To be or not to be? The official hint thread

m0ds · Mon 27/03/2006 19:32:30

Something we have discussed behind the scenes is a new method for keeping posts relevant and in order - with the introduction of an "official thread button" to accompany completed/released games.

Some people have stressed that they find Completed games threads too annoying, being full of tech reports, bug reports but more commonly - hints & tips. CJ has kindly set up a hints & tips forum which we feel should be where these kind of things go, and that an official completed game's thread will just include comments on the game, suggestions & technical reports.

This is though of course, JUST an advisory - and would normally mean the creator would have to actively want their game to have an official hints & tips thread. It doesn't mean hints & tips HAVE to be excluded from a Completed games thread, it just means it would be easier to locate all the hints & tips, problems & solutions for each game.

For example: I'd love to think I'm about to read 13 pages of great reviews about Stargate adventure, but really I'm viewing about 3, and 10 pages with hints & tips, & I for one am certainly too lazy to skip through each page to find what great things have been said about the game...

Eric created this button which we feel could be used as a pointer to an official hints & tips thread for your game.

All thats left now is to find out if this is a method people will use, to help de-clutter their games threads with hints & tips and use the special forum which was designed especially for these matters!!

Comment away

MrColossal · Mon 27/03/2006 20:44:13

Also, I used this system when I posted Automation and it seemed to work well.. So well in fact that my thread ended up at 2 of bug reports and people posting about the game [and one person who felt I wasted their time] and was very easy to navigate and there weren't 5 people trying to get help from another 5 people that were helping. Most especially for me, people who just want to download and comment on the game aren't in danger of being confronted with possible spoilers.

And there is only 1 hint thread in the hints and tips forum devoted to my game so it's very easy to search for help.

Saberteeth · Mon 27/03/2006 20:47:16

I think that's a GREAT idea, m0ds. It's just that, do we have to post the image in our post, can't we just use [ url][ /url]? I mean, then I'll have to remmember this link EVERY TIME I post stuff in the completed games forum.

biothlebop · Mon 27/03/2006 20:50:00

I don't see that as a problem, as most people won't be mass-producing AGS games, so it won't be a daily chore.
Plus, a big image attracts attention.

Saberteeth · Mon 27/03/2006 20:50:55

Yeah, I wanna push tha BIG RED BUTTON!

Ok, so we are able to or must use the button?

big brother · Mon 27/03/2006 21:15:27

SBslovegahjf, you seem to post quite a lot in nearly every forum category here.

Is this a serious question? I really can't read any humor into it, only cluelessness or stupidity. Is this what you want to project?

If you read m0ds' original post a little more carefully, you would discover that clicking on this button would direct your browser to the completed game's reciprocal thread in the Hints and Tips section. Not all that complicated, and a good idea.

Saberteeth · Tue 28/03/2006 12:24:26

Yes, it is a serious question.
But now I see:

Quote from: m0ds on Mon 27/03/2006 19:32:30
This is though of course, JUST an advisory

So no worries, I got what I needed. :

Kinoko · Tue 28/03/2006 14:34:08

I think it's a great idea, and I also want to push the big red button

Andail · Tue 28/03/2006 15:26:26

It seems SBsLoVeNiA pushed Big Brother's button instead.

But yeah, I agree that the completed games' forum needs some sort of clean up. Good idea mate.

MrColossal · Tue 28/03/2006 16:16:42

also

I made this smaller one because the first one was pretty huge

Helm · Tue 28/03/2006 16:34:27

Some of us prefer them huge!

Pesty · Tue 28/03/2006 16:41:54

Quote from: Helm on Tue 28/03/2006 16:34:27
Some of us prefer them huge!

It's not the size of the button, it's how you use it.

By which I mean, in a thread about hints for your game. Of course.

m0ds · Tue 28/03/2006 17:51:56

Well it seems we're all pushing the right buttons, I'll see if some kind of advisory stickee can be made in the completed games board. I'm glad this is well received!

MrColossal · Tue 28/03/2006 19:52:49

I'd rather it appeared in the post a new thread page....

People don't read Stickies as it is...

* MrColossal turns to CJ

Vel · Tue 28/03/2006 20:27:31

I am all for the official hint tread idea, m0ds. I want to read what people think about the game itself when I open a completed games thread, not read where they're stuck.

monkey0506 · Tue 28/03/2006 23:40:18

For all the coding geniouses out there:

Hint button code:

Code: ags

[center][url=http://link.to.your.game.hint.thread/]
[img]http://kafkaskoffee.com/junk/hintthread.png[/img]
[/url][/center]

Hint button (small) code:

Code: ags

[center][url=http://link.to.your.game.hint.thread/]
[img]http://kafkaskoffee.com/images/games/hintthread2.png[/img]
[/url][/center]

I like the idea (and the look) of the button.

edmundito · Wed 29/03/2006 02:22:26

It's a good idea. It would be cool if somehow the games database, the released game thread, and the hint thread tied all together seamlessly, but hey that'd be a lot of work!

So a button is a simple and effective solution.