Campaign Trail by relet 裁判長
November 12th, 2013 11:46 PM
). You may then select a congressional committee and subcommitte (If I receive 25 votes on this task by March 9, 2014, I vow to engage in a friendly takeover of SFØ by its community.
To achieve this, I will pursue the following measures:
- Initiate a feature-complete re-implementation of SFØ using today's web technology0, on an open platform1. Roadmap here
- Negotiate to obtain a full copy of the current database of sf0, including all players, praxes, images.
- Migrate the existing content and new codebase onto a community-owned server2.
- Dedicate a fixed budget to ensure basic operation of the server2.
The entire system will be designed in a way so that any player can contribute and/or overtake the development or the operation of the service at any time, should I fall victim to an assassination.
0: Keywords may or may not include: cloud, nodejs, responsive, derby, coffeescript. Technology moves fast, and we will evaluate the options when the time has come.
1: Most probably github.com
2: Using a scalable cloud service would enable us to scale the operation costs according to the drive of the players, while being almost free if the game is in limbo.
3: Rumors that the new system will contain even more smørrebrød characters are entirely unfounded.
Q&A session starts below:
32 vote(s)
- Bex.
- lefthandedsnail
- Tac Haberdash
- Kattapa
- Shared resource
- Markov Walker
- Lincøln
- Amoeba Man
- Ombwah
- Ben [Sunshine]
- Juliette
- Squirmelia
- Idøntity matrix
- Pixie
- [REDACTED]
- Chase of SF0
- The Charlatan
- Ty Ødin
- Jellybean of Thark
- Dan |ØwO|
- teucer
- artmouse
- Spidere
- Blue
- Dax Tran-Caffee
- Myrna Minx
- Kate Saturday
- The Vixen
- Not Here No More
- Beetle bomb
- jenny il
- zer0gee
Terms
revolutionary, shplank37 comment(s)
A: I will be a SAHD for half a year. This is the kind of thing I do in the evenings to relax after a hard day chasing toddlers.
A: The biggest risk is that the implementation will not be completed in half a year. This may happen. In that case, we remain with the status quo plus half an implementation. Since the system is entirely open, others can continue where I left off. Actually, others can contribute at any time.
Another risk is that the drive is lost forever. Other platforms like supergoing have shown that it is not easy to get the drive to keep a thing like sf0 running. But sf0 has one unique selling point that other systems don't: It has history. Just looking at the mass of completed praxis in this game motivates players to start anew. This is why I believe in continuing the tradition.
It odd, the drive thing. In many ways, I wish for the up and coming glory days of my tasking. I wanted to be Bex, or Rin Broker and be a legend of the site.
Now that I've surpassed my heros in points (if not in deeds), I wouldn't go back to those days. I went to the hospital! That was not cheap! I dropped out of college! SF0 is not to directly blame for the second, but in both good and bad ways it was a large contributing factor.
On the other hand, without this game, I would never have met Ty, I never would have moved to Texas, I never would have made lava (with help of course) I never would have met Commit or Tac Haberdash or Deathcube, or Mobius all of whom are my friends whom I keep in contact with despite my relative lack of activity.
I task about once a month. The photos are on my phone. I still use SF0 to help me do fun and interesting things. It's how Ty and I go on dates sometimes :D They may not be the epic shplanks of ye olden days, but tasking is still tasking. I've only submitted one in the past six months.
This is for the reasons. One is that doing is fun, but write ups are a slog ESPECIALLY if no one seems to be there to read it. After crisis has hit the site recently, I know that there are still at least 7 members who are on regularly enough. That's enough for me
The second reason is logistics. Most of us find it hard to upload photos. I have about the Tech abilities of a turtle which means that I can not upload photos without help. Between that and the write up, it's not as fun to share with a community that...
3) has expectation inflation. I have probably done my magnum opus for the site. It was go get em tiger. I went and I got him. I want to have fun on the site, but there is a group of the seven active players who believe that we should be constantly trying to outdo ourselves. I can't. Love of life acquired. That is generally the end of princess stories and most people don't tell happily ever after stories. Maybe that means it's time for a new profile, but second characters almost never measure up to their first.
