Informational non-content on Bananas

[andythenorth]

blah blah blah blah blah

http://xkcd.com/386/

[Purno]

I'm sure that if they could make such a popup box, they'd do it.

Actually NewGRFs have a way to display warning/error messages upon starting the game.

Actually content can set a dependancy on other content and download it automatically. Have a look at the tutorial AI which selects the apropriate map and AI's autoselecting their needed libraries.

However, Quast's GRF doesn't *require* a GRF to work, it's *optional* to install an additional GRF to make it more pretty. Knowing Quast, he probably did this intentionally to give the player a choice to get the optional GRF or not. Foobar's trackset needs one of many trainsets. You can't just *require* one trainset. Knowing FooBar, he did this intentionally, to give the player a choice. It's a compromise made to help the player.

[FLHerne]

Just in case the same view from someone else is useful:

Bananas is a content download service, as stated on its own site, on the wiki and on the OpenTTD main menu. It's not a 'technically valid grf' service, or an 'informational' service, it's a service for downloading content.

Now, if your grf doesn't have any content (other than its own 'description'), it doesn't belong on a content download service.

I don't quite see the point here: If you want to make your grf conveniently available to players (always available in the right version for old savegames/scenarios* and for joining multiplayer servers, installable through one click), put it on Bananas.

If you want to keep it locked down behind a registration and only ever provide the most recent version (breaking the savegames of anyone who loses an old version and can't find it again, and making it near-unusable on public servers**), keep it on Simuscape and leave your idiotic non-grf off the content downloader.

*You can make it so that it's only possible to download from Bananas by having an old savegame that uses the grf, and not actually having it already. You say this counts as 'difficult to remove', but are you really hostile enough to users that you want to be able to make it impossible for anyone to use any savegames or scenarios made with old versions?

**No, players will not think "Oh, I need to go through a messy registration process and post on a forum and wait a few hours, then find the right version of this grf and move it into the right folder, because this server is probably so awesome!". They'll just find another server.

[ChillCore]

blah blah blah blah blah

http://xkcd.com/386/

Funny ... but by this time next year you can post the same picture with "In a minute dear I am just working my way through a few dozen ad.fly links because this dude wants me to have a look at this buggy sprite in his game."

[andythenorth]

"In a minute dear I am just working my way through a few dozen ad.fly links because this dude wants me to have a look at this buggy sprite in his game."

Well yes, you're right. But also, blah blah blah.

It's not that a big a deal. I'll just ignore bug reports if there is too much faff.

[Dave]

Well not you, clearly. Nor me, if I think about it.

But it matters enough to some, equally as clearly.

[Eddi]

It's not that a big a deal. I'll just ignore bug reports if there is too much faff.

maybe you have the personality to ignore people that need help, but i tend to have trouble with that...

[Redirect Left]

Bananas is a content download service, as stated on its own site, on the wiki and on the OpenTTD main menu. It's not a 'technically valid grf' service, or an 'informational' service, it's a service for downloading content.

Now, if your grf doesn't have any content (other than its own 'description'), it doesn't belong on a content download service.

I don't quite see the point here: If you want to make your grf conveniently available to players (always available in the right version for old savegames/scenarios* and for joining multiplayer servers, installable through one click), put it on Bananas.

If you want to keep it locked down behind a registration and only ever provide the most recent version (breaking the savegames of anyone who loses an old version and can't find it again, and making it near-unusable on public servers**), keep it on Simuscape and leave your idiotic non-grf off the content downloader.

This. All of this. It's a content service for content. Not to advertise things only available on your website

[jonty-comp]

Sigh. This is why most commercial services that rely on user-uploaded content have the policy that once you've uploaded it, it belongs to them. Then they can do whatever the hell they like with it. Perhaps if I had made BaNaNaS (and we all know the world would be a much better place if I was in charge of everything ) that would be the policy. For what it's worth, I agree with the above, and I believe that anything that is uploaded to BaNaNaS should be a single-click and/or automatic download of a file that works straight off in-game. I know there are already plenty of GRFs that don't adhere to that, but that's how these things go. If the devs/community have the time and effort to implement a ratings/reporting system, they'd quite easily get rid of junk like this.

