MERGE

[MiTT3NZ]

Friends reference.

Yeah, I got an idea. I've noticed more and more recently how new topics are getting merged into one "overall topic", and I dunno about anyone else, but I'm finding it annoying, coz it kinda goes something like this:

New game in series is announced, and a topic is made (e.g. "Mass Effect 4 Announced")
Two days later, topic is merged with "overall topic" (e.g. "Mass Effect Series")
The result is scrawling through a topic of largely unrelated banter looking for the first post of the announcement topic and/or link to the source.
Annoyance ensues.

Now, don't get me wrong, I understand the OCD-like need to keep eveything neat and organised, I'm the same with a lot of things, so I've got a suggestion...

Why not, for the sake of people who don't log on every five minutes, and people who may be looking for specific news, or even people who may make the mistake of creating a duplicate topic because the topic they're looking for has been merged with twelve other topics that come to about 67 pages in total and can't find it... Just let it be for about a fortnight to a month and then merge it to the archive-like "overall topic".

It makes sense to me, and everyone wins. Then there aren't loadsa littered topics. Coz, in the event of say two Sonic games being announced, the two new games can have their own individual topics for a while to keep the convos separate and headaches down to a minimum before being absorbed into an overall discussion of the Sonic series itself. Again, it makes perfect sense to me, and peeps are always complaining about internet speeds n shit on here, so it'd just make it easier for everyone who doesn't want to have to look through page after page of slow-loading discussions of gay orgies just to find a few posts they can reply to in order to discuss a game that they're excited about.

Thoughts?

[Bluecast]

search.php

[MiTT3NZ]

Kinda provin my point there, big guy. Aren't you lot supposed to be improvin site and forum quality? And aren't you the same one who won't use other search engines? At the end of the day, it's less effort on your behalf and less arsing about for everyone else. And besides, one of my main points was less clutter.

Sure, there's less in the forum lists, but the topics themselves are cluttered as fuck. Tell me, where the hell is the sense in having, for example, a discussion of Sonic 4 Episode 2 in the same topic as a discussion of a potential Sonic Chronicles sequel? It's daft decisions like this by highly opinionated forum vets as opposed to people who know what they're doing and have a bit of common sense about them why so many people leave for prolonged periods.

It's why Clint left, why Martin got banned, why half the time I can't be arsed getting into even a semi-intelligent discussion, coz it either hits a brick wall of "member warning or topic lock" or "gay orgy!" or it'll just get swept away in a wave of unrelated posts. This is a message board, not an office, and threads are about specific topics, they ain't particles of dust that need cleaning up before health and safety shut you down for discriminating against asthmatic members...!

[Bluecast]

Man you got your panties in a wad. Also then you're just speculating. All forums have people that come an go new or vets alike. Some come back some don't.

You are the one who keeps telling me to use google. Well think of the search tool like google. You can find anything with it that has been posted. I use google daily almost to much. But that's why the search tool is there. Want to find out about TEEPO's zit cream in the Sonic topic. Well enter the search. (BTW don't go looking for TEEPO's zit cream as I just made it as a sick bastard)

[Riku Rose]

I have more of an annoyance with new posts since I last looked being 3 or 4 pages back. I always click the last page of a topic when it had new posts and when I've not looked at a topic for awhile it can be a pain to find where I last read from.

I suggested maybe a feature where every person could choose how many posts show up in a topic just for them so everyone is happy but that got shot down.

[Bluecast]

^ Ask Yama about that last one. If a mod is possible maybe he would consider it. But I personally don't know if there is a mod for that.

[MiTT3NZ]

You're also the one who's avoiding the main points I'm making and focussing on the lesser ones. Lemme ask you something you can answer outright (and without locking the topic): What is the big deal about having different topics about different games/aspects of games that belong to the same series? It doesn't happen with GD, Junk, Shenmue, Debate, or any others. It just really doesn't make any sort of sense to me, and it's pretty damn annoying.

[Bluecast]

I don't visit Shenmue forums often. GD does not need it as often. Debate it does happen in the one time a year anyone posts there. Junk well it's junk that's why

All forums disprove of multiple topics of something. It's clutter. Speeds t things up as well less clutter less data. Faster load times easier to manage for me and other staff.

Even non staff link to another topic and say " already a topic on it" Also if someone wants to talk about let's say Mario Kart SNES but reply to another post at the same time of Mario Kart 7. Well can't do that with different topics.

[KiBa]

This is a full-on insurrection, Ryu! Axm, Clint, Martin, Dorian, et tu MiTTZ!? The time has come for you to go all-out Robespierre before it's too late. It is, therefore, also time for you to know that I am a perfect loyalist.

[Bluecast]

This is a full-on insurrection, Ryu! Axm, Clint, Martin, Dorian, et tu MiTTZ!? The time has come for you to go all-out Robespierre before it's too late. It is, therefore, also time for you to know that I am a perfect loyalist.

Would you settle for a cookie?

[KiBa]

Only if it has a fortune in it.

[Bluecast]

Only if it has a fortune in it.

[Thief]

I don't mind the merging of topics but I would like to know when a topic that I've posted in has been merged with another. Maybe like an automated message or something? I get really confused when I can't find a topic I was posting in only to find out it's gone. :P

[Peter]

Maybe like an automated message or something?

I agree, and whilst i cant speak for other staff, i always PM the member in question if i ever delete or move a post. Ryudo moved one of mines recently and when i came back on i didnt know where it had gone. Only by flicking through the forums i found where it had been placed.

I feel that there is more to be discussed about notifications of moves/deletions of posts rather than if posts are to be deleted/moved/merged.... Those have always been, and will continue to be part of an internet forum.

[Yukupo]

Honestly, being somebody who doesn't visit as often these days, I agree with the sentiment. Seeing there are new posts in a 100 page topic on X Game series probably means I have to go for pages just to find discussion on perhaps a particular announcement or article regarding the series rather than a topic saying "New game in X Game series just announced". I admit it, I'm far more casual than I ever was these days. So usually, I don't bother reading much.

The only other thing I can add to this is that when people are having a conversation on a particular game in the series you haven't played, even with spoiler tags, it's annoying. If I know I haven't played X Game 4 yet, I can just avoid the topic on it.