Memfis Posted April 4, 2017 The DWmegawad Club is boring. It doesn't even feel much like a club. Most of it is just people talking to themselves. They write these wordy map descriptions, not paying attention to the fact that their "points" have already been made five times by other people, and that's where their participation usually pretty much ends. You can barely see any interaction between the posters, and debates (usually only started by the most frequent visitors of the losers forum) happen once in two weeks at best. Something's gone wrong and a new formula is needed to revitalize it and make it an actual club. Maybe less users should be allowed in, maps should get a few posts from every member per day (discussion!), and there should be a "make new points only" rule or something. I don't know what has to be done, but currently that place is pretty boring and I find it hard to get past the first pages of any "club" thread. 5 Share this post Link to post
baja blast rd. Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Memfis said: You can barely see any interaction between the posters, and debates (usually only started by the most frequent visitors of the losers forum) happen once in two weeks at best. You must not have been following DWMCs lately -- there's a decent amount of interaction. For example, I searched my own screen name in TNT: Revilution's DWMC thread, and I was quoted or mentioned 33 times, which isn't even the full extent of discussion I was part of. Also, the problem with the 'make new points' approach is that the differentiation between points that are reiterated and ones that are novel is pretty useful. If you find the club boring or don't like it, fine, but I don't think you have an accurate sense of what is going on in the DWMC, probably because by your own admission you don't read much of it! :P Also, I wish you'd chill out with this style of posting. It's partly our fault for encouraging it, or liking you a lot in spite of it, but this grouchy whining has grown tiresome over the years. It's a buzzkill. 4 Share this post Link to post
rehelekretep Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) hey Memfis, you dont have to read everyone's posts you know ;) i share some of your sentiment, but id prefer it when everyone is posting stuff about the maps, than everyone thinks 'oh, what ive got to say has been said before, better post nothing!' and then the thread is just empty i used to write a lot more, then i realised i have nothing really interesting to say most of the time (unlike rdwpa and DotW) so i just post my demos and some personal opinion. i quite liked joe-ilya's recent posts/videos because he stirred up some debate which was quite entertaining :p p.s. why dont you post a bit more in there and try and start some discussions? 2 Share this post Link to post
Jayextee Posted April 4, 2017 Last I checked, the point wasn't to be interesting; but to share experiences with megaWADs as an incentive to play through the damn things. 8 Share this post Link to post
tourniquet Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) I prefer to read 'boring' threads instead of trivial & boring complaints. 8 Share this post Link to post
Jaws In Space Posted April 4, 2017 Memfis shit posting is getting really old. 1 Share this post Link to post
dew Posted April 4, 2017 MINIONS! YOUR SPIRITUAL EMPEROR IS BORED ENTERTAIN ME P.S.: DON'T MAKE IT TOO GOOD OR POPULAR, THAT VAGUELY IRRITATES ME 10 Share this post Link to post
Alfonzo Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) Strawman Megawad Club: User reviews are fed into an account that is haunted by a different person each month, whose job it is to misrepresent the opinions of others - or leave well enough alone - by selectively replacing a limited number of words with new ones of their own choosing, and ultimately with the goal of undermining that person's credibility. That should kick-start some discussion. EDIT: Oh of course, I almost forgot; the most recent person to have access to the account with the PMs should be the one most heavily aggrieved during the previous month. 1 Share this post Link to post
Memfis Posted April 4, 2017 Example of a club thread I can get behind: https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/15279-level-by-level-analysis-of-doom2/ 1 Share this post Link to post
Gez Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) This thread is boring. I wish I had not felt compelled to read stuff I don't care about, nor then posted about how I don't care about it. 11 Share this post Link to post
HavoX Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) Memfis, if you really don't care for the DWMW Club threads, don't click on them. Simple as that, no? Seriously, you're unenlightened. 1 Share this post Link to post
