Rune Central

So active games on the servers have gotten fewer and farther between. I don't want to see this game die. I have an idea that I think could breathe a lot of life back into the RQ servers.

How about a feature that would send an email to a mailing list when a lone user is on a server for 30 seconds and not AFK? This way, if someone is trying to start a game, or if a bunch of people have left and one still wants to play, then an email would go out. People see the email, then whoever is around would know it's a good time to jump on. You get one or two more people, and a game starts! Quake lives another day!

Maybe the email could even go to every member of this board. Make them opt out if they don't want notifications. That might be overboard, but it also might be a way to pull some old-timers back into the greatest video game in the history of the universe. They joined the board once upon a time, so they surely agreed at that time to receive admin notifications, right?

The scope could be refined, but the concept is simple -- notifications whenever someone is trying to get a game going.

If it would help this to become reality for the RQ servers, I would be able to donate development time over Christmas break.

Couple of similar but useful alternatives:

• Starting a thread dedicated to this very purpose. Announce that you are preparing to join the server and join. Those who subscribe to this thread will get e-mail notificatrions.
• Starting a sub-forum for this very purpose. Game requests only and is invite only so only those who wish to can tell/be notified of players who are actively seeking opponents.
• Starting a group that contains only people who want to be notified. Players interested in announcing will PM the entire group (Search For Player -> By Group -> Select All).

Each of these options will achieve the same result without the automation and potential abuse of having a script e-mail everyone anytime a lone player enters. I imagine those willing to be on the list wouldn't mind making a post shortly before joining a server. (Or even while on if nobody is there).

Do any of these sound useful?

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Slot Zero

Possibly. Would you be willing to coordinate something along these lines with an in-game message that is displayed when a player connects?

Yes.

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Slot Zero