We’re going to implement a “drip” campaign, meaning an automatic, periodic series of mailers that will be sent to new mailing list sign-ups to introduce folks to the company and to our large catalog of games. So, for example, a week after you sign up, regardless of whatever other mailers you’ve received about game releases, a new sign-up would receive a welcome email from Dan; and then a week after that, they’ll receive an email from me that talks about the history of COG; and so on and so forth.
One of these mailers is tentatively titled “Why you should join the COG forums!”
I could write that email/post, but I thought you all might enjoy group-writing it. Why should new users join the forums? What makes these forums special? What do we do here all day?
Maybe we could make some sort of a poll in based player preferences that could lead xhim to a list of different games to check out. . (gender. Class game rating etc)
Also if you want members of forum could make messages in other languages to attract further readers that are using Cog to improve English.
I think is a great idea. But I am not the most political person to make a text. At least in English.
They are necessary if one wants to develop their own game using ChoiceScript.
The atmosphere here is very welcoming and friendly. Also, the amount of Hosted Games and Choice of Games authors that casually browse the forums gives users a unique chance to interact directly with content creators.
I would say that we discuss current events, share feedback on each other’s drafts, and anxiously await whichever sequel is in the queue for the month. (;
Oof, I don’t have a ton of time, but I want to get my thoughts out before I forget.
Making friends.
It’s so hard to make friend irl who are going to be as passionate about IF as you are. I went a couple of years without knowing anyone beside myself who liked IF, and now that I’m on the forums? Gosh, I’d never want to go back!
So many WIPs! Including your own.
I think the biggest draw is getting to see all these cool ideas emerge for IF. All these stories and plots and characters, and the fact that CS is so easy to learn? You could be an author too! And that thought is just so crazy to me since I’ve spent so much time seeing authorship as a faraway dream. The barrier to entry to become a published author yourself is so insanely low, and this community so welcoming and helpful along the way, that you really just need the time and gusto to achieve your dreams!
There’s more, I’m sure of it, but I’ll stop here for now.
Why should you join the forums? The main factor of what makes a forum is the community that drives it.
The CoG Forum allows for individuals of all origins and backgrounds to come together with one simple commonality: Their love for Interactive Fiction. The community supports inclusivity and provides everyone with an environment where individuals can display their work and excitement for their passions unhindered. Joining the forum isn’t just ‘joining a forum’, it’s joining a like-minded community and experiencing those community factors as you engage with fellow readers and authors on a variety of topics.
You get to test out other games! For free! Every broke millennial wants that, right? And get this: you can give feedback on these games, and make them gayer! And better, which is the same thing.
If you’re trying to break into interactive fiction writing on a low budget, Choicescript is the way to go. The forums are a vital component of writing Choicescript games. Even if you’re not looking to publish, there are many ways to get involved, whether that’s by providing feedback on beta games or discussing topics with other members.
The COG forums is one of the most civilized and supportive forum communities I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of. Getting helpful, constructive feedback is incredibly difficult in real life or other community. The members of the COG forums have a genuine passion for IF and want to help authors new and old alike put out their best work.
The majority of forum activity centers around Works in Progress. New WIPs are getting posted almost every day and many authors regularly update their WIPs with new material. Members give feedback on their favorite WIPs and support the author in various ways. There are also plenty of discussion topics about the type of content we write about, and we also have a help section for those struggling with a coding issues. We also have tons of threads to just goof off in!
The forum has ${active} active users and ${signedin} signed in users. @{tone Don’t worry, we’re newbie friendly|We welcome everyone}. A sneak-peek to upcoming releases. Meet with authors.
Get in touch with other folks and learn more about Choicescript, a programming language made to make choice-games. Put your WiP into the public for testing and host them to our Hosted Games label. @{tone Yup, CoG and HG are basically same thing, to an extent|We own COG and HG} (additional commentaries on differences between CoG/HG).
Moderately moderated. Powered by Discourse. etc etc.
Maybe the format could be similar to how a choicescript game looks by making it look like an old choose your own adventure book.
So something like:
You get an e-mail titled “Why you should join the COG forums!” What do you do?
I start wondering why I should join!
Go to PAGE 1
I decide to join without thought! Seize the day!
Go to PAGE 2
I print the email out and make an origami!
Go to PAGE 3
PAGE 1
As you begin to wonder, you realize the forums are awesome!
PAGE 2
You decide to join without a thought, and head straight to the choice of games forums!
PAGE 3
You print out the email and make an origami! It looks lovely!
etc.
Well the forums has plenty of diverse friendly people that probably love reading just as much as you do! It’s a great place to come to get different ideas and and opinions. If you are wanting to try and write a game it has plenty of people, links, and wiki’s that would help out.
Well I think is fan collaboration not labour as there is totally voluntary. And they don’t force to participate. Many small companies asking their supporters helping in promo material
I think it helps bringing people who love/like CYOA games together. I also feel it brings lots of creative ideas to the table, helping out people who are new to coding. Getting an idea of what kind of story people crave for…
