Read this before making suggestions!
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 9:59 pm
Edit by ssilk on 2022-12-17: there where discussions about this article, see
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=104302 Moderate the post "Read this OR be ignored!"
In that article this article has been called “toxic”, because it has an aggressive undertone.
I decided for now to leave this article as it is, because on one hand it still shows what are the most common failures when writing a suggestion and it shows a part of the history of this board (Koub said “part of the furniture”
) and also shows discrepancies in the culture. For most Germans for example this is just an article, which explains things and tries (but fails) to be a bit funny. 
Because in Germany you’re straightforward telling what’s right/wrong without “talking around it”. 
For many other cultures I understand meanwhile that it has indeed an aggressive undertone.
For example in Germany when you’re waiting for an email you call the person and say “Hi Bob, I want to remind you to send me the mail I’m waiting for.” Sounds aggressive, but is straight to the point. In the USA for example I know this works more like “Hi Bob, how is it going? Fine? Yes, me too. And the children? That’s nice! Ah, yes, before I forget, do you still think to the mail I’m waiting for?”, which sounds for me much more stressful, because I don’t want smalltalk, I want to write this dammed email.
So, please when reading, look for the emoji’s: they are not decoration and help to understand how the “aggressive parts” are meant.
TL;DR: Everything is explained below in detail, but for those, who are in hurry (or have eye problems ):
...
Every suggestion is welcome! It has a higher chance to be watched or eventually included into the game, if you think over the following points:
-1. Every rule has it's exception!
This is a guide, no law. If you have a good reason, then break the rule; nobody will cry.
0. Your suggestion is for the developers
The devs work like so:
- they plan to implement a new feature. They have some ideas. They will do an investigation, before they are going to plan and implement the idea.
- this is the moment, when they will look into the suggestion board. They will look at some threads,which are about this theme.
- if they now find a thread with hundreds of ideas, they cannot use it, cause they don't have the time to read all, cause there are so many other, and maybe better ideas. More clearly describe, easier to implement, bring more fun to the game.
See this examples:
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7214
0.b Your suggestion is from a forum member to the forum members
If the developers find your suggestion good, they will use it.
If not, you have to convince the forum members. Not the devs!
1. One suggestion per thread! If your subject is something like "My Cool Ideas" or "Suggestions" you failed.
It is easy to write a subject like "I have some idea" and plug all your thoughts in it. It is more difficult, to part that into several posts. And the best would be to find already existing threads and just add your thoughts.
This post is a good example, what happens with your suggestion, if you make only a list of "ideas": https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=3791
It will be just forgotten, cause nobody want to say something about it (no relevant answer within 4 days). See also the followup-post to avoid such things!
2. Does it already exist?
You have the absolutely great idea about having a new type of splitter. You thought hours for that and are now keen to write about it.
Really new?? There are tons of suggestions for the splitter, for example. It is unlikely, that there is none, which is not somehow your suggestion.
What we don't want: Hinder you to write new suggestions. What we want: That you have a clear picture of "other" (similar) suggestions in your mind, before you begin to write. That makes much sense, cause that spares you and us much time.
Search first! High chances, that your suggestion is similar to an older. The search-box is next to "New topic"! The best chance to find similar suggestion is in the Frequently Suggested / Link Collections.
use also the right words for search, see point 4.
Did you also searched the mods?
Maybe your suggestion is already implemented? Don't like mods: Your problem.
3. The subject says all.
Try to express your suggestion in one sentence, which is the subject, so that everyone can remember "ah, that thing". A subject like "I want that", is not so useful. A subject like "Blue smog" wakens pictures in the readers mind.
3b. Write an abstract, a TL;DR (not more than a sentence)
If you cannot express your idea in a sentence, it is not ripe now. Shorten down your idea, until you can describe the basic benefit to the game like so.
Write the abstract at the beginning of your post.
Nice example, which makes such an abstract, but still doing it wrong: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7233
See rule 5 and 6!
3c. Don't explain what, explain WHY!
Why do you want this? What is the reason for your suggestion? If you explain that, you can normally finish now and jump to the end.
4. Use the right words.
Factorio uses it's own glossary, for example there are "cables" and "wires" , but one are the power wires, the other are the red and green circuit cables; or it has "train stops" but no "train stations". Try to be exact, use the wiki to look that up, if the words you use are correct.
5. KISS - keep it short and simple
Good: "I want some other types of cars. Some very fast and some with more armor, perhaps a tank!"
Bad: "I want some other types of cars. A red car, I like red. It should be fast, perhaps less hit points. But really fast, faster than the train. Btw. do you know, that with 6 skeletons you can run nearly as fast as the train? It should have also better break, and the overall handling might also be better. More light, cause faster - I need better light in the night. Of course. And a yellow car, not this yellow, more greenish..."
