Official Let's hear your forum improvements!

[RainbowPotato 🌳🪓]

Sorry if this has been suggested before, but I have 2 ideas:

Polls can be used in profile posts

You can see the amount of profile posts you’ve made similarly to reaction score or messages. If it gets too clouded, it could be rearranged so it could be seen near the reactions given and reactions received.

 

[Rezerkity]

I'm generally happy with the forum functionality in all regards, especially the New Posts page.

The only criticism I have at this time is that on desktop, the 'Like' button is displayed at the far right of the screen, far away from all other interactive buttons. Example image attached.

 

[Dapling]

I don't want to start an entirely new thread about this, but I want to raise for consideration that I think it may be a good time to consider a go-over for the Game Suggestions subforum guidelines and post etiquette since it's been mostly left unchanged for quite a while.

In recent times, people have started disagreeing with suggestions saying that they "feel modded" without going into any further explanation as to why they believe it is a bad idea. To me, this falls under the blanket of "Do not make disrespectful comments" since it's both saying the suggestion is a bad idea, and then it is explicitly saying that it is bad because it reminds them of modded Terraria, which then further adds an implication (intended or otherwise) that modded Terraria is worse than stock Terraria.

I don't want to waste staff time with reports of posts like these unless the discussion around them gets abrasive, but I think the general sentiment around the "this feels modded" comment and dismissal is rather abrasive to begin with.

This would be so great. I’m pretty tired of the “feels modded” complaint too for another reason, that being that it isn’t a constructive thing the OP can address or fix most of the time as it’s often highly subjective and arbitrary (due to being based on “feel”)

And like you said, if you have concrete criticism for something feeling modded, then the reasoning should have been the focus to begin with and saying it feels like a mod doesn’t actually contribute anything to your point and isn’t even necessary

 

[77ForumBone]

I'm going to be honest; I don't believe "this feels modded" is a valid criticism. Regardless of intent, it places an unfair mark of shame on mods as a whole, and if you can back up "this feels modded" with a valid second criticism of an idea, you already had a valid criticism in the first place and didn't need to say it feels modded.

If you have a valid criticism of a suggestion itself, that is fine. If your criticism is that it feels "modded" it has slightly less weight. If you are directly comparing it to an existing mod, and it is something that you don't like, it starts being a very blurry line where you have to ask if you don't like it because it's actually a bad idea or if you don't like it just because you don't like the mod people are referencing.

I'm not for or against anything mod-wise. I don't really mess around with them and the popular ones don't interest me much. Yes, many of them do things I don't personally enjoy. I don't really care since I otherwise don't play them.

Yep! The benchmark of something feeling "modded" changes as the game develops. There's all sorts of things you could point out.

As mentioned, the Aether would have been unheard of in 1.2.4 or 1.3 days. An entire hidden biome with a liquid that changes items? Ridiculous.

Soaring Insignia would have been incredibly polarizing as a suggestion, let alone the UFO mount. Infinite flight? That's way too broken.

Honestly, everything around the Empress of Light. A proper projectile spam boss that instantly kills you during the day? They also drop a bonus item if you start the fight during the day and defeat them! That's insane by 1.2.4 standards.

Moon Lord coming out, then getting Moon Bite a few days later purely to stop lifesteal effects? What kind of modder comes up with this idea? Way to ruin an entire playstyle!

Endless Quiver? No way! Arrows are cheap, prepare better.

Special seeded worlds in general, pylons, then moving Teleporters to post-Skeletron due to Pylons...

Even the modern state of the Terra Blade or the Night's Edge, or the fact we even got the Terraspark Boots at all.

Torch God's Blessing putting down biome torches automatically.

The game has changed a lot over the years. No matter the context around saying it is, to me saying "this feels modded" feels like a cheap pot shot.


Yes, that's the point. I am pointing out things that have happened through the course of normal development that people would say feel modded.

I am also not defending Moon Bite, but it is an example of something somebody would say "feels modded" if the mechanic was not in the game and somebody suggested to give Moon Lord a lifesteal prevention mechanic.

