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[Aaron]

As someone just getting into the AC series I can appreciate having all the crap from the IOS games, novels, et cetera in one place.

http://www.giantbomb.com/assassins-creed/62-38/

There you go. Much easier to manage too than the bloated OP.

I wish the OPs would post links to longer info, and stick to actually posting shorter bits of information. Things like release dates, special editions, and a few screens to pad it out a little bit. I don't need a list of classes for an RPG. If I play the game, that'll be right in my face anyway.

 

[enzo_gt]

Yep, which is why I added a table of content right bellow the main post; with individual links too. (and is not like MK was a well revered series, it's more accepted "now" though)

As noted also, it needs to be kept in mind that there's a 24,000 characters limit per post. So even if we wanted to use less posts, we couldn't...unless we just changed everything. The MK OT ended bigger because of that. Using (to start bolding a line of text) already counts as 3 characters.

It's also the reason some use "images" instead of text.
One link to an image = less characters than the whole paragraph copy-pasted directly. Threads would be even bigger if we used no images for some areas.

I'm getting ready to post an OT myself and I know what you mean, formatting and URLs chew up SO many characters, 24 000 is much less than you think. I didn't want to do it but I caved into putting text into images as much as I'd rather not for the ability for to CTRL+F. Tinyurl-ing everything just to keep the character count down, the works. Gotta be crafty with that stuff.

And I think MK is one of the most popular and recognized franchises ever, only second to SF, but that's a different topic. In the case of your OT, I would have left out the extended history posts TBH, I really didn't realize MK9 was that big a deal that it needed that, MKvsDC wasn't exactly eons ago and I certainly didnt think anyone would forgot about it and this was the second coming. That is where much of my criticism comes from.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

I thought fan service was one of the main goals for OTs. You're hyped for the game, you get even more hyped browsing an homage to the game.

I like OT's for being introductions to the game for people who haven't seen it before. I mostly post in threads for games I'm not excited about, so I think we differ in what we want from these threads.

 

[Tain]

Look at this baller, information-packed OT

I like OTs like that.

I don't like circle-jerks, and I feel someone who has strong negative opinions about a game should be able to voice them in that game's OT. Ridiculous OPs like the AssCreed one probably do contribute to that being a dangerous move, but to be honest, I think any "good" OP would.

 

[polyh3dron]

I never read the OP in official threads.

ruh roh bannable offense lol

 

[Fallout-NL]

moreover, this kind of yawning fanboy rubbing material only serves to set up a sycophantic worship tone for the rest of the thread, stifling rational debate. how dare anyone criticize a king in his own palace?

Agreed, though that's typical of what happens in most GAF 'debate'.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Completely disagree. If you want some quick info on something you can google it.

OT's should not just be about giving you a quick serving of info imo, it's also a labor of dedication/respect towards whatever is coming out. Whoever made that put a ton of time into it and everyone who stays in that thread is presumably a big fan of the series. I like the OT a lot and I enjoy huge multi-posted OT's for games I love. I want them to continue that way.

I think you make a good point. If you need basic info like release dates, reviews and such...just Google it and you'll find out in 10 seconds.

I kinda like how he went over the past games because AC is such a story-heavy series with a lot of continuity.

 

[Square Triangle]

See I don't want links to other sites, I want NeoGAF as my one stop shop for the info. Which is my I'm for the effort put into these huge OTs.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

GAF OTs are not meant for the general public. They're meant for enthusiasts who are frothing with hype. They already have the release date marked on their calendar and/or tattooed on their buttocks. If they don't bring your webbroswer to its knees and make your scroll marker the size of a pixel they're doing it wrong.

I think the point is that some people think this is fucking weird and should stop.

 

[fernoca]

It does suck seeing the amount of people thinking we get paid, we receive gifts, we're corporate chills and so on.

Live and learn; like everything.

 

[∀ Narayan]

Bayonetta is my favorite OT. When I make one, that'll probably be the model (with a few parts of the banner images linked to information).

Same.

Any OP that goes over a single post is pretty ridiculous. I don't know why some folks go overboard and provide a complete history of the gaming industry in addition to information on the game they made the thread for. If people are genuinely interested in a game, they'll just go watch some trailers and read some reviews. No one is going to read every single thing you post in a huge ass OP.

 

[Seanspeed]

I thought fan service was one of the main goals for OTs. You're hyped for the game, you get even more hyped browsing an homage to the game.

Yup. And they're definitely useful. I dont know about y'all, but I like to do a bit of research about a game I'm looking at buying, and these large OT's are full of information. Yes, you could find the info elsewhere, but its nice when its all in one place and has a slick presentation to it, as well.

