• 30Apr 08

  Sins of a Solar Empire-the only blog post NOT about GTA4 :P

  Finally got it a few days ago, after posting my order to Stardock over in the States a week ago. Let me say. It was worth the wait. I'll write a review once I get some more playtime in, but its the best game I've played this year for me (not counting GTA4 (not played.) That said, I have played a few crappy games (like Frontlines: Fuel of War .)
  
  Anyway, Sins is a brilliant game. Its one of the best recent RTS-es (except for Company of Heroes-but they play different.) The scale of it is amazing, but like Civilization, how long (or big) you want your game to be is all up to you. You can have a small map with only 7 planets, and play for half an hour, or a big map with six starts (and over 100 planets) taking you days. However, playing on a big map can get demanding (see: dropping to 10 FPS halfway through a game is VERY annoying.)
  
  Sadly, there is no retail release in half the world, so mail-order was the only option for me. I suggest all PC gamers download the demo.
  • Posted Apr 30, 2008 4:40 am GMT
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• 18Apr 08

  Reagan Smash!

  Reagan Smash!
  
  Best family guy (just to clarify, this was produced before he died, but aired afterwards.)
  • Posted Apr 18, 2008 4:04 am GMT
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• 16Apr 08

  Improving GS's moderation system and a PC software fourm

  I just posted this in the Site Enhancements forum-it's an exact copy. If you have anything to add, post over there and cast a vote (support\not support.)

  Linky here-comments liked
  
  A PC Software Help forum
  
  ***SPOILER***

  This one is simple. Head over to the PC forum, and the place is full of people asking 'help my new game won't work' and the like. We have a 'Put 'Can I run it requests here' thread' but that does not extend to that. Its not a hard request (we already have a PC Hardware forum) and that would clear the spam in the PC gaming forum, and make it a forum for discussion about PC gaming, not about 'help me, my game won't work.'

  
  

  Now, that may seem like a short one, but the second one deals with an overhaul of moderation on GS. Why? Its pretty simple. GS's moderation system (considering its such a big forum) is flawed. There are only a few mods per forum, and cases have happened in the past where a loosely-affiliated group of people (read: the /b/tards) unite and spam our forums, hoping that the mods are asleep.

  In brief, I am saying that there should be five levels of regular (non-staff) users, instead of two ('users' and mods.) The levels, and my justification for them, are below.

  NOTE: By 'new levels' I don't mean the level system in place already (ie: Level 1: Player,) instead, the different levels of mods.

  ---

  
  Level 1: New users
  
  ***SPOILER***

  Very-recently joined users. They have no powers, they cannot report users, create a thread (they can reply), post videos, and cannot use the (suggested) vote-lock\unlock and the 'call mod' feature (these will be explained in detail later on.) These users are the new users-people who have not been around for over a week (after making their first forum post.) The reason users must go through this stage is simple-to prevent people spamming accounts for a short-term vote-lock spam. People are no longer at this level after a week.

  
  

  Level 2: Regular Users
  
  ***SPOILER***

  The meat and potatoes of the Gamespot community. With this suggested system in place, these users are the 'regulars.' They have no special abilities, like approving a vote-lock or unlock, but they can post videos, new threads, and vote in a vote-lock or unlock. This is pretty much where every non-mod Gamespot user is now. They become a Junior Mod (jmod) at the approval of a regular mod.

  
  

  Level 3: Junior Mod (jmod)
  
  ***SPOILER***

  Junior mods are the regulars. The people who are always on the forums, not quite trustworthy enough to be a fully-fledged mod, but they wear jmod tags, and, as well as other powers, they can approve a lock (explained later,) an unlock, delete disruptive posts. Before locking a thread, jmods must have had it 'recommended' to them by a vote of 20 users. In an ideal system, there should be about 20-50 jmods per board, and they should all be in different time zones. To become a regular mod, jmods must be recommended by a staff member

  
  

  Level 4: Regular Mod
  
  ***SPOILER***

  They pretty much have the same powers that they have had before, not much more, none less (except they can promote a regular user to a jmod)

  
  

  
  Explanation of the vote-lock and unlock features, and why we need jmods
  The vote-lock and unlock are so that the users can have control. We all complain of mod abuse, and the like, but we have nothing to do to fix it. In short, this returns limited power to the users, through the users being able to vote a thread as offensive or disruptive, and then, that thread (after receiving a set number of votes) would be sent to a jmod that is online at the time. They would then be able to approve the lock. The jmods cannot lock threads without a vote. However, they can delete posts. The unlock feature basically works in reverse, but an unlock should need more votes then a lock.
  
  Why not just use the 'report abuse' feature?
  Simple, mods are human, and they are not always online. As you can see with the pic posted at the top, when no mods are online, chaos happens.
  
  Thanks, feel free to comment.

  • Posted Apr 16, 2008 5:45 am GMT
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