Did he really just post that? (first project forum request)

[Eschaton]

OK, first off, I'm nuts.

Second, this should be handled in a PM, but a PM to who, I don't know. Next, with other people equally curious as to the answers, as it affects them, I feel it better to let this be open for all to see.

Now, I'm asking for a project forum, for a project James, Lyndah, and I have been working on. Lyndah doesn't currently have an account on this forum, and there was one other that was in our group, but I haven't been able to get in touch with him. This is by no means a full team that we would need to create an age, but we do have a story, and we are laying out the design now. So that we have a place to upload our ideas, our concepts, and as an area to further develop our age, I am requesting a private project forum with James L and I as moderators for that board alone. If it is not seen fit to give us moderator rights, I request that an admin be readily available to add those who join us on this project to the list of those who can view and post on this project forum.

I also request permission (though permission may not be required) to post a recruiting note on the GoW Pub imager. I could do so, already, but I'd like to be as accomodating as possible in this startup process.

Further, I'd like to ask that I be able to most a recruitment request, as needed, in the various group forums. This would, of course, be a *post*, and not a thread, so as not to interfere with the regular board functions.

The goal of this project, at this time, is to create a working CC age, and, pending approval, that may or may not come, from Cyan or the DRC, eventually port it to MOUL. So, without the comma havoc of the last sentence: Our goal is to create a working age for Uru CC. If Cyan gives us the go-ahead, it would then be ported to MOUL.

Now, I understand that some will see this as me jumping the gun. This project may fail, it may not be approved, and I may not get a project forum. But, we need bold people to start this moving forward. And someone had to be first.

I await, and welcome, replies. Both from the administrators and my fellow posters.

[Pryftan]

I don't feel like you're jumping the gun, and I'm fine with bold. I am though, a little uncomfortable with the idea of sequestering ourselves further after all existing Age Building teams have supposedly convalesced to form this Guild. The idea of doing so was so that we wouldn't need to be bottled in our own private sections, but could do our work somewhere where anybody who had ideas could possibly contribute. If you want to recruit people, why not just work on your Age on the forum in public? People will be drawn to the sections of the project they can assist with, and you won't have to bother seeking them out. I can understand the want for privacy for storyline details and puzzle solutions and stuff, but it seems like it's in your own best interest to carry out some of this publicly to at the very least recieve feedback about the stages of your work.

[Eschaton]

Well, it's not wholey a need of secrecy, I'm also looking for a place to keep our ideas and work oraganized. To try to do that on the main boards could get very messing, and would likely end in us polluting many threads and post we wouldn't have needed to post in otherwise, and a lot of people not working on the project making posts in our organization threads.

I like the general community here, and if it takes the board being visible to all, but only capable of posting to by those directly involved with the project, I'd be happy to oblige. That would serve both of us. BUT, since there are aspects which DO need to be kept secret, such as the storyline and puzzles, it would be easier to give a private forum rather than to give this team one private and one public. Either way, for organization purposes, I request, at the very least, a board that only the team can post to, but may be read by other registered users.

Ideally, for organizational purposes, and so that we don't have to wiegh our posts everytime we make them, I also request that the forum be private.

I do want to get people involved, but splattering our project's ideas and designs across the multiple related forums seems a poor way to go about it from my point of view.

[Pryftan]

Well that's honestly our vision for how projects will be handled.. splattered across the individual boards. But it should only take one thread in each section, since the enormous amount of stuff to discuss will be split up into categories. The idea would be to have a thread with the title of your Age in each of the categories, with discussion on each taking place there.

I do think that part of the plan is also to introduce some private sections of the forum for the more sensitive parts of the creation process. I don't think you'll have a problem getting something like that set up. I'm just pointing out that we're trying to set up the way this is going to work in the future, and if you're bold you also have to be aware of the precedent you're going to set.

[Paradox]

Okay, firstly the goal is to have different groups form their own projects with their own small forum section.

The first problem is that all team members will have to sign up for the forum in order to gain access to the private forum (it will be hidden from anyone outside the group so that spoilers and such are protected unless you request for the forum to be viewable to all members).

