RuneScape Forum Archive | How To: Have an In-Game Forum

Spartae

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Now, when I say "Forum" I mean a meeting. A gathering of players to discuss common topics.

WHY?
Given Croco's recent thread, I feel it's about another time where players are going to coalesce and want to discuss potential changes in-game rather than on a forum. I'm not going to lead one or moderate one - I'm too far gone/busy in my post-grad world to do so. But I want to help enable one by giving suggestions for how to cleanly have a forum.

STEP ONE: Keep it Topical, Bruh

Divide the forum into topics. An example, again using the recent thread by Croco, would be as such:

Topic 1: Should we consolidate playerspace into a smaller landmass?

Topic 2: Should we revert to more citystate-esque roleplay and less large-scale kingdoms?

Topic 3: Does the blacklist have any utility in our community? If so, how and when?

Topic 4: Should we revisit the Rules of the Roleplay Guide? How so?

By dividing the topic space, you can better focus on those individual solutions for later meetings.

STEP TWO: Keep Speaking Time Organized and Limited

One problem I encounter often with public forums is people want to respond to each other - it IS W42, and we all feel like we're entitled to speak our piece (and response pieces). Problem is, this slows down the forum too much and disorganizes thoughts.

It would be best to not allow for responses to one another - rather, a meeting scribe should be recording each individual's thoughts on the topic that choose to speak about it. By not enabling counters or responses, the topics remain focused and everybody gets to speak their piece on the topic at hand while still remaining time-efficient.

24-Sep-2016 15:19:52

Spartae

Posts: 5,624 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

STEP THREE: Create a Summary Thread

Once all topics have been covered, and all who wish to speak have said their piece, make a summary thread. Include the summary of each individual's thought on each topic. There and only there should players then respond to others' ideas and thoughts - whether it's agreement or critiques.

The clearly supported/popular thoughts, then, are the ones that the community can polarize on. Due to the forum's somewhat more timeless existence as opposed to an in-game meeting, thoughts can be more actively thought over and critiqued/supported without wasting valuable community-synergy time.

STEP FOUR: Enact the Changes - Be the Changes

The clearly supported or discussed solutions should, in a secondary public forum held in-game, then be voted on by topic. Each person present at the meeting will be counted off as to what they wish to support (Option A? Option B? Option D: None of these?).

STEP FIVE: Change is Realized!

With a solid idea of the community's wants and supports, work together to focus on changing towards the most heavily supported ideas. Don't focus on moving away from the current community - but rather, towards the changes that merit community interest. Forget about the other suggestions - unless there's something worth incorporating from them.

Polarize on making those changes a reality. If you don't, they won't happen. Make sure they come to realization - and see how it affects the community you all love and support.

Good luck, fam.

24-Sep-2016 15:24:01

Spartae

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Post away, ya varmints.

24-Sep-2016 15:24:14

K9 Morphed

Posts: 12,368 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Yo'!

This isn't a bad idea. Gathering a community, clan or server wide, is always an effective tool to gauge how things are going so far; what everyone is thinking and how we can improve - both personally and as a clan or server.

However, I have to heavily disagree with the first two topics listed for discussion.

Topics 1 and 2 aren't something that should be discussed and dictated as a server. Yes, perhaps smaller clans are able to function more fluently and are able to give attention to locations more than a larger clan can. But, does that meen we should tell people where they can and cannot roleplay? Does that mean we should dictate what sort of roleplays are now unacceptable?

Topic 1 would involve telling people where they roleplay. Topic 2 would involve approaching existing POKs and saying: "Hey. I know you've been doing your thing as a clan. But, we took a vote and you have to stop roleplaying now. Sorry." I know I don't roleplay much, or at all, within this community - but if people want to heal this server, I really don't think the latter is the correct way to go about it.

Otherwise, the rest of the topics seem fairly interesting and worth discussing. #TeamDaenerys

24-Sep-2016 16:03:07 - Last edited on 24-Sep-2016 16:09:01 by K9 Morphed

Joshuax100

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Profiled

24-Sep-2016 16:05:02

Spartae

Posts: 5,624 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

K9,

Please keep it topical within this thread and read closely friend. This is not setting up an event for those specific topics - they served as examples. I am not here to advocate for this or that idea, but rather to provide a sort of guiding hand should such a forum come to be.

As for those ideas: Again, in the interest of the topic at hand I don't want to entertain specific ideas within this thread as Croco's thread already serves the purpose of ideation compilation. However, I will take the time to say that a community can do whatever it wants - it is up to the individuals and groups within that community as to whether they participate with the greater community or not. Nothing is stopping a community census from agreeing that they want to consolidate land for the Public Roleplay sphere if the majority says it's in their interest, for example.

It is just up to individuals to opt out. Otherwise, it's not really a "community" if there's no way of operating on a culminated consensus.

24-Sep-2016 16:12:27

K9 Morphed

Posts: 12,368 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Spartae said :

I disagree that what I said wasn't topical, and I was only giving my opinion. But - I didn't realise that it's not to actually plan a meeting. I'm heavily hungover and skimread everything. Sorry. #TeamDaenerys

24-Sep-2016 16:18:43 - Last edited on 24-Sep-2016 16:19:29 by K9 Morphed

Spartae

Posts: 5,624 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

K9 Morphed said :
Spartae said :

I disagree that what I said wasn't topical, and I was only giving my opinion. But - I didn't realise that it's not to actually plan a meeting. I'm heavily hungover and skimread everything. Sorry.

That's completely fine.

I mean that it's not topical as it pertains to the intent of this thread - that is, there's no actual content planning to be discussed here. This thread's topic is simply the formatting and proceedings of such a forum.