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1 May 2009, 16:35
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 87
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Update on the 1st of May
Hello PA Players,
I thought I would post an update about my general thoughts and what I've been doing, I'll try and make these fairly regular as many people have suggested this. The Dear ZPeti thread also gave me stuff to think about so I think I should share my views about it.
My approach right now to Planetarion is to set a general direction for the website, but not really make choices about the mechanics of the game. I am not spending that much time on PA, this is true, but I do read the forums every day and communicate with Appoco.
My long term goal for Planetarion is to create a brand new space based game, however this would take a lot of money+time, designing, building etc, not to mention PA is fairly successful anyway, so this is far far away. This is a very distant goal, we are talking years. So many more rounds until then.
I also think most current players would quit if this happened, and I don't want that at all.
Right now, I do believe that PA Team are doing a good job, and I don't want to really tell them what to do, as I would just be making mistakes. What I can do is look at the game from an outsider's perspective and suggest a few changes, like the new design, and a better IRC chat system etc.
I can clearly see that the current situation is not sustainable in the long run (doing constant patching, small updates, losing players every round), but for now it works for a lot of people.
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Now, I read the forums every day, but yes I do not post and I am not on IRC regularly. As someone said in the Dear Zpeti post, I am taking more of a manage role here.
I run another game, and I have recently also acquired a game toplist, which will be fantastic for marketing Planetarion next round (30.000 uniques per day). So in this way what I am doing right now will help PA.
I have been working on that for the past 1-2 weeks.
So my day is quite full, and to be honest I don't want to take an extremely hands on approach. As I said, I would only make mistakes, and it would only cause conflict with PATeam who are much better qualified for doing the mechanics changes.
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I understand some people want me to be really involved, while some people will like my approach.
All I can say is my approach will be the way it is now, and I think this round is looking fairly successful, and hosting is working, design is much better. I can't please everyone though.
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1 May 2009, 16:38
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#2
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The Video Guy
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,279
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Facebook?
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Writing lists and taking names.
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1 May 2009, 16:51
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#3
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Toyboy
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: At Home
Posts: 190
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
iPhone (preferably an app)/mobile interface?
On that point actually, don't think full interface should be replicated, just bits of it. The web interface as it is is waaaaay too crowded.
Mobile should just fulfill basic functions and rethink management of fleets. Old PA had a WAP interface that was poor but manageable for tasks and tech at the time. I've had a bit of a think about it and have something in mind. Might elaborate a bit more after the weekend.
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1 May 2009, 16:55
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#4
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Ent|lunch
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 539
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Maybe you should have a look at reimplementing this thread Pete
http://pirate.planetarion.com/showthread.php?t=185751
As a lot of the forums seems to be full of peoples ideas, fan art, forum and portal designs, logo designs etc and needs to be managed a little bit more. This thread was put together to manage suggestions from the community but has fallen into disrepair. Maybe you could tidy it up and have someone manage it a bit better.
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[F-Crew] - You know when you've been [FC]uked
"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."
"Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile"
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1 May 2009, 17:02
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#5
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The Video Guy
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,279
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jorinn
iPhone (preferably an app)/mobile interface?
On that point actually, don't think full interface should be replicated, just bits of it. The web interface as it is is waaaaay too crowded.
Mobile should just fulfill basic functions and rethink management of fleets. Old PA had a WAP interface that was poor but manageable for tasks and tech at the time. I've had a bit of a think about it and have something in mind. Might elaborate a bit more after the weekend.
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Read this and this.
an iPhone app was a suggestion brought up by the community, and largely opposed by the community for implementation costs.
facebook was something zPeti mentioned in his forum debut and has since gone quiet about (asides from 'it might happen in some undetermined timescale').
Can we keep the guy focused on his original promises without weighing him down with bad community ideas please?
__________________
Writing lists and taking names.
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1 May 2009, 17:12
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 43
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
Facebook?
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1 May 2009, 17:39
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#7
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Toyboy
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: At Home
Posts: 190
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
Read this and this.
an iPhone app was a suggestion brought up by the community, and largely opposed by the community for implementation costs.
facebook was something zPeti mentioned in his forum debut and has since gone quiet about (asides from 'it might happen in some undetermined timescale').
Can we keep the guy focused on his original promises without weighing him down with bad community ideas please?
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Fine then on the app part. Do you have a particular objection to mobile interface as a whole? And yes I'm aware he's mentioned it in creators hour etc.
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1 May 2009, 22:37
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#8
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Up The Hatters!
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Kenilworth Road
Posts: 3,012
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Thanks for the updates zPeti, I admit that I had hoped you would play a more active role, because the way I see it, the PA team needs a few fresh pair of eyes to look at things (Not that the ones that are there are not good enough, just not able to be creative enough), and that is what to be expected after several years of being run on the same tracks. However, I am glad you see the need for regular updates from the owners to say more about what you are working on, whats going on, and what plans are ahead. If you could make it a bi weekly or monthly update, im sure many will look at it with great interest.
There are three types of PA players in my book.
The ones that have played it for lots of round, and now are more playing it out of habit than pleasure.
The ones that plays it because they love the game, and want to be as much involved at possible.
And then there are the casual players that come now and then, play a few rounds, then disappear.
That last group there is the one group you really need to get expanded and increased.
