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Unread 28 Oct 2003, 14:42   #1
Churchil5
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Allies And Communications Suggestion

In space, no-one can hear you scream. The same is true for Planetarion - the real problem with the overall lack of appeal to the game (to the wider, not so hard-core audience) lies in the fact that at times you really can feel alone in the game. Its not friendly enough.

My suggestion is a simple addition to the game - another page devoted to Allies. Not like the Alliance page (which very few people use), but a page not too dissimilar from the Galaxy page.

Think of it as a shortlist - of all the people in the game you know and trust, or others in your alliance that you can always go to for help. Simple in concept - send a Ally Request to another player, and if they accept, they get added to this list, with their online/offline status to let you know if they're available or not. This allows less experienced players to enjoy the game a lot more with the knowledge that they're not going to have to search IRC for hours to find anyone who they know.

It will also let a huge number of players who dont use IRC for whatever reason (not online very often/unable to access IRC due to location/dislike it) to feel more involved in the game. It will save them from "Ooooh - you dont use IRC: you're not very good" and "You aren't active enough on IRC - you cant be in my alliance" and all the other childish goings on in PA.

Its hardly a revolutionary idea - but it does in my opinion allow a large number of players to feel more involved, which will open up the game to more enthusiasm et al.

Comments?

No seriously - even if its just a yes or a no - can I get a comment please? (not on that last question but my suggestion above it).

Last edited by Churchil5; 28 Oct 2003 at 14:58.
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Unread 28 Oct 2003, 16:13   #2
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Churchil5
In space, no-one can hear you scream. The same is true for Planetarion - the real problem with the overall lack of appeal to the game (to the wider, not so hard-core audience) lies in the fact that at times you really can feel alone in the game. Its not friendly enough.

My suggestion is a simple addition to the game - another page devoted to Allies. Not like the Alliance page (which very few people use), but a page not too dissimilar from the Galaxy page.

Think of it as a shortlist - of all the people in the game you know and trust, or others in your alliance that you can always go to for help. Simple in concept - send a Ally Request to another player, and if they accept, they get added to this list, with their online/offline status to let you know if they're available or not. This allows less experienced players to enjoy the game a lot more with the knowledge that they're not going to have to search IRC for hours to find anyone who they know.

It will also let a huge number of players who dont use IRC for whatever reason (not online very often/unable to access IRC due to location/dislike it) to feel more involved in the game. It will save them from "Ooooh - you dont use IRC: you're not very good" and "You aren't active enough on IRC - you cant be in my alliance" and all the other childish goings on in PA.

Its hardly a revolutionary idea - but it does in my opinion allow a large number of players to feel more involved, which will open up the game to more enthusiasm et al.

Comments?

No seriously - even if its just a yes or a no - can I get a comment please? (not on that last question but my suggestion above it).

So all your asking for is the ability to check when a persons online, no other benifits for it. If so i see no reason why MrBrick couldnt get something this simple added ALTHOUGH how useful it would actually be is debatable. Dont know how much notice youve taken of the online status on the galaxy page but with the two hour inactivity timeout of your session your often message a gal mate who it says is online and you wont get a repsonce til lits too late because they had left 1hour 59mins before you sent the message

Also it would have to be two way (so accepting it would automatically give the same access to the other person) and either side would be able to cancel it at any point in the round.
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Unread 29 Oct 2003, 05:46   #3
Sonny
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

I think what he was asking, was like a buddy list.
Sort of like a mini alliance, but you don't get the current alliance benefits.
It is another communication tool; not so much like a forum, but the ability to send messages, I suppose it would be similar to the once suggested Address Book idea.

Cordially,
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Unread 29 Oct 2003, 11:14   #4
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

Kinda like the old Tag-function - but for friends etc, not alliances - with a few more things added? Doesn't sound too bad.
But IRC is a great part of the game, and you can't really expect to do too well in PA if you're not IRC active...
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Unread 29 Oct 2003, 21:04   #5
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

Actually this is one of the better ideas to encourage newbies.

A buddy list, much the same as ICQ uses could greatly enhance the play for new or less active players.

Im sure active players wont use it, but its not them we are trying to encourage is it.

It wouldnt need to many features, its just a way for new players to integrate.

I personally would add new players to my buddy list, in an effort to keep them playing, and im sure im not alone in this.
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Unread 18 Nov 2003, 14:56   #6
Churchil5
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

Well - who thinks that this is a good idea then? Come on - lets have a vote. Everyone who reads this put merely a yay or nae. (yes/no)
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Unread 18 Nov 2003, 17:08   #7
Killerbij
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

yay ; small amount of (coding) work which doesnt leave room for abuse and may indeed bring positive things to the game as long as it doesnt influence game mechanics/gameplay.
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Unread 18 Nov 2003, 18:33   #8
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

This is a very good idea, and has been used as the sole system for alliances and clans and whatnot in games that do not rely so heavily on IRC for their activity.

This should be implemented imo because while IRC has no become such an integral part of Planetarion for everyone who knows it, it is not necessarily considered a vital part to the new players, and giving them something like this would help them get along...also there needs to be universal forums in the game and not just on this forum. Make these forums function much the same way, but open in the middle with all the menu's for the game still there, I have always found it annoying to have to go to a separate page to talk on the universal forums.
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Unread 18 Nov 2003, 19:02   #9
mist
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

sounds like an idea.

could allow messages to be sent to all buddies etc as well, that'd be handy

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Unread 18 Nov 2003, 21:16   #10
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

I really like the suggestion of it being like the galaxy screen but if it is to much coding (I admit I know nothign about coding) then a simpler (but less satisfying) solution would be to add the little online * next to alliance members in other galaxies like they already do for your own galaxy.
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Unread 19 Nov 2003, 16:03   #11
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowch
I really like the suggestion of it being like the galaxy screen but if it is to much coding (I admit I know nothign about coding) then a simpler (but less satisfying) solution would be to add the little online * next to alliance members in other galaxies like they already do for your own galaxy.
doing this for alliance members would annoy alliance leaders no end, as it'd make spys much more effective. for the buddy list thing, not a bad idea, but i think something like hte gal screen would be more "friendly"

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Unread 19 Nov 2003, 18:08   #12
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Re: Allies And Communications Suggestion

I like the idea, and have added it to my list of Rnd 11 suggestions as its very simple to implement. 2 things i will say thou, one, it won't show alliances as the HCs will kcik up a right fuss :P and 2 - it would be like MSN / ICQ / Yahoo - a list, but requiring authorisation from the other party first before the status is shown.
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