Child Safe & Solo Play
by Jack Nunn · in ThinkTanks · 12/27/2003 (9:02 am) · 49 replies
Can anyone tell me exactly what the "Child Safe Filter" does? This feature is disabled in the demo so I can't tell exactly how "safe" it makes the game. Other games I've tried with language filters and similar "child safe" features are generally useless as people will just add spaces or otherwise get around the filter. My son loves the demo but I'm not sure I'm willing to let him venture into the on-line world. I think turning off this feature in the demo was a mistake as it could be a good selling point. Getting kicked off every few minutes you can't really get more than a taste of on-line play with the demo anyway and my son will not get even that.
Also, how well done are the solo games? The three levels that come with the demo are very easy. Are the additional levels more of the same just more and more opponents, or is there some attempt to add variety. If the solo levels are any good I may buy him the full game just for these.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Also, how well done are the solo games? The three levels that come with the demo are very easy. Are the additional levels more of the same just more and more opponents, or is there some attempt to add variety. If the solo levels are any good I may buy him the full game just for these.
Thanks in advance for your help.
About the author
#42
For most of the bozos out there I was the inventor of the "fox Hunt" works well on most. As for the obnoxious ones being an adult it is not hard to ignore or just leave these idiots alone to their own blathering. But for the children who are stuck having to deal with this sub-level of behavouir we def. need some kind of solution. - I am in agrrement with -z- on the point of vote listing/kicking - it would be used too often to oastrasize people based on likes/dislikes and would ruin the flavour of the game.I kinda am leaning towards the subscription idea in combination with an ignore the individual functionality. I think as a game it would be onerous on any company to have to supervise on a continual basis what goes on , however screen shots should be sent and investigated with records tracked back to the IP address, if that IP address continues to cause trouble, then banlist it. Also the one time listing of a nickname that could only be changed through intial purchase or after by special request would go a long way to reduce the imposter/spew problem.
from the Leopard's den
12/30/2003 (8:49 am)
Posted this on the Ban Hoosane thread however appears appropriate for here as well:For most of the bozos out there I was the inventor of the "fox Hunt" works well on most. As for the obnoxious ones being an adult it is not hard to ignore or just leave these idiots alone to their own blathering. But for the children who are stuck having to deal with this sub-level of behavouir we def. need some kind of solution. - I am in agrrement with -z- on the point of vote listing/kicking - it would be used too often to oastrasize people based on likes/dislikes and would ruin the flavour of the game.I kinda am leaning towards the subscription idea in combination with an ignore the individual functionality. I think as a game it would be onerous on any company to have to supervise on a continual basis what goes on , however screen shots should be sent and investigated with records tracked back to the IP address, if that IP address continues to cause trouble, then banlist it. Also the one time listing of a nickname that could only be changed through intial purchase or after by special request would go a long way to reduce the imposter/spew problem.
from the Leopard's den
#43
THE KID WILL NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS OBCENITY UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE
I'm sure glad you're not the ones in charge in the real world.
www.runescape.com has taken the matter seriously. Is this really brain surgery ?
PS: The funny thing is that you're willing to accept as fate that there will be wicked people on line, no matter what. But you refuse the fact that there will always be kids chatting also.
12/30/2003 (9:57 am)
This is a nightmare - I can't even have people agree on the most basic human rejection and outright appalling behavior. What some here are recommending is that a child who's faced with an adult proferring obcenity at him should just be told to plug his ears. That's it. Nothing more can be done. Read my lips guys:THE KID WILL NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS OBCENITY UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE
I'm sure glad you're not the ones in charge in the real world.
www.runescape.com has taken the matter seriously. Is this really brain surgery ?
PS: The funny thing is that you're willing to accept as fate that there will be wicked people on line, no matter what. But you refuse the fact that there will always be kids chatting also.
#44
is not a solution, this is just useful tool. It can be found here on 56k' site. Download and unpack.... what to do then
- decide yourself, but it works and works well.
Anyway WE NEED not only one script, BUT ORGANIZED COMMUNITY.
We need REGISTRATION, BANNING and RULES for players.
IT IS NECCESSARY for all of us to use only one name so that
the jerks using thousands of names, abusing children and pissing off players
can be banned. I dunno how to do this, but this is what WE NEED.
12/30/2003 (10:41 am)
I COMPLETELY agree with you, Stan. Sure, ignore script is not a solution, this is just useful tool. It can be found here on 56k' site. Download and unpack.... what to do then
- decide yourself, but it works and works well.
Anyway WE NEED not only one script, BUT ORGANIZED COMMUNITY.
We need REGISTRATION, BANNING and RULES for players.
IT IS NECCESSARY for all of us to use only one name so that
the jerks using thousands of names, abusing children and pissing off players
can be banned. I dunno how to do this, but this is what WE NEED.
#46
@Stan,
I don't know what to say. You seem intent on putting us down know matter what we say or do. ThinkTanks is not a MMPORPG, and the business model, servers, payment structure and game are not built like one.
It is not rocket science to implement all of this, but it would take more resources than we have to expend on this problem in the manner you want it addressed.
