I got an idea: Redesign the frontpage of the site to be a much splashier page, and have a textbox where you enter a player name and a "play" button. This immediately whitelists you but only into a 'trial mode' where you are restricted as to where you can go and where you can build (not near spawn, definitely). For the most part, you can still use most of the server's features, but you will be restricted. The trial period will last about a week. After that, you need to apply and get accepted if you want to continue playing. Currently the remaining issues includes what to do to prevent chat spam (without entirely blocking chat), and issues of that nature. An issue is with Alice though, because that requires a fair more amount of pain. Any suggestions?
I think trial mode should be a week on Vincent, and in that week they need to log atleast 3 hours of playing. If those requirements are met, they can apply for both Vincent and Alice.
I think trial mode players should have a designated chat color so we can distinguish them from normal players. Additionally, the redesign of the frontpage shouldn't be intrusive to players who have been accepted. Honestly, I think there should just be a special link on the MinecraftForums thread (since you get most business from there) and/or on that smexy SKCraft signature that's more splashy on there than it is here. I mean, people are going to get to the thread or signature, before they come here anyway. So, maybe just any link to this site from other sites could be like skcraft.com/trial and that could be the frontpage with the splashy, splashy. As for chat spam and other harmful things these "trial" guys can potentially do, add some kind of vote to kick or petition system for these guys, since a good number of them will be here to harm. Maybe, If a certain amount of players out of the total amount of players on the server petition, the harmer gets muted and will be unable to speak for a limited time. And if say, all but 1 player petitions, they get temp-banned pending further mod review. The reason i'm suggesting a self-serve system for players is because whenever I go on the server (usually on a late night for me), there are no mods on.
Just so long as the people who check the applications ARE NOT as lenient with the applications as they were. I'll agree with anything.
Personally, I think you could just double up the anti-spam measures that are already in place for normal users for the trial mode players. As in, they have fewer warnings, or perhaps a timed ban? like, first time, kick+warning, second time 10 second ban, etc. Although it would probably also be a good idea to make it so that the offense count will be reduced for good behavior or something. Given that they only get about a week, this may be unnecessary, though. Also, perhaps players would have to go through a tutorial world of alice before they could play? that might be better than the plain old trial mode, and it would teach them how to play the game, you know? Get a few players who know what they're doing to design a tutorial template, then just make a few copies of it in a superflat map. set it so that each trial mode player that joins will go to their own tutorial zone, and have it reset that zone once they finish the course. I'd be happy to help with such a project, if it ends up being useful.
Or if possible, implement a linkage between SKCraft.com accounts and Minecraft accounts. Then using that information, display the member-only page or the new user (trial) page.
Alot of forums are greylisted like that, where you need to create an account on the forums before you can play (don't know if there are any bukkit plugins for xenforo), so what you mentioned shouldn't be too hard... Only thing I saw when I thought of that was that some of us don't use "remember me" or get signed out even when we do
I also love the idea of a trial period. but i think one week is not enough. the new players should have a period like 2 or even more weeks. but i wouldn't make it so public, that the new player is in trial period. that would remain him to be good and as soon as he is accepted, he could start derping around. what i'm trying to say is, that the probibilty, that he acts 'more natural' is way higher in this this way. things like adding him to friendslist, especially the whole claiming land thing should be restricted (except locking chests, of course). What about a kind of open voting/ a kind of survey, if the affected player can be accepted? would that be too choosy? ( If a special amount of players would be the 'jury'?) anyways, i like the plan
I agree with Shadow, I definitely should not have been whitelisted when I applied cause I put like no effort into the application. I like to think I vindicated myself, but people less, ah, scrupulous than I have also been whitelisted, so... yeah. But on topic, trial period is a great idea.
I think he's basically saying that he had no reason for his application to be accepted since he didn't put any effort into it but the person who was checking the apps wasn't paying attention to any details. But idk.
I know hes not going to be un-whitelisted, but the way he was talking it kinda sounded like he was saying the admins/moderators are doing a bad job picking applications, thats my opinion on that
