Reviving the forums

[mariobrigade2018]

SLAM died because when i started it when I was like 16 and in way over my head, and now we're 2 more updates deep into smbx and all the levels would require numerous updates and fixes to even work. I'm certainly not going to be picking it back up because I'm not exactly interested in chaining myself to spur of the moment decisions I made 6 years ago and I doubt anyone else would want to either.

Time for a new collab episode, then?

[deice]

chiming in to say i'd be more than down for another slam or a reworking of what's currently been submitted, sounds fun

[Ness-Wednesday]

"In my mind and in my car. We can't rewind, we've gone too far."

I was on VC with a few folks on another server while you posted this. I thank Nightingale and Krakin for spreading the word on the SMBX server. I took nearly a week after reading this post to ramble, contemplate, edit, and research because there are oodles to unpack. I spoilered all my replies to index everything.

Emral: show

Accessibility and Anonymity: show

I’m shocked I never thought about the accessibility of the forums compared to Discord. Everything here is dead-on, especially when it comes to anonymity.

I have another point on why Discord isn’t the best at replacing the forums.

I read a convo in 1-UP World about how Twitter tries to be a discussion site despite not being designed to function as one—the mass number of messages shared in seconds, the character limit, and the overall pressure for quick responses. This technically applies to Discord. Except it’s a discussion site, but not a constructive discussion site. While the character limit is significantly larger than Twitter's, we also have the "... is typing" string, Discord’s layout formatting larger messages into text walls, etc. It encourages you to keep typing without much breathing room. I feel intimidated to type on Discord sometimes. Partly because of my social anxiety, but also because of how discouraging it is to try to give a proper explanation and get interrupted mid-way. Or when someone says “I saw you typing,” or “Can you please just speak?” I miss the slower pace of the forums in such a fast-paced world.

Point 1 and 2: show

I’m on my annual Discord break, but I’ll start co-sharing content here and on the SMBX Discord server. I’ve also started writing short reviews of levels in the level thread. They’ll probably slow down for a bit until November, but I’ll still try to get at least one done every 1-2 weeks. It’s a good typing exercise, haha!

I think compared to 10 years ago, the community has significantly improved at sharing feedback: Anything like massive drama over non-issues in a screenshot, The Trash Can, or the shitposty and “You should know that!!!” reviews in CCs are all at a contained level or eradicated. However, the space of a public server with 16,000+ members makes it scarier to share anything but an “It looks good” one-liner. Meanwhile, private servers have less weight on their shoulders—opening space for more constructive feedback.

Point 2a: show

How would this work phpBB-wise? Would a user have to ask a staff member for a personal subforum where they share all their levels? The “one-per-user” policy was implemented to prevent the level forums from becoming harder to find older levels post-Trash Can era. But in retrospect, a thread with 30+ levels and 20 paragraphs isn’t as beginner-friendly as it seems. I’m all for a new system but I must see how it works before judging it.

Point 2b: show

I am neutral on a Karma system. I’m concerned about potential exploits. Most older veterans say the older “Rep” system was heavily abusable. I’m sure this is all in good faith, but some notes on the previous system must be taken to prevent history from repeating itself. I’m thirding Squishy Rex and Saltlord for the return of badges. Other forums like MFGG and Smogon have badge systems that encourage members to interact more without being overly competitive. Please let me know if there are any other forums with badge systems.

Point 2c: show

I support a bot auto-posting starboarded screenshots in a separate thread. I first felt mixed with the Starboard and thought it was superfluous. Random note that Elon Musk’s Boring Company “Flamethrower” almost became the first message starboarded. Three years later… I like it. The utility of finding older messages and seeing users unite to appreciate what the community has done convinced me. As for the “Weekly Digest” thread, we need someone with enough interest and time to keep the thread alive.

Point 3 and 4: show

The problem is nobody has stepped in to say “Hey, can we help with [Insert Event]?” anymore. There’s even a Google form in the Contest-and-Events forum, which the lack of replies and volunteering between 2022 and 2023 (except Sciencecon) is worryingly suggesting me no one’s filled it out. I theorized people got scared after controversies like GEX and the “Hibiscus” incident. But the truth is, not everything will go smoothly and that’s okay.

