VIPs can only upload for themselves - DISCUSS IT HERE

[lana]

If you have anything to say about why VIPs can only upload their own maps, please post it here. It's hard enough to organize gameday around my schedule, I don't want to have to wade through all your posts to find who's actually submitting a map.

The reasoning is that non-VIPs have no incentive to donate. Uploading is one of the biggest reasons to get VIP and all the more to keep the servers running. Drp is working on a system to allow non-VIPs to still get their maps tested, but for now we appear to be going back to gameday. Impromptus and other tests will most likely still take place, but unless you are a VIP you won't be able to add your map to those tests. You can, however, submit to gameday and hopefully we'll be able to upload your map and get it tested on those occasions only.

Okrag recently PMed drp about uploading maps for gameday. He's confirmed that it is allowed.

Again, keep the discussion out of the events section.

 

[The Political Gamer]

tl;dr no gameday stuff will be VIP only unless the map is already on the server. So use gamedays to upload your map. (Or you could donate)

 

[StickZer0]

I think this is a good idea, it means gamedays should become more regular, and impromptus become more "perky" and valuable. I can agree that some people have had considerable help from impromptus but not from gamedays, but that's only because impromptus will usually have a larger density of TF2M members rather than random server joiners.

 

[Ida]

I'd like to think I've gotten my message across before, but it seems like no one agrees with what I'm saying. I mean, how do you justify almost completely denying half of the mappers to test their maps? Yes, we have gamedays, but you're not guaranteed to get in and the limit to how often you can submit a map severely slows down your development.

This doesn't do anything to improve the community, if anything, I'd say it's quite harmful. There must be other ways to get more server money. How about an expensive donation plan for those who are willing to give a little more? (I am)

 

[lana]

Testing isn't denied. It's just limited. If you want to be able to test whenever without any boundaries, you have to donate.

 

[Ida]

Not everyone can donate. Some people are too young to have a credit card and can't use PayPal.

 

[lana]

They're welcome to use gameday for tests, then. We should be using gameday more often anyway. It means more players will be online because they're aware of the event, and it results in a better testing environment than an impromptu test.

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Not everyone can donate. Some people are too young to have a credit card and can't use PayPal.

As a 15 year old with skeptical parents, I agree with Muffin. It is very doubtful that my parents will go to some 'random' site and give them money--even if I assure them it is safe blah blah blah. It is therefore unlikely that I will ever be able to take part in an impromtu.

I will be fine with the the changes if:
-There are atleast 3 gamedays per week
-Remove the restriction to test the map once a week.

Then i'm happy.

 

[Ida]

They're welcome to use gameday for tests, then. We should be using gameday more often anyway. It means more players will be online because they're aware of the event, and it results in a better testing environment than an impromptu test.

"You're too young so you can't test your maps by free will". That's BS.

If we want to save money, how about saving some on the bandwidth. When you make a map thread, there could be a notice recommending use of other sites than TF2Maps.net. Or, a little more drastically, enable uploads to the web server only for VIP members. Anyone can upload maps via another service (like Dropbox), so it would hardly be as limited as restricting uploads to the game server.

 

[Seba]

If we organise regular gamedays (two per week is good) then impromptus and non-gameday tests will lose their importance. Gamedays are supposed to be the primary source of tests. Impromptus are supposed to be quick tests for two or three maps, and not provide as much feedback as a normal gameday. Wait, that came out wrong. Don't expect impromptus to provide as much feedback as gamedays is what I'm trying to say. To summarise:

a) regular gamedays will bring more feedback to authors
b) impromptus won't be considered the primary testing method

 

[DJive]

EDIT: woops, misread my quote

 

[lana]

Remember that these restrictions are also in place because our server broke due to a misunderstanding on part of a mapper. Because VIPs can now only upload their own maps, we won't run into a situation of two versions being uploaded under the same name.

 

[Boylee]

Anyone else reading this thread as an argument between Redmond and Blutarch because of the avatars?

/offtopic

 

[The Political Gamer]

Not everyone can donate. Some people are too young to have a credit card and can't use PayPal.

Well some people are also too young to be playing this game. >.>


(Not attacking you per-say just trying to point something out)

 

[cyked]

Remember that these restrictions are also in place because our server broke due to a misunderstanding on part of a mapper. Because VIPs can now only upload their own maps, we won't run into a situation of two versions being uploaded under the same name.

You don't know that. Mistakes still can happen.

 

[owly-oop]

so basically impromptus are killed for people who don't/can't donate.

gamedays have too long of a wait from the time you submit it to the actual gameday

 

[Tinker]

I like how half the thread is bickering between the two Mann brothers.

That said, I agree with Muffin. Some of us don't have the spare money, don't have the means to pay or simply flat out refuse to "donate" to what in this way is quickly becoming a small clique of people able to actually test their maps well. Remember that this is a unique a very special community site, and that the gamedays are a fantastic idea because they give everyone the opportunity to test their maps and gain insightful feedback. As this is really the one and only website dedicated to TF2 mapping, it has a very powerful impact on the TF2 community as a whole on what gets to be in the game in the future. Please don't abuse that by excluding people. It can be a dangerous slippery slope.

I'm all for more incentive to donate, be it by keeping the pictures of chats withValve inside the VIP lobby, allowing reserved slots on the servers, having contests within the group of VIPs that include prizes, etc. But don't limit on the free testing. They are a huge aspect of what makes this site so special, and shouldn't be discriminated by wealth.

 

[LateLJ]

I would like to see some kind of "buddy" system. Every VIP could have 1 non-VIP buddy. VIP would be allowed to upload maps only for his buddy. ((Also the map he is going upload must have a thread on forums.))

Pro:

• People who doesn't have paypal could still upload their maps to server by the aid of VIPs

Con:

• It would decrease the number of donators, depending how many buddies VIP:s could have

What you think about it?

But don't limit on the gamedays

Only impromptu tests are affected by this "VIPs can only upload for themselves", not gamedays.

 

[Tinker]

Not a good idea, as that would reach none of the goals this measure was taken for.

 

[DJive]

The main problem we've *tf2maps.net* ran into since the beginning of the site is commitment and action from the members.

By that i mean We've always wanted a gameday everyday, its a great idea and would solve a ton of problems.

But we need members to step up and help with that. Hosting it, organizing it, admin'ing it... ETC

Its like preaching to the choir. On the same page but action is needed.