THINGS WE WISH FOR... PART 1.

author=WIP link=topic=37.msg1282#msg1282 date=1183149831
No.

Boo.

author=Eddie link=topic=37.msg1286#msg1286 date=1183157811
Who is browsing specific boards and threads (SMF Board Viewers Mod 1.1)

I second this.

author=Fish link=topic=37.msg1291#msg1291 date=1183165713
A next page button, or moving the page number navigation of threads to the right is a lot more intuitive I think.

Also, the main page needs a main element, something for your eye to be drawn to. Right now its just a bunch of boring text news bites. I think there should be a spotlight or main news spot that had a graphic, which could either be a screenshot for a game or a nice headline image for the feature or whatever.

Retrospectively, I think this emits the atmosphere that we require more intelligent members. :P

If you can include SSI.php from SMF you can use the function parse_bbc(), allowing people to format their game profile pages (I don't know if you're using this yet but I didn't wanna try it).

Being able to add multiple developers to one game profile would be cool. I did this by creating a table called sitename_developers with fields id, developerid (this is the smf ID_MEMBER), gameid (game profile id), role (text explaining role). The person who submitted the game originally is the chief and has ultimate control over the profile.

HUZZAH FOR FAVICONS!

I want a subsection of Games titled the Archive or something similar.

Normally for a game to be added to RMN it is required that the author add it himself or gives permission for the game to be added. But this isn't really possible when the games are so old that the creators have left gamemaking entirely and it isn't possible to communicate with them.

Still, their old games are in demand by both older members who remember them and newer members who want to know what the fuss is about. My suggestion is to create the game archive where the rule requiring author permission is lifted, although all games must be at least 2 years old to be added, and a genuine attempt must be made to contact the author via e-mail as well as PMs on websites they frequented the most. If and when the author responds, the game can either be moved to the main games section or removed from the website.

It seems a little unethical to do this, but I gave suggestions to do this the most fair way. It would be a big service to the members. Just like regular games, getting games into the Archive will be the responsibility of members, not staffers.

author=Mewd link=topic=37.msg1341#msg1341 date=1183245793
Doesn't Queen's Court do something like this?

Yes. In fact I forgot about QC's game section before writing that :o.

Still, having an old games archive at RM.net would let us do stuff that FD can't necessarily do, like user reviews. Ours wouldn't be a carbon copy of his list either, as FD puts up old games (good, bad, and average included) and we'd just put up old games that are very good or very memorable for some folks.

But yeah, QC's games downloads pretty much limits the need for this at RM.net, kinda like how we don't have a resources section when Phylomortis, GW, and Charax.ex already do that very well.

Create a Game Development wiki tied to the website.

Not a RPGMAKER NETWORK wiki, mind you. Nobody really needs that. But having our own wiki tied directly into the website where anybody can read user-created articles about things pertinent to the English-speaking gamemaking community at large. For example, the history of the RM2K engine or the Sky Tower Games community, the story behind the Legion Saga series and reactions to it from the community, or a short biography of what is known about the person Rast, his games, and his relationship to RPGMaker.net. Perhaps we could even make it so only registered members of RMN can create and edit articles, in order to control content.

The Game Dev wiki would be a great asset to RMN. It fits in with the theme of being reliant on user contributions rather than any group of staffers churning out material. Also, given that RMN has a larger number of 'oldbies' from the gamemaking community than do most other gamemaking websites, we're the most capable of creating something like this.

I'm aware that GW has its own wiki, but that's a GW wiki that is dedicated to their website, people, social groups, etc. Theirs isn't really about indie game development. So, our wiki would be something unique and useful to the community. It would provide another avenue of content for the website via a natural outlet provided by the experienced member base that we have :).

So, maybe instead of having a wiki we can just have people volunteer to write articles about the game making community's history? You already said you'd allow comedy articles, after all 8).