Stories and reading- what you like in a cj.

[fabsies55 5]

for everyone who views this please reply and tell me what you think

cause when people write long stories or long introductions or anything with a whole bunch of writing who actually reads it all.

1) do you just look at the pictures

2) do you read everything that's been written

3) do you just say its good and not see anything.

4) even if it is bad do you still say its good

5) do you give a honest reply

also what do you consider someone having to say or do or show for it to be a good city?

[hamsterTK 93]

You mean in CJ's?

People write that stuff because its a creative outlet.

I personally believe Simcity is kin with other geeky "creative" hobbies, like roleplaying, model making, or micro-nations (inventing a fictional country or society).

Answers:

1. Depends really, if it's something I haven't seen before then yeah

2. Well I do actually, though I suspect most people don't and just skim through. My own experience creating a CJ taught me you have to compensate for this by repeating stuff, and having attention-getters.

3. Try not to. That's why I don't post as much in the CJ section as I probably should even though it's my favorite part of the Simcity community.

[De Ja Vu 117]

Hello,

I just look at the pictures and if they are cool I start reading stories

[GMT 389]

1) depends on the quality. Doesn't need to be top notch stuff but it should have a certain quality, speaking of what is shown of course.

2) sometimes. I myself don't like long stories but there's a couple of long stories out there that I actually read

3) absolutely not. only problem is that I only post a comment when I like what I've seen (so far) or I stumble over questions within CJs that I can or want answer.

[Vandy 110]

Hello, fabsies55.

This is an interesting subject you've broached here and one that goes to the central core of my personality.  As an amateur writer (prose, poetry and short stories), I am always interested in a "good read".

Let me answer your questions.

Originally posted by: fabsies55 for everyone who views this please reply and tell me what you think

cause when people write long stories or long introductions or anything with a whole bunch of writing who actually reads it all.

1) do you just look at the picturesquote>

Never.  Certainly, pictures are an important part of any CJ, however; eye candy is only part of what I look for in a good CJ.

2) do you read everything that's been writtenquote>

Absolutely, at least the first time I review and read a CJ.  How else is one going to know if the CJ is interesting unless you read through it and get the gist of what the writer is trying to convey?

3) do you just say its good and not see anything.quote>

quote>

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I generally try to read everything I see when I click on a cj. Because of this, I tend to stick to cjs I've been checking for some time, and giving new cjs a read to consider posting. However, bad grammar and poor spelling is a complete turnoff, and (because I read it all) I simply refuse to continue if such bad habits exist (non-native speakers get a LOT of leeway, though). I'm not saying that misspelled words kill the experience for me (the occasional mistake happens to everyone) but chronically bad usage by native speakers just irks the livin' daylights outta me.

I refuse to just post in a cj without checking it out first.

Anything else I would want to say about the subject has been magnificently stated above by the esteemed Vandy.

[fabsies55 5]

here now i've update the topic, read it again and tell me what you think now?

[Dizastrow 4]

I usually like reading the CJ's to see peoples techniques and stategies.  Its annoying at times though because I cant see a lot of the pictures, and Im not sure why.

[masochist 111]

You've got questions, I've got answers:

1. and 2. - It really depends.  I'll just skim through and look at the pictures.  If the pictures interest me, then I'll read what's written in between (or on the pictures) to get an idea of what's going on.  If it's a story c.j....well, I usually don't read full-story CJ's, to be honest, unless I'm in the mood.  I'm just more interested in how people build the cities in SC4...but that's just me.

3. No, not at all.  More often than not, I'll go into a CJ and not post at all, even if I like what I see (just ask haljackey ).  Posting a comment without actually viewing the material is just a way to get post count up.

4. If I think a CJ needs improvement, I'll try and point out the things I like about it as well as the things I think need to be fixed.  I won't give a full-out negative comment; I also won't give a full-out positive comment if I think there are things wrong with it.  If the author doesn't get any praise, they'll quit; if they get no criticism, they'll never get any better.

5. I try to.  Always.

As for your last question: I don't care what you say, but as long as you keep away from overly-gridded cities, you'll be fine.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy (trust me, I know...), but don't be lazy in building it.  That's all I can say without seeing anything; the rest is up to you.

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

i prefer to look at pictures first, then if it catches my eye, i may read it

[DocRorlach 25]

As a writer (both professionally & hobby-wise) I do look for a good yarn, but the images have to fit the story, and for my liking (been accused of verbosity all too often), the habit of a lot CJ authors focusing on technique rather than content tends to turn me away, at times too quickly.

Like NMUSpidey, I find bad spelling - at least among native speakers - a sign of shoddiness and a definite turn-off.

[fabsies55 5]

anyone else got anything to say?

[Haljackey 17,241]

Huge blurbs of text deter me.  When starting a new CJ, it helps to get to the point rather quickly and showcase your best pictures with decent descriptions.

I also don't like those authors who will make a post devoted to replies just to bump their thread, get to your replies when you update!  Even worse is when they make a post and then delete it to bump themselves... that totally deters me from commenting or even viewing the CJ.

Simply put, if the pictures are good, I'll read the story as long as its short and written in good grammar.  If someone doesn't take the time to write proper sentences then I won't take the time to read them.

Other visual effects can be a pro or a con.  Banners/fonts that are too bright and flashy can ruin it, so keep it somewhat conservative.  Its always nice to see photoshopped effects, videos, etc in a CJ as long as they aren't too crazy.

If all this is done, I usually give an honest, fair reply  that can sometimes contain constructive comments to help the author improve their work.  My comments will always be positive, no matter how "bad" the CJ is.

Best,

-Haljackey