Suggestion about Suggestions

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

I have been wondering about how to organise the suggestions. The main thread gives me a good place to trawl through and look at those suggestions I didn't get chance to look at when they were first made but there are several issues that need to be addressed. The first is the larger user base means there is is an ever-increasing number of suggestions. A single thread is probably not enough to cope with the volume, especially if we want new players to read through it before making new suggestions. One thread for each suggestion is no good either as most of the time I will read a single suggestion thread, think it sounds like a good idea, don't have time to act on it immediately and then forget about it when I get distracted by something else. Sometimes there can also be a a lot of discussion about why a suggestion might be impractical or why it was rejected in the past which creates a high noise to signal ratio. Finally, I don't tend to go back to older version suggestion threads so good ideas get left behind

One option I am considering is to have several 'official' suggestion threads based on subject. So a colony management suggestion thread, missile combat suggestion thread, ground combat suggestion thread, etc.. This would make it easier for players to see if their suggestion has been made before. I could also create a sticky with a list of suggestions that have been made in the past and not taken up, so we don't see the same level of repeat suggestions. Also, it might be worth having a preliminary general discussion thread so that players could make initial suggestions and get some feedback from other players before posting their final suggestion in the appropriate thread. Might be a little difficult to manage though, unless the subject-based threads are moderator-only and suggestions get moved into them from the main discussion thread.

Anyway I am rambling

Steve

[waresky]

we r all ur fans.
And we know u r full of new ideas and good posture to make them.
Good work anyway.

[UnLimiTeD]

Well, when I posted a new thread wanting feedback for suggestions, I didn't get a single reply.
If you want to make this sort of a system, the idea to order them isn't bad, put them in different subforums, with a new thread for discussion of new stuff and a main list of everything in that theme.
Then a  link to all accepted or not denied suggestions in a collection thread and you could strike them of as you read them and maybe post a finla note in the thread if necessary.
The main problem with the current suggestion thread is it is lengthy, it would already ease the situation if long suggestions would be made in another thread, and a link be posted with a few lines run down on the general idea.
That way, people could discuss the suggestion outside the main suggestions thread, which will stay uncluttered.
Also, it might help to compile a quick list now and then with everything that has been suggested recently in a line each, stroked out if denied.

[ndkid]

An idea that went through my head when I first noticed the suggestions section was having a stickied post in the suggestions section. That post would contain:

Suggestions Steve Likes And May Get Around To
Suggestions Steve Doesn't Like and Will Probably Never Do

(Optionally, a third: Suggestions Steve's Feelings About Change With the Weather)

Thus, as something comes up in the one-or-more suggestion threads, they can get migrated to "definitive" lists that are easy for new people coming in to reference. This won't stop all replication of suggestions, but I imagine it'd help. And it might be useful to Steve, as well.

[ShadoCat]

By subject would be really good.

[The Shadow]

An idea that went through my head when I first noticed the suggestions section was having a stickied post in the suggestions section.

Thus, as something comes up in the one-or-more suggestion threads, they can get migrated to "definitive" lists that are easy for new people coming in to reference. This won't stop all replication of suggestions, but I imagine it'd help. And it might be useful to Steve, as well.

Very much agreed.  I like the idea of the "subject" threads, too.

[welchbloke]

By subject seems to be a good way forward.

[Beersatron]

Looks like there may be some phpbb mods available for this, which I imagine would be useful as they could integrate into the current userbase?

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=869265
(looks to have recent support)

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=581571
(although not supported anymore by the creator)

[AndonSage]

I like your idea about suggestions based on subjects. Be sure to have one thread for "miscellaneous" or "doesn't fit anywhere else" subjects. Besides threads based on mechanics, I would also suggest a "User Interface" thread.

[Erik L]

Looks like there may be some phpbb mods available for this, which I imagine would be useful as they could integrate into the current userbase?

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=869265
(looks to have recent support)

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopi ... 0&t=581571
(although not supported anymore by the creator)

There already is a "ticket/support" system integrated into the board. It's currently disabled but I can re-enable it fairly easily.