Yeah ok, seriously guys, STOP MERGING THREADS FFS

[Grunker]

We had a thousand threads on each game back in the day, and it was good.

We have megathreads now with 1000 pages in them, and it is shit.

This

I don't mind there naturally being large general threads about games. My issue is when other long threads that stood on their own get merged into it. I might have read a thread about "Wizardry 6-8 single party playthrough" but I'll be fucked if I'm going to wade through a 100+ page general "The Wizardry Series Thread" hoping I might stumble across that content.

is why.

 

[Trash]

This. We're a forum for discussion. One that is known to have these discussions jump in all sorts of directions. Retarded or otherwise. Lumping everything in a few neat megathreads does not only defeat the entire purpose of this place, it's detrimental at best.

Plus:

We had a thousand threads on each game back in the day, and it was good.

This. It's what this place was made for.

 

[Grunker]

Just imagine if we had one thread called Project Eternity Character System. That shit would be a goldmine of info. Instead we have that incomprehensible megathread where finding anything of value is completely impossible.

 

[Trash]

Just imagine if we had one thread called Project Eternity Character System. That shit would be a goldmine of info. Instead we have that incomprehensible megathread where finding anything of value is completely impossible.

And that's pretty much all there is to say about it.

 

[Infinitron]

I'm not sure why this discussion has been restarted. The megathreads that exist have proven themselves. I don't see people on the forums clamouring for them to be dismembered.

My personal impression is that the most successful, tightly knit and highly populated forums on the Internet tend to use megathreads extensively, while forums without much of a "posting culture" (such as the official forums of pretty much any game developer) don't really get the concept.

I think that when posters on a forum are close to each other, and know and care what other posters are doing, then the result of that is that they'd rather post in each other's threads than start new ones. That naturally converges towards megathread-like patterns of posting. It's like, "why reinvent the wheel?" Why start my own thread when I can join my bros in an existing one?

 

[Infinitron]

Just imagine if we had one thread called Project Eternity Character System. That shit would be a goldmine of info. Instead we have that incomprehensible megathread where finding anything of value is completely impossible.

Grunker: That thread would also be a megathread. One that's about a particular aspect of the game.

In the traditional, non-megathread forum model, instead you'd have a gazillion threads:

1) So, guys, which class will you be choosing for your first playthrough of Project Eternity?
2) Ciphers vs chanters - which is better and why? Discuss!!
3) Here's why Josh Sawyer's ideas about hitting and missing are fucked up
4) Project Eternity art style - thoughts
5) Has anybody at Obsidian talked about what stats PE will have?
etc

I'll leave you to decide on your own whether that model of posting would be conducive to discussion or not.

 

[LundB]

FFS bro, no one's saying that existing huge threads should be 'dismembered'. What people ARE saying is that if someone makes a seperate thread, it shouldn't be forcibly merged into the megathread unless it's exactly the same topic (not just the same game). If people want to post in those, fine, but forcing all discussion into them? Not fine.

The thread title is 'STOP MERGING THREADS FFS', not 'CUT ALL EXISTING BIG THREADS INTO CHUNKS'. It was started because of things like people forcing every thread remotely related to Wizardry into one huge unreadable thread.

Also Codex, for better or for worse, has always had a 'posting culture', and megathreads have not had anything to do with it.

 

[Infinitron]

FFS bro, no one's saying that existing huge threads should be 'dismembered'. What people ARE saying is that if someone makes a seperate thread, it shouldn't be forcibly merged into the megathread unless it's exactly the same topic (not just the same game). If people want to post in those, fine, but forcing all discussion into them? Not fine.

The thread title is 'STOP MERGING THREADS FFS', not 'CUT ALL EXISTING BIG THREADS INTO CHUNKS'. It was started because of things like people forcing every thread remotely related to Wizardry into one huge unreadable thread.

I know, but you have people in this thread saying that megathreads are an unqualified negative. I'm trying to explain why they exist and why they are in fact a symptom of a healthy forum.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

I think that when posters on a forum are close to each other, and know and care what other posters are doing

If mega-threads = caring, then the Codex should be avoiding them like the plague.

