Hey everyone,

 

With the excitement of PR 1.0 dying down it has become apparent that the community forums are quieting down once again and people are looking elsewhere for interaction as apposed to our community.

 

A few months ago I and the admin team requested some information about how we could improve things and apart from a short spurt of ideas it didn't go far.

 

I would love to see this community thriving again and being the place people come to share their experiences and knowledge. I'm willing to put the effort in to make it happen but i need you to help as well.

 

What I would like to know is what to the current community members would like to see happen?

There are many points to this and this community was always based upon input from everyone, not just a few putting content in for others to look at.

The community will only grow if people take 10 minutes to post and ask for things. If you want to help make it happen then now is the time.

 

So if we are to get things moving again what is it we can do?

 

Forums

It has been noted that the forums look old and stale. Previously people asked for things to change but didn't give real specifics.

Madhouse made a massive effort to get a new forum structure up but the way we have modded this one means we cant transfer information.

So as I see it we can

• Keep this one
  
• Give this one a lick of paint and move things around
  
• change to a completely new forum system and start fresh (zero posts etc)
  
• Tells us and give examples / explanations so we can make it happen, please don't just say a change would be good and then think you have done your part for the community.
  
• The current forums can not have a shout-box integrated again. I have tried so many times but it is just broken.
  
• I can look at making the style sheet and pics available so a new colour scheme can be made.
  
• If you know of a good new forum system that has benefits beyond this one (i.e. social media compatibility) then tell me and how much.

Community involvement

• Quite a number of people come to the forums each day but don't post. What are we missing?
  
• Taking a few minutes to tell people about a game they played or something they like can go along way to make an active forum.
  
• Do we need a different styled admin group who are not just focused on admining the servers but are actively adding content? if so what content.

Other games and or servers

It has been discussed we need other games.

• We have Arma 2 and Arma 3 servers now and they are active and well looked after. We have had another game but it didn't last long.
  
• We need community input to see what other games people want to talk about or look for servers.
  
• BigD is very spoilt with the servers we have and the price we pay, so other games may require to be paid for (Battlefield 4)

So guys and gals, its time to ask yourself if you want to put a little extra effort into the community and make it live again or let it disappear.

 

Please ask lots of questions, make suggestions, help the team and i make it a place you want to come to and be involved in.

 

Please Discuss Below

If we want to get more people playing we should have more events which will pull in Australian PR players who don't know about the BigD community.

 

For the forums I think we should just simplify it and 'give it a new lick of paint'

Guess ill start with my thoughts (to be taken with abit of salt)

 

#1 Admins. ok it has come to my attention that some are and some are not, there seems to be alot of them that are not active

and up to date with the current state of things, there for not contributing to the community at all, these positions need to be re though and maybe if the right people apply, positions should be replaced to benefit bigD

 

#2 Forums. STICK WITH THE COLOR SCHEME! bigD has its own flavor so stay with what works

the rest needs a complete re think, 1 clean it up, the forums are a mess, there is so much junk from years gone by that no one reads or needs.

if your goin to have a new forum (desperately needed) dont bring all the sh$t from this one over to it, if we start fresh it'll be easier to mannage, i mean same basic forum structure

but now we have new servers, new games, new members

why grasp on to the crap from 2008, makes travelling through these forums a chore not a pleasure. CLEAN IT UP. also seen some other site layouts like the guys from clan Valhalla, or even CTB. very clean and manageable

 

#3 Servers. no need for a second PR server, does this really have to be spelt out.

waste of resources, perfectly good server sitting there, never anyone on it

im gonna strait up say it. put Arma3 on it, the arma series is starting to take abit more speed in this community and it will only get bigger in the times ahead, currently the Arma servers are sharing a box (drop in performance)

it would benefit the community largely if this was done. my original thought was to put BF4 on it, even though i don't play, it would have been good for some member's, but ive been told that aint an option (licencing or some sh!t).

so lets use these machines that are practically given to us, not waste'em

 

#4 New Members. we've been getting them believe it or not. good way to get more is though social media, and i think that opens a completely new admin slot. like apparently we have a facebook page?

me, holzy and the gang (well more just holz, he attracts the weird ones though:group:) can only scalp so many from the public servers with our limited talents :guitar:

 

well thats all i got of the top of my head, there is probably a million ideas floating around up there that haven't surfaced yet but ill bring them up when they do.

