UPDATED 6/26/2008

This was originally written some six months ago for all the people coming after Gerstmanngate, but given the new influx of people, I figured it would be appropriate to re-post this updated version of it. –Nihon



So, we’ve apparently got this Etrian Odyssey contest going on, and it’s bringing in a ton of new people. We’ve been getting more that are just the people who've registered, but that's beside the point. You're here, and that's what matters.

First off, thank you for choosing Destructoid for your gaming news and community needs. Welcome.

If for some reason you haven't signed up for an account yet, please do so. It's by no means mandatory, but it's vital to doing a lot of things on the site, like commenting or writing the C-Blogs. Also, it's painless and totally free.

The basic rule for Destructoid success is:

Don't suck. :)

This is actually pretty easy to achieve, as all it constitutes is just being yourself, mostly. Don't try to be something you're not, and try to avoid getting on people's bad sides. Both are pretty easy to accomplish :)

But perhaps you're looking for a bit more info. How do I not suck, you might wonder? Well, here's some info to help get you started:

C-Blog Success: It's not as hard as you think

OFFICIAL C-BLOG RULES - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING ANYTHING

So you've decided to start up your own Community Blog, or C-Blog as we call it. Well, good for you. But now... you're wondering, "How do I do a good job and not suck?"

That my friends, isn't as hard as it seems. In fact, I'll give you a few tips to help get you started.

- If you're new, check out Butmac's Community Blogging Tips and Secrets (both parts). It should be required viewing.

- Also, be sure to read BFeld's tips. Or heck, take a class at Destructoid University, where you will be taught by the finest members of Destructoid.

- Don't be like some of this site’s historic trolls and creepy people. If you don't know who they are - and considering you are now, you probably won't - then don't worry, as you'll find out in time.

- Check the front page and blogs themselves to make sure you're not repeating info we already know. Sometimes you’ll be working on something and it’ll go up on the front page before you post it, but that’s okay.

- Writing features are not required, but highly suggested, as long as they're something original or funny. Good examples are located a bit further down. Like... directly below.

- Embedding pictures or videos is recommended if you've got them. Use your Photoshop or video-editing skills if you've got them. Make us laugh and you'll make an impact.

There's a bunch of other posts that I'm currently unable to find with some helpful hints (seems the Destructoid blogs have a bug right now), but if anyone finds them, I'll edit them in.

As for what to read on the C-Blogs... I wrote a super-brief guide a while ago, so I'll re-post it here with some updates:

A super-brief guide to the Best of the Destructoid C-Blogs (Updated: 5/23/2008)

Hello, Destructoid n00bs. Welcome. Have you sucked yet? No? Good to hear.

So you've got your C-Blog going and are slowly becoming a member of the community. That's great. But you might be wondering about what the best stuff on the C-Blogs is.

Well, I put together a short, yet incomplete list of some of the C-Blogs' highlights. These are the features I generally read each time I see them pop up on my friends lists. So I put together a list of those features so that people who are new to D-toid will not only have an example of how to do good (and in the process, not suck), but to give them something to enjoy.

So here you go:

Japan: A Blog - dvddesign writes about his journeys to Japan. They are very entertaining and informative and always an enjoyable read, even if you've already been to Japan.

Out of Date Game Review - Well-done reviews of older games that don't just say "this game sucks now because (insert game/sequel) is out," but actually take a serious look at these older titles. A very enjoyable read, but they seem to take a while to get done. Sharpless, we need more of these.

C-Blog Recaps - Taking the place of Cowzilla’s What Happened! posts from yesteryear, these are a daily recap of everything that happened on the C-Blogs, done in a list form with different categories and links to blogs thrown in. I really can't describe how this works. They are managed by a team, led by ceark and including Y0j1mb0, Conrad Zimmerman, Reaprar, SadieG and shipero.

Conrad also has some other spectacular features with On The Table, RetRose Tinted and Death By Cartoon.

Rantoid - Necros picks a topic. He rants on it. You read it.

Old School Adventure Games - Butmac's observations on old-school adventure games are a pleasant read, and I've actually learned a few things from this feature so far.

