48 replies to this topic

[llama man]

Another way to do this would to include a form you would have to fill out when posting a new thread... No idea if the forum engine/whatever can do this though..

[Druid TC]

How about new topics are checked by a mod before they are made publicly available? I know this is at work in other forums, but there's no reason why it shouldn't work in graphics too (apart from the fact that topics may take too long too be aired) but it only takes a few seconds to check if a topic is correctly created.

[Opium_RX]

and the gfx forum is the busyest part of the WHOLE forum is the issue you would need like 30 people to constantly keep approving stupid kiddy requests....just because they cant even search for it or cant use google....

[Druid TC]

I always thought Novice and Intermediate Users was the busiest, and a mod would only need to glance over it, and not every post, just new threads.

[Opium_RX]

yeah but when you take into consideration that theres like 20 new threads every day or less would get time consuming since admins have better things to do....like real life.

[Druid TC]

I only need take 5 seconds to tell if a request is correctly described. 20 * 5 = 100.

Is 1 minute 40 seconds every day too much to ask to make the graphics forum so much cleaner?

[Sn1per809]

I only need take 5 seconds to tell if a request is correctly described. 20 * 5 = 100.

Is 1 minute 40 seconds every day too much to ask to make the graphics forum so much cleaner?

Although I don't heavily oppose the idea, I would prefer members to make the choices themselves. It isn't that hard to Approve or disapprove a topic, but at the same time, it isn't that hard to just make a nicely detailed post in the first place.

[LarsonCreativity]

Although I don't heavily oppose the idea, I would prefer members to make the choices themselves. It isn't that hard to Approve or disapprove a topic, but at the same time, it isn't that hard to just make a nicely detailed post in the first place.

I agree with you Sn1per. We shouldn't have to rely on moderators to approve or disapprove our topics. Sure, it would help, but is it really necessary? People should be able to self approve themselves. They are the ones that need the graphics...not the mods.

~LC~

[Ethelon]

^ the problem here isn't the difficulty of doing so though. There are plenty of users that DO make good topics. The problem lies in the users that don't.

[armymenis12]

I think such topics have always been a problem here. And I also want to ask if that rule "the graphics forums in not an art gallery" is still in force. Lately I've been seeing people posting topics that go:

Hey, so I made this tile set and I am not going to use it, so here, have it:

Not everyone wants the tile set and it bumps down legitimate requests! I feel this is another form of forum bloat and should be dealt with accordingly.

In one such topic, the creator made several bumps over the course of months. It really annoyed me because the tile set itself was very just mediocre and there was no purpose in bumping the thread other than gaining attention and getting critique.

[Nocturne]

I completely agree with this! I rarely use the graphics forum but I do (every so often) help out and create things for people, and most topics are a bit of a joke... I´d certainly help out more if the OP´s seemed to have a real project and not just ambition... As for enforcing the change, there is a report button on all posts, so, like in the other forums, the community can police itself...

[armymenis12]

I completely agree with this! I rarely use the graphics forum but I do (every so often) help out and create things for people, and most topics are a bit of a joke... I´d certainly help out more if the OP´s seemed to have a real project and not just ambition... As for enforcing the change, there is a report button on all posts, so, like in the other forums, the community can police itself...

Yeah, in an ideal world, everyone would have a project they would actually stick to 'til the end.

[daman123125]

I made sprites for a person willing to make some sort of carnival game, but of course, he never finished it...

When you see a topic promising a nice game, you feel inclined to help. But this excludes all the "N3xt B35t MM0RPG 1n D3v3l0pm3nt!!!!!1111 N33d Gr4ph1c5!!!!111" and similar noobie fantasies.

[cool gamer 76]

I received a complaint from one of the forum members a few weeks ago about the Graphics Forum. This particular complaint called for the creation of a sub-forum for each of the specific uses for this forum, one for requests, one for people offering their services, etc. And while I feel that we're not yet at the point where we have to split up this forum into smaller pieces, I have observed a few things that bother me, and which I think need to change.

To get straight to the point, there are a fair amount of request topics here that I feel are too general to qualify as legitimate requests. These topics usually go something like these:

I'm making an RPG / MMO, and I need weapons, armor, tiles, and HUD graphics, so make whatever you want and I will use it!

I'm making a Pokemon game and I want all the Pokemon you can make, any size, shape, or color will do!

I don't have any ideas for the characters in my game yet, so you can make whatever you want!

These topics don't usually give specifics on content, sizes, colors, views, etc. They call on people to create and post whatever they want, and turn into a huge mess of people posting random images, discussing game design with people who aren't working on the game, and generally not doing anything productive. There are no criteria for completing the request, so the topic goes on and on and on, bumping very reasonable and legitimate requests downwards.

I know that not everyone can have a popular topic or get all the help they need here, but these topics are bloat, and just make the problem worse. This needs to stop.

So from now on, I'd like to see newly created topics have clearly defined requests. Follow the guidelines posted in the pinned topics. List everything you need, and update the list as necessary. If you haven't decided what your game is going to be about yet, you shouldn't be getting other people involved yet. It's not fair for you to waste their time in creating graphics that you might not want, and it's not fair for the rest of the people on this forum who need help too, and deserve to have their topic seen by others.

For topics that already exist, you should clean up your first post within the next week.

Feel free to post your thoughts about this below. I want the graphics forum to be a fun and interesting place for everyone here, but I also want it to be helpful. If there is enough demand, I may also be willing to attach a poll to this topic to see what everyone thinks. Thanks for reading, and thanks for helping to make the Graphics Forum a better place.

I agree. However, the thought of a post turning into a huge mess of people posting random images, discussing game design with people who aren't working on the game, and generally not doing anything productive sounds funny.

Edited by cool gamer 76, 12 May 2010 - 04:13 AM.

[Druid TC]

I completely agree with this! I rarely use the graphics forum but I do (every so often) help out and create things for people, and most topics are a bit of a joke... I´d certainly help out more if the OP´s seemed to have a real project and not just ambition... As for enforcing the change, there is a report button on all posts, so, like in the other forums, the community can police itself...

Yeah, in an ideal world, everyone would have a project they would actually stick to 'til the end.

That depends on who's ideal world it is; some people enjoy not finishing projects, then imagining all the angry expressions on peoples' faces.

[RamboFox]

<snip>

You forgot about

HAI GUIS I LIEK HALO SO I'M MAKING A HALO FANGAME HYUK HYUK, DERP HURR DERP AND I NEED LOTS OF SPRITES LOLOLOLOLOL

So I made a masterthread, and I was wondering whether there should be a "special catagory" part of the pinned topics - the Master Threads if you will. These masterthreads will take care of the most requested material (RPG sprites/Halo sprites/Platform sprites/etc...)

Edited by RamboFox, 22 May 2010 - 12:54 PM.

[Ethelon]

I´d certainly help out more if the OP´s seemed to have a real project and not just ambition

I totally agree with that statement, but then again, if the OP has a "real" project, and no just ambition, they'd probably have capable spriters doing the work themselves, since unless you get all the sprites from one person, the styles are going to be mixed and whatnot, and the quality may not be the best.

It's all a learning experience though, I suppose.

[Xcure]

Just search on google "pokémon sprites"

[Druid TC]

Just search on google "pokémon sprites"

Yes, of course, this is a possibility, unless you don't want to get grilled for copyright infringement.

[beeproductions]

Uhm i think that it will be great if the graphics will be split in 2..one with resources(people who post theyr sprites for everyone)and one for requests(where you request).