Personally I think "it feels too modded" is a valid complaint to a suggestion, and it is something that I think is needed. A lot of suggestions are so self-contained, that the only real thing to say about the suggestion is "it feels modded." Saying that basically means that the idea is too self-contained, and if more people understood that, then I think people would complain less about this type of response. I don't think having a unruly suggestion makes something modded, I think having a suggestion that has nothing to do with the base game does.
Besides, what else is there to say besides saying an idea is self-contained? If a suggestion feels modded, the most you can say is "This suggestion feels modded because it's too self-contained."
It may seem a bit lazy or harsh, but hey, George Washington didn't cut down a cherry tree without his teeth!

 

[Asternove]

Personally I think "it feels too modded" is a valid complaint to a suggestion, and it is something that I think is needed. A lot of suggestions are so self-contained, that the only real thing to say about the suggestion is "it feels modded." Saying that basically means that the idea is too self-contained, and if more people understood that, then I think people would complain less about this type of response. I don't think having a unruly suggestion makes something modded, I think having a suggestion that has nothing to do with the base game does.
Besides, what else is there to say besides saying an idea is self-contained? If a suggestion feels modded, the most you can say is "This suggestion feels modded because it's too self-contained."
It may seem a bit lazy or harsh, but hey, George Washington didn't cut down a cherry tree without his teeth!

It’s really just leaving “this feels too modded” with no further info that’s bad. Even minimal info is fine.

 

[77ForumBone]

It’s really just leaving “this feels too modded” with no further info that’s bad. Even minimal info is fine.

I can see why people would find that annoying, but if that's the only problem with the suggestion, then what else is there to say besides saying "it feels too modded?"

 

[Hickory]

I can see why people would find that annoying, but if that's the only problem with the suggestion, then what else is there to say besides saying "it feels too modded?"

"It feels modded" on its own isn't addressing any issue with a particular suggestion. It's equivalent to saying "The vibes are off". It doesn't say anything about the actual idea.

There are plenty of valid criticisms that would make a suggestion feel 'modded', such as being too disconnected from anything that already exists in the game, not aligning with the core gameplay loop or balancing philosophy of Terraria, or being out of line with the tone of the game.

Any of those reasons and plenty of others are perfectly valid criticisms for many ideas, and there's nothing wrong with stating that such issues make an idea feel more like a mod than something that can or should exist in the base game. Not taking the time to consider what about the suggestion makes it feel modded and articulate on that in your response leaves you with a reply that's equivalent to just dropping in and saying "It's bad" with no further elaboration.

 

[Asternove]

"It feels modded" on its own isn't addressing any issue with a particular suggestion. It's equivalent to saying "The vibes are off". It doesn't say anything about the actual idea.

There are plenty of valid criticisms that would make a suggestion feel 'modded', such as being too disconnected from anything that already exists in the game, not aligning with the core gameplay loop or balancing philosophy of Terraria, or being out of line with the tone of the game.

Any of those reasons and plenty of others are perfectly valid criticisms for many ideas, and there's nothing wrong with stating that such issues make an idea feel more like a mod than something that can or should exist in the base game. Not taking the time to consider what about the suggestion makes it feel modded and articulate on that in your response leaves you with a reply that's equivalent to just dropping in and saying "It's bad" with no further elaboration.

Usually my “too modded” criticism is related to recipes: Vanilla usually doesn’t add random crap to forge new accessory combos while mods like Calamity do.

For instance, Calamity adds bars and materials to many accessory combinations to lock them to later in the game. Vanilla doesn’t do this save for a singular exception.

 

[77ForumBone]

There are plenty of valid criticisms that would make a suggestion feel 'modded', such as being too disconnected from anything that already exists in the game, not aligning with the core gameplay loop or balancing philosophy of Terraria, or being out of line with the tone of the game.

"Being too disconnected from the game" or "being out of line with the tone of the game" is literally the definition of saying a suggestion is modded, so by saying that your basically repeating yourself.

 

[Hickory]

"Being too disconnected from the game" or "being out of line with the tone of the game" is literally the definition of saying a suggestion is modded, so by saying that your basically repeating yourself.

I feel that saying "This is too modded" is simply too vague to be useful feedback compared to a more nuanced or thoughtful response. Those two points of critique you quoted are not the same, and considering you seem to agree that they both fall under the umbrella of "This is too modded", I think that goes to show that it's not a response that aptly describes any particular problem with a suggestion but merely indicates that you have some unstated issue with it. This is quite similar to just saying "I don't like this" without elaboration, which is of course not particularly constructive criticism.