And of course, if you dont like it, then dont read it. I dont see what the big deal is. Most of the time, GAF threads get so big anyways that I usually just hit 'Last Page' anyways. Not like I'm actually read through thousands of posts, so all the 'Nice OP' fluff comments shouldn't really be that big of a deal. I especially dont mind em because there's simply no other way to show a bit of appreciation for the time and work these guys put into them.

 

[DireStr8s]

I think one post is enough. Anything you can't fit in one post could be linked to a tumblr or something.

 

[MrPliskin]

The only reason these exist is because people continue to try to 1up BruceLeeRoy for his awesome MGS4 thread, only they're doing it wrong. The MGS4 thread was a thing of beauty, carefully detailing the story and characters.

These are just PR Fact sheets without any real substance, IMO. Plus, IMAGES. Christ, cut down on the HUGE MASSIVE IMAGES.

 

[iNvid02]

It does suck seeing the amount of people thinking we get paid, we receive gifts, we're corporate chills and so on.

Live and learn; like everything.

you didnt get your limited edition, diamond encrusted gift basket?

 

[HamPster PamPster]

I wish posters put 1/10th as much effort into |OT| after release as they do before release. I'm on GAF because I like GAF and the posters. If I want reviews I'll go to metacritic, if I want a timeline I'll go to the official site, if I want screenshots I'll go to any game site.

How great would it be if 6 months from now you opened the AssCreed thread and it was filled with quotes from the actual thread? 6 months of impressions, discussion, user reviews and everything else distilled down for people who didn't jump in day 1. Do I really want to trudge through the OT and read 5 pages of "great job OP" and then 8 pages of "PS3 or 360???" then a page of "stupid PC delay" and then 7 pages of "I can't believe this stupid IGN review" to finally find where the thread actually starts talking about the game.

I think that’s why I like LTTP threads more. So much more concise

 

[Chris R]

These are just PR Fact sheets without any real substance, IMO. Plus, IMAGES. Christ, cut down on the HUGE MASSIVE IMAGES.

The images would be fine if they were actually images instead of images PLUS walls of text.

 

[notworksafe]

I think you make a good point. If you need basic info like release dates, reviews and such...just Google it and you'll find out in 10 seconds.

Then why make an OT? If you want to see the trailer, just google. If you want to see reviews, just google. If you want to find out about the story, just google.

The point of an OT should be to provide the basic info, show some screenshots and video, perhaps post reviews and impressions, and then make way for discussion about the game. Not to be a bulky mess that incorporates a ton of info not about the game itself but about the history of the series and other ridiculous things.

I kinda like how he went over the past games because AC is such a story-heavy series with a lot of continuity.

Nothing wrong with having that info, but he went about it the wrong way. He should have made a series OT and then linked to it within the AssCreedRev OT itself.

 

[Rapstah]

We should retcon this thread to start with eighteen posts of pictures of posts describing the problems, preferrably with enormous image-based headlines too.

 

[Adam Blade]

What did people think of my Nier thread, on the off-chance I ever do another official game thread?

Also, am I the only one who still dislikes having the |OT| tag in a thread title instead of "Official Thread?"

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Thanks guys. <3

As far as I'm concerned, RevenantKioku is the king of official threads.

I would like making a joke OT sometime. Nothing coming out that really has potential though. Would need a lower-key game...

What did people think of my Nier thread, on the off-chance I ever do another official game thread?

Also, am I the only one who still dislikes having the |OT| tag in a thread title instead of "Official Thread?"

I like the consistency more than anything. Before, you'd get "Game - The Official Thread," "Official Thread - Game," "Game Official Thread of Yada Yada."

 

[Hot Coldman]

Some people need an outlet for their photoshop urges, I guess

 

[SouthernDragon]

The Skyrim OT example was great. What an OT should be.

The AC:R OT... well, it looks nice, but holy shit is it overwhelming.

 

[Xater]

when i click on an OT i'll want to find release/pricing details, a spattering of reviews and footage, and perhaps a tastefully concise blurb or bullet list highlighting some of the major innovations/selling points of the title. what i don't want is some catch all media dump which reads like the OP found a folder some PR rep left on a train and decided to type it all up verbatim, leaving any useful information marooned in a sea of extended universe fluff.

I absolutely agree with this. It is getting out of hand. I kinda stopped reading these OTs because it is hard to actually find the useful information besides all the crap. Really? Do we need wallpapers and avatars in an OT? That is nothing some googling and basic image editing can't provide.