The open judging slots in this year’s contests before the submission period are a good start. I’m getting excited about seeing members show interest in judging CCX5. Shout out to Saltlord for reviving the LOTM! For anyone reading this message that’s interested in reviving any abandoned events like Monthly threads and SMBX Newsletter, or has any new ideas for contests and events, be sure to contact the event team!

Conclusion: show

As someone who used to often doompost years ago, this is far from a doompost: You are expressing concerns over a community you’ve grown up in possibly dying and are constructively offering ways to revive the forums. It is a healthy and natural way to express concern for what you love.

After the community self-imploded around 2016-2019, we reacted by hiding in the SMBX Discord server. This worked when the world was under a global lockdown. When countries started reopening, the cracks started showing.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. This whole thread gives me hope the forum's activity will resurge. It will be a challenge, but I truly believe we can find a compromise to revive the forums while maintaining the Discord server.

Squishy Rex: show

I check the forums several times daily to see if anyone’s made any new posts. I should start posting more, especially during my annual Discord break in 3 days. Discord can’t archive content. Old messages easily get piled with newer messages, and channels only have 50 pins. Not to mention file links expire after 24 hours. Oh, and the 10MB limit (Remember when it was 25MB? Me neither).

Also, two questions:

1. I’m curious to learn more about your ideas: What areas of the forums do you think are unexplored?
2. Pardon if this question’s abrupt: What did the Asset Library Q&A mean on replacing the Forums as a concept? Some concerns and comments about the Asset Library being a forum replacement have been made since it was revealed. Just some clarity on what the Q&A meant might be needed.

Saltlord: show

I wait a little to post anything in the showcase channel because it’s easy to overshadow other’s content. You could upload a screenshot of a WIP level, but if someone else posts another screenshot of their custom NPC or level milliseconds later, you can only pray it doesn’t get left behind. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just how Discord is designed. Threads don’t do anything. They only throw the conversation into a small corner, letting it die instantaneously.

Side note: Thank you so much for reviving Level Of The Month! I thought about it for a while, but I never had the time to touch LOTM after LooKiCH left.

Marina: show

(Moved this reply up because it’s referenced in the next two replies).

Reading this got me to watch a few videos about third spaces. The anonymity and need for input don’t make forums the best alternative for those who prefer offline interactions. But when you’re forced to stay socially isolated, there’s no choice. This was my third space during Summer School five years ago and throughout quarantine. And likely the same for most of the other veterans before the Discord server was opened. Discord is the suburban backyard that prioritizes convenience over social connections. Also, I now have another reason to hate driving. Thanks, lol

In retrospect, I think we took that space for granted. This thread has inspired me to fit some of my PC time with a few forum posts every week. I also spent time thinking a lot about how forums are both part of and affected by Capitalism’s attack on third spaces, offline and online.

Blake Izayoi: show

Origin stories like yours are why the slower-paced “third places” like libraries and Forums are worth protecting. Modern social media platforms don’t allow these discoveries because they’re more demanding than easier-to-access sites like forums. You must log in and get an invite to the Discord server you want to visit. Twitter now gives you a “Sign up” page when trying to do anything as a guest. You don’t need to visit the phpBB site to join the forums. Just go to smbxgame.com/forums and you’re there. As a kid, my local libraries had no social media except YouTube. But if I wanted to view a forum or any notable website with flash games (CoolMathGames, anyone?), I could just search them up.

Bedream: show

I agree that help and support channels usually aren’t great. The SMBX server’s help channel has been inconsistent lately. Half of the time a handful of members would help, and half of the time it would result in needlessly long discussions about childish behavior. The only option I can think of is removing the channel, which has too many downsides.

Mr Nameless: show

SMBX Server: show

This is exactly how I’ve felt about the SMBX server for 14 months. It's become gradually harder to engage there due to the growing number of images/spoilers/unfunny comments flooding and derailing discussion channels. We all need to remember to take a step back when feeling tense. And if things start to get heated, ping the staff role. Take a second. Breathe. Everyone in this server is human, not robots (Yet?).

Grievances with the Forums: show

The search bar is hidden for guests because bots used to massively pollute the forums. That's why the highest amount of members online was in April. The search bar being wacky is sadly just how it works. I highly doubt much can be done with it.