 

[77ForumBone]

I feel that saying "This is too modded" is simply too vague to be useful feedback compared to a more nuanced or thoughtful response.

What else can you say though?

Those two points of critique you quoted are not the same, and considering you seem to agree that they both fall under the umbrella of "This is too modded"

This may seem a bit ironic considering the situation, but how are they different? The definition of a suggestion being modded is that it is too different from the base game, which is literally the exact same as saying "Being too disconnected from the game" or "being out of line with the tone of the game." What you want people to do is to basically repeat themselves. Saying, "This suggestion is too modded because it is too disconnected from the game (which is what you want people to do)," is like saying "This suggestion is bad because it isn't very good."

I think that goes to show that it's not a response that aptly describes any particular problem with a suggestion but merely indicates that you have some unstated issue with it.

I've only said a suggestion is too modded once, and that's because it was too far from the base game, which is again, the definition of a suggestion being modded.

This is quite similar to just saying "I don't like this" without elaboration, which is of course not particularly constructive criticism.

Not really. If you say a suggestion is too modded with nothing else, than that's fine because saying anything else would be repeating yourself, because there's nothing left to add. Saying "I don't like this" is bad criticism, because you can say something like "I don't like this because it breaks progression etc."

If a suggestion is too modded, can you please tell me how to say something else without repeating yourself?

Again:

Definition of modded - Doesn't fit with the base game.

If whatever else you say is a synonym of "doesn't fit with the base game," then your point is pretty moot.

 

[Hickory]

I can see the logic behind that, but what else is there to say?

This may seem a bit ironic considering the situation, but how are they different? The definition of a suggestion being modded is that it is too different from the base game, which is literally the exact same as saying "Being too disconnected from the game" or "being out of line with the tone of the game." What you want people to do is to basically repeat themselves. Saying, "This suggestion is too modded because it is too disconnected from the game (which is what you want people to do)," is like saying "This suggestion is bad because it isn't very good."

I've only said a suggestion is too modded once, and that's because it was too far from the base game, which is again, the definition of a suggestion being modded.

Not really. If you say a suggestion is too modded with nothing else, than that's fine because saying anything else would be repeating yourself, because there's nothing left to add. Saying "I don't like this" is bad criticism, because you can say something like "I don't like this because it breaks progression etc."

Being too disconnected from the game would indicate that a suggested feature doesn't have precedent from existing mechanics. If someone were to suggest a new system for upgrading existing equipment in enhancements to existing items rather than acquiring new ones, that would be disconnected from what already exists in the game because there isn't anything currently in Terraria that would compliment or support such a feature. Not fitting the tone of the game would indicate that it doesn't mesh well with the game's story, age rating, and art style. If someone were to suggest a feature or story element that were excessively violent beyond the somewhat cartoonish fantasy violence Terraria has or suggested a boss or item that were photorealistic, that would clash with the tone because aesthetically and thematically they wouldn't fit into the game.

These are only two examples. There are 4,706 content mods on the tModLoader workshop right now that vary in how outlandish, balanced, or extensive they are, and there are just as many ways that they waver from the design philosophy of the base game. Saying something feels 'modded' doesn't explain what issue you actually have with a suggestion on its own, and even if you have your own more specific definition for what makes a suggestion 'too modded', it's much easier for everyone involved to take a moment to write out what about the suggestion makes it come across as 'too modded' than to try to explain to and form a consensus with every other person on the forum as to what your definition of 'too modded' entails.

And to address your mention that you only used this critique once, I don't mean to imply anything about you personally or your forum habits. I'm simply giving my thoughts on a specific type of vague and brief critique that has been brought up here and why I don't believe it is conducive to thoughtful discussion and constructive feedback.

 

[Unit One]

Hi all, thanks for all the thoughtful feedback and notes on this topic. The forum staff have discussed it over and while it would be preferred if people didn’t simply say a suggestion feels modded, it’s an inelegant way of indicating they think the suggestion doesn’t fit or match the feel of the game (which is valid criticism), and there won’t be a specific rule made just for it.

