Another piece of pre software organization. Are there any ideas for new forums you'd like to see? One on Podcasts, one on where folk are in the world, that sort of thing. Just shout out your ideas and we'll take them under advisement. Or if you think existing forums are too general, or too specific, let us know.

A few thoughts:

I've never really been clear on the purpose of the Stronghold; at the moment, it seems like a catch-all forum for everything that doesn't fit in one of the specific forums. If that's the way you want it, all well and good. In the absence of an "Introductions" forum, it might be worth combining this into the Stronghold's purpose (I know it sort of already is, but this would make it 'official')

Otherwise, I think there could be some streamlining done. The Website Submissions forum, to my mind, doesn't require or justify a seperate forum (only 11 topics since it was created?). Website submissions would be right at home in the News, Instructions & Feedback forum, either as a seperate sub-forum, or just as loose threads.

The 'Shiney New Waaghs' section should be condensed down into a single forum, with the individual sections as sub-forums. Not much of a change, but it keeps the main page tidy and more streamlined.

The 'Games' forum doesn't seem to see much use. The main page says it has 45 topics and 8000+ replies, but when I enter it there are only three topics... I don't know whether that's just me, or whether one of those things is wrong (either there are more than three topics and I can't see them, or there are only three topics and the numbers are wrong...) Either way, I think the forum can be broken down into other forums; RPGs could go in the Wot Weez Wrote forum, other games that aren't Warhammer-related could go in Off Topic.

So all in all, I don't think we need new forums - I think we have everything we need already. We just need to streamline it, condense things down and generally make things easier to navigate.


One more thing I'd like to bring up is forum names; while there's nothing wrong with the names at the moment (they do what they say on the tin, which is what we want), I think it would be really cool if we could make the forum names more Orc-y, just like with the Wot Weez Wrote forum. Even if it's just a change of spelling (Tactics to Taktiks or however Orcs would spell it), it would add to the overall greenskin flavour of the site and just be a cool little feature. The software update would be an ideal opportunity to implement such a change.

Hope that helps :)

What Beithir said! :) The only stuff we really need is:

"About the site"+Feedback forum
News+rumours discussion (With introductions possibly as a sub-forum or thread?)
Tactics forum (With Battlereport sub-forum)
Painting and Hobby forum
Armyblog Forum (I like having it separate from P&H!)
Offtopic forum

Anything else?

Theo

Less is more indeed. Da Path simply doesn't have the memberbase to justify many sections.

Agree that less is more. But on balance I think you have it about right now.

"Website submissions" really could be merged into the "news and feedback" forum. The rest is more or less ok.
:)

Website submissions will likely be dissolved once the new site goes up. It's just a handy place to keep threads pertaining to the upgrade for now.

Otherwise keep suggesting!

I would guess a forum for rule development would be good as there is a perennial effort to create pirate orcs, seahammer and undead orc rules...

Also one for DWQ would be good in order to give peopel a place to post ideas for the e-zine etc

A better member of the month !
Most people know each other but sometime it would be cool to know
more about a person than just there avatar or 3 little dots

Is here a timeline for the new forums? when will they become active?

Personally, under a painting/hobby heading, I'd really like to see a thread on just pictures-only of showcasing forum members painting/armies. These may or may-not have to do with just O&G as all painting schemes can help others with creating their own style.

And perhaps another thread beside that one on terrain-only pics.

Im not talking about battle-report style pics, but ones where you can line up and display your unit/army as a showcase style.

Aside from this, what other are saying seems pretty good to me as well.

Forgive me if I come across as being blunt opr anything, I'm not meaning to. :) But isnt the army blog section the place to view members painting and conversions?

That is unles syou want the same concept that some forums have - a seperatre section with just photo's. Personaly I dont find them that interesting as they often lack WIP's and explanations and not many members utilize that section.

I find Army blogs useful, especially for getting ideas, though admittedly it can be tedious looking for the ones that suit my own needs and there are an aweful lot of blogs on here. Also admittedly I have some battle reports in my blog thrown in with WIPs and finished pieces.

A place to show off Orc and Goblin specific scenery would be nice though. I have always wanted to champion da-warpath members showing the rest of the warhammer world that green skin scenery is da best, but we have come no where near that aspiration ever.