Let's use another content download service as an example: APT. When I type "apt-get install openttd" I don't expect a message to pop up saying "Please go to openttd.org, register an account, browse the forum and download the most recent version" because that's just... inconceivably horrible. Yes, the version of OpenTTD on APT is out of date - that's the point. It's as up-to-date as the repository administrators want it to be. If it's your project and you want to put it on BaNaNaS, then either do it properly and accept the terms or bugger off and take the hit.

[SquireJames]

I have to agree with Jolteon and Jonty Comp. Bananas is a Content Delivery Service. If it isn't content, it shouldn't be there. Content that is obsolete, no longer functions on newer versions or just plain never worked properly at all is a different matter.

Lets look at it a different way.

You call up your local takeaway. It's a Pizza Delivery Service. If you call and order a pizza, you will get a pizza. You might not get the right pizza, or it might be cold, or it might just basically be a horrible pizza, but you will get a pizza. What you don't get is an empty box with "Want a pizza? Call this telephone number!" on a piece of paper inside.

Bananas is a Content Delivery System. If you use it, you get content for your game. You might not get the content you expected, it might not work properly, might be incompatible with new versions, or might be just plain awful, but you will get content. What you don't get is an empty file with "Want these trains? Go to www.craptasticavertisingschemes.com, and register, find the thread, find the post, download the file, extract the file, install the file hopefully in the right place...."

Ya seein my point?

[wojteks86]

Even though I wanted to stay out of it, but as a forum member and OTTD player I feel the urge to suggest a poll.
Most of the votes (as posts) so far are against uploading iGRF's.

Last word belongs to BaNaNaS owners anyway.

[Transportman]

Most of the votes (as posts) so far are against uploading iGRF's.

That seems to be the dominating opinion here, but I don't know how the discussion is on Simuscape (I assume that they also have/had some discussion regarding iGRFs over there).

[michael blunck]

["content"]

<sigh> How about "teasers"? Where´s the line to be drawn there?

regards
Michael

[SquireJames]

As long as it has something useable in it. I mean, you might have a GRF that is just one train or something. Unlikely but possible. As long as said "teaser" or demo version etc has some actual real life bonafide content in it, tis good IMHO.

[Redirect Left]

["content"]

<sigh> How about "teasers"? Where´s the line to be drawn there?

regards
Michael

I'd only say yes to that, if it was removed when the full was released, i think would be the best way of handling that.

[Rubidium]

["content"]

<sigh> How about "teasers"? Where´s the line to be drawn there?

regards
Michael

I'd only say yes to that, if it was removed when the full was released, i think would be the best way of handling that.

I'd rather replace your removed with replaced/superseded (to not break the ability to join a running server with the teaser), and then I guess I could live with teasers.
Specifically, the teaser must have the same GRF ID as the full version will have and once the full version is released it must be put on bananas as well to supersede the teaser. As long as the teaser is somewhat functional, ofcourse.

If the NewGRF developer handles Action 14 compatible versions and versioning correctly, the teaser would disappear from the NewGRF list in game when the full version is downloaded (upgrade in content system) and the full version can be marked as (savegame) incompatible with the teaser.

[krinn]

Could you tell me how i could upload to bananas ? I have an used car i want to sell.

[ChillCore]

Like this:
1. Create a heightmap that shows the relief of your car, including dents.
2. Create a NewGRF that reflects the specs and state of your vehicle.
3. You combine both of the above in a scenario (refered to as advertisement hereafter) that takes a tour around the 'heightmap' while demonstrating the performance and low fuel consumption of the car you want to sell.

If later you have a new car to sell you can replace the old advertisement with a new one very easily.
Do mind that people having access to your old advertisement will still be able to see your old car, but at least your old advertisement will remain functional untill the end of times.

ps:
Do not thank me yet, I will thank you later on with a nice dinner.
I will send you my details shortly, in order to forward me my moderate commission of 50% on each successful sale.

[2457]

supposedly useless grf files are to be weeded.
this is the problem.

somesorth of vote system might be practical here.
at least one could order grf files by popularity in the online content window.
grf files with a lot of negative vote would end up way deep down the list, and probably after a certain time these grf files could be auto-deleted.

[Supercheese]

supposedly useless grf files are to be weeded.
this is the problem.

somesorth of vote system might be practical here.
at least one could order grf files by popularity in the online content window.
grf files with a lot of negative vote would end up way deep down the list, and probably after a certain time these grf files could be auto-deleted.

Right, that's not abuse-able at all!