bioshockfan90 Posted April 4, 2017 I think there's a fair bit of interaction, most times the author of the wad comes on and kinda plays along and gives us another perspective on what we're playing, and its not like I don't read other people's thoughts on maps, I think it's interesting to see what they thought as well, and if there's a demo present, I'll watch it. It's just one of those scenarios where everyone kinda understands and communicates non-verbally, and if there's a talking point to be had or something interesting to say out loud, it'll happen. It's just for people who need something to tie them to Doom each month and share the same experience as everyone else something something makes us feel better socially w/e At least that's what I think, but I defos. don't think it's disjointed and unfeeling. Are you just mad because you missed the April Fool's joke? :p 2 Share this post Link to post
Nine Inch Heels Posted April 4, 2017 I can understand what Memfis is about. Truth be told, sets like Speed of Doom etc have been reviewed and talked about many times over already, so there's probably no need to read over a dozen people's opinions on what's been said already, especially not when you've been through the set several times already. But I don't think the DWmegawad club is supposed to provide more indepth reviews to begin with. Before I registered to this forum, I used to lurk around for a bit. Reading through the DWmegawad club threads, among other things, was something I always enjoyed during my time of lurking. It is just perfect for the coffee break, when you want something to pull your head of the day's work for a change. That was either because a mapset that I have not yet played has been up, which was a nice opportunity to soak up some preemptive information about it, or because a set I already played was up, and I enjoyed reading how other people felt about things in comparison to me. The DWmwc also has the added benefit of motivating people to play a map a day, while also providing an outlet for things that people feel like pointing out. I would even go as far as arguing that this outlet might help with preventing several threads of the same type from popping up at the same time, or does anybody want 14 BTSX threads at once? By all means, Memfis, if you want to create a thread for a more in-depth discussion of whatever wad you can think of, nobody's stopping you from doing that. Give it a try and see if people rally around it. Problem solved. 2 Share this post Link to post
Voros Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) I kinda agree with @Memfis. But to be fair, I'm not really that interested to read loads of posts describing a map. The only interesting thing here is the Ironman League thing. Mainly for its competitive nature. That's my opinion though. Simply don't click the thread if you can't bear the first few pages. 1 Share this post Link to post
BigDickBzzrak Posted April 4, 2017 Can you feel the drama in the air, folks? 2 hours ago, Jaws In Space said: Memfis shit posting is getting really old. Old but gold. 1 Share this post Link to post
40oz Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, Memfis said: Example of a club thread I can get behind: https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/15279-level-by-level-analysis-of-doom2/ Then why did you make this thread and not a thread like that? btw id participate in DWMemfisClub where we talk shit on other threads. Edited April 4, 2017 by 40oz 3 Share this post Link to post
SFoZ911 Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) I always enjoy reading thoughts being written by DOTW, Veinen, and other folks and even the original author if he pops up for the thread, just like SteveD in Realms of Chaos. But as some already suggested, why don't you have your own club with members you like to see post and engage each other instead of complaining. 0 Share this post Link to post
Suitepee Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, Nine Inch Heels said: I can understand what Memfis is about. Truth be told, sets like Speed of Doom etc have been reviewed and talked about many times over already, so there's probably no need to read over a dozen people's opinions on what's been said already, especially not when you've been through the set several times already. This is why I wouldn't mind the Doomworld Megawad Club looking into more obscure megawads, or megawads by up & coming mappers on occasion. That aside, sounds like memfis needs to create his own regular thread thing where perhaps he could discuss Doom topics more to his liking. I for one wouldn't mind a proper discussion about proper Revenant usage, or whether the Icon of Sin should still be used to conclude Doom megawads or not (in an era where custom bosses and hard finales are becoming more a thing). I wouldn't call the DWMC boring though. 2 Share this post Link to post
