FL Promotion Thread

Thing is: there needs to be a selection of mods to show. People want screenies and shiny stuff, not a list of things and huge blocks of text that do their best to avoid mentioning any mod.

I know the big mods get more advertising, as is usual. Having taken part in a lot of mod projects, I can tell you I know the feeling. What I do know however is that:

1. If we do nothing, the player base does not grow.
2. If we do something, maybe the big servers will benefit the most initially, but there’s a good possibility those new people will branch out after a while looking for new interesting places.
3. We can’t possibly list all existing mods in FL.

With this in mind, I’d say it’d be a shame NOT to do something, even if it doesn’t include all mods. A line has to be drawn somewhere, and I’d say it would be best to keep it relatively small.

@Drags: I hope you realize that in a poll, the most POPULAR mods would get the favor. Not necessarily the best, not necessarily the most developed or the most innovative mod; only the ones which have gathered the highest amounts of people: the big mods you are complaining get all the new players. Making a poll would actually be a surefire way to restrict this whole process to only (very) large mods.

Why can’t there be an extensive list of mods to accompany the promotion? I strongly agree with keeping the main promotion short to catch people’s attention but then if they’re interested give them a link to some more. In this case a list of mods. Keep the list simple, a name, a small image, a description in 500 characters, and a link to a promotional page for the mod, all supplied by the mod’s developer(s) of course.

That’s the sort of thing that would draw me in. Once something like this catches my eye I’ll happy spend some time browsing through a fairly long list relating to it, even more so if there is some images or colour to break it up.

I think both FriendlyFire and Icely pretty much hit it spot on, and in this case adding a link to the ModDB page for people to peruse would be good, as that’s just a straight up list of mods (too bad ModDB is a bit of a pain in the ass for modders themselves to work with, but it’s the best straight up list I can think of).

Also, Dragonite, I totally know how you feel. I was surprised to see Flak on an ad like this, as it’s generally very under the radar, and never gets any mention.

Nice idea, would it not however be easier all round, including keeping it useful and current, to just add a sticky, with a list into the forum.

Straight forward alphabetical mod name that is hyperlinked to wherever the mod team/server operator wants for that mod.

You can thus keep the basically good promotion idea focussed on current Freelancer capabilities, then link from this to a list for further perusal. As this further list will direct to fotums, pages etc. that are kept on top of it should streamline everything.

Apart from the problems with ModDB mentioned, it is organised by date of last post so sometimes hard to find current mods.

However, if we actually host the information instead of linking to other sites, we gain:

A) A permanent database of mods which could be updated and kept for future times. If a mod disappears, its status can be updated to reflect such thing instead of just arriving on a blank page which could just mean it’s moved.

B) A way to integrate into the global Starport site all of the mod’s content. Anything that’s uploaded in the mod’s section could also be automatically integrated in the site’s video section, image section, etc. It could be used for the Mod Spotlight, it could be used for front page news…

C) It might actually strengthen inter-server interactions.

Just seems a lot of work when many people have referred to time shortages in last few weeks.

1. To get on list you need to put mod in download section would mitigate this point… If it goes then the current repository would still have the mod. If redirect ends up at blank space then easy to remove link. Players will appreciate a living resource rather than something living in the past reflecting on what it used to have. Any new players will want what is about now.

2. If mod makers/ server owners cannot be bothered to do this for the mod why should Starport do their donkey work? Many of the admins on here are talented and could possibly be better using time elsewhere for FL ranther than wet nursing other people who can’t be bothered to maintain mod related material. If they do keep updated then the redirect from the “stickt” will work. Mod spotlight is a good idea but has not transpired since it was first mooted. In fact I sent a pm to an admin weeks ago, no reply. I would rather admins spent time replying than chasing after nice pictures from mod makers.

3. It might not.

And fundamentally it will not be fully appreciated by many.

@FriendlyFire:

However, if we actually host the information instead of linking to other sites, we gain:

A) A permanent database of mods which could be updated and kept for future times. If a mod disappears, its status can be updated to reflect such thing instead of just arriving on a blank page which could just mean it’s moved.

B) A way to integrate into the global Starport site all of the mod’s content. Anything that’s uploaded in the mod’s section could also be automatically integrated in the site’s video section, image section, etc. It could be used for the Mod Spotlight, it could be used for front page news…

C) It might actually strengthen inter-server interactions.

This is pretty much my rationale for the “Mod Section” (or “Global Mod List” as Cheese put it - http://the-starport.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=1677.new#new). ModDB is great, but it just doesn’t feel quite as “roomy” as something possibly designed here.

Think it was a great idea/advert.

Good to put in the Total Conversion - why? Because it’s Freelancer converted into another game. If they’re bored with normal FL, then a total conversion may be great. It may also be a way to attract people who otherwise wouldn’t have played FL by linking it with Star Wars!! Nice

As for the second. Who cares which mod it is? As long as it is good, fun, and doesn’t crash or require extensive installation and 1001 instructions + can’t be played in SP + requires special server role playing - then any mod would be a good idea.

Is the point to try and make one mod appear better than the others, or pique interest in FL??? If they play some FL and one of those two mods, there is a bloody good chance they’ll search for more and discover more!

Is the point to try and make one mod appear better than the others, or pique interest in FL??? If they play some FL and one of those two mods, there is a bloody good chance they’ll search for more and discover more!

Nope the point is to improve interaction betwen server admins and to make this community stronger than it already is. In order to do that we need to shun the times of old where it was everyone for himself and instead replace that with working together and assisting each other in a common goal……namely the survival of freelancer.

To be honest i would prefer that these ads were a more regular thing and each time one was done a random and diffeent set of mods were featured. This way it gfives a total unbiased approach and shows the people not playing freelancer that there are still a large number of mods around and also gives the smaller mods a chance to get some new players as well.

Personally i like the FL community apraoch to things and that is when a new player signs up to our site and say "im looking for a server can you point me in the right direction , we dont give them a name of a server we point them in the direction of the flserver ring and tell them that by clicking one of the links thy can fine info on any of the servers listed ther. This then means its down to the payer where he or she goes and gives every server a fair chance to get that new player.

Nope the point is to improve interaction betwen server admins and to make this community stronger than it already is.

No, it isnt which is the point! This is a plain FL advert. It doesnt even have anything to do with server admins.

ahhh bollocks to it then,

For a 6 year old game any advertisement is good advertisement. So like the global tourney idea the important point is to make it happen rather than make everyone happy.

BSG DOW has an FTL Jump System , means u can make Jumps to other systems or inner system using chords .You need specila cargo with is used as fuel for the ftl jumps .