Give Back to the Community™
There's a lot of gaming going on, but do you ever spare a thought for the voluntary work that enhances said gaming experience? Have you ever done any yourself? If not, consider this a polite suggestion to "give back" or participate in some in some small way, I'm planning on completing some of these myself
If you know of any other activities not mentioned or covered by existing entries on the list, feel free to suggest them in the comments
If you know of any other activities not mentioned or covered by existing entries on the list, feel free to suggest them in the comments
12 Games
Write a Review/Critique
Okay, surely most people on this site have done this, but life is all about the easy dubs, so take it.
Okay, surely most people on this site have done this, but life is all about the easy dubs, so take it.
Make a Mod
What prompted this list was me making a mod for total war shogun 2. Nothing fancy, just a rebalancing to make matchlocks easier to get and make them stronger compared to bows in a more historically accurate fashion (i.e easier to recruit and ignores armour at closer range).
Was really surprised at how easy it was, not to say all modding tools are like that and my mod was basically just changing a couple variables but still, don't be afraid to use a hex editor! Romhacks and homebrew can also go in this category
What prompted this list was me making a mod for total war shogun 2. Nothing fancy, just a rebalancing to make matchlocks easier to get and make them stronger compared to bows in a more historically accurate fashion (i.e easier to recruit and ignores armour at closer range).
Was really surprised at how easy it was, not to say all modding tools are like that and my mod was basically just changing a couple variables but still, don't be afraid to use a hex editor! Romhacks and homebrew can also go in this category
Make a Walkthrough/Strategy Guide
I made a text walkthrough for this game when it released because none existed at the time, I then took screenshots and crudely added arrows in mspaint for a Steam Guide on the game's page. It was both tedious and rewarding. Personally I use a lot of guides and walkthroughs when gaming so it felt good to contribute to that tradition
I made a text walkthrough for this game when it released because none existed at the time, I then took screenshots and crudely added arrows in mspaint for a Steam Guide on the game's page. It was both tedious and rewarding. Personally I use a lot of guides and walkthroughs when gaming so it felt good to contribute to that tradition
Make a Video/Let's Play/Stream
My stream of commonplace, attempting to figure out the monitor puzzle was uploaded to youtube. I hope future historians may continue my work and solve it in the year 3000
My stream of commonplace, attempting to figure out the monitor puzzle was uploaded to youtube. I hope future historians may continue my work and solve it in the year 3000
Participate in a Beta/report a bug
Admittedly Open Betas today seem more like network tests and publicity events to build hype than traditional betas were in the past, but I think if you gave any feedback at all whilst the development process was ongoing you can be proud you helped in some way. I have done this (though not for star citizen, that was mostly a joke example)
Admittedly Open Betas today seem more like network tests and publicity events to build hype than traditional betas were in the past, but I think if you gave any feedback at all whilst the development process was ongoing you can be proud you helped in some way. I have done this (though not for star citizen, that was mostly a joke example)
Contribute to the great Database
Suggested by @Pangburn. Contributing to IGDB's or MobyGames' etc databases with proper cover art, missing tags, games and everything else is a great service not only because they make this website work but they help preserve games and make them more accessible. Even just refreshing entries on Backloggd if you're a backer or "forcing" entries into existence from IGDB by manually typing in the game into the address bar is a thankless, but important task.
Suggested by @Pangburn. Contributing to IGDB's or MobyGames' etc databases with proper cover art, missing tags, games and everything else is a great service not only because they make this website work but they help preserve games and make them more accessible. Even just refreshing entries on Backloggd if you're a backer or "forcing" entries into existence from IGDB by manually typing in the game into the address bar is a thankless, but important task.
Spreading the Good Word
Getting others with let's say, a more limited gaming experience to play more obscure titles, helping others setup emulation for classics, getting non-gamers into animal crossing or whatever else type of evangelizing is a valuable service, and will get you into gaming heaven.
Getting others with let's say, a more limited gaming experience to play more obscure titles, helping others setup emulation for classics, getting non-gamers into animal crossing or whatever else type of evangelizing is a valuable service, and will get you into gaming heaven.
Archival Work
This is the first entry where I haven't completed the task myself yet. Shoutout to Detchibe for finding and uploading a copy of the making of Medieval 2. Not only did it help shed light on the development process of the game, but it's inspired me to seek out voluntary archival work of my own. Also if you have ever made some lost game available to play or ported to modern hardware, this W is for you
This is the first entry where I haven't completed the task myself yet. Shoutout to Detchibe for finding and uploading a copy of the making of Medieval 2. Not only did it help shed light on the development process of the game, but it's inspired me to seek out voluntary archival work of my own. Also if you have ever made some lost game available to play or ported to modern hardware, this W is for you
Contribute to a Wiki
Overlaps with the Strategy Guide entry but I think the community cooperation aspect is greater, you're not working by yourself exactly. I haven't done this yet but Terraria apparently has one of the more active wikis online. For older gamers, contributing to gaming Zines and stuff like that counts
Overlaps with the Strategy Guide entry but I think the community cooperation aspect is greater, you're not working by yourself exactly. I haven't done this yet but Terraria apparently has one of the more active wikis online. For older gamers, contributing to gaming Zines and stuff like that counts
Make a Translation
If you speak more than one language you can help make gaming more accessible worldwide by doing the often thankless task of localising text for a different language/culture. It can be officially or through a translation patch or what have you. I haven't yet done this.
