Possible Forum Layout?

@Grome, done.

I've also tweaked grammar here and there for consistency.

Alright... looking good!

I guess it's time for the stickies now? Do you think we need one for every forum? I think for some the outline descriptions might be enough.

I should have some time this evening to start work on stickies. I'll start with a series of posts to group all of the sticky proposals together and edit them based on suggestions. (Much like I did the outline write-up.) That way they'll be grouped together and save on searching for them later.

As to whether they'll all need stickies or not, that will depend on how well we've written the outline descriptions. We may even go through another round of updating the outlines as we think of things that we want said in the forum descriptions. I'm realizing I need to be clearer about the "header forums" being forums with posts too. In fact I think we can get rid of the "General Game Discussion" sub-forum, and possibly the "Guild Discussion" sub-forum just by using the header forums for those purposes.

Aldemarran wrote:

I'm realizing I need to be clearer about the "header forums" being forums with posts too. In fact I think we can get rid of the "General Game Discussion" sub-forum, and possibly the "Guild Discussion" sub-forum just by using the header forums for those purposes.

Probably so. In that case there could be some more changes. The "Server Events Summary" and "Rigger's Open Discussion" forums might each find its place in their header forum. If we do that, some of the header forums might need to be slightly renamed (and/or their function being explained in outline description and sticky).
I don't see, however, what discussion would take place in the "RP & Lore Forums" and "General Forums" header forums.

I tossed in a few more organizational tweaks so as to make better use of the header forums. I'll remove the jokes I hid in there later. Probably.

• Welcome, Read Here First! = "The Forum Structure Outline, the R.I.G. charter and an opportunity to introduce yourself!"
  
  The Forum Structure Outline thread is provided here to help new and old users find the proper place to post their threads. If you have further questions please note that each forum has a sticky that describes it's purpose in more detail.
  
  This forum also contains The RiG Charter thread which describes The RiG community's common ground and purpose. Feel free to sign it if you find that it describes you as well.
  
  Finally there is a sub-forum to introduce yourself to the community. You are encouraged to make your own thread there!
  
  
  • Introduce Yourself! = "Feel free to introduce yourself here."
    This is the place to post as little or as much of a description of yourself as you wish. These threads can be as creative as you want to make them!

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
Besides the description sticky there will be two other threads. One for the Outline, and one for The RiG Charter.

Ideally it would be possible for users to make threads in the Introductions forum, but not the "...Read Here First" forum or thread. The Outline thread should be locked. I'm not sure about forum mechanics for locking a forum but not its sub-forum.

• Game Discussion Forums (Part 1) = "All there is to discuss about Star Wars: The Old Republic."
  This is a catch-all forum for those game discussions that don't fit elsewhere. There are sub-forums for Story, PvE, PvP, Classes, Crafting, Leveling, and UI related discussion. If your topic doesn't fit into one of the sub-forums, then this is the place for it.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: If you post a thread with spoiler information, please label it as such by placing [SPOILERS] into your thread title.
  
  
  • Game Story Discussion = "The place to discuss the story parts of the game. Spoiler alert!"
    Discussions of Class Stories, World Story Arcs, and Timelines are discussed here. If you do not want to know about story arcs and other in-game experiences before you play them, it is probably best to avoid this forum.
    
    PLEASE NOTE: most or all threads in this section will contain spoiler information.
    
    
  • PvE General Discussion = "The place for discussions and guides on PvE in the game."
    Discussions of group strategies, flash-points, zones, and other PvE content occur here. Group Strategies includes general grouping strategies for particular encounters and may contain class specific information relating to specific encounters. Note that discussion of particular class combinations should go into the top level class forum titled "Class Discussion".
    
    PLEASE NOTE: If you post a thread with spoiler information, label it as such by placing [SPOILERS] into your thread title.
    
    
  • PvP General Discussion = "The place for discussions and guides on PvP in the game."
    Discussions of group strategies, zones, warzones, and other PvP content occur here. Group Strategies includes general grouping strategies for particular warzones and may contain class specific information relating to these specific warzones. Note that discussion of particular class combinations should go into the top level class forum.
  ...

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
General Game Discussion parts 1 & 2 are one header forum split between 2 posts here. They are not separate forums.

• Game Discussion Forums (Part 2) = "All there is to discuss about Star Wars: The Old Republic."
  
  
  ...
  
  • Class Discussion = "The place for mixed class discussions with sub-forums for the details of individual classes."
    This is the place for discussion of class combinations, group composition, and any other discussion that includes multiple classes.
    