Im currently and have no shame in saying that from a games point of view I am working the hardest and doing the most out of anyone else in creating new content and taking on ideas to make them reality for this community (my endless work with the arma series, i dont sleep some times)

so the last thing i want to see is this community go under. so no more sitting down and twiddling our thumbs, its time to get this ball rolling. and any in a high position/admin trying to slow this progress needs to stand down/leave

harsh but true

I Agree with all of what Diabolical has said so far with an exception to the web site.

 

I think we need to start from scratch and have everyone register again with a new forums, preferably with a new forum system that has benefits beyond this one. (Not being an expert on these things I would ask someone else what is good on the market.)

I think we need to start from scratch and have everyone register again with a new forums

 

+1

 

Fresh start would be the easiest. Sure it means that we loose our post counts and rep, but if it meant that much to people, surely you could put something in your signature in the new forum?

 

Cut our losses, start new and make it streamlined.

 

my 2cents.

Yep, I agree with a new forum. Maybe we could keep this old one for a little bit to reseat the more popular/large threads (randomness, music, latest purchase etc).

 

A shoutbox would be sweet also.

 

Maybe we could start a mod section for PR2/ARMA or something? Attract developers etc.

Maybe we look at doing what we can to expand the scope of BigD to form a community of people who enjoy tactical/milsim/teamwork oriented games? The obvious inclusions being PR and ARMA but maybe explore other options in the future as well? Ultimately that's the common denominator for all of us and the reason we all stick around so let that be the glue as opposed to purely PR. This will likely attract the type of people who would then be interested in PR.

Also more pub crawls

project reality could to go back to its original roots...create gameplay that grabs players in and keeps them even when the numbers are low. unfortunately skirmish maps do not allow this and small numbers on big maps doesn't work either.

 

back in the day pr only attracted a small percentage of the whole gaming community...mainly players dedicated to teamwork and working together to achieve a goal. these players have become the minority and are slowly dying out, but they are what this type of game needs to run it properly.

 

imo, the server could manufacture the old pr, lock the server, organise specific gaming nights of the week and create a battle environment on the bigger maps that can be controlled and specific for smaller numbers.

 

a few ideas based around this style,

 

- choose one flag/area and each team build a fob at either end, fight head to head to take the flag in the middle or destroy the other teams fob

- if one side wins too easily then switch players to even the sides

 

there are a few reasons why people will leave a server with low player numbers,

- they are getting smashed (which happens much easier with small numbers on the server than big numbers)

- they have to run too far to the enemy or wait too long for the enemy to come to them.

 

create gameplay by manipulating pr inside pr with the ability to direct the fighting. in the same way pr manipulated bf2 to service their needs.

 

the australian community could also create a team of players that are squad leaders in pr. this team could communicate on the forums amongst themselves about how to improve gameplay on the server. the more they are on the same page on the forum, the better they can communicate on the battlefield at a more regular level. even to the point that they will already know where the squad is going with out having to ask or question. especially when the player numbers are large.

Guess ill start with my thoughts (to be taken with abit of salt)

 

#1 Admins. ok it has come to my attention that some are and some are not, there seems to be alot of them that are not active

and up to date with the current state of things, there for not contributing to the community at all, these positions need to be re though and maybe if the right people apply, positions should be replaced to benefit bigD

 

#2 Forums. STICK WITH THE COLOR SCHEME! bigD has its own flavor so stay with what works

the rest needs a complete re think, 1 clean it up, the forums are a mess, there is so much junk from years gone by that no one reads or needs.

if your goin to have a new forum (desperately needed) dont bring all the sh from this one over to it, if we start fresh it'll be easier to mannage, i mean same basic forum structure

but now we have new servers, new games, new members

why grasp on to the crap from 2008, makes travelling through these forums a chore not a pleasure. CLEAN IT UP. also seen some other site layouts like the guys from clan Valhalla, or even CTB. very clean and manageable

 

#3 Servers. no need for a second PR server, does this really have to be spelt out.

