Forum Merger?

[Haemorrhage]

Now that Colony of Gamers is the new "central site" are there any plan to merge the main forums of the affiliated sites of PiRi, Co-Optimus, Immortal Machines, and In-Game Chat in one central location as well?

[Typical Michael]

How would the issue of people having three different logins affect that?

[Jackel]

I think the obvious answer is that we should try and go for some unified login system.

[Suave Peanut]

From what I understand, each forum will continue with their appropriate purposes. PiRi for the reviews (and P&R), Co-Optimus for the co-op games, and IM for all things PC, and IGC as a resource for their own whatever-they-do. This place here is your go-to place for general gaming discussion and possibly wild off-topic shenanigans.

However, I have heard talk of a singular log-in which I think would be fantastic if possible.

[Serapth]

x2'ed. PiRi was just becoming my home away from home and to be honest, as it stands now CoG is just going to be a fracture of that sites membership. If there was a standardized login this would not be an issue, especially if it was transparent as you passed between sites. As it stands now, the community is actually going to fragment more, not less.

[Gitaroomaan]

x2'ed. PiRi was just becoming my home away from home and to be honest, as it stands now CoG is just going to be a fracture of that sites membership. If there was a standardized login this would not be an issue, especially if it was transparent as you passed between sites. As it stands now, the community is actually going to fragment more, not less.

QFT. I really don't see how completely separate forums are going to spawn a singular "community." I really want this to work, but I feel that it needs to be better integrated. People might start posting in all the sites, but eventually they're going to choose the one they like the most and just post there, creating entirely separate communities.

[Commissar Rob]

I have absolutely no idea how server technology works...but couldn't all the sites pool their resources and have a single server "home" that each site could feed into/off of? I would guess that each site would have a dedicated sub-forum, but then could be unified for general discussion, off topics, and pictures of cats.

[Food Nipple]

I'm cross-posting what I said in the other thread because my hatred of cross-posts is only surpassed by my hatred of topics in the wrong sub-forum:
Technically, it should be possible to do. Gamespot did it when they merged their forums with GameFAQs. See here (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/starwars2007/forum.html)and here (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.php?board=933156), for example. I don't spend any time at either one, so I don't know the ins and outs of the system, but I think there's areas that overlap as well as ones that are unique to that site.

If CoG had a PC games forum, a reviews forum, and a co-op forum, it would be nice to see those posts pop up on the sister sites, and the rest of the boards are unique to that site, so everyone can still have their own identity.

Sounds like a damn fine idea to me, but it's not my call and it's a MASSIVE amount of work. I know that on PIRI, you used to have two separate logins, one for the reviews system and another for vBulletin, and it took a fair amount of legwork for Siraris to reconcile the two so that it's transparent like it is now, I can only imagine how complicated it would be when you've got even more sites.

Nevertheless, it would the best thing for the community, and without unified forums things are going to remain splintered.

[AgtFox]

I have absolutely no idea how server technology works...but couldn't all the sites pool their resources and have a single server "home" that each site could feed into/off of? I would guess that each site would have a dedicated sub-forum, but then could be unified for general discussion, off topics, and pictures of cats.
The problem here is that each site has different people owning them. CoG had no control over these other sites being built (all of which were built far before Magic PC happened) although there are owners that crossover as part of the CoG ownership group.

However, these people would like to keep the sites they've built. PIRI and Co-Optimus (and Immortal Machines) are really unique and shouldn't just be shuttered when plenty of time (and money) has been spent on them.

We five sites have agreed that we want to be a "media network" type of system. It's up to the users to decide what site or sites they want to follow or be a part of. Maybe you like PIRI, Co-Optimus or Immortal machines more than CoG, none of us mind that you choose one over the other. Maybe you only want one site to look at, choose the one you want...we honestly won't be bothered if you chose any of the sites.

It's you the users that decide whether the userbase is fractured or not, we've attempted to gather you together and let you choose where you want to go in the "network". We could have just opened CoG and been our own entity, but we wanted to bring the previous websites that broke off of EvAv (well, PIRI and IM are the only ones that really broke off, Co-Optimus was a different animal) into the fold and try to repair the fracture that had happened.

[AgtFox]

Another thing I want to say is that we're still constructing the site as a whole. Don't be surprised if there are links in reviews that point you to PIRI to review it yourself there or a link to Co-Optimus to discuss the co-op aspects more (as examples).

This whole thing is still being worked on, think of us like Giant Bomb before their current iteration.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Another thing I want to say is that we're still constructing the site as a whole. Don't be surprised if there are links in reviews that point you to PIRI to review it yourself there or a link to Co-Optimus to discuss the co-op aspects more (as examples).

This whole thing is still being worked on, think of us like Giant Bomb before their current iteration.

I think the reason that a lot of us are being a bit pushy is that these things are much easier to execute earlier on, rather than later.

[pheriannath]

Just for reference, Co-Optimus was built using a completely different system than CoG or PIRI, and if we integrated with CoG forum-wise, we'd have to shutter the site and rebuild it pretty much from scratch.

Our news/content/comment/forum system is a custom PHPBB job that Bap put together. CoG uses vBulletin, which is great, but those two systems simply don't talk to each other without a considerable amount of work.

We had a *very* short timeline to get this site up. Things will evolve.

[bapenguin]

If anything we'd love to see some sort of unified log in. I just have no friggin clue how to do it.

