The Real Reason the Community is Dying.

[Velen]

So... you're suggesting that the sites color layout to look very, if not exactly, like the color layout of the PM site? I don't think that would be the smartest option Velen. I'd choose another set of colors... maybe something like... the colors of the morning sunrise. Those colors are a bit more relaxing. Usually when you think of a sunrise... you think of relaxing things, out in nature or a peaceful place... Well that's what comes to my mind anyway.

It's indigo, silver and purple. I'm pretty sure that's not "Blues, teals and pale magentas." Only the banner has any color besides that...

[Asuka]

At this point we have 5 pages of discussing and pinpointing issues, but just like Miacis said not real suggestions of how to fix them.

The thread is going in circles now and it's more of a complaint central.
So, any good reason to keep this thread alive?

There's the Board Problems, Suggestions and Updates thread to make actual suggestions.


I actually like the idea of changing the forum's theme, updating it could renew interest.
If I had to choose a color scheme, I'd go for one that emulates the interface, menus, and css of either Brawl or Smash 4.
Also adding and changing a few smileys would be nice, like updating the stock pics to the Sm4sh ones.

Getting back on the subject of how to change the look of the forum overall...

I was thinking about the idea of maybe shifting the site toward more "mellow" and brighter colors using a color triad of blues, teals and pale magentas. Give it a sort of "student lounge" feel.

That sounds like a baby product oriented color scheme.
Or like one of those ugly 90's shirts.

I'd choose another set of colors... maybe something like... the colors of the morning sunrise. Those colors are a bit more relaxing. Usually when you think of a sunrise... you think of relaxing things, out in nature or a peaceful place... Well that's what comes to my mind anyway.

But this is a brawl hacking site, not a yoga or tai chi seminar. :I

[King Draco]

If you guys want to keep the community alive I think the best idea would be to show somewhere else your work. Smashboards' Brawl Workshop forum is pretty dead, but Project M's Customized Content subforum is alive.

Getting your work to reach more people is the best method to get one's motivation restored, which I feel it's the main problem most people are facing here.

[Velen]

I actually like the idea of changing the forum's theme, updating it could renew interest.
If I had to choose a color scheme, I'd go for one that emulates the interface, menus, and css of either Brawl or Smash 4.
Also adding and changing a few smileys would be nice, like updating the stock pics to the Sm4sh ones.

That sounds like a baby product oriented color scheme.
Or like one of those ugly 90's shirts.
But this is a brawl hacking site, not a yoga or tai chi seminar. :I

Ouch, fair enough.

Basing the new theme off of Smash 4 or Brawls menus seems like a cool idea to me, yeah.

Will would like to insert the cat motif somewhere into it though.

[Codex-9]

I mainly use Smashboards because it's easier to look at, that and I know quite a lot of modders over there, I mainly lurk on here which is why I don't comment much.

To address some of things people have said, I try to help as much as possible to a lot of people who message me on the SB thread, not only that I'm learning and practicing everyday on modding, being taught by some amazing people who's willing to take time to help me (Taiko for example) as well as getting feedback in so many area's whilst at the same time being inspired by the level of detail from others (IWG and Nano are perfect examples of a goal I want to reach in terms of modding in the future, they don't rush and take their time making sure it's all in check before release) If it helps I can post more often though.

To me personally, it's the site design that puts me off, I don't want to come off as rude or whatnot, this is more of a standpoint of someone who works in web development and programming everyday as a full time job, is that this is site is very dated, it's using an old themed generated website (The theme is from here: http://www.fussilet.com/) , the vault goes down, a lot and can be very slow at times. It's hard to look at and not only that the site is very off-putting to anyone who joins, I remember that I ended up using the custom content thread on SB when I first started out because I thought that was more lively haha. I do apologize if that came off really negative but that's those are reasons I keep hearing from people and not only myself.

In regards to who is rude and who isn't, I don't really see that (at least, not as much as I imagined) everyone here can be nice and we all get along in my opinion, hell, if I'm honest I never really had any issues on either side in regards of anyone being rude, everyone here and there is nice basically, doing their own thing.

In terms of if the community is dying or not, I feel it's more on question on why the site is dying, the SB forums are more than lively from what I noticed so I don't think the community is dying, that's just my two cents on it though.

[King Draco]

When I meant showing the work I didn't mean promoting the web itself though. Of course most people in a forum about a mod of Brawl already know about Brawl Vault :p

What I meant was making threads about one's work. Iwantgames, Nanobuds, Taiko and the rest of the Smash 3 team, drogoth and some others already have a thread there where they show their things, but the rest don't.

The main problems of Brawl's modding community are that people are leaving and almost no one is joining, but before going about getting more people joining with colorful themes and some other stuff I THINK that it would be better to try to get everyone together before any other thing.

I've seen some people saying that are losing motivation and are about to retire. Drogoth and Tabuu come to mind. "Fixing" that should be a priority right now. Of course no one should be forced to do something they don't want to do anymore, but I just feel that that's not the case.

While the community's attitude is definetely a factor I don't think it's as huge as the OP makes it seem, and I honestly never felt it was filled with a**holes, to put it in a way, anyway. I've seen WAY worse communities that are still very active to this day.

[windhunter7]

When I meant showing the work I didn't mean promoting the web itself though. Of course most people in a forum about a mod of Brawl already know about Brawl Vault :p

What I meant was making threads about one's work. Iwantgames, Nanobuds, Taiko and the rest of the Smash 3 team, drogoth and some others already have a thread there where they show their things, but the rest don't.

Oh; guess I was a little too literal interpreting your advice.

