A unified OcUK MMO community site?

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 15:40

First off, I am not making this post as an offer to set up such a thing, merely making it to promote discussion.

This is coming off the back of a discussion which developed in the SWToR thread here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18251365&page=3

We have many MMO players on these forums and I've noticed over the years that there is a lot of movement from MMO game to MMO game too. It seems that every time another MMO gets an ocuk guild, a thread pops up for it, a name is decided on and maybe a forum or website created. Sometimes multiple guilds on the same MMO, one for one faction and one for another, or one for PvE servers and one for PvP servers or whatever. Each gets its own individual guild name and its own individual website. Threads on the MMO here repeatedly getting posters asking what the ocuk guild name is on game X, or what server the ocuk guild is on in game X. When it comes time for a person to leave MMO X , they effectively leave that games forum/website and pop up down the road on OcUK MMO Y forum and website when that comes out and so on and so forth.

I've wondered if anyone has ever considered making an OcUK MMO Community site, with forums and/or subsections for each MMO which has/will have an OcUK guild. A single location by which an OcUK member can go, regardless of which MMO they are interested in, to be a part of the MMO community of OcUK players. I've seen MMO communities in the past which have had branches across many different MMOs and having a community site for them has worked well, even if the individual branches work individually with their own rules and functions etc.

Anyone considered something like that before? Or is that treading on peoples toes or better to keep all OcUK as entirely seperate and non-interacting entities etc?

Monkeymatt · 24 Jul 2011 at 15:59

I think it is a very good idea, however it will be interesting to get the views of the leaders of the OcUK guilds in WoW, RIFT etc. (If anybody talks to them regularly then please point them in the direction of this topic)

FrenchTart · 24 Jul 2011 at 16:04

People are welcome to set up groups on the linktart site if they like. I as Monkeymatt has said though, most guild leaders would prefer to keep their own sites.

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 16:10

FrenchTart said:
People are welcome to set up groups on the linktart site if they like. I as Monkeymatt has said though, most guild leaders would prefer to keep their own sites.

I guess for those wishing to keep their own sites, their "section" on the community site could simply be a link in the relevant MMO game section which points to their site?

That way people looking at the ocuk mmo community site for say the OcUK horde wow guild could still visit the MMO community site, and when they look at the WoW guild section it would just contain a link to the ocuk horde wow guild website. In effect for them it would merely be a portal or gateway to the "proper" guild website. It would simply mean that instead of having to post here and ask what the guild is called and which server its on and whats the website, they would go to the ocuk mmo community site and get there via that.

Then as other MMOs get released in the future, those future MMOs could have a set OcUK guild name and be integrated with the community site, other players in MMOs would recognise the guild name from MMO to MMO and know that "oh thats the ocuk guild, seen them about in MMO X" etc. (thinking long term here, so in 10 years time there would be a recognisable history and footprint of OcUK in the MMO genre)

No problem at all if its not considered to be a good idea or anything, but wanted to at least be able to say in a couple of years time, "well you know we discussed the idea a few years ago but it didnt pan out" and so forth

Komedy · 24 Jul 2011 at 16:56

thumbs up from me this sounds very similar to the ToGs setup and it works very well

Teaf · 24 Jul 2011 at 16:57

Would be great, nice community with everyone together and universal benefits from being part of it in case you played other games... but I can imagine this to be a nightmare to set up and get running and lots of coordination.

starfighter · 24 Jul 2011 at 17:01

I 100% agree this is a good idea.

Clan leaders wouldn't have to hand over any power or control and simply allow a link or what not to their forums from a central forum other than OcUK.

For example if I was an OcUK forum member looking into joining a clan I wouldn't know there was an active OcUK clan for many older games.

How many pages down is the OcUK WoW guild thread? or the Eve corp thread or the Rift guild thread or the Guildwars guild thread or the Age of Conan guild thread or the Planetside outfit thread or the Warhammer guild thread or the Startrek Online guild thread or the Lord of the Rings guild thread or the Dark Ages of Camalot guild thread or the Everquest 2 guild thread or the Darkfall guild thread or the Aion guild thread or the DC universe guild thread or the DC Online guild thread or the Lineage 2 guild thread.

You get the idea.

I think it would get more people into different games and also provide the guilds with more members.

It seems once a guild is up and running it branches off from OCUK never to be seen again until it sinks or swims under it's own merits.

This website could be a place which links to individual forums at first and eventually as new games come out become more intergrated such as sharing forums and voice comms and other services. (even a name).

Maybe even just a sticky with links would be a step in the right direction. (But not ideal).

Komedy · 24 Jul 2011 at 17:04

starfighter said:
I 100% agree this is a good idea.

You get the idea.

I got the idea after Eve tbh

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 17:47

flibby said:
Would be great, nice community with everyone together and universal benefits from being part of it in case you played other games... but I can imagine this to be a nightmare to set up and get running and lots of coordination.

Setting it up and getting it running would be relatively quick and easy. Doing it without anyone feeling like their existing ocuk guilds are being stepped on or diminished in some way would be the tougher part. The trick would be to emphasize that nobody would be losing anything or having their existing stuff ignored or reduced. That its purpose would be to bring ocuks mmo players together, irrespective of their mmo choice, with an optional location that doesn't get lost in amongst several hundred other game related threads.

maxilive · 24 Jul 2011 at 17:57

http://ocukmc.co.uk/?cat=4

Win? (for Minecraft at least)

As for other MMOs I doubt people would like a infused community due to the nature of each game being so different and guilds morals also totally different

No1newts · 24 Jul 2011 at 18:03

Great idea!

