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Post by Stephen on Apr 18, 2007 14:55:04 GMT -5
Okay guys, the first step is complete... VDP now has its own dedicated board on this forum. I put it at the top so that it will get more views and be seen easier.
Let's move all discussion here please.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 18, 2007 15:25:09 GMT -5
Kirk, we will have two types of VDP web content... temporary and permanent.
All permanent content will go on the dedicated VDP page on the Indy site... stuff like FAQ's, downloading info, download links, etc.
All temp content will go in an upcoming issue of ISD... such as game reports, news items, etc. This will allow a wider audience to see the material and drive traffic to the VDP page, hopefully wrangling a few new VDP players for us.
One thing I've learned from doing this site... people come back to see the NEW, FRESH material. When they are viewing this new, fresh material they'll follow the links they find on it and try to read more about the topics presented to them.
That means VDP needs constant representation in ISD. So my suggestion is that you submit a game report for every game played... even if its only two or three sentences as a summary. Then I'll post them in the next issue of ISD and the result will be a lot more people visiting the VDP area of the site... which is what we want.
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for taking on the content generation... that's a big help. No way could I have done this otherwise.
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Post by AP on Apr 18, 2007 17:04:13 GMT -5
Stephen, I can head up getting the rules page put together. It may take some playing & hashing out online, but I will get the basics started & we can all discuss from there. If no one else is interested in creating a graphic I would be happy to do that as well.
Rex, you did a good job with explaining how to login to vassal on an earlier post - would you be willing to take that info you posted and expand on it for an official log in process?
Kevan is working on the planes and I will continue to help him with that.
I would not know how to create another emulator like vassal, but I am sure someone out there does so Kirk, if you cannot get a hold of the creator I am sure we will find somebody.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 18, 2007 20:41:21 GMT -5
Just a nice little button will do... something that we can distribute to other sites to use as a direct link to the VDP page of IndySquadron.com.
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Post by kirkh on Apr 18, 2007 20:51:26 GMT -5
I tried contacting George Long with the two e-mail addresses I have for him but both got bounced back. At this point I'm not sure how we'd go about modifying his DP module.
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Post by kirkh on Apr 18, 2007 22:03:13 GMT -5
Back when George Long and I tried to get VDP started up last time around August of '04 we started a forum over at Delphi called the Dawn Patrol Cyber Jasta. I checked it out for the first time in years a few minutes ago and amazingly enough there was actually a bit of activity there a couple months ago. Two guys were looking for a way to play DP online using VASSAL. I've e-mailed both of them with the URL for this site so hopefully we'll have two additional players in the near future.
This is actually promising. I know there are people out there like me that have this great game sitting on their bookshelf but simply haven't had an opportunity to play it. I may needto leave word over at The Aerodrome forum as well as at the Consimworld DP forum.
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Post by kevan on Apr 18, 2007 23:45:32 GMT -5
I tried contacting George Long with the two e-mail addresses I have for him but both got bounced back. At this point I'm not sure how we'd go about modifying his DP module. As far as I understand things, we would need his permission to replace his module with a newly modified one. I believe that we can just post up a completely new module if we can't get ahold of him. Stephen, I would be pleased to help provide content once I've got the new module going at a good pace.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 19, 2007 8:55:51 GMT -5
Posting on sim forums is a good idea. It would be cool to pick up those players from your old forum if possible... in the DP universe, two players is a big deal. Kevan, another thing you could provide is quick, three or four sentence news updates on what is going on with the module. That in itself is content. People want to know exactly what is being updated and what they can look forward to. NOTE TO ALL: The next issue of ISD is slated for April 22nd. I need any VDP news content by 12 noon Sunday. Remember, even short blurbs of a few sentences are just fine. It doesn't have to be long... just clear and informative.
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Rex
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Posts: 118
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Post by Rex on Apr 19, 2007 9:25:14 GMT -5
WOW!!!!
I took a few days off from reading the forums and VDP Explodes!
I am so glad to see this much activity and enthusiasm for On-line play. I was starting to slack off a bit and this has got me charged up again. ok were to start?
Stephen, Thank you for all the support. It was your encouraging words in response to my first post about VDP that gave me the drive to get the first game going. I will be happy to submit content for the new VDP pages. In fact I will start write ups for all 3 Bloody April games today. I get them to you as soon as I can. Hopefully by the end of today.
Andy, Yes, I will start a vassal install guide and send it on to Stephen to post.
Kevan, Yes you are correct. Unless you are listed as a contributor for the Dawn patrol module on the vassal site, you will not be able to add updates to that modules folder. So unless we can contact George, we will have to Upload it as if it were a new module. Since the current module reports itself as ver 1.0 I suggest we call your next ver 1.1 or something else appropriate. I have been poking around with module creation as well, and have some Ideas for feature changes. I will start a new thread here for feature requests and suggestions that can be incorporated into upcoming updates. BTW, there is a yahoo group for Vassalengine that is for module creators and is very active. I suggest you also check out the FAQ on the vassalengine.org site as it has suggestions for reducing the size of modules.
