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Replies of scornful vitriol are generally reserved for posters who first sling such stuff in thier original posts. Often with the assertion that any disagreement with the ideas are somehow a disagreement with them personally and that pointing out flaws (even in a polite way) in thier ill-concieved or poorly-written constructs are attacks upon them as human beings. |
Originally Posted by Gysin
*familiar with the less-than-tactful nature of this forum, he closes his eyes, awaiting the first scorching burst of scornful vitriol*
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This forum is like that cave on Dagoba that Yoda sent Luke into. "What flames and trolling are in there, Master?"
"Only what you bring with you, Young Apprentice."
Anyway, the part of your idea that strikes me the most is the information boards. I've longed for a good way to inform my VG members in a way that is less text-length-challenged than the MOTD, without having to set up a website.
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How would you prevent abuses? (Porn, copyright infringements, pictures in bad taste, trademark violations and so on.)
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Originally Posted by Gysin
I would love to be able to create original whiteboards for my base. A blank space that can be filled with an uploadable or linkable image for any of a number of uses:
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Sweet! Now I can have that 800x600 ****** pic on the wall! 
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As to porn and bad taste - these images would be inside a base, not open to viewing by the public. If you are offended by the images that the Leader decides to use to decorate his base - quit the group. You could also consider talking to him about it like an adult. Just an idea.|
Originally Posted by Leif_Roar
How would you prevent abuses? (Porn, copyright infringements, pictures in bad taste, trademark violations and so on.)
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For copyright and trademark violations - same rules as for character concepts: if they catch you, the whiteboard gets deleted (without any refund on the initial purchase price as a punishment?). I would assume there would be some form of general "rules acceptance" screen the Builder would have to click on, just like when you start up and log on the game itself. This would protect the company from any liability.
Anyway, we are again talking about a space that is only available to people in the same SG. Presuming they have somewhat similar tastes/outlooks: why would they be offended or rat you out?
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I would assume that the great big {I Agree} button would already cover this, and doubt that in-base actions would be governed any differently than actions in the rest of the game world.|
Originally Posted by Gysin
I would assume there would be some form of general "rules acceptance" screen the Builder would have to click on, just like when you start up and log on the game itself. This would protect the company from any liability.
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Not sure how feasible it would be though to add art or outside links to the base editor. It seems a bit fragile and tempermental at times already.
I'm counting on issue 17 to be a new base editor with additional tools such as:
a vertical slider for floor and ceiling items so we don't have to stack and a horizontal slider so we don't have to stack wall items.
All of the ingame items currently used in the maps.
More templates besides arcane and tech.
Non combat npcs to use in your base such as a doctor for your medical bay.
transporter beacons for all other zones that currently don't have beacons such as parts of the shadow shard.
Friends don't let friends buy an ncsoft controlled project.
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That's not how it works, junior. This game is rated T for Teen. You upgrade this game to allow user-created images throughout bases? It immediately gets hyped up to M, or RP.|
Originally Posted by Gysin
As to porn and bad taste - these images would be inside a base, not open to viewing by the public. If you are offended by the images that the Leader decides to use to decorate his base - quit the group. You could also consider talking to him about it like an adult. Just an idea.
For copyright and trademark violations - same rules as for character concepts: if they catch you, the whiteboard gets deleted (without any refund on the initial purchase price as a punishment?). I would assume there would be some form of general "rules acceptance" screen the Builder would have to click on, just like when you start up and log on the game itself. This would protect the company from any liability. Anyway, we are again talking about a space that is only available to people in the same SG. Presuming they have somewhat similar tastes/outlooks: why would they be offended or rat you out? |
Surprise surprise, children and young teens DO play this game, and it is illegal to subject them to such things. NCSoft would have a clusterf*ck day if they had to deal with all of the complaints, suits, etc.
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Aaaaaaaaannd, there it is. BBQ Pork: this is the vitriol I was talking about.|
Originally Posted by Sigium
That's not how it works, junior.
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Sigium: If you don't like the idea, fine. Leave the smart-*** commentary at the door. BTW, while I may only have a few posts to this forum - mostly due to attitudes like yours - compared to your lordly number, I'm far from your junior. In fact, according to your bio I'm old enough to be your father. So, watch the condescension, sonny.
That being said, you do have a point. How about this: images would have to be uploaded and vetted before passing into the game system? A turn-around time of 48 hours would give the devs (or more likely some poor intern) a chance to scan thru the images and make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Tack on a charge of 50 cents (?) for each image to absorb costs and minimize tomfoolery. Also, adult content doesn't automatically equate with lawsuits. SecondLife is FULL of sex and nudity of the most aggressive nature and last I checked (earlier today) they were still up and running.
Man I would to see the people coming to the forums to complain about how their "professional art" got them temp banned.
This is indeed an idea that has been tossed around in the base forums...
In 2007-ish Mad Scientist and the base community at the time put together a very comprehensive "wish list" for bases.
A better SG messaging system has been asked/begged/pleaded for since at least that point in time.
