Just a thought… should there be a forum for newer mappers and related questions as well as a forum for more seasoned mappers / questions?
It just seems like this forum fills up fast.
Also, a “help wanted” type forum… like, for people who need other people to help them with projects and such might be useful… anyone else think this is a good idea?
I was hoping the seasoned mappers who visit this forum would help the newer mappers. I suspect that like the RTCW communities, there is alot of smaller/different forums around that dont really talk/help each other much. Maybe if the community (as a whole) was not so fragmented (so many different forums) then it would be a better solution.
I certainly can setup a help wanted sticky thread if people want it, anyone interested ??
Sock
:moo:
I don’t think the fragmentation for ET mapping has yet reached any real problem (even though I mod for another mapping forum).
While ET is young, the only place for help is SD really. As more people become conversant with ET mapping, they’ll become ‘resources’ themselves, and may well head off to pastures new simply because the amount of crap you get on here is overwhelming - currently I wouldn’t blame them - too many threads bring RTFM to mind 
So I’m in favour of ‘pro’ vs ‘n00b’ forums, I think the pros will still help, but it means when they have a serious proper problem to ask, they can do it in the appropriate place and not lose their thread amongst rubbish, or have it spammed with irrelevant replies.
Split it up to keep it useful - it makes this forum more useful even for people like me (modding another mapping forum), cos if info is easy to find, this is the first place I’m likely to send someone who needs help that I can’t give myself.
Heh… I knew someone would say that… it is a good point though. My only concern with splitting up the forums would be that the newer mappers would become isolated and not learn as much.
A help wanted sticky thread would be useful I think.
I think it is a bad idea.
If the experiences mappers only go to the experienced forum then the new mappers will get even less answers. Also more of the answers they get will be from other new mappers, including quite a few which are incorrect.
If the experienced mappers read both, then it hasn’t lowered the amount they have to read at all. In fact, it will increas it, because you know that people who want an answer in a hurry will post in both.
Furthermore, how do you distinguish between a newb question and an avanced one ?
Sicky threads are great, but the fact is that the people who ask really clueless questions usually do so because they are too lazy to figure stuff out for themselves.
If your topic falls off the page without an answer, bump it. If it still doesn’t get an answer, either no one knows offhand, or they are to busy…
There is no plans to create a “pro” or “beginners” forum here because it would simply create some sad “elitist” atmosphere. This forum is open to all types of mappers/people and will not be split up into special groups.
But newer mappers will have to learn to use the search function or read the sticky threads. I know this is a hard line to take but basically answering the same question 20 different ways can wear people down. But I do hope that the more senior/advanced mappers will take the time to help the newer/beginner mappers.
I ideally hope that this community will grow and everyone will help each other out with feedback, pointing people at the right threads and discussing new ideas. New mappers are the life blood of any forum and with out them the forum just becomes an archive which nobody visits.
Sock
:moo: