What's your favorite features of BGDF?

I like the idea of the monthly design challenge, but the funny thing is that the main page isn't really clear about when the actual deadline is or when the next challenge opening/ closing dates will be. I understand that somewhere in an announcement on the main page it says when the deadline is, but visually speaking, I don't see it clearly and having alot of text to wade through is just not user friendly.

It seems like the start dates and deadlines are not fixed, ie the 1st of every month. If I knew that every first monday of a month was the start date, then i would be able to plan my schedule accordingly. Or if the challenge were posted ahead of time and then the opening/ closing dates for submissions were in the future, it would give me an easier time to design something and meet the time frame.

Perhaps one change could be a count down clock/ calendar for the deadlines and maybe some permanent frames/ sections on the main page so that if I'm interested in one thing, like the challenge, i can just look there in the same spot and I don't have to read alot of text in an announcement.

i don't want to sound like i'm complaining. And I understand there are technical limitations that we are all dealing with. This is a great web site to have and it's a great resource for new designers like myself, but using announcements in the center of the page to facilitate the activities doesn't convey information clearly or conveniently.

just my two cents

Same for me. GDS is fun.

I also like the sidebar with the titles of the most recent posts. Unfortunately, I haven't explored the site since it's last major update, so I'm not that familiar with the rest. Maybe I should take this thread as a reason to explore...

jc

I only found this site a little while ago and have only started looking at game design recently. My favourite parts are probably the New Game Ideas Forum and the Monthly Game Design Challenge, I haven't used many parts of the site other than the forums yet actually, maybe this is a hint to look around a little. This site as pretty tremendously helpful to me starting out and I like it quite a bit.

I rarely check posts other than the ones on the sidebar. This is an excelent feature.
Another excelent feature are multi-user private messages, and how they evolve as a private thread. Sometimes I post more on those private threads than on public ones.

I would really appreciate if you could do something about inserting images in posts. The process of uploading an image to a gallery and then linking it to a post feels clumsy. Especially if you are asking for feedback and people start commenting both in the image and in the post.

Call me shallow, but I miss emoticons.

You need a gadget for people to recommend the site in facebook/twitter.

The front page is too static. I think more articles should show up more regularly. I've read your recent interviews because I've found the link in BGG News by a miracle. Those should have made it to the front page. Jump Gate being recognized as it was, being a game that nurtured here, should have too. I'm sure there are lots of examples people will think of. Plus, many members here have their own gaming blogs and webpages so there are many original articles that could be mirrored from them.

I think the site is missing a member recognition system. I have to make a digital archeology search to know who won the GDS contests this year. Why not have a quicklink to a list of them? I think this is one of the reasons GDS doesn't draw much attention. There's little glory in it. I've seen some other forums that depict a "member since" line and "posts contributed" counter below your avatar. That is a great reference to get an idea of who you are talking to in terms of his/her engagement to this community.

Finally, an image thumbnail in the recent images sidebar could be of help.

Now, thinking outside the box (this could be radical and a ton of work). Why can't users create "projects" in their profiles and link threads, images, blogs and journals to them? (like BGG game entries, but more like a list of links). As it is now, a profile is just a text line with a game's name under an "in development" title, but not much of a reference to anything else actually.

Just my 2 cents.

I am a bit taken by surprise. I don't really know what to say.

My primary use is for the forum. I also like the fact that the BGG game design forum is also mapped.

Yes the side bars are useful and essential. In fact, it's the only thing I check out.

I do not blog anything and I don't participate in GDS because I cannot design a complete game in a month.

As for improvements, I don't have much ideas right now. I suggested lately something like a WebRing or Link exchange to connect all our designer sites together. It end up that somebody on BGG created a geeklist of blogs:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/66338/game-design-blogs

I am trying to figure out if there are hard things to do in game design that could be made more simple. I know that for example, it could be hard to find play testers, so maybe a system to display prototype and ask for comments. But if I remember correctly, there was the Game Designer Workshop which did that. But I think it could be good to find non-designer play testers too.

I'll think about it, maybe some ideas will come in.