NS2 Maps and Mods Database
Argathor
Join Date: 2011-07-18 Member: 110942Members, Squad Five Blue
Join Date: 2011-07-18 Member: 110942Members, Squad Five Blue
Dear NS2 Community,
We have just finished(ish) our NS2 Maps/Mods Database. With the intention of giving the community one place they can find the maps/mods they are looking for, no matter how large the mapping and modding communities get in the run up to or after release, combined with easy/fast download links.
<i>(note: I am aware that, with the small amount of maps and mods, this is not currently required (and with automatic downloads coming soon, has reduced value) but I hope it will serve enough of a purpose to make it worth while.)</i>
You can view it here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/</a>
You can view all maps here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/maps/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/maps/</a>
You can view all mods here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/</a>
<b>What does it offer players?</b>
<ul><li>See the most popular maps/mods (listed by times downloaded by default).</li><li>Fast downloads of any map/mod files you need.</li><li>Detailed map information including (but not limited to): Number of Tech Nodes, Resource Nodes, Doors and Map Overview Images.</li><li>Links to the map/mods unknownworlds.com forum thread.</li><li>Reviews of maps/mods (as and when we can make them).</li></ul>
<b>What does it offer map/mod makers?</b>
<ul><li>A fast and easy way to upload new files and get download links.</li><li>A place to show off the details of your map (and potentially have text and video reviews shown).</li><li>Somewhere the community can easily find your map/mod.</li><li>The ability to see how popular your map/mod is (downloads are recorded).</li></ul>
<b>To Authors</b>
You can register on our <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/forums/register/" target="_blank">website</a> and (after being assigned to the map/mod maker group, which you can request <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/forums/general/mapmod-makers-cave-access/" target="_blank">here</a>) add/edit/delete your own maps and mods. If your maps/mods are already added to the database you can either have it assigned to you by me, or make your own version and have me (or swalk) delete the old one.
Community feedback on the look, style, usability, functionality and content is encouraged. It is designed for you, so let us know what you think and want.
<b>Planned Features</b>
<ul><li>Comments System</li><li>Featured Map/Mod Display</li><li>Latest Map/Mod Display</li><li>Ratings System</li><li>Mod Sub-Categories</li></ul>
<b>Feedback Interest</b>
I would especially like feedback on the topic of how best to display/organise the database, to help the user get what they want as fast and easily as possible.
We have just finished(ish) our NS2 Maps/Mods Database. With the intention of giving the community one place they can find the maps/mods they are looking for, no matter how large the mapping and modding communities get in the run up to or after release, combined with easy/fast download links.
<i>(note: I am aware that, with the small amount of maps and mods, this is not currently required (and with automatic downloads coming soon, has reduced value) but I hope it will serve enough of a purpose to make it worth while.)</i>
You can view it here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/</a>
You can view all maps here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/maps/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/maps/</a>
You can view all mods here: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/</a>
<b>What does it offer players?</b>
<ul><li>See the most popular maps/mods (listed by times downloaded by default).</li><li>Fast downloads of any map/mod files you need.</li><li>Detailed map information including (but not limited to): Number of Tech Nodes, Resource Nodes, Doors and Map Overview Images.</li><li>Links to the map/mods unknownworlds.com forum thread.</li><li>Reviews of maps/mods (as and when we can make them).</li></ul>
<b>What does it offer map/mod makers?</b>
<ul><li>A fast and easy way to upload new files and get download links.</li><li>A place to show off the details of your map (and potentially have text and video reviews shown).</li><li>Somewhere the community can easily find your map/mod.</li><li>The ability to see how popular your map/mod is (downloads are recorded).</li></ul>
<b>To Authors</b>
You can register on our <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/forums/register/" target="_blank">website</a> and (after being assigned to the map/mod maker group, which you can request <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/forums/general/mapmod-makers-cave-access/" target="_blank">here</a>) add/edit/delete your own maps and mods. If your maps/mods are already added to the database you can either have it assigned to you by me, or make your own version and have me (or swalk) delete the old one.
Community feedback on the look, style, usability, functionality and content is encouraged. It is designed for you, so let us know what you think and want.
<b>Planned Features</b>
<ul><li>Comments System</li><li>Featured Map/Mod Display</li><li>Latest Map/Mod Display</li><li>Ratings System</li><li>Mod Sub-Categories</li></ul>
<b>Feedback Interest</b>
I would especially like feedback on the topic of how best to display/organise the database, to help the user get what they want as fast and easily as possible.
Comments
Thx to you guys to give us such a nice service.
Btw there is a newer version of turtle out the _b2PT. But cant find it anywhere.
Greets
Edit: thread should be webbed.
Thx to you guys to give us such a nice service.
Btw there is a newer version of turtle out the _b2PT. But cant find it anywhere.
Greets
Edit: thread should be webbed.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That will be released by evil_bob himself very soon :)
I'm just a jealous person.
I'm just a jealous person.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How much would you pay for a download link? ;)
I'm just a jealous person.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It was passworded anyway, it was us playing a 5v5 because we didnt have enough for a 6v6 :(
And no, it wasnt passworded... but since the new version of turtle is not public yet - i didnt think it was needed :>
Thx to you guys to give us such a nice service.
Btw there is a newer version of turtle out the _b2PT. But cant find it anywhere.
