Helping restore Apolyton

[Imran Siddiqui]

I was much more involved in the CIV3 discussions than CIV 4. Thats because CIV3 was a POS out of the box. There was always some new bug to report, complain about, and sometimes fix. Plus, it was easy for those of us who cared about the game to make mods. CIV 4, OTOH, was brilliant from the start, needed much less fixing, and seemed (to me at least) to require more effort to mod (and why bother sice it was so good), so there was less for me to discuss.

Most posts always did seem to be "how can we fix the game" for SMAC (which was damned good out of the box too) and Civ3, so for a game like CivIV, where most thought it didn't need much fixing, there was not much to really discuss on topic aside from things like modding and MP strategy and stuff (which plenty don't do an didn't do during SMAC or Civ3).

[GePap]

I have to agree with some of the earlier statements by people like Vel regarding trying to attrat more modders- while I have never visited the CFC OT forum, I do go there because their showcasing of mods is great, and some of the more massive mods really change the feel of civ, enough to make it a very different play experience. At this point I only play either the Fall From Heaven 2 mod, which is incredible, or the Civ Revolutions mod, which makes the regular game feel much more exiting. And those mods attract a lot of new people, people who could liven up the On Topic areas. So I don't think we really need a brand new civ game to liven things up.

As for the condition of the OT - I am no saint, and I certainly throw barbs and insults, though not as many as others - but I do find the modderation inconsistent - I see some posters banned for certain things that are tolerated of others all the time. One thing I can agree with Siro though is that we have the same stale arguments all the time, back and forth - nothing really new gets said. It even the same old insults. I mean, Jesus, having Asher call me a bureaucrat was old the second time, and yet its about the only "original" insult against me he has. I mean, even the trolling is dated. Unfortuntaly, we would need new blood to even make that less predictable.

[Dinner]

I've said it multiple times in this thread, and as Gepap has pointed out many others have as well, that content is king. The front page needs to be completely redesigned to highlight content. Mods, game ladders, democracy games, an archive of downloadable mods/files/sprites/gifs and anything else a modder would need. This front page needs to be updated at least twice a week so that it doesn't get stale and people are always seeing something new on the front page. Yes, this will be a crapload of work but that's how you show people that you're a lively place where new stuff is always happening.

We need easily visable ladders so that people can get wrapped up into a feeling of competition and want to keep playing, a huge files section where all the latest mods can be downloaded quickly and easily, updates on demo games & succession games, photos of odd in game events, strategy guides (Something like "The Ultimate Apolyton Strategy Guide to... X") , lots of screen shots, etc... Also we need to have all of this in place before Civ5 comes out because that will be the next big rush of new members so we don't want them to pop in here, decide the place is dead, and then leave. We have to have lots of content, it has to be upfront where everyone can see it on the main page, and there needs to be lots of threads so that people can find topics they're interested in and know the place isn't dead.

[notyoueither]

You have to have the content first, Oerdin.

There is very little point dumping the effort into a luxury presentation while the engineers who build the thing are telling us to go stuff ourselves.

[Dinner]

I agree you do have to have content first, luckily, there is existing content such as diplo games, succession games, mods, etc... The problem is we're not highlighting it on the front page and you have to dig to find it. Poly does have some good content so bring it to the front and redouble efforts to produce still more of it.

[notyoueither]

Whose efforts are you volunteering to be redoubled?

[Dinner]

They asked for advice on how to restore Apolyton so I'm giving them my advice. I might be willing to even help but I'm not sure the new management wants my help. In any event I answered the question in the OP.

[SlowwHand]

Yeah. Oerdin at least offered to help as he can. It's better than a lot of meaningless smartass answers.

[SlowwHand]

One thing I would say, if one poster is slamming another and there's no retaliation by the attacked, the attackee would be subject to "Adios". If they're both going at it, let them each bleed. I say that, but it would depend a lot on the current course of the thread. If it were distracting, start a thread for the combatants and let them continue there.
It's not entirely stupid to let people vent.

[notyoueither]

An OK Corral forum?

[SlowwHand]

Yeah, kind of.

[notyoueither]

Problem is Asher the Kid shoots 'em out on main street. Then they go crying, and the jackels feast on 'em. Then they leave.

This place will end up with ten of us snarling at each other when the server gets turned off.

But hey, at least we will be having an honest discussion, doofus.

[Grandpa Troll]

Thanks for all your answers and posts.

It has been, at the very least, instructive.

Be well

Have a blessed day my friends!

Grandpa Troll

[curtsibling]

Also Firaxis should make Civ 2 MGE Downloadable freeware from their site.

I agree - And they should release the CIV2 source code.

...

[DrSpike]

I think it's probably a little unlikely now.