If you didn't know, there is a specific website meant for the community suggestions. https://suggestions.manacube.com/
Personally, I rarely ever go there. When I first found out about it, I thought it would be active but quickly realized it's not. Many of the suggestions that are posted there are very old, already added, or are good ideas that the community should see. But there is such little traffic to there that it's kind of ignored.
However, I do like the system it has. Here is how I would fix it.
What should be changed:
User experience
The homepage should be on the "new" tab instead of "top"
The homepage is clogged with "done", "not planned", and "planned". Remove from the main list and make these into their own viewable folders.
Make the theme the same as the main forums. (night instead of day)
Why?
Having multiple types of interfaces makes it more confusing and therefore, more difficult, for people to learn and use. On all the rest of the forums, posts are viewed as recent and new, but it's the opposite on the suggestions page. On forums, the default theme is night, so when switching to the suggestions page, my eyes are blasted with bRiGhT LiGhT
Brough to main forums
Make a part of the forums in community posts. Or change/add to 'ideas and feedback'
Why?
Having multiple links and different ways to connect the website makes it more chaotic. Imagine if all the realm posts were made on a different website. Wouldn't be fun, right?
Having it on the main forums will allow for MANY more people to see it. I know I am not the only one who doesn't check the suggestions page daily but does the forums. Many people don't even know about the suggestions page, so making it easily visible and interactable with the community with boost activity.
Dates for "planned" suggestions
When suggestions are set to "planned" add a date for them.
Why?
Having written and published plans for community suggestions will make the community feel more engaged in the development and upgrade of the server. If the dates aren't able to be met, a postpone notice or a change to 'unplanned' would show that people are still actively working on the development but might be busy with other stuff.
Login instead of 'anonymous' posts
Use the same login on the suggestions page as on the forums.
Why?
This would make it more streamline for posts. Perhaps make there be an option to withhold the name of the poster from other community members if they wish to be anonymous, but keep it still visable to staff.
Allow for community moderation
Change from just staff to the community to moderate the posts.
Why?
Currently, only staff are able to make suggestions posts public. If players are able to vote and decide if something is worthy of discussion, the process would be faster. Inappropriate posts would still need staff moderation.
Add opposition votes
Add a way to show opposition in numbers on posts.
Why?
The only way to show that you don't like or against the post is to make comments. These are kind of even more hidden and easily looked over from many. I would add a downvote option.
Bring back Feature Friday
https://manacube.com/threads/feature-friday-1.40307/
Why?
It's been over a year since there has been a feature friday. This is where community ideas that were added are for everyone to see.
Even if this doesn't become it own repetitive thread, perhaps it can become a part of the monthly posts. Like the "Mana Master Pieces" that were recently added from the Creations posts, a "Feature Friday" section of the monthly posts sharing the community added ideas would be awesome. In this section, the ideas that were changed recently changed to "done" or "planned" should be shared and explained.
What changing will bring:
The community will be brought even more together. A stronger player base could never be bad.
More discussion on forums. Compared to the rest of the Manacube network, the forums are inactive. Making a place where people would want to go daily would make it more active.
Community involvement in server development. Although this does exist now, people do not feel as included as what might be the goal. Having more player ideas being added will make the players feel more involved and satifactory with their participation on Manacube.
What do you all think of an update to suggestions? If you have any ideas, what are they?
This is similar to the wiki. I am a fan of having the wiki and community suggestions, but I do not see the logic in making it a separate part of the website.
This is ironic because it's a suggestion for suggestions and it will just get forgotten or lost like most others.
Personally, I rarely ever go there. When I first found out about it, I thought it would be active but quickly realized it's not. Many of the suggestions that are posted there are very old, already added, or are good ideas that the community should see. But there is such little traffic to there that it's kind of ignored.
However, I do like the system it has. Here is how I would fix it.
What should be changed:
User experience
The homepage should be on the "new" tab instead of "top"
The homepage is clogged with "done", "not planned", and "planned". Remove from the main list and make these into their own viewable folders.
Make the theme the same as the main forums. (night instead of day)
Why?
Having multiple types of interfaces makes it more confusing and therefore, more difficult, for people to learn and use. On all the rest of the forums, posts are viewed as recent and new, but it's the opposite on the suggestions page. On forums, the default theme is night, so when switching to the suggestions page, my eyes are blasted with bRiGhT LiGhT
Brough to main forums
Make a part of the forums in community posts. Or change/add to 'ideas and feedback'
Why?
Having multiple links and different ways to connect the website makes it more chaotic. Imagine if all the realm posts were made on a different website. Wouldn't be fun, right?
Having it on the main forums will allow for MANY more people to see it. I know I am not the only one who doesn't check the suggestions page daily but does the forums. Many people don't even know about the suggestions page, so making it easily visible and interactable with the community with boost activity.
Dates for "planned" suggestions
When suggestions are set to "planned" add a date for them.
Why?
Having written and published plans for community suggestions will make the community feel more engaged in the development and upgrade of the server. If the dates aren't able to be met, a postpone notice or a change to 'unplanned' would show that people are still actively working on the development but might be busy with other stuff.
Login instead of 'anonymous' posts
Use the same login on the suggestions page as on the forums.
Why?
This would make it more streamline for posts. Perhaps make there be an option to withhold the name of the poster from other community members if they wish to be anonymous, but keep it still visable to staff.
Allow for community moderation
Change from just staff to the community to moderate the posts.
Why?
Currently, only staff are able to make suggestions posts public. If players are able to vote and decide if something is worthy of discussion, the process would be faster. Inappropriate posts would still need staff moderation.
Add opposition votes
Add a way to show opposition in numbers on posts.
Why?
The only way to show that you don't like or against the post is to make comments. These are kind of even more hidden and easily looked over from many. I would add a downvote option.
Bring back Feature Friday
https://manacube.com/threads/feature-friday-1.40307/
Why?
It's been over a year since there has been a feature friday. This is where community ideas that were added are for everyone to see.
Even if this doesn't become it own repetitive thread, perhaps it can become a part of the monthly posts. Like the "Mana Master Pieces" that were recently added from the Creations posts, a "Feature Friday" section of the monthly posts sharing the community added ideas would be awesome. In this section, the ideas that were changed recently changed to "done" or "planned" should be shared and explained.
What changing will bring:
The community will be brought even more together. A stronger player base could never be bad.
More discussion on forums. Compared to the rest of the Manacube network, the forums are inactive. Making a place where people would want to go daily would make it more active.
Community involvement in server development. Although this does exist now, people do not feel as included as what might be the goal. Having more player ideas being added will make the players feel more involved and satifactory with their participation on Manacube.
What do you all think of an update to suggestions? If you have any ideas, what are they?
This is similar to the wiki. I am a fan of having the wiki and community suggestions, but I do not see the logic in making it a separate part of the website.
This is ironic because it's a suggestion for suggestions and it will just get forgotten or lost like most others.