I agree that avatars shouldn’t be hidden from guests. I can’t comprehend how they’re distracting. They’re part of that “third place” interaction of most Forums. I may see someone with an avatar I recognize and compliment them in PMs. Then someone replies “Thank you,” suggesting I made their day a little bit better. What if everybody was blocked off from seeing other faces in a bar or library unless they owned a membership? I honestly find their absence more distracting because of how uninviting posts look. Not sure why them being "distracting" is an issue here, but not in other forums.

I’m excited to see the new forum graphics Emral sent. As for the Feature Worlds and Graphics page, anyone can revive it if the page is still around (I don’t have a link to it, I’m sorry). And to anyone who hasn’t yet, please recommend episodes for the Recommended Episodes Suggestions page.

Knux: show

I thought the SMBX server should be deleted for months, but as you said, many sub-communities already formed. And plenty of newer users probably don’t even know what IRC chat is. It’s too late to go back.

I can’t comment much on anything from 2009 to 2014 because I only joined this community in the Summer of 2015. Most of what I know is through messages from those who were there. I think the community’s change in heart comes from a combination of forum nostalgia and relaxing on the needless drama over a silly Mario fangame. Most of the issues I have with SMBX Discord’s posting habits are caused by how Discord is designed. It enables people to run into a burning house with a bucket of water before calling for a firefighter.

Aero: show

Unfortunately, I can’t add much on IRC because I never used one during the forum’s prime…

I agree that ranks and karma could encourage spam, but I don’t think badges would be too bad if they were small and invisible to guests. It would be a nice discovery for those who join the forums—like finding buried treasure in the sand.

The community archival bounty is a good idea. Eclipse and I went around multiple SMBX discord servers and archived pages to gather a ton of side and official contests. The thread is inactive because Eclipsed left and it’s not my top priority. However, there is one contest I’m hoping could see the light day (8-year-old ice cream). We could do that with other forms of SMBX content (The builds, Quill!).

Sux: show

I think some specialized roles deserve a chance to return. One of my favorite aspects of the SMBX server is how colorful the server looks with the variety of roles. It’s quite pleasing. I’m open to a new system in the Level forums, but bringing back the rated subforums is unnecessary. I agree with investing time into improving contests. However, I disagree with reviving tiers because all they did was bring out annoying “I’m not in X tier!” posts.

I understand the concern as I also discovered SMBX through YouTube. The best we do is to try filling in that YouTube niche after Eclipse’s departure. I may stream episodes with commentary like The Conquest and Star Expedition in the future if people want them. Probably when I get a better mic.

Valentine: show

I don’t remember much from SLAM besides the dead server and that horrible level I regret making. I checked the main thread because I was trying to refresh my memory and… Okay, yeah it’s for the best. Lol. Thirding my word for another collab.

Side note: Can an admin archive the SLAM subforum, please?

Lastly, I want to appreciate what we have now: Liam brought us SMBX Directs and is working with Squishy Rex on the Asset Library. Contests have never been better. The X2 team gave us the biggest SMBX update in years; kudos for their hard work. We now have an episode and custom asset index. Newly released and upcoming episodes like The Conquest, Invasion 3, Delightful Adventure 2, SMATRS, Yoshi's Journey, Captain Toad: Prism Star Quest, Super Mario Miracle 2, Floating Weeds, and I can keep going! Resurging love for older episodes even despite their flaws. And Saltlord reviving Level Of The Month after reading this thread.

This post was the most difficult to make. I went through so many emotions drafting this. I know we’re just like every other forum community: A niche with a rollercoaster of events irrelevant to most. But that’s okay. Sometimes the best things in life are the ones only you (or even a few friends) understand. The SMBX community since I returned has helped me grow as a person. I'll forever cherish my days here.

Right now, I'm on my annual Discord break, so if you have anything to ask between now and October 4th, PM me here.
Thank you Emral for making this thread

[Emral]

Thanks for your writeup, Ness! I've only read the part directed at me for now, and wanted to quickly respond to a few points.

Point 2a: hide
How would this work phpBB-wise? Would a user have to ask a staff member for a personal subforum where they share all their levels?