[Commissar Rob]

Just for reference, Co-Optimus was built using a completely different system than CoG or PIRI, and if we integrated with CoG forum-wise, we'd have to shutter the site and rebuild it pretty much from scratch.
Ugh. Well, if it works for folks to hop from one to the other than no real harm done. It'd be great if there was a way to unify, but it sounds like the costs outweigh the benefits right now.

[pheriannath]

Don't discount anything yet. We just need time.

[Haemorrhage]

Thanks for the feed back guys. Like I said before, I appreciated the hard work you guys have been putting in thus far and look forward to how the community will evolve. At the core, Colony of Gamers will provide me with the majority of my gaming information needs. Any additional networking features that you can provide to associated sites is simply a bonus.

[Serapth]

If anything we'd love to see some sort of unified log in. I just have no friggin clue how to do it.

Try this. (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=120923)


... stupid 10 char limit! :(

[Khrymsyn]

Just as a thought...

What could also be done temporarily, which I don't beleive should be too too much work (talking as someone who has no clue what's required), is that listed as "forums" here on CoG, make sections for each of the "sister sites", and when you click on the forum link, it takes you via a redirector to the other site...

For instance, a new section under "life off colony" called "PlayIt ReviewIt", and have thier forum names listed, and you click on P&R and it just redirects you to thier P&R forum (http://www.playitreviewit.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13).

Doesn't completely solve the issue, but should be a quick and dirty work around?

[Vulture]

We five sites have agreed that we want to be a "media network" type of system. It's up to the users to decide what site or sites they want to follow or be a part of.
have you guys figured out how you will make this network stronger? as it is now, all it is is word of mouth and info on a welcome page.... mayb a unified banner of sorts with respective links to each site.

mayb a bit more of a close relationship program-wise? personally i would like a unified login, and the forums would link you to the respective websites. PC games, when you click on the forumroot for it you are brought to Voodoo's site, Reviews and politics, you are brought to PiRi....

as it is now the site is just another site, and doesn't do anything feasibly to "unify" them.... its just a catchphrase or salesline at this point.... make it a tangible unification that draws people, and is REALLY a hub.... a source of anything a gamer wants to know about or talk about.:(

[Serapth]

Just as a thought...

What could also be done temporarily, which I don't beleive should be too too much work (talking as someone who has no clue what's required), is that listed as "forums" here on CoG, make sections for each of the "sister sites", and when you click on the forum link, it takes you via a redirector to the other site...

For instance, a new section under "life off colony" called "PlayIt ReviewIt", and have thier forum names listed, and you click on P&R and it just redirects you to thier P&R forum (http://www.playitreviewit.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13).

Doesn't completely solve the issue, but should be a quick and dirty work around?

This could work. Plus I would get rid of competing threads, that is where the fractionization will come from. So, instead of having a PC gaming forum here, make it a link to immortalmachines. Instead of P&R a link to PiRi, etc... meanwhile, get rid of gaming news, console talk, etc... from each of the assosiated sites.

But, as it stands now, using the ImortalMachine site as an example, if CoG has a popular PC Gaming forum, how many people are going to go to IM. Additionally, how much news is going to be cross posted across both sites.

[pheriannath]

Additionally, how much news is going to be cross posted across both sites.

I can only speak to Co-Optimus matters, but I know we'll at least be cross posting things like our interviews and Co-Op night announcements.

Believe me, we know that the more vocal people are clamoring for a megasite and for one forum. This is all possible, but it takes time and effort from all parties involved.

[Haemorrhage]

Interesting suggestion Krymsyn. I think there would still need to be unified log ins for this to flow smoothly, but it could work.

[TheFlyingOrc]

I can only speak to Co-Optimus matters, but I know we'll at least be cross posting things like our interviews and Co-Op night announcements.

Believe me, we know that the more vocal people are clamoring for a megasite and for one forum. This is all possible, but it takes time and effort from all parties involved.

That's really cool! I guess the point is that, being how community focused we are, we'd really like to feel like our suggestions are being heard.

[pheriannath]

The truth of the matter is that our hand was forced with everyone setting a mass migtation date. We're sorting things out, and we really hope you like where things head in the future.

In the rush to get this out the door, we overlooked some things, and didn't have enough time to discuss others thoroughly. The main point is that our name is out there, and we have the support from the leaders of the various community sites.

It'll all work out in the end, I promise.

[Serapth]

The truth of the matter is that our hand was forced with everyone setting a mass migtation date. We're sorting things out, and we really hope you like where things head in the future.

In the rush to get this out the door, we overlooked some things, and didn't have enough time to discuss others thoroughly. The main point is that our name is out there, and we have the support from the leaders of the various community sites.

It'll all work out in the end, I promise.

I guess thats kinda the rub... things probably launched too early, and it could be at the detriment of a site many of us moved to. I would think the kernal or core of how CoG should ( have? ) start was being the glue between the various communities, not as competition.

[Khrymsyn]

Interesting suggestion Krymsyn. I think there would still need to be unified log ins for this to flow smoothly, but it could work.

The unified part would be difficult to do..

Which is why I suggested just plain ole links. Kind of like, putting in the foundation before the house. Allows the individual sites to keep thier own identity, while at the same time connects all of them.


Oh, and pherian and the gang, don't stress too much. Just take your time and make sure things work. The idea of Maintenance Bay was for suggestions. There will be good ones, and crappy ones, but none that need to be implemented immediately unless something's broken. We all know and understand that things take time. No divorces go smoothly =P

[Sazime]

Ahhhh, the beauty of JG. No forums, just costant linking back and forth. And the Doc keeping the comic threads going. All good here! :)