LOTS of Suggestions from AZN FTW

[GodlyPerfection]

AZN FTW's Suggestions
By: Yours truly, AZN FTW

Introduction

Alright so I love properly formatted stuff... lol. Anyways, for those that don't know I used to be a guilder on FH, an early member of Forgery, and I'm a pretty well known forger. I've learned alot in my time with Forge Hub, but after my one year absence I have no more say in things anymore and Forge Hub has become crowded and has turned from a community site to a fan site. So I've decided to move back to Forgery and I found this site... after spending alot of time wanting to build my own site, I've had alot of good ideas in general that would make a site that would be seperate from FH and actually get recognition. After finding this site I feel that this has ALOT of potential and I don't have the time right now to run my own site. So I'm here to fund, help, and participate in this community as much as I possibly can.

There is alot to read so take your time and think about each one... there is alot that this site has to offer, but it still needs some touch ups to really make it golden... hopefully you guys will agree with some of the stuff I have come up with.


Forgery Focus

Ok so we all know that there are LOTS of forging/map communities out there that just really don't hit it off because they feel like remakes of FH right? Well what do we do to seperate ourselves from FH and not be another clone. We setup the site around a whole different focus than what FH does. FH is all about maps... featured maps, map design contests, map section of FH are all really big things that make this apparent... I think we can do better than just maps.

What is a map in Halo? It's not just for looks... it to play games on. Instead of focusing on the maps of Halo, why not focus on the custom games of Halo? For alot of maps half of the building part involves making it work with your gametype. Whether it be a SWAT map, a Conquest map, an MLG map, etc... you are building a map to work for your gametypes: Slayer, Territories, KOTH, Infection, Assault, CTF, etc. So let's take that approach, instead of focusing on the map, focus on why you are building a map in the first place, to play games and have fun on it. If we focus on Custom Games we will set ourselves apart from the other "map database" sites. Which brings me to my first piece of "candy" for the site:

Standard Gametypes

This is something I've always been an advocate of. Are you tired of re-downloading a new infection gametype for a map that takes up space on your hard drive that is very similiar to another gametype you have anyways? Everyone has their own variations of gametypes, but those gametypes all of an essence to it. There are gametypes that people build maps for... it could be slayer, MLG gametypes, infection, mini game stuff, puzzles, racing, conquest, etc. So why not have everyone use and build off of the same gametype?

A good example is Conquest... it has become very popular since I build The Cellars ages ago. It has gone through a few different variations since. Another is Tactical SWAT, which is quite different than Bungie's SWAT. Tactical SWAT is about using your radar, crouching, etc. It forces you to play more tactical by sporting things like reduced movement speed. This is the gametype that I built for Training Ground to work. Another good potential example is TDF's Cat N' Mouse, a few maps have been setup so that you can play Cat N' Mouse on different maps, like Standoff and Avalanche. It's not quite standard yet, but with the potential that Sandbox brings, people can bring some real innovation to it.

For each of the gametypes there could be a write up that included the settings of the gametype, the essence of the gametype (what it is supposed to do gameplay wise), common practices on how to build maps for the gametype (like weapon load out, basic layout, little features that should be included in it, etc), and the featured examples for that gametype. A good start for something like that would be "The Book of Conquest" (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-maps/34811-book-conquest.html) by Predicide at FH.

The Standard Gametype section would have a symbol for each standard and when you click on it, it would bring up the full description of it... or you could have them displayed like a blog post or something like that... we could figure this out later with some discussion.

So if we setup an area for Standard Gametypes and make sure everyone knows to download those, we gain these advantages:


Everyone understands the gametype from the complete write up for it
You save space on your hard drive cuz you don't have to download so many variations of the same thing
Everyone knows how the gametype works and collaboration will be much better for those types of maps
You can host contests for that particular type, whether a map building competition for it or a gameplay tourney for it
You can also use them as sorting options in the Map Search Engine

That last one brings me to my next suggestion...

Map Sorting

This has been a HUGE discussion here lately as I've found and I think I have a solution that will follow the general format of what people are used to, but you will be able to set it up so that it is also unique and well sorted. The current standard for categorizing maps is kinda confusing and not really standardized properly. You have MLG maps, competitive maps, casual maps, mini games, puzzles, racing, etc... so many different categories with the possibility of overlapping. People have been trying to categorize the maps.. not the gameplay. So instead of doing all that, why not sort by what gametypes the map supports or is built for?