Greets
Edit: thread should be webbed.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thank you, we are glad you like it!
I believe the PT versions of turtle were for specific testing purposes. We will update as soon as bOb is ready to release it to the public!
P.S. We played a match on it tonight with Arc and I cannot wait to be playing public matches on it!
In the future, lets swap pings? :-(
PS: shameless pushing with offtopic talk :P
...ill make do! :-(
The map download feature will be less useful with B190 map downloading, but its still nice to have a centralized location for server owners who want to see which maps are available. I think the true value will be with the mod downloading section (with the ease with which lua/NS2 can be editting, I fully expect the number of mods to skyrocket once v1 is released).
My only suggestion is to expand the review section into something more like a feedback/commenting system (e.g. like the commenting system in moddb or newegg). If you could make it so people who create forum accounts could post comments on mods/maps and rate them, that would make it more awesome.
The map download feature will be less useful with B190 map downloading, but its still nice to have a centralized location for server owners who want to see which maps are available. I think the true value will be with the mod downloading section (with the ease with which lua/NS2 can be editting, I fully expect the number of mods to skyrocket once v1 is released).
My only suggestion is to expand the review section into something more like a feedback/commenting system (e.g. like the commenting system in moddb or newegg). If you could make it so people who create forum accounts could post comments on mods/maps and rate them, that would make it more awesome.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks ScardyBob!
I had already planned a comments system for our news articles and it would make a useful feature for the maps/mods too. I will definately add that in. I love the idea about ratings, I hadn't even considered that! It would give another way to guage popularity (other than times downloaded). I will consider this and make some plans.....FOR WORLD DOMINATION....ahem, or simply a comment and rating system! ;-)
<ul><li>I have cleaned up the map/mod list URLs with mod_rewrite while sorting the lists by name, author, etc. (example: <a href="http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/date/desc/" target="_blank">http://www.duplexgaming.co.uk/downloads/mods/date/desc/</a>)</li><li>I have changed the forums so that you can request membership to the 'Map/Mod Maker' group, by going to: profile -> modify profile -> group membership (from the dropdown) -> under available groups click 'request membership' -> click 'submit request'. Myself or swalk will confirm you shortly. You can still make a forum thread/pm and we will assign you.</li><li>I have begun work on the comments system, you should start to see the fruits of it in the next few days.</li></ul>I am uncertain whether or not the sorting in ascending or descending order is setup as the user would 'expect'. What do you think?
Maybe also a <i>featured/random</i> section, which always display a random selection of mods every time you check the download page. This way even the old mods that is not top 5 gets a chance.
Maybe also a <i>featured/random</i> section, which always display a random selection of mods every time you check the download page. This way even the old mods that is not top 5 gets a chance.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Both very good suggestions and required as the database grows. I will integrate these into my plans.
I have been considering how things will go as people begin to use it and it gets more mods. I came to the conclusion that the current UI is inadequate.
I will give it a little time, so that I can use input from the community, and then re-design from scratch the database UI (from the main page, right down to each item). So any feedback/suggestions you have on this topic will be really helpful.
I also would especially like feedback/advice/suggestions on how I should go about dividing up the mods, to make it easier for people to sort through and find something that interests them. To date I had planned on using sub-categories (server/client) and sub-sub-categories to divide up the mods when it was required (example: server -> management, gameplay. client -> ui pack, vision, menu, etc). I am still unsure how I could display this choice to the user, to make life easier for them.
Does anyone have advice or can point me in the right direction for any steps I can take to decrease the chance our emails will end up on holiday in peoples junk/spam folders?
I happened to active you (and some others) when I noticed today, but didn't consider the chance you couldn't active. So you should be able to login now. Sorry for any inconvience. I will continue to look into this issue though, people not being able to active is quite serious! Argh!
I have sent two test emails to you, one through my own duplex gaming email (which you replied to, super fast) and one through the website a few minutes later. Can you let me know if you receive the website one please? I first tested it sending emails to a few of my email addresses (personal, duplex, gmail, ntlworld, hotmail, etc) and it seemed to be sending emails out at least.
I need to head out for a while, once I am back I will try sending another to you manually through the admin@ email. I think perhaps it is most likely that either something the forum does to the email when sending, or something the forum is doing is preventing the email being sent. I may try disabling the forum firewall and bad behavior mods, as perhaps they are having unintended side effects.
I had mistaken entered the admin email address as @duplexgaming.com (which does not exist, it is .co.uk) so some email servers were declining the email. Error corrected and it seems to be working perfectly (if still stuck in junkmail) at the moment. My thanks to Feha for his patience and for replying to my test mails so that I could resolve the issue.
I found this quite funny for some reason :D
I am doing some maintenance, due to the forum mod for the gallery not quite working as intended (broken). The site should be up and running again normally in the next few hours.
It'd make it easier for server ops to try and use map rotations with multiple custom maps.
Do you have any suggestions for how to decide which maps get included or not (in the long-term)? I personally volunteer swalk for the task of keeping it upto-date!
I have been quiet lately as I am working on a complete re-design of the maps/mods database (to make it easier to use and add features), but I am not rushing it as there is still a way to go before map/mod use becomes popular (or infact many people use ns2 at all). I hope to start testing it in the next month and then hopefully to implement it soon after.