Operation Renaissance

[weicool]

In my personal opinion, the main site has a lot of holes in it, and I mean a LOT. Not everything is being kept up with, and there aren't people active enough to watch the site and update everything every second, like Serebii. If we could form a team that would be willing and able to update the site in a constant manner, we could pick the main site up, and the Forums along with it.

For example, in the games section, all that's listed are the main RPGs and a few of the other games. I don't see any of the Pokemon Ranger games, none of the Mystery Dungeon games are listed, and the second Pokemon Pinball game isn't listed. Consistency is what's missing, which is what makes sites like Serebii and Bulbapedia way more popular. Movesets for 5th Gen Pokemon haven't even been added yet; it kind of makes having a 5th Gen section in the Poke Rep pointless, other than to see sprites or names. It just looks half assed.

As far as improving the Forums, as much as I hate to say it, if rules were enforced more, then the forums would be a more pleasant place for newer members to post. As it is now, most members that have just joined are usually ignored when they ask a question, or are given a smart remark because the question seems stupid. I guess what I'm getting at is making the forum more new-user friendly. Make sure we encourage members to post in the introduction section and welcome them. Keep the actual Pokemon discussion active so that it's easier for newer members to jump in. If anything, the forums need to be correctly separated. For example:

Main Site/Forums Discussion
-Site Discussion
-Forums Discussion
-Introductions

Pokemon
-General
sub: Anime
sub: TCG
sub: Art
sub: RP
-Games
-Competitive Workshop/Battle Tower(?)

Miscellaneous
-General
-Debate
-Multimedia
-RP

Just a thought.

This is absolutely true. Of course the main site has a lot of holes in it. I haven't been able to spend enough time working on it. I realize that. And I will try my best to make up for it.

Moving forward, PokeDream will not try to be all-inclusive in terms of content. We can't do everything. We simply do not have the resources. I'm just one guy. And, there's no way I can trust anyone else right now to update the site (besides news). Instead, we'll be focusing our efforts on doing a few things really, really well: PokeRep and walkthroughs for major Pokemon games.

That said, the Forums is still really behind the main site in terms of popularity. The main site can definitely go a long way in helping the Forums.

I agree we need to be more welcoming to new members. Encouraging them to post in the intro forum is a good start.

[Lord]

If anything, the forums need to be correctly separated. For example:

Main Site/Forums Discussion
-Site Discussion
-Forums Discussion
-Introductions

don't completely agree. if mewtwo can get a proper news team going, the news board should stay there.

Pokemon
-General
sub: Anime
sub: TCG
sub: Art
sub: RP
-Games
-Competitive Workshop/Battle Tower(?)

too many sub-forums. leave art where it is and leave roleplaying out of it for now.

Miscellaneous
-General
-Debate
-Multimedia
-RP

Just a thought.[/I][/COLOR]

not really liking that one at all. the main problem isn't to do with the start or the middle, it's the southlands. i think it would be good if fan fiction, pokelyrics and miscellaneous writing were merged while the art gallery held its own except that it doesn't have to be JUST POKEMON art. keep roleplaying as it is (possibly put rpg as a sub-forum there) but loapd needs to be revitalised, removed or replaced with something else.

[Pink-kitty2]

This is absolutely true. Of course the main site has a lot of holes in it. I haven't been able to spend enough time working on it. I realize that. And I will try my best to make up for it.

Moving forward, PokeDream will not try to be all-inclusive in terms of content. We can't do everything. We simply do not have the resources. I'm just one guy. And, there's no way I can trust anyone else right now to update the site (besides news). Instead, we'll be focusing our efforts on doing a few things really, really well: PokeRep and walkthroughs for major Pokemon games.

That said, the Forums is still really behind the main site in terms of popularity. The main site can definitely go a long way in helping the Forums.

I agree we need to be more welcoming to new members. Encouraging them to post in the intro forum is a good start.

Perhaps, if you don't want to be giving anyone complete power over the site or anything, you could see if some people could submit walkthroughs to the forums, or email them to you, or whatever, and then you can just upload them onto the site.

