TPR's Game Exchange! BETA TESTING!

[robbalvey]

http://themeparkreview.com/upd_images/1291925076_4.jpg

 

Hey everyone!

 

We have some great news! We would like to introduce you to TPR's brand new GAME EXCHANGE!

 

What is the game exchange you ask? It's a brand new feature on TPR where you can log in, upload your roller coaster and theme park video game files, rank, trade, and share with other TPR members! We currently have over 450 different track and park files in the Game Exchange for you to browse and download.

 

Right now we are in Beta Testing for the game exchange and we could use your help to iron out any last minute problems with the system.

 

Please read ALL of the following information before going any further!

 

1. The Game Exchange is open to all active TPR Forum Members. You MUST have an active forum account in order to log into the Game Exchange.

 

2. You will notice that we are in the process of adding all the files that have been uploaded to the Games Forum into the Game Exchange. This part is very important - DO NOT UPLOAD ANY FILES THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY UPLOADED TO THE FORUM! This will create duplicates! If your old files are not visible in your account, they will be soon! Please be patient!

 

3. We very much DO need your help to populate the Game Exchange. We would like to encourage everyone to upload as many game files as possible! Please upload your tracks & Parks! Help us fill up the database! But remember, new files only! Don't upload stuff you've already uploaded to the Games Forum.

 

4. You may notice that files have already been posted under your account. Please DO NOT DELETE any files that have been uploaded already. You may, however, edit the descriptions or upload new photos. But do not delete any of the current files.

 

5. Please use as many features of the system as possible and report back to this thread with any bugs, issues, or other problems you may encounter. (Ranking, Uploading, Writing Comments, Searching, Sorting, etc, etc...)

 

6. If you have any questions about the Game Exchange, please post them in this forum.

 

7. When the Game Exchange goes live, we will need everyone's help to spread the word. Please tweet, post to your Facebook, post to other sites, when you have uploaded new tracks. Feel free to link people to your files in the TPR Game Exchange. The more files that are added, the better than Game Exchange is going to be!

 

8. And finally, the Game Exchange is what we all make of it. If we upload tons of awesome files, this feature will be an AMAZING resource for TPR Members...and it will all be because of YOU! Now how do you get to the TPR Game Exchange? Click here:

 

http://www.themeparkreview.com/game_exchange/

 

Please check it out and post your thoughts. Thank you for helping out!

 

--Robb Alvey

http://www.themeparkreview.com

Edited February 11, 2011 by A.J.

[robbalvey]

Also...

 

We do have several files uploaded that currently do not have screen shots. If you are interested in helping out, but don't have any files to upload, it would be greatly appreciated if we had volunteers who could download some of the tracks/parks without screen shots, take a screen shot and post it to this forum.

 

Please post the link to the track/park you have taken the screenshots for in this thread, and then upload the screen shots using the add attachment tool. We are looking for 2-3 screen shots per track/park file.

 

Thank you!

 

--Robb

[mcjaco]

I'll just add to what Robb has already stated clearly.

 

- Check to see if I've already added files to your account. I'm working backwards from the last page of the forum. Again, if you know you've uploaded something to the Forum, DO NOT post it to the Game Exchange. I will do it for you.

 

- We have limited categories right now. Please only upload track files, park files, or scenery files that are your creations. I'm still working with some of the RCT community on hosting Custom Rides and Scenery Files. (Side note - I'm aware there isn't a original version of RCT Game option available right now. I'll be adding it this evening.) RCT Category added

 

- This is a place to "SELL" your creations. Keep the descriptions short, but creative. Good pics and descriptions are paramount!

 

- Two peruse the Exchange. There's some really awesome stuff from the way back machine!

 

- ENJOY!

Edited December 10, 2010 by mcjaco

[A.J.]

Curious - will there be a link to the Game Exchange on the top bar of the homepage (Forum, Park Index, etc)?

[DisWiz]

Great idea! (Also thanks for uploading my one RCT2 file)

 

With this being a beta release are you looking for ideas/suggestions for the overall layout and functionality of the Game Exchange? Or do you already have a full plan that you'll slowly be implementing?

 

Also, I imagine we are ok to link directly to file page (not the actual file)?

