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GJK--as a CMBO, CMBB, CMAK pack rat, I have a large collection of battles and ops for all three games. If you find that you are missing any specific battle and op, send me a list of what you need. I can get on it in about a week, when I return to the land of Antone's, Chuys and the Horns.

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The site is open for beta-testing. I *think* everything is in order, but you never know until a number of you have gone through it:

http://www.the-scenario-depot.com

Don't cry if a scenario that you upload gets deleted or sumfink.... smile.gif

Actually, please report any bugs/issues/requests/bitches/praises to me (email in link) or post a message on the site.

KG_Jag: What we have is a clean slate for uploading scenarios. I was not given the databases that Adm. Keth had for the old site, and so I have no data for any of the old scenarios. Since all the parameters for the scenarios must be present in the database, just uploading the scenario files does no good (better off zipping and uploading those to CMMODS). So, it will be a big ole' community project to repopulate TSDII with old and new scenarios.

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Gary - this is looking AWESOME!

I'm working my way through trying it out now.

First issue: the "download" page tells me that the purpose of downloading the scenario is to provide feedback to the author.

Actually, that's not the case for TSDII, right? That's the case for TPG. For TSDII the purpose of downloading the scenario is to play it and enjoy it. Even better if the person decides to provide feedback after.

More comments to follow, I'm sure. None meant as criticism in any way, just constructive feedback. Thanks for the fantastic work!

GaJ

[ December 31, 2005, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

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OK - next comment:

10 - Outstanding scenario. I feel that I'll find a challenge each time that I play it.

9 - Excellent scenario. This one will receive multiple playings.

8 - Very good scenario. I will play it again and will suggest it to others.

7 - Good scenario, willing to play it again.

the rating systsem SHOULD NOT suppose that the quality of a scenario is based on whether you feel like playing the scenario again.

I *never* (or almost never) play a scenario a second time, no matter how much I like it.

The rating of a scenario should be based on whether you enjoyed it, not whether you plan to play it again.

I feel strongly about this one. Definitely need to fix these words.

GaJ

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With respect to the rating system: here's a comment I passed to Gary by email a little while back ... just airing it here to get it on public record.

I would really like to see the review rating separated out based on whether you are reviewing as two-player or VS AI play.

I want it separated out that way so that I can sort results based on review ratings that were given for the kind of play I'm interested in.

I think it is sub-optimal to be combining ratings from players who played vs AI with players who played 2 player. These are completely different things and will give a completely different play experience.

GaJ

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This is a Fictional Scenario

Please keep that in mind when reviewing this scenario. Historical accuracy may be at a minimum in order to maximize the game play.

I very much like this banner.

I would put it right down next to the text box where the person is about to type (believe it or not, I didn't even notice it the first time I came to the review page: my eyes went straight to "where do I type?" smile.gif

GaJ

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Actually, please report any bugs/issues/requests/bitches/praises to me (email in link) or post a message on the site.
Ooops - just noticed this request smile.gif

It's perhaps worth commenting that I'm not too keen on having to go to a different forum for reading discussions about CM related things. Here's the place where I come for that.

The TPG forum (on which TSDII is modelled) has the added disadvantage that it is not threaded, so it's really hard to keep track of who is saying what to whom: the context of most "threads" of conversation has disappeared off the bottom of the page by the time even quite regular visitors get back.

TSDII fourm will probably not suffer so much from that in the first few days, because everyone will be applauding and giving feedback: that's all one thread. But as soon as other "side discussions" start, it will have the same problem.

Regards,

GaJ

(edited to make it more polite, which is was intended to be from the start! I've copied my comments over to TSDII forum, and am putting any further feedback there, as requested).

[ December 31, 2005, 06:34 PM: Message edited by: GreenAsJade ]

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Originally posted by GreenAsJade:

Gary - this is looking AWESOME!

I'm working my way through trying it out now.

First issue: the "download" page tells me that the purpose of downloading the scenario is to provide feedback to the author.

Actually, that's not the case for TSDII, right? That's the case for TPG. For TSDII the purpose of downloading the scenario is to play it and enjoy it. Even better if the person decides to provide feedback after.

