For context, we have a seven year set of rules that were put in place by an administrator that is no longer an administrator, you may find them [url=https://phpbb.mfgg.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12057]here[/url] as well as quoted directly below: [quote][b]1. This board is used for showcasing your projects.[/b] This means you can create topics for the following things here: - Complete fangames or indie games that you have made - WIP fangames or indie games that you are making* - Tools/Utilities that serve the purpose of game making (e.g. level editors, extensions, tutorials, etc.) *This means you must be making this when you post. Having an idea is NOT "making a game" [b]2. You must provide sufficient information[/b] Post at least one or more (preferably more) of the following: - Something playable (demo, full game, engine test, ...) - Screenshots (at a reasonable resolution and image quality), preferably of the gameplay[/quote] Most recently these were used as a reference to move Sloshy's project to the Arts Board, which means that she'd have to make another thread to cover the game development or ask a moderator to move the thread back. This is more trouble than it's worth, imo. These antiquated rules have never been consistently enforced or followed either. Rules like these are only useful if they are consistently enforced... So suggestion #1 is to remove these rules and make the Developer Showcase a place that is welcoming to project discussion at any stage. Remember: game development is not limited to programming and engines. If you're concerned that people will flood the forum with random ideas, make a thread to contain them and call it [i]The Idea Thread[/i] or something. Developer Discussion really should be used for discussion of game development fundamentals, tips, tricks, guides and related requests for help imo, and that is my second suggestion: Change up the description and rules for the forum to suit such an idea.

For the record, I always hated the name "Development Showcase". I'd much rather just have it called Project Showcase or Game Development or something more Mario sounding if you can think of it. I always got Dev Discussion and Dev Showcase confused as well. I think the Dev Showcase forum section should be for discussing all kinds of game development including just ideas. I essentially agree with all of the above.

I see no reason for a topic to be in the Development Showcase forum if there is no game development to showcase. From a more meaningful paradigm, I would rather that the games people put weeks and months of effort into weren't drowned out by vague, half-baked ideas generated by a few minutes of daydreaming. I wouldn't be entirely averse to splitting the forum into one where playable demos are available for the public to play and criticize, and one where we can look at a collection of contextless assets.

Reminder: you can bookmark threads so you can return to them later and there is a search function. If you're afraid you're going to lose sight of your favorite projects, there are forum features here to help you. By the way, this rule isn't needed in the first place because Development Showcase is depressingly inactive this year. This chart is from The State of MFGG thread in News and Events: [img]https://mfgg.net/public/2017StateOfMFGG/PostsByForum.PNG[/img] "Contextless assets," what? I've not even seen a single thread with this issue. "Stuff I made for such and such project" is context enough.

Another possibility would be to broaden Rule #2 so it includes concept art, character descriptions, or a synopsis of the plot. Pedigree: One bit of context for the forum activity graph I compiled in July: The 2017 numbers measured activity at almost exactly the halfway point of the year. We would expect year-end 2017 numbers to be approximately twice that (ignoring any possible effects of seasonality). No matter how you slice it, though, Development Showcase has been slow lately, and we need to consider ways to promote activity in this very important forum.

Expanding what is allowed in the Development Showcase might be good too, yeah. I understand the data in those characters are subject to change but yeah, I definitely think we need to consider ways to invigorate such an important forum as that one.

Really though, unless the forum has a massive surge in users all of a sudden, I don't see topics being buried under other topics with simple ideas or a basic plot that quickly. And people will be more drawn to topics with more to show anyway.

What I think we should do to better distinguish the two forums and allow more kinds of topics in Development Showcase: [b]Project Discussion[/b] - Working on a game development project or have some ideas for one? Discuss and showcase such projects here. [b]Developer Discussion & Resources[/b] - Need advice or an insight into the world of game development? Have a resource such as a guide to share or related product to recommend? Discuss such things here.

[quote="Pedigree"][b]Project Discussion[/b] - Working on a game development project or have some ideas for one? Discuss and showcase such projects here.[/quote] I think allowing theoretical game pitches to be threads there instead of relegating them all to Concept Corner would be fun. There could be more fleshed out ideas in a thread with mockup graphics and stuff.