Clicks, not Minutes
Moderators: Public Relations Department, Players Department, Game Mechanics (RD), Programming Department
- UloDeTero
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:03 pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
Clicks, not Minutes
As far as I'm aware, the whole 'minutes' thing was created as a way to reduce the stress on the servers. That is, reduce the amount of time people can access the site, which reduces the amount of data flowing about, which allows the Cantr site to remain within bandwidth limits (or whatever the situation is).
But there's a problem with this.
Say you log in and spend some time typing a note, or you have to answer the phone or something. You get back, click something and boom. You've lost all your minutes. By now, veteran players will be rolling their eyes and nodding, with thoughts of "old news" and "log out then log in, oldest trick in the book". But think about it: Is it good to have a 'work-around' being used as standard, or is it better to implement a better alternative?
If you log in, leave the site open, and return, how much work has the server done? None! Yet you'd be penalised based on the amount of time you've been doing nothing. Wouldn't it be better to be penalised based on how long you've been doing something? Or based on the thing we actually want to reduce: Server strain?
So, to the idea: Instead of minutes, we should be given a certain number of Clicks each day. One Click is simply a single page load. You click a character name, that's a Click. You go to Inventory, that's another Click. Each time you go from one page to another, that's a Click. Of course, you'd probably get a lot more than 200 of them each day, because each one represents a tiny amount of server work / data transfer, and they get 'spent' whenever a new page is loaded. Plus, you know that, however many Clicks you have left, if you click a button or link the number will reduce by exactly 1!
Slaved for hours on an epic poem? No problem! No need for complicated 'logging' tricks, just click Store. That'll be one Click. Yes, just one. Nice doin business with ya!
But there's a problem with this.
Say you log in and spend some time typing a note, or you have to answer the phone or something. You get back, click something and boom. You've lost all your minutes. By now, veteran players will be rolling their eyes and nodding, with thoughts of "old news" and "log out then log in, oldest trick in the book". But think about it: Is it good to have a 'work-around' being used as standard, or is it better to implement a better alternative?
If you log in, leave the site open, and return, how much work has the server done? None! Yet you'd be penalised based on the amount of time you've been doing nothing. Wouldn't it be better to be penalised based on how long you've been doing something? Or based on the thing we actually want to reduce: Server strain?
So, to the idea: Instead of minutes, we should be given a certain number of Clicks each day. One Click is simply a single page load. You click a character name, that's a Click. You go to Inventory, that's another Click. Each time you go from one page to another, that's a Click. Of course, you'd probably get a lot more than 200 of them each day, because each one represents a tiny amount of server work / data transfer, and they get 'spent' whenever a new page is loaded. Plus, you know that, however many Clicks you have left, if you click a button or link the number will reduce by exactly 1!
Slaved for hours on an epic poem? No problem! No need for complicated 'logging' tricks, just click Store. That'll be one Click. Yes, just one. Nice doin business with ya!
-
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:38 am
I will only say. NO!
I am sure someone will come along and say it better than I can.
No I will say more.
Yea, screw over the people that rp.
RPing take more clicks than anything else.
Go ahead accept and implement it and kill what is left of the game.
Then we will only have mindless machines as characters sleeping
while resource gathering.
Like I said. Just go ahead and kill the game.
EDIT:
What about the people that donate to the game?
They help to keep the server up. Why should they be punished?
Also need to remember, donators will get no privileges in game.
Screw them and they no longer dontate.
And if you must know. I have not donated. You know, thats a bit hard to do when you can not even pay your internet bill.
I think you painted yourself into a corner.
I am sure someone will come along and say it better than I can.
No I will say more.
Yea, screw over the people that rp.
RPing take more clicks than anything else.
Go ahead accept and implement it and kill what is left of the game.
Then we will only have mindless machines as characters sleeping
while resource gathering.
Like I said. Just go ahead and kill the game.
EDIT:
What about the people that donate to the game?
They help to keep the server up. Why should they be punished?
Also need to remember, donators will get no privileges in game.
Screw them and they no longer dontate.
And if you must know. I have not donated. You know, thats a bit hard to do when you can not even pay your internet bill.
I think you painted yourself into a corner.
Last edited by DELGRAD on Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Science teacher: "good morning class"
students groan
Science teacher: "Today we will be learning about intelligent design"
Little Billy: "OH GOD"
First quoted in the NationStates forum on 10/14/05.
http://washingtonvil.myminicity.com
students groan
Science teacher: "Today we will be learning about intelligent design"
Little Billy: "OH GOD"
First quoted in the NationStates forum on 10/14/05.
http://washingtonvil.myminicity.com
- SumBum
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:57 pm
Not sure I like the click approach any better than the minutes. I can manage my minutes just fine. Yes, it's sometimes a pain, but notepad earns its keep. I have some chars that are very actively running from building to building or cabin to deck, moving inventory, etc....plus I'm paranoid + forgetful + sleep deprived and will check some things multiple times to be sure I'm seeing it properly. That equals more screen loads, more clicks.