When you search for a map specifically most of the time you search by what you want to play... be it a map that supports Conquest or a new MLG map to rust up skills, or a new puzzle map, or maybe even a new racing map. Maybe you just want a map that works on all gametypes... why not trying doing something like this for sorting? Within each gametype section you could have tags/prefixes for Standard Gametypes. Conquest would go in Territories, SWAT would go in Slayer, Racing would go in VIP, Puzzle would go in Oddball, In the Shadows would go in Infection, etc. And then you could have a section for maps for all gametypes... this is where Remakes would go.


All Gametypes [Remakes] (this is where the good competitive maps go)
Multi-Purpose Maps [All Standard Gametype Tags are available]
MLG Maps (all maps work for all MLG gametypes)
Aesthetic Maps (maps that don't have a gametype associated with it)
Special Purpose Maps (this is where most of the casual maps go)

Assault Maps [Bomber, Detonation]
Capture the Flag Maps [Tremors]
Infection Maps [In the Shadows, Standard Infection, Cat N' Mouse (Tremors N' Mouse variant also), Green Fiends (from Interrobang)]
Juggernaut Maps [Hijacking]
King of the Hill Maps [Centerfold, HLG]
Oddball Maps [Hot Potato, Puzzle]
Slayer Maps [SWAT, COD4 Old School]
Territories Maps [Conquest]
VIP Maps [Racing, Squads, Warthog Wingman (for Valkyrie)]



Lots of those gametypes are ideas that I have that I have not yet perfected or will be done on sandbox... and lots of them are done by others or just need some tweaking to be standard (adding vehicle settings, custom power up settings, etc...). This way EVERY map has a home. Because every map is either made for all, some, or no gametypes. And that categorization gives simplicity with details.


Map Post Generator

I really like this and I think this should have been a mainstream thing for Forge Hub to standardize the posts. I'm glad that you don't have a screenshot section and allow people to just do it all in the description as well. If we were to implement the Standard Gametypes, those that are certified as Forgery Gametypes can also be tags; just like Slayer, Territories, etc... I also think you should have a All Default Gametypes checkbox that checks Slayer, KOTH, etc. Also, implenting all of the above means that you would probably change the category drop down as well...

Front Page

Alright so obviously the front page for most wesites let's you in on the important stuff. Featured things, Events, Updates, etc... I like the blog post way that things are done now. I've seen the beta map slideshow thing and I really do like that, but I think it should be attached to featured maps not all maps because eventually things are going to overflow in the general maps section.

I think a schedule would be nice, like Bungie does. Have a weekly update thing, have a day that you post the featured map of the week, have scheduled events like FH's TGIF, etc. There would also be some spontaneously scheduled stuff like the Contests and stuff you have now. Or even standardize the Contests and host one bi-weekly (we will talk about funding for prizes later). Another type of spontaneous post would be a newly certified Standard Gametype. Have a section where people can collaborate on a gametype and if/how it should be standardized for everyone to use, once everyone thinks it's ready then certify it, feature it and add it to the tags/prefixes/standard gametype section/etc.

Also you need an attention grabber... FH has Forging 101, TGIF, Best of Forge, etc. We need an article that sets us apart... I have just the thing too.

[GodlyPerfection]

Forging Theory

I have been working on this series for a little over a month now and a bunch of people at FH are starting to like it. I can host the article over here from now on if you guys would like. If you haven't read them yet, take the time to read them:

Introduction (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/52928-forging-theory-introduction.html)
My Anti-Foundry (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/53755-forging-theory-my-anti-foundry.html)
Forging A Plan (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/54521-forging-theory-forging-plan.html)
Path Manipulation (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/55429-forging-theory-path-manipulation-progress.html)

I have been wanting to edit them and make them more official for a combined version of Forging Theory as like a pdf guide or something like that. So before they are featured here I can rewrite them perfectly. Read the introduction to understand the point of the series... hopefully you guys like it. But this is something that others don't have... a good guideline article on how to forge good maps in general based on theory. It covers spawns, paths, weapon layouts, aesthetics, designing/planning, custom game creation, etc. There are alot of things to write about and I would love to have it featured so people actually read it. Check them out and let me know if you think it would be good. Everyone's been talking about how we can be unique and attract people, hopefully this can be a start. I do like the map reviewer team and think that their critiques would make a good attracter as well.


Contests/Events

Alright, keeping with the focus of Custom Games we can do some pretty nifty contests. We can host a tournament based on a Standard Gametype. We can host a map building contest for Standard Gametypes to make the gametype more popular and well known. We can also Host game nights like TGIF that focus on playing standard gametypes and what not... I host ALOT of full room custom games and I would like to standardize it and get other fun people to help me host a more relaxed and fun custom game party... FH's TGIF is too strict and boring. Now for the prizes for events:

Prizes/Funding

Alright, so I tend to donate money alot to friends that really need it, and I continue to live comfortably with the job that I have in the Air Force. I would love to be able to fund for event prizes and technical support for the site, like a new server or something along those lines. I have the funds we just have to be able to get some good uses out of it. And also since I now have a Mythic Map Pack code, I will have an extra when my HWLE comes in. I would like to host a contest to put that code up for grabs... so we need to get a move on for site updates, because that contest is going to draw alot of attention.

PayPal

Alright, first of all the supporter rank/donation thing is a great idea with access to the additional premium forum... it's worked for other websites and it's definitely perfect for an incentive. However I had a hard time finding it, so maybe you should make it more well known that it exists. Also, I would like to donate more and it would be nice to just have a general donations thing too. Also I think having a seperate "Site Email" for paypal setup would make it more apparent that you are donating to the site and not just an individual who owns the site. It looks much better, cuz right now someone could take it for a personal benefit scam... lol... a little over exagerated but you catch my drift...

Advertising

So getting a bunch of people over here won't be hard for me to do. I have quite the fan base on FH and can easily double this. But we need to make things a little more professional. Simple things like making the default style Blak-Ice. Cleaning up the Front page (I like the map presentation thing, but I think that the news should really go there instead). We need to make it more presentable and be able to show our features off right away to the general public. People will want to know what makes us special. So things like the Featured Customs/Standard Gametypes/Map Search etc. should all be incorporated fluidly into the main page... hopefully someone can come up with a good layout to successfully setup something like that.

I will slowly be bringing over close friends of mine to help with the site, including graphics guys, video guys, good idea guys, map builders, etc... let's put this place to good use and make it appeal to the general FH public. The more things we have that other sites don't, the better.

Styles

I've already stated this, but the default skin needs to be Blak-Ice for now... the default is too bland and the Blak-Fire looks alright, but the text coloring is really throwing it off. My girlfriend has signed up for the site and she does a few graphics here and there for sigs/avatars and might be able to help with a general color style... she says she's sorta good with that color stuff. But yeah... definitely needs more styles and something that really defines Forgery... some sort of base color style for it and some sort of symbolic theme. Once we get something like that then we can make that one the default. I'll get some graphics guys over here to help with some ideas.

We need something like this... without the huge annoying border at the top... lol. Plus we already have a whole lot more work being done over here... things just don't look as nice as they do over there...

Forge-Union (http://forge-union.com/index.php)

Shoutbox

I understand the needs for a shoutbox... I will be able to fund for a new server so we really need to consider putting this in. It removes ALOT of clutter in the forums and allows people to just hangout... the more they hangout, the more they want to stay. Grab a shoutbox with good features that people will like. I don't know what mods are available for that, but Null I trust in your ability to find them.

Sketchup

I think we should heavily support Sketchup and it's use for map planning and collaboration of ideas. There is a Sandbox Component package being built for Sandbox by Fritzer at his site and when he has it up it will be exremely useful. We should show some hardcore dedication to this and use it ourselves as well. This should be one of those "featured" things that we support differently than FH. If you guys dont' know what i'm talking about go to this post: Foundry Components for Sketchup (http://www.forgehub.com/forum/halo-forge-discussion/43960-halo-3-forge-foundry-sketchup-components.html). Sketchup is great for designing maps because it supports snap features and fixed rotations and whatnot... it is very easy to use and we should have someone write a full tutorial of it. If need be I can do that myself and we can have it on the toolbar.

Toolbar

This is where we want the most used links to go... in general User CP should probably be on the farthest to the left... I really do appreciate the way Forgehub setup their toobar minus the Calendar and IRC chat that is... we could have one for featured stuff (and have that page split up into Featured Maps/Standard Gametypes). Change the competition one to events. Remove Xbox Live, Home, Forum... put the Home, Forum, Features, Sketchup or something else as part of the header picture, but use an image map for linking. etc... I dont' know this could use more discussion, but I think it needs some work.