Nothing as complex. My idea is basically that you still have a thread for all your levels, but you're also free to make a new thread for a new release. It'd be a bit more cluttered, but if you link from the new level thread to the all-levels-thread and vice-versa, it makes them still easy to find.

The reasoning behind this idea is that I was wondering why replies to level threads have declined... and I thought maybe they're more seen as an author's blog for the most part. The presence of a new thread is also maybe a bit more enticing than seeing [new level july 2024] on an older thread.. I don't know if my assumptions are accurate, but I think with the level output nowadays we don't have much to worry about in terms of clutter, especially if LOTM is here to catalogue new releases, so it might be good to try it and get some data on it.

The problem is nobody has stepped in to say “Hey, can we help with [Insert Event]?” anymore. There’s even a Google form in the Contest-and-Events forum, which the lack of replies and volunteering between 2022 and 2023 (except Sciencecon) is worryingly suggesting me no one’s filled it out. I theorized people got scared after controversies like GEX and the “Hibiscus” incident. But the truth is, not everything will go smoothly and that’s okay.

It's true that there isn't much engagement for hosting events, but I think the form was also a bit of an overly bureaucratic approach. You point out the judging stuff in the announcement threads, and that's part of my push to lower the barrier to entry for helping out. We had the judge auditions previously, and in my opinion they took too much time, and judging isn't so serious as to need vetted experts. We're all here for fun, after all, so we should pave avenues for people to find out if they enjoy these tangential things that don't exactly relate to level design directly.
I would love for more people to step up with event ideas, and I'd be more than happy to help set them up. Perhaps I should make a formal post at some point about this, but if anyone has like, a contest or event idea and needs a 2nd opinion or would like input from someone who's done this a couple of times, just send me a PM.

[Squishy Rex]

"In my mind and in my car. We can't rewind, we've gone too far."

1. I’m curious to learn more about your ideas: What areas of the forums do you think are unexplored?
2. Pardon if this question’s abrupt: What did the Asset Library Q&A mean on replacing the Forums as a concept? Some concerns and comments about the Asset Library being a forum replacement have been made since it was revealed. Just some clarity on what the Q&A meant might be needed.

Firstly, I just want to say that that's gotta be one of the most impressive response posts I've ever seen. That's how you have a discussion.

1. Forgetting that they had been made unavailable to access in somewhat recent times, but I was talking about the pipes at the top of page (or at least the ones that were removed). While both the featured episodes and graphics hadn't been updated in years, they were a different way of showing off new additions to site or freshly released content like a more visual newsletter. While they only had a single thumbnail image to represent topic, typically that's going to generate more interest then scrolling through a sub forum which unfortunately, cannot display images unless you go into the topic. In that way, the creator is getting something they worked on shown off, and if people like what they see, when they click on the featured item it takes them to the topic, where they can and typically then tend to engage.

2. So, from the beginning people asked if the site was meant to replace the forums. In short, no, that's not our intention, and I'd personally be against doing so. The easiest way to explain what it's meant to be like would like how TSR or MFGG operate. They have their forums for all forms of discussion, events, engagement etc with "assets" side of things being separate but also not. It's like how we've all agreed at this point that forums are really not be best way to organize and display things that have more visual purpose than text. Hopefully that makes sense, but just to be crystal clear, both the forums and asset site are meant to work together, not to try and be the other's executioner.

[Idunn]

1. Forgetting that they had been made unavailable to access in somewhat recent times, but I was talking about the pipes at the top of page (or at least the ones that were removed). While both the featured episodes and graphics hadn't been updated in years, they were a different way of showing off new additions to site or freshly released content like a more visual newsletter. While they only had a single thumbnail image to represent topic, typically that's going to generate more interest then scrolling through a sub forum which unfortunately, cannot display images unless you go into the topic. In that way, the creator is getting something they worked on shown off, and if people like what they see, when they click on the featured item it takes them to the topic, where they can and typically then tend to engage.

You saying newsletter reminded me that of the time where Taycam back then posted some monthly newsletters like this viewtopic.php?t=25932&hilit=Newsletter (shameful plug because my project was mentionend in it)
It was imo a cool idea since it highlighted stuff that was being worked on or current contests running etc but died fast since Taycam was the only one and tried getting a team but that never happened.