More comments to follow, I'm sure. None meant as criticism in any way, just constructive feedback. Thanks for the fantastic work!

GaJ

Thanks GaJ, holdover from TPG - that has been reworded (temporarily for now, I'll get more creative at a later time).
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Thanks GB. See This Post for the breakdown of the bayesian average. And yes, I need to update the FAQ on the site with an even more detailed explanation, but to summarize, basically if a scenario has less than 30 reviews, then a number of "averaged" reviews are thrown in to make up 30 reviews (actual reviews less 30). The average is a 5.55 rating. As a review is added to a scenario, a bayesian average is thrown out.

This keeps scenarios with only one or two ratings from garnering the high (or low) end of the Top 100 list if it is a high (or low) rating. This also allows it to still potentially be displayed on the list instead of doing a simple "hide all scenarios that don't have "x" number of reviews".

See also a test page that I built that lets you play with adding some ratings to see how they average out: LINK

GaJ asked if perhaps the 30 was too high of a number of averages to throw in. I think at this point only time will tell - but I can change that should we find that it is too high. I'm confident though that scenarios will bypass the 30 review mark as the site becomes used more and more.

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Originally posted by General Bolt:

Do you plan on up loading all the old scenarios that are now zipped at the CMMODS site?

This question needs to be added to the FAQ page as well... :D

Simply FTP'ing the scenarios up to the site wont add them to the database which holds all of the parameters for each scenario. So, no, they will all need to be uploaded properly via the scenario upload feature at the site.

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Maybe we can start an "Help in locating MIA Scenario Designer's" (or something more originally titled) thread here to see if some of those authors can be tracked down. We can then see if they're either interested in joining and uploading their scenarios again or if they'll give permission for someone else to do it <u>in their own name</u>. I'd rather not have to deal with multiple accounts per person as it would throw the cookie and log in scheme on the site way off.

My $.02.

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"Find the MIA" is a nice idea.

Having people upload other people's work in the uploader's name I think opens the door to unhappiness.

I'd rather see the capability to upload on behalf of another author. In fact, you could actually separate out "the person who is logged in" from "the author" (at the moment the assumption is that they are the same person).

Can anyone articulate why it is a bad idea to enable this? I can ony vaguely anticipate some of the arguments, but because I don't think it's the case myself, I can't make a convincing argument!

GaJ

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First of all I say most authors that submitted work to TSD1 would probably be glad to see their files being transfered to TSD2 with proper recognition.

"Find MIA Authors" is a great idea, however comma if in a reasonable time the authors don't show something should be done to preserve those great works. I'd say 30 or 60 even 90 days would be a reasonable time.

I agree creating accounts in the other authors name is not the right thing to do.

But after that 60 days has passed, you could create an account called: "Uploader Subsitute Dude" or some disclaimer named account. All unclaimed scenarios could be loaded under that account. In the Authors Comment box the real authors name would be listed. If and when the author comes around the file could be moved under his name.

Couple of problems:

If someone was searching for more scenarios by the same author - copuld be hard to find.

There are scenarios out there that don't have a breifing so the real author may never be known.

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I really like the "Uploader Substitute Dude" account idea.

Here is something posted over at We Band of Brothers

Interesting intellectual property issue. I'm a scientist, not a lawyer. For what is worth, here is my opinion:

1) As long as the original author is not being deprived of income, then the main issues concern

(1a) giving credit to the authors, which probably easily solved, and (1b) whether they have any moral, if not legal, copyright over the mass distribution of their scenarios, which is probably the key to the debate GaJ mentions.

2) Assuming the the original authors have at least a moral control over mass distribution through Scenario Depot II, then the courteous thing to do is to find the original authors and ask them whether they give their permission to upload the scenarios. I don't think it matters who does the upload so long as the author has given permission.

3) If reasonable efforts to locate an author fail, then it should be OK to upload the scenario.

GaJ
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It is worth noting that all the scenarios we're talking about are ones that *the original author already submitted to TSD for general distribution*.

It's a bit of a long bow to think that they would then complain about them being placed at TSDII. Especially when I'm sure if there was some eccentric person who felt like they didn't want their scenario at TSDII, then GJK could take it off in a flash!

GaJ

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