Is it time to merge some of the AC forums?

spartak · December 10, 2002, 20:35

I have noticed a bit of a drop over recent months and Ac Creation and AC Fiction seem to be dying on their feet. AC general is also starting to flag somewhat.

Would merging the three forums give it all a kickstart? Does the low traffic over the three forums justify separate forums anymore?

Just a though. What do others think?

Mongoose · December 10, 2002, 23:27

Hell, NO!

VJ · December 11, 2002, 03:00

Fiction will be alive soon, considering that Kassi is back. AC Creation OTOH, is indeed... eh.

spartak · December 11, 2002, 04:18

There have been no posts in eiother forum in thelast two days. I suspect most people just visit AC General and merging the othe rtwo forums might add a bit of extra interest going on all three....

gwillybj · December 11, 2002, 05:45

I look at Creation every time I come, specifically looking (hoping

) for other players' new ideas (factions, alpha.txt mods, etc.), and I like it being separate. I've never visited Fiction.

The Creation and Fiction forums are slower because it takes more time to develop the content. I like being able to, for example, post a custom faction in Creation, where it will sit prettily on the first page of the list, and any who venture there will look at it (or not) and comment on it (or not). It takes time for people who like to test such things to do so and return with their

or

.

Even at its (comfortably) slow current pace, in "General" such a post would disappear too quickly. The thread would be 2-3 pages down before then.

Keeping them separate makes it very much easier to perform Searches, too, as posts and threads don't disappear forever so soon.

I like to think of the forums as a convention site, with "AC-General/Help/Strategy" as a large "Common Room", but "Creation", "Fiction", and "Multiplaying" - and the new "Democracy Game" - as smaller side-rooms for more specific discussions.

My 2¢.
~willy~
Putting the finishing touches on the presentation of a custom faction, for posting in AC-Creation.

Mr. President · December 11, 2002, 06:21

What he said.

Seriously, when I ran into it, I thought AC-Fiction was a dream. The game was so complex, and the backstory practically invited players to write their own stories and fill in the gaps. The forum has slowed down, but the dream walks.

Clear Skies · December 11, 2002, 08:13

The Fiction forum isn't dying on its feet, it simply only has the two threads in it

Lack of diveristy doesn't necessarily mean lack of traffic...
I admit, though, that having a forum only for the BAC seems a little weird. Maybe we need to lead a fiction recruitment drive - get everyone off fanfiction.net over here. I mgiht start writing some more myself too...if I ever find the time.
*exits muttering curses and imprecations against Oxford interviews and A-levels*

Method · December 11, 2002, 19:30

the MP forum seems pretty active, but merging creation and fiction would seem like a better idea. creation is dead, and fiction is just slow because it takes so long to write things.

VJ · December 12, 2002, 02:20

Words of wisdom, TKG.

Alex · December 12, 2002, 06:45

Yes, creation and fiction could be merged, but not General.

spartak · December 12, 2002, 19:12

Are we agreed on the amended suggestion then?

Perhaps I could post a poll.

Views?

Method · December 12, 2002, 21:08

why a poll? to quote mark and ming:

Quote:

THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

it is a private site, so mark will just do whatever the hell he wants regarless of what we mortals think

maybe we should just PM him instead

Clear Skies · December 13, 2002, 10:40

Quote:

Originally posted by TKG
why a poll? to quote mark and ming:

Quote:

THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

True, but if we have a poll showing public support for such an issue, perhaps the mods are likely to be more kindly disposed towards our viewpoint. We may not have the power, but at least we can have some influence. All told, it's better than nothing.

VJ · December 13, 2002, 11:49

Yeah, I would think that a poll might be in order. MarkG is trying to make this site the
best he can. A poll could be a good guideline, would be help when pondering the question.

Mr. President · December 14, 2002, 02:48

I could see merging Creation and General; merging Creation and Fiction is a little odd from a content point of view.

Quote:

The Fiction forum isn't dying on its feet, it simply only has the two threads in it

Why don't we get BAC its own sub-forum?

Mongoose · December 14, 2002, 05:17

There is definitely an argument for leaving well enough alone.

spartak · December 14, 2002, 15:09

I'll post a poll. For good measure, I should probably post pointers in Fiction and Creation as well. Watch this space...

spartak · December 14, 2002, 15:25

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...threadid=70919

Kassiopeia · December 14, 2002, 19:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. President
Why don't we get BAC its own sub-forum?

Yeah, why not?

Andemagne · December 14, 2002, 19:22

me thinks that creation could be merged with general, but those other 3 need their seperate forums.

Sprayber · December 14, 2002, 20:54

When I first saw the suggestion I thought HELL NO.

I havent been to the creation forum in a long time so maybe im not the one to comment on that. The fiction forum isnt as active as the general forum but it has a kind of unique flavor to it and it would be difficult to wade through general threads to find the Story threads. There are some wonderful old stories in the AC Fiction forum that have long since dropped past the veil of 5 days. If you have not I highly suggest you go through there and have your page show all the threads since the beginning and start reading. There are numerous stories by authors that are no longer here(or are just lurking) that would blow your socks off. My particular favorite gem is Santiago Clause describing all the things children get from each faction. Lots of other multi author stories that i wished would have been finished. And smaller single author stories. I would just hate to lose all that and have them combined in the twisted wreckage of "drone problem" threads or "how do I wage war" threads so common in the general forum. Not that there is anything wrong with those questions, but it would really make it difficult to find the good stories in the AC fiction forum. I would vote no for combing the fiction forum with anything and to be honest, just leave it the way it is. Of course if the gods of poly think otherwise we just have to live with it. I am merely a lowly thread god.

Method · December 14, 2002, 20:58

well yes, we can't have fiction and general together....we can't have Joe dropping off the first page, now can we?

Clear Skies · December 15, 2002, 13:33

I'm swinging round to the creation-general merging idea...some people post new creations in here anyway just because creation is so slow.

spartak · December 15, 2002, 18:40

Did you vote in the Poll Clear Skies?