Raid signups - in game or via forum?

[Xylak]

I am currently using the in-game calendar for raid sign ups but recent discussions regarding the previous method of using the forum calendar have prompted me to reconsider reverting to the forum.

Before changing anything, I'd like your opinions as raiders as to what method you think is easier/better.

In-game calendar:

Pros
Easy to see in-game
Minimal maintenance for players

Cons
You must log on to WoW to sign up​

Forum calendar:

Pros
No game sign in required meaning signups can be done at any time before raid start
Sign up notes can indicate if you will be late

Cons
Alt-tabbing to see who is signed up/available
Requires THN forum account (which you should all have anyway)​

There may be other pros/cons but I can't think of anything major at the moment. If you have an issue with either of these methods, please make a comment.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Forum calendar:
Cons
Alt-tabbing to see who is signed up/available
Requires THN forum account (which you should all have anyway).

Just add one more thought to this mix:

Depending on what we do in future with the forum, the current raid sign-up mechanism may not survive. That's not going to bite you in the next 4-8 weeks but it may turn out to be relevant later.

We'll certain do our best to keep appropriate raid sign-up functionality available but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

 

[Youn]

I like the ingame calender more, dont really see a reason to change it again.

 

[Dr Drae]

I prefer the game calendar myself, as it's easy to use. It draws people's attention (although admittedly not all-too effectively) when you've got an event invite, which is something we can't get on the forums.

Also, the ease of use with right-click inviting, inviting certain groups, etc. The lack of sign-up notes is a bit frustrating, but I think that the ease of use with the ingame calendar makes up for it.

 

[Xylak]

Just add one more thought to this mix:

Depending on what we do in future with the forum, the current raid sign-up mechanism may not survive. That's not going to bite you in the next 4-8 weeks but it may turn out to be relevant later.

We'll certain do our best to keep appropriate raid sign-up functionality available but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Thanks for that Ronin, in which case perhaps this poll is redundant already
Let's see how things go then see how we can deal with it later. If people prefer an on-line solution we can always look at alternatives outside of the forum.

 

[SwampFae]

Always did like the forum way of signing up. Gave a better overview of things. Plus the ability to see any additional notes has always been helpful.
This is ofcourse just the views of someone that can be rather set on wanting to see proper details for everything. Somehow finding the in-game one still a bit too fuzzy at times.

 

[Huung]

For raid organisation and leading, I personally found it much easier when the in-game calendar was used. You have add-ons which allow you to automate the events and invites, and then grab all "Yes" and "Maybes" who are online when you form the raid. This is soooo much easier than alt tabbing back and forth to the forums when you're dealing with large amounts of people, and trying to work out who said what, when they're likely to be around, who's online, who you've accidentally missed etc.

I won't actually vote on this, as I would feel it was a skewing of results, given that I no longer play. Just my 2p from organising raids under both methods.

 

[Angelic]

I'm not in the guild, nor am I playing WoW anymore, so disregard my opinion if you see fit, but my 2cents are as follows:

Personally, I'm for the ingame calendar as well. Makes invitations easier, everyone who plays has the easiest access to it imaginable AND it provides a flashing notification that something's up (unlike the forums). You CAN actually edit your signup status without logging into the game, via the Armory, if I'm not mistaken. Or has that been changed?

 

[Youn]

Yes you can use the calender on blizzards website aswell.

 

[Peepee]

I can tell ya that I willo never sign if its the forums as i will just forget, as it blinks atme in wow I remember to do it
!

 

[Zooggy]

Hey,

Cons
Requires THN forum account (which you should all have anyway)

Erm... Xylak, this isn't a con , it's a pro!

Everyone else, FYI, I was trying to talk Xylak ino considering this, yesterday. As both guild master and THN forum mod, part of my job is to manage the guild's relationship to the larger THN community. I'm pretty sure that a lot of guild regulars aren't all that connected to THN, and this would be a step towards bringing us all closer together.

I realize there are significant operational aspects to this decision, but I would ask you all not to overlook the philosophical considerations as well.

in which case perhaps this poll is redundant already

I got the impression from Ronin's words that the functionality break was a worst case scenario, not a certainty, so, no, not redundant at all!

I can tell ya that I willo never sign if its the forums as i will just forget, as it blinks atme in wow I remember to do it
!

Perhaps we could pester the nice forum dev folk to build some sort of flashing function for you... )

Cheers,
J.

 

[Peepee]

maybe Zoogy but im still not on the forums as much as I am on wow

 

[Bradley]

I don't see how using a calendar function will bring people more into the THN community, and if people wanted to they have the ability to on their own account without having to be coerced by functions.

 

[Ronin Storm]

I don't see how using a calendar function will bring people more into the THN community, and if people wanted to they have the ability to on their own account without having to be coerced by functions.

