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So more than a few times now I've asked for some help in the Dakka Dakka P&M and the Blog forums however, despite the number of views my posts receive, no one seems to bother posting responses.

Most responses I have received have been along the lines of "looks good" or "how did you do that" (usually from fairly new users)
While I do appreciate the compliment and I'm always more than happy to exchange tips and advice I rarely receive helpful responses.

I'm asking here and now If I'm doing something wrong in the way I'm asking or possibly putting people off posting a reply on my threads in some way?

Also please dnt ignr dis post or I wil fel bad.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
220 Views,
0 Replies.
Thanks again Dakka Dakka


Automatically Appended Next Post:
YEAH! Push for 500 views 0 replies!
You can do it, Dakka Dakka, and you probably will!!

Well, I looked at a couple of your threads (related to the samurai Space Marines). I didn't reply to them because I didn't have anything constructive to add. I think most Dakka users are polite enough to follow the old adage about not saying anything at all if we don't have anything nice to say. Having been in the same boat you're in, I think that the answer is multifold. I'm usually of the opinion that when I get no responses, it's either because A) no one has anything constructive to add, or B) they don't know the answer to my question.

For the record, having looked back at several of your threads:

1. Your Legion of the Damned look really good. I don't have any suggestions. You have done a good job with keeping the standard tropes for the unit while at the same time avoiding the most ridiculous aspects of the official models.
2. I think a samurai aesthetic looks silly on Space Marines. As such, I can't really give you any good advice for either of those threads that would both help you and be in line with what you want. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, since samurai are just as much a part of the heraldric-noble-warrior tradition as the chivalric knights that normally inform Space Marine concepts. It's a personal preference issue, so I cannot personally help you there.
3. In your wired lightning effects, you asked the community for advice about a look we couldn't see. I would have responded if there had been a picture, unless it looked so terrible that I didn't think there was any way to fix it. For the record, I wanted to see a picture of it, since it sounded cool, and way better than the standard power weapon effects.
4. Your assault cannon/heavy bolter model looks pretty good. I just never saw the thread. (Although it looks like you got some pretty good responses. If you continued to update it with further WIP pictures or a finished product, I think you would get more.)
5. I don't like battle damage, so I didn't respond to your powerpack thread. I think battle damage looks goofy most of the time, and couldn't think of any good advice.

I saw five of the six threads we are talking about, (there were two samurai related threads) sorry I couldn't add more.

Xendarc wrote:220 Views,
0 Replies.
Thanks again Dakka Dakka

I know you're frustrated (again, I've been there!) but sarcastic needling doesn't encourage people to help you.

Good luck, and I hope this helps.

What questions?

YOU are number six. Why did you retire?

I have often wondered this, and am often in the same boat, where I've asked for comments and criticism on something I'm working on, and it just doesn't happen. I often wonder whether this is because-
a) what I'm doing just isn't worth commenting on, or
b) it's just so damn good no one can criticise me, but if this is the case I'd at least like a "wow, that's pretty cool".

I know for a fact its point a, thought, I know there's plenty of room for improvement and would like some pointers, but if people just don't tell you where you're going wrong, how do you improve?

Sadly, Jimsolo posted in this thread before the DCM plot to get it to 500 views without a response came to fruition. Sorry :(

 Jimsolo wrote:
Well, I looked at a couple of your threads (related to the samurai Space Marines). I didn't reply to them because I didn't have anything constructive to add. I think most Dakka users are polite enough to follow the old adage about not saying anything at all if we don't have anything nice to say. Having been in the same boat you're in, I think that the answer is multifold. I'm usually of the opinion that when I get no responses, it's either because A) no one has anything constructive to add, or B) they don't know the answer to my question.

Thanks for your response and I apologies for the sarcastic reply earlier.
It's terribly frustrating when my conversion work is halted while I wait for some form of assistance.

I am at the stage where I will accept any and all criticism (nice or not) as minimal input is better than none.
Left to my own devices I will struggle with new ideas and the project generally loses direction and I don't really want that to happen.

Again, I appreciate the lengthy response

 WaaaaghLord wrote:
if people just don't tell you where you're going wrong, how do you improve?

This is exactly how I feel about my work.

 Fifty wrote:
Sadly, Jimsolo posted in this thread before the DCM plot to get it to 500 views without a response came to fruition. Sorry :(

Perhaps next time

 Fifty wrote:
Sadly, Jimsolo posted in this thread before the DCM plot to get it to 500 views without a response came to fruition. Sorry :(

I came so close too...

I was just about to exit the thread without repling and I realised the reason why, so I thought I should point out another reason for getting few replies on a thread:

What I was going to contribute has already been said by those before me.