Licensed Games That Don't Entirely Suck - Mxyzptlk's new feature is proof that with a little time and effort, a licensed game is not a bad game. So far, it's been older games featured, but you can bet things like GoldenEye 007 will get their moment in the spotlight, too.

Randomtoid - Usually written by Snaileb or blehman, these posts include something random that might've happened, be it gaming-related or not gaming related at all.

Also, don't forget to check out -D- and Butmac’s C-Blogs for the Amazon Deal of the Day updates and Excremento's C-Blog for good posts and drink recipes, even though he, too, like Cowzilla, is no longer a full-time C-Blogger. And to add a shameless plug, my blog has a few features, including the "Worst. Character. Ever." tournament (officially coming back for season 2 this summer!), 10 Best and Does It Suck?.

But not everyone does a single, well-known feature, and there are plenty of C-Blogs that are just great reads for one reason or another. This is just a list to begin with. I've been posting here regularly for quite some time and I still haven't found everything great about the C-Blogs. Plus, on top of that, new features will come and go, so the best advice I can give you is to explore, read and enjoy.

And don't suck.

Additional Blog-Related Reading

Helpful suggestions for writing a C-Blog that is both informative and enjoyable to read - Aerox
Making your C-Blog more better - An easy formula for awesome - MaxVest
Improve blogs now - Ask me how! - BFeld13
D-toid Bloggers, Listen up - Phist
electro lemon's quick guide: Tips and tricks for the community blogs - electro lemon
10 Steps of Destructoid Involvement – coonskin05

The Front Page

There are some great features you can find on the front page here at Destructoid, intermixed with our own little spin on coverage. I can’t hit all of them, which are located on the right-hand side of the front page under “Original Columns,” but here’s my picks:

Reverand Anthony’s Indie Nation feature is one of the best-written ones on the site and a personal favorite of mine. So are Chad Concelmo’s Memory Card and The Great Retro Quiz! posts. And no, I’m not just saying that because he’s my best friend forever.

Art Attack Fridays, either posted by CTZ or Tiff, are also great. And whenever Jim Sterling has something on his mind… oh boy. Look out.

Podcasts!

Destructoid is home to several different podcasts. The first of which is Podtoid, the original podcast of the site dedicated to gaming news and basically whatever the hell else is on the minds of Aaron Linde, Jim Sterling, Tiffany Chow, Reverend Anthony himself and

Next up is RetroforceGO!, Destructoid’s retro gaming podcast. Led through the desert by Dyson, the RetroforceGO! Crew of Chad Concelmo, Colette Bennett, Reverend Anthony and Topher Cantler talk about whatever retro crap is on their mind while Anthony and Chad move closer to their epic volcano showdown.

Third up is the Podcastle, hosted by the always dapper Jim Sterling. Joined by the always loveable atheistium and the yellow-haired Wardrox, this podcast focuses around European gaming, as we have quite a large contingent from across the Atlantic.

There’s also a fourth, community-based podcast known as Failcast, put together by us, for us. Yashoki hosts and is joined by Necros, Charlie Suh, king3vbo and a guest member from the community. Having been a former guest for the show, I can tell you it’s hella fun and you shouldn’t miss it when it comes out every other week.

All four podcasts are also available on iTunes, too, for easy listening. So be sure to check them out!

Community Gaming

Another great Destructoid feature is that we community members get together every week at different times to game and just have fun. They're among my most anticipated nights of the week and they're almost always a good time.

The most notable of these is the weekly Friday Night Fights get-together, where PC, 360, PS3 and Wii gamers get together to relax and have some online gaming fun. There’s also an edition for European gamers that can’t stay up until the early hours of the morning to play with North Americans.

Outside of Friday Night Fights, there’s plenty of gaming to be had: ThurDSay is set aside for Nintendo DS gaming, while Tuesday is better known as TF Tuesdays. Y0j1mb0 has started up both GTA IV Sundays and PS3 Poker Nights for those with Sony’s current-gen console, and shipero holds it down with Wednesday Night Warcawks

Community History

Want to know the history of this site? Click here.