I take this seriously, but I don't see why you have to continually abuse us.
your continued commentary on this subject, in the manner which you are presenting yourself, is not helping the situation, nor is it making me more inclined to listen to your point of view. You only seem to want to insult me for trying to explain why things are the way they are.
To make it perfectly clear.. I Understand where you are coming from. It is not lack of desire to act that is causing what you perceive as reluctance, it is the fact that implementing what you are suggesting the way you suggesting it is NOT GOING TO WORK.
If you are that dissatisfied with the purchase and the way we are working to address the problem, we can work with GarageGames to get your money refunded.
12/30/2003 (1:02 pm)
The idea of subscription based 'safe' servers is a good one. This is something we probably could find a way to do. One would have to subscribe and 'opt in' to the rules and regulations of the 'safe' servers, as well as pay a monthly fee to take care of the server costs and the administration of the servers. Note that this would be a pretty significant undertaking to set this up, so we would need many people to 'opt in' beforehand to consider this option. @Stan,
I don't know what to say. You seem intent on putting us down know matter what we say or do. ThinkTanks is not a MMPORPG, and the business model, servers, payment structure and game are not built like one.
It is not rocket science to implement all of this, but it would take more resources than we have to expend on this problem in the manner you want it addressed.
I take this seriously, but I don't see why you have to continually abuse us.
your continued commentary on this subject, in the manner which you are presenting yourself, is not helping the situation, nor is it making me more inclined to listen to your point of view. You only seem to want to insult me for trying to explain why things are the way they are.
To make it perfectly clear.. I Understand where you are coming from. It is not lack of desire to act that is causing what you perceive as reluctance, it is the fact that implementing what you are suggesting the way you suggesting it is NOT GOING TO WORK.
If you are that dissatisfied with the purchase and the way we are working to address the problem, we can work with GarageGames to get your money refunded.
#47
I am not going to continue to try to explain why things are the way they are as it seems that certain people are not willing to understand the issues that we are confronted with and the reasons why we are proceeding as we are.
Here are my last comments on the subject:
We are against bad language and we are appalled by anything resembling child predation.
We are not going to take responsibility for anyones children. We put a child filter in to give parents the tools to control their children's access to content they find objectionable. If a person chooses not to use the child filter, please do not throw the blame on us. We cannot control the internet, and we cannot control what people say or type. We have given the indivudual who has purchased the game the ability to prevent this content from coming through. This is the only bullet-proof method of making sure no objectionable content gets through.
We are not 'pro-pervert', but we are not going to spend tens of thousands of dollars to solve a problem that is solvable by hitting a checkbox in the option menu. In time, we would love to add more tools to help with this problem. At the present time, it is not possible given the resources we have at our disposal.
We are not going to dis-allow demo chatting. We need to sell units in order to keep working on this game and to stay in business, and taking the chat out of the demo will, in our opinion, reduce sales.
We do not presently have a backend server solution to handle all of this banning, logging, and tracking. If we were to add it in, it would take time and resources to create it and require significant changes to the game, which means time to develop, test, and deploy, as well as resources to pay for server space and bandwidth, additonal support and customer service, and administration of the game to keep it 'clean'.
We want to improve the game and make the game better for all to enjoy. We do not have unlimited resources with which to do this. We are doing what we can with what we have.
We want to continue to make things better, but everyone must understand that while nothing is impossible, much of what has been presented in this thread is not really practical.
If the fact that at this point in time we do not have the means to make a solutiuon that solves the problem to your satisfaction, then I can only say that I am sorry to have lost you as a customer.
If anyone wants to offer any help, code up a security solution for us and we will see what we can do about integrating it into ThinkTanks. Alternatly, we are not opposed to someone fronting us the money to sub-contract someone to implement such a security solution for us, pay for the servers, or pay our salaries to add features to the game.
If people would be interested in a 'safe' server pay-to-play scenario (subscription based) then add a comment here.
12/30/2003 (1:02 pm)
@Everyone,I am not going to continue to try to explain why things are the way they are as it seems that certain people are not willing to understand the issues that we are confronted with and the reasons why we are proceeding as we are.
Here are my last comments on the subject:
We are against bad language and we are appalled by anything resembling child predation.
We are not going to take responsibility for anyones children. We put a child filter in to give parents the tools to control their children's access to content they find objectionable. If a person chooses not to use the child filter, please do not throw the blame on us. We cannot control the internet, and we cannot control what people say or type. We have given the indivudual who has purchased the game the ability to prevent this content from coming through. This is the only bullet-proof method of making sure no objectionable content gets through.
We are not 'pro-pervert', but we are not going to spend tens of thousands of dollars to solve a problem that is solvable by hitting a checkbox in the option menu. In time, we would love to add more tools to help with this problem. At the present time, it is not possible given the resources we have at our disposal.
We are not going to dis-allow demo chatting. We need to sell units in order to keep working on this game and to stay in business, and taking the chat out of the demo will, in our opinion, reduce sales.