[Kirby]

Yeah I agree we could make walkthrough for you and guides.

[TeenageAngst]

If people want a walkthrough, they go to GameFAQs.

Now an entirely illustrated walkthrough complete with screenshots and maps would blow the GFAQs versions out of the water because trying to navigate a Pokemon game without a map is rather difficult.

Anyway, as for the Forums I think we need to utilize the Cool People Circle more. That way we can still post what we want but it'll be separated from all the newbies so they don't get scared off. Anyone we want to add we just send the password to.

[God]

we have vms

[Pink-kitty2]

If people want a walkthrough, they go to GameFAQs.

Now an entirely illustrated walkthrough complete with screenshots and maps would blow the GFAQs versions out of the water because trying to navigate a Pokemon game without a map is rather difficult.

Anyway, as for the Forums I think we need to utilize the Cool People Circle more. That way we can still post what we want but it'll be separated from all the newbies so they don't get scared off. Anyone we want to add we just send the password to.

Or just make a slightly more hidden Misc, which isn't inaccessible but just out of the way, so that we don't end up with there being just Pokemon Boards and then the Elitist Circlejerk Board?

I dunno. The concept of passwording a part of the forum seems a bit strange to me. Wouldn't it just send more people away if they don't have somewhere which isn't 'HEIL POKEMON ALL ZE TIME'?

[God]

why would you want to hide misc more

[Pink-kitty2]

I'm just responding to what TA said. I think that the Misc is fine where it is. I'm saying that complete privatization of any form of a Misc board would be bad, and I was providing a compromise.

[Kirby]

People I don't think seperation or desepartion of the chat boards will help PDs activity at all. This is better left to a different thread.

[Solly]

The drawing boards could come in handy. They were quite popular back in the day, garnering them an ED article.

[trixie]

The misc boards are fine as they are.. I don't see a need to change the current setup.

[God]

mewtwo since you're a software engineering genius you should make a better version of that shoddy battle thing

[Hicky]

i like the Pokémon sprite avatar thing, would never set Garchomp as my avatar or anything like that but it's cool to have the option and right to do it quickly and efficiently

[Kirby]

mewtwo since you're a software engineering genius you should make a better version of that shoddy battle thing

If Mewtwo did that or AT THE LEAST made a PD shoddy sever we would get easily 3 times more people.

[Pink-kitty2]

The drawing boards could come in handy. They were quite popular back in the day, garnering them an ED article.

An ED article that does nothing but bash the site?

[Lord]

If Mewtwo did that or AT THE LEAST made a PD shoddy sever we would get easily 3 times more people.

that second idea is actually genius.

[Kirby]

Steal some of smogon's thunder. And if we do it people will come to avoid there stupid ban lists. I am sure Mewtwo can get one I mean even Khoas almost got one.

[weicool]

This Shoddy Battle thing looks interesting. I'll look into it. I've always been considering developing some sort of online Pokemon battling game, but I feel like it's been overdone, there's nothing much new I can contribute, and Nintendo wouldn't be too happy about it (lawsuit). However, like I said, I'll look into it.

Also, this thread is about improving PokeDream Forums, NOT the main site. Though, obviously, making the main site more popular will help the Forums. However, my point was the main site is already much more popular relative to the Forums.

[weicool]

Steal some of smogon's thunder. And if we do it people will come to avoid there stupid ban lists. I am sure Mewtwo can get one I mean even Khoas almost got one.

How?

[KhaosMonsterEnergy]

Yea I almost got one but port forwarding defeated me!!! I'll post a link to a tut

[KhaosMonsterEnergy]

http://shoddybattle.com/downloads_server

http://shoddybattle.com/server_guide

The first one is probably easier but the 2nd one is better but is longer and more downloads

[Kirby]

All you need is a server.

[KhaosMonsterEnergy]

It'sore original to make your own kirbx! I used both methods And on the second one got far enough to get on it but nobody else could because I couldn't setup port forwarding!!

[weicool]

Someone start a new thread on Shoddy Server under PokeDream Discussions (NOT in this forum) if they feel it's compelling enough that we should really do this. No more about it in this thread.