what would make up a great forum?

[Bounty]

Just wondering, if I were to go out and make a general gaming forum (probably with a few others), what would you like to see in it? This is just a base start of ideas, but the hard part is putting it into action. I would update it a whole lot, instead of everything crash down like on Gamer Revolution. But, I would also need to learn some coding stuff, too. So just give me some ideas first.

[Ruairi]

How long is a piece of string?
I hate to be unhelpful (or do I...) but you can put in days of work into a forum, deck it with lots of lovely code and graphics and have a great categorisation algorithm going, but the ultimate-deity-super-god-chocolate-rainbow-magic-uber factor is the people. If you have no users, everything is for nought. Even if there's ten or so of you, it all gets a bit dispiriting when nobody else joins and it becomes glaringly apparent that you could all just email eachother.

One tip I can give you is pick your forum niche and stick to it like a tube of Uhu with golden syrup mixed in. I've seen some people creating forums and declaring it a 'general chat forum'. I promptly bury my face in my hands as I mourn the naivity and ignorance. Who wants to join a general chat forum? People talk to their friends about general goings-on. A general chat forum is going to just turn out to be a race to post topical threads first and boost post counts. Not good.

The real reason people join forums is to discuss a common interest with other afficionados. Your forum doesn't have to be the only one of its kind, but there are more gaming forums than there are KitKat wrappers on a London kerb. Just google it and see for yourself. I would recommend (I can't stress that enough. If you disagree, it's your forum and your aspiration, so just do it) that you develop your niche more. A particular console or franchise is the obvious route but just give it some thought before plowing in. You'll appreciate it in the future.

[Bounty]

Originally Posted by RuairiV2

How long is a piece of string? I hate to be unhelpful (or do I...) but you can put in days of work into a forum, deck it with lots of lovely code and graphics and have a great categorisation algorithm going, but the ultimate-deity-super-god-chocolate-rainbow-magic-uber factor is the people. If you have no users, everything is for nought. Even if there's ten or so of you, it all gets a bit dispiriting when nobody else joins and it becomes glaringly apparent that you could all just email eachother. One tip I can give you is pick your forum niche and stick to it like a tube of Uhu with golden syrup mixed in. I've seen some people creating forums and declaring it a 'general chat forum'. I promptly bury my face in my hands as I mourn the naivity and ignorance. Who wants to join a general chat forum? People talk to their friends about general goings-on. A general chat forum is going to just turn out to be a race to post topical threads first and boost post counts. Not good. The real reason people join forums is to discuss a common interest with other afficionados. Your forum doesn't have to be the only one of its kind, but there are more gaming forums than there are KitKat wrappers on a London kerb. Just google it and see for yourself. I would recommend (I can't stress that enough. If you disagree, it's your forum and your aspiration, so just do it) that you develop your niche more. A particular console or franchise is the obvious route but just give it some thought before plowing in. You'll appreciate it in the future.

That's why I'm getting ideas here. But it's also for the members, you know. But the thing is, nothing is really good unless you pay for it, say, like this forum is made of vBulletin. That costs around $200-300 just to install. And then with all the add-ons, it's even more. but with every click, you may get some money, which may help. So, first, you'd have to be really commited to doing it. If I had the money, I would. But I'm just sticking to a free forum for right now.

I already have one started a little; I can just use that. I made it in the summer; almost forgot about it.

[Kr!sP]

Originally Posted by RuairiV2

Even if there's ten or so of you, it all gets a bit dispiriting when nobody else joins and it becomes glaringly apparent that you could all just email eachother.

not completely true, first forum I was on was on a smash melee forum created for the sole purpose of smashers talking and it had like 10 active members, 30 in all. All the people knew each other and lived roughly an hour drive from everyone else though and were just bored of or banned from Smash World Forums. It had some good times. It did die out after I dunno 6 months to a year? Mostly because everyone moved back to SWF(except for me) This basically just reinforces your point of having good members.

In the end if you put out a good product it will eventually catch wind, general gaming forums are tricky though. The mixed community will burn itself out with many a flame war or spam. I liked Ninboy's idea of the Pulse Streem with separate gaming forums all linked together, I personally think he should change the name of WU to Wii Pulse or Wii Streem and keep this forum running as a part of the whole.

Oh and back to the topic:
-advertise somehow
-put a blog on the front page front and center with news, comedy, and pictures
-Don't use dark on dark skins, they look horrible. Dark on light or Light on light(WU would be light on light with white on blue)

Also if you do advertise using videos then none of that Windows Movie Maker, it just makes the forum look immature and under bad management.

[Bounty]

Originally Posted by Kr!sP

not completely true, first forum I was on was on a smash melee forum created for the sole purpose of smashers talking and it had like 10 active members, 30 in all. All the people knew each other and lived roughly an hour drive from everyone else though and were just bored of or banned from Smash World Forums. It had some good times. It did die out after I dunno 6 months to a year? Mostly because everyone moved back to SWF(except for me) This basically just reinforces your point of having good members. In the end if you put out a good product it will eventually catch wind, general gaming forums are tricky though. The mixed community will burn itself out with many a flame war or spam. I liked Ninboy's idea of the Pulse Streem with separate gaming forums all linked together, I personally think he should change the name of WU to Wii Pulse or Wii Streem and keep this forum running as a part of the whole. Oh and back to the topic: -advertise somehow -put a blog on the front page front and center with news, comedy, and pictures -Don't use dark on dark skins, they look horrible. Dark on light or Light on light(WU would be light on light with white on blue) Also if you do advertise using videos then none of that Windows Movie Maker, it just makes the forum look immature and under bad management.

True. But, then again, this is a Wii general forum, and most people nowadays here pay the 360 and PS3 instead. And I still need to learn on some coding, so I wouldn't expect it to be done until at least summer. And I don't use Windows Media Maker, I would use iMovie. I have a Mac instead. Works so much better.

[GuruSharky]

Ive ran a few forums in the past, ones that I've made and it all has died out gracefully. I recently put down my forum NBN in lou of working here and at nHotspot - A place for gamers to chill out and relax which itself just expanded to a general gaming forum.

If you ask me, the gaming forum biz is basically dried up, and unless you have something very appealing to make members want to join your site there will always be one to 1-up you at the end of the day, I learned this the hard way.

But do whatever you wish, I just decided that maybe Im not meant to be a forum leader, and went to spend my spare time where I could write and moderate and live happily ever after.

[Bombz]

I don't know much of what I can do, but I'm willing to help.