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Closeauthor=Fallen-Griever link=topic=3375.msg68066#msg68066 date=1238057010
Learning how to code is more an exercise in logic than anything else. Sure, I don't know all the commands you can use in x coding language, but if I had a list of those commands next to me I could probably do a decent job. That's all RPGMaker eventing is, coding where you have the list of commands available placed in front of you beforehand. So RPGMaker is hardly the antithesis of coding, especially not when the new RPGMakers let you use a coding language anyway.
Stop that. RM* is the antithesis of coding. XP/VX isn't a viable argument because most people don't know how to code! Your "logic" argument is flawed because, well, logic isn't application. :<
author=Fallen-Griever link=topic=3375.msg68066#msg68066 date=1238057010
Learning how to code is more an exercise in logic than anything else. Sure, I don't know all the commands you can use in x coding language, but if I had a list of those commands next to me I could probably do a decent job. That's all RPGMaker eventing is, coding where you have the list of commands available placed in front of you beforehand. So RPGMaker is hardly the antithesis of coding, especially not when the new RPGMakers let you use a coding language anyway.
Coding, like any other creative venture, is part technical, part art (the process of effective design). Knowing the "commands" and having an intimate knowledge of how and where to utilize them constitutes the fairly vast technical side, but the process of effectively creating a system requires a certain artistry. There are like, 1000 different ways to code the exact same thing in many cases. So no, coding isn't strictly a matter of logic. Your point about RM coding kind of proves that, because even though the (very limited) commands are readily available to the user, not anyone has the skill and sense to create their own battle system, or do the crazy genre-breaking shit that certain people do, let alone do it effectively.
Anyway, that was not my point at all. The fact is, most professional coders would not view RPG Maker Event Scripting as "real" coding. Most major RM sites were developed before RM had scripting functionality.
Yes, it is so all of you shut up.
Ciel: It is fun to work on the site because it offers a lot of interesting challenges. Have to store a decent sized database and maintain hooks between different sections of the site.
Ciel: It is fun to work on the site because it offers a lot of interesting challenges. Have to store a decent sized database and maintain hooks between different sections of the site.
Your post is pretty after the fact! I considered this topic moot and resolved a while ago.
However I would like to see kentona's aforementioned ideas in action.
However I would like to see kentona's aforementioned ideas in action.
We don't need to reiterate kentona. Do you have any ideas of your own? Ones we haven't heard, I mean. Word of mouth advertising is not terribly new or exciting and is how the site has grown in the past.
Think new and radical.
Think new and radical.
No, I don't. I admit that and I also rescind that kentona's ideas are better than anything in my head for the time being. Even if it's not my own, a good idea is a good idea.
It's true. I am just trying to keep the dialogue going here.
As stated before, the site goals are to move into getting more consumers/players involved on the site. Think along those lines.
As stated before, the site goals are to move into getting more consumers/players involved on the site. Think along those lines.
It's true. I am just trying to keep the dialogue going here.
As stated before, the site goals are to move into getting more consumers/players involved on the site. Think along those lines.
Hey, you're right. Especially considering that getting more video game players on board (or getting the people that are already here to play) is something that I haven't considered until recently. I'm fresh out of ideas right now (considering its 2 AM and I have work in the morning), but I'll bounce some ideas around in my head and see what I come up with.
author=WIP link=topic=3375.msg68613#msg68613 date=1238393480I think we should have a Recently Posted Comments section, where the last 10 or so comments from across the site are listed. This would include game, screenshot and blog comments.
It's true. I am just trying to keep the dialogue going here.
As stated before, the site goals are to move into getting more consumers/players involved on the site. Think along those lines.
author=WIP link=topic=3375.msg68608#msg68608 date=1238393122Hey! I'm new and radical. >:(
We don't need to reiterate kentona. Do you have any ideas of your own? Ones we haven't heard, I mean. Word of mouth advertising is not terribly new or exciting and is how the site has grown in the past.
Think new and radical.
Speaking of advertising 'outside' of the community (Anaryu), where do you guys go? I'm not really part of the indie gaming scene, so I googled stuff like indie games and freeware games and found some sites, but more are pretty hardcore - all 3D and stuff, with professional-looking graphics, music and presentation, way beyond my league.
