Poll: how would you like OWF to be restructured?

Manco · #1 02-01-2017, 01:40 PM

As you can read in kjjcarpenter’s thread, OWF members are currently discussing ways in which to improve the forums and increase the level of activity going on.

One of the suggestions that has been posted is to alter the structure of the forums in order to make some subforms more visible and promote more members visiting, posting and taking part in threads within them.

Option #1 is my (slightly revised) proposal for such a restructure:

:

Zulag 1 (Oddworld):
- Oddworld Discussion
  - Mods & Hacks
  - Let’s Plays and Speedruns
- Help
- Spoiler Forum (seasonal; can be closed for now)
Zulag 2 (General):
- Forum Suggestions & Help
- Welcomes & Birthdays
- Off-Topic Discussion
- Non-Oddworld Gaming (rename for simplicity)
Zulag 3 (Fan Corner):
- Fan Art & Literature
- Non-Oddworld Art & Literature (rename for simplicity)
- Oddworld RPG
Zulag 4:
- Employee Lounge
- Necrum Burial Grounds

This proposal seems to have generally been well-received, with some discussion about how to organize Fan Corner. It’s been suggested to instead have Fan Corner merged with the Non-Oddworld Art & Literature subforum, which would look like this:

Option #2 is based on the above suggestion:

:

Zulag 1 (Oddworld):
- Oddworld Discussion
  - Mods & Hacks
  - Let’s Plays and Speedruns
- Help
- Spoiler Forum (seasonal; can be closed for now)
Zulag 2 (General):
- Forum Suggestions & Help
- Welcomes & Birthdays
- Off-Topic Discussion
- Non-Oddworld Gaming (rename for simplicity)
Zulag 3 (Fan Corner):
- Creators Corner (merged from Fan Corner & N-OA&L) (name pending)
- Oddworld RPG
Zulag 4:
- Employee Lounge
- Necrum Burial Grounds

You can read the reasoning behind this proposal starting from this post by JayDee (continues on the following page).

I am also including two additional options in the poll:

Option #3, an alternative suggestion (if you vote for this option please provide a suggested structure, or list your support for another already posted)

Option #4, no change to the structure (you are happy with the current structure and do not want it to change).

--

I think that for the sake of keeping things moving, we keep the poll open for one week – so the poll will be closed and votes tallied one week from the date of this thread being posted.

Lord Vhazen · #2 02-01-2017, 01:58 PM

I vote for option 1 because I believe it'll allow more relevant information to be seen at the main hub before going into a single Zulag. When I say that, I mean the heads up telling you about the most recent post or thread. It's a little thing, but I personally would like to see when a new oddworld meme gets invented without it being overshadowed by someone's drawing of Sanic the Hogwash.

TheParamitePie · #3 02-01-2017, 01:59 PM

Option 1. Separated.

kjjcarpenter · #4 02-01-2017, 02:09 PM

Although I've toyed with the idea of having one, unitary "Creator's Corner", on further consideration, I think leaving them separate would be for the best, at least for now. With Soulstorm on the horizon and an influx of new members, we're likely going to see more Oddworld-centric creativity from the fans. As this remains Oddworld Forums, it would be intuitive to continue to highlight the importance of Oddworld inspired art.

The Non-Oddworld Art & Literature subforum absolutely has to come to the front page though. It will encourage our resident creative minds to share their originality, as opposed to tucking it away, like one of Abe's Oddysee's cryptic secret zones.

EDIT: Also, we might as well keep the spoiler forum open, but edit the description to mention Soulstorm. I'm not sure what constitutes a spoiler though?

Gunnr · #5 02-01-2017, 04:46 PM

I agree with 1, it seems simpler and more organized

Alf Shall Rise · #6 02-02-2017, 01:15 AM

Also gonna go with #1. Most people seem to prefer that.

Varrok · #7 02-02-2017, 02:07 AM

I always thought the "Art & Literature" title is kind of redundant. Isn't literature art?

Vlam · #8 02-02-2017, 02:20 AM

Well, the members of OWF are conservative.

Varrok · #9 02-02-2017, 02:22 AM

Manco's alt-right for suggesting it.

