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Bardiche Rants About Suggestions (derp inside) |
Bardiche Chief Marshal
Joined: November 16, 2006 Posts: 1247
| Posted: 2010-03-29 10:35  
With the recent influx of new players, I believe this might be useful for culling some of the (admittedly interesting) ideas that simply have little basis beyond "rule of cool".
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So you want to make a suggestion to the DarkSpace community! Terrific!
Remember that I'm not a staffmember, so this doesn't ensure your idea will go through. But it should reduce player bashing and generate actual discussion, and it makes you come off as a well-informed suggester and refined gentleman (or lady).
STEP 1: Go into the lobby and inquire if someone suggested your idea before. Yes, this is actually vital before suggesting, no one likes the same idea rehashed. If you truly think they were wrong not to implement it the previous time, learn from mistakes and work out a way to make it appealing!
If you want to go for something extravagant, ask a dev if implementing such a thing is even possible. This can save you a lot of trouble. Some suggestions leave the realm of possibilities and venture into vain fantasy.
STEP 2: Talk to others about it! DarkSpace is, like it or not, a community. People with different views may suggest different things. And, as a point of importance, if you want something changed or implemented or removed, it's always important to show the staff that there is player backing for the idea: the idea isn't appealing to you alone, but to the community.
STEP 3: Ask yourself the following question: "Is this truly the best way to implement this particular idea?" If you are suggesting a solution to a perceived problem, prioritise the solution and not how cool it would be.
Think there should be a new building to build? Terrific! Don't just think about, "It'd be cool to have a Planet Cloaking Centre", think about "If we add this, what does it change? Does it change something negatively? Positively? If it does change things negatively, what are these probable things? How can we counter that? What are possible situations for abuse? Are there alternatives to this device? Does its properties change per faction?" and so forth and so on.
Look at your idea as if you're about to implement it yourself and ask yourself all the questions the devs would want to ask. Don't worry if you can't get all of them, just having put some effort into it is fine enough!
Put short, give a detailed analysis of your idea and present why it is a GOOD idea. "hey guys a mobile shipyard would be totally awesome" does sound interesting from a certain point of view, but a suggestion like that doesn't completely consider all different angles as "are there other ways to solve the perceived problem?" and "isn't it just a friggin' hassle to go through this much effort for something purely circumstantial?"
STEP 4: Make the topic. Try to use formatting, proper spelling and grammar to the best of your abilities (we're all able to read even the most garbled of posts, but the less one has to translate the easier it is to read), and never forget a proper Topic Subject.
I can't stress how much import there is to knowing what the thread is about from a single glance. When it shows up in the Latest Topics list, a dev should see it and think, "I should read this thread". Label it "SUGGESTION:" for all I care! But make sure it's cleanly obvious what the thread is about when you make the thread.
STEP 5: Brace for denial. Yes, sorry. Be prepared to see your thread go by without a staffmember posting in it, members bashing you for "t3h w0rzt 1d34 3v3r" and a clear and concise post of "do not want". That's the way it works.
If you think they're all fools, present additional arguments on why it's a good suggestion and how it'd improve DarkSpace, or make it more appealing!
If you agree, it's fine to let it die that way. Others may pick up your banner and continue arguing for it. Use your own judgment here.
Whatever you do, don't blow up and keep your cool. It's just an idea. Others may not see it your way.
If you've gone through all these steps, good job. Pat yourself on the back. You've just:
1) Informed about the possibilities of your idea, and investigated its previous flaws (where applicable).
2) Garned community support and suggestions from the playerbase itself.
3) Brainstormed the ramifications of your idea and wrote up an (appealing) argument on why it is a good and proper idea.
4) Made a nice-to-read, understandable topic with a catchy subject line.
5) Acted like a truly refined person in the face of rejection.
And, hopefully, 6) Made a change to DarkSpace by suggesting a good idea!
DISCLAIMER: as I said, and as is evident, not a staff member etc, but I feel it's good to at least have educated and informed suggestions rather than these interesting but poorly presented suggestions.
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Kaine Darkheart -SO- Grand Admiral Deicide
Joined: March 30, 2002 Posts: 458 From: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
| Posted: 2010-03-29 10:38  
Worst idea ever. Do not want.
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AdmiralChaos Chief Marshal
Joined: October 08, 2008 Posts: 274
| Posted: 2010-03-29 11:40  
Quote:
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On 2010-03-29 10:38, Kaine Darkheart {C?} wrote:
Worst idea ever. Do not want.
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Gonna have to agree here, I don't like this, not one bit!
_________________ I'll chain you to the truth,
For the truth shall set you free,
I'll turn the screws of vengeance,
And bury you with honesty.
I'll make all your dreams come to life,
And slay them as quickly as they came.
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Bardiche Chief Marshal
Joined: November 16, 2006 Posts: 1247
| Posted: 2010-03-29 11:48  
Proving point 5 that no matter how well your intentions are and how much you believe it'll better the community, haters always gonna hate.
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Eledore Massis [R33] Grand Admiral Templar Knights
Joined: May 26, 2002 Posts: 2695 From: tsohlacoLocalhost
| Posted: 2010-03-29 12:26  
Quote:
| On 2010-03-29 10:35, Bardiche wrote:
STEP 4: Make the topic. |
| Epic Battlecrly;
*ughe*
Thank you for posting.
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Tael 2nd Rear Admiral Palestar
Joined: July 03, 2002 Posts: 3697 From: San Francisco Bay Area
| Posted: 2010-03-29 12:58  
And think about game balance, how will your suggestion affect that?
We will not create any uber powerful do all device or ship. Every thing has to have a pro and a con. You can't create something for one faction that immediately tips the balance of power irrevocably to them.
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Starcommander Marshal
Joined: December 14, 2005 Posts: 579 From: In your base, stealing your cookies
| Posted: 2010-03-29 16:11  
I already consider all of those and more when I come up with an idea for a fix here or a new thing there. I also think about how to fix game balance and how some things could be abused. I love to brainstorm and as such I have had a lot of cool ideas that would be awesome but could cause unbalance. However I still work on those to think about how it could get balanced by adding X device or X change that would counter it.
@Elenore
Great place to put them but its also a great place for you guys to ignore ideas that you don't want to do at all. This is why most new idea get posted here in the main forums, visibility.
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Eledore Massis [R33] Grand Admiral Templar Knights
Joined: May 26, 2002 Posts: 2695 From: tsohlacoLocalhost
| Posted: 2010-03-29 17:18  
Quote:
| On 2010-03-29 16:11, Crow Starcommander*CO* wrote:
@Elenore
Great place to put them but its also a great place for you guys to ignore ideas that you don't want to do at all. This is why most new idea get posted here in the main forums, visibility. |
| Ignore idea's? i never ignore idea's, i occasionally laugh at them or have to head/desk a couple times to figure out what people are suggesting. But i never ignore them. In addition i want good suggestions.
Visibility equals complexity equals no oversight. We have a beta website fora reason, to collect idea's, feedback and talk about the general development of DarkSpace. I don't have time to daily check every topic here in the regular forum but i always try to find a few minutes to check Beta each day and give feedback once i read it trough.
If you don't have the dedication, then don't dedicate yourself on filling out a new message, just discuss it in the lobby..
Anyhow Bardiche, good post. If everyone did that how you described it. I would not have to buy a new desk every year form to much head/desk usage...
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