6. Don't write too much! Let the non-essential detail completely open!
We (the forum members) guarantee, that your suggestion is read carefully, and if there are questions with your suggestions, we will ask. So let the unneeded stuff open. Think to good books: if they are too detailed, you loose the contact to the story.
7. Tell a story, no description
Good: "the character build up houses for the settlers, so that they can live in it"
Bad: "Eventually in the spaceship live many settlers? (Why eventually. This is your story, everything is true!) So we need something (why? Who is we? What is something?) that, when they come down (that's another story!) they have a place to live."
Be concrete in your imagination! But let the details open. If you're too concrete or too open we to discuss.
This is a good example for doing it wrong: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7233
8. Suggesting non-essential stuff?
See also this post for frequently suggested ideas: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=4806
We have here now about a dozen suggestions about new splitters since January 2014. This is a good quote for that:
Another quote:
- Does it add just more complexity instead of depth? (More items means more complexity, for example)
- Does it bring the game "forward", will there be more fun? Is it easy to learn?
- Is it the right way? It's easy to say we need something to change the priorities of the electric network, but it is a big step to use the circuit network for controlling power switches, that enables to turn off energy, if not needed.
9. Add examples, pics, videos, links to other suggestions
Try to create a picture in our (and the readers) mind! "A pic tells more than thousand words" is especially true for Factorio.
Don't ever ask "I can also provide a picture/screenshot of what I mean. Should I?".
10. Don't make suggestions to stuff you don't really understand yet
Bad: "It's my second game and I want to make a suggestion about the logistic network..."
Good: 'I'll wait two or three more weeks and until then I can store my post in the drafts' (you know you can store your post as draft in phpbb?)
Best: 'I think I really haven't understand that logistic stuff. There is something missing, how can all the others play with that, without crying?? And I searched through the forum and wiki and didn't found anything. I will ask in the Help-Forum now!'
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=104302 Moderate the post "Read this OR be ignored!"
In that article this article has been called “toxic”, because it has an aggressive undertone.
I decided for now to leave this article as it is, because on one hand it still shows what are the most common failures when writing a suggestion and it shows a part of the history of this board (Koub said “part of the furniture”
) and also shows discrepancies in the culture. For most Germans for example this is just an article, which explains things and tries (but fails) to be a bit funny. Because in Germany you’re straightforward telling what’s right/wrong without “talking around it”. For many other cultures I understand meanwhile that it has indeed an aggressive undertone.For example in Germany when you’re waiting for an email you call the person and say “Hi Bob, I want to remind you to send me the mail I’m waiting for.” Sounds aggressive, but is straight to the point. In the USA for example I know this works more like “Hi Bob, how is it going? Fine? Yes, me too. And the children? That’s nice! Ah, yes, before I forget, do you still think to the mail I’m waiting for?”, which sounds for me much more stressful, because I don’t want smalltalk, I want to write this dammed email.
So, please when reading, look for the emoji’s: they are not decoration and help to understand how the “aggressive parts” are meant.
TL;DR: Everything is explained below in detail, but for those, who are in hurry (or have eye problems
):
- One suggestion per thread! If your subject is something like "My Cool Ideas" or "Suggestions" you failed.
- Search first! High chances, that your suggestion is similar to an older. The search-box is next to "New topic"! The best chance to find similar suggestion is in the Frequently Suggested / Link Collections.
- Did you also searched the mods? Maybe your suggestion is already implemented? Don't like mods: Your problem.
- The subject says all.
- Write an abstract, a TL;DR (not more than a sentence)
- Don't explain what, explain WHY!
- Don't ever ask "I can also provide a picture/screenshot of what I mean. Should I?".
- You like colors? We like content! Don't use colors in text if there is no good reason.
...
Every suggestion is welcome! It has a higher chance to be watched or eventually included into the game, if you think over the following points:
-1. Every rule has it's exception!
This is a guide, no law. If you have a good reason, then break the rule; nobody will cry.
0. Your suggestion is for the developers
The devs work like so:
- they plan to implement a new feature. They have some ideas. They will do an investigation, before they are going to plan and implement the idea.
- this is the moment, when they will look into the suggestion board. They will look at some threads,which are about this theme.
- if they now find a thread with hundreds of ideas, they cannot use it, cause they don't have the time to read all, cause there are so many other, and maybe better ideas. More clearly describe, easier to implement, bring more fun to the game.
See this examples:
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7214
0.b Your suggestion is from a forum member to the forum members
If the developers find your suggestion good, they will use it.
If not, you have to convince the forum members. Not the devs!
1. One suggestion per thread! If your subject is something like "My Cool Ideas" or "Suggestions" you failed.
It is easy to write a subject like "I have some idea" and plug all your thoughts in it. It is more difficult, to part that into several posts. And the best would be to find already existing threads and just add your thoughts.