    • Bounty Hunter
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Bounty Hunter. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Bounty Hunter's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Imperial Agent
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Imperial Agent. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Imperial Agent's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Sith Inquisitor
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Sith Inquisitor. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Sith Inquisitor's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Sith Warrior
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Sith Warrior. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Sith Warrior's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Jedi Consular
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Jedi Consular. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Jedi Consular 's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Jedi Knight
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Jedi Knight. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Jedi Knight's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Smuggler
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Smuggler. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Smuggler's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
      
    • Trooper
      This is the place for discussions that are limited to the Trooper. Discussions of class combinations should go directly under the Class Discussion forum itself. This is also the place for discussions of the Trooper's companions, how to recruit them, and how to utilize them.
    
    
  • Crafting Discussion = "The place for discussions and guides on Crafting in the game."
    This is the place for discussions of Crafting skills. This is also the place to find crafting guides, resource guides, or even locate players with the ability to craft something for you.
    
    
  • Leveling Discussion = "The place for discussions and guides on Leveling in the game."
    This is the place for discussions of Leveling. This is also the place to find zone guides, quest hints, tips & tricks, etc.
    
    
  • UI & Addons Discussion = "The place for discussion of UI & Addons in the game."
    This is the place for discussion of user interface modifications. Love them? Hate them? Looking for one? Want to know how to use one? Looking for a way around using one? This is the place for you.

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
General Game Discussion parts 1 & 2 are one header forum split between 2 posts here. They are not separate forums.

• Character Optimization = "The place to discuss performance oriented character optimization."
  These forums are for theorycrafting how to obtain the best performance out of each character class.
  
  Theory Doctors are here to help sort through the discussions and present the best verified, most accepted theories in a readily accessible and understandable format. Like a personal physician, they are here to give you the best advice they have to offer. They also cannot force the reader to do anything. Their singular goal is to provide the reader clear and concise information so that the reader may make an informed decision.
  
  Character Optimization Moderators enforce the following rules on readers, posters, and Theory Doctors alike:
  THOU SHALT feel free to disagree RESPECTFULLY. (This is the "Respect in Gaming" forum after all. )
  THOU SHALT NOT pass judgement on other people's choices.
  THOU SHALT NOT be uncivil in these discussions.
  
  
  • Character Optimization: {Class} = "The place to discuss the optimal performance of {Class}."
    This forum is for theorycrafting how to obtain the best performance out of a {Class}. In addition to the typical discussion threads there are several threads that have been sticked for ease of access and reference:
    - - Currently Accepted & Verified Skill Point Configurations (closed thread, maintained by Theory Doctors)
    - - Frequently Asked Questions (closed thread, maintained by Theory Doctors)
    - - Simple Questions & Simple Answers (Open thread, all are welcome to participate. Please limit yourself to questions and answers that require no more than 1 or 2 sentences. "Walls of Text" and other complex questions should be given threads of their own.)
    
    PLEASE REMEMBER: Character Optimization Moderators enforce the following rules on readers, posters, and Theory Doctors alike:
    THOU SHALT feel free to disagree RESPECTFULLY. (This is the "Respect in Gaming" forum after all. )
    THOU SHALT NOT pass judgement on other people's choices.
    THOU SHALT NOT be uncivil in these discussions.
    
    
  • Iterate for all classes...
  
  
  
• Server Events Summary = "A summary listing of events. Please use the form provided. Sub-forums by event type for details."
  Planned events of all types should have a summary listing posted here with a link to the full description and any signup thread in the appropriate sub-forum. PLEASE USE THE FORM PROVIDED BELOW. Moderators will enforce reasonable usage of the form. This is NOT the place for event details or discussions.
  
  The Form:
  Thread Title: [server] [type] Name, date
  Description: Limited to one paragraph and not permitted to include rules details.
  Link(s): Links to any signup threads, as well as planning, discussion, and/or detailed rules threads.
  
  
  • RP Server Events = "The place for RP related event announcements, signups, and discussion."
    The place for RP related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your RP events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    
  • PvE Server Events = "The place for PvE related event announcements, signups, and discussion."
    The place for PvE related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your PvE events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    
  • PvP Server Events = "The place for PvP related event announcements, signups, and discussion."
    The place for PvP related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your PvP events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    
  • Crafting Server Events = "The place for Crafting related event announcements, signups, and discussion."
    The place for Crafting related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your Crafting events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    
  • Leveling Server Events = "The place for Leveling related event announcements, signups, and discussion."
    The place for Leveling related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your Leveling events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    
  • Community Aid Events = "The place for event announcements, signups, and discussion for helping the Community."The place for Community related event announcements, signups, and discussion. Announce your Community events here and create links in the summary thread back to these announcements.
    