[mcjaco]

Great idea! (Also thanks for uploading my one RCT2 file)

 

With this being a beta release are you looking for ideas/suggestions for the overall layout and functionality of the Game Exchange? Or do you already have a full plan that you'll slowly be implementing?

 

Also, I imagine we are ok to link directly to file page (not the actual file)?

 

Yes on suggestions, but let's give a couple of days to see how you can all manage your accounts.

 

Not sure I'm following on the link to file versus file page. If you've got a file on somewhere like, MegaUpload, don't link to that. Those links time out after awhile, and we'll have dead links. Upload your actual files.

[DisWiz]

I meant to say, if I have a site (which I do) and I want to link to my RCT2 file.

 

I imagine I can't just link to the .rct2 file (whatever the extension is) but rather to the page?

 

I'm just wondering what rules there are or aren't for linking to an uploaded file from a personal site.

Edited December 9, 2010 by DisWiz

[DBru]

Awesome idea. Thanks for taking the time to do this...it'll be a great addition to the site!

[mcjaco]

I meant to say, if I have a site (which I do) and I want to link to my RCT2 file.

 

I imagine I can't just link to the .rct2 file (whatever the extension is) but rather to the page?

 

I'm just wondering what rules there are or aren't for linking to an uploaded file from a personal site.

 

This is a hosting Exchange for your files. Consider this an extension of the TPR Park Index. We won't host files/pictures if they aren't posted to the exchange or the forum. Otherwise, it'll end up being like a lot of the other game sites where links go bad, and the file is lost.

 

For instance, right now I'm at work. My company blocks images hosted by ImageShack, flickr, etc. Anything posted to the Exchange right now, that I've used link to pictures with those sites, is showing as a big red X. Eventually those links could go bad for good, and it'll be a permanent red X.

[robbalvey]

I meant to say, if I have a site (which I do) and I want to link to my RCT2 file.

 

I imagine I can't just link to the .rct2 file (whatever the extension is) but rather to the page?

 

I'm just wondering what rules there are or aren't for linking to an uploaded file from a personal site.

 

This is a hosting Exchange for your files. Consider this an extension of the TPR Park Index. We won't host files/pictures if they aren't posted to the exchange or the forum. Otherwise, it'll end up being like a lot of the other game sites where links go bad, and the file is lost.

 

For instance, right now I'm at work. My company blocks images hosted by ImageShack, flickr, etc. Anything posted to the Exchange right now, that I've used link to pictures with those sites, is showing as a big red X. Eventually those links could go bad for good, and it'll be a permanent red X.

I think what he's asking is that if he wanted to post a link to his file that is hosted on the TPR Game Exchange, should he post the link to the page where the file is located, or hotlink the actual file itself.

 

I think the best thing to do would be to post the link to the page.

 

So for example, if you were posting something to Facebook, Twitter, or another website, it would look like this:

 

"Hey everyone, check out my new No Limits track. It's called 'Cinderbreak' and it's totally awesome! You can download the track and check out screenshots of it here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/game_exchange/track.php?id=461

 

Is this what you mean?

 

--Robb

[Dotrobot]

Awesome idea. Thanks for taking the time to do this...it'll be a great addition to the site!

 

If you got on this section anymore .

 

Anyway great addition. Great thanks to all who participated in making this happen

[SoCalCoasters]

Thank you so much for making this into a reality Robb!

 

Many Thanks!

 

EDIT:

 

Having Problems uploading a RCT3 Park, can suggestions?

Edited December 9, 2010 by SoCalCoasters

[davisal771]

Epic. This is great!

Thanks so much for all the work that was put into this

[FeelTheFORCE]

Wow, that's awesome! Can't wait until there's an enormous database of great coasters!

 

None of mine are uploaded yet, so to make it easier, here are all of my uploaded NL creations.

 

Turbo

P-51 Mustang

Spartan

Conny Land Cobra

Swamp Thing

Giant

[Invertalon]

Whatever you do, PLEASE do not force people to rate everything they download. That is so annoying, to only get blocked if I didn't rate the last three things I downloaded.

