The staff and pub have floated an idea around for a while, but it's one that we are unable to agree upon whether it should be implemented or not. We need your help to decide! Briefly, the proposal is that the Premium rank image would change as the user gained more and more features. At 2 features you gain the rank as normal. For each subsequent feature, you would gain a single brown bar in your rank image, until at a grand total of 7 features, you achieve a new rank called "Architect", with a full brown rank image and username. There would be no real perks with these ranks, other than the above. Now the names and colours aren't up for debate (although feel free to speak your mind if you wish). What we need is a simple yes/no vote - but it's not as easy as that. Here are some of the pros and cons that have been bandied about amongst the staff. Read them carefully, then make your decision. Cons More rank images would be confusing and make the site look unprofessional. Rewarding features still further could be seen as elitist and have a negative impact on the 'karma' of the site. Pros Motivation and reward for regular members to work towards. Motivation and reward for featured members to continue forging. Finally, here are the ranks as they would appear if implemented. - 2 Features - 3 Features - 4 Features - 5 Features - 6 Features - 7 Features
I'm for it all - except for the colored name. The pro's are not worth the con of having yet another color for people to remember. Since it's the whole proposal, I'm going to say no. We already have a rainbow of colors in our 'Who's Online?', do we really need another one for only one or two people?
I think having the new architect rank would be a great idea, except for the stacking of blue bars. I say keep Premium the same and only the most elite forgers get the architect rank, say 5 features though. The progress of blue bars look wierd, lol. Yes, the ranks would be a nice idea. EDIT: I had an experiment with colours and to me, adding a darker or lighter brown for progressive feature bars looks ok. EDIT 2: It's a yes from me, I have voted Creepy lol =D
Hmm. I vote yes for this. I agree with the Pro's more than the Con's. Plus, I think people are smart enough to be able to understand the process. Not to mention it will be listed in the Member Ranks for all to see at any time, so confusion should be at a minimum as long as you are able to read. The community needs a kick start in the Forge department and what better way than offering everyone a new goal, especially with Sandbox coming out. Edit: Hazza, this is discussion about whether the rank should be used or not, not about how it looks, even though you can talk about it the look and image is finalized :0)
I'm just really not liking how the blue looks against the red. It just plain kills my eyes and since i'm primarily a member of OT and GaA I say no. Maybe if it wasn't blue against red.
There aren't many colors in the available palette that go well, this combo is probly the best. And please take the time to vote based on the Pro's and Con's, not on how pretty you think it is.
I'm down for it... I'm just sorta color blind and can barely tell the difference in the little bars... so architect would be the only one that would standout to me.
Yes The pros outway the cons in my opinion. Giving members that are already premium motivation to continue creating at their top level is important to the quality and longevity of the site. With the way the color has been done above it is very subtle and not distracting or confusing in the least. I think it's a great idea. Questions: Does anyone have 7 features yet that would immediately be promoted to Architect? How many people are at or above 5 features? When two people create a map together, does that count as one feature(brown segment) per person?
As far as I can count, Architects would be: TrueDarkFusion Shock Theta Rusty Eagle TheYavimayan Asper49 Cosmic Rick Obviously TDF and Shock wouldn't take the rank, but they do qualify. Not sure off hand who is close but you can check here. And If you co-forge a map it does count as a feature for all creators, as long as it's viable and you didn't just offer advice. You have to actually work on the map. + Coolant and AZN, Asper has 6
Many businesses I service color code different items for different purposes. For instance, all cleaning equipment is green and all baking equipment is yellow. As long as the item has a different purpose it gets color coded differently. In FH's case rewarding members increases motivation to do things. Some members are helpful to the site so they can achieve loyal status. This is an extrinsic motivation. While some members are helpful to the community, because they want to be. This is intrinsic motivation. Keeping member motivation high with rewards needs to be balanced with the communities desire to be self-motivated. Rewards given to the community need to be easily managable. Final summation. Architect has a purpose which is motivation. Ranks viewed together may seem colorful. However, each rank has a purpose. This next sentence references my first paragraph. When the items are grouped they are colorful, but each color serves a purpose. Therefore, the site is organized to fit the needs of the community. The archetect rank is easily implemetable. After much analysis of the subject my vote is yes.