All that being said, will I use a new site? YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
I pledge three 45 point or greater tasks to the new site, so you know it's not in vain. This deals with 2/3 of my problems and the expectation inflation never stopped me before. Other's I encourage you to pledge as well!
At one time I hit the "donate" button because this game has brought me pleasure. At this point in time I am not even sure who that would go to. I agree with the employee owned platform.
I have no doubt that your donation was used for the best of the game. At the same time I say that way can only benefit if the process is transparent and assessable by the users.
It appears that the donation page is no longer functional, but when it was, it indicated very transparently what the hosting costs for the site were and how much of the month's hosting had been covered by donations. Most months when I was paying attention, the donations did not come anywhere close to covering costs. I think we can rest assured that SF0 is not lining anyone's pockets.
Since the donation link got taken out, I assume that Sean has either decided to cover the hosting out of his own pocket or he has found some benefactor to provide free hosting.
My automated donations continue to be taken out via paypal so it must still be working in some fashion
Mobile app to facilitate on-the-go tasking! So sweet.
Great initiative! You have my full support :)
As for the drive / motivation, I see three challenges:
1. Getting a stable player base again.
Seeing as how you managed to get a couple of hundred people involved in Journey in Gothenburg this should be possible. The only thing we need, after an overhaul of the site, is for the community to be stable long enough to attract new people.
2. Moving away from a purely points and badges system?
Points and badges tend to only have a temporary effect, especially if they become meaningless at some point (in the case of sf0 around level 5). I can recommend taking the gamification course at coursera: https://www.coursera.org/course/gamification A new round will start at the end of January. Here you will find a lot of tips for things that have worked and not worked in gamification. Too strong a focus on points and badges, especially if used unreflected, being one of the examples that tend not to be very sustainable. Another source for gamification tips could be to look at some of the games on www.gamesforchange.org What I'm trying to say is that besides a technical / organizational overhaul an overhaul of the game system itself and how it motivates people should also be considered.
3. Expectation inflation
My favorite feature of sf0 are the high expectations. But the bar being set very high might also have been a reason for many people not to join. Ideally I would like to see a community where people can have light fun as well as push their boundaries if they want to.
I think the high expectation aspect of the game is very linked to only being able to post a completion once. One alternative could be to be able to complete something more than once but only let the players' best completion count or to let players' updates of tasks be more visible so people can more easily react on them.
Thank you for the input (belatedly).
My thoughts on these issues are:
1. To get people involved initially is a matter of advertisement and a good idea. To keep them involved is - in the long term - an impossible task. Basically, in your life you engage in tasks that are entertaining and challenging, realistic and rewarding. This focus and perception will always shift. --- I think the game has enough flavour to engage. What we can work on is to lower technological thresholds (some of which even the old-timers grumble about) and make it attractive for newcomers.
2. The level system is the most straightforward way to keep some goals visible, but out of reach. It does not have to be the only line of progression (see my comments below), but it is a valid one that works and that we need for compatibility with historical tasks. Actually, the thought "This task can give me five points, but it may give me hundred if I make it excellent" is what encourages excellent praxis. I think this was diluted much in supergoing, so there is another reason I am reluctant to let go of it.
3. I agree that the excellent praxis is what makes this game what it is. I agree that expectation inflation keeps me from posting mediocre praxis in favour of not posting at all. I think there are means to address this: For example, there could be more time restricted tasks (5 minute noodles). Another aspect I wanted to try (if it fits into scope) is to make it more visible what other people are working on and their progress, thus encouraging frequent updates and continuous tasks.
14/25!!
Lets get more votes! Call your old disgruntled player friends and spread the glorious news of revolution.
This sockpuppet vote equals 23 million real player votes.
What's your stance on calendar reform? On Eucalyptus tree repatriation?
Are you willing to eschew donations from big oil? Cock fighting leagues? Extraterrestrial governments?