[djbrcace1234]

Just a suggestion, Though I know this will be time consuming, but could it be possible to link the thread that some of these creations were advertised in? I feel this also would show the overall progress of some of these files.

 

Fantastic job on making this nevertheless! It's greatly appreciated.

[mcjaco]

Having Problems uploading a RCT3 Park, can suggestions?

 

Can you describe the issue???

 

None of mine are uploaded yet, so to make it easier, here are all of my uploaded NL creations.

 

Pretty sure they are. I remember those. They may not be under your name.....which will have to be changed if that's the case.

 

Just a suggestion, Though I know this will be time consuming, but could it be possible to link the thread that some of these creations were advertised in? I feel this also would show the overall progress of some of these files.

 

Your idea has already crossed my mind.

[FeelTheFORCE]

None of mine are uploaded yet, so to make it easier, here are all of my uploaded NL creations.

 

Pretty sure they are. I remember those. They may not be under your name.....which will have to be changed if that's the case.

 

I looked through every page and they're not there.

[mcjaco]

I looked through every page and they're not there.

 

For reference (this if for everyone), I'm only at Page 34 in the Forum (which around April of 2007), I may not have gotten to all your stuff yet.

 

Which is the case here.

[robbalvey]

Whatever you do, PLEASE do not force people to rate everything they download. That is so annoying, to only get blocked if I didn't rate the last three things I downloaded.

Don't worry...this is not something we would do.

[DougSD]

Hello,

 

I am a partner & founder of the 1scream Company, which owns RCTLounge, one of the world's top English-speaking Coaster Simulator website. We also operate the Coaster Simulator website RCTgo.

 

We'd like to ask if Theme Park Review feels it's really necessary to intrude on our space. We have worked hard for many years to make our websites great, and we'd like to know why you feel it's necessary to add this feature to your website.

 

We are dedicated to this genre and to the games, and it hurts us when large sites like your's introduce features that potentially steal traffic from us.

 

Thanks for your understanding,

Doug Sisk

1scream Founder, Partner

 

ADMIN EDIT: Links removed due to a violation of TOS.

Edited December 10, 2010 by robbalvey

[robbalvey]

^ I have never heard of any of those sites. It is not our intention to "steal anyone's traffic."

 

We created the Game Exchange because our users have been asking about it for years and we feel it is an important missing component of our games section.

 

In no way are we "intruding on anyone's space." If that is your perception, it's the wrong one.

 

--Robb

Edited December 10, 2010 by robbalvey

[Twister II]

Whatever you do, PLEASE do not force people to rate everything they download. That is so annoying, to only get blocked if I didn't rate the last three things I downloaded.

Don't worry...this is not something we would do.

I think tracks/parks/files/etc SHOULD be required to get a rating. Look at the difference between NoLimits-Exchange.com and Coastersims.com.

 

Coastersims REQUIRED you to rate (I think) 40% of all the tracks you downloaded. NoLimits-Exchange doesn't require you to rate at all. So there may be this awesome, awesome ride that will have 200+ downloads, and one person who rates it a 3 of 10 or vise-versa - having crappy tracks get 10 of 10.

 

For example:

http://nolimits-exchange.com/coaster/2824/loop-mania

Has one rating of 7.67. And 18 downloads. If even there could be at least 5 ratings, this would give the builder better feedback so he can improve or continue doing the same thing.

 

I do believe there should be a requirement to rate of some sort with a minimum amount of text for a rating. (10 words or something)

 

Im not saying to BAN someone if they don't rate rides, but suspend their downloading of files until then.

[robbalvey]

^ I believe that if someone uploads a good track, and it stands out, enough people will rate it as such without being "forced" to do so.

 

The model that YouTube uses is a perfect example of this.

 

Anytime you are forced to do something online, it's annoying.

 

Having said that, if we feel that game files not getting ranked becomes an issue, we will address it if/when the time comes.

Edited December 10, 2010 by robbalvey

[Twister II]

^ I believe that if someone uploads a good track, and it stands out, enough people will rate it as such without being "forced" to do so.

But how will people know??? Some people will only download tracks with 5 stars. Where if I upload a great track, it could go weeks without being recognized and fall into the land of lost tracks.

 

A dump of all unfinished/unwanted work would be really awesome to include.