[Turnsky]

Originally posted by Sandwich


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.

Fair enough... mind you, what about those with major projects,etc that are of some importance to Hard-light itself..

note:Rictor, put a HLP link thingy in the foxfire website, this is where Foxfire was Born after all, and will have it's roots here thusly;)

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Turnsky
Fair enough... mind you, what about those with major projects,etc that are of some importance to Hard-light itself..

Example? Essentially, though, we'll consider them on a case-by-case basis. Those where we decide to add avatars will tend to be the exception.

[Turnsky]

lessee.. how's about the "babylon Project"? and Blackwater ops?...

[mnftg64]

I fully agree with HLPs desicion even thought I would love hosting at HLP but in my opinion if you don't have the motivation to maybe pay a small amount for good hosting then you probly don't have the motivation to build your campaign. Heck go to freewebs and get FULL premium access for $42 per YEAR.

On the other hand forums and those IMO overprotected avatars get the campaigns some publicity and maybe some help. I have been asking for help, mainly texture help, for months but I am ignored. Now I know avatars are pushing it for new campaigns like mine but maybe a forum? The link is nice though.

Now that I have read this I am going to submit my link to my site and I am going to offer my growing MOD skills and maybe texture skills (I am slowly getting it). I believe this is a good choice on HLPs side.

By the way, what is this "no hotmail" stuff?

[Culando]

I have a small suggestion, may not be the best, but it's an idea.

Maybe we could have a system similar to Campaign Watch back on VW. Even though that kinda failed, the premise was still good. You could have a page set up with just completed demos to campaigns in the works. Give some details about the demo and if one exists, a link to it's homepage.

It might give a bit of support and encouragement to campaigns in the works from the community. Also it might give us an influx of new missions to play and that's never a bad thing is it? ^^

[Galemp]

Originally posted by 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.

*smilies to himself quietly*

I wholeheartedly agree with this decision. We have lots of quality projects here that are stumbling because of lack of dedicated staff, and yet more keep appearing siphoning off more staff members. So you end up with maybe 100 good modders in the community each doing 5 projects, with more on the way. Let's get some of these done, so we have some completed campaigns instead of just hosted projects.

And HLP, while it may be the hub of community activity, certainly isn't the only option. The Port started off on Angelfire and I got it 90% completed before applying for hosting. The SWTC was run on Karma's personal webspace before moving here for a forum. I can point out Twisted Infinities on SectorGame or BWO on VolitionWatch, or dozens of others that need nothing more than a Tripod and an EZBoard account to get going.

If you have skills, applying them to something in-progress is much more likely to gain results than starting afresh. (Even Volition's FRED manual says so, and that was before even table mods.) Now that even smaller campaigns with completed mods are taking close to a year to complete due to staff with multiple commitments (I conceived of ST:R in November of 2002) it's even more important that our community works together on existing projects.

[pyro-manic]

Good decision, I think.

[Tian Guan]

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!

Don't get too smug until you've played it.

For all you know it might just be 40 different kinds of boxes all firing variations of the Rockeye across a branching, exciting, enthrawling plot with a captivating, 3-mission story-arc, pitting you against the Intersectons. A new race of aliens who's model geometry is so appauling they're completely invisible and invunerable to attack.

And if it is, I intend to never let you forget this.

*grabs a staple-gun, some post-its and a copy of Grays' Anatomy*

[Woolie Wool]

Once I do the first release of my Starforce mod, I'll probably apply for hosting (unlike T&T, which will have to be well and truly done before being hosted). Starforce is not a campaign, it is a total conversion complete with a minicampaign (~10 missions). Additions made by me or others will be also put up on the site, and occasionally the best will be lumped with the original for new releases. It will never be truly "finished" in the normal sense, because there's always room for it to grow. Add-ons will be checked for consistency with the storyline (a reference bible will be included with release 1) and those that are consistent and are under 10MB get uploaded to the archives. New ships, weapons, etc. will be welcome too.

I mostly agree with the admins' decision. It must not have been easy to make the decision, but they were right--campaigns that are doomed are dead weight.

