Just a little curious.

tipster · Post by **tipster** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:42 am

How come there are only less than 10 people on at any server? Like, I've never seen more than 10 on any of the servers. And there happens to be about 200+ registered users on the forum. Usually there's more players than the registered users on the forums..

Also, there isn't any girls around here right? Just to make sure so some things that are said may offend girls but gives boys a good laugh. Just curious. Seems you don't get to choose a gender anyways so I assume not.

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:47 am

No, not always, in fact, on most forums, there are TONS of members, but they're usually people that sign up once, then never show up ever again.. in reality, I'd estimate there are less than 30 active people around here, give or take..

As for girls, yes, we have had some in the past, I believe..

Wasn't Karyn a girl? Of course, she (he?) isn't around anymore.

VDZ · Post by **VDZ** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:08 am

And Ellie...is she still around?

Post by **Mit** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:06 am

There are currently around about 120-150 different ppl playing the game every week. Which aint too bad considering the last time we actively promoted it (beyond announcements on the beta-mail list) was around 2 and a half years ago. The website gets around 250-350 separate visitors a day.

The plan is to get the galaxy version stable, finish a new, much-improved website and then go all out trying to get ppl in. If there are enough donations and world purchases this may include a paid-for advertising campaign at mpogd or somewhere similar.

The galaxy is designed to handle thousands of regular players, unlike all previous world-based versions of a-tractor which, by design, tended to get over-full once we started getting more than a couple of hundred ppl playing regularly.

Btw, there was over 25 on an island just recently (Last week on zoric).. Surprisingly it didnt even lag much :] (All versions prior to 0.1 couldnt handle much more than 10 at a time without causing lag problems. Theres been loads of nice new code added recently to counter that.)

zaroba · Post by **zaroba** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:10 am

o.O was over 25 on zoric last week?
darn, i wish i was here to see it

Post by **Magicfinger** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:35 pm

its also worthy to note that player quantities vary greatly on what country you live in... i *think* that the US has a greater player population so that those of us in the UK tend to be in bed when a lot of players are online.

If your not using the galaxy client yet it is not possible to see who is on different worlds within the universe.

tipster · Post by **tipster** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:36 pm

How do people have this "galaxy client" anyway? I mean, it wasn't for download on the site, or is it only for admin uses only?

Maybe all this information should go in a progress section on the site or maybe an FAQ.

VDZ · Post by **VDZ** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:50 pm

It's in closed beta. Only a few people can play it, to test for bugs before it goes public.

Post by **Mit** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:48 pm

At the weekend, the Galaxy client was sent out to the ppl who registered for the 'testers mailing list' (From the Register link on the frontpage).. so its kinda 'semi-public' now. It'll be available to all pretty shortly after a few of the more obvious problems have been fixed.

I understand its a bit confusing atm, tipster, and yeh.. we'll need lots of FAQs, manuals and helpguides to introduce ppl to the game in a more coherent way. All this will hopefully come with the new website due later this summer.

tipster · Post by **tipster** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:34 pm

Ah... That's what the mailing list was for...
At that section I was mainly looking for a place to register an account to play. Kinda like other online games.

If you haven't wrote up an FAQ already, I wouldn't mind writing one that answers the few basic questions people would have. As a person who has experienced the confusion of being a n00b, I think I would make a fine one. Assuming I learn most of the basics later on.

Post by **Mit** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:45 pm

That'd be kewl.. it is often rather difficult for me (and other staff who've been around a while) to know what to put in FAQs coz we know the game so well.
trees, wood n all that.

Perhaps make some notes as you go along (particularly when ya get the galaxy for the first time) and we could use the results on the new site?

VDZ · Post by **VDZ** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:22 pm

First question: how do i move in space?

I really had no idea you had to press PgUp when i first tried...

tipster · Post by **tipster** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:13 pm

Hmm, well I don't have the galaxy client yet, and I don't think I will till it goes public. It might be a long time before they start accepting beta-testers again or maybe they won't need anymore. So I can only basically write the FAQ for this client. Unless both clients happen to be the same, then it'll make it a lot easier.

btw, is the galaxy client going public anytime soon? let's say... before july?

Post by **Mit** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:22 am

yes, tipster.

VDZ, if you'd read the guide accompanying the beta trial thing you'd have known that :]. Tis the problem with FAQs.. no-one reads em

... lotta basic stuff like that will need putting in the game in the form of pop-up tips or some such.

VDZ · Post by **VDZ** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:02 am

What guide? I never got any guide.
Didn't get 1.25 or 1.26 either.
Are you sure my name is on the mailing list?

Post by **Mit** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:54 am

I dunno, are you?

VDZ · Post by **VDZ** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 11:13 am

You told me that i was on the list, right before you forwarded the e-mail.