This post is a good example, what happens with your suggestion, if you make only a list of "ideas": https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=3791
It will be just forgotten, cause nobody want to say something about it (no relevant answer within 4 days). See also the followup-post to avoid such things!
2. Does it already exist?
You have the absolutely great idea about having a new type of splitter. You thought hours for that and are now keen to write about it.
Really new?? There are tons of suggestions for the splitter, for example. It is unlikely, that there is none, which is not somehow your suggestion.
What we don't want: Hinder you to write new suggestions. What we want: That you have a clear picture of "other" (similar) suggestions in your mind, before you begin to write. That makes much sense, cause that spares you and us much time.
Search first! High chances, that your suggestion is similar to an older. The search-box is next to "New topic"! The best chance to find similar suggestion is in the Frequently Suggested / Link Collections.
use also the right words for search, see point 4.
Did you also searched the mods?
Maybe your suggestion is already implemented? Don't like mods: Your problem.
3. The subject says all.
Try to express your suggestion in one sentence, which is the subject, so that everyone can remember "ah, that thing". A subject like "I want that", is not so useful. A subject like "Blue smog" wakens pictures in the readers mind.
3b. Write an abstract, a TL;DR (not more than a sentence)
If you cannot express your idea in a sentence, it is not ripe now. Shorten down your idea, until you can describe the basic benefit to the game like so.
Write the abstract at the beginning of your post.
Nice example, which makes such an abstract, but still doing it wrong: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7233
See rule 5 and 6!
3c. Don't explain what, explain WHY!
Why do you want this? What is the reason for your suggestion? If you explain that, you can normally finish now and jump to the end.
4. Use the right words.
Factorio uses it's own glossary, for example there are "cables" and "wires" , but one are the power wires, the other are the red and green circuit cables; or it has "train stops" but no "train stations". Try to be exact, use the wiki to look that up, if the words you use are correct.
5. KISS - keep it short and simple
Good: "I want some other types of cars. Some very fast and some with more armor, perhaps a tank!"
Bad: "I want some other types of cars. A red car, I like red. It should be fast, perhaps less hit points. But really fast, faster than the train. Btw. do you know, that with 6 skeletons you can run nearly as fast as the train? It should have also better break, and the overall handling might also be better. More light, cause faster - I need better light in the night. Of course. And a yellow car, not this yellow, more greenish..."
6. Don't write too much! Let the non-essential detail completely open!
We (the forum members) guarantee, that your suggestion is read carefully, and if there are questions with your suggestions, we will ask. So let the unneeded stuff open. Think to good books: if they are too detailed, you loose the contact to the story.
7. Tell a story, no description
Good: "the character build up houses for the settlers, so that they can live in it"
Bad: "Eventually in the spaceship live many settlers? (Why eventually. This is your story, everything is true!) So we need something (why? Who is we? What is something?) that, when they come down (that's another story!) they have a place to live."
Be concrete in your imagination! But let the details open. If you're too concrete or too open we to discuss.
This is a good example for doing it wrong: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=7233
8. Suggesting non-essential stuff?
See also this post for frequently suggested ideas: https://forums.factorio.com/forum/vie ... f=6&t=4806
We have here now about a dozen suggestions about new splitters since January 2014. This is a good quote for that:
And the developers said, they won't implement suggestions, whichslay_mithos wrote:Just so you know, there are a lot of suggestion that come from people not fully knowing the game, that don't want complex builds when they can suggest a 1-tile entity that would do the same.
(See full post here https://forums.factorio.com/forum/pos ... =6&p=20908 )slpwnd wrote:... supposed to work out your solution from simple components.
Another quote:
Ask you this questions:Alton Brown wrote:The only uni-tasker that should be found in the kitchen is a fire extinquisher.
- Does it add just more complexity instead of depth? (More items means more complexity, for example)
- Does it bring the game "forward", will there be more fun? Is it easy to learn?
- Is it the right way? It's easy to say we need something to change the priorities of the electric network, but it is a big step to use the circuit network for controlling power switches, that enables to turn off energy, if not needed.
9. Add examples, pics, videos, links to other suggestions
Try to create a picture in our (and the readers) mind! "A pic tells more than thousand words" is especially true for Factorio.
Don't ever ask "I can also provide a picture/screenshot of what I mean. Should I?".
10. Don't make suggestions to stuff you don't really understand yet
Bad: "It's my second game and I want to make a suggestion about the logistic network..."
Good: 'I'll wait two or three more weeks and until then I can store my post in the drafts' (you know you can store your post as draft in phpbb?)
Best: 'I think I really haven't understand that logistic stuff. There is something missing, how can all the others play with that, without crying?? And I searched through the forum and wiki and didn't found anything. I will ask in the Help-Forum now!'
