Speaking for myself, there is a simpler reason why I, at least, don''t post as much and often as I may like: trust.

People are eager to post in the programming-related forums because they''re problem-solving - trying to figure out how to make a piece of code work. One person''s solution may help several other people; several people may post different solutions, allowing the forum members to play around with different methods of achieving the same goal. They share in the name of innovation and progress; a piece of code is a puzzle best solved by a group mind.

In here, however, it''s harder (for me, anyway) to simply hand over a selection of writing - more importantly, story ideas - to a group of writers. I know there are several other like-minded people who read posts like "I have this great idea for a game, I haven''t started designing it yet but want to see what you guys think" and shake their heads in wonder. "Why oh why would I hand over uncopyrighted material?" I ask myself.

Innovation in writing translates into a great story idea, a great game idea; it would be too easy, and understandable, for someone on this forum to read The Next Great Idea that some naive wunderkind decided to post and say to themselves "hey, that IS a great idea, but I bet it would be a better game if I added..."

Two years later, the idea you posted on a writing forum is now Available At A Computer Store Near You.

So, while I may be eager to share an opinion, offer up criticism, and engage in friendly debates...I''m incredibly reluctant to offer up a shred of original content - at least not until I have all my copyrights and trademarks settled

we dont just have to hand over our own material, we could drill ourselves and each other about stories we already know, suggesting how films could be translated into games, or what could have been done about the daft last part of half-life etc

********


A Problem Worthy of Attack
Proves It''s Worth by Fighting Back

I''ve also seen posts in other forums, especially the Game Design Forum, that would better fit here. I think most people see "Writing" and avoid it, without considering that the writers are likely better suited to answering certain questions.

One example was the topic Future=Energie Weapons. I understand why the poster put it in Game Design; at it''s core it''s a design concept question. Looking at it deeper, however, it''s a question for the world designer - the writer - to consider.

quote: Well, in nearly all future games/movies/novels , you see energie weapons. But I don''t like them in games because
1:they are not instant hit
2:they are to fluorecent
3:they make sucky sounds
4:It''s hard to sea on the guns itself if the weapon is heavy or light


I overlast had a chat with someone, and in his opinion , further future without energie weapons looks not realistic and is stupid. So i went seeking out a game in the future without energie weapons , and the two most know examples were AlienVsPredator(the marine class only) and Fallout
On planet avp i found an article on this subject http://www.planetavp.com/features/articles/mechman-6.shtml


What i basicle want to ask is if you guys would find a game in the year 2500+ reasonable without energie weapons and whats your opinion on it

I''d ask, instead, what kind of futuristic scenario, set 500 years in the future - barring the cliched post-apocalyptic world - could you have where beam/energy weapons don''t exist?

"All your base are belong to us."

Writing at it''s best.

since when has "energy" been spelt "energie"?

about post-apocapalyptic worlds, i'm writing one at the moment. the catch is it's several years after "The Next Great War" ended, the world is lovely and rebuilt, good as new, with regular (down-to-earth) problems eg street crime mixed in with fractured strands of violent ex-war radicals to drive the plot and change the action occasionally. that sound good to anyone?

[edited by - walkingcarcass on August 6, 2002 2:37:57 PM]

Hey, the poster obviously (A) isn''t a writer and (B) doesn''t speak English as a first language - so let the spelling errors slide, I''m not making grammatical corrections in a quote :-p

Kylotan,

With all due respect, I think you may be the one who has missed the point of the commentary. I didn''t see a response about boasting, or comparing how good one is compared to others. Speaking for myself, my commentary at least was simply to suggest a natural fear of posting original material in this forum until such material is copyrighted. That''s simple common sense; hell, it''s good business sense.

Answering questions in the programming forum is a bit different, in that snippets of code displayed there are more formulaic than imaginative creativity. No one is giving over proprietary code, but trying to solve what is essentially a mathematical equation. In here, it isn''t so much about problem solving as it is about getting opinions on the marketability/originality of your writing. In order to get criticism you have to be prepared to give over your original content. It''s only natural, in my opinion, that people might be reluctant to do so.

The commentary really wasn''t about a lack of answering questions, but more in line with providing one potential answer as to why this forum doesn''t have as many active participants as others.

No one, I believe, has missed the point of the forum; if anything, people are looking for ways to improve the readership and participation of the forum. The first step, naturally, is to figure out reasons why people may not be participating - and find ways to get around that, or alleviate their fears.

I agree, 100%, that the forum should be about sharing ideas to benefit everyone. The problem is balancing the creative need to share ideas with simple business sense that contradicts that concept. Every writer here, at some point, has faced the simple question of "should I give this person my stuff to read? Can I trust them not to use any of it?"

There''s no reason to think that mild paranoia wouldn''t extend to message forums.

And before you think I''m against the idea of sharing original content, i''m not - but you have to at least acknowledge the fear before you can attempt to overcome it.