CapnClever Posted April 4, 2017 I don't think the example thread is optimized for a forum, as it's basically two people replying to each other rapidly. If you're looking for some back-and-forth, the way to go is live discussion through text chat or voice chat: that's a fundamentally different format from the Doomworld Megawad Club, however. I'd suggest either starting your own project or volunteering to assist the existing DWMC by providing additional venues, rather than convincing them to change utterly. 4 hours ago, Memfis said: Something's gone wrong Really! Because I've gotten the impression that DWMC has been functioning more or less similarly for the last five years. It's simply a gathering of people playing the same maps and giving two cents apiece. With due respect, I've seen the threads more as an excuse to play rather than invite discussion (part of the reason I've not participated) and they're still popular all the same. I think there's enough room for more than one "Let's Play Together" thread to exist concurrently. If you want a greater throughput of discussion, however, I highly recommend something like a Discord channel to better facilitate your own wants. 4 Share this post Link to post
Linguica Posted April 4, 2017 Memfis do you ever do anything besides complain? 6 Share this post Link to post
j4rio Posted April 4, 2017 Considering the club has been around for years and remained popular enough for what it is, I'm more inclined to believe it is your formula that needs a revitalisation. Think of a better thread idea that suits your interests (and then watch it die in an instant because of your non-existent attention span). 1 Share this post Link to post
NecrumWarrior Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) The point of a Book Club or the like is to really analyze what you're reading and share that information with others. It doesn't matter if it's been said already you are iterating your experience with the map. I always read other people's posts AFTER I write my own because I am not trying to compliment other information, I'm trying to refine my own ability to look at the maps and other opinions taint that. After the fact I can look at what others say and respond if I see the need to. To me that seems perfectly fine and I've seen nothing that seems boring about it. As for your indication that less people should be let into the DWMWC, yeah no, fuck that. I am only two WADs in and I am glad I could just jump right in. I often don't know what I should play and playing these WADs along with others is a great opportunity to get some exposure to quality works. As I said before, the opportunity to write on these WADs also affords me a chance to take a hard look at the contents and break them down, something that's extremely important for an undeveloped mapper like myself. Edited April 4, 2017 by NecrumWarrior 3 Share this post Link to post
Salt-Man Z Posted April 4, 2017 The Club could probably stand to delve into some more overlooked/underrated WADs (Rylayeh/Crimson Canyon/Azagthoth remains one of my favorite months.) Otherwise, I think it does a pretty good job of mixing Permanent Classics (AV, Requiem), Once-Classics (Serenity Trilogy, STRAIN), beta testing upcoming projects (Stomper, Japanese Community Project), and playing The New/Recent Hotness (Valiant, Echelon, Bloodstain). If you're not actually playing along, or haven't played the WADs before, it's probably not very interesting. When I do play, it's fun to read others' thoughts (and a very brief post can sometimes be as entertaining as one of DotW's novels). If I'm not playing along, but have played that WAD before, it's fun to peek in and see what others think, as well as jog my memory a bit (the folks who do lots of screenshots are much-appreciated in this regard.) It's also fun as an archive, if I end up playing a WAD much later ("MAP27 was a buncha B.S., let's see what The Club thought.") 1 Share this post Link to post
Deadwing Posted April 4, 2017 I'm fine with the way the club is. I don't read all the posts because sometimes they're quite long and indeed repeat themselves, but I don't think it needs to change anyway. I appreciate a lot when videos are posted though :D 0 Share this post Link to post
dobu gabu maru Posted April 4, 2017 Hi! As club curator I feel I ought to weigh in with my opinion on the matter. First and foremost, I welcome all criticism towards DWMC, as I like hearing opinions about what works/doesn't work. Like with mapping, you simply can't just accept the good criticism and call it a day; all feedback is important (though perhaps not equally so). The DWMC serves a number of different purposes in my eyes, which include (but are not limited to) the following: It acts as a written archive of opinions on specific megawads for that given month/year. It provides an opportunity for the author to discuss his/her maps and/or to relay the history of the project. It incentivizes participants to finish the wad (though I can't speak to its effectiveness rate). It offers participants a chance to engage in discussion with each other. If this sounds a bit dull to you, I ask that you investigate the first point further. The DWMC existing as a written archive is arguably one of its most important features, as we currently don't have a lot of map-by-map