Making a Professional Linkshell Forum

[urat]

So what are the things you guys include in your forum websites (Like the one we're posting on right now) to appeal to your members?

I'm looking at making a free forum just to organize my shell I've started, so am wondering how do you guys go about doing so?

What various online tools do you use to keep track of your linkshells points? I'd like to have it publicly viewable by all members so they know what they are at, etc.

Along with this, what are some important rules I should have posted. I've never really led a shell before so what are the biggest issues I should nip in the bud now before it gets out of hand?

Atm I'm going to use a lotting system involving points obtained by linkshell participation, which you then use auction house style to lot on your weapon.

Whoever has the most points gets to lot it and spends that many points. Etc etc

Tl;Dr What are the major dos and don'ts of a linkshell's forum, and what are steps I can take to make it more appealing to newcomers and easy to use for members?

[Therin]

EQDKP is easily configurable and free to use but you have to have a domain to load it on to.

If you want to appear serious and professional, don't use a free forum.

Make sure your linkshell's mission statement and rule set are readily available by potential applicants and make sure they are up to date so that everyone knows what they're applying to. Also, make sure your application standards and methods are readily available and probably a template for applicants to use.

[phrost]

Stanislav is evidently working on an social network for linkshells, imagine it will have a dkp system built in much like exDKP go take a look at his blog.

[Linsivi]

Stanislav is evidently working on an social network for linkshells, imagine it will have a dkp system built in much like exDKP go take a look at his blog.

It's nice, use it when it goes live.

[Velocy]

Well, an advanced Linkshell site really depends on how your Linkshell works.

Normally a Linkshell site contains at least a Forum and a points rooster. Either self programmed and / or hosted or smth. like eqDKP which really nice, but maybe doesnt fit on every LS.

Personally I've been working on our Linkshell site for like 4 years now... starting with an simple content management system, integrated forum and 2 points rooster (HNM and Dyna). Later I added following stuff:

- Item Database (all HNM items)
- Item Wishlist for Members
- Item Droplist, connected with the points rooster.
- Character Database with Missions and Crafts
- New Attendence System (cause the one from eqDKP didnt fit on our LS)
- HNM Kill counter
- Bazaar Module (Items our LS sells)
- Recent loots Module

All Modules have grown with the Linkshell, the rules and the loot system... like Job-specific bonus points on items.

Currently I'm working on a new site... since I added stuff, reprogrammed, deleted stuff things got a bit messy w... I want to setup a new Website where all tools work perfectly together... for example to make my own points rooster that fits to our needs and system.

I also had a look at stuff like exDKP from Stanislav, which is also very advanced... the onliest thing I don't like with exDKP is the massive ammount of public content. There are some things that I would keep within the LS. But for Linkshells that don't have a programmer Stan offers a very nice basic LS frontend.

[Therin]

It's nice, use it when it goes live.

No shit, Stan let me check it out and it's absolutely amazing.

[Stanislav]

If anyone wants to see it feel free to contact me or anyone else you know who has seen it, I need public opinions =)

[Yabby]

then post a link here? You know BG loves to give opinions.

[Therin]

then post a link here? You know BG loves to give opinions.

He's keeping it somewhat under wraps for the time being until it's secure enough and ready for the influx of people. It'll definitely warrant it's own thread once he's ready, I can assure you. It's pretty fucking amazing.

[Cairthenn]

I'd love to see it. I've worked on putting a LS site together but judging by Excellence's site I'm sure it's far past anything I could do. Would be nice to see what it's like.

[Stanislav]

Therin convinced me to do a public preview, hes writing up a new thread with screenshots, and a link. Please read everything before doing it, I don't want the incomplete features to turn anyone off. The complete features should amaze everyone though.

[Yabby]

Very nice, GL with the rest of the code

[cdgreg]

Make it not be blocked by most work filters, posting from work rocks.

[Stanislav]

Therin made a thread for it here
http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88365

And I can't control that, its up to your work place =p

[cdgreg]

And I can't control that, its up to your work place =p

I hear ya, but there's something to it. I don't know if it's being forums.blah.com or what, but some forums make it through our filter, others are auto-blocked as "business/technical forums."

[bungiefan]

I hear ya, but there's something to it. I don't know if it's being forums.blah.com or what, but some forums make it through our filter, others are auto-blocked as "business/technical forums."

I've seen that at my workplace. A forum you have been able to use in the past will get blocked once the admin or their team take a look at the usage logs and see it's not in their filter. They try to automate the block and detect certain things, but they can override it if you give them reason to, or use the site enough for them to notice. There's no way to make them not block it if it's something they don't want on their network. You're supposed to be working, not browsing forums for your game.

