Ion
08-26-2007, 08:04 AM
Note that this is a copy of a thread in the Meta Battledome.
If you disagree or if you have your own suggestions, go to the original thread (http://forums.narutofan.com/showthread.php?t=256718) for discussion.
There seems to be a lot of complaint/bitching(for quite some time) about rapestomp threads, redundant threads, and an overall lack of variety among existing threads on a day-to-day basis.
But the problem is that bitching only works when you are directly communicating with those that are the cause of a problem, or those that can still bring about change, despite not necessarily being the cause.
The convo thread is not a good place to bitch, simply because pretty much everyone that posts in there is already well aware of what types of threads bring about the best debates, and which ones do the exact opposite. Bitching at the OP in the middle of their thread is also not a very good way to get your point across, since it alienates them, and they end up ignoring your message and focus on your tone, or they just quit the OB altogether.
One would think that I, or anyone else, would never have to make an "obvious" thread like this, but the fact that what I'm going to touch on are frequent occurrences suggests that these aren't as obvious as most would assume.
Also, it's not like this is directed at only new members, because I've seen long time OB members(ofc, I won't name names) make the same mistakes over and over again.
1. Don't just use main characters: If you're using characters from series that are at least somewhat popular, guess what, people that would reply to those kinds of threads would also reply to threads using side characters from the same series.
There's no reason not to use any side characters with a sufficient number of feats.
Switch it up a bit.
2. If you're trying to do a fight between main characters, chances are it's been done before: ...multiple times.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen "Naruto vs. Ichigo", "Naruto vs. Luffy", "Jio vs. Luffy", "Jio vs. Naruto"....
3. There's already plenty of variety in threads: It's just that most people don't know the characters involved due to overall obscurity of the series that OPs are deriving their characters from.
This leads to only threads about Naruto, Dragonball Z, Bleach, and One Piece to go past the first page or two(for the most part).
The solution?
Make a conscious effort to expand your knowledge of different series at least somewhat. I remember what Shuntentatsu said to me once on IRC, "It only takes a few minutes to read a chapter of manga, so there's really no excuse"...
4. Think about the matchups that you're about to make: This is the main complaint among OB members.
Is one guy capable of easily destroying planets, and the other guy barely capable of clearing a room? Is one guy's best weapon a glorified pea shooter, and is the other guy.... immortal?
If there's that huge gap in power present, you are basically making a thread with no real purpose, since it requires little debate to decide the likely winner, and they're prone to receiving many spam-filled replies.
Spamming does not a great debate section make.
Keep in mind that this doesn't only apply to curbstomp threads, but also threads with at least one character that has basically no feats, and as such, the battle's outcome can't be accurately gauged.
When this happens, oftentimes the end result, flames and spam, occur just like in curbstomp threads.
5. If you are using characters that are from relatively obscure series, don't be afraid to include some important info of their abilities: It's not like the OP has to have an entire respect thread's worth of feats for each character somewhere in the body of their post, but some info on what their most important abilities would certainly be helpful.
"____ can move supersonic speeds, but ____#2 has teleportation powers. ____#2 has a one hit kill, but it requires a 10 second charge up."
Something along those lines, although a bit more info than that would be perfect.
6. Don't just expect others to "fix" the section: Try to do your own part. Everyone's capable of putting some thought into a thread which contributes to the overall quality of this section.
---------
Also, keep in mind that everything I said above is what happens more often than not, but there are, of course, exceptions.
Lastly, you should also note that these are not rules, nor would I be able to enforce them if they were, but they're merely guidelines.
If you disagree or if you have your own suggestions, go to the original thread (http://forums.narutofan.com/showthread.php?t=256718) for discussion.
There seems to be a lot of complaint/bitching(for quite some time) about rapestomp threads, redundant threads, and an overall lack of variety among existing threads on a day-to-day basis.
But the problem is that bitching only works when you are directly communicating with those that are the cause of a problem, or those that can still bring about change, despite not necessarily being the cause.
The convo thread is not a good place to bitch, simply because pretty much everyone that posts in there is already well aware of what types of threads bring about the best debates, and which ones do the exact opposite. Bitching at the OP in the middle of their thread is also not a very good way to get your point across, since it alienates them, and they end up ignoring your message and focus on your tone, or they just quit the OB altogether.
One would think that I, or anyone else, would never have to make an "obvious" thread like this, but the fact that what I'm going to touch on are frequent occurrences suggests that these aren't as obvious as most would assume.
Also, it's not like this is directed at only new members, because I've seen long time OB members(ofc, I won't name names) make the same mistakes over and over again.
1. Don't just use main characters: If you're using characters from series that are at least somewhat popular, guess what, people that would reply to those kinds of threads would also reply to threads using side characters from the same series.
There's no reason not to use any side characters with a sufficient number of feats.
Switch it up a bit.
2. If you're trying to do a fight between main characters, chances are it's been done before: ...multiple times.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen "Naruto vs. Ichigo", "Naruto vs. Luffy", "Jio vs. Luffy", "Jio vs. Naruto"....
3. There's already plenty of variety in threads: It's just that most people don't know the characters involved due to overall obscurity of the series that OPs are deriving their characters from.
This leads to only threads about Naruto, Dragonball Z, Bleach, and One Piece to go past the first page or two(for the most part).
The solution?
Make a conscious effort to expand your knowledge of different series at least somewhat. I remember what Shuntentatsu said to me once on IRC, "It only takes a few minutes to read a chapter of manga, so there's really no excuse"...
4. Think about the matchups that you're about to make: This is the main complaint among OB members.
Is one guy capable of easily destroying planets, and the other guy barely capable of clearing a room? Is one guy's best weapon a glorified pea shooter, and is the other guy.... immortal?
If there's that huge gap in power present, you are basically making a thread with no real purpose, since it requires little debate to decide the likely winner, and they're prone to receiving many spam-filled replies.
Spamming does not a great debate section make.
Keep in mind that this doesn't only apply to curbstomp threads, but also threads with at least one character that has basically no feats, and as such, the battle's outcome can't be accurately gauged.
When this happens, oftentimes the end result, flames and spam, occur just like in curbstomp threads.
5. If you are using characters that are from relatively obscure series, don't be afraid to include some important info of their abilities: It's not like the OP has to have an entire respect thread's worth of feats for each character somewhere in the body of their post, but some info on what their most important abilities would certainly be helpful.
"____ can move supersonic speeds, but ____#2 has teleportation powers. ____#2 has a one hit kill, but it requires a 10 second charge up."
Something along those lines, although a bit more info than that would be perfect.
6. Don't just expect others to "fix" the section: Try to do your own part. Everyone's capable of putting some thought into a thread which contributes to the overall quality of this section.
---------
Also, keep in mind that everything I said above is what happens more often than not, but there are, of course, exceptions.
Lastly, you should also note that these are not rules, nor would I be able to enforce them if they were, but they're merely guidelines.