ID:26209
 
Keywords: gtp
So, in Lexiconomy you used to find yourself in a "lounge" when entering the game, and could create rooms to play in from there. I changed this so that there were no rooms, instead there's one game going per instance of Lexiconomy... I did that for greater robustness, and anyway there was only ever one game going at a time. Then I modeled GTP after the new Lex.

But as we try to publicize BYOND more and get more users in, I'm more aware of the impression my games will make on new users to BYOND. And the games themselves are fine, but GTP, which allows players to post any image they want, has had some real shock-value sessions.

I don't really care what people do on their own time, but I do want a system that'll encourage players to stick to the rating chosen for their particular game session, so anyone joining won't be horribly shocked.

I thought I could alter GTP so that when you host a session, it asks you explicitly what you're willing to accept, and then displays that to anyone joining the game -- with a warning that if you don't comply, booting is in your future. My worry is that it won't end up mattering... that people will at some point post yucky pictures, and the host will be reluctant to boot them out, or will already have logged out, or whatever.

So the idea of going back to "rooms" has a new appeal... I could set up three default rooms with various degrees of accepted offensiveness, and you choose which room to play the game in... I could make it so that anyone booted from the "goodness and light" room X times in one month can't go back in, or whatever. I was wondering if that would make folks more likely to use booting powers (or voting-out, if I allow that) because now it's not like you're booting them out of the entire game, so it might seem less harsh.

Any ideas?
Hmmm...
If you could figure out how to only allow users to draw from a pool of pictures from something like google images with it's safe search on (with the player choosing both the keywords to search with and which picture to use from the pool), I think that might work.

However, I have no idea how you would set that up.

(Having not played GTP yet, I'm only guessing you're using non-drawn images...)
I think the former idea works a bit better: just allow the host discretion. If someone posts a racey picture who is doing it explicitly for the purpose of posting a racey picture, booting should indeed be their future, no matter who or what they are (*points with two fingers to his eyes, then points the same two fingers at Gughunter*).

You might also consider a user based vote-to-boot system that needs a 2:1 majority to allow players to get rid of other problem players whenever the host is sleeping/reading/eating/ blasting-across-the-alkali-flats-in-a-rocket-powered-monkey- navigated-sleigh.

And finally, the age-old solution also works: "This game is an online interactive game, and thus its content is subject to change based on its users. Intended for persons 16 and older."
I think goatse is intrinsic to human nature.
Aw, JT, the raciest thing I ever did with BYOND was making an icon out of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. And I told everyone it was an eggplant, so no harm done.

I haven't played GTP yet -- would it be possible to let the host preview/reject pictures before they're shown to everyone? (And perhaps the host could offer the same power to trusted players, for times when the host is AFK.)
Yeah, well, I have only one word for you: "beslat". ;-)

(I was kidding, of course. I am so very, very witty.)


I think the problem with previewing pictures is that it doesn't fit in with the model unless the host has to act as an omnipresent watchdog and can't play the game him- or herself. Get the Picture is basically Lexiconomy with pictures instead of definitions, and with phrases instead of words.
I think pretty much all sessions will default to mature anyway. Most BYOND hosts aren't bothered by bad language and foul jokes.
I wouldn't imagine many hosts taking inappropriate images as anything more than a joke.

I guess if you had your own server you could employ a 'report image' button. When pressed the image in question is cached along with the reporting and reported players keys and the age restriction of the session.
The person could then be dealt with at a later time. It's not that helpful to the players in that session, but it's something.

One more option is to display the URL to people with an accept/reject button before showing the image. That way users can half defend against stuff they don't want to see.
Yeah, well, I have only one word for you: "beslat". ;-)

Oops, I was thinking of visual images. Yes, it's possible that on occasion I may have created Lexiconomy definitions that were a bit "common," or "spicy," or "abjectly reprehensible." Ah, those were the days!