You're correct, Snikpik and no apologies needed. ^_^ Yes. I really do enjoy the WIP pics of armies etc., but find the clutterness just to see some pics.. well.... tedious at the least. Perhaps I'm in a minority here which is fine. I Do like the blogs from members as well, but much like GW has their page on "Armies on Parade" - showcasing the hard work players put into their armies. I was thinking along these same roads, but for our forum's benefit.

I get sooo much inspiration and ideas just from those type of pics, WIP or not. Perhaps a link from those pictures on a page to their respective blogs to see more of it or WIP etc? Maybe that would give less clutter and easier to find the pics? Just throwing out ideas.

And yes, a separate place for the terrain as well. No blogs with them, but perhaps links to the blogs with the pics? I'm not trying to discredit people from their work.. just the opposite. So many people's great works have been covered by endless blog writes and comments (not just this forum.. I can name several) that trying to find inspirational pictures is quite a chore at times. Yes, search function's help a lot and I do use them. Still, I'm just throwing out ideas. Maybe someone else can improve on this idea.. either way, just trying to help. Cheers! <_<

Actually you've sold that idea to me. I often look for inspiration and am just left to google images which isnt great.

I personally think that Warhammer-Empire does theirs well with the Electors' Forum and overall simplicity while looking very Imperial.

So will this new site be on invision-free? Also, when do you plan to do this remodeling of the site as a whole?

I think a market place might be nice. I'm not sure we have one.

I'll second Rowdy Grot on the Marketplace idea.

I'll third the notion of a marketplace - at least 5 new comers have asked me this...

I know that the staffers are reluctant to do this, but I think it would be a good idea too. A place for trades, "looking for bitz" threads and some in lack of a better word ads for things we're selling or looking to buy. We could have a post count requirement or something of that nature to assure that only serious members have acess to that particular feature, and DW wouldn't be responsible for deals happening there I would think. :)

Just a small forum to swap stuff with eachother. Currently it's hard to know where to put those threads, or if they are even legal.

Theo

A bitz swapping area would be really useful. When I last trolled around www.the-waaagh.com I got a lot of use out of that section of their forums. It was also a cool place for some of the forum members that compulsively converted to sell some creations to other forum users rather than just using ebay.

I know that's an old topic, but I'd like to second the idea of a marketplace. It would be absolutely useful for everyone. I was actually thinking about that this afternoon.
Like I've seen in other communities, the forum doesn't have the responsibility for the dishonest sellers/buyers, it can only moderate the in-forum discussions. :)

looks like the Marketplace seems to be a hot topic (I also was looking for one/or suitable area to post something regarding a trade/sale)

Market place for swapping and selling would be good. Was actually looking for one on here to see if I could scrounge up some specific bits :)

I've seen a few market places on other forums and this seems to work pretty well.

If you place a disclaimer above it that Da Warpath is not responsible then this is crystal clear (for the few people who don't understand it).

On some forum I go to they also have a sub-forum with user notes about sellers (couls also be a sticky).
This is where users can report their grudges for not upholding your end of the deal. (e.g. "I ordered some black Orcs from Theo but I'm still waiting three months later")

Most people actually post good user comments (e.g. non-judgemental and straight to the point posting of what you've found this poster was like to deal with).

Needs some moderating and a slap on the wrist from time to time, but it could work.

In hindsight, all I wanted to post was "yeah that'd be cool". Turned out I'm not very good at brief comments :D

Grtz
-EM-

I would like to see this too.
I have tons and tons of bitz, more than I could use in a lifetime but dont know what to do with them. Since I do a lot commisson work (freelancer I am) and my customers dont want the leftover Bitz, usually - I get more and more and more. Besides that I´m building 2 new armies from the ground so again a great source of bitz.
I was at my local GW a few times and "donated" my bitz but I´d rather give them to someone here on da warpath because that way they´re used best or at least better and I might get some bitz I really need in return. So I´m more for a "swapshop" than a real marketplace but a mp would be nice to have as well.

If you do a marketplace, not allowing ebay links is a way that I think other forums keep the drive-by posters away and also cuts down on the use of the forum in general. I suspect that may be a way to set it up so that it's typically more of a swap/exchange forum or one used for small sales for a few extra models, etc.

Yeh, no ebay or similiar stuff should be allowed else the section get spammed.