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Can we have badges for 1000/2500/5000 insightfuls, agrees and likes, please?

JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
Several times on this forum, here and there, I've met requests and propositions about creating additional badges to those that this forum already proposes.

For those interested, here (http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/4247/forum-badges-and-points/p1) you can find information about current system.

It turns out while there're badges for 1000/2500/5000/10000/25000 and even 50000 comments, there're no badges for more than 500 insightfuls, agrees and likes.

I find this system somewhat strange. Getting 1000 (or more) in any kind of reactions is an achievement, no doubt it. Theoretically you can post hollow comments and get a badge for nothing while reactions after 500 are not regarded as something this forum sees as a badge.

It would be a pleasant addition to the system. It will allow such great lads as @Dee, @Jalily‌, @LadyRhian, @AndreaColombo, @CamDawg, @mlnevese, @elminster, @booinyoureyes, @Quartz and so on to get a little bit more recognition and will make them even more special.

It goes without saying that getting 1000 (or more) in any kind of reactions means the person has been really useful here, the person has contributed a lot and has helped many users in some way.

So, I dare ask for new forum badges. Maybe not only those I've pointed out, but also some funny ones, such as an existing Hyperchiken badge?

In the past @Nathan used to be responsible for the new badges. But according to his wall, he was Last Active on the 3rd of April. So maybe someone else is responsible for badges now?
QuartzlolienelminsterCrevsDaakmlneveseBlackravenNonnahswriterbooinyoureyesmeaglothGoturalkaguanaleeux
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Comments

  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    Quartz said:

    Oh my gosh there are badges for that many comments what the ...

    I mean, if there are badges for that many comments, I think it makes sense for there to be badges for the same number of likes/agrees/insightfuls.

    This is exactly what I'm trying to say.
    lolienBlackravenbooinyoureyeselminster
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    Also,

    JuliusBorisovkaguana
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited May 2014
    I'm sure there have been people who have heavily favoured posting in order to get certain badges (and obviously Samus and others have done the whole multiple account thing).

    That said I view that number in at most a very small minority of people (basically like 10% tops).

    917 people (or accounts if you prefer) have gotten the 25 likes badge, 839 have gotten 25 agrees, and 345 with 25 insightfuls.

    but only 97 people who have 500 likes, 64 people with 500 agrees, and 19 people with 500 insightfuls.

    It seems to me (especially since the forum has been active for almost two years) if there was a big problem with people vying to get the most agrees (or whatever) then those numbers would be higher. Especially since all we are basically talking about here is increasing the max threshold there is when it comes to badges. So the numbers are obviously going to be much lower when we talk about people currently with anywhere near 1000 likes/agrees/insightfuls.
    JuliusBorisovlolien
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    I thought about editing my post and getting rid of the badgers... But I think everyone noted I was using my phone to post on the forum again...

    BADGES...

    As a mummy the auto correct could have changed it to bandages... but meh...

    @mlnevese‌ I'm with you... I was quite upset with the multiple account people (person!) when it came apparent...
    mlneveseBlackraven
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    @Anduin It was a sad day actually. I really liked some of his/her/whatever posts...
    AnduinelminsterQuartzMetalloman
  • CamDawgCamDawg Member, Developer Posts: 3,438
    See! @Erg‌ has already fallen sway to my groupthink!
    ErgCrevsDaakTJ_HookerAnduin
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    edited May 2014
    @camdog you're probably right, as much as I don't want to admit it. I have been tempted, after seeing some of the results of other peoples actions, to make a forum appreciation thread in the hopes of a promote. It was brief and fleeting, but it was there. Then there was the time I read some comments om YouTube and actually wanted to make a forum appreciation thread, but that's a different matter.
    Post edited by meagloth on
    Blackraven
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    edited May 2014
    @CamDawg I dunno. I've posted a lot of very strong opinions and surprisingly gotten a lot of Agrees.

    @meagloth I would say "Promotes are the worst," but then, if someone were to call me biased I would have a hard time proving them wrong.
    CrevsDaakelminster
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    @Quartz and @CamDawg, I agree with Quartz. In my few active months on the forums I've witnessed (and even participated in) a few heated discussions. I remember one topic started by a socially conservative player, and one about racist commentaries accommpanying a "Let's Play" that were intended as parody. I don't think people refrained from posting in those situations just to secure their popularity. And others didn't refrain from expressing their appreciation by liking, agreeing or 'insightfulling' the posts.

