I support the idea of guidelines though most of the users don't read them before posting. On index page of forum there are already few descriptions about sub-forums and what they are intended for; adding guidelines in a balloon on the top of the page of each sub-forum would be a possible good addition.

I agree with this as well also would it be possible to move an old topic (that have been closed, locked, or abandoned) to a separate read-only archive subforum? would also help with clutter.

We have an Archive sub-forum but I personally disagree with this. If a player needs help, for example, he can search for specific topics under Players Support section instead of going through thousands and thousands of non-categorized topics on the archive. It also becomes easier using the search feature if you have a sub-forum with pre-defined subject and with less threads than a generalized one.

A sticky topic with the rules of the section would be sufficient enough because some people ignore the messages on top of the page.

We have an Archive sub-forum but I personally disagree with this. If a player needs help, for example, he can search for specific topics under Players Support section instead of going through thousands and thousands of non-categorized topics on the archive. It also becomes easier using the search feature if you have a sub-forum with pre-defined subject and with less threads than a generalized one.

 

Wouldn't it be possible to put a tag on each topic to make searching through the archive easier. Where when searching through it a player would need to type "Suggestions - [enter key word here]" would help if the archive is something that ends up staying. I don't know if its a possibility, but would help fix some of the downsides you mentioned.

We have an Archive sub-forum but I personally disagree with this. If a player needs help, for example, he can search for specific topics under Players Support section instead of going through thousands and thousands of non-categorized topics on the archive. It also becomes easier using the search feature if you have a sub-forum with pre-defined subject and with less threads than a generalized one.

 

Wouldn't it be possible to put a tag on each topic to make searching through the archive easier. Where when searching through it a player would need to type "Suggestions - [enter key word here]" would help if the archive is something that ends up staying. I don't know if its a possibility, but would help fix some of the downsides you mentioned.

 

That's why the search options exists.

Just like in anything it takes time to implement change; which is why if we do it early while the community is small I think the transition will be much, much smoother. Moderators can correct the mistakes by give expiring warnings, referring violators to the guidelines, disabling posting for a short time, ect. They dont even have to be strict/over the top guidelines, but things like limiting one thread per player in the Trade section and letting people set up gallery's/shops in creative for people to request in while not allowing people to post request threads over and over for art would help to keep things tidy in the future and make moderating the sub-forums much easier.

 

This sounds eerily similar to another pokemon community way of doing things. I agree that guidelines for some sub-forums could be beneficial (I like Hexy's idea of adding balloon's at the top of the page). However, restricting the creation of topics is something that I disagree with. We have capable moderators, if we do our job properly, we should be fine.

Wouldn't it be possible to put a tag on each topic to make searching through the archive easier. Where when searching through it a player would need to type "Suggestions - [enter key word here]" would help if the archive is something that ends up staying. I don't know if its a possibility, but would help fix some of the downsides you mentioned.

 

This should be in the guidlines anyways, especially in the creative area where there can be all different types of threads. Sigs, drawings, media, there are all sorts of things that could end up in that subforum.

 

Trades could be defined between Auctions and Shops.

 

I was talking about strictly the "Archive" sub-forum not any others if I read Hexy's reply right when a topic gets moved to the archive from multiple other sub forums it gets generalized and is no longer as easy to search if it remained in its own sub forum. I was suggesting that a tag be put on that topic when it gets moved to the archive to make it easier to find (Ex: "Tag") therefore it is simpler to find as if it was still in it's original sub forum, eliminating the generalization somewhat.

It's possible to replicate general sub-forums subjects under the Archive subforum, it's better than editing topic's title, however searching and moving inactive threads is too much work for moderators and unnecessary from my view because active threads will be at the first pages and dead ones at the end. So there's no mess. Guidelines on the top page are just an idea, not planned though. As well as they'd not be supposed to be taken as rules, only directives/reminders of what should/can go under each sub-forum, so players do not get lost on forum and they can have an abstract notion of what is allowed. Regarding punishments, they should only apply if posts are breaking the main rules or if they are not suitable for forum. Having specific rules for each service provided by PRO sounds proper but this is internet, people turn their computers on to chill out.