 

[The Boat]

There have been a number of times I actually wondered if a PR or someone from the publisher/developer was making the OT.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

This is the OT I am proudest of

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=417621

It's the model I use for all my OTs. Make a joke, keep a theme, supply all the basic information and a few screenshots.

 

[enzo_gt]

What did people think of my Nier thread, on the off-chance I ever do another official game thread?

Also, am I the only one who still dislikes having the |OT| tag in a thread title instead of "Official Thread?"

I hated the |OT| tag at first, but it's usefulness grew on me the more I browsed gaming. It makes for easily identifiable "official" places to go for discussion.

 

[opticalmace]

After comparing some OTs to Stump's samples I have to say I completely agree.

 

[Fersis]

Kinda agree with the OP but he should respect others passion and what not.
My KOFXIII |OT| is text based because im 'over' the huge |OT|s

Hell most people dont even read it.

 

[Seven Force]

I humbly submit to you my Super Mario 3D Land OT. <3

No scrollbars! Even on netbooks! Impressions from actual Gaffers! One post only!

Spoiler

OK so I get like, one post to stroke my ego OK?

Amir0x is basing the Skyward Sword format on it, and I'm providing the netbook-friendly header images. So that should be a good thread too.

Yeah, this is probably my favorite OT as of late.

I thought the Sonic Generations OT was pretty great, too. The amount of images aren't excessive, tells you everything you need to know about the game, and doesn't span a multitude of cluttered posts. (Which is nice, as it's covering two separate versions of the game as well.)

 

[JaseC]

I'll admit that AC OT is insane but when it brings posts like this



I can't help but lol

The irony being that by posting that, he himself provided a so-called "fluff post" and must now - since it's impossible to use the ignore function on yourself - stop posting.

 

[I H8 Memes]

As far as I'm concerned, OTs should be three posts.

Post 1: Game info
Post 2: Post-release info (patches, dlc, maybe reviews)
Post 3: Gaf-impressions (Updated over time from the thread itself)

Yup.

 

[Rolf NB]

Rendering text out to graphics is really annoying. What if I ever wanted to search an otherwise incomprehensible thread for the string "release date", and I never find it because it's not actually on the page as text.

 

[stupei]

I thought you might be exaggerating a little, I've seen plenty of bloated OT's and they always suck at providing quick and easy information but personally I don't have a problem with it taking up a post or two. But my god that Revelations OP is so long that it's not even remotely useful. There are things that I would actually like to know about that game but I'd rather google than search through that mess for more info on the multiplayer.

Just when you think you've finally reached the end of that OP, it starts a recap of all the past games.

 

[Meier]

See I don't want links to other sites, I want NeoGAF as my one stop shop for the info. Which is my I'm for the effort put into these huge OTs.

Agreed. I literally NEVER go to any other games site nor do I feel the need or desire to -- this has been the case for nearly the entire 10+ years I've been at GAF. Giant Bomb can go fuck itself for all I care. A lot of info in the OP of the OT can only be a good thing.

 

[Seanspeed]

I absolutely agree with this. It is getting out of hand. I kinda stopped reading these OTs because it is hard to actually find the useful information besides all the crap. Really? Do we need wallpapers and avatars in an OT? That is nothing some googling and basic image editing can't provide.

Yes, because spending time googling and in image editors is preferable to just clicking once on something already in front of me.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

As long as the OP has release date, platforms, a rundown of the major modes of gameplay, links to a few trailers, and the major reviews neatly linked to (if there isn't a separate review thread), everything else is superfluous. Story shit should just be a wiki link, and an exhaustive rundown of every item/map in the game is better suited for gamefaqs.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

The only reason these exist is because people continue to try to 1up BruceLeeRoy for his awesome MGS4 thread, only they're doing it wrong. The MGS4 thread was a thing of beauty, carefully detailing the story and characters.

These are just PR Fact sheets without any real substance, IMO. Plus, IMAGES. Christ, cut down on the HUGE MASSIVE IMAGES.

Ehh, that's exactly what he did with the ACR OT. Yeah, he went over the past games too but AC is kinda unique in that a lot of people can't finish the earlier games but still love the story and want to know what happens.

Then why make an OT? If you want to see the trailer, just google. If you want to see reviews, just google. If you want to find out about the story, just google.

The point of an OT should be to provide the basic info, show some screenshots and video, perhaps post reviews and impressions, and then make way for discussion about the game. Not to be a bulky mess that incorporates a ton of info not about the game itself but about the history of the series and other ridiculous things.

But why provide that basic info if you can just Google it? This goes both ways. I guess you just have to find a balance. I don't really know...