In the traditional, non-megathread forum model, instead you'd have a gazillion threads:

1) So, guys, which class will you be choosing for your first playthrough of Project Eternity?
2) Ciphers vs chanters - which is better and why? Discuss!!
3) Here's why Josh Sawyer's ideas about hitting and missing are fucked up
4) Project Eternity art style - thoughts
5) Has anybody at Obsidian talked about what stats PE will have?
etc

This. This is actually better than having everything lumped in one "Project Eternity: Whatever we derped about on page 113, re-hashed because nobody remembered" thread.

You actually have 5 separate topics there. 1 and 2 could possible merge given they're both discussions about classes (and 2 was created by Andhaira) but you've got a specific topic about JE's combat system (something I'd specifically be interested in after some of his derp ideas around Fallout going back a while), an art style thread and a specific question about stats in PE. Where-upon which all future questions about stats can be directed. If I knew you guys were talking about the combat system, I might be interested. Instead all I see is "Oh, new posts in the P:E thread" and randomly chance on whatever it is being derped about. Today it's multi-classing. More to the point, I can read a bit of the discussion about each of those and participate. With the current threads, you don't even want to go there.

Codex should be about quality, not quantity.

 

[Infinitron]

DarkUnderlord I think it has to do with how you're used to consuming content on the Internet. It used to be to be more of a "pull model". You, the user, would go out and Google for the information you need. And highly specific topic names are certainly helpful for that.

But today, more people are getting most of their information online from things like blog feeds and Facebook subscriptions/notifications - the "push model". Megathreads fit with that paradigm. The megathread is your one-stop-shop for the latest information. Just click on the earliest unread post every day and read until the end.

 

[LundB]

DarkUnderlord I think it has to do with how you're used to consuming content on the Internet. It used to be to be more of a "pull model". You, the user, would go out and Google for the information you need. And highly specific topic names are certainly helpful for that.

But today, more people are getting most of their information online from things like blog feeds and Facebook subscriptions/notifications - the "push model". Megathreads fit with that paradigm. The megathread is your one-stop-shop for the latest information. Just click on the earliest unread post every day and read until the end.

Which only works for people who started reading the thread at the very beginning, and continued to check it regularly, as I suppose you have. For someone like me, who has only checked into it occasionally, it's next to impossible to find a readable thread of conversation on the aspects that interest me among all the chatroom style derpery. All your talk of paradigms doesn't change the fact that a few more specific and shorter threads are a whole lot more readable and quickly locatable than a few posts in a thread hundreds of pages long.

The near impossibility of catching up on info from megathreads is a huge part of the reason I've barely participated in discussion of certain games. If I could do a quick search for threads about various aspects of a game, and read through a few, it'd be a whole lot easier. Megathreads are good if you want to create a very small, tight group of people who will know everything that's going on and post regularly, but it leaves everyone else out in the lurch. Sort of like... a chatroom.

 

[Infinitron]

DarkUnderlord I think it has to do with how you're used to consuming content on the Internet. It used to be to be more of a "pull model". You, the user, would go out and Google for the information you need. And highly specific topic names are certainly helpful for that.

But today, more people are getting most of their information online from things like blog feeds and Facebook subscriptions/notifications - the "push model". Megathreads fit with that paradigm. The megathread is your one-stop-shop for the latest information. Just click on the earliest unread post every day and read until the end.

Which only works for people who started reading the thread at the very beginning, and continued to check it regularly, as I suppose you did. For someone like me, who has only checked into it occasionally, it's next to impossible to find a readable thread of conversation on the aspects that interest me among all the chatroom style derpery. All your talk of paradigms doesn't change the fact that a few more specific and shorter threads are a whole lot more readable and quickly locatable than a few posts in a thread hundreds of pages long.

Sure, but on the other hand, for a topic like a Kickstarter game in development, where there's tons of news coming out all the time, those shorter or more topical threads will quickly become disjointed and out of date.