[dannyl]

If you want to appear serious and professional, don't use a free forum.

You mean a free hosting/forum right? And not pbforum or vbforums?

To OP:
If you want to make a professional forum, pay for your domain, pay for a years worth of server space (for simply a forum, you wouldn't need more than 500 MB of space) and simply use pbforum or vbforum and generate your forum through there. Then you just mod it to how ever you want. You'll be doing a lot of ftp'ing and config'ing a lot of files but its generally easy if you're somewhat savvy in that department. GL

[Therin]

You mean a free hosting/forum right? And not pbforum or vbforums?

Right, that's what I meant.

[Shamaya]

Well you've got your sights already set on a point system. I think a 'I point, you choose' system can work effectively for smaller shells, shells where everyone plays a damn lot, or both. But in this day and age of professional gaming, I think a point system is usually the right choice.

Given that, among the decisions you've got to make, one of them has 3 choices (1)do all points by hand, either by yourself or another officer, and keep points/data updated manually in a forum post viewable by all, (2)try to bum a free automated points system integrated into the site, or otherwise purchase one, (3)make such a system yourself, or find someone who will.

I'm not gonna lie. My last LS was extremely diligent with doing all of the points/attendance/wishlist tracking by hand. But comparing that system, to integrated, automated system my current LS uses--there's really no comparison. An automated system is easier on the people managing it and for members who want to find information, is more powerful, and more interesting. Importantly as well, you don't want your officers to burn out from having to do a lot of manual updating, or from members asking them to dig up attendance records, change their wishlist, or something they otherwise wouldn't be able to see/do without an automated system. So I'd rule out (1). (3) is terrific if you can do it. But if you think it'd be too much effort and would hold you back, or is impossible, then I think (2) is really the way to go.

As far as rules to be posted. Post what's mandatory and what's not in a clear fashion. If you're doing HNM's, might wanna post something on which have priority. Of course post everything as far as attendance/lotting/wishlist rules, and how bidding or w/e works when fighting the NM in question. If using an LS bank, post what it's going to be used for, and of course make sure it's publicly viewable. If doing sell/splits, post what's splittable and what's not, and in what way it's going to be split, and how long members might expect to wait to get payouts. Have a spot to post ToD's in the forum if there is no officer online to change the /lsmes. If doing sandworm/ixion and going the apradar route, keep a thread/sticky open to monitor the <pos> of the dead body in every zone. If you plan to sell items outside the LS, or even to members inside your own LS who might not have points or might be on trial, or whatever, make sure you have some sort of basic guidelines as far as priority. IE dkp > inside buyer > outside buyer > freelot.

Post vent info of course. If doing HNM's you might want to have something posted in a FAQ or something regarding clock synchronization, just so people don't forget. If your LS is not botting, or is botting, make sure the stance on that is open and clear. If you are botting, it helps to cut the crap and make sure you have enough people early on. Otherwise you'll probably get shoddy results. If you're not, it'll help clarify what the LS ethic is, but also what they can expect if they go out to certain camps. Should post other cardinal rules as well in a convenient place and make sure people read them; things like: never CFH, and use cfh protect plugin, /blockaid on, no flailing mobs, etc. Might want to post tentative event schedules and a mission statement that clearly tells your members what kinds of events your linkshell is looking to accomplish mainly. I would not leave event scheduling or LS goals to be something of a democratic sort. All that ever happens is everything turns to shite as the old vets leave and you get in new people, the face of the LS changes, and then it risks degenerating into a black-hole sky LS. Don't leave the rules or events open to debate, bend that much at least to your will so that you shape the LS, and instead of having members in the LS vote to get they want, you'll get members that know quite well what your objectives are and will only join if that /is/ what they want.

You also might want a section for strategy. Granted, most of what people actually need is on wiki. But every LS has its own specific way of doing things.

I'd also try setting up an incentive system early on. People that do extra work of course get extra reward. Enough to make sure that people are automatically volunteering to be part of holding parties, handle things like attendance when an officer isn't around, handling sell/splits on their own without the need to ask officers to do it, and of course incentive for the officers to keep managing all the charming, monotonous daily tasks that must be accomplished each day in a timely manner.

[Katoke]

Using MS Excel to keep track of members/attendence and then uploading it as a .html to your domain is a great way to keep track of member points if you choose that system. Points seems like the only way to try and actually keep members in your shell and actively helping at events, to earn points that they can spend on various items that they so desire.