How should this sub-forum be organized?
 

This is a sub-forum specific for the Index novels and manga. How should it be organized?

The basic rules are:
- each thread should have a single defined focus
- no thread should be a "chat room" or "social club"
- no shipping threads
- nothing that is otherwise forbidden by our forum rules (incl. no posting of raws, etc.)

I want to open it up to the fan community to think about what makes the most sense.


You'll note that the original Index novel discussion thread was closed because it's just way too big and unwiedly and so became basically a chatroom with a lot of recurring/repetitive topics and discussion. So this is something I'd like to avoid now that there's this sub-forum.

So...This is a subforum... within a subforum :eyespin: ?

Within a sub-forum.

Root > Anime Discussion > Older Series > Index -> Index Novel/Manga

We need to go deeper...

:heh:

This is the first time I have seen this...well there is a first time for everything...haha

It would be optimal to have threads for each volume release much like each episode in anime but that means moderators would have to keep track of the series and make a new thread when appropriate.

Various speculation threads should probably be moved(or recreated) into the subforum since those threads are generally Light Novel heavy anyways.
Possibly a general speculation and update thread where we can discuss between the various light novels but with more of a defined purpose rather than just talk about XYZ.

Character discussion should probably have their own seperate threads from the main subforum as well.

Having new threads per new volume might not be a bad idea.

Though there is a problem with that two months speculation period before the actual release date...

I think arc separation is better than volume separation. However, I'm not really sure whether such a separation is beneficial as discussion of old material is much less (and normally referenced from new material), and it's always the latest release that get the most attention at any one time.

On another note, I'm not sure whether we should also have character threads (for novel specific reveals) and 'newer' characters, but that will again be confusing since the 'slower' manga is in this subforum as well.

It definately brings the focus down onto one area at least.
The previous thread, we jumped around from practically volume to volume at whim having like 3 conversations at once.
Even then, some of the stuff in there had no relevence to the novel at all.

Sizing it down in some way is our goal.

I don't like arc separation though- Everybody would always bring up some past arc one way or another.

Volume separation would be like episode separation; if you click on 7, you better be aware of 6, 5, 4 etc.

We could...

Set up one big Light Novel speculation thread.

Or create the new volume thread ahead of time (2-3 months before) and hybrid it full of both speculation and then discussion once the novel comes out.

Or create two seperate threads of speculation and then discussion each time a volume comes around.

Precisely why I don't really visit it much since the last Index anime. Too much information to sift through (same thing is happening with Mahouka; it might need the same treatment one day...... :heh:).

Question is, will people be posting much in those volume threads at the end of the day? Or will everyone be just posting in NT 7, and referencing past material in there or speculating about NT 8?

I don't know, since I don't visit it much these days :heh:

Well the first one is out because thats what relentless wants to avoid.

...or maybe I'm over thinking it- episode threads don't need a speculation version....

Since the novels always tend to have many foreshadowing, I think we need to divide it to two parts. First one is general thread that consists of past novels and future novels to talk about plot developments in index-verse, while the other one is the current novel since they tend to produce many discussions too.

...anyway, is it not the time to open light novel thread yet?

One comment I would make is that you could have a different standard for past novels and novels going forward.

For example, you could have one single thread for the entire first novel series, one thread for NT up to say 5 or 6 (whatever), and then one for 7 and one for 8... or whatever. (I don't follow the novels so help fill in the gaps here.) And you could also create the thread for the next volume as soon as the previous volume comes out so that speculation about the next volume goes there until it's out.

Anyway, that's just an idea to throw into the pot, but you all can keep on refining it.

I'd like to toss my vote in the hat for "different thread for each LN" but mainly for going forward (start with NT 7). Maybe a rule that discussing stuff that hasn't yet been translated should be behind spoiler tags...

NT 5&6 go together and are recent enough so they might be able to sustain their own thread as well.

For older content... I haven't been reading the LN thread as much as others so hopefully someone else can come up with a better way to divide them, but perhaps:

-one for LN1-13 (basically all that has been animated).
-one for the Side Story novels (but any new SS novels would get their own thread).
-one for 14-22
-one for NT1-4.

Basically it would be nice if someone reading through the novels didn't have to read through all 30ish to begin discussing it without fear of being spoiled (personal bias: I had read through all of them so I could read the LN thread :)). Separating the threads would help... kinda like landings on a staircase.

Edit: Also a generic separate spoilers and speculation thread for not-yet-released LNs... sometimes a leaked novel summary turns out to be spot on accurate.

I'll give it a bit of time for others to offer their own thoughts/suggestions, but otherwise will probably create the threads soon.

I'm fine with combining all of the "Old Testament" books into one thread and all of the New Testaments into individual threads.

I don't think side stories require their own thread.

At the same time, I suppose theres not much point giving the earlier NT books their own thread though and its easier to bunch them up.

My suggestion:

1) "Old Testament" Light Novel Series Thread
2) "New Testament" Light Novel Series (Act 1) Thread
3) To aru Majutsu no Index - New Testament Volume 7 Thread

Subsequent releases would get their own threads similar to Anime Episode Threads.

EDIT:

I Just remembered that we would still be getting side stories from the Railgun DVD... maybe Primary Consult is right.

Just toss in some bible related title for the special volumes thread :p

my suggestion would be,

1. Combining the entire old testament into one thread
2. for the new testament, dividing it into "Arc", after all some stories in the new testament do directly connected to each other like NT 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
3. Current "Arc", which is NT 7
4. Side Stories
5. Generic Discussion, Spoiler, Speculation thread

i guess thats all?

Splitting Novel thread between Old / New testament will not really make any difference.
Old testament is no longer being discussed and if the current thread will have 1500 or 150 pages will not bother anyone.

Side Stories could use their own thread (note there are both Railgun and Index ones) but currently there is no "active" one.
Though after Railgun anime ends, there will be new one - Index SSS.
(and if Index airs this fall, there will be another Railgun one)

There could be other threads like news, side characters.. but I am not sure how active they will be.

PS: the LN thread was so active because:
1. - there was a lot of missing threads and so everything was forced to be discussed there.
(interviews, news, side stories, anime anticipation, side character discussions (Misaki for example), artbooks..)
2. - spoiler policy everywhere else also helped to move everyone there, because they could freely discuss everything
3. - the fact one of the MOST ANTICIPATED LNs came out just now and everyone was eager to discuss it (easily 5 pages per day) as it is being translated (and you closed it...)

I like the idea of creating character threads here for people that we normally wouldn't get character threads for as the anime-only viewers wouldn't know about them. For example we could get a Hamazura thread, a Mugino thread, a Kakine thread, etc.

It might be a good idea to put a Misaki thread into the Railgun manga subforum too.