[Tian Guan]

Yes. Do you really expect people to use fileplanet? It has to be the single worst download mechanism ever devised.

Personally, I'd rather have the binary code mailed to me on tiny pieces of paper in 10-digit chunks over the course of several weeks than use fileplanet.

And, while I'm picking fault with everything else: You don't allow Hotmail e-mail addresses and you moderate new users? How do you expect to build up a base of new campaign-people if you're turning new members away arbitrarily?

[kasperl]

AFAIK, the moderating stuff only began after an0n got banned and didn't want to stay out.

[Tian Guan]

So IP ban him/her/it/them.

User-Moderation is like people-repellant.

But what's the point in letting people sign up with hotmail accounts if they're not allowed them? I'm like 90% certain that vBulletin can force you to choose a different address if the admins set it to reject Hotmail ones.

[Styxx]

We're no longer moderating new registrations. And you really could have done a better job with your hotmail account.

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by kasperl
AFAIK, the moderating stuff only began after an0n got banned and didn't want to stay out.

Yep.

[TopAce]

I absolutely disagree.If a campaign dies, you can erase it. Same as in the case of OVER THE TOP. It is only up to the project leaders to report: 'This project is dead'. Or you can erase forums by the method and reason you close a thread. If you see no progress at the forums(both at the internal and the public), you can erase it. The porject leader would onlysay: 'One less thing to suffer with, we really didn't show much progress'.

I just sent my request to the request thread about hosting for RR. But I can guarantee you that this project WON'T DIE! It is only unvoice acted, and two missions left to FRED(I can make them easily). If I see that voice actors are not working, I release the unvoice acted version. This is the Status of Renegade Ressurgence. I know that this is not a reason why to make exception with RR, I only enlightened you.

[Black Wolf]

I'm going to jump in with some support for this. There are plenty of camps out there now that don't have the manpower they need, and starting more spreads people out too much. In some situations, that can be good - It can force people to learn new skills in certain situations. Buut this will only happen if that person has enough conviction and determination to see his (or her) campaign finished that they are willing to put in the time to learn these skills and make the overall package better, and these campaigns are the ones that are going to succeed, HLP hosting notwithstanding. Many others, by contrast, have a very good chance of not being finished, again, HLP hosting notwithstanding. Circumstances change, and the very best intentions can end up becoming the very deadest campaigns. Case in point - I'm very stronly considering cancelling NTV - with Alikchi gone, Nobody seem s to have the motivation to work on it (and yes, this is despite the fact that we have a demo out, sadly).

To the naysayers, I've also got a few things to say. First off, chances are many of you are, or are going to be, pissed off about this because you have hosting applications pending approval. As has been said, There are alternatives to HLP hosting available. More to my point however, are Setekhs comments about how in the days of yore, campaigns were hosted when they were completed, as a download location. Its my personal belief that we, as a community, seem to be attatching far more importance to hosting than to whichever campiagn we may be working on or want to work on. Major projects need discussion boards, for the staff to talk and hammer things out, especially if that staff is composed of people form all over the world in different timezones. But that doesn't neccesarily mean your campaign needs HLP hosting, or any hosting for that matter. EZboard can provide free, private forums within minutes for staff to discuss, Geocities, and more recently Swooh can provide neccesary webspace for file transfersetc. etc. However, even that may be overkill. What you really need to consider is whether your campaign even needs to be a major project.

Most campaigns begin with an idea or concept, many of which are probably excellent. Its the leap from idea to campaign plan that, I think, destroys many great campaign ideas. People try to do too much before they have the skills or experience to accomplish it. Do you really need to set your campaign fifty years after Capella and require an entirely new fleet, or would it work as well five years later? Do you really need 20 or 30 missions to express your idea, or will many of these be placeholders between important events? Do you need a brand new fighter, or could you download one from somewhere to fill the nieche? Before you complain about the need for hosting, boil your idea down to the bones and really look to see if you need what you think you do. A five mission campaign is far easier to complete than a thirty and I know I'd prefer a complete five misison minicampaign than a tirty mission pipedream.

Hmm. Maybe I should write an article or something. Then I wouldn;t have suchg long posts

[/$0.02]

[Turnsky]

Okay, just out of curiousity, if a campaign has it's own site/webspace/forum, Etc.. would HLP support that on it's front page?.. (as in a link/Forum avatar)?

[kasperl]

Originally posted by kasperl
an0n says: NW will host anyone with a good idea. You get FTP, MySQL databases, PHP functionality, me smiting you for no reason, a forum and probably e-mail addresses and other junk. CLICK HERE


i am just relaying the message, i make no promises.

it seems that this was missed completely. this option is open for anyone who thinks his campaign has to have hosting, but can't get a forum and stuff going somewhere else.

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by TopAce
I absolutely disagree.If a campaign dies, you can erase it. Same as in the case of OVER THE TOP. It is only up to the project leaders to report: 'This project is dead'. Or you can erase forums by the method and reason you close a thread. If you see no progress at the forums(both at the internal and the public), you can erase it. The porject leader would onlysay: 'One less thing to suffer with, we really didn't show much progress'.

