Website/Forums. They should always be the official center of activity and the first point of contact. It annoys me intensely when Twitter or Reddit or another has info that *isn't* reflected in the website/forums.
(And, yes, the current website and forums could be better, but I appreciate it is early days for the game development and that they will be improved Soon (TM)).
As for the *other* media, they are just platforms for 'getting the word out' and convenient content hosting. Please don't use them as a 'source' in themselves.
Twitter: For gaining attention (put in a link to the forum or 3rd party source).
Instagram: *sigh* Temp Twitter for pictures? Why?...
Reddit: I really think it's unnecessary if you have a decent forum and just splits any decent debate in two, which isn't productive. Maybe the place for stuff that is *about* the public aspects of the game, but really, anything that can go in Reddit is better placed on the official forum.
YouTube: Is just an place to publish vids and should just be linked to from the forums.
Twitch: Apparently better for live streaming, but can be confusing to get historic stuff from (or is that just me?).
Etc: Whatever it is, please use it sparingly, appropriately and not as a unique source.
I generally avoid using social media as I find the signal to noise ratio is near zero on most platforms. It's simply not worth wading through the toxic soup to get morsels of information.
To follow games, I exclusively use the official forum and web site.
I have used Twitter for work, but only to broadcast network status updates. Even that was marginally successful as most adult business customers weren't on Twitter.
I had a Facebook account for about a week until I realized how invasive it is.
I use a gmail account for YouTube, only to help filter/select the types of content I want to see.
Anything that is streaming in real-time, I generally view full screen to avoid the nonsense in the chat. This includes anything on Twitch/YouTube/Caffeine. I don't ever watch someone streaming a game unless there are devs involved for an unpublished title.
I agree with Dispoalist's opinion that the official forum should be the primary point for announcements and only platform for meaningful discussion within the community. The Pantheon community is already fractured enough with the tiered access levels to the forum.
I read somewhere that, Albert Einstein used to wear the same clothes every day. Not literally, he just had mutiple copies of the same garments. The reason for doing so was, in his words (I read this on the Internet, so it may not have come from him) he hated having option paralysis. Having the same set of clothing to wear, removed any need to make a decision that took him away from what he felt was most important (his work / research). The Internet has this exact same effect, there's simply so much to choose from that, you literally do nothing because it's impossible to know where to start.
Having a website, forums, Twitter account, Instagram account, Reddit, Twitch account, YouTube account and Wiki page, all for one game, with information splattered sporadically all over them creates option paralysis. You simply don't know where to go first, or which is the most comprehensive source of information, so you do one of two things. You choose one spurce of information, such as the forums, you stick to it and miss information from other sources, or your eyes glaze over, you lose interest, and do nothing.
I paid hundreds of dollars to support this game, and with that donation came access to these forums. Therefore, I come here, and I NEVER go anywhere else (apart from Twitch / YouTube for live streams), so I'm likely to be missing information available elsewhere.
To me, social media is cancerous to the mind, I never have, and never will, use it. Anything you post on those platforms will be missed by me, and anyone else like me (most people I know in RL avoid social media like the plague, too).
Pantheonmmo.com and the forum that is found there are my first stops for information. Why? Because the infortmation is closer to the actual source, as long as it is monitored by the forum moderator well. I'll watch youtube videos, but then compare the information with the Official forums.
I don’t really use social media to follow games, I use the official Website/Forums to keep up with a game, the only exception would be watching a live stream on youtube or twitch.
I see nothing wrong with using social media to attract new blood or include news updates also shared on website, but the focus should be on the website, that is essentially the town square for the community, and the store front for potential pledger's.
If the website ever receives an update there should be a social media page that ecos every message from anyone in an official VR capacity regardless of the original social media used. Reddit is poison, Facebook is giving your personal information to a big data farm, Twitter is for twits and internet trolls/presidents, Youtube is unmoderated and overly monetized.
A good social media presence should start with main feed in one central and controlled location. The website is the prime location for this. All social media platforms should then be repostings of official messages. Any discussions on those platforms directly with developers needs to be easily readable on the main website which isn’t hard to do if you have an actual web developer. You would get more bang for your public relations buck if you did and driving higher traffic to the main site will increase the odds of someone new clicking the pledge button.
Kilsin said:Community Debate - Social Media - What are your favourite social media platforms to follow games on and why? #MMORPG#CommunityMatters
None of them, they are all utter shite.
For games, I go to their webistes and nowhere else. If the company cannot put everything on their website, they aren't worth following. Hint hint hint.
My favorite social media platform?
Reality.
I have no interest in wasting my time on any website where un-informed opinion has the same percieved value as fact, and 'likes' are involved.
This web site FAQ hasn't been updated since 2017. If I found this game today, I would think the developers didn't care about their game at all, based solely on this web site.
Outdated information on The Official Website gives a very negative impression both to new and old members of the community, imho.
I am another one of limited social media guys I found Pantheon off of you tube so I can see the benefit of using them to raise interest or get attention. I installed Twitch directly as a result of pantheon to watch some of the live content but never had it prior. Due to Pantheon I am now aware of several streamers who I think do a gerat job and have started following just to listen to different views of the contnt that gets released but I never watched streamers prior to Pantheon. I also do use reddit but agree with previous posts that the best place to consolidate the content is on the official website. Every other platform should be used to gain attention and spread awareness more of an advertising source but should always bring people back to the website with that said its also time to upgrade the website. Thats my two copper anyway
the origin game forums should be the place to address and deliver game related information first. it is THE HOME afterall. a grumpy old man use to tell me, u git yo lawn in order boy. even tho he's a boomer, the 'lawn' concept is still applies even though the technical lawn has changed.
i know vr wants to keep the forums tidy, but they aren't taking advantage of the traffic the general forums pumps out. i rarely go to other parts of the forums(really just sneak in between work stuff XD), but i rather just peek where their is the most traffic. usually i can catch most recent or hot buzz there.
vr wants their 'news and announcements forum' to be the front lawn(it's really the side lawn), but let's face it, general forums is the front lawn. might as well leverage that instead, just sayin.
instead of forcing people to go into certain areas for information you want to put out, it is better to go to where my audience density is greatest and deliver it there.
I am on twitter but only pay attention to it maybe a couple of times a week. The main reason I'm there is to watch for announcements and things that might interest me, and occasionally say something that I, in my ongoing hubris, think is useful or interesting.
As for everything else Pantheon-related, I check the forums pretty much daily. I'm also part of five or six pantheon-related discord servers now (somehow, I keep getting invited to more and more of them).
I used to be on facebook but abandoned it and removed myself several years ago, partly because I didn't trust that my information would stay private, and partly because I was absolutely sick of having to scroll through expressions of some of the worst aspects of humanity on a regular basis (ironically, the same reason I don't go to Reddit anymore).
The only other social media platform you'll find me on is LinkedIn, which is sort of a requirement for employment purposes these days. Sadly.
As far as what's best for VR - honestly, I don't think the current strategy is bad. If I were trying to work out a marketing budget in terms of time/resources I probably would do it like this:
Website - 50%
Twitch/Youtube - 15%
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram - 10%
Events (PAX/etc) - 20%
Other platforms (Reddit, etc) - 5%
The reason for the bulk of the time spent being on the website is that it is the resource that everything else points to. So when you go start a reddit thread or you make a facebook post your goal should be to drive traffic to the website where they can learn a lot more about Pantheon. It's not that community engagement isn't a good thing, but people still click on links. They need to feel like that click was worth it when it's all said and done.