You're still punishing the active with this method of bandwidth restriction. If it no longer is an issue of saving bandwidth, then do away with the restriction altogether, don't impose another.
If you have 1 minute left, you can make that last hours... 1 click left is just that - 1 click.
You're still punishing the active with this method of bandwidth restriction. If it no longer is an issue of saving bandwidth, then do away with the restriction altogether, don't impose another.
If you have 1 minute left, you can make that last hours... 1 click left is just that - 1 click.
I don't know karate, but I know KA-RAZY!! - James Brown
- Solutions Maximus
- Posts: 300
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:18 am
- Location: . . . . O .. . . the solar system
-
- Posts: 535
- Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:31 am
- Location: Kaunas
Yes. I dont agree too. How can eanyone detemrnin how meny cliks should be? If i have a towns leader, ho just have sometimes to go around ofrom building to building to maintain other people work, to make sure all have the nessesery resourses, those cliks will disapear in no time. Minuts are minuts. So i'm all four for minutes
- marol
- Posts: 3728
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 11:45 am
- Location: Kraków, PL
- Contact:
- the_antisocial_hermit
- Posts: 3695
- Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:04 pm
- Location: Hollow.
- Contact:
Good...
Clicks would be awful, especially if you have a character that has lots of things to move or do. I probably use over 1k clicks for one character alone some days (if not more!). One mis-click (which happens often) would mean one less click left. Minutes are not so bad once you learn to conserve them, even if it means logging in and out often. There is no way to really assess how many clicks would be needed. At least with time, you cay say, well, someone shouldn't be playing this game over 3hrs a day.
Clicks would be awful, especially if you have a character that has lots of things to move or do. I probably use over 1k clicks for one character alone some days (if not more!). One mis-click (which happens often) would mean one less click left. Minutes are not so bad once you learn to conserve them, even if it means logging in and out often. There is no way to really assess how many clicks would be needed. At least with time, you cay say, well, someone shouldn't be playing this game over 3hrs a day.
- UloDeTero
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:03 pm
- Location: Cheshire, England
*shrugs* Well, it was worth a try.
The main reason I suggested it was that the main reason for the minutes system (afaik) has nothing to do with time and more to do with data. Therefore it seems illogical to me to make that connection.
The main reason I suggested it was that the main reason for the minutes system (afaik) has nothing to do with time and more to do with data. Therefore it seems illogical to me to make that connection.
Like what?marol wrote:Server transfer is no longer an issue. The time limit has other reasons.
- the_antisocial_hermit
- Posts: 3695
- Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:04 pm
- Location: Hollow.
- Contact:
The time limit was kept to keep people from playing all the time (get them to do other stuff, because some can't do that on their own!) and to give people all an equal opportunity of playing time. More active players won't have -as- much of an advantage over less active players because they'll reach a point where they just have to stop for the day. Of course they'll still have an advantage, as they'll be able to use all their minutes while others can't, but it isn't as marked as I think it would be otherwise.
- Elros
- Posts: 1511
- Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 5:41 pm
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Yeah I agree with everyone else as well. Clicks are a bad idea. I probably used 200 clicks in 20 minutes today when I was dragging three different resources through two room, then the town, then into a harbor, then into a ship. I had to make three trips doing that everytime and then walking all the way back there again. Stuff like that would use all of your clicks up in no time.
Also everytime you talk it would use it, so people would be talking, thus RPing, less.
Also everytime you talk it would use it, so people would be talking, thus RPing, less.
Every action has a consequence.
- SumBum
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:57 pm
I don't agree with the idea of limiting the time for the sake of those who can't limit themselves. It's not the game's job to manage your time and tell you how much you should/shouldn't play.
On the other hand, I do think the 200 minute limit is acceptable as a way to keep the playing field more even. But....It's not like you can make a project go any faster by logging in for 8 hrs every day. Cantr isn't like grind games where more time spent playing produces faster results.
On the other hand, I do think the 200 minute limit is acceptable as a way to keep the playing field more even. But....It's not like you can make a project go any faster by logging in for 8 hrs every day. Cantr isn't like grind games where more time spent playing produces faster results.
I don't know karate, but I know KA-RAZY!! - James Brown
- marol
- Posts: 3728
- Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 11:45 am
- Location: Kraków, PL
- Contact:
Return to “Rejected Suggestions”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest