[Meta] Community Building – Improving CONCEPTS & CREATIONS
Hey all!
I’ve been thinking lately about some ways to improve this board and the quality of discussions that occur on it, and this thread in particular made me decide to write this up. There are some amazing ideas and some great designers here, but, overall, there isn’t enough of a supportive and helpful environment that helps writers, designers, and artists grow and improve their talents. I’d love to see that change.
As I have a lot of experience in several other game design communities with high levels of encouragement and meaningful interaction, I’d like to suggest a few basic ideas that I’d recommend people keep in mind, in the interest of making CONCEPTS & CREATIONS the best place for creative content and content creators alike.
#If you like this idea, please upvote this thread and/or share your thoughts so that more people can see it.
REMEMBER: The purpose of this board isn’t to get Riot to see your creation. The purpose is to show the community your creation, so that we can enjoy it, be inspired by it, and you can teach / learn something in the process. Without a community, these boards don’t have a purpose...and without a community these boards aren’t a place Riot will ever want to visit. And maybe, if we’re very lucky and have a great community, Riot will decide to stop by on occasion.
With that in mind, I’d like to suggest some behaviors that we should all embrace...
#BE WONDERFUL TO EACH OTHER Firstly, forget the competition for the first page. Remember that we have four pages: “Best,” “Hot,” “New,” and “Recent.” Check them all, and then use upvotes and downvotes wisely. Upvote ideas you love, discussions you find interesting, and things that you don’t agree with but have good effort and thought put into them. The latter is important – you may not like an idea, but that doesn’t mean it won’t lead to an interesting discussion that helps the poster (or others on the board, including yourself) broaden their knowledge about design. DO THIS FOR OTHERS, AND THEY MAY DO IT FOR YOU. Share the limelight, and learn from each other: a good designer of any kind is always ready to learn from those around him, be they more or less experienced.
Downvote only topics that are spam, have no effort put into them, or are clearly attention grabs from people who refuse to engage in conversation. Remember: controversial topics can leads to interesting discussions. Don’t simply downvote something you disagree with the direction or presentation – upvote it instead, and get others engaged in the conversation so that everyone can be involved in the learning process.
Secondly, but equally importantly, treat each other with respect. If you want good, honest critique from friendly people, then you should provide good, honest critique from a friendly person.
#BE HUMBLE Your design isn’t perfect. My design isn’t perfect. Riot’s design isn’t perfect. If you come to these forums, you should come not merely to showcase, but to learn and grow as a designer. Do not mistake critique from criticism, nor lash out in the face of someone revealing flaws in your design. Remember: the best input someone can offer is productive, actionable input that helps you improve. Hearing “it’s great” feels good, but it doesn’t help you grow.
#BE HELPFUL If you think an idea is bad or poorly presented, don’t ignore it, and don’t insult the creator. Share why there is an issue with the concept, or point out that we need more information to fully understand the idea. Help people to learn the sort of quality we ideally want to see on this board, since that is the fastest way to ensure that we get that quality.
Note the world of difference between
"Great. RITO PLZ.”
and...
"This is fantastic. I love the lore you’ve got going here – even though the middle section feels a little choppy, it really highlights the way the character grew into being the champion they are today. The kit itself is a nice continuation of that: the abilities really flow together in a few interesting ways, and I can see a thematic reason for every ability you chose.
That said, I think you need to do a bit of work on the W and E specifically. The ranged harass on the W is nice in and of itself, but it clashes thematically with the idea of the character as someone who dives into the fray without regard for their own safety. It suits his lore, yes, but his design is a bit more tightly focused in the kit you’ve presented. Perhaps putting it on a longer cooldown and making it a minor execute would encourage its use after a fight rather than making it constant harass before a fight? Either that or rework the ability completely to fit the close-range playstyle. Then simply reduce the knockback distance on the E or turn it into a micro-stun: once you get into range it’s a little awkward to immediately put your opponent at a safe distance. Both the W or the E alone would be great finishing moves for an engage, but the kit probably only needs one.”
The second is far superior, and can actually start off a discussion. It’s friendly, helpful, and actionable, and doesn’t present anything as a case of “you must do this or you’re incompetent.”
##THIS IS THE SORT OF COMMUNITY WE NEED IF WE WANT RIOT TO CONSIDER THIS BOARD AS A PLACE WORTH SPENDING TIME AND EFFORT.
We need them to see this as a place to encourage designers, and as a place where their engagement is appreciated, not demanded. As a place where people are eager to learn, not desperate to see their creation put into the game. It doesn’t work if we demand they look here for ideas, but it might work if we create an environment where their input is gracefully taken and used to learn and improve.
RIOT’S CREATIVE TEAMS DON’T OWE US THEIR TIME. WE HAVE TO SHOW WE CAN EARN IT.
And, although I can’t promise this will work, these steps are a good way to show that we care enough to be worth their time.
---The Djinn-
#AS ALWAYS, YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.
