Is this legal?

[Chax]

Since only the planet with incoming can see the size of the hostile fleet, let alone scan it the need arises for some way of staying safe at night. Bots and scripts are illegal. Babysitting is illegal. Setting an alarm every hour is impractical. So what can one do?

1. install a screen reader.
2. set the screen reader to give a loud signal when you have hostile
3. get a long extension cord for headphones
4. Get a long extension cord for the mouse
5. position pointer over overview in the menu.
6. remove mouseball and right button.
7. place mouse under pillow
8. wear headphones.
9. go to bed.
10. turn over in sleep to check planet.
11. get woken if there are hostiles.

[Jorinn]

Yup, does sound a bit stupid alright, along with what spinner said in creators about overkill fleets I'm wondering whether he's avoiding targeting the game at both new and old players and just not at anyone at all.

[smeg9]

I see, but to stop timeouts, you would have to choose an option in game (to also read the screen) and doing this automatedly is what a bot is...

remove mouseball and right button.
7. place mouse under pillow

not sure how well that would work, and I think it will still time out...

Sorry. Best idea is to sleep, leave your mobile on LOUD and when you have incomming, get a gal mate in the opposite side of world, or one who doesn't sleep, to message you so that you can deal with it.. Attacks should still show up in galaxy status, it is only the scanning that is restricted..

[Eventh]

Originally posted by smeg9
I see, but to stop timeouts, you would have to choose an option in game (to also read the screen) and doing this automatedly is what a bot is... Sorry. Best idea is to sleep, leave your mobile on LOUD and when you have incomming, get a gal mate in the opposite side of world, or one who doesn't sleep, to message you so that you can deal with it.. Attacks should still show up in galaxy status, it is only the scanning that is restricted..

will it not show up in a alliance status?? i was hopeing that was an option.. so i could sleep without the alarmclock every hour..

[Chax]

So I assume that I'd have to ask friends from other timezones to launch 1 hostile ship at me to be able to newsie me every hour

I don't understand what you're saying about timeout though. with a mouse under the pillow it would get uncomfortable aand one is bound to toss and turn.

[ParraCida]

I'm actually not sure if that would be legal or not, having a bot would imply that the bot is interacting with planetarion by sending it requests in a digital sense. In this case though you're refreshing your browser in a mechanical way.

One thing I do know for sure though, I'm gonna get my friends to send you 1 hostile ships a few times per night next round, I would do it myself, but well, you know.. no planet etc.

[Tactitus]

Originally posted by Chax
I don't understand what you're saying about timeout though. with a mouse under the pillow it would get uncomfortable aand one is bound to toss and turn.

But if you toss and turn too much, you might recall a fleet or cancel a research or start constructing a shoe factory.

[Tactitus]

Originally posted by ParraCida
I'm actually not sure if that would be legal or not, having a bot would imply that the bot is interacting with planetarion by sending it requests in a digital sense. In this case though you're refreshing your browser in a mechanical way.

Aren't there browsers that will refresh automatically?

One thing I do know for sure though, I'm gonna get my friends to send you 1 hostile ships a few times per night next round, I would do it myself, but well, you know.. no planet etc.

I'm afraid everyone's going to want to do that next round. Getting people out of bed to scan their incoming several times a night is way better than any covert op. Probably cheaper too!

Goodbye scan planets; hello ping planets.

[isildurx]

Originally posted by Tactitus
too!

Goodbye scan planets; hello ping planets.

[smeg9]

what did you used to do before?
Have someone scan you every hour?
Surely incommings still show on news scans, I thought it was only that the information of which fleet the attacker sent would show up on military scans, meaning no real difference... Correct me If I have mis interpretted...

[Dante Hicks]

Originally posted by smeg9
what did you used to do before?

Your galaxy mates could see size of incoming, or scan, etc.

[A2]

Originally posted by Chax
1. install a screen reader.
2. set the screen reader to give a loud signal when you have hostile

That's called "using an external program to access the game" since you're not reading it yourself and is therefore covered under the "no external programs may be used to access the game" clause. I guess that the only exceptions to this would be the registered blind users that we have in the game.