I'm not saying we should try something like this again, cause it probably would be a lot of work to post it every now and then, but this was nice to have since it showed stuff from different people alltogether.

Also I know I haven't said anything before here, but I favor for the forum to thrive a bit more again.
Discord is nice and all, but it cannot replace a forum as discussions about certain topics end in 1-2 messages and get flooded away.
Same reason why I like the screenshot thread more than the one from the Server back then.

[Ness-Wednesday]

Nothing as complex. My idea is basically that you still have a thread for all your levels, but you're also free to make a new thread for a new release. It'd be a bit more cluttered, but if you link from the new level thread to the all-levels-thread and vice-versa, it makes them still easy to find.

The reasoning behind this idea is that I was wondering why replies to level threads have declined... and I thought maybe they're more seen as an author's blog for the most part. The presence of a new thread is also maybe a bit more enticing than seeing [new level july 2024] on an older thread.. I don't know if my assumptions are accurate, but I think with the level output nowadays we don't have much to worry about in terms of clutter, especially if LOTM is here to catalogue new releases, so it might be good to try it and get some data on it.

Ah, I see. I think it's worth a try just for the data alone.

It's true that there isn't much engagement for hosting events, but I think the form was also a bit of an overly bureaucratic approach. You point out the judging stuff in the announcement threads, and that's part of my push to lower the barrier to entry for helping out. We had the judge auditions previously, and in my opinion they took too much time, and judging isn't so serious as to need vetted experts. We're all here for fun, after all, so we should pave avenues for people to find out if they enjoy these tangential things that don't exactly relate to level design directly.

Fair enough. I realized I overanalyzed and took the lack of engagement in hosting events or judging as a sign of decreasing activity in the forums. It's a habit I recognized recently.

1. Forgetting that they had been made unavailable to access in somewhat recent times, but I was talking about the pipes at the top of page (or at least the ones that were removed). While both the featured episodes and graphics hadn't been updated in years, they were a different way of showing off new additions to site or freshly released content like a more visual newsletter. While they only had a single thumbnail image to represent topic, typically that's going to generate more interest then scrolling through a sub forum which unfortunately, cannot display images unless you go into the topic. In that way, the creator is getting something they worked on shown off, and if people like what they see, when they click on the featured item it takes them to the topic, where they can and typically then tend to engage.

I felt something was off when I looked at the top of the page. I never guessed why until MrNameless mentioned the Featured Episodes and Graphics page. Originally, I wondered if it would compete with the X2 site's recommended episodes page. I retracted that thought because both pages, based on my memory, are distinct enough to avoid competing against each other. I honestly want to see them return because I never had the full experience. But I'm unsure they will since they were sitting in the forums abandoned for a long time before vanishing.

2. So, from the beginning people asked if the site was meant to replace the forums. In short, no, that's not our intention, and I'd personally be against doing so. The easiest way to explain what it's meant to be like would like how TSR or MFGG operate. They have their forums for all forms of discussion, events, engagement etc with "assets" side of things being separate but also not. It's like how we've all agreed at this point that forums are really not be best way to organize and display things that have more visual purpose than text. Hopefully that makes sense, but just to be crystal clear, both the forums and asset site are meant to work together, not to try and be the other's executioner.

That clears it up. I was trying to imagine how the Assets Library would co-exist with the forums, but the TSR and MFGG comparisons help me picture it now. Thanks!

[archived_acc]

The forums are googleable

I just wanted to add that it seems like this place isn't googeable at all, and it's been like this ever since the domain change. I thought it would fix itself over time, but it just didn't. If I search "SMBX2 cape feather" it shows me anything but this forum, which is strange. Same with other queries. I don't know if it was meant to stay undiscoverable though.

[HeroLinik]

Great post, and I can pretty much say most of the same with other forums having their activity sidelined by Discord, and to a lesser extent, Reddit. I do remember some talk a short while back about migrating to a SMBX-specific subreddit (I can't really find the original post, but if someone can link it then that would be great) and I'm not really sure if would work for the healthy growth of the forums because of the aforementioned point about the forums being the focal point to newcomers to the SMBX community, thus essentially needing to reestablish a second focal point through the subreddit, assuming it does grow in popularity from forum traffic.