 

[77ForumBone]

But seriously, I think this will satisfy both parties. It's not encouraged, but it can still be used.

 

[IndigoGollum]

On ðe desktop site, at least on monitors wide enough, i don't see any reason to hide some text formatting options (spoilers, quotes, etc.) inside a drop down menu right next to a wide empty space. You already collapse more stuff in ðe mobile site, so not doing ðis feels like an inconsistency.

 

[Mille Marteaux]

I've been sitting on these thoughts for a couple of days to try and keep my tone of text in point - I am very afraid of accidentally starting fights on the internet and the last thing I want to do is accidentally start a fight over something this minor.

and there won’t be a specific rule made just for it

This is fine, and I agree it's not a big enough problem to be an entire rule on its own.

However,

while it would be preferred if people didn’t simply say a suggestion feels modded, it’s an inelegant way of indicating they think the suggestion doesn’t fit or match the feel of the game (which is valid criticism)

I believe this is the core problem, the inelegance of "no, this feels modded" is intentionally or otherwise adding a negative connotation to the suggestion and to game modifications.

Going off the Guidelines:

Constructive Criticism Requires Reasons
Posting in a suggestion thread simply to voice dislike for the idea is unhelpful and unneeded. Always include reasons for disagreeing with the idea or ways it could be improved. A suggestion could throw off the game balance, disrupt progression, introduce an overpowered item or mechanic, or create any of a million other problems. Provide that information so that the suggestion author might possibly agree and make the suggestion better.

A simple "no support, this feels modded" does not provide constructive feedback and has a negative connotation. However, at the same time, "this would be a cool mod, but I don't want to see it in the main game" has an entirely different tone. It tells OP that they have a cool idea, but it would feel out of place in the current game state. It's a gentler way of putting them down, I guess.

I do also believe there is also some overlap in this subject with this passage in the updated rule changes thread:

[...]There is also see abuse of the word "unoriginal" . . . while its not going to be against the rules to use it, try to think of more eloquent, constructive ways of saying it.

This is the sentiment I have towards "this feels modded" as a whole. On its own, it doesn't help the thread, but going into further detail about why you think it doesn't fit the game is constructive. I believe modifying this section to something along the lines of...

[...]the phrases "unoriginal" or "modded"[...]

... would be enough to acknowledge that it can be a useful commentary, but is discouraged on its own.

I'm glad to hear there was at least discussion about it, and I do ultimately agree that the phrase itself doesn't need to be entirely banned, but its growing use did warrant some degree of acknowledgement.

 

[77ForumBone]

I've been sitting on these thoughts for a couple of days to try and keep my tone of text in point - I am very afraid of accidentally starting fights on the internet and the last thing I want to do is accidentally start a fight over something this minor.

That's fine, it's okay to voice our own opinions, as long as people want to listen (like me) and it's respectful.

I believe this is the core problem, the inelegance of "no, this feels modded" is intentionally or otherwise adding a negative connotation to the suggestion and to game modifications.

Being modded just means "too far from the base game." That's not a problem for mods, but it is when making a good suggestion. Just because something is bad in one area, doesn't mean everything affiliated with it sucks too. That's something people need to know about the forums, and life in general.

A simple "no support, this feels modded" does not provide constructive feedback and has a negative connotation.

I can reiterate my previous points (TL;DR, there's nothing else to say besides repeating yourself):

The definition of a suggestion being modded is that it is too different from the base game, which is literally the exact same as saying "Being too disconnected from the game" or "being out of line with the tone of the game." What you want people to do is to basically repeat themselves. Saying, "This suggestion is too modded because it is too disconnected from the game (which is what you want people to do)," is like saying "This suggestion is bad because it isn't very good."

However, at the same time, "this would be a cool mod, but I don't want to see it in the main game" has an entirely different tone. It tells OP that they have a cool idea, but it would feel out of place in the current game state. It's a gentler way of putting them down, I guess.

That addition adds nothing to the reply though. You just said the suggestion is too modded, of course you don't want it in the base game! You don't need to say your point twice.

