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BGG Game Design Journals

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The Odd Fox
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I know we can all agree that at some level BGG can be difficult for those who are not familiar with it but at the same time, it's a vital aspect of the board game community. I'm wondering about your thoughts on using BGG for blogging your Game Design Journal? Is it useful? What has your experience been in utilizing that site for things like this.

Thanks!

ssm
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I don't use it

I am a member at BGG, but rarely go there.
For me, the site is unwieldy, cluttered, and just too much overall. I really dislike that they used a social platform instead of a forum platform for their forum. In general I find that site to be plain old confusing and I doubt I will ever take the time to get to know the ins & outs there (rules & how things work).

questccg
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Design crowd is very... critical...

I usually get along with "everyone"... But BGG "Design crowd" is very ... well critical. People who I don't even know, or know me - and know nothing about the game that I am working on... had the nerve to tell me "I should be more humble..." Everyone who posted was super critical - as if there to bash on some one who was NEW to BGG at that time.

I rarely post on BGG, I let my Publisher do the BGG interaction.

I don't want to have any discussions with people like that. Word of the wise is watch what you say, and if a bunch of people "gang up on you" ... just ignore them and don't post on that thread.

And I have had examples of other designers too... Their threads got locked on BGG and those same idiots over at BGG followed them to continue their bashing conversation on BGDF - NOT ON MY WATCH... We locked the thread and told the designer to calm down and not post anything. Because anything he wrote 10 people would bash whatever it was he was claiming.

Generally speaking we don't have these kinds of issues on BGDF. But it has happened on a couple occasions.

So that's why I'm not so keen about BGG.

lewpuls
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I post many of my blog pieces

I post many of my blog pieces (not all) on BGG. Otherwise I rarely go there. It suffers from typical Internet comment nastiness (which BGDF does not); moreover, the game design section is an awful lot of "look what I did" and over the years I look at it less and less (hardly ever, now).

There are way too many weak people who feel such a need to validate their own opinions and preferences, that they *attack* anyone who is different. Yuck.

"In sports, as in politics, there are people who think that if you dare disagree with them you are a moron, and not even a regular moron but a certified moron."

Tom Sorenson, Charlotte Observer sports columnist

Same goes for games.

Another Sorenson quote: "Message boards are where the perpetually put-upon gather. I get it. When I was in college I worked to be cynical. Then I grew up. Message board writers are mad at referees, the media, the government, the school board, rival teams that get all the breaks and the world. If your job is at all public, you hear from them. In the old days I responded to their emails and Tweets. But I got nothing out of it. They were angry on rainy Mondays and on sunny Saturdays." BGG can be like that for games. Not always.

sheeptree
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BGDF Would be Better

I honestly don't really like BGG. I have an account but I rarely post. Whenever I do, it gets lost in the mess or, as others have said, can get pretty abusive. I've pretty much left BGG for BGDF. The users here are a lot more helpful and supportive than on BGG, at least from my experience. I'd suggest using BGDF over BGG for your game design journal just because you can get some awesome feedback and advice here that you probably would have a hard time getting in BGG.

The Odd Fox
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Thanks everyone for your

Thanks everyone for your advice and opinions on the matter! I really do like the supportive nature of this forum.

questccg
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If you LIKE BGDF...

One thing people hold against BGDF is that it is frequented by "novice" designers...

Rich (Durham) created a Game Database to show what games have been created by designers FROM BGDF. That database is pretty important - as we say it "cuts the cheese". In other words, it shows that BGDF has Game Designers who have published or been published and adds real credibility to our website.

My only comment to all designers who "LIKE BGDF", is to update the Game Database once you have a published game... Again this is to show that many great designers frequent BGDF and it is NOT ONLY a website for "novice" designers.

That database demonstrates how much expertise the designers who write on and post comment on BGDF really have. And it's a mixture, some are published others are self-published, some use The Game Crafter, other use Victory Point Games, etc.

As Rich put it: "It gives BGDF 'street cred'..."

So go out there are design SUPER, AMAZING, FUN games and attribute your success to the help you got from BGDF and add your game to our database... That's our wish from the BGDF Staff to all of you.

Cheers!

richdurham
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second that

I completely second that, QuestCCG.

There's a BGG list of games made by people from BGDF as well, but that's not in an exportable form.

X3M
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Most reasons have been named

Most reasons have been named why I don't post on BGG.

As for BGDF. I really like it here.

For those that actually have published a game. Their oppinion has more value. Is it possible to have some sort of a simple ranking system, right under their avatars? Like stars or so, for having a published game (succesfull)?

polyobsessive
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Forums

I don't blog on BGG, but I do read the design forums and post a fair bit. The community there gets pretty spiky when someone turns up and starts making pronouncements and announcements. As with any online community, there are social norms that you only really learn by becoming involved, preferably by lurking for a time first, and if you breach those norms it can get rocky for you. Once you get the hang of it there's a lot to be gained from participating, I think.

The same goes here to a large degree, though I think the penalties for getting it wrong on BGDF are usually less harsh than on BGG.

FrankM
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We don't need to stinking badges! But we do want them.

X3M wrote:
Most reasons have been named why I don't post on BGG.

As for BGDF. I really like it here.

For those that actually have published a game. Their oppinion has more value. Is it possible to have some sort of a simple ranking system, right under their avatars? Like stars or so, for having a published game (succesfull)?

Personally I'd prefer a couple different badges be available, but each would come with its own headaches. If we did go with one badge, published would be it. That falls to questccg to curate.

A badge for helpfulness requires a voting systems for posts. Probably not worth the effort.

Badges for longevity and total posts would be simple, though I'm not sure how useful they'd be.

Moderators/admins would get a badge just for identification. Might make sense to have one for new members as well.

While we're at it, everyone gets a "Everyone gets a badge" badge :-)

X3M
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FrankM wrote:Badges for

FrankM wrote:
Badges for longevity and total posts would be simple, though I'm not sure how useful they'd be.

IDK, I think, these would be useless, its just a number. Someone can spam or do other stuff. I for example, like to post a lot. And I do have a lot of monologue topics on my name. I don't think I deserve a, "spams-a-lot" badge.

Instead, "liking someones posts". I think, that is the way to go.
If someone gives a good answer to the topic starter. Then perhaps liking this could count even more. I think, this would stimulate to help more.

"Reputation" is what most forums use.
We could call it "helpfullness". I would be happy to have a high number on that one.

But as you said, it is up to the forum admins to decide.

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