The Destructoid Forums

By now, you may have noticed the forum button, clicked it, and found this little section of the site. Here, things are a little different, so here's some tips to get you started:

READ THE FORUM RULES. This cannot be stressed enough.

Once you've registered, tell us that you're here with a post in the Meet and Greet Forum, but before you hit that button to finalize your post, you must read this entry or you'll likely be asked for more information over and over again. Your first post is important, so please take the time to make it a good one.

Be sure to check out the Social Lounge and Gaming Discussion board frequently. We post important info or funny shit in there sometimes, as well as have balanced discussion.

Also, no, there aren't any signatures. And yes, that's a good thing.

Talking to people

Want to talk to people in real time? There are some options. You can go with the traditional venues, like AIM, MSN and Google Talk, but there are also some other unofficial ways to hang out with people.

First up is IRC. Professor Pew wrote the only guide you'll ever need on how to get in on the hot IRC action, and you can read it here.

Next up is Ventrillo. It requires you to have a headset, and details on the voice chat program can be found here.

Last up is Stickam, and we really don't have a guide for that yet, but if you have a Stickam account, you can join in. You'll need a headset and camera for full integration, though.

Reporting News

So, you've got breaking news, eh? Something you think's a hot tip? Well, here at Destructoid, you can report the news and get yourself a thank you on the front page, but there's a way to make it a success.

If you have a hot tip that we haven't reported (or maybe one that no one else is reporting, too), then send it to tips@destructoid.com. Again, that's tips@destructoid.com. Make sure it's good, though. Include any necessary links, anecdotes, pictures, videos, etc. that will help enhance or tell the story.

As for writing about breaking news on the C-Blogs, read this post from MaxVest. Also, be sure to check both the front page and community blogs' front page to make sure it hasn't been written yet, or you'll be bombarded with chants of OLD.

Important Vocabulary (under construction)

STFUAJPG! - Shut the fuck up and just play games. It means what it says. Usually used when people are complaining about something incessantly or being super-annoying.

NARP - No Apparent Reason Party. Started in Cincinnati in 2006 by Joe Burling (Buck F1tches) and Ron Workman, it was just a get-together thrown so community members could meet up and have a good time. The idea eventually caught on and spread all across the country and world, with Dtoid members meeting up with others from the site for good time and good video gaming fun. If you get invited to one of these, do everything you can to make it. They’re worth it.

Also cocks – Almost a non-sequitir to be used at the end of posts, it has since become the unofficial motto of Destructoid, been plastered on T-shirts, and been modified to incorporate whatever the subject matter may be.

Who the fuck is Jim Sterling? – First posted after Jim Sterling made his Destructoid debut, because nobody knew who the hell he was. Jim’s name is often replaced with other people when we don’t know who they are, or when community people become editors and start using their real names.

AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING – The catchphrase of one Chad Concelmo, to be used when things are… well, really amazing. The “SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGOI!” variant is rarely used by yours truly.

Yard sale – Whenever something comes out on Xbox Live, especially a shoot ‘em up, Topher proclaims we are having a yard sale in RetroforceGO!, and you should pay heed.

tl;dr - Shoort for "too long, didn't read." Used for really long posts.

NVGR - Not Video Game Related. A tag used for posts that aren't related to video games.

Other important notes

- Commenting and being active on the forums is highly encouraged, but posting two-word sentences all the time is not.

- Get to know the editors. They are people, too. Just people with more power than you.

- Visit Tomopop. It is the best out of all Destructoid’s sister sites. PERIOD. [/shameless plug]

- You cannot send PMs without a forum account. Therefore, it is highly encouraged that you sign up for an account on the forums.

- The Fresh Meat ranking and the meat picture to go along with it will go away after you reach a certain number of posts in the forums. Don't worry, we've all been there, I think.

- Additionally, you might notice other logos below avatars, which I have no idea how they get there. I think Ron and Orcist are in charge of getting those on, but DO NOT ask/bug them about it. You'll get them when you've qualified for them.

- We has a MySpace and a Facebook group. Add us.

- Lastly... don't suck. Can't stress that enough.