I'm gonna go ahead and vote no, just for the fact that I never really liked the Premium rank to begin with. I don't like it because it's too much like the Guilders of old. This whole idea of: "I'm a better forger than the regular members because I am a Premium." And now it's: "I'm a better forger than the other Premiums because I'm an Architect." It's pointless really. People know who their favorite forgers are. They don't need to be told who to look up to. To me, having a front page feature is reward enough. I don't think it deserves a custom rank, or special priveleges to see a secret forum that regular members can't see. And to divide that rank into 6 different levels is taking it a step past "pointless". So I vote no. And if I could I would also vote to remove the Premium rank and make them regular members. They can keep the colored name perhaps, but I would vote to remove their rank status and their secret forum priveleges. That's what Loyal rank was for until it was split into Loyals and Premiums. And now we're thinking about bifurcating the Premium rank as well? When does it end?
I still highly support the idea, although the brown isnt doin much for me. I know the blue was a little weird at first, but i think the full rank wouldve looked ultra sweet. regardless of brown or blue, i love the idea.
So would you support taking away the Loyal rank? Cause being helpful and posting responsibly should be reward enough also. No need for a special image to point that out. Keep in mind, this is a Forging site. Offering recognition for being good at it and continuing to be good at it is nothing but right in my mind. Just apply the situation to real life, if you had no chance at ever getting a raise at your job why would you bother trying to set yourself apart from the other employees? It's a reward for hard work, and people deserve that above and beyond all the semantics involved.
EDIT: I have decided against it. Like insane said we don't need a rank for very few people. And I think it would divide the premiums, as in it would get too competitive between them. The point is to show off your forge creations to make people happy playing them. Not to just throw out maps until you get an uber high elite rank.
I just don't like how it seperates them from the normal members of the community. I don't think there should be this big focus on the forums side of things. What does a stupid forum rank mean really? Recognition can be given to people who have forged good maps by giving them downloads, praise and constructive criticism in their map post, a colored name and a front page feature. I don't see the special rank and secret forum priveleges as necessary. Maybe you could even let them keep the rank, but remove the priveleges. That's my main point here. Premiums and Normal members should be on the same level. They will still get respect and reknown for being good forgers, but they don't need extra priveleges. The Loyal rank is different though, because it is meant for people who have invested a lot into this community and have really shown that they have it's best interests at heart. Giving them access to the HubPub gives them the chance to get together and help the staff with new ideas and adds a valued opinion to the discussion of what goes on in the site. Just because someone forged 2 good maps does not necessarily earn them the right to participate in the HubPub. If they deserve to be there then they will have been promoted to Loyal.
Interestingly, many of the premium members have or would qualify for loyal. Just throwing that into the mix. Not necessarily an entirely positive thing, depending on how you view it.
In that respect I would tend to agree. Alot of Premiums are good members and offer valuable feedback, but some just don't work out *Ahem Blaze Ahem* I still stand behind my feelings that the Rank Image should not be taken away, but Pub access is definitely debatable.
Good God I hate your sig, Deathtoll =P Anyway I vote yes, but not whole-heartedly. I've always thought there were quite a bit of different levels to premium. For instance, Cosmic Rick, who pumps out quality maps like there's no tomorrow, probably has quite a bit more forge know-how than I do. This new system would display these differences efficiently. My objections, however, are that it does create some inconsistencies in terms of overall ranking. Loyal and Premium have always been an equal stature, and this would give an opportunity to the premiums that the loyals can't equal. There's also the aspect of a rank that almost nobody has. Overall though, I'm for it.