Originally posted by Tactitus
Aren't there browsers that will refresh automatically?

I assume you mean Opera, and the auto-refresh option on that is banned if I remember the debate correctly from about r6 since it is the program doing the refreshing and not you. aka automated script running planet.

(note: based on the r9.5 rules)

[Dante Hicks]

Originally posted by A2
That's called "using an external program to access the game" since you're not reading it yourself and is therefore covered under the "no external programs may be used to access the game" clause. I guess that the only exceptions to this would be the registered blind users that we have in the game.

Unless I'm not understanding how it works, the screen reader simply reads the screen, it doesn't access anything. You, with your mouse, are the "accessee" as it were.

[LFFPicard]

Originally posted by A2
That's called "using an external program to access the game" since you're not reading it yourself and is therefore covered under the "no external programs may be used to access the game" clause. I guess that the only exceptions to this would be the registered blind users that we have in the game.



I assume you mean Opera, and the auto-refresh option on that is banned if I remember the debate correctly from about r6 since it is the program doing the refreshing and not you. aka automated script running planet.

(note: based on the r9.5 rules)

How are u tell tell weather it is u physically hitting refresh or opera doing it, i cant simple ban a function in a browser..

but then again it is re-requesting data from your account,
close the planet for babysitting, as it is the browser checking your data and not you.. then again might aswell close the whole universe, thats what normally happens...

there is no real way to solve this..
some people will be happy some wont..
u cant try and enforce the rules by banning programs or program functions witch tbh ther eis no real way to chekc to see weather it is the program or the player that is doing it.
Yes it may seem odd someone hitting refresh once a hour, but thats what some of us sad players do.. thats what we are used to, and what we live by

there is no way to make everyone happy in the game and still make it enjoyable..
this whole issue with the scanning and such is just another type of control.
alot of peopel hate it, some peopel like.
every one will still play it.

PA has to pull out all the stops this round to get its players back, alot have dropped out just in the transition between 9.5 and PA-X

alot more will drop out when they go to pay and find the price is almost doubel that of previous round (if they hadnt known already £10 as a posed to the £5-7 in previous rounds. )

To many clones are out there, witch are to be frank far more enjoyable to play, why? because they listen to the player.

they want this done, it gets done, they want that changed, it gets changed.

they want a fast ticking game, they get a fast ticking game.
Not goign to advertise, but one clone actually has 3games running constantly, slow, medium and fats ticks. every plays them and everyone enjoys them..

Pa still sticks to slow ticks and once ina blue moon "Speed Round" witch always costs the same as a standard round and lasts 1/50 of the time, and the excuse for the cost is server usage...

if the server is put there specially for the speed game, use it more often and then u can charge less per game.

have a one week or maybe a two week long speed game, at a fraction of the cost..
you will be suprised how many people will want to play, and will play the game..

there are many things that can be done to improve and make the game more enjoyable..
but does anyone listen to the players?

i myself have mailed Spinner on many occasions, offering ideas and sugestions, and they go ignored..
i even put myself out to get money together to run my own comp, worth £200 out of my pocket, and it gets talked about then dismissed..
(Note on that comp, i will not be doing it now even if this has reminded certain creators who has known about this for the last 2months)

Some people will bend over backwards to help out, and most get turned away or ignored..
yes some may be stupid but they dont even get listened to in the first place.

I personally over the last 3years have bent over backwards to help out, running #newbiehelp R4-5 helping in all betas R2-6, irc op R2-8, and just general helping out, portal content witch i might add, is all my original content and has been used all this round under MrBricks name.. i was the original author, of all the Help & Support content on the portal, and have all the documents here on my pc to prove, and i get no thanks or recognition, and not even asked if the content can be used for this rounds portal, with no credit due or anything..

and as of recently i have been ignored, abused and used..

to be frank i am getting fed up with it, people liek my are generally willing to help, and all they ask is a thnak you..
but we get ignored..

start listening to the players, and you may have a game worth playing in few rounds time..

as of now, it changes to suit yourself and not to what will draw the players in according to the feedbakc you would get if u ask for it..

