Staying on topic

[enigmaja]

As a relative newcomer here, I first want to say thanks for making me feel welcome. There is a lot of interaction and the board is always entertaining.

That said, I have one suggestion for improvement.  We all need to show some restraint and thought when posting replies.  Please try to stay on topic!

If your post has no relevance to the stated thread, either start a new one or if your comments are just chit-chat with the person that replied last, send him an e-mail instead.

OK, I'm getting down off my soap box now.

enigmaja

[Bulletsponge]

Your right enigmaja, we get off subject to often. But youve been around long enough your no longer a newcomer. Now to get off subject, has Luke sent his new pic of his girl to any of you, is all i have to say.

[mdlake]

Yeah, I like ice cream, too.

[Mr.P]

Yup, going completely off topic (but then again I am responding to something mentioned within the first 2 posts!) Luke sent me a pic of his lady. Some catch, I'd say. Then again there is a glaring lack of "Luke" in the picture!
He assures me that it is a picture of his other (Better ) half, although how he managed to bag her I have no idea!

I agree, we do go off topic somewhat, and I will put my hand up as being a prime culprit. But what needs to be  remembered (not that I am saying no-one is remembering!) is that we have been here for some months, and the one thing that has drawn us all together has been Tropico. We have probably thrashed every element of every topic possible. And then some!.
I'm honestly not too worried, it allows us to get to know each other better. After all, will we be spending time "chatting" when the demo or even the game comes out? Probably a little, but I bet you 90% of the talk will be game-related.

[CafeDave]

I agree with you enigmaja.  Just about every post eventually strays to an off-topic discussion of .. oh, never mind.  But what I was thinking was whether people would like a separate board for off-topic discussions.  I could call it Tanks, Trains and Tourist Traps or something like that.  What do you all think?

[Strider]

this is a discussion forum, it's open, it's public.  the emphasis, of course, is the tropico game but it's difficult to discuss something none of us has experienced.  so it's really all speculation and that leads to conjecture then evreyone goes this way and that.  there's no way to avoid it until the game comes out and specific points can be discussed.

[Kendahlj]

My two cents....

I am sort of glad enigmaja posted his opinion...I have felt the same and didn't want to say anything because I already asked people to keep it clean!  I realize that since the game won't be out for awhile, many of the posts will go off topic.  But some of the topics don't need to go off-topic (the "Manual" thread is a good example).  I enjoy the banter and teasing that goes on here, but sometimes I am interested in just talking Tropico.  You really have to sift and search for anything game-related any more. Perhaps a separate, off-topic board might be a good idea. That way the more sticks-in-the-mud like me can be happy and the fun-loving, easy-going can also have fun!!

[Strider]

i hear ya, Kendahlj, but in an ideal world.  in all my years of gaming i have never been on a forum that 1) this topic did not come up 2) implementing the idea was successful!  there are just too many folks out there who want to say what they want. i saw a veiled reference to me in your mention of the Manual post but look at how many viewed it and responded!  it's one of the most popular posts!  ok, i'll take a shot then.  don't tell me discussing tank warfare is relevant to tropico.  sorry my friend, you just gotta live with it.

[Mr.P]

It so awkward. I can see where some people are coming from, in that we are here primarily to "talk Tropico", but I must agree with Strider in that it is almost impossible to not go off topic.

I understand that, if you want to look for Tropico-related posts, it can be a bit of a trawl. But I personally would prefer it, than lose some of the "personally" of these threads. It seems that much of the humour can stem from wandering off topic, and it would be a great loss to the board if we lost that humour. But whilst I am typing this I recognise we must not scare away potential posters, who think it too informal.

Maybe if everyone tried (tried!) to at least discuss the topic of the thread in a post, yet still feel they can "chat".
But does that work? Are we then just adding rules to a free board?

Oh well, I've just rambled and posed even more questions.

Forgive the tirade, I hope you know where I am coming from.