Some hashing in the base forums has brought up the questions of "appropriateness", copyrights, etc.,. I personally think that putting in TEXT ONLY items/posters/boards might do the trick.... but it might be a pretty big trick as far as coding goes. *shrug*
On another note:
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This made me laugh.|
I'm counting on issue 17 to be a new base editor with additional tools such as: a vertical slider for floor and ceiling items so we don't have to stack and a horizontal slider so we don't have to stack wall items. All of the ingame items currently used in the maps. More templates besides arcane and tech. Non combat npcs to use in your base such as a doctor for your medical bay. transporter beacons for all other zones that currently don't have beacons such as parts of the shadow shard. |
I ain't holdin' my breath.
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Don�t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. - R.W. Emerson |
YUMMY Low-Hanging Fruit for BASE LUV
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Second Life however, is not a "marketed" game with a flat ESRB rating. CoH is. If they were to allow players to upload their own images to the game, unless they had an approval system (which I will get back to), they would have to make the rating of the game M, or possibly even AO.|
Originally Posted by Gysin
Aaaaaaaaannd, there it is. BBQ Pork: this is the vitriol I was talking about.
Sigium: If you don't like the idea, fine. Leave the smart-*** commentary at the door. BTW, while I may only have a few posts to this forum - mostly due to attitudes like yours - compared to your lordly number, I'm far from your junior. In fact, according to your bio I'm old enough to be your father. So, watch the condescension, sonny. That being said, you do have a point. How about this: images would have to be uploaded and vetted before passing into the game system? A turn-around time of 48 hours would give the devs (or more likely some poor intern) a chance to scan thru the images and make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Tack on a charge of 50 cents (?) for each image to absorb costs and minimize tomfoolery. Also, adult content doesn't automatically equate with lawsuits. SecondLife is FULL of sex and nudity of the most aggressive nature and last I checked (earlier today) they were still up and running. |
This would then require them to alert absolutely every single player that the game's rating had changed, which would cost them some players of course. ("Oh my god! They made that hero game Mature rated? That does it, Timmy can't play it anymore!") And now here's the REAL kicker:
They would actually have to police things to ensure that at very least, children were not exposed to naughty things.
Even then there would be potential lawsuits (unfounded, maybe, but this is the USA.. we don't care if there are GROUNDS for lawsuits!) say Bob is 15, like most 15 year old guys he's surfed porn, he's maybe even gotten in on some cy.. I mean "Erotic Role Playing", but his parents still somehow think he's innocent and pure.
He doesn't inform his parents of the ESRB rating change, and once day he's hanging in his SG base that has naughty pictures on the wall and his mother walks in to the room. She can attempt to take legal action against Paragon Studios for exposing her child to pornography.
Would it stick? Not likely, not after they provided proof that information had gone out about the increased rating, and anyone who continued to play confirmed that they were old enough.... but still it's a legal hassle for them.
And, you posed having a system where they had someone to approve images.. I think you're failing to understand the magnitude of this. Even if they charged for it, they would still be so inundated with images to approve that there would have to be several people who's entire job was to click 'approve' or 'disapprove' (and input a reason if not approved) on images, especially when it was first introduced.
This would also be a major liability for them! Let's say one of the approvers is running tired and manages to approve one he shouldn't have. Human error, happens all the time. Or, no human error, the approver doesn't see the picture in a certain way. (Maybe it's one of those "creatively" done pictures that's one thing, but really something else...) This means that if something naughty slips through and Bob's mom sees it, there is actually grounds for legal action.
And I won't even get started on the issues that are not related to pornography.
All in all, in a perfect world, this would be an excellent idea.
We however, live in a very imperfect world. And because people are twats, we can't have nice things. >.>
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It's a figure of speech, gramps (see, just like that.) Anyone that's willing to say 'If you don't like it quit the SG' should be met with more than a dash of criticism because that's an attitude that neither the community, nor the devs want to persue. There are plenty of great options in this game that you can bypass without batting an eyelash (Like Paragon City and the Rogue Isles, if you happened to fall in love with AE) but when it comes to vulgarity, things change drastically.|
Originally Posted by Gysin
Aaaaaaaaannd, there it is. BBQ Pork: this is the vitriol I was talking about.
Sigium: If you don't like the idea, fine. Leave the smart-*** commentary at the door. BTW, while I may only have a few posts to this forum - mostly due to attitudes like yours - compared to your lordly number, I'm far from your junior. In fact, according to your bio I'm old enough to be your father. So, watch the condescension, sonny. |
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Originally Posted by Gysin
That being said, you do have a point. How about this: images would have to be uploaded and vetted before passing into the game system? A turn-around time of 48 hours would give the devs (or more likely some poor intern) a chance to scan thru the images and make sure everything was on the up-and-up. Tack on a charge of 50 cents (?) for each image to absorb costs and minimize tomfoolery. Also, adult content doesn't automatically equate with lawsuits. SecondLife is FULL of sex and nudity of the most aggressive nature and last I checked (earlier today) they were still up and running.
