Your New Retro Gamer Community Team

[The Laird]

Its nice to have somebody taking charge who is genuinely interested in the subject matter and wants to listen to feedback.

There were definitely some people who had been treading a fine line as far as a ban went for a long time with multiple warnings. But there were a few casualties of war who got caught up in it all and should be allowed to return, if they even want to that is.

In so far as improvements - I'd like to see a new theme, the ability to embed videos, bigger and less restrictive avatar sizes, a consistent moderator team and, biggest of all for me, a complete redesign of the forum structure to make it more fit for purpose.

[Tom_Baker]

This might come under themes as far as making this happen goes, but can we have the ability to post videos inline instead of just links to them?

That's a great idea I would love to see videos of you waggling your joystick.

[RetroBob]

Its nice to have somebody taking charge who is genuinely interested in the subject matter and wants to listen to feedback.

There were definitely some people who had been treading a fine line as far as a ban went for a long time with multiple warnings. But there were a few casualties of war who got caught up in it all and should be allowed to return, if they even want to that is.

In so far as improvements - I'd like to see a new theme, the ability to embed videos, bigger and less restrictive avatar sizes, a consistent moderator team and, biggest of all for me, a complete redesign of the forum structure to make it more fit for purpose.

I think those are some good suggestions and I agree it's nice to have a team who are keen to listen and improve things, and at least one of them is in to retro!

Regarding forum structure - are you referring to the main forum sections or the actual look and feel of the forum (or both)? Regarding look and feel, the forum is relatively easy to look at (easy on the eye) but might not be especially modern design wise. I am also a member at NowLoading.co.uk and this has a more modern looking interface, now VERY old members may remember the old TotalGames.net forums from the Highbury days... when that went kaput, NL was set up and we are still going. Anyhoo, back on topic...

Regarding the forum sections.... they can probably do with a refresh, here are my initial thoughts.

1) "Feedback" Change name to "Retro Gamer Magazine & Site Feedback". The "New Retro Gamer Website" the website is no longer new and it now makes sense to have RG mag and website threads in one place, so merge these. Q&A could be renamed Article Suggestions and Pitches and put it as a sub forum here.

2) Podcast and YouTube should probably have a better name though I can't think of one right now (any suggestions), and include streaming too! I'd be interested to learn of Retro Streaming stuff

3) Its "all about the games" rename to Retro Games - since this is the main topic... put this first!!

4) Change "Blast from the past" to "Retro Anything Else" and put it as the second section

5) Trading Corner should move out of sub category of Off Topic

6) "New and Exclusive" only has three threads from 7 years ago - delete.

7) If the AUP is important - put it at the top


To Summarise:

Annoucements
AUP

Retro Gamer Magazine Forum
Retro Games
Retro Anything Else
Retro Gamer Mag & Site Feedback (with sub forum: Article Suggestions & Pitches)
High Scores
Trading Post
Off Topic



^^^ is 10 sections down to 7 and hopefully renamed a bit better.

[The Laird]

I meant the sections, same as you.

Personally I would have the following.

AUP
Website and Magazine Feedback
Retro Gaming (with a promote your stuff and high score sub forums)
Modern Gaming
Q&A (basically a help forum as this is in the mag now too)
Off Topic (with a politics and current affairs sub forum)
Selling and Trading

[WaveRacer]

@ retrobob, Where is the modern games section supposed to be in that list of yours.

Its still nice to talk about modern games with fellow retro gamers, it gives a different insight in terms of speaking about games with people who only know modern games.

Its great when a modern sequel comes out and you can discuss it with people who are familier with the previous games. Its why I don't bother with forums that are only interested in Modern games.

Plus any rerleases, Hd remakes, Remakes etc. Even the Mag covers these. It would be silly to not have anywhere to discuss them, thats why I think the " Its all about the games " section is ok as it is. It would be a shame to limit the Forum to Retro games only.

[Antiriad2097]

Don't split the games section into modern and retro, it is quite literally divisive.

You'll end up with some who never venture into the opposing topics, missing out on great games and weakening any discussion that arises.

Having modern and retro together makes more sense. This way, everyone sees all of the threads and can dip in and out, regardless of era. You'll get predominantly modern gamers talking retro and vice versa from time to time.

Not only this, who decides where a post goes? The mag has a rough 10 year rule (or is it 15 now?), but does that mean a 2009 game is modern and a 2008 one retro? Not to me it doesn't.

Putting up the artificial retro and modern divide is problematic. Let's just have gamers discuss games.

All we really need for forum topics is games, off topic, and mag stuff. Anything else is just fluff that makes it harder to find what you want.