[Hippo]

Originally posted by Culando

Maybe we could have a system similar to Campaign Watch back on VW. Even though that kinda failed, the premise was still good. You could have a page set up with just completed demos to campaigns in the works. Give some details about the demo and if one exists, a link to it's homepage.

We do, Skippys Campaign Page.

[aldo_14]

I think the new policy is spot on.  there's far too much dilution of a small-ish skillbase already, and we really need to encourage the completion of campaigns.

As for needing to have a demo to qualify as a hostable campaign, it's a very bad idea IMO.  Personally, I could easily release a dmeo for Reciprocity (have had the materials to do so for a while now), but it'd merely be a low quality stop gap which served only to spoil much of the surprise planned.  

I think there's nothing wrong with the way MT has been working, and the way which I've adopted, which is to hold fire until something really substantial is ready.  The staff can be trusted to keep the info on campaigns secret, and thus to evaluate the state of applicants.

Finally, campaigns definately don't HLP to survive - the primary reason i wanted hosted here was for the prestige of it, simple as that.  In retrospect, it may have been better to have 'hidden' Reci from view until it was much closer to completion - at leats way poepl might not be so aware how long it's taken

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by aldo_14
I think there's nothing wrong with the way MT has been working, and the way which I've adopted, which is to hold fire until something really substantial is ready.  The staff can be trusted to keep the info on campaigns secret, and thus to evaluate the state of applicants.

It's great because you forget about it for a while, and then you're blown away by the release.

It also shields you from criticism on lateness. Fortunes of War has taken at least a year point five longer than I had initially planned.

[aldo_14]

Worked for Half Life 2, after all...... until it was delayed

Actually that's not a bad example.  Also Doom3 (albeit less so).  Another example of it not working so well could be duke Nukem, depending on how that turns out if it's ever completed.

[diamondgeezer]

Originally posted by aldo_14
at leats way poepl might not be so aware how long it's taken

Dude, it's taken so long that I can't even remember...

[aldo_14]

Come to think of it, neither can I......

[Hunter]

Freespace 2 Sector will soon have at least five more slots open for Hosted websites (including sufficient bandwidth - something we keep running out of lately). None of this can be processed though until we complete the switch over to our new server. So if your in need of a home, just pass along a message for us and we'll put it on the pile when the needed resources are online. [email protected]

[Stealth]

just thought i'd throw into the open that anyone who would like to get hosted and is now obviously not allowed to, you still know where to go to to get hosting for files, website, etc.

[Sandwich]

I feel like posting in reply to Hunt Smacker and Stealth that they should stop encouraging people to make new campaigns, but that's not the point. The point, which, if people keep this in mind, I will be very pleased about, is that before deciding to go off on your own with a new campaign, you offer your services and talents to an already-established project of your choice.

[Stealth]

I feel like posting in reply to Hunt Smacker and Stealth that they should stop encouraging people to make new campaigns, but that's not the point.

Sandwich,

You have got no authority to tell myself or Hunt Smacker to stop encouraging people to make new campaigns.  

I'm sure you'll agree that simply because HLP has stopped accepting applications for campaign hosting does not mean that Freespace campaigns should stop completely.  No one has the authority to tell people to stop making campaigns completely... not you, not Styxx, not Shrike, not anyone.  Since campaign hosting has stopped at HLP does not mean it should stop elsewhere, which is why i'm (as well as Hunt Smacker) letting members of the community know that if they want to (now or in the future) create a campaign, they should not terminate the idea just because HLP doesn't host it anymore... we're letting the community know that there's other methods of getting campaigns/websites/files hosted, other than just on HLP.

[IceFire]

Y'know...campaigns never really had webpages till I started doing that whole thing with Warzone keeping people aprised to what was going on.

Its a good move Setekh...I understand what demands are placed on you guys and I understand what you guys needed to do.

Campaigns do not need forums, or webpages, or anything really to be launched.  There are hundreds of campaigns on the old VW Archives that came and went without webpages and plenty of people downloaded them, we know that.  WildWolf and I did Aftermath through e-mail largely without a webpage dedicated to it at all.  You don't need it...its a luxury item.  The BWO page has been a bit of a bane of my existance...they want updates