Bringing order to the Projects forum?

[Graf Zahl]

This has been bothering me since forever that everything is lumped in one large forum with basically nothing to find. I know it isn't that urgent but would it make sense to do a bit of cleanup there when things have settled down a bit?

I think the least we need is sort projects by those which contain maps and those which don't, and of course weed out the dead ones without working links into some sort of graveyard forum.

[Accensus]

Hmm. I volunteer. (Haven't forgotten about CSS, Eruanna, it's just lower priority atm. I'll have to get to it eventually since uni will require of me to learn CSS. Better now than when it's too late.)

Can try to separate maps from mods from TCs. As for the dead ones, hard to determine if something's dead, unless it hasn't been updated in over 3 years.

[wildweasel]

Now that I have some control over the layout of the forums, I can perhaps do this. But I'll want to make some proposals - perhaps instead of sub-subforums (like Resources currently is), I'd create a whole separate section for Projects, with subforums for Maps, Gameplay, Other, and the Resources forum becomes a full forum instead of a sub of Projects.

[edit] Here's what my proposed layout would look like:

NEWS SECTION
-- ZDoom News

DISCUSSION SECTION
-- Editing
---- Tutorials
-- General
---- Networking
-- Off-Topic

PROJECTS SECTION
-- Maps
-- Mods
-- TCs/Other
-- Resources/Requests

[Rachael]

(Haven't forgotten about CSS, Eruanna, it's just lower priority atm. I'll have to get to it eventually since uni will require of me to learn CSS. Better now than when it's too late.)

Don't worry about it. It's done when it's done. I took your advice to heart and I am not going to touch it probably at least until tomorrow.

Now that I have some control over the layout of the forums, I can perhaps do this. But I'll want to make some proposals - perhaps instead of sub-subforums (like Resources currently is), I'd create a whole separate section for Projects, with subforums for Maps, Gameplay, Other, and the Resources forum becomes a full forum instead of a sub of Projects.

This sounds good to me.

[Accensus]

It's an ok idea, ww. Maybe move it as a subforum in Editing? It'd still make more sense.

[wildweasel]

Ah, I see there's been some activity since my post - look above, I've edited it to show a proposed layout. Objections?

[edit] I'd also consider moving the ZD-RPG forum to a read-only section since nobody has seriously tried to use it in years. (I hesitate to hide it since maybe someone wants to read the logs...)

[Accensus]

No objections. Looks good to me.

[Rachael]

Looks good to me, too.

[Graf Zahl]

PROJECTS SECTION
-- Maps
-- Mods
-- TCs/Other
-- Resources/Requests

What's "other"? And why is it lumped together with TC's.
If this is about things like source ports or tools it should have its own forum. These are too different to be in the same subforum.

[Accensus]

Where do mapping community projects with modified vanilla monsters and weapons go? Total Conversions & Other Projects?

[wildweasel]

Where do mapping community projects with modified vanilla monsters and weapons go? Total Conversions & Other Projects?

The primary goal of said projects is levels, so I'd put them in the Levels forum unless the goal of the project is that it no longer resembles Doom (or whatever your source game is).

[Accensus]

Well, it's Doom monsters and weapons with Doom levels and heavily modified storyline. Technically, it's Doom. It doesn't include a lot of new graphics (aside from translations). Mostly weapon sprites. Monsters are vanilla.

[wildweasel]

PROJECTS SECTION
-- Maps
-- Mods
-- TCs/Other
-- Resources/Requests

What's "other"? And why is it lumped together with TC's.
If this is about things like source ports or tools it should have its own forum. These are too different to be in the same subforum.

I've created a "Software and Ports" subforum specifically for ports, tools, and other things. "Other" can apply to things like Jimmy's Jukebox that do not specifically alter levels or gameplay.

I should mention that I am now currently in the process of sorting mods. THIS WILL BE A SLOW PROCESS since I can only work a page at a time using the Moderator CP, but have patience, things will go where they need to be. And I apologize for the, ah, "sticky mess" that the General forum currently has; I moved the "Project Ideas", "Mod Download Broken", and Kinsie's PSA among other things.

[Rachael]

No worries, I figured I'd grab the few source ports and tools from other sources outside of the Projects forum and help out by moving them into the Software forum for you.

[wildweasel]

Hm, I initially considered moving a lot of "High Res Textures"-type projects into Resources before I figured that there should be a distinction between resources intended to be used for new mods, and resources that should be loaded on their own. This could apply just as easily to things like music patches, Minor Sprite Fixing patches, the Wolf3D boss rotations project and the like...should those remain in TCs/Other or should I start a new forum?