Crashpunk · #10 02-02-2017, 07:18 AM

1 seems like the obvious choice. Having them separated would make it easier for people to see the artwork.

Lord Vhazen · #11 02-02-2017, 10:16 AM

This entire pole so far is proof that voting for a third party is wasting your vote :>

**JayDee** · #12 02-04-2017, 07:14 AM

I voted against my own suggestion to consolidate Fan Corner and Non-Oddworld Art & Literature.

horiZon · #13 02-05-2017, 02:33 AM

Option #4 is good.

Xorlidyr · #14 02-05-2017, 05:43 AM

Zulag 1 (Oddworld):
-----Oddworld Discussion
-----Oddworld Gaming
--------Mods and Hacks
--------Videos
-----Oddworld Art
-----News and Development
Zulag 2 (Off-Topic):
-----General
-----Gaming
-----Art
Zulag 3 (Forum):
-----Forum Suggestions & Help
-----Welcomes & Birthdays
-----Oddworld RPG
Zulag 4:
-----Employee Lounge
-----Necrum Burial Grounds

Varrok · #15 02-05-2017, 05:47 AM

This sounds good to me.

kjjcarpenter · #16 02-05-2017, 09:42 AM

:

Zulag 1 (Oddworld):
-----Oddworld Discussion
-----Oddworld Gaming
--------Mods and Hacks
--------Videos
-----Oddworld Art
-----News and Development
Zulag 2 (Off-Topic):
-----General
-----Gaming
-----Art
Zulag 3 (Forum):
-----Forum Suggestions & Help
-----Welcomes & Birthdays
-----Oddworld RPG
Zulag 4:
-----Employee Lounge
-----Necrum Burial Grounds

It looks like your drew Off-Topic and Forum out of a hat. Also, Zulag 1 should maintain a climate close to the series canon.

Xorlidyr · #17 02-05-2017, 11:04 AM

:

It looks like your drew Off-Topic and Forum out of a hat. Also, Zulag 1 should maintain a climate close to the series canon.

Create your structure.

***Nate*** · #18 02-05-2017, 12:07 PM

Okay, I'll make the changes to match #1. My first priority today is to do my taxes, so it'll have to wait until I'm done with that.

Manco · #19 02-17-2017, 03:18 PM

:

Okay, I'll make the changes to match #1. My first priority today is to do my taxes, so it'll have to wait until I'm done with that.

Yo, just to check, is the restructure still in the works or has it been postponed?

***Nate*** · #20 02-18-2017, 09:30 AM

Postponed until I'm not a forgetful wang.

***Nate*** · #21 02-19-2017, 08:15 PM

I'm not a forgetful wang today!

Also, this feels really wrong.

Slog Bait · #22 02-19-2017, 08:28 PM

This is surprisingly more comfy than I thought it was going to be

**JayDee** · #23 02-19-2017, 08:32 PM

I can't even remember what the old layout looked like, only that this one feels different.

***Nate*** · #24 02-19-2017, 08:47 PM

I'm so used to ignoring the green 'Unread Posts' icon next to FC that I almost didn't see that there were new posts in OT.

Manco · #25 02-19-2017, 10:53 PM

Thanks for doing this Nate, I'm liking the new look already!

I have to ask: is Non-Oddworld Art & Literature staying nested under Fan Corner, or is that an oversight?

STM · #26 02-20-2017, 12:19 AM

I didn't even know anything had changed at first, probably because I'm a sleepy pup right now though. I do have a sneaking suspicion I'm gonna hit the birthday section a lot due to nine years of muscle memory.

Havoc · #27 02-20-2017, 03:19 AM

Damn you muscle memory.

***Nate*** · #28 02-20-2017, 09:35 PM

:

Thanks for doing this Nate, I'm liking the new look already!

I have to ask: is Non-Oddworld Art & Literature staying nested under Fan Corner, or is that an oversight?

Oh, I missed that. I'm inclined not to merge them, but I could put NOAL as its own separate forum. What do people think?

Varrok · #29 02-20-2017, 10:07 PM

Which zulag would you put the NOA&L in? 2nd or 3rd?

Slog Bait · #30 02-20-2017, 10:22 PM

I'd prefer it to be its own separate forum in Zulag 3 along with FC and RPG