Community Focus

Alright this is where I think we can keep the interest together. Forgehub has become a Fan Site... it used to be a really good community. We need to be a community. When FH was run by guilders, the guilders were respected and they acted as a council. When something big had to be done we asked the community. We need to do that. We need to support sharing ideas and collaboration. On FH people are scared to share ideas because they are scared it will get stolen. Instead let's support them sharing ideas and give suggestions as well as offer help.

Another thing that would be great is make each individual mean something. If they feel like they are unique and not just another random guy then they will return. Build friends here... that's what we need to do. Host community polls or something like that on the front page... allow them to make a decision and give their input about every little thing on the site.


Conclusion

If we can pull all this off, we can make a difference in the Halo community... let's get to work. No slacking, let's start with the small fixes here and there and make this site a little more user friendly and easy to find things. We need expert personnel writing guides to use things like Sketchup and other such features. Let's get some people to help write stuff for the FAQ... this is a community, let's get some involvement and get this site ready to go for the masses. I look forward to serving all of you and doing my best to help this site grow...

[HomerSPC]

I really like thse ideas and I'm sure that these would make the forums alot better, even though they are already very good. It is very well written, and I hope for this to be seen.

[MNM1245]

There are some good ideas here. I can tell you reall took u time and thought this all out AZN

[Null Parameter]

Well, I have a lot to respond to. So, here we go......

Forgery Focus

I know that if we want Forgery to shine, it has to stand out from the other "copy" sites around, and FH for that matter. We've been looking around for that niche to fit into, and this may be it; but I'd like to get some other people's opinions on this as well.

I think this is definitely a good start, but I'm not 100% convinced that it is the direct path for us. So, people of Forgery, tell me your thoughts and convince me. ;)

Standard Gametypes

This is a very interesting idea that I probably never would have thought of, but it makes total sense. The key is to really pull it off effectively so that every can agree on the standards and there is really easy access for everyone to the standardized gametypes.

And I guess the key to this whole thing being, at what point does something become standard? We don't want to be adding insane amounts of gametypes to the forms, because it will become very crowded.

Map Sorting

I'm actually not sure I fully understand the structure you have set out.
For instance, I don't know where the distinction lies between All Gametypes and Multi-Purpose. And while separating maps based on their base gametype is a good idea, are people guaranteed to know that Racing maps are always VIP and Puzzles are always Oddball? This can especially be argued for those who are not only new to Halo but those who are new to the forging community.

Map Post Generator

Gametypes can be (somewhat) easily added. But once we get a higher number, we'll probably want to move from checkboxes to something less cumbersome.

Front Page

I agree that the front page could use a few touch-ups, but a major rework is much harder than it sounds.

We have had one or two monthly updates on a regular basis since the beginning. But, if the happenings at the site increase, I'd have more to write about and therefore could write more often.

Forging Theory

I read the first few articles. They have a refreshing look on forging as a whole.

I would have no problem with you hosting them over here.

Contests/Events

We've attempted many times, some good, some bad, to have events and contests. But with our smaller member count (so far), it makes it more difficult to get the amount of dedicated people required to make events work well.

I'm looking forward to getting a larger user base, if not just for that reason.

Prizes/Funding

I knew the military paid well, but not that well. Maybe I should have taken that job with the Navy. ;)

We welcome your, and anybody else's contributions. They help Forgery grow in many ways.

PayPal

As far as our Supporter thing goes, we throw the link out there every once in a while, which works for our current member count. But, I've been working on ways to make it more accessible.

As far as the email address, I completely agree with you, and this is something I'll have to personally take up with Thomas, who set all of this up.

Advertising

I've heard the Blak-Ice argument numerous times, so I'll probably make a poll here in a minute to make that an official change.

As far as the Front Page goes, again, I await suggestions. Only then can I tell you if I can do it.

Styles

I personally like the Default Skin, even though it is bland. But I think I've grown accustomed to it because I don't like using Blak-Ice at work because a black website just draws more attention. :p

I have no problem making Blak-Ice default, as I said before. But again, I need people to help me work on a more permanent solution. We need somebody to design something and create graphics for it. I can throw it together in no time if I have people to help me in those areas.

But you do have to realize that great skins aren't easy. ForgeHub paid a very high price (http://www.minerskinz.com/service.html) for theirs.

Shoutbox

I agree that this can be a great asset. Again, we just need the upgrade.

Sketchup

I can see the point in designing a map ahead of time, as it saves a lot of grief during the building process when you realize that you are one bridge short from perfection. And Sketchup is a great asset for those who do like to plan ahead.

