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| Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 16/10/2011 at 21:32 #21827 | |
Roadrunner
111 posts |
Hosting notices can only be seen by a handful of people - only those people who have logged-in. The same goes for the shoutbox which is also used to say that a game is about to start or has started. The majority of people interested in SimSig aren't logged-in and they can't see anything about multi-player games. While you will want to protect IP addresses, the fact that a game is in the offing doesn't need to be kept secret. No wonder there were only 11 games for a whole week! Some new ideas are needed. If SimSig doesn't want to advertise games then perhaps we could start a new group on Facebook or use Twitter. What do you think? Last edited: 16/10/2011 at 21:38 by Roadrunner Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 16/10/2011 at 21:59 #21828 | |
jc92
3690 posts 
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i would say that protecting IP adresses reduces trolling and the suchlike. people who are genuinely interested will take the 5 minutes to sign up and log in. that said, making access to hosting information more widespread may be a good idea "We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 16/10/2011 at 23:48 #21829 | |
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AndyG
1842 posts |
There's nothing to prevent anyone arranging network games outside of the SimSig forum anyway; as for myself, I don't have, need or want any facebook etc accounts, so wouldn't make any difference here.
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 17/10/2011 at 04:28 #21830 | |
Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
As has been previously mentioned SimSig does no advertise games- it provides a forum for members of the forum to advertise any game they are hosting. Way back the sentiment was expressed that this should be hidden behind a log-in, partly due to disruption experienced by some players. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 17/10/2011 at 15:20 #21834 | |
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Sam Tugwell
494 posts |
There are at least 2 Fa(r)cebook groups for Simsig that I am part of, however no one really uses them. They only become active around meets. Tugz "Signalman Exeter" Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 17/10/2011 at 15:24 #21835 | |
GeoffM
6376 posts |
" said:Hosting notices can only be seen by a handful of people - only those people who have logged-in. The same goes for the shoutbox which is also used to say that a game is about to start or has started. The majority of people interested in SimSig aren't logged-in and they can't see anything about multi-player games. While you will want to protect IP addresses, the fact that a game is in the offing doesn't need to be kept secret.It's not a secret. If it were, you wouldn't be able to see it! You've already described the simple process for getting the information which, if somebody is looking to join a multiplayer, will know where to find. " said: No wonder there were only 11 games for a whole week!A few months ago there would only be a handful per week, so that's an improvement.  " said: Some new ideas are needed. If SimSig doesn't want to advertise games then perhaps we could start a new group on Facebook or use Twitter. What do you think?Facebook and Twitter would be somewhat limiting in their audience. Many of the older generation here do not use it (personally I use FB for family, not for SimSig mostly, and I have only read the occasional tweet, never tweeted). In fact there already is a Facebook page. However, there are already plans for an additional module which will advertise multiplayer games without logging in, but with the IP address and suchlike only visible after logging in. I just need some donations to help pay for it. SimSig Boss Log in to reply The following users said thank you: Sam Tugwell, ipswich |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 17/10/2011 at 21:55 #21846 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2084 posts |
I cannot personally say I have ever seen a problem with the present system for advertising multiplayer games. It is well documented in areas visible to non-members that you need to be a member to view the multiplayer host threads. I personally think that it is best this way as it prevents, as Geoff states above, the disruptive element because those type of people cannot be bothered to join the forum just to disrupt a few multiplayer games. I also think that the shoutbox only being visible to members is no bad thing - especially considering you have to be logged in to post on it. When it was more widely visible on the site in days gone by it tended to get clogged up with so much irrelevant information and spam that I personally never read it anyway - nowadays its only use tends to be to point people in the direction of the hosting details forum for any game being hosted at that time, and as such it is effectively a far more useful tool. Whilst it is true that probably only a small minority of signed-up members of the SimSig forums ever play multiplayer games, all who are members can see the threads and join if they so wish. It is likely in my opinion that anyone who has become sufficiently interested in SimSig to consider playing multiplayer will have already reached the stage of joining the forums. Log in to reply The following users said thank you: headshot119, ipswich, jc92 |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 18/10/2011 at 10:43 #21848 | |
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UKTrainMan
1803 posts |
11 games for a whole week actually sounds higher than the usual amount of games for a whole week - some weeks no games at all are being hosted. I see no problem with the current system and so I'm completely behind keeping hosting details private, as the current system does. As that classic saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: ipswich |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 18/10/2011 at 10:48 #21849 | |
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Albert
1315 posts |
Instead of a forum, you could also make a form where a host can enter the sim, date, time, IP, port etc. That way the topics can be sorted on the time the sim will be running (or has run) instead of the time the last post is made. AJP in games Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 18/10/2011 at 16:06 #21852 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2084 posts |
" said:Instead of a forum, you could also make a form where a host can enter the sim, date, time, IP, port etc.Technically there is no reason that this could not be done, although I would imagine that the cost involved would be difficult to justify. The forum-based system has the advantage that it does not cost SimSig any more money to advertise multiplayer games than is already spent on the forum anyway. There is not a huge difficulty in seeing what is being presently or next hosted because Peter Bennett (I think) regularly deletes the expired multiplayer sessions from the forum. For instance, at this present time there are only three threads advertising multiplayer on the forum - one of which ended yesterday, one of which was cancelled without a train being signalled yesterday, and the other of which I have just posted as an intention to host in an hours time. " said: 11 games for a whole week actually sounds higher than the usual amount of games for a whole week - some weeks no games at all are being hosted.I cannot personally see how different methods of publishing multiplayer games would increase the number of games actually hosted. Also, generally one game a night is sufficient to keep everyone who wants to play happy. " said: I see no problem with the current system and so I'm completely behind keeping hosting details private, as the current system does.I agree 100% and would go further and say that as someone who hosts fairly regularly I would no longer do so if IP addresses were not restricted in this way as the security risk would be too great. " said: As that classic saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".Agreed again. Log in to reply |
| Re: Wanted - Ideas for improving hosting notices 19/10/2011 at 13:20 #21863 | |
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alvinhochun
249 posts |
" said:" said:Announcing multiplay games on the forum is totally fine.Instead of a forum, you could also make a form where a host can enter the sim, date, time, IP, port etc.Technically there is no reason that this could not be done, although I would imagine that the cost involved would be difficult to justify. However, with a little bit PHP programming and HTML coding, an input form can replace the reply box in the multiplay forum. Therefore it shouldn't cost a single dollar for adding the box. It's up to anyone willing to spend a little bit time. Log in to reply |