 

[MrPliskin]

The images would be fine if they were actually images instead of images PLUS walls of text.

I should have been clear, but this is exactly what I meant. The MW3 thread is utter shit because of this. It's absolutely impossible to search, takes forever to load (comparatively to other OTs) and the text is no where near as sharp as native in-browser text.

It's terrible.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Goddamn, that Assassin's Creed OP is literally an entire website posted in a thread.

 

[Mr.Green]

These OTs inevitably became a competition. When people start making forum avatars you know they're desperate for content.

To be honest, at first I thought there was something a little pathetic excessive about this level of fanboyism dedication, but now I think they're the quintessential source of information about any given game. Thumbs up to the people making them.

That AC thread might have jumped the shark a few dozen times, though.

 

[daffy]

I must not, and cannot, agree with you, because you presented your argument in a overly critical manner, as if to expose a seedy underbelly of the defendant. Your use of drawn out linguistics and overall insulting tone leads me to believe that your motive is an overall falsehood.

Spoiler

Why do people use so many fancy words on a forum. like, what the heck is sycophantic ?! Just shutup and speak normal, jeez

 

[∀ Narayan]

Thanks guys. <3

Yeah, that OT is great, because it doesn't go beyond a single post, and it can be updated by other users. I'm totally using that if I make an OT.

 

[obonicus]

Rendering text out to graphics is really annoying. What if I ever wanted to search an otherwise incomprehensible thread for the string "release date", and I never find it because it's not actually on the page as text.

That's the only thing I can agree with. Some information is fundamental (release dates, platforms, patch notes) and should be kept as text. If you want to go and have a little paragraph describing what happened to characters, no one will ever want to search that text, so it can be in whatever format doesn't break the OP.

 

[JaseC]

Rendering text out to graphics is really annoying. What if I ever wanted to search an otherwise incomprehensible thread for the string "release date", and I never find it because it's not actually on the page as text.

Yeah, that's a legitimate problem. Ideally, actual information that can be conveyed using text should be done so, leaving the images for headers, visual descriptors (e.g. character portraits), screenshots, and perhaps as links to videos.

 

[fernoca]

you didnt get your limited edition, diamond encrusted gift basket?

I'm still waiting for them.
..and of course, the check(s). XD

I wish posters put 1/10th as much effort into |OT| after release as they do before release. I'm on GAF because I like GAF and the posters. If I want reviews I'll go to metacritic, if I want a timeline I'll go to the official site, if I want screenshots I'll go to any game site.

How great would it be if 6 months from now you opened the AssCreed thread and it was filled with quotes from the actual thread? 6 months of impressions, discussion, user reviews and everything else distilled down for people who didn't jump in day 1. Do I really want to trudge through the OT and read 5 pages of "great job OP" and then 8 pages of "PS3 or 360???" then a page of "stupid PC delay" and then 7 pages of "I can't believe this stupid IGN review" to finally find where the thread actually starts talking about the game.

I think that’s why I like LTTP threads more. So much more concise

I do that in my threads, if there's interest of course. For Mortal Kombat I kept updating with links to interviews, impressions, patches, updates and info from April until September..yet the thread was basically dead; so updates stopped.

I even eliminated parts and toned down others in the Skylanders thread; to add more impressions and GAF impressions. But aside a few new impressions, even bigger sites has been ignoring the game; so whatever I update comes basically from the posts other GAFFers make and stuff I look around.

And as noted, there's the character limit. I had to put the GAF impressions in the Skylanders thread as images, because I already exceeded the limit...and I still needed more for upcoming reviews and impressions.

 

[radios shipping overview]

OT OPs should only have one word in them, for all the good they do once the thread grows past one page.

"GO!"

And then, later, deep links to posts in the thread with vital news/information can be added to the OP. The goal of the OP should be to provide its own index to the juicy goodness the thread contains (especially with the demise of a proper search function), not to repeat information that can be found elsewhere.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I must not, and cannot, agree with you, because you presented your argument in a overly critical manner, as if to expose a seedy underbelly of the defendant. Your use of drawn out linguistics and overall insulting tone leads me to believe that your motive is an overall falsehood.

Spoiler

Why do people use so many fancy words on a forum. like, what the heck is sycophantic ?! Just shutup and speak normal, jeez

"Sycophancy" is any David Jaffe thread.

 

[Songbird]

Very much agree with the OP. BF3 and AC:R's OTs made me think less of not only the game, but also of GAF. It's a marketer's wet dream.

 

[Haly]

Just to show how useless a gigantic OP is for catalyzing discussion, this thread now has more replies than the AC:R thread, averaging at almost one post per view.