analyses outside of kmxexii's blog and the occasional newstuff review. Sure, you can check out the /idgames reviews to get a general consensus on how good a mapset is, but those don't offer deep dives into individual maps & author eccentricities. Even if you take something as ubiquitous and highly praised as Speed of Doom, searching for extensive thoughts on it is pretty fruitless outside of a single thread Joshy himself made. Knocking the club for "being boring" and not facilitating enough discussion is something that would be difficult to address. I could make a rule where you have to engage with one other person whenever you post, but in my opinion it's of the utmost importance to make the DWMC not feel like homework but instead a voluntary exercise (having to post every day is enough of a task anyway). Limiting the number of participants is quite frankly backwards & exclusionary, and asking people to make "new" points sounds like an arbitrary rule that would be both difficult to enforce and unfair to those that lagging behind (plus whoever posts about a map first totally gets to ignore all the other replies). This isn't to say that you should be totally content with the DWMC as is—far from it! But it's important to recognize what it is and will continue to be, rather than expect major upheaval to a system that works just fine for a good number of people on the site (and if I may hazard a guess, it didn't suddenly become boring, it was always boring to you). I wasn't aiming for the DWMC to be the Battle Royale of opinions or a thread with complex rules; I simply looked at gaming sites and thought "if they can routinely discuss gaming classics that have been done to death, why can't we?" 25 Share this post Link to post
rehelekretep Posted April 4, 2017 another 2 cents from me; the DWMC (+Cyber531) was what got me into Doomworld and Dooming in general so i think it's working just fine :) 0 Share this post Link to post
Benjogami Posted April 4, 2017 I haven't participated much in the club because I find that I don't have much interesting to say a lot of the time, and it's awkward to feel like I need to say something at those times. When I read the threads, I do see posts that don't have much to say, but they're saying it anyhow. That's fine. It's all fine. I like the club, even just the idea of it, because it encourages people to play Doom and think about it. It's fun to play stuff together, just like it's fun to watch movies together, even if you don't have a lot to say about the movie when it's over. Even if I don't post in the thread, it's fun to play along and then see what other people thought, even if it's simple stuff like "this area looked cool" or "1/5 garbage-tier." The democratic wad selection process definitely is bland sometimes. It might be better to have a philosopher king pick the wads. Maybe on even months we vote and on odd months we get some expert curation? I think that would be interesting. It would also make it easier to get smaller wads discussed. Yeah yeah it's called the DWmegawad club, but I think that's too restrictive. The Vanguard/Hellground/somethingelse month was neat. It also would also be fun to have a different kind of monthly analysis thread, so if someone wants to run it, that would be great. ;) 1 Share this post Link to post
durian Posted April 4, 2017 I've only participated a couple of times, but I still enjoy reading through the threads even when I'm not participating, as well as reading past threads, if I happen to be playing the levelset in question. It serves as a great repository for different perspectives on individual maps, and so I think the suggestion that there's not enough discussion is misplaced; the fact that it offers a venue for sharing perspectives without the obligation to debate them is one of its strengths. Keep it up, guys. 1 Share this post Link to post
Tarnsman Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) The Megawad Club (even if you don't read a single post in the thread and consider all of that to be banal garbage) justifies its existence simply by getting people to actually play Doom. A lot of stuff in the Doom community gets lost in the shuffle or only played a single time and then forgotten and anything that gets people to either revisit old content or actually focus on new content is a good thing. (I would have never played Interception or Hadephobia or Realms of Chaos if the Megawad Club didn't highlight them.) Also as an aside: there is this song in the Madoka film about a cake that goes like "Big cake, round cake, right in front of me. Who could the cake be? Is the cake *person's name here*?" and someone who I'm not going to name came up with a memfis parody response that goes "No, it's not me. I'm just shitposting, you see. The number of times I've failed out of college due to anime is three." and now I mentally hear memfis singing that every time I read one of his posts. I just felt the need to share that with you memfis. 13 Share this post Link to post