • Multiplayer has undergone major changes. It is now a main forum, but has only one subforum for searching for teams.
  • Other is a new forum. That's where you'll find FS18 and the still partially active FS15 forum
  • Off-topic is now a meeting place for everything not covered above. Here you will find the screenshots, the real farms, basically everything you won't find at first sight.
  • Last but not least, the archive now has its own forum, here you can find all our old games.

The future
Now we'll get used to the new layout and then we'll make the forum look more beautiful. This better not be too far away any more.
Lars 'Lisertan' Malcharek
Community Manager

History is on the move, Captain. Those who cannot keep up will be left behind, to watch from a distance. And those who stand in our way will not watch at all."
―Grand Admiral Thrawn to Captain Gilad Pellaeon
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

And our existing subscriptions work *thumbsup*
That is the first thing I checked :biggrin2:
Thanks Lisertan :hi:
PS5 / FS22
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Slivicon
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Slivicon »

Thank you very much. I'm not a fan of too many subforums. I know some web sites love to have 486 subforums for every possible topic variant, but I much prefer as few forums as possible. People aren't going to die if they have to skim over a few more topics that aren't precisely the exact little subject they're interested in :P
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Lisertan
GIANTS Software | Community Manager
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Lisertan »

Don't be confused if you can't find threads where they used to be. For example: With modding now being way more visible, we will moce some modding threads into this forum and I'll create a Modding WIP subforum as well.
Lars 'Lisertan' Malcharek
Community Manager

History is on the move, Captain. Those who cannot keep up will be left behind, to watch from a distance. And those who stand in our way will not watch at all."
―Grand Admiral Thrawn to Captain Gilad Pellaeon
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

I just would like to express my opinion on this one.
If the intention is moving any and every mod related thread to the modding forum or modding wip subforum then I think general discussion will become a ghost town pretty quick.
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Guil
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Guil »

Where do we draw the line though?
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

Thats why I think this might not work as intended.
Whatever you do, there will always be forum users who will open threads about mods or subjects that are directly related to mods in the general discussion.
And if moderators manage to move all of them to the intended section then general discussion will be become an empty forum. Mostly at least.
Besides, I don't even mention how frusturating this could become for moderators.
PS5 / FS22
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Lisertan
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Lisertan »

It might, but we will see. Mods are a huge part of the forums for sure, but the best place to have a discussion around them is in the Mod forum.

Here is how I plan to handle it:
If it's a mod request -> Mod Forum
If it's a discussion about a mod -> Mod forum
If it's a player asking what mod to use to do whatevers -> General Discussion (as it is a general question and not related to a specific mod)

I hope this makes sense.
Lars 'Lisertan' Malcharek
Community Manager

History is on the move, Captain. Those who cannot keep up will be left behind, to watch from a distance. And those who stand in our way will not watch at all."
―Grand Admiral Thrawn to Captain Gilad Pellaeon
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

Of course it makes sense but in practice I don't think it will be welcomed (in general).

Becaue:

Now, as almost anything that is game related (mods, questions, upcoming DLC's, current ones, etc...) is in general discussion we are able to find (search) the information we are looking for in one place. Yes it is a bit cluttered but still they are all in one place.
This way it is also easier imho to follow up with the new threads as I can look from top to bottom in order to see if there is any new thread that interests me.

The same goes with the off topic. If it is not game related then it is there.

Now, this might seem easier and simpler for me as I'm a regular or may be it feels like that as I'm so used to it.
May be that kind of a change is good for new users. I don't know.

But I still think, leaving the modding forum to only those who are interested in modding instead of those who are interested in mods is a better way to go.

Mod discussions and modding discussions are 2 completely different subjects and I don't think it would be good to mix them up together.

That is just my opinion.
PS5 / FS22
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Lisertan
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Lisertan »

I see where you are coming from, not a bad way of thinking. Mhm. However that makes things even more complicated, Let's say people talk about seasons, that would be a general discussion topic, but if they have issues with it, that would be a modding topic and both is in the same thread.

The real question is: If someone has no clue where to find what, where would he look for Seasons. In Gemeral Discussion or in Modding?
Lars 'Lisertan' Malcharek
Community Manager

History is on the move, Captain. Those who cannot keep up will be left behind, to watch from a distance. And those who stand in our way will not watch at all."
―Grand Admiral Thrawn to Captain Gilad Pellaeon
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Smith Modding
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Smith Modding »

I always looked for it in modding first tbh. I think if it's about a specific mod, it goes in modding, if it's about mods in general, maybe general discussion
Smith Modding Co.
Christian Based Modding
Isaiah 30:23- He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.:
Playing FS15-19 on PC
Playing too much FS19 :mrgreen:
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

Lisertan wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:52 am I see where you are coming from, not a bad way of thinking. Mhm. However that makes things even more complicated, Let's say people talk about seasons, that would be a general discussion topic, but if they have issues with it, that would be a modding topic and both is in the same thread.

The real question is: If someone has no clue where to find what, where would he look for Seasons. In Gemeral Discussion or in Modding?
Well, I think the answer changes depending on the point you look at the question.
If you look at the question as a regular it is plain simple, general discussion.
But if you look at it as a new user it is again plain simpe, modding.

So, the real question is for whom do you plan to make those changes, for regulars or for new users :biggrin2:
I know thats not a fair point of view but in all it's nudity it is what it is.

Personally, I'm ok with anything. Because at the end of the day life is all about getting used to things.
I'm very used to the existing layout but I'm pretty sure I'll get used to the new one.

But still, I'm standing solid in my opinion. Mod discussions and modding discussions should not be put together.
Because their audience is %80 separate.
Last edited by RODHA on Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rahkiin
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by Rahkiin »

I look for Seasons by putting "Seasons" in the search bar.

You suggest splitting 'general discussion of mods' with 'mod help', just like it already was 'mods anything' (in general) and 'mod bugs' in modhub bugreports.
As you know, this never worked for Seasons.People just see a big Seasons thread and put everything in there. This also follows the natural order very often, for example:

RM: Wohoo! We made a new release,it is awesome, this is in it ....... [general]
Player: Wow awesome! I think X is so cool, we should have had that for long time [general] But it seems X has an issue when doing Y [bug report]

You see where this gets really complicated. If we would answer this, that would fall 100% in [bug report] but we are still in the [general] topic. We would then need to move, or split the topic, but also the question. Nobody will be able to find anything.

If such a thing would be done, I suggest going all in and disallowing megathreads like Seasons, forcing everyone to make a new topic for every new thing, flag it with [Seasons]
or [MR] or other big mods. (But where does a big mod end), and then ..... COMPLICATED. :P

I can't even wrap my head around good ideas :(
empato
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by empato »

For me the modding section is an area from modders for modders. So for example how XML files must be changed to create or change this or that.

As I have no clue about it, I avoid this section and read only in the general discussions forum.
I totally agree with RODHA in this case.
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RODHA
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Re: New Forum structure

Post by RODHA »

That was a perfect exampling on the complexity of the situation Rahkiin :hi:
And complexity is something users don't like.
So, I think leaving the General Discussion on it's present duty would be best.
PS5 / FS22
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