Personally, I don't work that way. I don't think I've ever gone into Forge with a full idea; and the few times I did, I ended up with something completely different.

Toolbar

We've been slowly narrowing down the Navbar (you should have seen it before). And I agree that we could do something similar to FH with image maps, but again, it's the design and graphics holding me back. You see, I'm not what you would even get close to calling an artist.

Until we get some kind of navbar+header, the items like Forum and Home kind of need to remain there. And I personally like the XBL functionality, but I don't know if anybody else uses it. Removing that link would hide the only real access to it. That might just be me though.

Community Focus

Right there with ya!

[Playerhata27]

As you're aware AZN, I higly agree with everything you stated, and know for a fact it would discriminate/illuminate Forgery from the rest. But I have another suggestion to add, that I think could benefit the community as a whole.

Map Testing
Well, I'm you're aware of it a Forgehub. If you're not, here's it's motive. The Tester's Guild, as they like to be called, are necessarily a map testing clan. Any member can interview for the guild, then freely choose which maps they would like to test in. Though, over at FH, I feel the interviewing and processing tasks, are tedious and elitist. My proposal is simple, yet interactive.

What I imagine is a simple grid, with date, time, time-zone, map, pictures, etc. all as criteria for said grid. Now anyone can go into the grid, fill out the template, and have a testing session be in process. While programming of this could be time-consuming, the benefits of it would be tremendous, for the efficiency of it would be at a high rate. It would be a community utility, and would provoke people's map to be tested, which would speed testing time substantially, having more maps being quickly posted.

Invisible bbcode
A simple suggestion, but I hate to see the in every function I use. This may seem like a trivial matter, and me over-reacting, but for posts which utilize these functions a lot they can become cluttered, and confusing. This is available in Forgehub, but I'm unaware if its possible on Forgery. Furthermore, it could even provoke a few members to give more insight in their posts, rather then being flabbergasted.

[Null Parameter]

Invisible bbcode
A simple suggestion, but I hate to see the in every function I use. This may seem like a trivial matter, and me over-reacting, but for posts which utilize these functions a lot they can become cluttered, and confusing. This is available in Forgehub, but I'm unaware if its possible on Forgery. Furthermore, it could even provoke a few members to give more insight in their posts, rather then being flabbergasted.
I'm going to assume that you mean where, when you are editing, bold text actually shows up as bold. I checked, and that should be enabled by default, but if it isn't, there is a button in the upper right corner of the edit box that has two letter A's. Push that and you should be good to go.

[Thomas]

PayPal

Alright, first of all the supporter rank/donation thing is a great idea with access to the additional premium forum... it's worked for other websites and it's definitely perfect for an incentive. However I had a hard time finding it, so maybe you should make it more well known that it exists. Also, I would like to donate more and it would be nice to just have a general donations thing too. Also I think having a seperate "Site Email" for paypal setup would make it more apparent that you are donating to the site and not just an individual who owns the site. It looks much better, cuz right now someone could take it for a personal benefit scam... lol... a little over exagerated but you catch my drift...
This is my department. I've changed the e-mail for supporter status to Support@Xforgery.com and added it to a mail forwarder so I can access it via my WebMail notifier. I'll receive messages sent to Support@Xforgery.com every ten minutes, tops.

We've looked at adding a straight up donation button before, but it looks kinda tacky. I'm pretty sure we can make it just text and all that fun stuff, but it wouldn't grab as much attention as a button. Basically, we can do whatever... but we've been needing GFX help from the start. Start referring your friends NOW.:thumbup:

https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif -or- https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif -or- https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_SM.gif <-- these don't go anywhere.

Another option for donations is we can create another page just for donations, but it'll be really blank and confusing.

[MNM1245]

Another thing I was thinking was that if you're going to have like Featured Maps and GameTypes(GT) why not have featured Screenshots. And the one day a week for featrued stuff would have to be friday! Cuz then it would be Feature Friday and it would be sort of like bungie favs and it would a feature 1 or more maps, 1 or more screens, and one or more GT's if we have that many GT's getting certified. And also like you said have a link at the top in the toolbar that says Features And Then make the page into two columns with a pic for maps and a the name and a small description of the map. And then for the GT have a GT logo like if its an infection have the infection logo. And then have a description under each GT and then for each map and GT under the small description and pic be able to go in and read more about the GT like its complete traits and maps it has been used for(If there was some way of linking a post that uses that GT to its feature thread like automatically that would be cool). And then at the top toolbar have a featured screenshot gallery. Or at the top toolbar have a thing that says featured then have it be a drop down menu and you can choose featured maps, featured GT's or Featured Screenshots. Holy Schmoly I'm finished. SO I hope everyone understands the idea. lol I was spending so much time writing this out and talking on MSN that it logged me out.