waste of resources, perfectly good server sitting there, never anyone on it

im gonna strait up say it. put Arma3 on it, the arma series is starting to take abit more speed in this community and it will only get bigger in the times ahead, currently the Arma servers are sharing a box (drop in performance)

it would benefit the community largely if this was done. my original thought was to put BF4 on it, even though i don't play, it would have been good for some member's, but ive been told that aint an option (licencing or some sh!t).

so lets use these machines that are practically given to us, not waste'em

 

#4 New Members. we've been getting them believe it or not. good way to get more is though social media, and i think that opens a completely new admin slot. like apparently we have a facebook page?

me, holzy and the gang (well more just holz, he attracts the weird ones though:group:) can only scalp so many from the public servers with our limited talents :guitar:

 

well thats all i got of the top of my head, there is probably a million ideas floating around up there that haven't surfaced yet but ill bring them up when they do.

Im currently and have no shame in saying that from a games point of view I am working the hardest and doing the most out of anyone else in creating new content and taking on ideas to make them reality for this community (my endless work with the arma series, i dont sleep some times)

so the last thing i want to see is this community go under. so no more sitting down and twiddling our thumbs, its time to get this ball rolling. and any in a high position/admin trying to slow this progress needs to stand down/leave

harsh but true

 

 

+1 to all of this

I disappeared from the community some time ago but with PR 1.0 announced and Arma3 taking up more and more of my gaming time I decided to try and start showing up again. However even though I think PR is still great and I wouldn't mind playing it, it just cannot compete any more with the rest of the market as well as it once did. Maybe when PR2 starts it's public beta or what ever it can become a big part of BigD but to me it just doesn't draw me here enough.

 

Something fresh needs to be added whether it's just a reset on the whole forum or a new server to the lineup.

 

I myself have had trouble getting into the deeper parts of Arma3 but have been enjoying the hell out of the server mod Altis Life (pretty sure I've seen EvilRooter on the server I go to.)

Me and my mates used to seed the pr server every night up untill you banned me, then we stoped playing. I think it was wise moves such as that that has led to the demise of the au-nz pr scene/bigd. I hope better decisions are made with pr2 and arma.

#3 Servers. no need for a second PR server, does this really have to be spelt out.

waste of resources, perfectly good server sitting there, never anyone on it

 

this

I've wanted to start playing PR again for ages now but the effort it takes let alone the net to get BF2 all three patches and then the PR patches etc just is not worth the 10 year old graphics and empty servers. I play arma2 dayz still which i fear is dying out much like the AU/NZ PR scene, I message Youtubers who make BF2 PR content, be it full time or the occasional video and it appears the decline is taking much longer in EU/UK/USA.

 

I personally think Arma 3 is the only saving grace for Realism Milsims. (Not saying that it will save anything, just that its the only thing that can.)

 

I was literally going to the facebook to remove bigD when i saw the post being about trying to revive the community, all im getting is pesky notifications about BF2:PR which i cant participate in anyway.

 

Wasn't very helpful but its what everything looks like from where im sitting.

If you know of a good new forum system that has benefits beyond this one (i.e. social media compatibility) then tell me and how much.

 

Joomla = free

Wordpress = free

 

Both have active communities which means development is strong and there are lots of plugins (both free and commercial) which I think you are looking for (shoutbox, social media).

 

Both CMS's have bridges for phpbb3 integration if you don't like the native forum software.

 

Who uses Joomla - http://gamingau.net/ (vbulletin forums not integrated into the cms)

Who uses Wordpress - http://games.on.net/ (looks like phpbb3 forum integration)

 

Aux use Joomla and you can see the native forum implementation of kunena forum software and also some of the other plugins such as a shoutbox.

 

Probably wasting my time responding once again... I put one of these solutions forward over 12 months ago and was ignored due to indifference or personal prejudices. To mind the boat has sailed through lack of action.

Edited October 31, 201311 yr by Sapper28

http://www.surfersam.com/funny-pictures/funny-pictures-cpr.jpg

 

I've wanted to start playing PR again for ages now but the effort it takes let alone the net to get BF2 all three patches and then the PR patches etc just is not worth the 10 year old graphics and empty servers.

^^This.

 

I still browse BigD from time to time, but have strayed away from signing in/posting purely because I felt I had nothing to add as I didn't play PR or even have it on my HDD anymore. I'd hate to see the community die, but in order for me to get back into being an active member there would have to be more in it than just 'PR', its just too far gone. PR2 would change this, and if this place still has legs I'm sure I'll return then.