In the end, if you've been out of the loop, catching up will take some effort, whether it's one long thread or many short ones.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

And I have no issue with those threads if that's what happens. What I dislike is when someone specifically creates a new thread about a given issue (that is, not Retardo Land worthy material nor an exact duplicate of another thread) - and the Codex auto-immune response is MUST ASSIMILATE ALL.

... or, someone creates a new thread which works well as a stand-alone but then after it's been active for some time, it gets assimilated.

But today, more people are getting most of their information online from things like blog feeds and Facebook subscriptions/notifications - the "push model". Megathreads fit with that paradigm. The megathread is your one-stop-shop for the latest information. Just click on the earliest unread post every day and read until the end.

The Codex is not Facebook or a blog.

Also, tempted to move thread to Site Feedback to see what the plebs' really think. Maybe they do want the Codex to be more like Facebook.

 

[Infinitron]

Hey, you're the one who added likes, notifications and friends lists.

 

[LundB]

Also, tempted to move thread to Site Feedback to see what the plebs really think. Maybe they do want the Codex to be more like Facebook.

Moving threads from admin to SF is always a good way to keep people on their toes. I reckon you should do it.
That and I haven't said anything in this thread I'd regret being public.

 

[Trash]

Yeah, ask them if they want more or less moderation.

 

[Grunker]

Also, tempted to move thread to Site Feedback to see what the plebs' really think. Maybe they do want the Codex to be more like Facebook.

FYI, Facebook is the the exact opposite of a bunch of megathreads, so are you trying to say you're a FAGGOT FACEBOOK DECLINER?

 

[Ulminati]

Just imagine if we had one thread called Project Eternity Character System. That shit would be a goldmine of info. Instead we have that incomprehensible megathread where finding anything of value is completely impossible.

I can't even be arsed to begin sorting through the P:E thread for any useful info. If it wasn't doomed-to-be-shit RTwP I would be upset about this.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Hey, you're the one who added likes, notifications and friends lists.

I can't be held accountable for default features that come with the software. That's all Taluntain's fault, he suggested XenForo.

Moving to Site Feedback so the plebs can DISCUSS the rise of the Mega-Thread. Your input will be valued.

Honest.

 

[kazgar]

Ok, caught up on that, good to see butthurt also exists in the staff forum.

Summary: Ban @Infinitron
(Kidding)

But things shouldn't be merged as much as they are, the PE thread is terribad, especially when CRPG's and new potentially good ones are the core function of the place. Best Thread Ever and the LoL bioware ones are fine because they're stupid in nature.

 

[Absalom]

If I do browse a mega-thread, it's only the last few pages which defeats the purpose. On the other hand, if there's a particulary lulzy discussion I might go deeper and go full scale e-archeologist. The indiana jones theme is optional but recommended.

Aren't we supposed to be elitists though or whatever? Quality > Quantity etc?

 

[Surf Solar]

Finally someone steps up against this sort of nonsense.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Not everybody's got the bandwidth to sort through 600+ pages of a thread, waiting for each one to load.

 

[Brotherman Bill]

DarkUnderlord I think it has to do with how you're used to consuming content on the Internet. It used to be to be more of a "pull model". You, the user, would go out and Google for the information you need. And highly specific topic names are certainly helpful for that.

But today, more people are getting most of their information online from things like blog feeds and Facebook subscriptions/notifications - the "push model". Megathreads fit with that paradigm. The megathread is your one-stop-shop for the latest information. Just click on the earliest unread post every day and read until the end.

You better be fucking trolling or you should just crawl back into whatever sulphurous marketing-business school you crawled out of. Is Infinitron one of these Zynga layoffs we keep hearing so much about? I mean jesus christ, "paradigm"? "One-stop-shop for the latest information"? I s'pose "visceral" and "emotionally engaging" is sounding too retro already.

 

[kazgar]

Not everybody's got the bandwidth to sort through 600+ pages of a thread, waiting for each one to load.

ALWAYS ONLINE DRM FOR CODEX CONFIRMED!