Ideas Forum Explained (New)

[DeletedUser31385]

Hello everyone! As most of you know, I am the ideas moderator. Due to major changes to this section, a new thread has been created to explain the section. Everything you need to know about this section will be here. Please read this before posting. To make finding the formats easier, they are directly below this post.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

I. Formatting Your Idea​

The general idea behind formatting your post is to make sure you have actually thought about your idea. This helps to reduce spam posts. If you do not format your idea, than your idea will be closed and rejected. It is important to present yourself well to the community (format it). Please go into detail so the idea can be discussed thoroughly. This is mainly for Developments, but format Improvements as well.

A. Development Format​

Proposal:
In a few sentences, state the general concept of your idea.

Have you Checked the DNS and PSI lists in the Archives? Is this idea similar to one that has been previously suggested?
you will save yourself a lot of time and avoid the risk of your thread being closed quickly

Reason:
Explain why you think this is either a necessary or enhancing addition to the game. You should consider the existing game mechanics here and show how this idea improves upon them. Tables comparing costs, times, unit values etc are a helpful addition.

Details:
Explain the specifics of your proposal. How will it work?

Visual Aids:
Put any mock-ups here. Those that are large screenshots should be linked, smaller windows can be displayed using the image tags.
*Please do keep in mind that the image rules still apply in the ideas section. If the visual aid is bigger than 640 x 640 pixels, please place the image in a spoiler. Also no animated images allowed.*

Balance:
Describe what impact this idea will have on other game features. Will it require adjustments or changes? If so, be specific.

Abuse Prevention:
Does your proposal open up possible exploits or make it possible for players to cheat? If so, then how can this be addressed?.

Summary:
Give a final wrap up and list any questions you think may still need to be answered to improve your idea.

Spoiler: Developments Format to Copy and Paste

Proposal:

Have you Checked the DNS and PSI lists in the Archives? Is this idea similar to one that has been previously suggested?

Reason:

Details:

Visual Aids:

Balance:

Abuse Prevention:

Summary:

B. Improvement Format​

Proposal
In a few sentences, state your idea.

Reason
Explain why you think this is either a necessary or enhancing addition to the game. How will this make life easier for players? If you are posing a solution to a problem make sure you describe the problem.

Details
Explain the specifics of your proposal. How will it work?

Balance/Abuse Prevention
Does your proposal open up possible exploits or make it possible for players to cheat? If so, then how can this be addressed?.

Spoiler: Improvements Format to Copy and Paste

Proposal:

Reason:

Details:

Visual Aids:

Balance/Abuse Prevention:

 

[DeletedUser31385]

II. Progress of an Idea​

Ideas all go through the same steps to get to their final destinations. I have compiled all the steps below.

1. Stage 1 of idea development (creation of the idea)
   1. An idea is posted in the main section
   2. Idea gets checked for format/DNS
      1. Idea stays in the main section
      2. Idea is moved to the Wish List because it is DNS.
      3. Idea is closed, rejected, and moved to Archives for lack of format.
   3. Idea is upgraded to Proposal status
2. Stage 2 of idea development (discussion of the idea)
   1. Upgraded to Discussion status(if it meets criteria).
      1. Moved to Inactive Topics as it became inactive.
      2. Goes on to stage 3.
3. Stage 3 of idea development (more intense discussion)
   1. Upgraded to Deliberation status (if it meets criteria).
      1. Moved to Inactive Topics as it became inactive.
      2. Goes on to stage 4.
4. Stage 4 of idea development (idea is mostly complete, some fine tuning and adjustments)
   1. Upgraded to Development status (if it meets criteria).
      1. Moved to Inactive Topics as it became inactive.
      2. Goes on to stage 5.
5. Stage 5 of idea development (idea is under consideration to be sent to the developers)
   1. Upgraded to Established status
      1. Sent to the developers after further review
      2. Minor improvements asked for (step 2 repeated until the idea is passed).
6. Idea is marked as passed, moved to the Passed Ideas section, and is closed.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

III. Prefixes​

Below are all the prefixes you will encounter in the ideas forum as well as the criteria for each.

Petition/Voting Categories
Closed - A closed poll.
Open - An open poll.
Passed - Ideas that have passed.
Petition - Used for requests to upgrade/downgrade the status of an idea or to reject the idea entirely. Also used in the case of reopening an inactive topic, however this requires a vote to occur.

Other Categories
Rejected - An idea that has been rejected.
No Format - An idea that lacks proper formatting.
Wish List - A Do Not Suggest idea.


Idea Development Categories
Inactive Topic - An idea that has not had any posts within 180 days or does not meet the requirements of a proposal
Proposal - An idea that has the support of its creator and is properly formatted.
Discussion - An idea that has 10 meaningful replies (at least 2 within 180 days).
Deliberation - An idea that has 25 meaningful replies (at least 5 within 180 days).
Development - An idea that has 50 meaningful replies (at least 10 within 180 days).
Established - An idea that is under consideration to be sent to the developers (more developed than a development).

 

[DeletedUser31385]

IV. Sections​

Below is a list of sections and what they are used for.

