Questions that can be answered with an "it depends" are Garbage and you should rewrite them!

[ThomasBellissimo]

Me again, and ya I said this too. If I can answer your questions with a "hmmmm... well see... it really depends." your question is junk.

Take these two examples:

1. Would you purchase an educational game?

Guess what Karen, I don't freaking know how to answer your trash question because it's too vague. IT DEPENDS, is this game about how to tie my shoelaces? Cause if it is, no, I already know how to do that!

2. Would you purchase an educational game that explains a subject you are interested in?

Wow, this is so much better, yes I would purchase a game if I was interested in the subject.

Don't be a "it depends" questioner. Ask what you really want to know!

 

[RCXDan]

Are you working out issues or something?

Either way I'm not sure what the purpose of this thread is compared to the feedback one is, mostly because it lacks context and applicability.

Are you having a conversation with a friend that knows you or a complete stranger? That kind of thing.

 

[The Stranger]

2. Would you purchase an educational game that explains a subject you are interested in?

You underestimate the power of "it depends". See, what if this specific educational game covered things you already knew, or taught people a crazy way of doing things? I'd still say it depends.

 

[TheGentlemanLoser]

Are you working out issues or something?

Either way I'm not sure what the purpose of this thread is compared to the feedback one is, mostly because it lacks context and applicability.

Are you having a conversation with a friend that knows you or a complete stranger? That kind of thing.

so in other words... "it depends"

 

[Animebryan]

 

[ATT_Turan]

You feel pretty aggressively that a variety of things are garbage.

 

[peq42_]

Once again, you're wrong.

Questions that can be answered with "It depends" many times are complex and may bring a good discussion to the table. Things such as "Can X library/language/engine do Y?" will most of the time get such responses, and the result is everyone that reads and/or participates learning a bit about said library/language/engine/whatever

That same logic applies to multiple other questions. The very act of ASKING is never bad. Seeking information is always a good thing.

 

[TheoAllen]

Most people don't know what they want or what piece of information they missed.
Other people help them understand what they want.

If you do not want to say "it depends", expect more information to help them more. Simply do not answer.

 

[RCXDan]

I'm gonna be dead serious and say asking questions is never a bad thing. If you're pedantic enough to get on someone's case about saying something like "it depends" (which is a valid question modifier if presented the right way) then you might be the one with the problem, no pause.

It just comes across as a tool thing to do regardless of context.

Like @ThomasBellissimo, you are not an authority on who is allowed to say what. If your goal is to actually help people, drop the high and mighty attitude.

 

[The Stranger]

I'm gonna be dead serious and say asking questions is never a bad thing. If you're pedantic enough to get on someone's case about saying something like "it depends" (which is a valid question modifier if presented the right way) then you might be the one with the problem, no pause.

100% this! There are no wrong questions, and it depends might be the only right answer. An answer could depend on many different variables, and so might not be so black and white.

 

[ericv00]

Most people don't know what they want or what piece of information they missed.

No. Most people don't know what question they need to ask to get the piece of information they need/want.

 

[TheoAllen]

No. Most people don't know what question they need to ask to get the piece of information they need/want.

Ultimately, they do not know what they want. So they asked a different question than they actually want. This mostly applies to request though.

 

[The Stranger]

A person might know kinda what they want, but might not know exactly how to express it. So they'll ask really vague questions in the hope that someone else might know what they're talking about, or to boil things down some more.

 

[Shaz]

@ThomasBellissimo what is the point of these posts?

If you really want to encourage people to ask and answer questions in a helpful way, take a look at some of the pinned threads around the place (there's a good one in one of the Script Requests forums). List the do's and don'ts, and explain why ... minus the attitude.

Please don't make any more rant threads. It's against the rules of the forum.

 

[ShiraCheshire]

I think it, well… depends! Haha.
If what you want to know is if people will play your game about a small band of kittens trying to cope with the sudden death of their mother, then yes “would you play an emotional game” is a bad question.

but if your goal is to see what people think about emotions in games in general, what about that they like and what doesn’t, the sort of topics people want to see, etc, then a broad it depends question is a good way to get a conversation of diverse opinions and ideas going.

 

[ericv00]

Ultimately, they do not know what they want. So they asked a different question than they actually want. This mostly applies to request though.

As someone who is classically bad a internet searches, I can assure you I know EXACTLY what piece of information I usually want, but lack the skill to know how to tell the search engine in a way to get the results I need. I spend half a day looking for some sort of waxed canvas 50L duffel bag without gimmicks and at a reasonable price that wasn't made in China and came up empty-handed. I KNOW they exist. But I don't know what the search engine WANTS FROM ME!

 

[TheoAllen]

As someone who works in the IT industry, I can tell you that our client said A, then we implement exactly what they want, then they actually need something else. Requirement gathering is a thing.

 

[ericv00]

As someone who works in the IT industry, I can tell you that our client said A, then we implement exactly what they want, then they actually need something else. Requirement gathering is a thing.

...oh right. Fair enough. I've worked in graphic design... clients...

 

[HarlekinLehl]

"It depends" are usually the most helpful answers I'm getting.
I'm a very new developer, so while I try to formulate my questions in the most understandable and provide as much info on the the topic, english is also not my native language so usually anyone answering with "It depends" follows if things like "What are you trying to accomplish?" "Do you want this or that outcome?" and so on.
So answering their follow up question with what info they need to help me makes it just so much easier to identify what I actually need.
So no, I don't think they are garbage answers whatsoever.

 

[SeaSpider]

2. Would you purchase an educational game that explains a subject you are interested in?

I mean, it really does depend.

I have a lot of subjects I am interested in but don't want to play an educational game about. I'm very interested in space, but I wouldn't play an educational game about space because I would rather watch a documentary. I'd rather play a game that's sci-fi and just takes place in space than one trying to teach me what a black hole is or is geared towards young children.

Hypothetical questions often "depend", due to their nature. You don't know what will be important to every person, and it's ok if they need more information. Trying to anticipate every move will give you the question, "Would you purchase a game that you really wanted and had plenty of money/time for?" For which the answer is basically meaningless.