If you speak more than one language you can help make gaming more accessible worldwide by doing the often thankless task of localising text for a different language/culture. It can be officially or through a translation patch or what have you. I haven't yet done this.
Made a Before You Play
Suggested by DetetiveFail, similar to strategy guide and wiki entries, but more so facilitating helpful information to beginners like definitive versions or bugfixes etc
Suggested by DetetiveFail, similar to strategy guide and wiki entries, but more so facilitating helpful information to beginners like definitive versions or bugfixes etc
Organize Community Events
Combining @Bojangles4th and @cowboyjosh's suggestions, organizing irl and or/digital events via fightcade and the like help to get more people into gaming and emphasize the community aspect of our medium, especially via multiplayer games. Even backseat playthroughs of FMV and VNs are a great way to share the love of our medium around. Game Clubs (like book clubs but for games), Game Nights and even in-game guilds/clans all go in this category
Combining @Bojangles4th and @cowboyjosh's suggestions, organizing irl and or/digital events via fightcade and the like help to get more people into gaming and emphasize the community aspect of our medium, especially via multiplayer games. Even backseat playthroughs of FMV and VNs are a great way to share the love of our medium around. Game Clubs (like book clubs but for games), Game Nights and even in-game guilds/clans all go in this category
9 Comments
@Detectivefail Good suggestion, I've added an entry
Cool list idea! I do very little of this lol.
Only thing I really do is spread the word. I tell friends and colleagues who aren't as hardcore into games about indie titles, AA games or retro games and direct them to them when on sale. I've converted people to try new things from companies they haven't heard of to show them there is more than just COD and FIFA. I converted two people to Trails fans who barely played JRPGS!
Only thing I really do is spread the word. I tell friends and colleagues who aren't as hardcore into games about indie titles, AA games or retro games and direct them to them when on sale. I've converted people to try new things from companies they haven't heard of to show them there is more than just COD and FIFA. I converted two people to Trails fans who barely played JRPGS!
@FallenGrace You're doing the lord's work, getting more people to play more types of games is a service to the community too
Great list! How about supporting your local brick and mortar game store? Just showing up every once in a while and buying something is an obvious win, but in a lot of places you can also organize a game night or something to bring folks to the space and raise awareness of it.
I've made mods for Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4. It was very fun to see them break every time an update comes out and having to redo a lot of work just to port them to a new version. It is especially frustrating because my mods were basically fixing geographical ineptitude of the developers. Now, a few years passed and nobody even remembers my work. All those hours basically wasted for nothing.
Another suggestion: "Host a multiplayer event.", I'd add the caviat that this requires some level of organization/coordination, preferably locally or if online requiring some level of setup (i.e. server hosting) and helping streamline the process if parcipation. (would put Melee as the rep here)
specific to igdb (and by extension this site) but adding cover art to games without it or that don't have 4:3 edits goes a long way in making both this site and others like topsters3 more aesthetically pleasing
@cowboyjosh @Bojangles4th Great suggestions, I've combined them into a general "organize community events"
category.
@molochthagod That is quite frustrating, indeed my impetus for making the mod was that the mods I used had become outddated somehow (for a 12 year old game who's most famous and easily solved bug is still not fixed so idk why they bothered to update the game recently). But I wouldn't say it was useless, you did help people for a while, even if it's now lost they cannot take that away from you
@Pangburn Definitely! I've added a lot of release dates to games I've played, but I'd forgotten about it. I'm adding it to the list.
Thanks everyone for the response, I'm glad others shared their contributions to the community, and in a meta sort of way, even by commenting on this very list lol. I think the list is looking pretty healthy now, but if anyone still has any suggestions for categories not already covered or would just like to share stories of their own experiences with the above, that will always be welcome here
category.
@molochthagod That is quite frustrating, indeed my impetus for making the mod was that the mods I used had become outddated somehow (for a 12 year old game who's most famous and easily solved bug is still not fixed so idk why they bothered to update the game recently). But I wouldn't say it was useless, you did help people for a while, even if it's now lost they cannot take that away from you
@Pangburn Definitely! I've added a lot of release dates to games I've played, but I'd forgotten about it. I'm adding it to the list.
Thanks everyone for the response, I'm glad others shared their contributions to the community, and in a meta sort of way, even by commenting on this very list lol. I think the list is looking pretty healthy now, but if anyone still has any suggestions for categories not already covered or would just like to share stories of their own experiences with the above, that will always be welcome here
Detectivefail
3 months ago
Wait I just realized this may count for the contribute to a wiki section...Alternatively you could put this in a separate category and do things you should know before getting into a new franchise. I like to call this a beginner's guide to [blank name of series]. Generally this idea would comprise of an informational or educational manner to enrich others who may not know much about a series to drive their interest further. With fixes(pc gaming wiki links), recommendations on where to start in a franchise, what to watch out for, and further tips if you want. Additional material applicable like voiced drama cds, anime, manga, novels, canon vs. non-canon, retcons. Original poster has control of what medium they could publish this as. A video, an article, a list or something else like an inforgraphic. Generally if you know a lot about a franchise you love and don't mind making something like this then this idea is for you!