24-05-2001 06:29									#1
	I Would Like A Site Admin To Read And Respond Please. Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I am rather ambivalent about the titles associated with post count thresholds. I think I am currently a Prince, but I have no idea what it means. I've been a 'registered' member of APS since January of this year but lurked through here on several occasions shortly after Civ2 came out. I liked the information posted on the Civ2 boards which introduced new concepts about game play I would have never thought up on my own. I, however, did not like the rantings associated with most forums in general and felt it was the domain of hormone addled teenagers out to prove their manhood. Being that I was several years out of teenagerdom I didn't wish to participate. I played Civ2 until I grew tired of it, then purchased ToT and played it until the novelty wore off. I 'rediscovered' the game towards the end of 2000 and was using it as a stress reliever from work. The game was, and still is, a great way for me to get my mind of work, problems, etc... Having rediscoverd the game I thought it would be fun to play the MP version and thus remembered the Civ2 site with the strange name I had run across in the past. Through the wonders of AltaVista I found myself back at Apolyton and lurked in the Civ2 forums until I felt confident I understood the culture and the 'rituals' needed to find an MP game. I downloaded ICQ, posted info, etc.. until I realized there isn't much of an MP ToT community. Everybody that played seemed to use MGE.

One day someone posted a site that was selling MGE for less than $10.00 (Chips and Bits I think?). I clicked on the link through Apolyton and bought my very own version of MGE. I even mentioned in the sales info that I bought the game because of the Apolyton site. I then successfully found an MP game and discovered the length of time they actually take. Not something I can devout the amount of time necessary to complete at this point in my life. During this time I also discovered the OCC idea proposed by Paul. I have played nothing but this type of game since reading about it in the Civ2 forums. Having no interest in any of the other versions of Civ, I stuck to the Civ2 forums exclusively. I'm not much of a poster there since I am by no means an expert at the game and only like to play for recreation and not competition. I do, however, read a lot of the posts.

Sometime during all this (3- 4 weeks after registering) I looked at the complete list of forum topics and stumbled into OT. Oh how my life has changed. An entire community of fellow Civ players who gathered to share their thoughts on the world in general. Serious discussions. Stupid discussions. Games. Music trivia! I love music trivia! The whole Name That Tune series is like a dream come true. I even learned about a way to volunteer my computer for Cancer research. (Thanks yin!) I enjoyed reading the Gimps/Bugs posts on whatever he happens to write about. I enjoyed reading the little spats people get into over the most inconsequential nonsense. I enjoyed reading SuperSneaks take on life and general. I absolutely loved drakes Name That Tune series, but a change in work schedules precluded me from continuing to play. I did, however, shamelessly copy his format and start a later version of the game. All in all, I felt like a real member of a Community. I realize I have never, nor probably will ever, 'meet' any of these people. Even so, it is a place I enjoy spending time.

Today I logged on (after a business trip) and discovered a new BBS with lots of neat bells and whistles. I still don't know how to use them all, but eventually I'll figure it out. You can even put a picture next to your name. How cool is that! Some people even have pictures they made themselves. Even cooler! So I directed my browser towards the control panel, changed my settings, and looked into adding a picture next to my name. I'm not defined by Civ so I wanted to find out how to add a custom picture. I scrolled through the the available Avatars figuring I would stumble across the way to upload your own. Nope. Hmmmm. So next I jump to the Apolyton Community forum and start scrolling through the posts. I see mention of OT posts not counting towards post totals anymore and I also find out you have to have over 1000 posts to get your own customized Avatar. Doing some more checking, I also find out I am somewhere in the 300's as far as post count goes. Far, far from ever getting a custom Avatar.

Since I have registered, I have followed the posted rules about spamming, staying On Topic, etc.. in the forums. When I read threads I'm interested in, I don't post silly one line responses. I don't engage in battles over pride and hurt feelings. And I've been very respectful of other posters and moderators. I ask questions when I'm not sure about doing the proper thing. I understand the owners wanting to extend a modicum of control over how things are operated, and I appreciate the job the moderators do in keeping 'order'. People can get mean, silly, and/or stupid and I like and appreciate the fact it is hard to get carried away doing so. Anyway, on to my real complaint.

I would very much like to use a customized Avatar by my name. It is a very silly and immature reaction, but I'm pissed about the 1000 post limit on customization. Had I spammed my way to the required threshold in the last 5 months, I could do that now. Myself, and those like me, who have followed the rules, avoided pointless spamming, and have not made a nuisance of themselves are being penalized. I've noticed all the moderators are sporting customized Avatars and almost every person who is eligible to do so has added one to their name. This is another way for members to add their 'uniqueness' to the community. By excluding me from doing so, I feel like I am not welcome here. While I am certainly not the most visible or active poster, I do feel a sort of bond to other members of the OT community. Something I would like to continue to be a part of. Although I understand their is no obligation to do so, I would like to know why I am not able to use a customized Avatar? What is the rationale of 1000 posts? Why am I getting worked up over something so trivial? Thank you for wading through this.

	24-05-2001 07:13									#2
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I posted a similar sentiment (though I have not been as thoughtful or as restrained in my time here) in this thread:
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthre...;threadid=19314

Yep...here we go...this policy is not very well thought out.

FREE THE AVATARS!

	24-05-2001 10:13									#3
	Suffering from ads?

Either:

1. Down with the post counts, or

2. All posts should be counted equally.

	24-05-2001 10:37									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

Maybe instead of "punishing" off topic posters it would be wiser to reward on topic posters in some other way......course then there would be something new to whine about

	24-05-2001 11:13									#5
	Remove this text

I agree that post count should be counted the same in all fora, but, I see MBlooms point with the On-Topic posts.

I have maybe 200, since my MP days have been over for a while, but I'm #9 on the overall list for posts, and my post rate is way up since becoming OT mod.

I think that a good compromise would be to make the custom avatar feature available to posters over time, say three months, or some standard that rewards quality and participation, not just post quantity. That's subjective, so it shouldn't be too high a bar - just enough to keep the one post a year, the DL's, and the troublemakers from doing it (and who knows what they'd try to get in a 64 by 64 image :eek, and enough so that all the regular posters in the community feel they have access to this sort of personalization.

	24-05-2001 11:33									#6
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat I agree that post count should be counted the same in all fora, but, I see MBlooms point with the On-Topic posts. I have maybe 200, since my MP days have been over for a while, but I'm #9 on the overall list for posts, and my post rate is way up since becoming OT mod.

Oh I get it - you docked 2000 posts off me for nothing just to get within striking distance.

One good thing about the new rule post count rules is we'll have just have to visit our old pals Mark and Dan more often.

	24-05-2001 15:33									#7
	I agree with MBloom and Sneaky Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

I also posted elsewhere that the number needed for a custom avatar is on the high side for civ/smac players (Shaka's thread, I believe). Why not lower the requirement to 700, 500, or even 300 posts? Surely that is enough to show your loyalty to the boards. I have talked to people about it (MTG for one), and all agree that it seems a bit steep, now that Off-Topic doesn't count. I'm not being a hypocrite here, as I post on six other forums besides the off-topics, but the Off-Topics did get my count over 2500+ in less than five months. Maybe 800+ is in on-topic forums. Is it really that important to be so elitest in this matter? Can't you reconsider just a wee bit, Mark/Dan? For the sake of the cool people who don't post a lot, if nothing else.