This is the sentiment I have towards "this feels modded" as a whole. On its own, it doesn't help the thread, but going into further detail about why you think it doesn't fit the game is constructive. I believe modifying this section to something along the lines of...
... would be enough to acknowledge that it can be a useful commentary, but is discouraged on its own.

It does help the thread though. It's telling the creator of the post "Hey, this suggestion isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't relate to the base game." You don't always have to write a five paragraph essay to convey a point, especially when doing so is basically repeating your main point over and over again.

I'm glad to hear there was at least discussion about it, and I do ultimately agree that the phrase itself doesn't need to be entirely banned, but its growing use did warrant some degree of acknowledgement.

I'm glad the moderators were able to read and discuss our threads to make a good compromise.

 

[darthmorf]

I've been sitting on these thoughts for a couple of days to try and keep my tone of text in point - I am very afraid of accidentally starting fights on the internet and the last thing I want to do is accidentally start a fight over something this minor.


This is fine, and I agree it's not a big enough problem to be an entire rule on its own.

However,

I believe this is the core problem, the inelegance of "no, this feels modded" is intentionally or otherwise adding a negative connotation to the suggestion and to game modifications.

Going off the Guidelines:

A simple "no support, this feels modded" does not provide constructive feedback and has a negative connotation. However, at the same time, "this would be a cool mod, but I don't want to see it in the main game" has an entirely different tone. It tells OP that they have a cool idea, but it would feel out of place in the current game state. It's a gentler way of putting them down, I guess.

I do also believe there is also some overlap in this subject with this passage in the updated rule changes thread:

This is the sentiment I have towards "this feels modded" as a whole. On its own, it doesn't help the thread, but going into further detail about why you think it doesn't fit the game is constructive. I believe modifying this section to something along the lines of...

... would be enough to acknowledge that it can be a useful commentary, but is discouraged on its own.

I'm glad to hear there was at least discussion about it, and I do ultimately agree that the phrase itself doesn't need to be entirely banned, but its growing use did warrant some degree of acknowledgement.

As you've pointed out, there are existing rules that happily cover lack of constructive feedback in people's responses to suggestion threads which is one of the reasons that we decided there's no need for a specific mention of it in the rules. That doesn't mean you can't report people who post feedback that isn't constructive and contains something along the lines of "this feels modded".

That's fine, it's okay to voice our own opinions, as long as people want to listen (like me) and it's respectful.

Being modded just means "too far from the base game." That's not a problem for mods, but it is when making a good suggestion. Just because something is bad in one area, doesn't mean everything affiliated with it sucks too. That's something people need to know about the forums, and life in general.

I can reiterate my previous points (TL;DR, there's nothing else to say besides repeating yourself):


That addition adds nothing to the reply though. You just said the suggestion is too modded, of course you don't want it in the base game! You don't need to say your point twice.

It does help the thread though. It's telling the creator of the post "Hey, this suggestion isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't relate to the base game." You don't always have to write a five paragraph essay to convey a point, especially when doing so is basically repeating your main point over and over again.

I'm glad the moderators were able to read and discuss our threads to make a good compromise.

To both of you - I think that this discussion has reached it's logical end. People have shared their opinions and we've read them and considered them, then given a clarification on why we don't think it's necessary to mention this specific case in the rules. Best to move on now I think.

 

[Unit One]

On ðe desktop site, at least on monitors wide enough, i don't see any reason to hide some text formatting options (spoilers, quotes, etc.) inside a drop down menu right next to a wide empty space. You already collapse more stuff in ðe mobile site, so not doing ðis feels like an inconsistency.

View attachment 494470

View attachment 494471

I agree that it would be nice to have all the options available if there is room for it. However, the site gives layout options based on viewport size, and the largest one is when the editor is at least 900 px wide. If I moved all buttons to be visible, the preview that it displays to me shows that the editor bar would extend to two rows.

I wish there was an Extra Large viewport size, but there’s not. I’ll keep an eye out, and if there’s a solution in the future we can relook at it.

 

[Im_ConfuzzledCobalt🥐🌳🐿]

Put a disable emotes button in the "More Options..." tab. I'm tired of having to type out or copy paste the whole "NOEMOTE" bbcode every time I'm using both parentheses and colons in a sentence. I want it to say "Injuries Sustained (Chis):", not "Injuries Sustained (Chis"