 

Possibly community nights that don't revolve around playing PR, for instance, if the community set aside a night to all play 'BF3' or 'TF2' etc, this I would definitely get around. You could say, in 2 weeks we will be playing game 'X', go download it if you want to join in etc. Even currently, TF2 has its annual Halloween event running, placing a community night on during this with everyone wearing a community tag of [bD]c is something that could attract others who would have never head of BigD otherwise. Something different that gives others a reason to come to BigD other than to read/chat/comment about PR.

 

I'd agree with the need for a new forum, but the one thing that's always made this website great, is the main page. It's so easy to see which topics are active, certainly beats looking through sub-sections to see what's new.

 

I guess that's my 5c, cheers for all the good times, hopefully there may be more to come, until then :hi:

 

Also I support this:

Also more pub (brisbane) crawls

:drinks:

a live dialogue somewhere on the page so we can chat to agree to seed a round?

 

turn one of the two PR servers into a co-op server?

I'd agree with the need for a new forum, but the one thing that's always made this website great, is the main page. It's so easy to see which topics are active, certainly beats looking through sub-sections to see what's new.

1+ to this, that frontpage is a godsend for finding all the new topics and such.

 

I say keep the colour scheme, mostly out of sentimental attachment but also since it's still pretty fresh and eyecatching. Nothing like blue/orange contrast :db: .

 

My thoughts are that we could switch the community focus to games other than Arma/PR, which I understand is what this community was formed around, since PR ain't getting any yonger and ARMA isn't for everyone. There's a decent number of us that're playing other games like BF4, Warthunder, Rome 2, and it'd be pretty easy to have a community night for one of those. In fact we had a decent Rising Storm community night in between the announcement and release of PR 1.0, and that was good fun all round with a group of us populating an empty server, chatting over teamspeak and generally causing havok.

 

Big D as it stands is the centre for Aussie PR, which explains why the numbers are lower these days; BF2 is 8 years old with two sequels almost out the door and it ain't drawing the old crowd it did back in the day.

 

New forum? That'd be cool, but I honestly think we need a bigger game changer than a new lick of paint.

I'm of the opinion that we should take one of the PR servers and switch it to co-op play. We never use both servers anyway and this will allow small numbers to play when there aren't many people in.

I agree with changing one of the servers to Co-op preferrably or ARMA or whatever

 

xoxox to all the people still trying to make this work

 

I'm Keen for Whatever.

 

I think maybe opening BIG D up to an open community of many games with a milsim theme.

i agree with a co-op server .when numbers are low we can still get a game on bots with a low ping server

2c worth

Early heads up regarding running 2 PR servers, we will be dropping one.

Converting it to Co-op is one option yes....but it would still sit empty 99% of the time, we have run one as Co-op a few times .

 

If we have one running always empty its only a matter of time till it will be allocated to something else by our host.

We are looking into finding a new use for it that will justify its continued availability to our community.

BF4 servers are already sorted thx to Kinsman and friends .

 

Other suggestions are very welcome.

And thankyou all for the feedback so far. .

I think tonight's game proved that Aussie PR still has potential, but there isn't enough commitment to it. We had a max of 20 players tonight, but if you count all the people who joined and then left, it must be at least 30-40 separate people. If we could encourage those people to stay instead of jumping over to a US server because our numbers are down we could still revive the PR community.

Early heads up regarding running 2 PR servers, we will be dropping one.

Converting it to Co-op is one option yes....but it would still sit empty 99% of the time, we have run one as Co-op a few times .

 

If we have one running always empty its only a matter of time till it will be allocated to something else by our host.

We are looking into finding a new use for it that will justify its continued availability to our community.

BF4 servers are already sorted thx to Kinsman and friends .

 

Other suggestions are very welcome.

And thankyou all for the feedback so far. .

 

+1 for a TF2 server? Sometimes I like to just pew pew without thinking :db:

When the update comes, can we please keep the light background - dark text theme happening please?

 

I just read Jerrif's link to the BF4 forums and had my eyes absolutely assaulted by coming back to a light screen.

 

(Mind you my eyes are pretty buggered after these marathon sessions in the library).