[Fractux]

Originally posted by Sandwich


Feel free to make use of the Freespace Documentation Wiki if you'd like - I think people are more used to it than they would be to a Yahoo group (I tried setting one of those up years ago, and it sucked). Make a new category, subcategory, whetever you need. It's primary purpose there is for collaborative documentation, after all.

Cool, I was actually thinking about asking about that. Thanks Sandwich.

Cheers!

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Fractux
This release really only hinges on two major factors:

1- when the documentation is ready
2- when we have an FS2_Open/Fred2_Open release that the SCP says they are willing to have included in this.

3.6 is coming along. Documentation looks like it'll need some work.

Kazan, that's appreciated. Righto, I think this is getting quite serious now. I'd like to go ahead with us - inform Dakota that FS Open Full Install will be hosted at FilePlanet, pending only the release of a rock-solid build and the finalisation of documentation. That sound okay?

[Sandwich]

Assuming that the FSO version numbers work the same way as other software products, can I strongly suggest that since 3.5 -> 3.6 includes the huge monster of HT&L, we give FP 3.6.1? Test the final build of 3.6 here, and deal with any and all bugs that are reported within a week or so.

[Setekh]

Yeah, that sounds good. It would be ridiculous to have to upload 3.6 to FP, have its subscribers tell us it was buggy as heck, and then upload 3.6.1 again - keeping in mind it'll all be in the 800mb package.

[Sandwich]

Unless we provide it a 2 seperate downloads - one would be the big media files, and the other would be the minimum required exe updates and stuff.

[Setekh]

That could also be do-able... but I think it would be better just to wait and provide it as one. Just easier.

[J3Vr6]

Why don't you call it 3.5.9 and when it's ready to be released to Fileplanet, after everyone has squashed the bugs in it, call it 3.6?  It looks a lot cleaner to release with just 3.6 than having 3.6.1, in my opinion.

[kasperl]

i agree with J3Vr6, but i wouldn't call it 3.5.9, but i'd just go from 3.5.6 to 3.5.7, because i'd expect more then one version change between what you think is bug free, and what is bug free.

[J3Vr6]

Yeah, he's right.  Keep the double digit releases as the big ones, like 3.6 is going to be the big momma with HTL and stuff.  So continue w/ 3.5.7 and if you happen to get all the bugs out by that one, you can just jump up to 3.6

[karajorma]

I'd advise keeping the FSO download in a seperate (but linked) install so that it can be updated whenever a new stable build comes along.

[Kazan]

I think we can do 3.6 as a subscriber Beta, then 3.6.1 as a wide-release

[Sandwich]

x.x.1 revisions are virtually always bug-fixes, and are therefore virtually always more reliable. There should not be any sort of tom-foolery messing around with version numbers - big changes are 0.1 increments, bug fixes are 0.0.1 increments.

[phreak]

just give subscribers (and the community of course) 3.5.x and then give 3.6 to everyone

[Bobboau]

we may need a newbie forum

and I think we should have a full install relese, as FS2 to FSO patch relese, and just the executable, all future releses will consist of a full instal, just the executable, and a patch from the previus version (new media and the exe)

and the pre-relese beta build why don't we just call it 3.6b

[Setekh]

Sandwich is right on this one. 3.6 has to be the big one - think of the huge updates going into it. 3.6.1 can be packaged into the full install and uploaded to FP.

[Galemp]

We DON'T need a Newbie forum. Just keep the FAQ page on the main site maintained, and have an Announcement linking to it with the title 'Attention! All new users!' Judicious deletion of n00b threads with gentle shoves toward the FAQ pages should alleviate things. Additionally, send a new member the link to the FAQ in his/her Confirm Registration email.

[Setekh]

I don't know about deletion of n00b threads - I have a gut feeling that it would just lead to more threads of the same nature in addition to "where did my thread go?" threads. If they deserve the treatment, I think a swift answer (eg. "check out the faq") and having a thread locked would be sufficient. Apart from that, the rest of your pointers are pretty sound.

[Black Wolf]

Only lock them if people spam them. Not much more of a turn off a communbity than having your first ever thread locked, no= matter how inane the question...

[Setekh]

I'm of the same opinion. That happened to me when I registered at a StarCraft community site once. "That's a n00b question", and locked without another thought. That's not HLP.

[Lt.Cannonfodder]

Originally posted by Galemp
We DON'T need a Newbie forum. Just keep the FAQ page on the main site maintained, and have an Announcement linking to it with the title 'Attention! All new users!' Judicious deletion of n00b threads with gentle shoves toward the FAQ pages should alleviate things. Additionally, send a new member the link to the FAQ in his/her Confirm Registration email.

Agreed. Even the dumbest newbies should see the thread subject is written with big friendly letters

Getting more people can't be bad thing, some of them might be willing to start modding and help the community even more. We just have to make sure everyone who downloads FS2 gets a link to HLP.