Topic: Can we have one centralized login system?

[contingencyplan]

While we're doing all this new fancy stuff on Dawnet's servers (kudos to Dawn, Cosmo, Neo, et al), one question I have is whether we can set up a centralized login system - one for the forums, Trac, and the like. Preferably, we'd also like to tie this into registrations for the game. This would serve 3 purposes:

• People who are on the forums before the game goes live are guaranteed their username in the game
• People who register after the game goes live are already set up to post on the forums and submit bug reports through Trac.
• People who are not registered for the game cannot post bug reports. We might, however, allow them to post to the forums, or at least have some forums that are public accessable and some that are members-only (which makes things more complicated...?).
  

Anyways, how difficult to y'all think that would be to do?

[Morgul]

Well, actually, that idea what what spurred on some of the switch to SMF. You see, we can access SMF's loggin stuff externally... which means we can link it into Trac, and the Store, and the rest of the site. We can even carry over the permissions system that SMF uses, if we want to. Since it's all in an SQL database, it's pretty simple to get that information, and do whatever we want with it.... so, yeah, the short answer is: we can definitely do that.

--Chris

[Neo]

It's very possible. I would suggest adding in-game messageboards. Or perhaps personal message boards in game, where people can be taking thier time travling subspace can read up to a certain amount of selected topics, or other wise chat with others while waiting. I don't know how complicated that script would be, but it could be very useful to keep players interested. If they can keep themselfs occupied while traversing subspace, they will be more likly to spend the time in-game then just forum surfing. As it is forums are difficult to nav while you are running a game. But if it were built in as some sort of console it'd be realy cool.
As the boards get bigger (say like they are on neopets) you'll have to worrie about RPing and many people posting useless topics. So, you will have to limit the post that a person could place while in-game or out-of-game.

On the subject of real time and bots. A simple command list could be useful, say like away messages or simple preset commands. I like the waypoint idea, that would alow players to go do other things while traversing subspace... I think the idea is that as a player gets more and more tech and EXP that they will be able to unlock more commands for thier afk-bot. Sorta like AFK EXP. That way they gain by playing, the more they play and unlock these extra commands for the bot the safer they will be while afk. On the other side you can also take away some commands as they get more EXP or levels. For instance a player with a carrier (Big freaking ship) might not be able to dock while AFK at an inner colony (a more protected one). Instead they would have to dock away from these places. a more n00b player could dock on the inner colonies, but they may not have as many commands for defence or auto-trade if someone wanted to trade with thier character.

~Neo