Merge of "game discussion" and "first play"?

[Dogg Thang]

First play discussions are just going to get lost.

Well maybe part of the deal would be that shipping and arrivals posts have to go into that thread. With first plays being separate, I guess I can see how many of these posts end up in the main game thread but that would be just a little habit to change. So the main thread becomes all the initial announcements, hype, speculation and then transitions into impressions.

[Neon Ignition]

I don't mind them merging, I get the concern about First Play threads but realistically at this point very few have traffic and even then only about a third of big new releases even get one made. I think we'd need some sort of agreed sentiment though that in future thread titles for games were standardised so say Nintendo announced Mario Party 11 the thread was literally just the name of the game not 'OMG Mario Party 11 announced today' etc that seems really out dated come First Play response time, just help the OCD seem manageable.

I'm assuming, given game announcements don't get scored it means the end of scoring polls in them too

[Dogg Thang]

I think we'd need some sort of agreed sentiment though that in future thread titles for games were standardised so say Nintendo announced Mario Party 11 the thread was literally just the name of the game not 'OMG Mario Party 11 announced today' etc that seems really out dated come First Play response time, just help the OCD seem manageable.

Agreed. Also probably leaving out formats, individual episode titles, GOTY Edition or whatever else will require editing down the line.

[DeathAdder]

First play discussions are just going to get lost.

I don't think we have enough new threads created for anything to get lost,

[charlesr]

Would anyone be so against it that they would have a huff and leave? Or do a proper forum flounce and come back later?

[MartyG]

No and you're not having my stuff.

I don't think we have enough new threads created for anything to get lost,

The first play threads will get lost because there are more posts in the news discussion forum, ergo will push first play threads down.

9 threads with new posts in discussion so far today
2 threads with new posts in first play so far today

This is similar most days and there are 20 threads shown on a page.

[Dogg Thang]

There’s a possibility that might change a little when merged though. I spend more time in the main gaming forum than the first play forum so I tend to miss a lot of the first play talk unless it’s a game I’m REALLY into but maybe I’d see more of the first play discussion if it was all in the one place. I’m also less likely to start a first play thread on my own but I’d probably jump right into an already existing thread.

[gunrock]

Combine. I like things the way they are, but that's just familiarity- and I like to fight that urge, so fuggit! Make the chage, chamone!

[briareos_kerensky]

Would anyone be so against it that they would have a huff and leave? Or do a proper forum flounce and come back later?

Yes.

I mean, no, but we once spun off import gaming to its own forum (something I've never really liked) and now we want to aggregate two forums with what I think are two different topics into one.
I don't think anyone would leave due to a forum merger, but for me it's the wrong step. I would support merging the import forum back into 1st Play and Game News though.

[charlesr]

Yes.

I mean, no, but we once spun off import gaming to its own forum (something I've never really liked) and now we want to aggregate two forums with what I think are two different topics into one.
I don't think anyone would leave due to a forum merger, but for me it's the wrong step. I would support merging the import forum back into 1st Play and Game News though.

Tell me more about that import bit please.

[DeathAdder]

The first play threads will get lost because there are more posts in the news discussion forum, ergo will push first play threads down.

9 threads with new posts in discussion so far today
2 threads with new posts in first play so far today

This is similar most days and there are 20 threads shown on a page.

The second page of discussion goes back to 21 March, so I don't think first plays are going to be swamped out of sight. And people who are following a first play thread will presumably bump it with new content whenever they ferl like it. Obviously I agree that discussion is more active.

Seems that some people disagree, but I think the forum looks better with fewer, faster moving sections, than more sections which barely move at all. Certainly I think the latter would put potential new members who happen to surf in off signing up. Nobody's going to want to join a dead-looking forum. I think I'd add import to discussion too, for the same reason.

[Neon Ignition]

The trouble with the First Play discussion getting buried though is that it seems unlikely to happen. Take Sekiro, every post bumps it to the top of the page so it would only drift off the listings if people weren't posting about it. A flood of new threads could shunt it off but typically you're looking at occasions like E3 for that and even then a quick search or flick to the next page and it's back on top just like in the existing First Play section.

The other thing is that it's become pretty heavy recently in terms of how much first play posts are being posted in the General Discussion threads for the game and no First Play thread created at all. It's like the merger is already halfway complete so to firmly decide First Play stays means taking a firm position again play experiences being posted in General Discussion threads - a call needs making either way.

Recent examples I can think of would be Metro Exodus, The Division 2 etc where there is no First Play thread. Users could make one at some point but then you look at the recent First Play new threads:

Yoshi's Crafted World - 4 posts
Devil May Cry 5 - 7 posts (+7 FP related posts in General Discussion)
Crackdown 3 - 11 posts (+2 FP related posts in General Discussion)
Kingdom Hearts III - 8 posts
Anthem - 9 posts (on and off about 3 pages of FP related posts in General Discussion)

There are FP threads like Sekiro or Resi 2 that get plenty traffic but it's a very low number so hard to see how being in GD would affect them

[Neon Ignition]

In fact merging Import/Gaming and First Play is basically how Era and Gaf are set up. They have the hangout section too but that's a different thing

[cutmymilk]

Just merge the three but have SF's naming conventions for First Play threads.

In order to encourage impressions and indeed attract new users, maybe threads should be created for every mainstream game (the ones on SF's release schedule threads) as standard.

[charlesr]

Just merge the three but have SF's naming conventions for First Play threads.

In order to encourage impressions and indeed attract new users, maybe threads should be created for every mainstream game (the ones on SF's release schedule threads) as standard.

SF? (sorry, I don't get out much)