Dev Diary #114

[TomasGestinger 41]

Hey there, Ylanders!

Update 1.1 has successfully released and we’re busy at work with not only more game improvements but also changes to the Workshop. As you know, Ylands has evolved fast over the last couple of months and we want to make sure that the Workshop is a safe place to share your creations and experience what other Ylanders made for you so we’re introducing new rules for content submission. These rules serve as a way to both give more information on how to create appealing and safe content and as a clear guide on what we won’t allow on the site from now on.

Rules for content submission

• No offensive content, language or imagery - Do not post any information in the game or in connection with the game that contains nudity, excessive violence, abuse, harassment, or offensive subject matter or that contains a link to such content.

 

• All submissions have to include a relevant thumbnail and a description - Provide basic and accurate information about your creation and add a relevant thumbnail, preferably a screenshot of your creation.

 

• Correctly tag and categorize your creations – Use tags that accurately represent your creation only, do not mislead people on purpose

 

• Do not use other people’s or copyrighted content - Your content must not infringe anyone's copyrights or author rights, it must not be offensive to people or illegal in any other way.

 

• Write in English - Descriptions, and titles have to have an English version

 

• Do not abuse the reporting system – Do not report creations unless they break the rules written above or have other significant technical problems

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the rules you can always contact me here, on Discord, or send me an email at tomas.gestinger@bistudio.com.

Together with introducing new rules, we’re going to do a “review” of the Workshop and check for any submissions that don’t follow the rules or don’t work for technical reasons. There are many old games that don’t work with the current version of Ylands and in order to promote quality content, we need to take them down as well. This review will happen over the next two weeks so make sure all of your creations are up to date and don’t violate the rules before February 17th.

If you have an old game, you'd like to preserve and fix, contact us and we'll be glad to help.

And so, until next time,

stay classy Ylanders. 

 

 

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

I'm quite concerned about the brand new updates you're bringing to the workshop because right now the workshop has to be used in a very specific way to run a server.
Protects its Creations require that you first upload you're content to the workshop and then load it onto your server. 

This means each time we want to make a change to our server we have to upload a brand new version to the workshop test it to see if it works and then deploy it on a live server once ready. 

Each server will have three or four versions at any given time up on the workshop which have no value to anyone but the server creator. 

These versions are specifically there for testing or to roll back to in case something goes wrong.
 
I really feel that the functionality of the workshop should be addressed before the implementation of the rules because it interferes with our ability to run servers. 
 
However how the workshop works right now contributes to the low quality of the content on it. My idea is that server owner could be given a different way to upload protected Creations to their servers so that they don't make a mess of the workshop

Edited February 6, 2020 by RedEagle_P1.

[TomasGestinger 41]

51 minutes ago, RedEagle_P1. said:

I'm quite concerned about the brand new updates you're bringing to the workshop because right now the workshop has to be used in a very specific way to run a server.
Protects its Creations require that you first upload you're content to the workshop and then load it onto your server. 

This means each time we want to make a change to our server we have to upload a brand new version to the workshop test it to see if it works and then deploy it on a live server once ready. 

Each server will have three or four versions at any given time up on the workshop which have no value to anyone but the server creator. 

These versions are specifically there for testing or to roll back to in case something goes wrong.
 
I really feel that the functionality of the workshop should be addressed before the implementation of the rules because it interferes with our ability to run servers. 
 
However how the workshop works right now contributes to the low quality of the content on it. My idea is that server owner could be given a different way to upload protected Creations to their servers so that they don't make a mess of the workshop

I understand your concerns and we know about these issues. The rules don't mean we'll delete everything right away and we're aware of what creators have to go through with the current version of the Workshop so you don't have to worry about losing everything as long as you describe your uploads well. The Workshop is going to go through changes in the future and even though it would be ideal to do everything at once, it isn't possible. We want to implement the rules now to make sure the community can use the current version effectively, quality creations are protected and everything is healthy in general. If you'll have any problems with how we move forward with the rules, you can always let us know.?

[bojo2736 1016]

@RedEagle_P1. I don't use the workshop at all to deploy my games on the BI server. It all stays resident on my computer and I upload from there.

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

1 hour ago, bojo2736 said:

@RedEagle_P1. I don't use the workshop at all to deploy my games on the BI server. It all stays resident on my computer and I upload from there.

