No public forums?

[Krusty]

While I see the "if oyu can't see axis forums" posts, what I do not see are the actual "Final Battle" public forums.

See Red Storm (still) but no "Final Battle" is out.

Just curious if they're doing away with that? Seems a shame. I can't participate in this one, but I think it will be interesting to check out what folks are saying in the forum once in a while.

[VonMessa]

Thought you had to register to see them?

Always thought that after scenario was over, then they became public.   

[Fencer51]

All Scenario forum access is for participants only.  The forums will be opened publically after the event is over.

[Krusty]

That's not how it always was. There was a side-specific "private" forum, a general forum for registered folks, but there would (or used to be) public forums, as well. A way of letting the outsiders come in and see what was going on. I remember they did this waaaay back even in BOB'04, as I got to read some of the posts leading up to it, but I definitely was not registered.


Why not have them, if not just for free advertising? 

EDIT: Now that I think about it, why is the "general" forum private?

Side-specific should be private, but nobody is posting orders or secret discussions on the "general" forum, and that should be something all can browse, would you not agree?


Hence, the "general" part of the name?

[Fencer51]

Because now each forum has rules which must be followed to have continued access to the forum(s) and continued participation in the event.  General access would not work with these requirements.

[Krusty]

That's very.....

Don't get me wrong when I say


"anti-social"...


I'm all for forum rules, but I am wondering what blow-up from the Red Storm forums prompted this?

There was nothing so bad as previous iron-fist moderation in past scenarios where even the slightest comment was edited out, and nothing so bad in Red Storm to warrant silencing an entire community.. Who made this new decision? Based on what grounds?

So I'm curious why this dictatorial approach to something that is (as a "general forum") intended for the masses.



As a side note for the discussion of this topic, nothing is so bad in the worst debates on the scenario forums as to suggest (ever) that the forums should not exist. Even the most whining moments, or the most upset at "He upped an extra life!" or whatever, pale in consideration to what they normally provide with regards to info, history, friendly discussion, and basic information.

[Fencer51]

This was started with Red Storm.  You participated in it, surely you read the stickied topic at the top of each forum.

A scenario general forum is not intended for the masses, it is intended for those participating in the event, just like those for each side and each side's leadership.

This forum is intended for all of HTC customers to comment on scenarios.

Everyone who is signed up for the Scenario has all the opportunities to engage in all the discussions of "history, info, friendly discussion and basic information" as they have access to the appropriate forums.

After all, the scenario is for them to enjoy.  Anyone can join up and play in a scenario, all you have to do is register.  Most CO's are also very accomodating for those who are walk-ons and get them added to their forums as well.

No offense Krusty, but I am done here.  I have explained it and I am not going to debate it with you, it is what it is.

[Krusty]

I am not "debating" you.

I am saying "it was this way for years" and then all of a sudden it changes to block out all "passersby" so they can't see what's going on.

What if the AvA forum were invite only? What if the Aircraft and Vehicles forum was hidden until folks registered somewhere?

Not a good way to promote the existence of something if you hide it.

But, "you are done here" so I don't expect you care what I or anybody else thinks.

[Brooke]

It is good to promote events.

With scenarios, folks get very emotionally attached; and we were having situations where some people would get upset over this or that aspect then go onto the boards and start a !@#$-storm.

What we found is that, when this happened, it spoiled the fun for some people who otherwise were having a blast. Many people don't like being exposed to such acrimony.

The solution was to have the ability to enforce a set of reasonable guildelines, like HTC does for its BB, like what is done in a restaurant, school, store, workplace, etc. if someone starts having a tentrum or if two people get into a screaming match.  But scenario CM's cannot do that in public forums.  HTC (correctly) does not give CM's the ability to moderate public forums but only the special private forums.  So, the solution was to make them all private forums so that we can moderate them appropriately.

Yes, there are disadvantages to the forums being private (another one being it is an administrative pain to add people to all of the private forums).  But we have thought about the advantages and disadvantages of the two ways and, based on our experiences with running a lot of scenarios, picked this way.