Yep, understand where you're coming from on that. Just talking to the theory of this, for a moment: from any significant influx of people focusing on a specific game, THN sees maybe one in ten of those circulate into the wider community. Doubtless a different design or mechanic would see a higher proportion join the wider activities, but then the numbers overall would probably be significantly smaller by virtue of requiring more of people.

So, THN likes to provide stuff that people find useful that might make them want to get involved in wider stuff. If they don't, well, that's okay; they're welcome here anyhow. But we do like new people to come and join in so if we can think of ways that might make them do that, at their discretion, we make efforts that way. I guess a raid calendar is just one example. It's meant to be a pull not a push.

Ya, so, back to your previous viewing.

 

[Huung]

It's meant to be a pull not a push.

Exactly what I was going to attempt to say in a long post, only perfectly summarised

im still not on the forums as much as I am on wow

Also, this. This was the main reason for the switch to in-game in the first place. You log in, you see the flashing calendar, you sort it out, you're done. Much simpler than coercing people who otherwise wouldn't come on the forums.

 

[Zooggy]

Hey,

I'm... uncomfortable with the word 'coerce'.

People need a verified forum account in order to apply to the guild. That doesn't mean we're "coercing" them into creating one, it's just how we do things.

I don't intend to coerce anyone into participating in THN. "Forcing" people to sign up on the forums doesn't push them into the rest of THN. But, it does provide visibility, which would create a natural tendency to bring us closer together, even if only for a small percentage of users or over a long period of time.

maybe Zoogy but im still not on the forums as much as I am on wow

And yet, here you are, participating merrily and validly!

Seriously, you're not the one(s) I'm concerned about. I know you spend precious little time (if any) in the forums outside the WoW section, and that's fine. I'm fully convinced that you're well aware that they're there, and that you've chosen your level of participation in THN, and it's a fully adequate one.

No, my discomfort is with the people that create the account just so they can post a recruitment application, then once they're in, never, ever return to the forums. They simply have no context to do so, and that creates a gap that I find wholly inadequate.

Cheers,
J.

 

[Huung]

No, my discomfort is with the people that create the account just so they can post a recruitment application, then once they're in, never, ever return to the forums. They simply have no context to do so, and that creates a gap that I find wholly inadequate.

But they're applying to The Haven guild on Scarshield Legion - they're not applying to participate on the THN forums.

 

[Bradley]

Not to make this flair up lol but I agree with Huung. People are joining the Haven guild and not really the THN community, which to me it is something that they CAN at their own discretion use. Also although I would say that we aren't intimidating people into creating a forum account, to join the guild you HAVE to have an account so that is in fact coercion. But hey ho, lets see how the poll goes.

 

[Zooggy]

Hey,

they're applying to The Haven guild on Scarshield Legion - they're not applying to participate on the THN forums.

People are joining the Haven guild and not really the THN community

This is not 100% right. About half the people that post applications also start threads in the Welcome section on the site, and I could go dig up numbers, but I have a feeling that there's a correlation between doing that and getting accepted.

Fact is, we can't really have one without the other. We use teamspeak on promethius, not the in-game voice chat. Our guild forums, the ones we're using to hold this discussion, they're embedded into THN. It's just who we are.

There is some truth to what you guys are saying, of course, but it's something I would like to combat. In my vision, the guild is an integral part of THN. It's one of the core tennets that I'd like us to embody. I know we're nowhere near there, but that doesn't mean I can't work towards it.

to join the guild you HAVE to have an account so that is in fact coercion

I can't even follow this reasoning. It' like saying that Blizzard is coercing people into booting up their computers just because they want to play WoW...

Cheers,
J.

 

[Huung]

to join the guild you HAVE to have an account so that is in fact coercion

I can't even follow this reasoning. It' like saying that Blizzard is coercing people into booting up their computers just because they want to play WoW...

There is no way to join The Haven guild on Scarshield Legion without joining the THN forums on thehavennet.org.uk

For those who just want to find a home on Scarshield Legion with their WoW character, they CANNOT find that home within The Haven unless they join THN. This is what I believe Brad is getting at.

Some people who play WoW just play it because it's a bit of fun - they don't necessarily want to have to join a larger community just to be able to be part of a community guild within a game. For some it can be because the prospect is daunting, it seems like there's already too much of a clique within the community and they would feel left out. For others it can be they wish to keep their social life on the internet and WoW separate for whatever reason. I'm sure there are many many more reasons, but it boils down to: some people just want to be part of a WoW guild, and not something bigger.

Fair enough, the obvious reply to this would be, "Well then, those aren't the sort of people who would fit in with the community of The Haven" - if that's your opinion, then all right. Yet the point still stands; one cannot be a member of The Haven without being a member of THN, and not EVERYONE is interested in that. Simple as.