Also, do you have any reason to believe the mysterious and secretive powers that run SF0 would endorse your plan or work to enable it? And, for that matter, why propose a new SF0 rather than an entirely new thing inspired by SF0?
To be clear, I'm a fan of both relet and SF0. But, it's far from clear the rather slow game play as of late will respond to structural changes. When I ponder why I haven't been tasking lately, an insufficiently nimble code base is pretty far down the list.
All the questions you are asking boil down to one: Change? And there is only one answer: mu.
When I look at my supporter list, I see people yearning for things to happen, for the flow and the game to return. Because without change there is no game. But does that change have to be gained by throwing away all we have created? What lore will the next generation grow up with, if we start from scratch?
What I am offering is a possibility for change, a vessel for your hopes and desires.
The centralization and closedness of the code base is certainly not the only issue with the game, and not the most visible. But if there are no longer any impulses for progress from the powers that be, then this closedness becomes the issue.
I don't know if these changes will restore my will to document. (What's Drive without documented Praxis?)
But then, I guess this isn't just about me. This is how Fresh Blood happens, right? That has my vote.
I am the oldest serving senator. As such, and for other innumerable reasons, I am by far the MOST CORRUPT. And therefore my vote is Utterly for sale. Can you promise me you'll leave the points and votes system alone until AFTER you make the system change? Can you secure the votes of any of the founding Three BEFORE you get my vote? Can you promise to uphold safe data practices and preserve the large quantity of personal information that has been held in our accounts? Can you fix my goddamn upload/email function? I got tasks I've been working on but I can't put in anything lately!
I will reach out with more of my absurd and selfish demands soon. Excelsior!
In this free market, there are cheaper votes than yours to buy. Nonetheless I am positive that your absurd and selfish demands will not remain unheard.
19 out of 25! Six more revolutionaries is all we need!!!
Also, will we be able to get Badges in the next system?
Will you design it yourself or will there be a forum for debate and discussion of new mechanics. Is it better if we help, or better if it's a mystery.
Will the Era reset and if so, what is the nature and name of this brave new era?
Personally, I am not in favor of trinkets. If there is a badge, it should give you new powers or opportunities.
In the current game, there is a single line of progression following your score. This I intend to keep, but I could imagine that certain tasks give rewards other than points that are required to unlock other lines of progression.
I like this idea. I would much rather earn a useful badge than a shiny one. Don't tell me what they do though, I want to find out the hard way
oh my god i remembered my password, this is remarkable
I'm embarassed to admit I had to have mine resent. It's been too long.
I'm overwhelmed at seeing the support this undertaking got, and I love the signal we are setting.
Of course, we will involve everyone as much as possible, be it discussion, testing, diplomacy or development. My philosophy is that the mandate is in the hand of those who act: I will put up everything for discussion, while pushing actions that are attainable or that people take. At the same time I try to do what needs to be done and fill in the blanks.
I am currently still in Nepal, but I should be able to set up the collaboration spaces soon.
Thank you :D
Remember to keep/create some secrets. I want to treasure hunt on the new site.
Sf0 is more truly alive then ever, as it is now self replicating and soon will be self sustaining.
You totally have to stand over the new code and yell "It's Alive!!!!" for me when you finish.
I'm waiting for the sex scandal, Senator.
Don't disappoint.
It's March 9th now. (Well, in my timezone anyway.) Is this happening?
Let's not taint this successful campaign with expectations, shall we not? It's been going so well so far!
I have started a roadmap here: https://github.com/relet/sf0ce/wiki/Roadmap - I will extend on this whenever my little boss is sleeping. If you have ideas, feel free to submit an issue. If you would like to contribute, send me a message. If you tell me a github username, I can give you access to the wiki and the source code as well.
I advise anyone who wants a say in the matter of things, that they comment on the road map. I'm so happy and excited to have the capability of participating in the player made revolution!!!!!
The moment should have some kind of awesome name, but my awesome name generator is in the repair shop at the moment.
How is progress. Not meaning to rush or pry, mostly just excited
Approximately months later, same exact question.
A: It's part of what I do for work. I also have access to the existing code base of sf0.