I know i have gone on but i have been wanting to get this off my back, and finally found the time to do it..

That is all _For now_

LFFPicard

[Dave]

Originally posted by LFFPicard
How are u tell tell weather it is u physically hitting refresh or opera doing it, i cant simple ban a function in a browser..

Because it would do it every X minutes, and being a set time that is detectable?

[MrBrick]

I'm trying to work out exactly what I'm claiming to be mine, which you wrote.....


I'm on the Portal as the manual writer and the Support Manager.

I manage the support team, and I wrote the manual.....so....?

----

ON TOPIC - With regards to these issues, there will be a lovely shiny set of new rules appearing in the not-so distant future, and these issues will be touched upon.

I'll make sure a copy of them get stickied in here when they appear.

MrB

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by A2
I assume you mean Opera, and the auto-refresh option on that is banned if I remember the debate correctly from about r6 since it is the program doing the refreshing and not you. aka automated script running planet.

(note: based on the r9.5 rules)

Opera was 'unbanned' in R8 if I recall correctly.

[zek132]

they can't really catch you is u programm the refresh rate to be random... say between 1-60 min, so it's impossible to prove anything...

[Kal]

all this talk about having to scan your own hostiles etc... who said you will ever be able to scan them anway.... who says it will be possible to get all the tech you need for ships, eta, etc before the round ends. PA X is very different, knowing whats coming might not be that important, wait until the public beta before complaing (them pm spinner to death )

[LFFPicard]

Originally posted by MrBrick
I'm trying to work out exactly what I'm claiming to be mine, which you wrote.....


I'm on the Portal as the manual writer and the Support Manager.

I manage the support team, and I wrote the manual.....so....?

MrB

I am not saying that you are claiming it directly.
but looking at the portal, it says you are support manager, and that is the support content, therefore it falls under you.

a small note to say "support content credit to LFFPicard" would be nice.

not such a big deal.
also would have been nice to be asked to continue the support insetad of throwing me out and dragging someone else in.
i had been involved with support since R5

besides, some of that content eas inacurate this round as the content was never changed or re-written to accomidate the changes in the new round..

well i guess new content is going up for the next round.
atleats i hope, or the damn content will be way off....

LFFPicard

[Mr. Juggalo]

Just dont play, Planetarion is hardly worth the hassle.

[zenopus]

Originally posted by Gayle29uk
Opera was 'unbanned' in R8 if I recall correctly.

IIRC Opera was never banned, only it's timed refresh feature.
I started playing PA medio Jan 2001. I started using Opera ultimo Jan 2001 (including using the timed refresh feature).
In Nov. 2001 I was told by Zeus to stop using the timed refresh feature in Opera when accessing PA - or my planet would be deleted.

Was using this feature unbanned when the bot questions were introduced?

[G.K Zhukov]

You should see a shrink Chax

[Chax]

Originally posted by G.K Zhukov
You should see a shrink Chax

I already have done. once a week for a year. When I was at uni studying to be a shrink. It is a requirement for studying to be one.

[Eventh]

im playing another online game [for which I'm not allowed to advertise.]

on their site you can download a program who will give u a loud noise if your ship is under attack.. Planetarion should provide us with the same i think..

[Rudmer]

Am I the only one playing the game as it was intended to be?

attack a bit
defend a bit
sleep alot
playing for fun

the way some ppl are intending to play this game is comparable with sportsmen using anabolics to gain advance over other sportsmen playing the game it should be.

decide for yourself how you read this.

[Tactitus]

Originally posted by Rudmer
Am I the only one playing the game as it was intended to be?

I'm curious how you determined how the game was intended to be played. Did you find some secret instructions buried under a rock somewhere in Oslo?

[isildurx]

Originally posted by Tactitus
I'm curious how you determined how the game was intended to be played. Did you find some secret instructions buried under a rock somewhere in Oslo?

i did


It was lying under a bench in a street near Egertorget