When new games cone out another link is added to a website and people can move clan esque from game to game. If I was any good at web design I would do it, but I'm not, so I won't

Would be a good forum and draw strands together and I couldn't imagine why it would offend leaders (as ex leader of the last wow reroll guild this would have been great)

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 18:17

maxilive said:
http://ocukmc.co.uk/?cat=4

Win? (for Minecraft at least)

As for other MMOs I doubt people would like a infused community due to the nature of each game being so different and guilds morals also totally different

See that kind of highlights my point. That's the first time I ever knew about the existence of that site. Had there been a unified ocuk community site/gateway whatever you call it, I would have encountered that website before now

The differences shouldn't be a problem , at least they certainly aren't on other mmo community sites, each ocuk mmo subsection would be autonomous , it wouldn't be a case that some overlord is decreeing that all ocuk mmo guilds must do A and B and follow set rules on all mmos.

starfighter · 24 Jul 2011 at 18:55

We did have OcUK Player Services which was renamed to OcUK Pod Pilot services and some of the other forums culled when it became mostly Eve related and now is home to the OCUK Eve corp.

It is run by Vortecs (can't remember his exact forum name) who is/was in the Eve Online corp and I have recently spotted playing Planetside. I remember the name was approved by moderators as it incorporated Overclockers.

It depends if Overclockers is the way to go though, a name change might help recruiting ingame as Overclockers doesn't sound "cool" perhaps but at the same time from being in OcUK clans in the past some people recognise the name and ask to join.

http://www.oc-ps.co.uk/forums/

Utnac · 24 Jul 2011 at 20:15

It's a brilliant idea, that I'd willingly contribute to, but it would take a few dedicated leaders who wouldn't drop out quickly.

Danthus · 24 Jul 2011 at 20:38

I have a spare vBulletin suite licence and hosting that can be used although I am not really playing any MMO at the minute, I am waiting for Star Wars.

CaptainRAVE · 24 Jul 2011 at 22:20

I personally think this is an excellent idea. I always enjoy gaming with my fellow OcUK members (I feel like we have a great community here - reinforced over the last few days) and try to be in OcUK guilds/clans for all the games I play. This would certainly make setting them up and finding them much easier!

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 23:10

Something like this...

http://beyondtheclock.enjin.com/

Where each MMO has a sub section along the top there, those OcUK guilds who want to keep their own sites etc, could just simply have a link under the relevant menu along the top, so for example the WoW entry along the top there would just have a link under it to the ocuk WoW guildsite (that way its not stepping on anyones toes?)

ins0mn1ac · 24 Jul 2011 at 23:27

Great idea imo!

Hopefully the majority of OcUK Swtor players want darkside, I'd be tempted to join then

No1newts · 24 Jul 2011 at 23:31

Tombstone said:
Something like this...

http://beyondtheclock.enjin.com/

Where each MMO has a sub section along the top there, those OcUK guilds who want to keep their own sites etc, could just simply have a link under the relevant menu along the top, so for example the WoW entry along the top there would just have a link under it to the ocuk WoW guildsite (that way its not stepping on anyones toes?)

You do that Tomb?

Didnt have a full on browse so apologies if I list something which is already active.

Have a forum header for each separate mmo so people can discuss the mmo in this. Have a player list in here and also have the relevant guilds a link from here.
Have sone way of players profiles listing games they play plus sides etc.
Some sort of general clan discussion area. Wouldnt want it to be used as a hub for people to post their guild link then run. Would be best to build one community who can discuss/play all games together.

As I say apologies if any of the above exist, just quick browsing before bed.

Tombstone · 24 Jul 2011 at 23:34

No1newts said:
You do that Tomb?

Didnt have a full on browse so apologies if I list something which is already active.

Have a forum header for each separate mmo so people can discuss the mmo in this. Have a player list in here and also have the relevant guilds a link from here.
Have sone way of players profiles listing games they play plus sides etc.
Some sort of general clan discussion area. Wouldnt want it to be used as a hub for people to post their guild link then run. Would be best to build one community who can discuss/play all games together.

As I say apologies if any of the above exist, just quick browsing before bed.

Thats just a quick trial thing knocked up, the settings and layouts are pretty much all on defaults (with the exception that I added the games along the top there to illustrate what I meant about existing websites)

All of those things you've listed are easily added and set up, including the site automatically tying in to things like WoW armory and so on. Its not been tailored at all really, was just using it as a demonstration of the kind of thing I was indicating

Have adjusted the forums bit slightly to better indicate the kind of thing I mean regarding forums and the individuality and autonomy of the respective ocuk guilds

EDIT : dawned on me you may not be able to see the forums properly without being a member, have knocked up a quick default account, use [email protected] as username and ocukdemo as password and you can log in and see what I meant about forums.

(are we allowed to put an email address on here?? I'd better check that...cant see anything in the rules about it)

I should mention that this isnt THE actual thing, I merely whipped that quickly up to better show the sort of thing I meant by an Ocuk MMO community site. Something visual as an aid to the written ideas.