But the main point is to prevent campaigns from dying, not just clean up after them when they die. You have no idea (or maybe you do, I don't know - whatever) how hard and long people, including me, tried to convince Venom not to cancel OTT. When the final descision came through to cancel, it was a very big blow to the community... O.T.T.... canceled. Wow. Now thankfully Venom has donated his models to the FSUP (or whatever those initials are), but still.

Originally posted by TopAce
I just sent my request to the request thread about hosting for RR. But I can guarantee you that this project WON'T DIE! It is only unvoice acted, and two missions left to FRED(I can make them easily). If I see that voice actors are not working, I release the unvoice acted version. This is the Status of Renegade Ressurgence. I know that this is not a reason why to make exception with RR, I only enlightened you.

You what??!? You have a nearly completed campaign, and you did it all without HLP hosting?!?! How'd you do that???



See my point? Lack of HLP hosting didn't stop you at all. Great job!

Originally posted by Turnsky
Okay, just out of curiousity, if a campaign has it's own site/webspace/forum, Etc.. would HLP support that on it's front page?.. (as in a link/Forum avatar)?

We haven't quite decided how that support will be shown, but yes, we will do something to let people know of said project. Avatars, on the other hand... I don't know. Doubtful.

[TopAce]

edited. I have said nothing

[TopAce]

Originally posted by Sandwich


You what??!? You have a nearly completed campaign, and you did it all without HLP hosting?!?! How'd you do that???



See my point? Lack of HLP hosting didn't stop you at all. Great job!

I spent my summer FREDing the missions, used Yahoo! to ask some art stuff from FreeTerran, and communication with our (very few) voice actors. This is all what were required. . The files are at my hungarian server of www.nexus.hu or SWOOH. And of course on my Winchester .

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Tian Guan
I find it odd that you're casting fledgling campaigns out into the cold, harsh wilderness and basically dooming them before they get off the ground purely under the misguided assumption that people from the condemned campaigns will flock towards the ruins of those already hosted by HLP.

What nonsense. Speaking as someone who runs both hosted and non-hosted projects I know that HLP hosting isn't something you need.
 It's nice to have have it sure but MG lasted for 6 months before we got hosted. We didn't get anything from hosting except publicity. That's nice to have sure but it isn't vital to the progress of a new campaign. The only way it will help you is by attracting people away from campaigns they are already working on, which is exactly what HLP don't want people doing.

Originally posted by TopAce
I spent my summer FREDing the missions, used Yahoo! to ask some art stuff from FreeTerran, and communication with our (very few) voice actors. This is all what were required. . The files are at my hungarian server of www.nexus.hu or SWOOH. And of course on my Winchester .

Sort of disproved your own point that you need hosting to get a campaign up and working haven't you? If you're saying you want HLP hosting for when your campaign is finished well that's another matter. I agree fully that HLP should host finished campaigns.

[Styxx]

If you have a finished campaign, by all means, contact us for hosting. We can even work something out if you want to release it for the first time on HLP - make it an event, through the new website and forum features. We just can't afford to host more practically idle projects - both due to community strain and due to our space issues with Gamespy.

[Setekh]

Damn straight. I long for the days back when someone might make a single announcement, then six months later turn up with a finished campaign. Now that was something that really bound the community together. Anyway, now that we seem to have gotten past this point, I'll address another...

Originally posted by Tian Guan
Yes. Do you really expect people to use fileplanet? It has to be the single worst download mechanism ever devised.

FilePlanet offers free, unlimited space. Beggars can't be choosers - and if you're not willing to pay for a new server and a buttload of bandwidth, you fall into the former category. Learn some patience and FilePlanet will serve you well.

[TopAce]

RR is still not ready. But I can make it that over a weekend or two(If I have mood to open FRED).

[Styxx]

Cool, so when it's done, if you want to launch it through HLP, contact us. And about Fileplanet, I never had any problem with it - much to the contrary, it worked very well every time I used it.

[TopAce]

I don't want voice actors to offend at me for launching RR unvoice acted. I only need ICQ to communicate with them. Once done(With this speed, expect it to be ready around 2042 ), I may want to launch it from HLP.

[Nico]

Originally posted by TopAce


I spent my summer FREDing the missions, used Yahoo! to ask some art stuff from FreeTerran, and communication with our (very few) voice actors. This is all what were required. . The files are at my hungarian server of www.nexus.hu or SWOOH. And of course on my Winchester .

that's exactly Sandwich's point you don't NEED to be hosted at HLP to do a campaign.
The decision there is to get more people to help already complete existing campaigns so they are finished faster. If the current projects are completed thanks to more modders who have free time, well, you'll get "free slots" for a new campaign, and will then be able to apply for your own. You might not like that "first come, first served" thing, but it makes things more manageable. Well that's how I see it.
I completly support that idea, personally.

[TopAce]

According to my experience, free time is a thing modders don't have.