Kirk, Thanks for joining the fray and welcome. I have been shotgunning email to any Addresses I can get my hands on and have been compiling my own master list of working Dawn Patrol email addresses. It includes email addresses of players listed in the player list for VDP on the vassalengine.org module page, the global DP player email list on the ISD site and the members section of this forum. (at least the ones that are visible.) I am still going through the forum list looking for ones that I didn't get from the other 2 sources. I also posted Game announcements on the Dawn Patrol Yahoo group and the Dawn Patrol forum at Boardgamegeek.com.
I figured the best chance to put together VDP games with at least four players would be to get the word out to as many players as possible. I don't know if we want to publish a master list like this since it duplicates so many other sources and will be hell to keep updated, Stephen what are your thoughts.
Once again, thank you all for the support. I'm glad to see that my push to get VDP rolling is now taking on a life of its own. I look forward to years of on-line games to come.
-Rex
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Post by Stephen on Apr 19, 2007 11:17:10 GMT -5
Stephen, Thank you for all the support. It was your encouraging words in response to my first post about VDP that gave me the drive to get the first game going. Was it Kirk who was doing so much on VDP about a year or so ago? I think he got a little discouraged but he - or whoever it was - deserves a lot of credit for initially getting info out about Vassal as well. Until then I'd never heard of it. Andy, I suggest that we make the rules package pretty relaxed and let the players in the game make most of those decisions. I'm sure it will take form as we go as well. Rex, I don't think we should make a separate email list. ISD already has the Worldwide DP Email Directory and it might be confusing to add another list. Maybe our best publicity option is just to steer everyone to this forum as a clearinghouse for contacts and communication. Hey, wait... I've go it! Here's what we'll do... if you want to keep an email list for VDP, send it to me (with their permission, of course). The current WWDP Email Directory has two listings - one alphabetical, the other by squadron. I'll incorporate the new listings directly into the alphabetical listing, and then create a virtual VDP squadron where all VDP players will be listed. That will allow us to quickly and easily see email addresses for VDP players without confusing the issue with a whole new list. see the WWDP Email Directory on the SOCIETY RESOURCES page and you'll see what I mean.
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Post by AP on Apr 19, 2007 12:10:03 GMT -5
RULES: I see the main problems coming when users that ONLY have the 7th edition get blind-sided with updates that some of us veterans have been using for years. I agree that we dont need a 'set-in-stone' online rulebook, rather as much rule data as possible posted online. Ideally Mr. Carr would have all 'official' updates posted on the DP website for the community to use...but that is dreaming. So in the meantime I will take Kirk's excel spreadsheet & add to it... if he does not mind of course
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Orion
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Posts: 127
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Post by Orion on Apr 23, 2007 9:38:16 GMT -5
Two guys were looking for a way to play DP online using VASSAL. I've e-mailed both of them with the URL for this site so hopefully we'll have two additional players in the near future. I am one of those two people Kirk, thanks for your efforts! I am looking forward to playing. Dan a.k.a "Orion"
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Post by Stephen on Apr 23, 2007 9:47:47 GMT -5
I'm glad you're here, Dan. Not only can you play online now, but you're close enough to Indy to make an occasional trip here for FTF games as well. Welcome!
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Post by kirkh on Apr 23, 2007 11:22:42 GMT -5
Yes, that was me a few years ago trying to push DP using VASSAL. George Long developed the module and we tried to get players to try it out. We even set up a forum over at Delphi called the Dawn Patrol Cyber Jasta that never really took off. That's where Dan (Orion) posted a message a couple months ago and I just happened to check it last week for the first time in a couple years. The last time around I sent a group e-mail to everyone on the E-mail directory at this site trying to drum up interest. I also began compiling a list of players with pertinent info such as DP experience, VASSAL experience, preferred times to play, etc. My goal then (and still today) is to be able to have a list of people we can go to so that if someone wants to play a game they can send out a group e-mail and have hopefully three or more respondants. In my perfect VDP world there would be a regular game night where everyone can meet at the same time every week as well as "pickup" games at other times. I'd suggest the weekly game use 7th edition rules so that anyone can participate but the rules for the "pickup" games be at the discretion of the participants.
BTW, for anyone not familiar with DP or VDP, in VASSAL you can join in as a spectator. In that way if you know there's a game and just want to watch and see how the game is played, that can be done as well.
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Post by gblemings on Apr 23, 2007 11:50:31 GMT -5
ok, i added my name to the list, in vdp (1.1) folder...so feel free to email me for any upcoming games.
I like your perfect vdp world, thought, on having a regular gaming, night/venue. That way, if everyone knows, when that is, they can just drop by....if we have enough people, then at anyone gaming event, their should be enough games to play.
Not sure if this is feasible, but perhaps, when playing vdp, games, part of the setup would include 'late players joining'.
My though is, game night, 8:30, 5 people join up and start playing, 45 minutes later, 2 more people show up, have extra rules so they can join into the fray, on the fly sort of speaking....
just a thought, dont know if its feasible or not...just might help evolve bigger games, and fit into more peoples time frames (ie: some people might not be able to play till later).
thanks garyb
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