Topic: Whats Next?

[Sfaret]

I see we still have a solid group of people haning around, do we have a campaign coming up any time soon?

If this old time that has returned from a long vacation can make a request, how about good early era general war type. Or even something more specific, like a 4 Powers war, Hydrans/Mirak vs Lyran/Klingons. Or perhaps a specfic war Feds vs Klingons.. Yes I want Klingons but I will honestly welcome anything :-)

Speaking of that, there was some custom maps and campaigns in the EAW days of the 4 powers war and a few others, anyone know what happened to those?

[CaptJosh]

Man, I can't remember the last time we played a Dyna on a stock map. If it has happened in the past year, it must have been before March when I was first able to get to the Dynaverse and start playing.

[Sfaret]

Cool, that means a return might be refreshing :-)

[CaptJosh]

To a stock map, yes. But nobody will be interested in a stock shiplist.

[el-Karnak]

It appears that the community has run out of bonafide server admins.  The ones that actually get  big campaigns going on a regular basis. Die Hard and Dizzy were the last ones active.

I am not gonna do it cuz I have too little time to devote to such projects. So, whoes the next server admin. that will run big campaigns for this community? If you go more than a month or two without a big campaign then you will lose players.  Same thing happened after SS2 was over a couple years ago when no really good campaigns came up for about 6 months, and the community has yet to recover from the player exodus that took place then.  If some server admin is waiting for new mission scripts then I would not bother. You got the scripts now to have a good campaign. Talk to DH and/or Dizzy about that.

Anyway, I guess I'll be renewing my SWG account for another 6 months and hang out with the GFLers.

[Hexx]

DH has PM'd me and said he's out for a bit while he tries to come to terms with the fact
that my server concepts are a brilliant beacon of shining light to illuminate
the mundanity that his ideas center around.

Dizzy (I think) is taking a well deserved rest

Scippy (I think) was planning ecowar sometime soon?

Hexx is trying to come to terms with the fact that it's not as easy as it sounds
and that he needs to find time to try and set everything up, and that while he got
his second(older) computer working (to host) his first one decided to stop working this weekend.
Still I assume my natural brilliance will come up with something to make everything
OK soon.
<snicker "soon">

[Dizzy]

Dizzy (I think) is taking a well deserved rest

U need help, ask.

[el-Karnak]

Hexx is trying to come to terms with the fact that it's not as easy as it sounds
and that he needs to find time to try and set everything up, and that while he got
his second(older) computer working (to host) his first one decided to stop working this weekend.
Still I assume my natural brilliance will come up with something to make everything
OK soon.
<snicker "soon">

I can tell you that realistically speaking it takes about a month of constant slogging to really understand how the server kit works. Then, it takes about 2 months after that to really understand mission scripting, and that's assuming one is a competent C++ programmer with min. 2 years experience. Of course, you cannot understand mission scripting without understanding the server kit really well first.

So, keep at it and you'll get there. 

[Dizzy]

So basically we are looking at three years b4 Hexx has a really good server for us.

[el-Karnak]

So basically we are looking at three years b4 Hexx has a really good server for us.

Tsk, Tsk. Now, that's not very nice.  Just wait and see what happens. A lot of people have come and gone claiming on the forums that they would do this and that on the forums and never produced a server or a mission script. Conversely, a lot of people have just out of the blue and said here's  a server, or a mission I wrote:  TRY THIS!!

So, just wait and see.  It's actually kind of exciting. One example:  2 years ago, I never would have pegged DH as a server admin. but he did the GW series. No DH, no GW dynas.

[Sfaret]

Okay then lets try this a different way. Lets say someone wants to run a very basic server, pretty much stock in that no special downloads needed other than the OP+. What is required and how much work is involved?

I MIGHT have a hosting company prepared to provide a server.

[Dizzy]

Stock servers suck. No one plays them. Hosts arnt a problem, we have XC servers. Problem is server admins. They are few and far between and there are less and less of them as time goes by.

When the player community understands to treat them like gods, we might get a few more server admins to commit their time to getting a good campaign going. No one understands the time and effort involved in planning/running a decent campaign. The player community must come to terms with the fact they are lesser beings and to worship their gods accordingly.

