[Forum Improvments] BB Codes & Multilang

[APXEOLOG]

1. I hope you will add some usefull BB-codes ([spoiler] at least)

2. It would be great if there will be some sections for foreign players.

[TotalyMoo]

Sections for foreign languages might be added if we get moderators that speak these languages. We'd prefer to keep it all in English though.

Forums are still being designed, I think BB-codes will be supported.

[Tonkyhonk]

We'd prefer to keep it all in English though.

foreign language section is something we are asking for the convenience of the non-native players who can play and do normal tasks and conversations in easy english in general but have hard time searching through all the english threads in the forums or chatting in #salem for info all the time. also, such section can help avoiding non-natives spamming english threads with gibberish too, which often happen. (thus you can keep the most in english.)

if you have ever studied any foreign languages, you should know how hard it is to locate the correct information out of a myriad of posts, especially when your native writing system and/or language structure is very different from that of your target language, e.g., russian, chinese, korean, japanese, and so on.
its even hard enough for some lazy natives who hardly visit forums! you know jorb and loftar are such smart-asses that got to use loads of erudite expressions!

sure, there are many non-native players who do not mind reading and writing in english at all, but that does not always make them the best (or contributive) players from their language group. i dont think you should miss the opportunity of having dedicated foreign fans (with cash!) here just because they cannot read like natives can in english, since it is business you are setting up here. i know quite a few good players from haven who relied most of the info source on their friends but have made a lot of big differences in gameplay-wise.

if you feel like insisting that non-native players should make their own forums outside, it is ofc fine too, just say so and we could start our separate forums accordingly, but dont make us wait with hopes up in vain.

hopefully, maybe just making some user groups for requested languages is easy enough for devs to set up, if not for such sections.

[staxjax]

Sections for foreign languages might be added if we get moderators that speak these languages. We'd prefer to keep it all in English though.

Forums are still being designed, I think BB-codes will be supported.

APXEOLOG FOR MOD !

[loftar]

2. It would be great if there will be some sections for foreign players.

I'll give Jorb a chance to speak as well, but I don't think I would mind this per se.

There may be practical problems, however; at least to the extent that the forums are perceived as requiring moderation. I might have some idea for some (but not all) languages about whom to properly appoint as moderators, but if other dwellers of those forums don't agree, I don't even know who could resolve such conflicts. Mainly for such reasons, I generally tend to think that it's a good idea that non-English speakers handle their own, external forums, since they, then, don't get the image of being "officially sanctioned" or anything, and can handle disputes among their own members any way they want to.

Like I stated, though, I don't mind the idea per se, so if someone else can handle the aforementioned problems, I don't think I have a problem with it.

[APXEOLOG]

I generally tend to think that it's a good idea that non-English speakers handle their own, external forums, since they, then, don't get the image of being "officially sanctioned" or anything, and can handle disputes among their own members any way they want to.

The problems is that lot's of new player don't know about unofficial forums. You know on our HnH RU forum we got lot's of people like 'Oh i played for a months and today some guys said me that we have our own pretty nice forum!'

[loftar]

Yeah, I know. That's one of the reasons I wouldn't mind having non-English forums here. I'm just presenting the problems with it.

[sabinati]

I think that having subforums for other languages is far preferable to having offsite forums. The two major communities I know of right now are RU and JP (and there are fairly obvious candidates for each, not that I know if they would want to do such a thing), but it gets a lot less obvious once we get Koreans and Poles the rest of the groups that are present in large numbers in h&h. Maybe have elections for language subforum mods? Ideally I'd like to see a more effective community moderation, with up/down voting on posts, but i'll save that for another thread.

[TotalyMoo]

I don't mind the subforums but I really want to avoid splitting the community into languages. As stated we have pretty obvious candidates for special-language-moderators so that is at least a good start. I will discuss this internally at Paradox and come back to ya'll.

[Tonkyhonk]

There may be practical problems, however; at least to the extent that the forums are perceived as requiring moderation. I might have some idea for some (but not all) languages about whom to properly appoint as moderators, but if other dwellers of those forums don't agree, I don't even know who could resolve such conflicts. Mainly for such reasons, I generally tend to think that it's a good idea that non-English speakers handle their own, external forums, since they, then, don't get the image of being "officially sanctioned" or anything, and can handle disputes among their own members any way they want to.

appointed moderators would have to explain everything in english accurately and that sounds like a real tough job.
(i kinda think you could read through japanese section if you wanted though!)
i think the +1 buttons could help this situation a bit, unless people abuse the feature with alts and bribes.
anyways, you could always shut down certain sections when you think they are troubled?

I don't mind the subforums but I really want to avoid splitting the community into languages. As stated we have pretty obvious candidates for special-language-moderators so that is at least a good start. I will discuss this internally at Paradox and come back to ya'll.

its not splitting the community into languages, Moo. not allowing will split the community into different sites instead.
i mean, most foreign players who dont mind english do come to the main forums for info and fun anyways no matter how great their own external forums are. and those who dont wish to read english will hardly visit english forums and you will never know if they actually exist from the forum activities. someone once told me as if i were the only japanese alive, multi-clienting, operating many chars with some uber japan technology
(i remember that once loftar was looking for a guy who crashed the server, who had never posted on the english forums, and couldnt find him/her. it could also benefit you to keep more players "evidences" within your own forums ;p)

anyways, looking forward to hearing some news soon.