[GodlyPerfection]

I like the featured friday idea... but the standard Gametypes should be completely seperate from the maps... the gametypes are alot more scarce and will spontaneously be featured when one get's certified... I think we might need a section for getting featured... a place where only moderators can start threads, and everyone can collaborate on either Standard Gametype settings and propositions and featured map comments

[PsychoBucket]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! China called and . . . lol jk

I am just gonna say the titles and respond. There is two much to quote the text.

Standard Gametypes

This seems like a good Idea to implement, but it should not be anywhere near as much of a focus as that. Think about it, every gametype already has standard gametypes built in. Infection and Mini-games excel because you can have hundreds of different settings. You can not give them a standard. I think most people want fewer restrictions when they forge, not more. That is why I think these standard gametypes should be limited to the few you mentioned. I don't see how you could do much more then that.

Map Sorting



All Gametypes [Remakes] (this is where the good competitive maps go)
Multi-Purpose Maps [All Standard Gametype Tags are available]
- What is the difference between these two?

MLG Maps (all maps work for all MLG gametypes)
Aesthetic Maps (maps that don't have a gametype associated with it)

Special Purpose Maps (this is where most of the casual maps go)

Hmm . . . that just might work. I hate the classification of casual. It is to opinionated. Special Purpose is a good way to get around that. I'm not sure about the categories though. Maps could fall into more then one category - we can not allow that to happen again! *remembers when they were sorted by DLC and things like Infection* If a map worked for 3 gametypes, they would be confused on where to place it. We would need to do one of two things. 1) We would need to create another category above that has normal maps that do not support all gametypes. Then these would be more like mini-game maps. Some people might not like Infection being considered a mini-game, but it is fine with me. Another thing is the tags. Many of them I don’t even know what they are, and I don't think they will be used enough to be useful. Puzzle can be in more then just oddball. There should not be a standard infection - reason stated above.
Assault Maps [Bomber, Detonation]
Capture the Flag Maps [Tremors]
Infection Maps [In the Shadows, Standard Infection, Cat N' Mouse (Tremors N' Mouse variant also), Green Fiends (from Interrobang)]
Juggernaut Maps [Hijacking]
King of the Hill Maps [Centerfold, HLG]
Oddball Maps [Hot Potato, Puzzle]
Slayer Maps [SWAT, COD4 Old School]
Territories Maps [Conquest]
VIP Maps [Racing, Squads, Warthog Wingman (for Valkyrie)]



Map Post Generator

I think we already do this. We would just have to add the standard gametype. Like I said before, I don't see how there could be more then 4 or 5 standard gametypes.

Front Page

Changing the slideshow to featured maps or something else is a good idea, but it should be a low priority. It is still just a beta and we are not overflowing yet. There are other things that should be done first.

Attention grabber - We were going to do forge tutorial videos, but costly never gave me the videos to edit
.

Forging Theory

Haven't gotten a chance to look at these yet

Contests/Events

We can discuss the standard gametypes in the contests/events after we figure out how the standard gametyes are set up.

Styles

1) Everyone can set their own default style. Just go into the User CP
2) I seem to find a lot of problems with Blak-Ice. It needs some work.

Shoutbox

If you can really get as many members as you think you can, then we should do this soon.

Sketchup

I'll have to check this out. I hope it is better then that pointless thing on FH.

[B]Toolbar

I like the Home and Forum buttons where they are. Those are the two I use the most.

[B]
Community Focus


We already have much more of a community focus then other forging sites, and we have been talking about the same thing in the "The Next Big Thing" thread

[Morphine]

Map Sorting


All Gametypes [Remakes] (this is where the good competitive maps go)
Multi-Purpose Maps [All Standard Gametype Tags are available]
- What is the difference between these two?
MLG Maps (all maps work for all MLG gametypes)
Aesthetic Maps (maps that don't have a gametype associated with it)
Special Purpose Maps (this is where most of the casual maps go)