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2. Second Life is a VERY poor example. For one, it's been featured on multiple news sites for explicit, pornographic and borderline-illegal, user-made content, and secondly, the idea of the game is it's open-source nature; it's one of the game's biggest selling points, in fact. City of Heroes doesn't function that way (despite what some AE-lovers scream.) We rely on the foundation we've already laid out for the Superhero MMO world, rather than the ability to give players freedom over graphic nudity, explicit content, and thensome.
*dons monocle and top hat*
Good day, chap!
I love the OP's idea, and I wish it would happen.
...But I also wish that all people would behave with maturity, dignity and good taste.
...And while I'm at it, I want a pony.
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Check... and Mate (poster) - Arc ID# 15095 (comments)
Invasion on Earth BX1132! (poster 1) - (poster 2) - Arc ID# 98943 (comments)
Global @ARH
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/07...ureBanner2.jpg
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Originally Posted by ToySoldierZolgar
Second Life however, is not a "marketed" game with a flat ESRB rating. CoH is. If they were to allow players to upload their own images to the game, unless they had an approval system (which I will get back to), they would have to make the rating of the game M, or possibly even AO.
This would then require them to alert absolutely every single player that the game's rating had changed, which would cost them some players of course. ("Oh my god! They made that hero game Mature rated? That does it, Timmy can't play it anymore!") And now here's the REAL kicker: They would actually have to police things to ensure that at very least, children were not exposed to naughty things. Even then there would be potential lawsuits (unfounded, maybe, but this is the USA.. we don't care if there are GROUNDS for lawsuits!) say Bob is 15, like most 15 year old guys he's surfed porn, he's maybe even gotten in on some cy.. I mean "Erotic Role Playing", but his parents still somehow think he's innocent and pure. He doesn't inform his parents of the ESRB rating change, and once day he's hanging in his SG base that has naughty pictures on the wall and his mother walks in to the room. She can attempt to take legal action against Paragon Studios for exposing her child to pornography. Would it stick? Not likely, not after they provided proof that information had gone out about the increased rating, and anyone who continued to play confirmed that they were old enough.... but still it's a legal hassle for them. And, you posed having a system where they had someone to approve images.. I think you're failing to understand the magnitude of this. Even if they charged for it, they would still be so inundated with images to approve that there would have to be several people who's entire job was to click 'approve' or 'disapprove' (and input a reason if not approved) on images, especially when it was first introduced. This would also be a major liability for them! Let's say one of the approvers is running tired and manages to approve one he shouldn't have. Human error, happens all the time. Or, no human error, the approver doesn't see the picture in a certain way. (Maybe it's one of those "creatively" done pictures that's one thing, but really something else...) This means that if something naughty slips through and Bob's mom sees it, there is actually grounds for legal action. And I won't even get started on the issues that are not related to pornography. All in all, in a perfect world, this would be an excellent idea. We however, live in a very imperfect world. And because people are twats, we can't have nice things. >.> |
Not only will the company be vulnerable to legal action, but the player will as well. People have already been arrested in real life for their actions in online games.
Another thing the OP has dismissed is that base access is not restricted to SG members.
1. SG's in coalition with each other can also have access to a base.
2. Teammates can have access to the base a player is a member of.
3. If/when base raids are fixed then players raiding an SG will also have access to a base.
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Would the 'Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB' flag cover that, though? I was under the impression that only official content was rated, and that anything players decided to do with built-in communication tools wasn't covered. Existing games have parallels in sprays, but I can't think of any game with sprays that isn't naturally M anyway, so the only good point of reference I can think of is gone.
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Originally Posted by Sigium
That's not how it works, junior. This game is rated T for Teen. You upgrade this game to allow user-created images throughout bases? It immediately gets hyped up to M, or RP.
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Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
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But is an image considered an 'interaction'? It's debatable, I guess, since the very text you're reading could be considered a sort of 'picture' of words. Would vulgar pornography or explicit images be considered interactions, or content?|
Originally Posted by Kelenar
Would the 'Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB' flag cover that, though? I was under the impression that only official content was rated, and that anything players decided to do with built-in communication tools wasn't covered. Existing games have parallels in sprays, but I can't think of any game with sprays that isn't naturally M anyway, so the only good point of reference I can think of is gone.
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(Not official content, of course, but content nonetheless.)
I hope this hasn't been discussed before (tho I'm sure it has) - I promise, I did Search the forums but couldn't find anything like it...
I would love to be able to create original whiteboards for my base. A blank space that can be filled with an uploadable or linkable image for any of a number of uses:
original wall art
Great Leader-style portrait
Base map
In-game screenshots (greatest victories, etc.)
Information boards (upcoming events, newest recruits, SG rules, etc.)
Even, on a grander scale, used as virtual "wallpaper" to truly customize the walls or to allow different textures/colors on different walls in the same room!
Available to purchase in a few different sizes (poster, portrait and wallsection), they could provide almost unlimited new decorating options for our bases - in much the same way the new upgrade does for our characters' powers.
If there is a way to do this (I am, admittedly, not terribly knowledgable regarding the back-end of this game) I would appreciate a heads up. If there isn't, how many people would find this useful?
*familiar with the less-than-tactful nature of this forum, he closes his eyes, awaiting the first scorching burst of scornful vitriol*