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Planetarion veteran
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1 May 2009, 22:44
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#9
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:alpha:
Join Date: May 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 7,871
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
hi zpeti
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2 May 2009, 01:09
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Iphone app ? Would be awesome but may not worth. But what you can do easily is a skin friendly to mobile browsers.
In rest please forget about ground breaking changed and features.
All PA needs for userbase to sky rocket is improved interface (current skin is on the right track but needs serios work put into) + advertise.
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2 May 2009, 03:21
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#11
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The BOFH
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 463
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kargool
Thanks for the updates zPeti, I admit that I had hoped you would play a more active role, because the way I see it, the PA team needs a few fresh pair of eyes to look at things (Not that the ones that are there are not good enough, just not able to be creative enough), and that is what to be expected after several years of being run on the same tracks.
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This is one thing which bothers me a bit.
I'm just slightly concerned that Pete is standing in the background making fairly broad decisions whilst the same people are still working on the game doing similar things. Sort of reminds me of Jolt/OMAC pushing what they want regarding the game, whilst leaving the actual game itself to PA Team.
Are we actually going to see any significant gameplay changes which will make the game a better place? I don't want to see constant tweaking of the game with formulas being fiddled around with just for the hell of it, I want to see new features which work well and aren't rushed together with the least amount of effort possible.
I'll wait and see what happens with round 32.
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2 May 2009, 03:30
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#12
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You've Seen The Light
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,152
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
zPeti: Signup a planet and try to play it, you dont need to play it active.. Just see what its like for a new player, so you can see what the features and problems are. Its something the PA Team nor anyone on these forums can do, say for definate what its like for a new player and how things look.
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2 May 2009, 06:31
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#13
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Fightin-irish for life
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: guinness brewery
Posts: 2,177
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by FaithRaven
Iphone app ? Would be awesome but may not worth. But what you can do easily is a skin friendly to mobile browsers.
In rest please forget about ground breaking changed and features.
All PA needs for userbase to sky rocket is improved interface (current skin is on the right track but needs serios work put into) + advertise.
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text only skin and opera mini work fine for me , the only thing i cant access on m phone is the universe trade link on the mining page
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2 May 2009, 10:38
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#14
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PA Team
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,874
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by gzambo
text only skin and opera mini work fine for me , the only thing i cant access on m phone is the universe trade link on the mining page
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is that because the link doesn't work or something else?
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Requested: 1,000 kilometres of fulcrum cable, 1 Mark 5 ECM unit, one low yield nuclear weapon.
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2 May 2009, 17:47
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#15
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Leader of the Membrivians
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 412
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Light
zPeti: Signup a planet and try to play it, you dont need to play it active.. Just see what its like for a new player, so you can see what the features and problems are. Its something the PA Team nor anyone on these forums can do, say for definate what its like for a new player and how things look.
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I believe Kal has made two of such threads with some valuable observations, isn't it?
--> check these!
http://pirate.planetarion.com/showthread.php?t=197716
http://pirate.planetarion.com/showthread.php?t=197750
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3 May 2009, 18:02
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#16
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If not never; then once.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 190
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by gzambo
text only skin and opera mini work fine for me , the only thing i cant access on m phone is the universe trade link on the mining page
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Text only skin (and default skin) wont load on my phones at all. All the text just piles together and u cant do anything. The only working skins for my phones are the Terran/Cath/Xan ones, which have those huge graphics, and slow things down. But at least it works.
However I can't Read any messages, there is no link to click to open the message.
A working graphic light skin for phones would be awesome.
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You must know that an interesting fate awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.
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3 May 2009, 19:09
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#17
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mz.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,587
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
If Opera Mini works on your phone, then PA works on your phone.
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The outraged poets threw sticks and rocks over the side of the bridge. They were all missing Mary and he felt a contented smug feeling wash over him. He would have given them a coy little wave if the roof hadn't collapsed just then. Mary then found himself in the middle of an understandably shocked family's kitchen table. So he gave them the coy little wave and realized it probably would have been more effective if he hadn't been lying on their turkey.
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4 May 2009, 16:47
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#18
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If not never; then once.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 190
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
It doesn't. Sadly American phones pretty much stink, Verizon (80m users) doesnt allow installation of other software on their devices (except smart phones). That's why the actual skin matters.
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You must know that an interesting fate awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.
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4 May 2009, 17:59
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#19
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mz.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 8,587
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
So Opera Mini doesn't work on your phone?
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The outraged poets threw sticks and rocks over the side of the bridge. They were all missing Mary and he felt a contented smug feeling wash over him. He would have given them a coy little wave if the roof hadn't collapsed just then. Mary then found himself in the middle of an understandably shocked family's kitchen table. So he gave them the coy little wave and realized it probably would have been more effective if he hadn't been lying on their turkey.
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4 May 2009, 18:17
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#20
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Fightin-irish for life
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: guinness brewery
Posts: 2,177
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cincinnatus
is that because the link doesn't work or something else?
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Something else , there is on link to click on
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5 May 2009, 00:34
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#21
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Sain†s
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 331
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Re: Update on the 1st of May
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reese
It doesn't. Sadly American phones pretty much stink, Verizon (80m users) doesnt allow installation of other software on their devices (except smart phones). That's why the actual skin matters.
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Not even inoffensive Java apps?
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☠ | ROCK | BowS | Sain†s
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