The second problem is the moderation. Normally we'd want a "Project Leader" to have moderation controls over the project forum; but this early in development (of the forum and Guild) we haven't even got global moderators or department moderators yet (or even a plan to implement them (just so that we don't get flooded with requests to be mods)).

I personally think that the best idea for now would be to continue using the public areas to discuss ideas, if that absolutely won't work, then send a PM to the administrator asking for a subforum. I don't think that you're "jumping the gun" too soon with this; I just think that the board layout and lack of complete stability could cause problems.

Again, if you feel that the current setup won't work for you, send a PM to the administrator

[Eschaton]

I was being bold based off of a post by Paradox on the MOUL forums. I was seeing the current boards as a way to communicate basic ideas, and to help each other out when the time came, not as a place to organize and build ages. I had thought that was to be delegated to individual project forums. While we may be willing to work here, until the forums for the private bits are approved, we may have to work at an entirely different location. My vision of this board clashes with yours, and whether either of us likes, you do have more sway in where things go.

This is not a post of defeat, I'm still hoping my original post be considered and approved. I just can't imagine 500 threads in the general forums for all the different ages where people come and go as they please. I can't see trying to organize in such an environment. I really want to make this age, and will pay for a domain to do it properly if I have to.

I think the environment you are pushing for is a utopia, where all of us are experience, considerate, and know exactly what to do and how to help each other, and a place where we would never leak information. Sadly, I don't think this is the actual case. I realize that this post takes on a notedly more hostile sound than my previous ones, but that's because I question which vision is better for the writers. I have no issue with you, just the concept you suggest. If that is the way it is meant to be, I'll have to work elsewhere.

[Eschaton]

Ah, hiyas Paradox. First, sorry for a double post (if no one replies before this hits the thread).
I understand that you need moderators and global moderators, and that it could take time to get those. But, provided that you all aren't already admin, I nominate you, The Noble Robot, and Pryftan, for global mods, in part because of your share in getting this started, and second because you seem like fair and honest people. Not that this will make it any faster, but I'm hoping in vain that it does .

I will be sending a PM to the administrator, whoever that may be. I do not see an immediate need for moderators in the project's forum, as if there is a disciplinary problem, I will be obligated to contact the admin.

Everyone joining the team would, of course, be requested to register. They couldn't function properly without doing it, though I make no actual requirement of it so they are welcome to try. If not having a "team leader" would be seen as a reason to hold up development, then I submit myself as team leader. I have no agreement from James on that, and this project is very much both of ours, but beyond him, anyone else would clearly have been recruited to meet an end, and recruited by James or I, so that obviously puts one of us in the leadership role. I'll send him a PM and see where he wants to take that.

Do not assume to disregard the post because his reply is pending. For the time, you may call me the team's leader if need be.

Anyway, happy to see that no one sees this as jumping the gun. I thought it was about time someone stepped across the line

[James L]

Thank you, Paradox.

I don't know what to say. I really don't wish to start some sort of upheaval in the forums already

[Pryftan]

Eschaton, I wasn't shooting down the idea of private forums, just saying I didn't feel comfortable watching the first solid Age Building team to come out of the Guild of Writers declare themselves wholly private. My vision is just that a part of your private forums is viewable by most of the GoW, though they cannot post. That way if they have ideas they can PM any of you and still contribute that way, and you can hide what you wish to keep secret.

Onto other things, I very much appreciate the vote of confidence! I have my own votes for moderators, and come to think of it we should really hold some sort of election type thing so that we can move this process along. Or semi-election thing. The people who built this forum should obviously not have to run for a moderator position ;P

[Eschaton]

I suppose for closure for those who might read this thread in the future, I should make an end-post for the time being.
So, Pryftan, sorry if I came off to be a bit abrasive.

And, for the reason most poeple will be reading this thread: We got our forum! Expect to see a message on the Pub imager in the near future. Those interested in joining send me a KI mail or PM me on the forums. Though, preferably handle this in-game, since that is where the majority of the team applications are likely to come from. I'd wager that there's still a few people that don't know these forums exist.

OK, I have work to do!