    Personally I'm not very outspoken on the system. It has its pros (promoting meaninful posts) and cons (turning the forums into a beauty contest). As most people I suppose, I do like to get Likes, Agrees and Insightfuls as it's nice to know that people appreciate one's input. But I wouldn't change my posting behavior if the badges system were to be repealed or anything.

    The fundamental question IMO is do we like the badge system or don't we? If a badge system is used than I see little reason to stop giving badges at a certain point. I don't see why e.g. 500 Agrees would merit a badge, and 1000 badges wouldn't. So for me it would be all or nothing really. (Maybe with exceptions for Moderators, Testers et al.



    QuartzJuliusBorisovSionIV
  • TJ_HookerTJ_Hooker Member Posts: 2,438
    edited May 2014
    Quartz said:

    I dunno. I've posted a lot of very strong opinions and surprisingly gotten a lot of Agrees.

    I'd say that while current system doesn't only reward groupthink, it does encourage it. So in your case, you can state some contrary opinions but still manage to garner agrees because your post will typically be well thought out (and often entertaining to boot). On the other hand, someone can go and make a post that is the intellectual equivalent of a twinkie and still get lots of upvotes, so long as it agrees with the party line. It seems to me the second approach is more common than the first on these forums, which is not surprising given the respective effort required for both.

    So I tend to view it as a system that results in false-positives. People making valuable contributions will usually (but not always) have many upvotes, but having many upvotes does not necessarily mean that someone is making valuable contributions.
    ErgmlneveseBlackraven
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    Jalily said:

    The existing Like/Agree/Insightful badge requirements are set by Vanilla Forums. Administrators can create custom badges, but these have to be manually assigned to each qualifying user. I think the time can be better spent elsewhere right now.

    Ah. In that case, yes, you probably have better things to do. This also suggests that reactions where meant to be given far more sparingly than they are now. Interesting.
  • CamDawgCamDawg Member, Developer Posts: 3,438
    TJ_Hooker said:

    So I tend to view it as a system that results in false-positives. People making valuable contributions will usually (but not always) have many upvotes, but having many upvotes does not necessarily mean that someone is making valuable contributions.

    Right, this is a more compact statement of the problem.

    It's not that discussion isn't rewarded, it's that it's not rewarded consistently or in proportion to other stuff that grabs a ton of points (e.g. meme thread). And while I've certainly received 'points' for both agreeing and disagreeing with popular opinion, I don't think it's a stretch to say the former scores higher than the latter. I'd rather people read, understand, and above all engage in a thread, and I don't think the current system encourages that.

    Hell, this thread is a good example--@Quartz‌, @Blackraven‌, and @TJ_Hooker's responses to my post have contributed to this thread far more than my joke about @Erg, but that post is (currently at least) scored higher.
    BlackravenCaloNordlolien
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    Well I think the question about extra badges is answered now. Maybe weshould change the topic name to reflects the discussion about the merits of the badge system?
    Blackraven
  • GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
    @CAmDawg: It sounds like gamification here does not yet have the right reward system. If there were additional flags beyond like/agree/insightful that applied *only* to the bug reporting fora, for instance, then we might have a more prestigious line of badges. I can imagine similar in the modding fora.

    Ultimately, a game is as much fun as people have playing it, and social games like a forum will tend to create their own values and aspirations. As the forum owner, you have control over the field of play, and the tools we have to play with, but you cannot dictate the game ;) Use your influence wisely to achieve the best outcome.

    As for me, I still miss the old-school days of NNTP where reputation was earned and recognized simply by putting time in, and building a history of useful contributions. All this new fangled web technology is just a fad I am hoping to see pass…

    (still love the idea of more badgers though, I think Anduin was onto a winner there, typo-correction or no)
    lolien
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    Hah!
    mlneveselolienspacejawssarevok57
  • lefreutlefreut Member Posts: 1,462
    Hah!

    Nice :) Now it only needs better icons.
    lolienAndreaColomboPermidion_Stark
  • RavenslightRavenslight Member Posts: 1,609
    Nice :) Are these going to be given out to people in batches? I’ve noticed that some eligible people have received them and some have not.
    Zaghoul
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    gotta love how i got all my like badges yesterday and all my agree badges today so then i couldn't get the combo breaker badge wanh wanh hahaha
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,075
    sarevok57 wrote: »
    gotta love how i got all my like badges yesterday and all my agree badges today so then i couldn't get the combo breaker badge wanh wanh hahaha

    I got five badges yesterday, between 6:58 PM and 11:59 PM, but I didn't get the Combo Breaker badge... :(
    sarevok57
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