I'm not sure if I'm the only one that has noticed, but ever since the "Maps" section was released on this site, it seems as if Map Recognition has gone way down hill. I don't know if it is because of the navigation layout of the Maps Page. (Overview, Versions, and Discussion) or if it's the end of a dying age, but it seems as if peoples maps are getting less views and Few to No Replies on their maps. I feel that if the navigation was a little easier on the page, that might help. Try placing the "Discussion" portion of the page, at the bottom of the "Overview" page. Kind of like a Forum Post is. You read the post, then scroll down to reply. I mean this post in no disrespect towards anyone on ForgeHub, i just felt in necessary to voice this issue early on. I remember a few months back, when every map post got at least 2 replies. Now there are several maps with less than 100 views, maybe 2 downloads, and No replies. (Including My Own) It may just take a while for everyone to get use to the new Portion of ForgeHub to post their maps. I was just stating my keen observation (Cause i'm secretly a spy and can see things like that) Sincerely Yours, Skylor (Beats)
I think there are a couple of contributing factors. - A lot of the maps posted in the new Map Database have already been posted previously, and the discussion about those maps was mostly exhausted. - The separation of the overview and discussion tabs could very well be part of the problem also. It's something that has been discussed. Unfortunately, it's not an easy fix. In the meantime, the Map Discussion forum was recently opened to hopefully make discussion threads easier to find, and to allow access to all of them in one location. We're always open to suggestions if anyone thinks they have a good solution.
IMO: Just use the old scheme. I don't see any pros to the new map database. It is less accessible for new and old members, the formatting stuff is unnecessarily complex (who needs version numbers, just post in the thread saying you've updated it and it'll get bumped to the top where people will see), and the discussion being separate from the map is just plain silly.
There are positives to both ways. Personally, I think it's very cool that you can see how many people have downloaded your map, and who those people are. Another major bonus is the fact that you receive a notification whenever a 'watched map' is updated, and lets you see exactly what that update entails. We can tailor the map database to streamline some stuff, and then the positives of it will far outweigh the negatives, imo.
I like the idea but I do think it should be made a little easier to use. I'm not sure how you could do it but I think it could be done
You can see how many people have downloaded the map on Waypoint. It doesn't really matter much if you get a notification because the updated thread will be at the top or near the top of the map list. If the map database can promote posting and leaving feedback as much as the old section, be simple enough for everybody to get in 1 second, and not be full of needless clutter like version number and tag line, I'll be OK with it.
I appreciate the fact that this topic has come up because it is something I had been meaning to talk about since the Maps page release. I personally like the new idea, i just don't necessarily like the layout of it. I can't think of anything at this point to resolve it, other than tweaking it to mimic the "Forums" layout, but still show Map Downloads and Watched Maps. I feel it is possible to show it all on the same page, it just may take a little time.
Well we tried a map Database back in the day and it failed horribly. I don't get the reasoning in trying it again.
Just because its cool doesn't necessarily mean it needs done. Separating the discussion from the map...think about it. I used to have one feed for the new maps section of this site that gave me everything I wanted in a nice threaded discussion. That no longer exists and if I find myself having to click through far too many times to get to what I want. When I see a map now I simply skip the discussion altogether, head to waypoint, download it, and delete if I don't like or keep it. I don't want six browser windows or back clicks for every map. It has taken away from my experience unfortunately and the dropoff mentioned is noticeable. For two weeks the discussion on the site has been about the site, and not about maps. Sorry to say, but this used to be my only source for forged maps and it felt like cheating at first, but I'm nowlooking on other sites for them. What happened? In the choice between simple and elegant, when it comes to this sort of forum, opt for simple every time.