[Kendahlj]

I really wasn't referring to you Strider when using the Manual thread as an example.  I just remembered it as being a good example (started as a thread with request from Poptop on what we'd like to see in the manual, then there was some misunderstandings and harsh feelings, etc.)  A better example might have been the Happy Valentine's Day thread.  This was amusing and clever and would fit perfect in an off-topic, semi-Tropico related forum.  I hope you weren't offended.  It is a free board and anyone can post anything they would like! I am not one to stifle creativity or humor.  I just threw in my opinion...and as you know, opinions are like a**holes.  Everyone's got one and most of them stink.

[Strider]

I hope you weren't offended.

not at all but we just went off topic!!  

[enigmaja]

Since I started this, let me respond. First of all,an ongoing thread, maybe call it "The Arena" could be a prime source of these posts.

When you see the topic going off subject just suggest to move it there..Very polite and friendly, and no need to have a forum secret security police.

As I suggested in the original post, "We all need to show some restraint and thought when posting replies."  We're  adults and the forum is fun.  I just would like to click on a certain topic and find relevant posts.

enigmaja

[Strider]

ok, this is my last post to this cuz regardless of whether your ideas are solid, they're not original and they don't work.  again, not against you, but the ideal world doesn't exist and you seem to be fretting too much over this.  it's been discussed on every forum i've ever been on, never gets resolved and is soon forgotten.  and i'll bet i'm right that's what's going to happen here.

[enigmaja]

Strider, we'll agree to disagree.  I'm on a few delphi boards with about 20 times the traffic here, and it does work.  in fact the busier the board, the more sense it makes.

But like you, this is my last post on the subject.  

nuff said.

oh, and off the subject, notice I've been spelling your name right?  

enigmaja

[Bulletsponge]

What are we talking about again?

[Luke]

ok ok all you scum bags come on. i mean just cuz i aint in the picture dont mean its not my girl. no i didnt download her from the internet somewhere. i am going to like send spongy and mr.p a pic of me and her so they can beleive me.



well of course spongy told me that he liked how my girl looked and if i sent him my picture it would ruin his image. dadgumed you man      

get of topico whos getting of topico

and come on people this thread started today and its got like 100 replies to it. well you know what i mean.

do i have to get a freakin laptop

[Bulletsponge]

I cant keep up either, and Luke, if you send me a pic of you and her, make sure shes a brunette in the pic:-*

[Luke]

yeah let me just pull that pic out of my ar$e.

i going to work on that and send you something ok

[Mr.P]

If I was the kind of person to go off topic (in the Stay on Topic" thread!) and were to lower the tone, I would suggest Luke that your girlfiend wear the same top as in the pic you sent me!

But as I'm not, I won't!

[Zerone13]

My two cents -

You have a valid point enigmaja, that the threads should remain on topic and, as everyone has pointed out in one way or another, we are here to discuss Tropico.

I am just as guilty as the next guy (looks at Mr.P) for not staying on topic.  Perhaps the solution is for someone to post a "GET BACK ON TOPIC" message, in some form, when the conversation starts to stray too far off course.  

Just my thoughts - and btw, I didn't receive a photo of Luke's girlfriend.

[enigmaja]

Like this?
**********GBOT**************************
:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X:-X

enigmaja

[Luke]

i should charge for sending my girl pic ah

mr.p you ba$tard

are you still talking about the shirt their mr.p

um hum nevermind i cant comment on something.

[Coconut Kid]

..., will we be spending time "chatting" when the demo or even the game comes out? Probably a little, but I bet you 90% of the talk will be game-related.

WOW!  Did you ever lose that bet!   

One thing enigmaja didn't mention is that after time sets in, it becomes very hard to locate information useful to gameplay. It gets splattered all over the place. Even with a good search machine, key ideas get lost and forgotten; and the urban myths take over. Example: buildings produce the same way whether employees are actually in them or not is a myth.