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
The Summary Form needs a LOT of work. Would love some help with this.
What I'm trying to do is balance complexity against speed of read and user friendliness.

• Guild Forums = "The place for guild specific discussion with sub-forums for recruiting."
  A place for guild discussion. This forum is primarily for discussion of guild structures and "how to" type guides relating to guilds. Recruitment and guild finding are done in the sub-forums.
  
  PLEASE NOTE (2 items):
  1. This is not a place for guild drama. Bringing guild drama into this forum is likely to force a moderator to edit or remove posts or even entire threads.
  2. If your guild wishes to have its own thread in these forums, but is not open to recruiting, please post it here, in the top level forum.
  
  
  • Guild Recruitment: Empire = "The place to introduce and recruit for your Imperial guild."
    This is the place to introduce your Imperial guild to The RiG Community. (If you represent guilds on both factions please create another listing in the Guild Recruitment: Republic as well as here.) We hope that you will include your understanding of what respect means, but these should be as creative as you like, so please try to convey what your guild is like as much as you want!
    
    PLEASE NOTE: While we encourage guilds that support RiG to post here, we in no way verify that they represent our ideals. In fact, there are so many ways of expressing respect and so many ways of misunderstanding respect that we encourage you to find what works for you.
    
    To help get started here are a few topics that can be useful in describing a guild:
    
    • Does your guild have a dedicated forum?
      
    • Does your guild have other communication channels such as Vent or Teamspeak?
      
    • What, if any, types of content (PvE, PvP, solo, etc) will the guild focus on?
      
    • What, if any, are the guild's end-game goals?
      
    • What is required to apply to the guild?
      
    • What, if any, age restrictions are there for the guild?
      
    • How crude are language and jokes in the guild?
      
    • While people here have a common desire for respect, not every guild has exactly the same definition of respect. What form does respect take in your guild?
      
    • Common interest does not guarantee that a guild will be on the same server as the majority of RiG members. What do you think will affect your guild's decision to join with other Riggers on a server? What would force the guild to go to a different server?
      
    • What do you expect your guild members to do for the guild?
      
    • What do you expect your guild members to receive from the guild?
    
    
    
  • Guild Recruitment: Republic = "The place to introduce and recruit for your Republic guild."
    This is the place to introduce your Repoblic guild to The RiG Community. (If you represent guilds on both factions please create another listing in the Guild Recruitment: Empire as well as here.) We hope that you will include your understanding of what respect means, but these should be as creative as you like, so please try to convey what your guild is like as much as you want!
    
    PLEASE NOTE: While we encourage guilds that support RiG to post here, we in no way verify that they represent our ideals. In fact, there are so many ways of expressing respect and so many ways of misunderstanding respect that we encourage you to find what works for you.
    
    To help get started here are a few topics that can be useful in describing a guild:
    
    • Does your guild have a dedicated forum?
      
    • Does your guild have other communication channels such as Vent or Teamspeak?
      
    • What, if any, types of content (PvE, PvP, solo, etc) will the guild focus on?
      
    • What, if any, are the guild's end-game goals?
      
    • What is required to apply to the guild?
      
    • What, if any, age restrictions are there for the guild?
      
    • How crude are language and jokes in the guild?
      
    • While people here have a common desire for respect, not every guild has exactly the same definition of respect. What form does respect take in your guild?
      
    • Common interest does not guarantee that a guild will be on the same server as the majority of RiG members. What do you think will affect your guild's decision to join with other Riggers on a server? What would force the guild to go to a different server?
      
    • What do you expect your guild members to do for the guild?
      
    • What do you expect your guild members to receive from the guild?
    
    
    
  • Guild Seeking = "The place to post what kind of guild you are looking for."
    This is the place to let others know what kind of player you are and what kind of guild you'd be interested in. Be creative, enjoy yourself, get noticed!
    To help get started here are a few topics that can be useful in describing your perfect guild:
    
    • What experience do you have in previous guilds as a leader or technical aid?
      
    • Are you a forum chatterbox or a lurker?
      
    • Do you like to hang out in voice-chat such as Vent or Teamspeak?
      
    • What, if any, types of content (PvE, PvP, solo, etc) do you focus on?
      
    • What, if any, are your end-game goals?
      
    • How important is it to you that you be on a server with the majority of RiG members?
      
    • What do you have to offer a guild?
      
    • What do you expect to get from a guild?

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
Beware the bulleted lists regarding guild description topics. Those are part of the description threads, not odd sub-forums for guild discussions!

• Trade Forum = "The place for trading inside The RiG community. Yay, for Insider Trading!"
  This is the place to offer items at reduced prices for The RiG community. If earning credits is your goal, we recommend the in-game auction house system.
  