[WaveRacer]

Don't split the games section into modern and retro, it is quite literally divisive.

You'll end up with some who never venture into the opposing topics, missing out on great games and weakening any discussion that arises.

Having modern and retro together makes more sense. This way, everyone sees all of the threads and can dip in and out, regardless of era. You'll get predominantly modern gamers talking retro and vice versa from time to time.

Not only this, who decides where a post goes? The mag has a rough 10 year rule (or is it 15 now?), but does that mean a 2009 game is modern and a 2008 one retro? Not to me it doesn't.

Putting up the artificial retro and modern divide is problematic. Let's just have gamers discuss games.

All we really need for forum topics is games, off topic, and mag stuff. Anything else is just fluff that makes it harder to find what you want.

I have to agree with this. Leave it as it is.

Splitting it is bad enough, but suggesting no modern games discussion at all would kill the forum even further.

[jpishgar]

That works by me.
What about singular megathreads for discussions on popular retrogames?

[WaveRacer]

That works by me.
What about singular megathreads for discussions on popular retrogames?

I hate megathreads on Forums for particular subjects.

Nothing wrong with a thread becoming large naturally, but the problem with having a megathread for one particur item is twofold.

1. you will always get that one person that whenever someone makes a new thread remotely similar will come in and link to the megathread and moan about the new thread.

2. its offputting and a bit overwhelming for new people to get up to speed and join the thread, meaning people who may have good contributions will not contribute.

best to have a thread about one thing and it will naturally die out, then a little time late someone will make a new thread about the same subject and new people will contribute and far more likely to join in on a new thread.

I have lost count of how many times this has happened on other forums.

[The Laird]

Don't split the games section into modern and retro, it is quite literally divisive.

You'll end up with some who never venture into the opposing topics, missing out on great games and weakening any discussion that arises.

Having modern and retro together makes more sense. This way, everyone sees all of the threads and can dip in and out, regardless of era. You'll get predominantly modern gamers talking retro and vice versa from time to time.

Not only this, who decides where a post goes? The mag has a rough 10 year rule (or is it 15 now?), but does that mean a 2009 game is modern and a 2008 one retro? Not to me it doesn't.

Putting up the artificial retro and modern divide is problematic. Let's just have gamers discuss games.

All we really need for forum topics is games, off topic, and mag stuff. Anything else is just fluff that makes it harder to find what you want.

It's simple, 2 generations back.

That is pretty much the rule everyone uses now.

So Xbox is retro but Xbox 360 isn't.

[jpishgar]

So, I'm not seeing anything in the AUP or other guidelines regarding roms and emulation. Any long-standing rules on those?
In general, legally-speaking, discussion about emulation is totally cool, but sourcing roms themselves is verboten.

[The Laird]

So, I'm not seeing anything in the AUP or other guidelines regarding roms and emulation. Any long-standing rules on those?
In general, legally-speaking, discussion about emulation is totally cool, but sourcing roms themselves is verboten.

That's pretty much it. You can talk about them but not link them.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

It's simple, 2 generations back.

That is pretty much the rule everyone uses now.

So Xbox is retro but Xbox 360 isn't.

We use a 15 year rule in the mag , the same rule should apply for the official forum.
Having said that we also mention relevant new games in the magazine as well, so there's no need to stop discussing on the forums either.
I also agree that there's no need to have separate sections for new and old games as it will just divide people's attention as has already been pointed out.

Keep the suggestions coming

[RetroBob]

That works by me.
What about singular megathreads for discussions on popular retrogames?

I hate megathreads on Forums for particular subjects.

Nothing wrong with a thread becoming large naturally, but the problem with having megathread for one particur item is twofold.

1. you will always get that one person that whenever someone makes a new thread remotely similar will come in and ink to the megathread and moan about the new thread.

2. its offputting and a bit oberwhelming for new people to get up to speed and join the thread, meaning people who may have good contributions will not contribute.

best to have a thread about one thing and it will naturally die out, then a little time late someone will make a new thread about the same subject and new people will contribute and far more likely to join in on a new thread.

I have lost count of how many times this has happend on other forums.

I completely agree. I see this in these "X console collectors threads" I see them as discouraging people from creating new topics and if you try and bring something up it goes no where.

There's a time and a place for merging threads of course... If two people are posting a piece of news at the same time then of course merge them.

[Antiriad2097]

It's simple, 2 generations back.

That is pretty much the rule everyone uses now.

So Xbox is retro but Xbox 360 isn't.

Oh no it isn't!

(Well, it's that time of year).