Its not required for unprotected content. 

[bojo2736 1016]

So monetization. Gotcha.

[bojo2736 1016]

As an FYI, I have been uploading content lately, and the process is clunky.

It requires me to put in two images. Often, the screenshots are too big. So I end up having to pull those images into my photo editing software, to crop and reduce the file size.  It's really a pain in the backside.

Another weird thing is the description. It does not allow me to put the description in during the upload process.  Apparently the description MUST be put into the file in editor when you are saving it for the workshop.

Saving it for the workshop isn't at all intuitive.

Some suggestions: Allow for the taking of thumbnails as opposed to full blown screencaps. It shouldn't require third party software to meet your upload standards. 

Allow for adding the description inside the upload process.  

Why do we need TWO images? Sometimes I have them. Other times I just have to upload the same one twice. A waste of time and bandwidth.

[TomasGestinger 41]

1 hour ago, bojo2736 said:

As an FYI, I have been uploading content lately, and the process is clunky.

It requires me to put in two images. Often, the screenshots are too big. So I end up having to pull those images into my photo editing software, to crop and reduce the file size.  It's really a pain in the backside.

Another weird thing is the description. It does not allow me to put the description in during the upload process.  Apparently the description MUST be put into the file in editor when you are saving it for the workshop.

Saving it for the workshop isn't at all intuitive.

Some suggestions: Allow for the taking of thumbnails as opposed to full blown screencaps. It shouldn't require third party software to meet your upload standards. 

Allow for adding the description inside the upload process.  

Why do we need TWO images? Sometimes I have them. Other times I just have to upload the same one twice. A waste of time and bandwidth.

Thanks for the feedback, you're right and these are exactly the issues we're working on. The Workshop is going through much-needed development right now and all of your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Did you encounter any browser-related issues recently by any chance?

[bojo2736 1016]

The only thing I can think of is that I couldn't download from the browser. I had to do it inside the editor. Which wasn't clear or intuitive.

Maybe it was me. 

[bojo2736 1016]

Something that would be super useful, is if the player's workshop link could be put into their forum profile. It would make it easier to find and follow your favorite creators. Or maybe linked in their ingame characters. So you could find that stuff in your social page in game.

Honestly,  all of it should be doable without leaving the game.

[Deadeye_Rob 908]

With regard to the workshop. There needs to be a review. I would suggest allowing content to be uploaded directly from the Ylands game. Maybe even as a Steam Workshop feature also?

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

We also need to upload to the workshop to test games on mobile. Some way around this would reduce spam a lot too  

 

[bojo2736 1016]

I just tried to upload a build.  What a debacle.  I couldn't finish it.

And the error messages... 

The first upload failed, I assume because there was no description in the file itself.  I forgot to do it, and there is no prompt telling you it is mandatory when you upload the file.

There was no way to cancel, so I had to close the browser. 

So I went back, put in a description. And saved the file again and tried to reupload.  I chose the newest one, but it would not let me use the thumbnails I had made.  So I tried renaming the thumbnail file.  Nope, it would not take it.

Two tried at uploading, failure both times.

I ask again, what is it the testers test?  It isn't the game that I play.  

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by bojo2736

[Indian Chief 239]

Just seeing why you remove items from the game? No I won't open a new topic (as I've done in the past and gotten 1 comment on multiple questions)
At times I feel like I'm talking to a deaf man! Who's the crazy one... me for talking to a deaf man or the deaf guy because he's not listening?

[bojo2736 1016]

i don't understand either. I used the four wide stair all the time. Yes I know you can make two side by side but the aesthetic is different. 

[Adam Snellgrove 1451]

On 2/8/2020 at 7:55 PM, bojo2736 said:

I ask again, what is it the testers test?  It isn't the game that I play.  

The testers test mainly the game. This is a backend issue, that we are currently working to fix. We are overhauling the whole workshop, so this will all become much more intuitive and will make more sense.

[RedEagle_P1. 905]

Updating a map should not require a new GUID. Reason is Ylands Editor crashes -- I make a new save every 10 min as a new version for rolebacks and i teach P1 creators to do the same. 

These new files cant be used to update the old right now. 

Just a tip

 

[JohnMFSteel 93]

Should we be reporting content that doesn't meet the standards? or just leave it to periodic review?