1. Main Section- This is the main section of the ideas forum where ideas are posted (with format!).

2. Archives- Ideas that are DNS without format go here.

3. Wish List- This section is used for DNS ideas that have format (DNS explained below).

4. App Ideas- All ideas related to the app will be moved to this section.

5. Inactive Topics- All ideas that do meet the criteria for Proposal status will be moved here.

6. Voting- All polls will be here with the correct prefix regarding its status in the title.

7. Passed Ideas- Any idea that has passed goes here.

8. Failed Ideas- Any idea that did not pass a poll (past).

9. Petitions- Requests to change the status of an idea will go here.

10. Archive- All petitions that have been handled/voted on will go here.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

V. Voting​

A. Voting Rules

Each petition will be voted on by itself. For a petition to pass, it must win the majority (50.01%).
If it does not win the majority, it will fail and the suggested change will not be made.

• You are voting based on the merits of the idea in question and the argument made in the petition.
• You may only vote once.
• Results are final.
• In the result of a tie, the petition will be redone.

*If a petition failed and is up for a re-vote, a supermajority (60.01% or greater) must be reached.

B. Rejecting an Idea

It may come to the point where an idea must be rejected. A formal petition has to be made for an idea to be rejected in the case that it is properly formatted and not an extreme violation of the DNS rules. If an idea can't be discussed or improved upon simply because it is too old and is no longer applicable due to game changes, this is the route to take.

After the formal petition has been made, arguments can be made either for or against the petition. If the general consensus is in agreement with the petition, the thread will be turned into a poll and marked as open.

Voting will last 1 week in the thread. The idea will be rejected if the "Yes" option receives 50.01% of the votes by the end of the week.

C. Downgrading/Upgrading an Idea to and from the Inactive Topic Status

If an idea is simply not going anywhere and has been inactive for quite some time, a formal petition to downgrade it to an Inactive Topic may be created. Please note this is not the same as rejecting an idea at all. This is simply moving the idea out of the main section since it isn't active. Yes, the idea is closed for discussion, but it can be revisited at a later date unlike rejected ideas.

If someone feels an idea should be reopened for discussion, a formal petition to upgrade it to Proposal status may be created.

After the formal petition has been made (for either of the above), arguments can be made either for or against the petition. If the general consensus is in agreement with the petition, the thread will be turned into a poll and marked as open.

Voting will last 1 week in the thread. The idea will become an Inactive Topic/Proposal (depending on the petition type) if the "Yes" option receives 50.01% of the votes by the end of the week.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

VI. Passed and Failed Lists​

These lists were created to help you find ideas before posting your own. You should check these lists before posting an idea so you aren't copying an idea that has already passed or failed. The List of Passed Ideas has every idea that has passed a poll while the List of Failed Ideas has every idea that failed a poll. If they are missing something, please post in the thread.

Do NOT create new threads or post in existing ones (other than the ones specified) in these two sections.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

VII. Do Not Suggest List​

This list serves to name all ideas that players should not suggest. Ideas may appear on this list for various reasons:

•Too expensive to implement.
•The idea may require too great of a code change for too little gain.
•Idea requires too much of a game change for little gain.
•Idea may be prioritized so far down the ladder that it just won't make the cut.
•Already voted on and passed onto the devs.
•Already voted on and failed.
•Idea may require too many resources to prevent cheating and to solve balance.
•Already being worked on by the devs.
•The idea may conflict with future changes and be discarded.
•New World(s), Settings, and World Types
•Endgame Ideas/Improvements
•God(s), Mythical Units, and/or Spells.
•Land Units and Naval Units
•Heroes
•Any idea that has passed.
•Any idea that has failed.
•Any idea that opens up major abuse in the game.

Any DO NOT SUGGEST ideas will moved to the Wish List. If the idea has no format, it will be locked and sent to the archives as usual.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

VIII. Petitions​

Petitions are a way of suggesting status changes for ideas. They too, like ideas, have a specific format that must be used or else the argument is rejected. Petitions require voting to occur if they are to reject an idea entirely, to downgrade it to an Inactive Topic, and to upgrade it to a proposal (from an Inactive Topic).

Idea: [LINK]
Current Status: Is it an Inactive Topic, Proposal, Discussion, Deliberation, Development, or an Established idea?
Suggested Change: The change that you feel should happen
Reason: Why should the aforementioned change occur?

Idea:
Current Status:
Suggested Change:
Reason:

 

[DeletedUser31385]

IX. List of Polls & Petitions​

These lists are here to help you easily find past polls and petitions. A list of all past polls may be found here (not complete yet). A list of all petitions may be found here. The lists will be updated regularly as new polls and petitions occur. Remember that all petitions that failed can be submitted again at a later date, but they must receive a supermajority in order to pass.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

X. Wish List Section​

The Wish List section is the place for all ideas that are on the Do Not Suggest list (except those that may open extreme abuses). Ideas in this section will require format from this point forward in-case the idea is not DNS in the future. Ideas may discussed as normal here. However, there are some differences. Ideas discussed here will NOT be sent to the developers. That means the normal idea prefixes and stages of development will not apply. Ideas here can't become inactive topics nor can they be rejected unless they violate some other rule.

So, if you have an idea that is DNS, please post it here instead of in the main section.

 

[DeletedUser31385]

XI. App Ideas Section​

As you may have seen, there is now a section specifically for App Ideas. If an idea in the main section is an App Idea, feel free to ask for it to be moved to the appropriate location. All rules that apply to regular ideas also apply to App Ideas. This means format is required and that all prefixes will be used the same. So if you have an idea that would either create a new app feature or improve an existing one, please post it in the App Ideas section.

*All App Ideas that failed in past polls will soon be moved here and reinstated as normal ideas. They will be exempt from becoming an Inactive Topic for 180 days.