However, I would just like to hit on a certain point that was brought up in the original post regarding the karma/bounty system. It seems like a good idea as it, as aforementioned, gives incentive to discuss on the forums rather than have most of the activity sidelined to Discord. However, I do have doubts about whether it would work for the long term because it seems to be reminiscent of the reputation mod.

For those of you who are unaware, the reputation mod was a system which was trialled in late 2014 when these forums were relatively new, where you could upvote and downvote certain posts, giving reasons for the decision. Such a decision would modify the user's reputation, which was shown on their profile next to their posts. While there was some good intent behind the decision, the problem was that it was often misused, including but not limited to some users misusing the reputation feature on specific posts from certain users, simply because they either liked or disliked them. I also do recall a witch hunt that sparked here, as a result of the reputation mod, that also ended up spreading to IRC (I can't really remember the specifics of who the users were and what deserved the downvote brigade, considering this was 10 years ago) and the collateral damage caused by reputation misuse ultimately caused the system to be abandoned.

While overall forum activity is indeed slower compared to 2014, I still have my reservations as to whether the system can work.

[Idunn]

Very long text and so more stuff to talk about etc etc Idunn was here

The reddit is like not that active at all, so making that place more active woud require some time to work on.

About the reputation issue you bring up, you forget that back then most users were immature as heck which led to it being misused as you said.
Though the witch hunt you speak of, was not a witch hunt.. the users in question was someone who called another user several bad words and later on ban evaded also to continue this after the rep was removed also.

How do I know? Because I happen to be that user who was insulted back then.
Considering a new attempt would be made at this system at all, I'm sure the current staff team would figure out a good way of having one.

[Retro]

please revive the forums it feels like im on a barren abandoned town in the middle of nowhere

[ShadowStarX]

Regarding 2c (crossposting) I've thought of something before that serves a similar purpose: a framework or guideline which allows anyone to basically forward and archive anything posted via Discord to the forums, with proper credit of course. The steps of this process need to be simple, but fair. I did think about it every now and then but I couldn't really think of a fully satisfying solution (basically something that is at most 3 steps without a lot of strings attached, while also respecting the original creator)

Another aspect which I think cannot be overlooked is video content creation. Nobody should be pressured into making SMBX2 based videos, but if somebody is thinking about it and has the means to, I'd like to encourage them.

[archived_acc]

Just wanted to share some thoughts. I may sound a bit pessimistic but that's not my intention, my goal is rather trying to identify some problems and bottlenecks.

Cross-post more progress updates on your work to the forums!

I've seen people happily updating their posts... just to end up having zero interaction, which is a shame (on Discord you can at least get some pretty reactions). I have the feeling that nowadays people simply prefer to leave a quick, positive reaction than writing a small compliment (be it a heart, a star, an upvote, you name it). Maybe a little karma system would engage more activity? If your post doesn't have replies (which, frankly, it's all what the forums are about) you at least get a nice, heartwarming +1. You can sleep well knowing someone liked your stuff.

2.a. Allow people to opt-out of one-level-thread-per-user.

TIL that rule exists... just... ugh. Get rid of it.

A fresh level thread is also more inviting to replies, at least in my opinion.
I couldn't agree more. Especially when you can actually search for posts that don't have replies yet.

2.b. A karma or bounty system for replying to content in meaningful ways.

I think this is the route we should take; foster a culture that actually rewards engagement on others' content.

2.c. (Automatic?) Crossposts from discord

If this is automatic, I respectfully disagree. From my experience people are way less incentived to interact with bots stuff. It's much more refreshing when an actual person posts it. I support the idea of having someone in charge of the newsletter. Or at least, work towards making crossposting mor rewarding and meaningful.

When we had reputation it didn't work

What about simply having a system where you can +1 posts, without the karma / reputation accumulating on the user's profile? We also have to see why badges didn't work, maybe they simply needed a rework.

To finish, I'd really like to see a sort of newsletter. It would encourage people to check the forums from time to time and would make us look like a more vibrant community. It's also easier to engage with featured content as a newcomer, when you don't even know where to look at.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, on this part of the post, I'd like to share some things that doesn't click me with the forum right now. It might simply ne my OCD though. I'll also share my own ideas.