Sometimes (mainly in P&M forums) I simply am looking for inspiration myself usally on my phone which means I am unlikely to give a response.

I also completely agree with Jimsolo; if I have nothing constructive to contribute I simply wont reply.

Good luck on the feedback!

 Grot 6 wrote:
What questions?

YOU are number six. Why did you retire?

Reply. " I am not a man but a free number!" That quote was used in a convention over 20 years ago when The Prisoner was shown on a public broad casting station.

Back to the Op Your work is pretty good but like others I did not know what to contribute on to your topic.

I really do like Dakka Dakka, great artists and friendly community, but does anyone know of a decent place where I can submit my WIP's and receive some artistic feedback, tips or advice?

Since everyone's looking for karma, r/Warhammer40k on reddit is usually a decent place to get a comment or two, although, I find that the skills of the modellers and painters on this site tend to be greater.

That being said, there are so many great artists here, that your 'average' user may feel that they are not worthy (myself included sometimes) of giving feedback

Hope you have better luck.

In a busy forum, it is often customary for people to view a lot of threads and then simply move on because they're essentially just looking for something to read and not necessarily looking to comment. Then because more people are interested in posting questions for their own stuff rather than writing quality comments for others, threads are constantly pushed off the front page of the forum never to be seen again (unless you're talking about absolutely amazing stuff).

So the real question isn't: why isn't anyone commenting on my stuff or answering my questions, but rather, how can I comment and help out other people more? The more people that think this way, the less people there are in YOUR particular boat.

And here are some other tips:

The more threads you post the less likely people are to get invested in any one particular thread and answer any given question. So if you post a question about how to convert a heavy bolter into an assault cannon, then only the people who happen to see your thread at the time that have anything to add will ever post. On the other hand, if you have a general P&M blog for your SM conversions, and you're constantly posting new and cool stuff into, then anyone who has ever posted in that thread will now be subscribed to that thread and may well check it everytime anyone posts in that thread. So now when someone discovers your super P&M thread they may comment on your latest work or they may finally comment on your older questions.

Right now, you just have some animated 'The Thing' gif as your forum sig. You want to know how to get people to look at your threads without being desparate? Put a link in your forum sig pointing people to you latest and greatest thread (preferably saying something enticing and exciting). So let's go back and say you make a general P&M blog for your SM Chapter. You would then put a link to it in your forum sig saying: Please come check out my super-cool samurai SM chapter P&M thread (and make that into an embedded link). Now, every post you make is like a subtle advertisement to get people to come check out your thread. And the more you update that forum sig to highlight your newest work, the more you can attract people to your thread.

But what if you really, really like having tons of different painting and modeling threads (as you seem to do)? Well then, you can use your user profile page (which is a wiki page from our article system) and you can use that page to collect a link from each of your threads together onto that one page. Now instead of just putting a link to your one P&M blog into your forum sig, you can instead put a link to your user profile page urging people to check it out. And on that user profile page, the sky is the limit...you can add a pic from each of your painting and modeling threads to really interest people into clicking onto your older threads and visiting them.

Finally, if you do decide to become a DCM (donating $25 a year towards Dakka's maintenance), that will get you into the DCM private forums, which have a smaller more intimate feeling, that some people prefer. I don't know if you get MORE comments in the private forums or not, but certainly your thread won't get pushed off the front page nearly as quick in there.


So there are a few ways you can drastically improve the number of views/replies you get on your P&M threads just here on Dakka.

Thanks Yakface

I'll definitely get onto sorting out a decent signature. I did plan on getting onto that sometime but your words have persuaded me to re-prioritise and get a working sig in order.
I will also attempt to keep my threads more organised so as to allow for easier navigation of my content.

I am still fairly new as to how forums function as, until this one, I have not been a participating member in any.
I do plan on sticking around and when financially viable I will make a donation as this website alone has probably contributed more to my painting and modelling skills than anything else.

This is one of those forums where I don't feel like there is much for getting replies to improve your "growth as an artist." Seek out other forums where this is provided more. One such forum is the Reaper one and yes they want all kinds of minis posted. There's more "painters" there than "players." So even though people here paint and play, the focus is more upon playing...my two cents.

One thing to add to this, its that with the rate of submissions being posted it just sometimes get over looked.

If its late at night and I can't sleep i'll go into the P+M forms and actively look for something with no replies. Sometimes I can help, sometimes not.

The other thing to keep in mind is that some posts topics have been answered so many times that people tend to role their eyes and just move on.

I look at dozens of threads a day, at least. I rarely post because I rarely feel like I have very much to add to the conversation. Usually anything I would say has been said already, and possibly better than I could have.

I debated even posting this response for those reasons, but I felt like maybe chiming in would help another dakka member feel better. That's more valuable than avoiding being redundant.