We do not presently have a backend server solution to handle all of this banning, logging, and tracking. If we were to add it in, it would take time and resources to create it and require significant changes to the game, which means time to develop, test, and deploy, as well as resources to pay for server space and bandwidth, additonal support and customer service, and administration of the game to keep it 'clean'.
We want to improve the game and make the game better for all to enjoy. We do not have unlimited resources with which to do this. We are doing what we can with what we have.
We want to continue to make things better, but everyone must understand that while nothing is impossible, much of what has been presented in this thread is not really practical.
If the fact that at this point in time we do not have the means to make a solutiuon that solves the problem to your satisfaction, then I can only say that I am sorry to have lost you as a customer.
If anyone wants to offer any help, code up a security solution for us and we will see what we can do about integrating it into ThinkTanks. Alternatly, we are not opposed to someone fronting us the money to sub-contract someone to implement such a security solution for us, pay for the servers, or pay our salaries to add features to the game.
If people would be interested in a 'safe' server pay-to-play scenario (subscription based) then add a comment here.
#48
All I'm saying is that all these added protective features are meaningless so long as the offender's side of the issue is not even adressed. Right now they don't run the slightest risk of being sanctioned, not even a slap on the wrist. Nothing. There isn't even a basic code of conduct to remind the players that they must keep a certain decency.
This is WRONG, and it will always be wrong in my book. This is not natural catastrophes we're dealing against, it's human beings. They can be either encouraged or discouraged in their actions.
I will not send any messages again - good luck and keep the 40 bucks.
PS: I am sincerely grateful to all the players who have actively supported me on this extremely sensitive issue. Thanks in particular to: KILLER77 - FATMAN - SUPRA - DASH - TNT - RUMRUNNER - WILLOW - LEOPARD - SERIAL KILLER - ROLLON - NATHAN - RACER445 - GOFORIT and all the others who haven't had the time to get involved but who share our views.
12/30/2003 (1:31 pm)
For the last time. I am not insulting anyone nor am I sujbecting anybody to abuse. Trust me, I know the true meaning of these words better than ever. All I'm saying is that all these added protective features are meaningless so long as the offender's side of the issue is not even adressed. Right now they don't run the slightest risk of being sanctioned, not even a slap on the wrist. Nothing. There isn't even a basic code of conduct to remind the players that they must keep a certain decency.
This is WRONG, and it will always be wrong in my book. This is not natural catastrophes we're dealing against, it's human beings. They can be either encouraged or discouraged in their actions.
I will not send any messages again - good luck and keep the 40 bucks.
PS: I am sincerely grateful to all the players who have actively supported me on this extremely sensitive issue. Thanks in particular to: KILLER77 - FATMAN - SUPRA - DASH - TNT - RUMRUNNER - WILLOW - LEOPARD - SERIAL KILLER - ROLLON - NATHAN - RACER445 - GOFORIT and all the others who haven't had the time to get involved but who share our views.
#49
Sorry to hear that, Stan.
I suppose one solution would be the ICQ solution, where you would only hear Chat from the people on a client-side list you create. All others would be ignored. I could copy-paste TankGirl's "Well Endowed" list and set TT to ignore all others when my nephew plays so that he only hears from the respectable community. This would require no server changes or moderators. It's just an extended version of the "ignore" function. The parent finds out who is okay to hear, and then sets it so his/her kids only hear chat from those.
Any comments?
12/30/2003 (7:09 pm)
I suppose one solution would be the ICQ solution, where you would only hear Chat from the people on a client-side list you create. All others would be ignored. I could copy-paste TankGirl's "Well Endowed" list and set TT to ignore all others when my nephew plays so that he only hears from the respectable community. This would require no server changes or moderators. It's just an extended version of the "ignore" function. The parent finds out who is okay to hear, and then sets it so his/her kids only hear chat from those.
Any comments?
Bill (aka Him)
What about using the idea of the "double DRM" to also implement the name registration. You could offer this for an additional fee and would include access to "protected" servers and perks like more maps or tanks personalized skins and such. This way you can create some sort of revenue stream to help offset the development cost. This way the die hard fans or concerned parents could take the game to another level.
@at large
The ignore function needs to be only related to you and your choice of people to ignore. I agree that it needs to easy to implement (i.e. click on tank name) but that likely means interface changes. Perhaps the ignore option could also be triggered by word recognition. I think the list should be perpetual so that known
offenders are always ignored. Name based ignoring should work fairly well with no ip or other data needed. Any player determined enough to constantly change their name would spend just as much
time trying to get past any other scheme. Feedback to the player being ignored that they are being ignored will also help curb that behavior. As far suppressing Demo chat goes, NO WAY!!! These are the future TT community for better or worse. Demos need be able to feel like they can join and be a part of a community or they will just leave.
I am adamantly against banning or booting players. In the end this never works. In my time playing TT (since it was released) I have seen a lot of players go from most hated to well respected. The reason is that they wanted to be a part of the community we have created. I believe that is why the various leagues are so important. They give TT depth, after all you can’t join if no will let you.
In the mean time BT has provided an option. The child safe filter may not be perfect but it’s an option that solves the issue in very efficient manner. I believe that it is safe to say the BT is looking to address this issue.
Him