RCT Discussion / NE Forums

Since I cannot figure out how to post a new topic for the life of me... There are absolutely no "New Thread" button anywhere.

Don't see any. And I've not been able to figure out how to navigate to the subforums just yet, just the unread topics. I swear this is one of the most difficult forums I've ever came across, making me feel like I'm an idiot when I'm not.

Hopefully there's a new forum/site layout that's much more user friendly (basically anything other than the last two versions) with RCTW coming soon to help make it easier (better) when new people show up. Still don't get the new layout.

This isn't a 'dig' at Dirk (the last quote is from Brent, so there is more than one person here).

I don't get how the forums are difficult. It works just like any other forum, except the forums are on the homepage.

The categories are listed down the side, you click on the forum you wish to visit, like you would in any other forum format.

You're then presented with the list of topics in that forum (just like any other forum format), you click on the topic you wish to read (just like any other forum format).

And there are buttons at the top for a New Topic, Marking the forum read etc.

Is it really that difficult? This is a genuine question to everyone. Is it really that difficult to navigate? To me, it is exactly the same as any other forum layout, the only difference is the forum directory isn't on it's own page, it's on the homepage.

I've found the forums quite easy to navigate...perhaps the idea of having all the sub-forums available on the home page is 'odd' for people(?) In that they're used to having to access the forums rather than having everything presented immediately on the home page - but I would view this more as an advantage than a difficulty.

I understand people's issues about the forums on the front page and there not being a direct navigation page like there used to be, but the actual use of the forums being difficult to use is what i find confusing :/

I don't get how it is difficult at all. So to me there is no problem. 

i agree with faas

Seems pretty straightforward to me...

I'd like to reiterate that this isn't me badmouthing anyone, I genuinely want to know who can work the forums and who can't so we can evaluate more of the feedback we've received over the past year.

Thankyou to those you have responded

I don't know how to even make a post. How do i do that?

I don't know how to even make a post. How do i do that?

I enjoy having direct links to each forum on the front page. It's also extremely useful to see which topics have new posts at a single glance of the front page. However, a main forum directory that we can access from anywhere on the site would be very useful as well. Something that said "forums" at the top of the page, and took you to a page that lists the forums, their subforums, and has a short description for each. 

you simply click "new topic" at the top right

 

I don't get how the forums are difficult. It works just like any other forum, except the forums are on the homepage.

From the perspective of an outsider who came in after a long hiatus, I did find it a bit difficult to navigate for this reason. I had no idea the forums had categories until 4-5 days after I came back and it was part of this reason. I knew the site had forums and they were only located in "New Contents" button. Part of that reason was because the site had no "forums" button to press that lead me to an "standard" forum front page where you could see all the categories listed and recent topics in that category. Instead as I just found out the forum front page is actually the homepage on the right side margin which is 1/8th of the front page, the other 7/8th of the page is filled with recent screens of recent park projects so I didn't realize at first that the forums front page was actually there. I have to admit, I actually thought the categories were "recent topics" of the Discussion Sub-Forum since it was labeled that way that people just posted in and not the actual list of sub-forums.

I do think its also in part that the forum isn't really like an "standard" forum that we're all used to where the forum categories take up the full page itself instead of 1/8th of a page. That's what threw me off the most I believe. Most sites that I've visited for other games, the only time when the forums are not a full page or off to the side, it is showing "recent topics" instead of the actual forum software, it was just another thing that threw me off as well since it wasn't an typical forum.

And there are buttons at the top for a New Topic, Marking the forum read etc.

 

Is it really that difficult? This is a genuine question to everyone. Is it really that difficult to navigate? To me, it is exactly the same as any other forum layout, the only difference is the forum directory isn't on it's own page, it's on the homepage.

After finding out where the New Topic button is, I agree, it isn't an problem at all, but the issue was that I was using the "New Content" page as the actual front page of the forums without knowing where the categories and other forum buttons were at. Perhaps an New Topic button could be added in this section for fast posting and have the person choose which sub-category they want to post in from there?

Anyways that's my perspective from an outsider who never visited this "revision" of NE before and coming in for the first time. As I typed this up, the more I do think its in a large part because the forum deviates from an standard forum layout and there was no forum navigation for me, i.e. an button that leads me to the NE Forums front page, instead, expected me to know that the forums itself was on the actual main page where there wasn't any clue that could lead me there to find it so I was relying on the New Contents page as the forums front page. As well as the NE front page is also the front page for new screenshots and park accolades, so the NE front page is actually a front page for three different things all in one page. I can see how that threw me off especially if the screens take up the majority of the real estate of the front page.

As I said, I did feel like a idiot when I finally realized that the actual main forums was on the main page and that was all the sub-categories on there. After I figured it out, I don't really have a problem with the forums. I thought I would post the wall of text above to give you a look into my line of thoughts/reasoning of why I couldn't figure it out, perhaps it will help you guys improve the site and forum navigation for new or returning people like me.

I understand people's issues about the forums on the front page and there not being a direct navigation page like there used to be, but the actual use of the forums being difficult to use is what i find confusing :/

It isn't the use of the forums thats difficult for me, I know how to use forums. It's the navigation leading to the function and use of the forums that was difficult the most for me. Navigation and the use of the forums should go hand in hand instead of separately since if you can't navigate the forums you can't use it as well as you should or efficiently. 

For example, my post about the "New Topic" button, I know how to use that forum function and which function I wanted to make an new topic, but it was the navigation to this button that lead to my frustration and issues with the forums. Once I was lead there and realized the forum main page was actually the NE home page and found all the sub-categories and found the button, the issue was resolved, it wasn't how I used the button it just simply was how to get there.

Thanks for the feedback. It's useful to hear the thought process of navigation from a user new to this version of NE