The thing we’re trying to get at is why are they (HP) restricted to this smaller audience base? These are completed games. They don’t necessarily need the type of feedback WiPs do but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a thread for general discussion. People use WiP threads to gush or connect or swap ideas just as often as, if not more than they do to actually give actionable critique. Other completed games have their own threads for that too. Hence posting them in HP instead of the singular workshop thread. These games are also intended to be publicly accessible.
I mean the category description
specifies discussion. But if a non forum member comes to discuss a game and are met with a “private/does not exist” page, they might sign up, but they might not. The thing they came to talk about doesn’t appear to be here and they can’t find it through searching or on the author’s profile. And if they do sign up, they’re taken to the landing page for the forum, still not the topic. They’re reasonably likely to assume the topic is, as the page told them, private or doesn’t exist. I get that is a Discourse thing, but the restriction isn’t.
Just because these aren’t intended to be commercially published through CoG, HG, or HC doesn’t mean we want to hide them.
We just want to understand why they are restricted and, if that isn’t going to be changed, figure out what we should be doing with them instead so that people can see and interact better with discussion about them and with us.
The answer to that is simple, but probably one you won’t explore.
If you go and make it a WIP with intent to publish with CoG or HG then it becomes a normal WIP and gets full exposure.
I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the reality of the matter. You’re going to get less feedback as a Hobby Project, but the people who do read it will typically provide solid feedback because they are very passionate about the genre. More doesn’t necessarily mean better.
I didn’t make this thread to start fights or cause frustration and I’m not interested in interacting in any way that will cultivate those things.
Most of the users who have posted on this thread just want to know if there is a reason that HP is restricted, what that reason is, and if it can and will be changed.
I’m stepping back from this for now and ask that be respected as (if) the conversation moves forward.
Bit odd if hoppy projects are locked unless you are logged in and “its to protect people from feedback” is being used a response. I assume that someone posting in the Hobby projects category have just made a project… as a hobby… and wants to share it without wanting to sell it? It’s not a new concept. Wouldn’t people who put their time into making a game for free and fun want people to be able to talk to them about their game and tell them what they like? And if they get feedback they dont like then it can still be flagged and the moderators called? The forum thread would be the only place for fans to discuss the game that they liked and making it restricted only adds a extra hurdle for fans who aren’t a regular member of the forms to access it.