[Don Jon Bravo]

grammar nazi are also why ppl tend to leavue the forums too...

For some reason some ppl feel the need that everyone that isnt a native englsih speaker must speak perfect english on a forum, i never had any english course or anything all my english came from watching movies and playing games and i dont feel the need that i would pay to have an english degree so i could write on a forum about ssbb modding.Srs this is one thing that pisses me off if you were talking my language and made afew mistakes i would like a normal person undertand that it isnt is native language so errors are bound to happen, but i guess most ppl  cant stand to a foreign guy talking their native language and making mistakes becuase they shouldnt be allowed to do so without taking a english course to make perfect pontuactions on every sentence.Also i said why i lost interest myself  and i bet some ppl did that too.

some of these people who judge others because of their grammar are native english speakers,
and thats it
they only speak english.
as oppose to the misspellers who can speak and write more than one language

If it helps I can post more often though the vault goes down, a lot and can be very slow at times.

ive noticed some users never come back after the site is broken for a while

[Nao-chan]

grammar nazi are also why ppl tend to leavue the forums too... *snip*

You missed the point of what I was saying. I'm not saying "Ugh, why don't you speak perfect English?" I was really saying to just separate your sentences better with a little punctuation, so it's not just a wall of words. I have nothing against anyone outside of the U.S. Don't misunderstand.

It's indigo, silver and purple. I'm pretty sure that's not "Blues, teals and pale magentas." Only the banner has any color besides that...

There are more colors than that. You are just pointing out the main ones. Stop being so ridiculous please.

But this is a brawl hacking site, not a yoga or tai chi seminar. :I

I don't see how that matters at all. A color is a color. They're not derived from any activity. I just suggested those to maybe change the mood the look of the site gives. Nothing more.

[1blitzer1]

You are correct. We are being hurtful and negative. QUICK, SPREAD HAPPINESS WITH DANCING!!!

[Nezha B. Rose]

This place lost its charm.


I actually moved my stuff over at the smashboards. I comment there more because I feel I can get easier and more feedback over there than here.

I... hate, how more certain more experienced people on the modding scene  criticize others people's attempt in learning the ropes, and criticism IS good, but I refer to that unhelpfull and personal criticism.

That's why I wanna improve on the stuff I do, why I wanna learn to be better. So I can take request, so I can help others when I can and so I can lend a hand to those who need it.

And let me be bluntly honest. Only a few tutorials helped me into stage building. The rest I had to figure out by myself.

I wanna learn, and I want to improve. But something tells me that my answers to improve is not here.

I guess I can change that once I feel like Im exprience enough. I can make a stage making Bible if I must.

[Segtendo]

I've been here for 6 years this coming August. This place is literally my home. I check here every day because I have nothing better to do with my life.

I feel like this place is just... here. Many of our best hackers have just disappeared with better things to do. The tutorials we have are also way out of date. Perhaps a pro hacker or two should put up some tutorials of how they do things.

I don't even make legit hacks. I can do minor things. Maybe an occasional BRSTM here or there, but I've been just focusing on work, school, and other video games.

Don't get me wrong. This is a very good place. I just feel like we aren't what we used to be.

[Xenozoa425]

I think the main thing is that, like most communities, whenever something new and exciting comes out, people will move on from old to new. In this case, it's Smash 3DS and Wii U pulling many people from Brawl, and therefore Brawl modding. That's just the way some people are, they don't want to be stuck with an old cell phone when you can have the latest iPhone or Galaxy with all these fancy gimmicks and features.

But when it comes to the modding community itself, it definitely can't be argued that having low standards definitely hurts the site more than it helps, and that people should definitely try to do more than just the bare minimum. Quality matters over quantity every single time, and it applies to pretty much everything. Despite this, people aren't obligated to do their utmost best, and that's the sad reality of it.

The average person doesn't want to put so much time and effort into learning how to import models and rig, or how to do textures from scratch and remap a model. They want things to be done for them in a click and drag manner, so they don't have to learn the basic terminology and the rest of the beginner modding process. Or they might just be learning how to do simple recolors, or learning how to loop songs. Whatever it is that you make, you only get as much out of it as whatever you put into it.

Nobody started out as a complete professional, we all had to start from the very beginning and learn, either by ourselves, from others, or both. Some of us may have had some prior experience with programming or digital design. I myself got into modding because of Project M, when I learned I could insert my own textures and music, and my rather minor modding portfolio took off to what it is now. We all are good and bad at different things, no person on here is perfect or knows everything, and it's this combination of strengths and weaknesses that defines this modding community and makes it what it is. It may not be perfect, but deep down, when it comes to it, we're all people that love Smash and enjoy modding it to various extents, and that's what makes it worthwhile to be here, even if it's filled with a lot of terrible and cringe worthy mods... not going to point out any specifics, you know who/what/where they are.

I myself might not come here a lot, but when I do, I do feel a little sad that this place just isn't what it used to be, and definitely needs a jump start, like a new design facelift, or a way to generate more traffic and get more people to visit and make accounts, while offering some small incentive to do so, kind of like the badge system.

[windhunter7]

The average person doesn't want to put so much time and effort into learning how to import models and rig, or how to do textures from scratch and remap a model. They want things to be done for them in a click and drag manner, so they don't have to learn the basic terminology and the rest of the beginner modding process. Or they might just be learning how to do simple recolors, or learning how to loop songs. Whatever it is that you make, you only get as much out of it as whatever you put into it.

Ironically, your vault consists mainly of recolors.

[Nao-chan]

I'm surprised this thread is still up. Why is it even?