After the ridiculous behavior treatment from a few RM's on SG4, I told myself I wasnt taking sh*t from a single player not even once on SG5, I'd just ban them at the drop of a hat, turns out that letting everyone know straight off what I'd do, everyone behaved amazingly well and no one got the axe. I still didnt get the worship treatment I wanted, tho, and the thank you thread was damned pathetic. So I'm taking time off. Maybe someday the player base will realize there is more to a campaign than logging on and playing.

[Bonk]

Don't forget Herr Burt! He's busy at the moment but still has good things in store for us as I understand.

Edit: and Bartok is a promising up-and-comer too!

[KBF-Crim]

Hey Ed....wait to you try the squadron commander set up.....Herr Burt got PF floatilla's to work on a Dyna.....it was a blast...

[KBF-maQmIgh]

Dizzy,

I understand, believe me I do. Even a fanzine is not immune to the rash of complaints for the free effort you provide. I only had a limited opportunity to play on some of your early servers and found them to be a BLAST.

As for the players not playing on stock servers thats their loss, we could likely have more Admins if the work load could be reduced, that is provided a stock server would cut the work load.

Anyway, seeing as I work from my home and have free time, I am willing to look into what is required. What kind of time requirememnt are we discussing? How much actual programming skill is needed? I mean if this is basically a game master type job with lots of clean up work then I am willing to take the plunge, if I need to be a programmer then I am out before I start.

[el-Karnak]

Anyway, seeing as I work from my home and have free time, I am willing to look into what is required. What kind of time requirememnt are we discussing? How much actual programming skill is needed? I mean if this is basically a game master type job with lots of clean up work then I am willing to take the plunge, if I need to be a programmer then I am out before I start.

I can tell you that realistically speaking it takes about a month of constant slogging to really understand how the server kit works. Then, it takes about 2 months after that to really understand mission scripting, and that's assuming one is a competent C++ programmer with min. 2 years experience. Of course, you cannot understand mission scripting without understanding the server kit really well first.

[Dfly]

Dizzy, you will never get the adulations you are looking for as there are too few players, (and you are Dizzy   ).  I for one have never done a stock server and would gladly participate.  I bet a few other of us X-GSA guys would also try it out due to not having done so earlier.  I would try out any server you guys put up,  just because you put them up, and that takes from your time so i devote time to it.

[el-Karnak]

Stock servers suck. No one plays them. Hosts arnt a problem, we have XC servers. Problem is server admins. They are few and far between and there are less and less of them as time goes by.

When the player community understands to treat them like gods, we might get a few more server admins to commit their time to getting a good campaign going. No one understands the time and effort involved in planning/running a decent campaign. The player community must come to terms with the fact they are lesser beings and to worship their gods accordingly.

After the ridiculous behavior treatment from a few RM's on SG4, I told myself I wasnt taking sh*t from a single player not even once on SG5, I'd just ban them at the drop of a hat, turns out that letting everyone know straight off what I'd do, everyone behaved amazingly well and no one got the axe. I still didnt get the worship treatment I wanted, tho, and the thank you thread was damned pathetic. So I'm taking time off. Maybe someday the player base will realize there is more to a campaign than logging on and playing.

I learned a long time ago, that the best adulation is that the players come back to play on your servers again.  Being a narcisstic frog, I can give an example about me, me, me, me!!  

Even after stop working on mission scripts a year ago, I still get PMs from people asking if they can use EEK missions for SFC2 or SFC3 servers. Mostly SFC3 lately. I got one request last week. 

That's always so cool.

[KBF-maQmIgh]

el-Karnak,

I am not considering trying to learn all about scipting. I want to use existing material to create a SIMPLE campaign. In fact what I am considering is to see if there is interest in a 4 Powers War, Klingon/Lyran vs Hydran/Mirak. By cutting the number os used races down the smaller player base will be less of an issue.

I will make a custom map for this but had panned to use existing scripts. My question then is how hard is the basic setup and the upkeep needed for it to run?

[el-Karnak]

I would say it will take a novice about a month to figure out that whole configuration for the 4 powers campaign and run a successful campaign. It would be better if you get DH or Dizzy to help tutor you on server kit setup and making up the custom map.  You can PM me about scripts and how to use them.