Off-Topic

posted on February 27th, 2010, 9:43 pm

In the forum it haven't been uncommon that a thread might have became off-topic very easily. As non-native English speaker I find it also harder to follow a thread if the topic changes too much, and I don't think that I am the only one to think so. Another problem is that many good ideas , thoughts and other topics get forgotten under all non essential (to the original topic) replies, although the original topic could have made really good discussion. And when the topics get off rails many might lose their interest to that thread and decide to ignore it as the replies probably are off topic too.

I don't have anything against discussion, and there is a board for small talk too. I'm quite certain that many would agree that it would be appreciated if the threads would stay in topic more often.

Zebh

posted on February 27th, 2010, 10:31 pm

i must admit i have been the cause of several threads derailing, and i apologise to you for that, i'm the same in real life too.

posted on February 27th, 2010, 10:32 pm

I get what you're saying, but topics/threads aren't derailed intentionally.  It just happens.  I would have to say the majority of all major threads out there have derailed at some point.  It is up to the thread poster to keep it on track imo.

posted on February 27th, 2010, 11:17 pm

i must admit i have been the cause of several threads derailing, and i apologise to you for that, i'm the same in real life too.

I don't think minor derailments are too big a problem (1 or two posts offtopic - heck, I do that too), but there have been a fair number of threads ending up as multi-page derailments, with a few scattered posts inside asking questions or giving ideas - which are utterly ignored since no one can find them 

I get what you're saying, but topics/threads aren't derailed intentionally.  It just happens.  I would have to say the majority of all major threads out there have derailed at some point.  It is up to the thread poster to keep it on track imo.

I'd say it's pretty hard for the thread poster to keep it on track all the time though - moderating ones own threads is pretty hard, especially if you can't go back and fix things up (since nobody is on the forums all the time). This is especially true I think for threads which even on the second post get derailed... like some feature requests posts that I have fond memories of  . Cries for keeping it on track were just washed out in the torrent of "offtopicness" 

posted on February 27th, 2010, 11:42 pm

It's a nice thought, Zebh.  Sadly, as great as FO has become, its fanbase is still made up of star trek/sci fi fans.  Which means a bunch of people who can quote every line Chakotay has ever said, know every hair that is still left on Picard's balding head, and have not only learned all the Rules of Acquisition, but also know what a self-sealing stembolt does.  Does this that seem like a fanbase that can sit down and have a reasonable on topic discussion on the forums to you?

How many times have people tried to have serious discussions about the game, only to have Wally Wannabe :kid: come in and state their "opinion", which of course has nothing to do with serious game balancing or practical feature requests, but their thoughts are supposed to be just as valid because they've played the game a whole 2 times!   Or they heard about it from a friend and watched them play a game once, and now they're experts.

And I don't have a problem with ideas, even if they're not amazing.  I know I've had some totally crap ideas that I thought were good at first, but that's what discussion is for.  But people still want to place "canon" elements in the game that would be terrible for game balance, "because it was in the show".  They don't see the big picture, only their faction or their view of how a Star Trek game should be, instead of looking at what's been done already and saying, "Hey, the Devs are headed in this direction.  How can we aid them by giving the ideas that will help them get there?" I think the problem is some people aren't sure about how to go about doing that, but they feel they need to input something anyway.  I'm sure I'm guilty of that too.

At the very least, people are now aware of this problem.  Maybe we "natives"  can try and be more mindful of it.

posted on February 28th, 2010, 12:03 am

It's a nice thought, Zebh.  Sadly, as great as FO has become, its fanbase is still made up of star trek/sci fi fans.  Which means a bunch of people who can quote every line Chakotay has ever said, know every hair that is still left on Picard's balding head, and have not only learned all the Rules of Acquisition, but also know what a self-sealing stembolt does.  Does this that seem like a fanbase that can sit down and have a reasonable on topic discussion on the forums to you?

LOL Mal, you should be a comic.  You always have the funniest posts.  Oh crap!  There I go again going off topic!! 

posted on February 28th, 2010, 12:15 am

It's a nice thought, Zebh.  Sadly, as great as FO has become, its fanbase is still made up of star trek/sci fi fans.  Which means a bunch of people who can quote every line Chakotay has ever said, know every hair that is still left on Picard's balding head, and have not only learned all the Rules of Acquisition, but also know what a self-sealing stembolt does.  Does this that seem like a fanbase that can sit down and have a reasonable on topic discussion on the forums to you?

Whoa im not up to snuff i dont know any of these things. Oops im suppose to stay on topic.

I think there are some things it would be best if people stayed on topic about on other things i dont think its such a big deal. However i will endevor to be more ontopicish (at least most of the time)

posted on February 28th, 2010, 12:46 am

maybe the devs could modify the forums (or switch to a different forum system if not possible) so that off topic posts can be voted down, and if it gets several down votes it gets hidden, not deleted, just you have to click a little + box on the side to expand the off topic posts if you want to read them. that way people can have their discussions in the off topic side posts, but the main content flows.

posted on February 28th, 2010, 5:00 am

well the site is suppose to be redone so idk

posted on February 28th, 2010, 9:46 am

maybe the devs could modify the forums (or switch to a different forum system if not possible) so that off topic posts can be voted down, and if it gets several down votes it gets hidden, not deleted, just you have to click a little + box on the side to expand the off topic posts if you want to read them. that way people can have their discussions in the off topic side posts, but the main content flows.

Possibly a switch to state that the post is off-topic when u post it.  So u hit "post off-topic" instead of 'post' and then it places a hidden post viewed with the + button, that way voting or editing the post would not be necessary.

posted on February 28th, 2010, 1:33 pm

that relies on people to self criticise themself, what if a person dont think they are being off topic when they actually are?, i like your idea though, both should be used, so that voting only occurs on posts where the author dont think they are being off topic.

posted on March 2nd, 2010, 1:52 pm

So if the original  topic is already settled, you saying we should make a new thread for a slightly different topic even though it is very close to the original? A lot of threads would die quick if it wasn't for that. Plus if that is how we should do things, the devs harddrive space will fill up much quicker.

posted on March 2nd, 2010, 10:38 pm

So if the original  topic is already settled, you saying we should make a new thread for a slightly different topic even though it is very close to the original? A lot of threads would die quick if it wasn't for that. Plus if that is how we should do things, the devs harddrive space will fill up much quicker.

Most "offtopic posts" are hardly even close to the original post and topic at hand - going from Map Terrain to whether the Bajorans will be in is quite a great leap  . Even if a lot of threads would die, at least you can go and find the topic you know will have the conversation you left - instead of coming back and finding the posts about screen resolution errors devolving into who has the best big screen TV

People can't be always relied on to self moderate, nor to watch their own threads and continually post "stop derailing my thread" and hope to be listened too I fear.