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What's your favorite features of BGDF?

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sedjtroll
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I'd like to know which features of this website are being used, which are cool but unusable, and which are simply not useful. So please reply to this thread and let me know which features you use and like, which you would like to use if they were somehow different, and what you'd like to see as a feature of BGDF.

Right now I'm just gathering information, but I do hope to use this information before too long to greatly improve the BGDF experience!

Thanks,
Seth

metzgerism
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---

After meeting Karlo and JC in person almost two years ago, my use of BGDF pretty much changed from forum-watching to going to BGDF chat. In fact, I've gotten at least 3 times more quality design advice out of forging positive relationships in BGDF chat and BGG's GeekChat than I have from either site's forums.

Much like on BGG's Game Design forum, I find most of the threads here to be new/aspiring designers who need to be convinced that their idea isn't the magic goose and we're not out to steal them...

Frankly, the forums/blogs provide little for me to come for that the BGG design forum doesn't do (and easier), so I'd be all in favor of a site overhaul if that's in the imminent future.

sedjtroll
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metzgerism wrote:After

metzgerism wrote:
After meeting Karlo and JC in person almost two years ago, my use of BGDF pretty much changed from forum-watching to going to BGDF chat. In fact, I've gotten at least 3 times more quality design advice out of forging positive relationships in BGDF chat and BGG's GeekChat than I have from either site's forums.

Much like on BGG's Game Design forum, I find most of the threads here to be new/aspiring designers who need to be convinced that their idea isn't the magic goose and we're not out to steal them...

Frankly, the forums/blogs provide little for me to come for that the BGG design forum doesn't do (and easier), so I'd be all in favor of a site overhaul if that's in the imminent future.


This is good to know. I have a few ideas of my own, but I'm trying to get more of an idea what the users think is important.

Could you describe some aspects of the site that you would like to see, and how they would work, ideally?

Thanks,
Seth

Black Canyon
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GDS

My favorite part of the site is the monthly design contest. This last one had a tremendous number of entries, but traditionally it has been very manageable. The best thing about the contests is the feedback generated by each entrant on each other entry. That's great.

red hare
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not clear on monthly design contest

I like the idea of the monthly design challenge, but the funny thing is that the main page isn't really clear about when the actual deadline is or when the next challenge opening/ closing dates will be. I understand that somewhere in an announcement on the main page it says when the deadline is, but visually speaking, I don't see it clearly and having alot of text to wade through is just not user friendly.

It seems like the start dates and deadlines are not fixed, ie the 1st of every month. If I knew that every first monday of a month was the start date, then i would be able to plan my schedule accordingly. Or if the challenge were posted ahead of time and then the opening/ closing dates for submissions were in the future, it would give me an easier time to design something and meet the time frame.

Perhaps one change could be a count down clock/ calendar for the deadlines and maybe some permanent frames/ sections on the main page so that if I'm interested in one thing, like the challenge, i can just look there in the same spot and I don't have to read alot of text in an announcement.

i don't want to sound like i'm complaining. And I understand there are technical limitations that we are all dealing with. This is a great web site to have and it's a great resource for new designers like myself, but using announcements in the center of the page to facilitate the activities doesn't convey information clearly or conveniently.

just my two cents

salish99
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We use the messaging (very

We use the messaging (very useful) and the playtesting forum (also a very good feature).
We have used no other feature.

magic_user
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Hear! Hear!

Same for me. GDS is fun.

I also like the sidebar with the titles of the most recent posts. Unfortunately, I haven't explored the site since it's last major update, so I'm not that familiar with the rest. Maybe I should take this thread as a reason to explore...

jc

Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010
I really like the sidebar

I really like the sidebar with the updated threads of each day. It makes it a lot easier to keep up with threads in different boards. I'd be very sad to see it go away.

cottonwoodhead
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Amateur, New User

I only found this site a little while ago and have only started looking at game design recently. My favourite parts are probably the New Game Ideas Forum and the Monthly Game Design Challenge, I haven't used many parts of the site other than the forums yet actually, maybe this is a hint to look around a little. This site as pretty tremendously helpful to me starting out and I like it quite a bit.

drktron
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Joined: 07/18/2010
I also like the sidebar. It

I also like the sidebar. It allows me to quickly check anything new. I like the GDS but I agree that maybe having a set time each month would work better. The PM system is also useful. I have never used the chat feature. I also like the ability to click on a user and track all their entries (this is usually my own, i'm not spying on anyone ;)

The best part of bgdf is its members. I am so impressed by the knowledge and creativity of the members of this forum and how open and willing they are to help, critique, and instruct others of all levels, and how they do so in a friendly, positive way.

Pastor_Mora
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Sidebar & PMs

I rarely check posts other than the ones on the sidebar. This is an excelent feature.
Another excelent feature are multi-user private messages, and how they evolve as a private thread. Sometimes I post more on those private threads than on public ones.

I would really appreciate if you could do something about inserting images in posts. The process of uploading an image to a gallery and then linking it to a post feels clumsy. Especially if you are asking for feedback and people start commenting both in the image and in the post.

Call me shallow, but I miss emoticons.

You need a gadget for people to recommend the site in facebook/twitter.

The front page is too static. I think more articles should show up more regularly. I've read your recent interviews because I've found the link in BGG News by a miracle. Those should have made it to the front page. Jump Gate being recognized as it was, being a game that nurtured here, should have too. I'm sure there are lots of examples people will think of. Plus, many members here have their own gaming blogs and webpages so there are many original articles that could be mirrored from them.

I think the site is missing a member recognition system. I have to make a digital archeology search to know who won the GDS contests this year. Why not have a quicklink to a list of them? I think this is one of the reasons GDS doesn't draw much attention. There's little glory in it. I've seen some other forums that depict a "member since" line and "posts contributed" counter below your avatar. That is a great reference to get an idea of who you are talking to in terms of his/her engagement to this community.

Finally, an image thumbnail in the recent images sidebar could be of help.

Now, thinking outside the box (this could be radical and a ton of work). Why can't users create "projects" in their profiles and link threads, images, blogs and journals to them? (like BGG game entries, but more like a list of links). As it is now, a profile is just a text line with a game's name under an "in development" title, but not much of a reference to anything else actually.

Just my 2 cents.

sedjtroll
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Good post Juan!

These are good points, and it's just the type of thing I'm looking for! Thanks. Anyone else have similar types of comments/opinions?

larienna
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Joined: 07/28/2008
I am a bit taken by surprise.

I am a bit taken by surprise. I don't really know what to say.

My primary use is for the forum. I also like the fact that the BGG game design forum is also mapped.

Yes the side bars are useful and essential. In fact, it's the only thing I check out.

I do not blog anything and I don't participate in GDS because I cannot design a complete game in a month.

As for improvements, I don't have much ideas right now. I suggested lately something like a WebRing or Link exchange to connect all our designer sites together. It end up that somebody on BGG created a geeklist of blogs:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/66338/game-design-blogs

I am trying to figure out if there are hard things to do in game design that could be made more simple. I know that for example, it could be hard to find play testers, so maybe a system to display prototype and ask for comments. But if I remember correctly, there was the Game Designer Workshop which did that. But I think it could be good to find non-designer play testers too.

I'll think about it, maybe some ideas will come in.

drktron
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Joined: 07/18/2010
A nice feature I've seen on

A nice feature I've seen on another forum is the ability to subscribe to your post. An email is sent whenever someone answers it. Not sure if its possible here but it would be convenient.

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