Suggestion forum rules and guidelines

[Semmy]

First of all, a reminder of the main forum rules:

We want the forums to be enjoyable, informative, and inviting to all, while also supporting spirited debate and respectful disagreement. To that end, we've got some guidelines/rules here that everyone can refer to.

Unless otherwise noted, all rules apply both in the forums and in PMs. Violating any rule can lead to a perma-ban or a warning, depending on the specifics of the situation. Once warned, further violations will almost always lead to a perma-ban.


1. No personal attacks: No personal attacks or insults - especially angry, inflammatory ones. Feel free to criticize a game, mod, or idea - but take care never to allow that to become a personal attack on an individual. Even oblique or implied personal attacks are disallowed.

2. Sustained hostility or anger venting: Do not post streams of unconstructive, unnecessary negativity or hostility, and do not vent anger here. It just makes the community feel hostile for no reason. This doesn't mean everyone has to be happy or have good opinions of everything and everyone all the time - it means that phrasing complaints in constructive ways leads to much better results all around, and we don't want a community where anger and hostility are behavioral norms.

3. Do not sustain flamewars: If you see behavior that seems out of line to you, report the topic/post using the report button. Don't make a fuss about it in the topic itself. Do not message or respond to people who you think are breaking rules. Simply report them, and move on.

4. Right forum: Post things in the right forum. Suggestion go in Suggestions, stories go in Stories, and so on.

5. Stay on topic: Please try to stay on topic. Ask yourself: Am I answering the author of the topic? Does this relate to the title of the topic? If you want to discuss something else, make a thread!

6. No piracy: No discussions of game piracy, and especially no posting of pirate links or material.

7. Spam: No spamming/unnecessary posting of your website/links. You can mention your product or youtube. But put it into context and don't overdo it.

8. No content-free bumping: No posting of content-free posts in topics just to bump them to the top of the page.

9. Find existing discussions: Before creating a new topic, please invest some time into looking if it hasn't been discussed already. Use the search function.

10. No unnecessary self-replying: Do not spam repeated posts in reply to yourself. Use the modify button unless it has been more than 24/48 hours since your last post.

11. One person, one account: Do not create more than one account for one person.

12. Keep it SFW: No posting or linking of not safe for work (NSFW), pornographic, or X-rated material.

13. English language: You have to write in English, except in specific topic about foreign languages (e.g. translation-related discussions).

14. No doxxing: Posting personal information about anyone besides yourself is prohibited.

15. No impersonation: No impersonating other people or forum users.

16. No sexualization of minors: No sexualization of minors in any medium, or linking thereto.

17. Mods enforce these rules only: Moderators enforce these written rules only. Moderators should try to cite which rule is being enforced when enforcing any rule. If a new rule seems needed, a mod should start an internal discussion about it.

Now some guidelines for the Suggestions forum. These are not rules, but some ideas to make discussions here go smoothly.

Quote marathons

It might seem like a great idea to pull a short quote from someone's post and reply to that. In some circumstances I would agree that it's a good way of addressing a particular point.

However, then there is the temptation to quote multiple posts and reply to each point in one of your posts.

Then someone else decides that they're going to reply to your reply to a quote, again the short way.

Before you know it, you have a very inaccessible discussion which only makes sense to a few people.


Reference to previous posts

Referring to a previous post is fine. Linking and quoting are useful when you want to direct someone's attention to something which they may have missed.

Stating that someone did not read or not not understand that post is not helpful. The likely response is going to be 'Yes, I read it, I just don't agree with it, you haven't convinced me' and so on.

This results in discussion about the discussion, not discussion about the original suggestion.


Repetition of viewpoint

It is unnecessary unless, in fact, you have changed your mind. Discussing the discussion of the suggestion (for example, commenting that a solid argument against hasn't been presented) inevitably leads to a discussion about this poster or that poster and very little about the original suggestion.


Lack of compromise

Discussion should lead to a compromise or an agreement to disagree in as few pages as possible. The alternative is a topic which drags on for pages with no ground being given by anyone, ultimately resulting in no conclusions of any kind.

A conclusion could simply be 'More information is required,' along with a summary pointing the direction for another discussion or for Tynan to take notes.


Avoiding these problems (with simple examples)

• Use quotes sparingly. As far as possible, answer by paraphrasing the question or point which prompted your post.
  
  For example, What are some of the advantages of equipping a shotgun on a colonist? could be answered like this:
  A shotgun has a good refire rate compared with longer-ranged weapons.
  
  
• Avoid assumptions about reading or comprehension. Discussion of a suggestion sometimes means that your point of view will be put aside because it doesn't fit with something else.
  
  For example, I never use shotguns because they're rarer than gold. If you're close enough to use a shotty, might as well close the distance and engage in melee combat.
  
  
• Restate your viewpoint only when there are significant changes as a result of other contributors.
  
  For example, A shotgun has a good refire rate, but as Poster B pointed out, there are other options if you can't find or buy any shotguns.
  
  
• Set limits on the discussion. Perhaps you could specify an end date in the subject line and extend it if necessary. At the end date, someone can sum up and ask a moderator for a lock.
  
  For example, We agreed that shotguns are too rare, but there is a case to be made for or against using shottys or melee weapons in close quarters. Requesting topic lock, thanks.