Hmm . . . that just might work. I hate the classification of casual. It is to opinionated. Special Purpose is a good way to get around that. I'm not sure about the categories though. Maps could fall into more then one category - we can not allow that to happen again! *remembers when they were sorted by DLC and things like Infection* If a map worked for 3 gametypes, they would be confused on where to place it. We would need to do one of two things. 1) We would need to create another category above that has normal maps that do not support all gametypes. Then these would be more like mini-game maps. Some people might not like Infection being considered a mini-game, but it is fine with me. Another thing is the tags. Many of them I don’t even know what they are, and I don't think they will be used enough to be useful. Puzzle can be in more then just oddball. There should not be a standard infection - reason stated above.
Assault Maps [Bomber, Detonation]
Capture the Flag Maps [Tremors]
Infection Maps [In the Shadows, Standard Infection, Cat N' Mouse (Tremors N' Mouse variant also), Green Fiends (from Interrobang)]
Juggernaut Maps [Hijacking]
King of the Hill Maps [Centerfold, HLG]
Oddball Maps [Hot Potato, Puzzle]
Slayer Maps [SWAT, COD4 Old School]
Territories Maps [Conquest]
VIP Maps [Racing, Squads, Warthog Wingman (for Valkyrie)]





I personally don't agree with this layout, I think that standardized gametypes is a decent idea. The only problem being that you have too many of them. I think there needs to be a minigame catagory, which doesn't include casual gametypes such as conquest, infection, etc. When I look for new minigames to download I don't think of what the gametype might be. In fact the majority of well made minigames, bare little to no connection with their selected gametype, therefore there is no reason to catagorize it by this standard.

[RightSideTheory]

I personally don't agree with this layout, I think that standardized gametypes is a decent idea. The only problem being that you have too many of them. I think there needs to be a minigame catagory, which doesn't include casual gametypes such as conquest, infection, etc. When I look for new minigames to download I don't think of what the gametype might be. In fact the majority of well made minigames, bare little to no connection with their selected gametype, therefore there is no reason to catagorize it by this standard.

Having to many isn't a legit reason not to go with this. If that many good, solid standard gametypes are made, then thats how many you should have.

While I agree with the fact that conquest, squads, and tactical swat are casual and not minigame I don't understand what you're saying. How does the difference between the two make this catagorization standard not work?

[Morphine]

Having to many isn't a legit reason not to go with this. If that many good, solid standard gametypes are made, then thats how many you should have.

I understand but I can only personally think of about 4 specialized game types that have more than a hand full of maps made for them. You had at least 6 listed. The only ones I can recall are Conquest, Clue, Racing, and Infection. While people make other maps for gametypes such as tremor blast, cops and robbers, cat and mouse, etc... I don't think there is enough of a following to require a separate category within the forum.

While I agree with the fact that conquest, squads, and tactical swat are casual and not minigame I don't understand what you're saying. How does the difference between the two make this categorization standard not work?

I was just stating how his suggested standard of categories doesn't accommodate mini games. I think it would be fine to have a gametype separator for casual games however, I don't think it applies for minigames because the gameplay doesn't reflect a gametype standard. The way he had it setup seemed that the minigames were separated by gametype.

[Skittlemeister]

Damn, nice post(s), AZN. Very informational, very helpful.

[GodlyPerfection]

I understand but I can only personally think of about 4 specialized game types that have more than a hand full of maps made for them. You had at least 6 listed. The only ones I can recall are Conquest, Clue, Racing, and Infection. While people make other maps for gametypes such as tremor blast, cops and robbers, cat and mouse, etc... I don't think there is enough of a following to require a separate category within the forum.



I was just stating how his suggested standard of categories doesn't accommodate mini games. I think it would be fine to have a gametype separator for casual games however, I don't think it applies for minigames because the gameplay doesn't reflect a gametype standard. The way he had it setup seemed that the minigames were separated by gametype.


Well then we can add a minigames section... as for the Multipurpose Section... Multipurpose covers maps that cover multiple special purposes... that can go right above the special purpose ones, or right below... the difference is that some people don't actually make maps for all of the standard gametypes... maybe just SWAT and Squads... there for it would go into Multipurpose and they could select multiple tags for it... The tags would be for searching... maybe it could use a different name... but yeah.. you are right.. a minigame section would be good as well... as for puzzle and racing, they can go in minigame as well... I will post small descriptions of the standard gametypes that are posted later. They aren't solid yet... lol... I just needed examples...

And as for the gametypes, they would be gametypes that a few maps have been built for.. then we host a contest to forge maps for the new Standard Gametype to fill up the Library for it... simple as that.. kinda how the Conquest Forge Off at FH got people to make Conquest maps.. now there are TONS of them...

