Off Topic forums? here

[kristorf]

Dunno about an off topic forum, but I do know those who troll, flame and insult other people on a regular basis (and we all know the main offenders) should get an instant perma ban.
More and more people are staying away as near on every topic degenerates to the same level.

[JG52Uther]

Yes

[ZaltysZ]

Yes, we need off topic / free subject subforum here.

[Mysticpuma]

I don't actually think this forum should exist. I think the Cliffs of Dover link should just take you to the page that shows a list of Sub-Forums. That way people can post where the subject is relevent.

Currently all this forum is used for is

1) Where's the next patch

2) Why is the game broke

3) Why won't Luthier talk to us

4) Where's the next patch

5) Tracer's are wrong

That's all that gets posted here, so I suggest getting rid of this forum and making people post in the sub-forums only.

Currently they sit at the top of the page and everyone moans here.

MP

[z0ttel]

I also think it would be great to have a dedicated off-topic section.

The entry page to this board (When you click on IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover) should be locked for normal users and be used for official announcements only. This would somehow 'force' (although I don't like that word in this context ) the users to place their topic into the related sub-board, which would enhance the readability.

When speaking of the sub-boards, I find it often confusing to see the same threads appear in different sub-boards, for example topics inside the "Technical threads" board are also shown in the "FM/DM threads" board. Maybe it's just me but I find this really unusual and confusing

Nevertheless, thanks for asking for our opinion

[SG1_Lud]

Very much needed nearmiss. I think too often people come here looking for useful information, and when they found nonsense get upset. That is no helping the convivence in the forum.
Thanks for asking.

I thought we had an off topic forum, i.e. this one, all the detailed stuff is above.

[Blackdog_kt]

Actually i think that what's needed is a way to contain the argumentative, stirring-the-pot behaviour by giving it a place to occur, but one that is confined and strictly moderated.

My suggestion from another thread:

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

This is exactly why i wouldn't do away with the general discussion area, it would break open the "playground gates" and have the effect of these posts spilling out into the more useful sub-forums.

If anything, i would go about it the opposite way: keep a certain venue for argumentative posts, speculation and forum-fighting for those interested in it and as a place to vent, but tightly contain it to a single thread.

I vote for a single sticky thread titled "Rants, arguments and speculation megathread". Any post or thread that just aims to stir things up gets promptly moved/merged from its original location into the megathread. This way people who want to argue can still do so and the rest can easily ignore them without having to scroll through half the first page.

The only drawback is that it requires some work from the moderators but to be perfectly honest, they already have their hands full as it is.
Maybe it would actually be easier for them to just cut and paste/merge the offending posts or threads into a single "quarantine" sticky, than having to paste big, bold red letters on offending posts, keep tabs of how many strikes each poster has before a ban is instituted and so on. Just move everything that causes trouble to a single thread and let them go about their business without being able to influence other threads and pull them off-topic.

What do you think moderators?

I think it will also have the welcome side-effect of being hard to follow the flow of discussion (since it would be a bunch of posts moved from other threads, without the supporting context and flow of the original conversation), so it would discourage the behaviour even more.

[Viking]

No thanks!
Been there done that! Had the Pilots lounge, remember? Whent from bad to worst.
A "game" with guns attracts a very strange crowd of people. Better let them stay under the rock. We have far more to discuss on topic in this forum.
Viking

[raaaid]

im not very sure i like to post ot but the ubizoo has a special place in my heart