Topic: Re-hashing/re-using old "Big games".

[robitusinz]

I've been browsing through a few of the "Big game" sub-forums, and I've noticed that tons of these games are dead.  In contrast, there are a lot of "Small games" and "Single thread" sections that are VERY active.

Would it be possible to have some of the "Big games" rebirthed somehow, with a little more visibility given to them?

I know that there's a desire to kinda "revamp" E and make it a little more mainstream or at least a little prettier, and I think the entire "Big Game" sub-category can be leveraged in that regard.  Why not create one single forum with game synopsis and contact information for the Big Games?  If more people knew what was out there and had that info readily available, that could be a good starting point for new people on E.  A lot of the Big Games can also serve the needs of people who are looking for one-on-ones.  Those BGs tend to be collections of single threads anyway.

The BGs can also serve as sub-lobbies for people who are interested in certain genres.  For example, there are BGs already in existence that deal with various species of furries, or D/s relationships in various settings.  It'd be pretty nice if there was a way for users to register into these sub-forums so that others who browse through there can go, "Oh, look, RobitusinZ is interested in furries, let me shoot him a PM and see if he wants to play out this new idea of mine."  On the flip-side, you could have all of the sub-forums that a user's registered to in that person's profile, that way one can see at a glance what that person is interested in pursuing on E.

Maybe what I've said so far is a little convoluted, I'm just trying to get what's in my head out for others to read, but maybe it's best to provide an example of what I would personally like to do.  I would like to be able to go to a forum dedicated to "Romance stories" (which could easily be what we consider today a "Big Game").  After browsing through the stories there for a while, I'd like to be able to see a list of users "registered" to that forum.  Then I'd like to click on a writer's profile, and see what other forums they're on.  So if I browse this Romance thread, and find a writer I like, I can PM him/her and say, "Hey, I see you're interested in X, Y, and Z...would you like to do such and such story with me?"

Right now, E's too focused on "explore on your own".  I can really see how someone can join this site, post an intro, then get frustrated and split.  I myself have been there, but I'm rather tenacious.  It's not easy to find yourself a "niche" on this site, and giving a little more visibility to what's available might help.

[The Great Triangle]

Although the ons and offs forum is pretty important for finding like minded folks to roleplay with, it could be pretty nice to set up new subforums as the site gets bigger, although I think this thread actually goes in the bugs and suggestions forum.

Having myself posted in a big game that later died, I do find the idea of getting some kind of use out of these noble life forms roaming the forums rather than let them go extinct very appealing.

[Greenthorn]

*ponders* Only if we can put a werewolf, demon, vampire registry!!

*giggles*

[The Great Triangle]

Ooh!  I'll register as a vampire werewolf initials mate!

(I always get a tiny bit confused when people refer to greenie as GT)

[Greenthorn]

Ooh!  I'll register as a vampire werewolf initials mate!

(I always get a tiny bit confused when people refer to greenie as GT)

I do too now..I saw someone say GT in the SB and I was about to say "yes?" then I saw you....and...I just said.."oh...okay"

*laughs*

[Hunter]

I AM reusing/rehasing a big game forum.  It's the same basic theme, so, why not?

[OldSchoolGamer]

Maybe there could be a list or directory of games "up for adoption," as it were.

[NightBird]

I'd think anyone doing so ideally should PM the original players to see if there's any dissenting votes to its re-use, particularly if there are going to be changes. At the least, give them a chance to copy and save anything they'd want to before threads would be re-used.

With a new start, it's typically very hard to carry on in a manner where the story of the game continues fluidly, or sometimes even at all if there are different characters and only the bare bones of the setting remains the same, so I'm finding it hard to imagine re-using a game that doesn't essentially make it a new one and just add new, largely unrelated material like a geological layer on top of the old. Perhaps that's just the nature of the games I'm most likely to play.

[The Great Triangle]

Can you say Ultimate Universe?

(The idea of changing up the ideas of a dead large game actually gets me rather excited, although I'm not certain why.)

[Xillen]

I'm not sure what the big idea is about restarting a dead game by other people. Those original players had their way of doing things. You come with most likely your own ideas. Then why not start a new game that's possibly based in ideas from the old game?

As for finding new players for ongoing games, that's something else. Most, if not all, of the Big Game boards have an OOC thread included, where anyone can post to show their interest and ask if the game is open for more players. However, the problem is getting players' interest. A "Looking for more players" thread could be posted in the Players Wanted board, but these threads usually fall off pretty quickly if there's no replies to them.

Perhaps a "More Players Wanted" board could fix that. If it was only meant for such threads (perhaps for Small and Big games), they wouldn't fall off so fast, and people can easily recognize what games are currently open for more players simply by checking that board.