For example while I feel Hero's Realm is a good solid game (and apparently others think so too), I don't think it'd make a blip on the overall indie gaming radar. But maybe I am missing something...
To elaborate on my thinking, if we expose our community's games more widely, we might attract more players back to this site (especially if the players come to the RMN gamepage to download the game).
I usually go to just regular old gaming sites. They're packed full of people who are either 1. Never heard of the gamemaking opportunities we have and would be open to try 2. Are open to try indie games we make. 3. Both of these.
And are any of you guys familiar with Newgrounds? While they have a huge community of creators of games, flash movies music, etc, that's more on the inside, and their entire outer site schematic caters to the actual 'players' and 'viewers', with easily accessible and informative showcase of popular features, attractive interface, information on the creators themselves (artist news), and the look of their site has personality and attractiveness to draw 'players' in (our site look is well...kinda boring.).
I'm not saying BE LIKE NEWGROUNDS, but they've been around for more than ten years, and they've done nothing but grow, from the players, no less, they same type of people we're trying to attract. Taking a hint from such success (where applicable) may not be a bad idea.
And are any of you guys familiar with Newgrounds? While they have a huge community of creators of games, flash movies music, etc, that's more on the inside, and their entire outer site schematic caters to the actual 'players' and 'viewers', with easily accessible and informative showcase of popular features, attractive interface, information on the creators themselves (artist news), and the look of their site has personality and attractiveness to draw 'players' in (our site look is well...kinda boring.).
I'm not saying BE LIKE NEWGROUNDS, but they've been around for more than ten years, and they've done nothing but grow, from the players, no less, they same type of people we're trying to attract. Taking a hint from such success (where applicable) may not be a bad idea.
Go advertise RMN at Newgrounds then. I'm pretty sure they wont be interested in Rm2k/3 games but they may be inclined to look at RMXP/VX more so with their graphical capabillities and scripting I guess. Also for this site to grow we need to focus less on RM2K/3 an more on Game Maker, VX/XP, iKa, to bring in a more diverse crowd to the place along with different styled games coming through.
Anaryu
8848
Meh, not as many places as you might think.
GamingW (the least responsive of all)
rmxp.org (I almost fear responses from there now)
yoyogames.com (If it's GameMaker)
DeviantArt and several other art communities (my wife does all this and just shows me feedback/comments)
A couple other sites that are closed now.
Honestly we get the most feedback from showing our stuff off at the art communities, but that may just be because Yaoumei has people who check her stuff out, I've yet to find a place for getting a lot of players with little effort, though yoyogames.com was pretty solid for the first week or so. (Little effort == No advertising, I always feel bad about spamming my game at people who aren't interested.)
Honestly I sometimes feel the RM communities are drying up in terms of excitement over games these days.
GamingW (the least responsive of all)
rmxp.org (I almost fear responses from there now)
yoyogames.com (If it's GameMaker)
DeviantArt and several other art communities (my wife does all this and just shows me feedback/comments)
A couple other sites that are closed now.
Honestly we get the most feedback from showing our stuff off at the art communities, but that may just be because Yaoumei has people who check her stuff out, I've yet to find a place for getting a lot of players with little effort, though yoyogames.com was pretty solid for the first week or so. (Little effort == No advertising, I always feel bad about spamming my game at people who aren't interested.)
Honestly I sometimes feel the RM communities are drying up in terms of excitement over games these days.
Go advertise RMN at Newgrounds then. I'm pretty sure they wont be interested in Rm2k/3 games but they may be inclined to look at RMXP/VX more so with their graphical capabillities and scripting I guess. Also for this site to grow we need to focus less on RM2K/3 an more on Game Maker, VX/XP, iKa, to bring in a more diverse crowd to the place along with different styled games coming through.
I wasn't suggesting advertising on Newgrounds! I was suggesting that if we want to attract new players, taking a tip(s) from Newgrounds might not be a bad idea considering they've been doing it very well for more than a decade.
Meh, not as many places as you might think.
GamingW (the least responsive of all)
rmxp.org (I almost fear responses from there now)
yoyogames.com (If it's GameMaker)
DeviantArt and several other art communities (my wife does all this and just shows me feedback/comments)
A couple other sites that are closed now.
Honestly we get the most feedback from showing our stuff off at the art communities, but that may just be because Yaoumei has people who check her stuff out, I've yet to find a place for getting a lot of players with little effort, though yoyogames.com was pretty solid for the first week or so. (Little effort == No advertising, I always feel bad about spamming my game at people who aren't interested.)
Honestly I sometimes feel the RM communities are drying up in terms of excitement over games these days.
When I think of advertising and spreading the word, stuff like 'plz come to RMN it's great' topics and such is the last thing on my mind. If we want people to come here from another place for any reason, whether it's attracting new makers or players, we have to do it in a auxiliary way.
Events and contests are a subtle, yet effective way to get people to come here because it presents an immediate and attractive reason to poke their heads in. I'm more inclined to visit a site if they're having a fun event or a prized contest than someone just telling me to go.
Don't get me wrong though, things such as signatures and other subtle ways of advertisements usually tend to work very well too, and that should be something that all of us do, put RMN on our sigs and also put what we're about and why we should go there. When I put RMN in my sig in other forums, I don't just put the banner, I write a sentence or two what we're about and why they should click that banner.
PS. Something is definitely going right in the advertising front, we have more signups this month (279 at the time of me writing this) than we've ever had in the history of the site as far as I know.
S. F. LaValle
1069
author=WIP link=topic=3375.msg68613#msg68613 date=1238393480
It's true. I am just trying to keep the dialogue going here.
As stated before, the site goals are to move into getting more consumers/players involved on the site. Think along those lines.
Improve meta tags, and improve the home page. Ciel had some ideas that I agree with.
The problem with this (and with the follow-the-leader approach Mog suggests) is that this site doesn't have a lot of (or paid) staff to keep the front page freshened up. Some of this can be alleviated by turning the front page into a portal for the rest of the site's content that updates constantly (like others said, recent games, recent comments, recent blog entries, recent screenshots, etc). However, when people actually want to browse games to check out, they're met with 61 alphabetized pages of games that is in no way configurable.
The site needs a lot of work. Traffic will improve as the site does.
Androdas
0
Just been looking at google ranking for this site, and it doesn't come particularly high for anything at the moment. I guess that is primarily down to way each page is optimized for search engines at the moment. In order for this site to grow properly, a recode/redesign/rethink is probably in order (and I certainly don't blame WIP for not wanting to take that job on). I'd be happy to help if I had the time but I think there would need to be a total of 3 competent coders to get this site recoded.
I agree that in order to get visitors to the site, some changes do need to be made. Simply posting on other forums asking to visit isn't going to work. If people start using their game profiles on here as their game homepages (so when they advertise their games they can say "More info, pictures and videos can be found here" then that would obviously work. A change to the home page would be helpful. I think having an "update feed" would help, which would group all updates into a list and at least make the site feel like it is updated a lot. The site news is the first thing you see and it is probably the thing that is updated the least.
Another thing that could be done is once you click on download, forward the user to a page where they can perform a couple of different options: 1) Post a quick review 2)Rate the game 3) Send a message to the creator. Just an idea, but it might cause people to review more often because they don't have to go back and find the game and then click on review in order to review it.
I still think the major problem with this site is trying to find content is still very difficult. The search function doesn't seem to work that well and finding games is hard unless you know the URL already. Is there a way of change the URLs a little bit so that it works like http://www.rpgmaker.net/games/This_Is_The_Title. It'll help with the google ranking and make it much easier to link to.
I agree that in order to get visitors to the site, some changes do need to be made. Simply posting on other forums asking to visit isn't going to work. If people start using their game profiles on here as their game homepages (so when they advertise their games they can say "More info, pictures and videos can be found here" then that would obviously work. A change to the home page would be helpful. I think having an "update feed" would help, which would group all updates into a list and at least make the site feel like it is updated a lot. The site news is the first thing you see and it is probably the thing that is updated the least.
Another thing that could be done is once you click on download, forward the user to a page where they can perform a couple of different options: 1) Post a quick review 2)Rate the game 3) Send a message to the creator. Just an idea, but it might cause people to review more often because they don't have to go back and find the game and then click on review in order to review it.
I still think the major problem with this site is trying to find content is still very difficult. The search function doesn't seem to work that well and finding games is hard unless you know the URL already. Is there a way of change the URLs a little bit so that it works like http://www.rpgmaker.net/games/This_Is_The_Title. It'll help with the google ranking and make it much easier to link to.