  Please be courteous and preface your thread title with [Selling], [Seeking], or [Both].
  
  
• Aid & Assistance = "The place to look for help and discuss how to help the community out of game."
  This is the place for guides on using forums, ventrilo, game bug work-arounds, and any other out-of-game helpful things you can think of. PLEASE NOTE: If you are looking for or offering in-game help, please utilize one of the other in-game forums. If no in-game forum particularly suits your topic, please use the top level "General Game Discussion" forum.
  
  
• Rigger's Open Discussion = "The place for open discussions relating directly to The RiG."
  This is the place for The RiG community to discuss itself, its tools, and all things RiG related. Here especially it is necessary to keep a respectful demeanor towards all involved.
  
  
  
  • Rigger's Moderator Discussion (Restricted) = "A closed forum for The RiG Moderators only."
    This is a closed forum for discussions among The RiG Moderators. While The RiG Moderators try to keep everything transparent to the users, some discussions are best handled internally. Moderators may desire help with wording to prevent misunderstands. Moderators may desire advice on dealing with situations that arise. Moderators may wish for an independent review of their intended actions before executing them. Sometimes Moderators may even need a safe place to vent their frustrations to people who understand without the risk of being misunderstood or over-analyzed.
    
    In short, this is a safe haven for Moderator discussions.

>>>>>>>>>>Comments<<<<<<<<<<
The Trading Forum will need a lot of additional write-up pending final discussion on how it will function. Last I heard Ty-Odi was working on a proposal for this. Unfortunately that extremely insidious parallel universe commonly known as "real life" intervened with something called "the flu". We anxiously await news of his survival!

Looking nice everything. Sick I am, so not active as much as usual I will be. <- don't know why I went a little yoda on that one.

Think the "forum guidelines", whatever you may call them, should not be in the charter thread. Agree that the "Welcome" header forum should be closed for threads.

I am currently suffering from "cataclysmic" distraction. I hope to get more up on Friday.

Np at all Ald' I really REALLY like the structure you have there! All those pages with you and Grome have DEFINITELY beared fruit!! /cheer

Grome wrote:

Looking nice everything. Sick I am, so not active as much as usual I will be. <- don't know why I went a little yoda on that one.

Think the "forum guidelines", whatever you may call them, should not be in the charter thread. Agree that the "Welcome" header forum should be closed for threads.

You suffer from the Yoda disease. /nods knowingly

Grome wrote:

Looking nice everything. Sick I am, so not active as much as usual I will be. <- don't know why I went a little yoda on that one.

Think the "forum guidelines", whatever you may call them, should not be in the charter thread. Agree that the "Welcome" header forum should be closed for threads.

Me as well, Grome. Just got through with a nasty bout of the flu (thank you flu shot! ). Just got through reading the updates, and I really like how its shaping up. Great work, Ald!

Yeah, it's terrible... almost taking me out a week. :-(



Gonna have to see which of the forums we want to be seen only once you register...

I was sick like a Bantha Saturday, but now I'm all right.

Grome wrote:

Gonna have to see which of the forums we want to be seen only once you register...

Might be easier to go with which forums we want people to see without registering.

I think everything about "help" and summaries could be "public". Forums like Aid & Assistance, Server Events Summary, Game General Discussion, UI & Addons Discussion.

If people are searching for quick info and don't want to log in, this will be really helpful. It will also attract new comers (kind of like teasing) and allow people who haven't joined the forum to still participate in events, despite not discussing them.

I don't care about the "General Forums" forum trio being "public" as well. No idea how guilds and RPers feel about being "public" either.

Forums that really need to be "hidden" from un-registered people are Rigger's, Game Story Discussion (because of the spoilers, on my old BSG forum the spoiler forum was actually password protected because lots of people don't care about others who don't want to be spoiled and link spoiler left and right).

I think the biggest issue most RPers have is the culture of disrespect they encounter. Most of them hide it because it seems that most people believe its "cool" to bash RP.

It would take some serious persuasion to convince me to recommend they be left open to the public. Especially since I expect the worst to see our thread in the public forums and come here to try to disrupt things when they are bored.

EDIT: While they may have the IQ of a "board" in my opinion, the word I was actually looking for was "bored".

The next round of updates to the detailed descriptions are up.

First pass descriptions are complete. Now welcoming all comments, especially for those that are short and in need of greater detail!

You didn't copy these into the OP?

Will be good to have the links to the posts, otherwise people need to search in the thread.

azarhal wrote:

You didn't copy these into the OP?

Will be good to have the links to the posts, otherwise people need to search in the thread.

It fills almost the whole page 8.

I will take a look a little later...