[Morphine]

And as for the gametypes, they would be gametypes that a few maps have been built for.. then we host a contest to forge maps for the new Standard Gametype to fill up the Library for it... simple as that.. kinda how the Conquest Forge Off at FH got people to make Conquest maps.. now there are TONS of them...

I'm glad you agree that minigames needs a separate category, as I'm quite invested in them ;). However, before the introduction of the conquest contest there was already a large number of maps made for conquest. My only concern is how these game types will be decided. It seems there are only a select number of gametype which are enjoyable enough by the masses to warrant an extensive map library.

[Coyote1023]

I'm glad you agree that minigames needs a separate category, as I'm quite invested in them ;). However, before the introduction of the conquest contest there was already a large number of maps made for conquest. My only concern is how these game types will be decided. It seems there are only a select number of gametype which are enjoyable enough by the masses to warrant an extensive map library.

Use the gametypes of featured maps, those that are the most popular on the site would get featured, then the gametypes set in stone as a standard. After that a contest is held, and that category gets some maps.

[PsychoBucket]

Having to many isn't a legit reason not to go with this.

Well actually it is. With it set up like this maps could be placed in multiple categories. Each map should only have one place to go.

[GodlyPerfection]

I'm glad you agree that minigames needs a separate category, as I'm quite invested in them ;). However, before the introduction of the conquest contest there was already a large number of maps made for conquest. My only concern is how these game types will be decided. It seems there are only a select number of gametype which are enjoyable enough by the masses to warrant an extensive map library.


The way they would be decided is that once a gametype seems viable as a standard we mention it in the weekly site update... there will be a thread to discuss and vote for it... we wil then come up with proper traits to make it a standard gametype to work on most maps and give it as much versatility as possible... then you use it like a default gametype like ninjanaut and just make your own variants... the point for a Standard Gametype is that you have a baseline for the gametype... like Conquest as a baseline for Leapfrog on Lilypads...

yeah we could take the gametypes and just edit the traits... but it takes time... if you find traits that you like.. you save it as a custom game.... if everyone starts to like it then you make a standard for it... then people can work off of the baseline and make variations based off of the baseline... and not everything has been discovered yet... new and innovated gametypes can still be made we just gotta get creative... I have tons of things that willb e coming out soon to help with that...


And psycho... the ones with multiple things that don't cover all default gametypes go to Multipurpose.. simple as that.. and they can have multiple tags.. the categories are just for browsing... when someone searches for Conquest, it can pull maps from All gametypes/Multipurpose/Special Purpose; Territory maps... the search will be the gathering of eveyrthing... but for browsing I believe that system would work fine...

[Furry]

Forge-Union (http://forge-union.com/index.php)


Haha, H3C x Nevz made that!

:)

Great suggestions by the way, I can see some of them coming into effect.

[Scope]

Wow, AZN. It looks like you really thought this through. A lot of these ideas are really good.

[H3C x Nevz]

Hey!!! That's MY Forge Union! :D yeah, we're not active because it hasn't completely been opened yet. But if you guys need any help with coding, let me know.

[wiggums]

I read through it, and agree with you in the most part, and especially agree that we need to have more events where we could all get together and play custom games.

Here is how we would compare to Forge hub's TGIF's:

FH:
Original hosts are the only hosts, and no one else is allowed to be the party leader.
Everyone mostly follows a schedule, and suggestions are mostly not accepted.

XF:
Different people in the party are allowed to become host if the original host doesn't have the required map/game type.
The host will not have a schedule, at least not a set one, and will play different maps as the party requests.

Those "rules" would not only improve the overall events, but also encourage people to come back again.

Also, Having a FAQ section would be great. I consider myself a decent writer, and would gladly help in any way that I could involving writing. (If I understand the topic :p)

If all your suggestions were to be made, I think this site would become much better than forge hub In many ways.

[GodlyPerfection]

So basically host TGIADs? lol... that's how I host my custom games... maybe this is why they are so popular...

[wiggums]

If that is how you do them, then that is how they are so popular, when is the next one??? I want to come!

[GodlyPerfection]

They are pretty spontaneous.. and normally every weekedn day... depends on how busy I normally am... to get in on one then you need to be on my FL... send me a msg

[wiggums]

Will do.
Sending FR now.

[Null Parameter]

Most, if not all, of these have been taken care of.

[Solved]

:threadclosed: