Announcement

**Purple** · August 12, 2000, 17:41

I noticed in the CTP forum (went there by accident) that the Review CTP Now! thread finally got a response and moved down the list from the top slot.

If that's what it takes to put the latest post at the top, this is my contribution to this forum.

You're welcome.

**Simpson II** · August 14, 2000, 15:12

Since it's a pointless thread that never moves down the list, I suggest spamming it to get your post-count up.

Not that I would descend to such tactics

**Purple** · August 14, 2000, 19:54

I don't really care about my standing in terms of number of posts.

But if you ask me, listing this thread first is a form of spam: we have to look at it every time you come to this forum, whether anyone's posted to it or not. I wonder if it's getting the desired results. And I wonder whether there's a better place for the announcement/appeal.

**Aredhran** · August 15, 2000, 18:53

Yeah, let it sink, please...

**Helium Pond** · August 25, 2000, 18:56

What's odd to me is that it seems like the webmasters here don't have much time for the SMAC area of Appolyton anymore--except of course for the helpful weekly notifications of SMAC/X's standing in the top 100--but want to keep this message up here, as if to encourage us to keep looking around the site, even though nothing ever changes. I'm not really ragging on the guys--the CtP II team is being really responsive to their fan-base, so naturally that's going to get a lot of attention--but if the only active area of the SMAC part of Appolyton is the message boards, they should just give up this weird appeal to post reviews in another area.

**MarkG** · August 26, 2000, 05:39

quote:

Originally posted by Helium Pond on 08-25-2000 06:56 PM
want to keep this message up here, as if to encourage us to keep looking around the site, even though nothing ever changes.

that's there to encourage you to post your opinion about your favorite game and read other people's opinions. we are extremely sorry for doing that

quote:

I'm not really ragging on the guys

you are even if you didnt want it too...

quote:

this weird appeal to post reviews in another area.

we put up that place so that there is an easy answer to questions like "should i buy smac?": "go read the opinions of those who bough it". apparently, those who did bought it dont care enough to help their fellow civers....

**Simpson II** · August 26, 2000, 07:46

MarkG,

I already have reviewed Smac. Many people have now reviewed it. I doubt anyone is going to be swayed by one more 9 or 10 rating, or by one more person saying 'great game, buy it!'
If anyone wants to post their opinion, or view other's comments, then they can look this thread up. I think everyone has seen it. But to be honest, everyone who wished to do that has probably done it by now. So please, let this die.

**Googlie** · August 26, 2000, 14:34

MarkG:

Many of us visit the forums several times during the day, and when we see the bulb "lit up" we eagerly access the particular one to see the most recent gems of wisdom.

Really annoying to find that there's nothing new in the general forum at all, just that long running gag.

Maybe - who knows - that's contributing to the renewed interest in the ACOL site and in the SMAC(X) section of Vel's site.

It is off-putting, to say the least

(And it's not as though there isn't a frequent new poster asking "Should I buy smac/smacx" to which we regulars conscientiously reply, "Of course," so we do help our fellow travelers...)

Googlie

[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited August 26, 2000).]

**MarkG** · August 26, 2000, 14:57

quote:

Originally posted by Simpson II on 08-26-2000 07:46 AM
I already have reviewed Smac.

cant seem to find it...

quote:

Many people have now reviewed it.

27 reviews for 4 games? pathetic...
there are 44 reviews for 3 ctp products

quote:

If anyone wants to post their opinion, or view other's comments, then they can look this thread up

i seem to think that a thread lost in a forum archive is not as good a categorized listing of reviews with ratings...

**MarkG** · August 26, 2000, 14:59

quote:

Originally posted by Googlie on 08-26-2000 02:34 PM
Many of us visit the forums several times during the day, and when we see the bulb "lit up" we eagerly access the particular one to see the most recent gems of wisdom.

Really annoying to find that there's nothing new in the general forum at all, just that long running gag.

the stuck thread has NOTHING to do with the light bulbs in the front forum page, i can assure you of that...

**Helium Pond** · August 26, 2000, 20:51

MarkG:

I know I'm criticizing you. But I understand that you administrators have a lot to do, and that some areas of Appolyton have more going on than SMAC. SMAC is dead as far as the developers care, whereas CtP II is alive, fun, interesting. Naturally it gets a lot of attention. I understand that.

Also, you guys give this site to us, for free, out of your enthusiasm for these games. I'm grateful for it. Understanding that you can only do so much, there are still some things I wish could get done. I wish the Halls of Fame were kept up-to-date. I wish the Scenarios and Mods sections were, also. But keeping the Forums going kind of serves those same functions: people challenge each other over the Forums, and people trade mods over the Forums. So even though the Appolyton SMAC site isn't really functional anymore, other than as a running update on the top 100 games, the Forums are great and active and fun.

And you know, sure, it's annoying to have that "REVIEW SMAC NOW!!" sign up there all the time, but it's not the worst thing in the world. Obviously a lot of us here don't like it, but we are, after all, guests here, enjoying a bulletin board, for free, that we get a lot of pleasure out of. We have no real right to complain.

So, yeah, I'm being critical. But I want you to be aware that I'm grateful to you, and I have sympathy for how annoying it must be to be providing such a great service for other people, and then have them whine at you. As one of those whiners, I want you to remember that at the end of the day, I'm really just happy for the cool site.

--HP

**MarkG** · August 26, 2000, 21:13

thank you very much for the kind words HP

**Purple** · August 28, 2000, 00:58

Sorry to have initiated the "whining" in this thread, Mark. That wasn't the intent. It was simply to see whether others felt the same way about the placement of the item and to give you feedback on that reaction.

I think the overwhelming sentiment out here is one of awe and gratitude for the work that you do and the enthusiasm that you disply in doing it. (Unfortunately, a satisfied clientele is often silent.) That sentiment doesn't mean we don't have suggestions for improving the site.

To quote myself, "I wonder whether there's a better place for the announcement/appeal." Why not try putting it above the table listing the current threads and reserve the table for genuine exchanges?

Of course, now that this thread has become a discussion, it should remain here and rise and fall like any other valid thread.

**Simpson II** · August 28, 2000, 22:07

MarkG,

I don't always go by the name Simpson II . The review is in the name James Moughan.
My point was that there were 10 unerringly positive reviews. What more could someone want to know about buying Smac?

Apolyton is a great place for civ-genre fans. We owe that to you, MarkG, and the other Apolyton founders. If you want to breath some life into the Smac section of the site, I'll be the first to put my hand up to help. You can't find time to update the HOF? I can spare some beauty sleep.
But what has made Apolyton so great is that you have known when to intervene, and when to use benign neglect. Start imposing the 'stamp of authority' on forums, try to needle people into being 'good citizens', and perhaps people will start pining for the chaos that is ACOL.

Just a thought

Announcement

REVIEW SMAC now!!

REVIEW SMAC now!!

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