- I don't like "Graphics Request" being a subforum of "Graphics". I think it'd be better if it was left as a subforum of "Help and Support". You visit it with the intention of helping others, while "Graphics" to see neat graphics to use in your projects. Why don't streamline these goals by sorting them by intention? The amount of graphics request can also dismiss graphics updates because it always shows the latest reply on any forum, which is generally a request.

- Similarly, it would be nice to move "LunaLua Help" to "Help and Support". The majority of posts on the latter are lunalua questions anyways.

- I feel that "The Archives" category just doesn't deserve the exposure it has. It's not really something that encourages conversation, it's just... there. Why don't move it at the very bottom?

- Emral's fans reviews thread made me realize the need of a place where people share their stuff simply for getting feedback. I think Levels, Graphics, Projects and Episodes are meant to leave your impression of them, but not necessarily to give feedback because you don't even know if people want it to begin with. Maybe we should have a place to explicitely request feedback, and extent to it to more than just levels. Maybe you're working on a tileset you're unsure about, or your script needs some testing / code review before being released publicy.

- Personally don't like the idea of allowing Projects to not have screenshots. I know, the rule was taken out to allow conceptual ideas, but just like in Game Design, people will not always act as you expect, despite your intentions. The result is dozens of bare-bones posts with no room for engagement. Perhaps these posts would perform better on General (or a new sub-forum) is their intention is seeking for help, ideas, feedback or guidance on what to make. Personally I'd like to see more delightful screenshots and less words there. But that's just my opinion.

[Emral]

If this is automatic, I respectfully disagree. From my experience people are way less incentived to interact with bots stuff. It's much more refreshing when an actual person posts it. I support the idea of having someone in charge of the newsletter. Or at least, work towards making crossposting mor rewarding and meaningful.

I understand your perspective. This suggestion wasn't made with the goal of interactivity, though, but instead with the goal of public archival of content that is currently shared on discord. Someone browsing the forums can be wowed by it, someone going on discord will never see it. Hope this clears it up.

[mariobrigade2018]

I do remember some talk a short while back about migrating to a SMBX-specific subreddit (I can't really find the original post, but if someone can link it then that would be great)

Found it while looking at the archives:
viewtopic.php?t=23674

[SupahKupah]

It's been a long time since I last participated in this forum, but I would like to offer an opinion on the topic. Please excuse me if the text becomes too long.

I've been on the forums (the original Redigit ones) since around 2010, I really liked sharing my content, levels, episodes, among other SMBX things, I really liked the "Forum Games" section.

I shared some episodes here like "Bowser Strikes Back" or "The Wrath of Bowser" in 2013 and 2015 respectively, I participated in few contests, what I liked most about this forum was that it could be organized very well between graphics, episodes under construction, finished episodes, levels, among many more.

However, I didn't fully understand English, I used Google Translate (even now I do, so sorry for my poor English), so I had to "move" to a Brazilian community (there I met Sux, Shinbison, among other users).

I had a Facebook account, and I saw that there was a small SMBX group, with few people. One of my wishes was to be part of a community where I could speak my own language (Spanish), so I joined.

Many years later, I had the idea of ​​creating my own community (SMBX Equipo Estelar), where there were many events, contests, levels and possible activities, however it is very tiring...

It is tiring to manage, moderate, judge, record videos... during my stay in Equipo Estelar, I was the one who mostly organized the contests and did moderation activities, it was very, very tiring, I spent too many hours of my life to be able to deliver a good result for the hispanic community.

I retired from the community in 2022, however throughout these 3 years, I was unsure whether or not to return to SMBX....

I would like to return as a normal user who posts levels or one more episode, however the inactivity of the forum, added to the fact that there are no longer "levels of the month" on YouTube as they used to do before, plus the inactivity of the hispanic community, makes me lose motivation to have any activity related to SMBX.

I currently upload videos on YouTube but not that often, I have deactivated my discord account because I felt it was no longer necessary to be there (I was on english language servers, I had to use translator to chat and it is complicated to do it in real time).

Emral is very right, users also have to do their part to revive this forum, and of course also complement each other on discord if they want to chat in real time about SMBX.

I apologize again for the long text and my poor English.