groups Introducing: Simtropolis Groups

[Dirktator 2,324]

Introducing Simtropolis Groups!

 

What are Groups?

Groups are sub-communities within Simtropolis dedicated to specific interests,topics or goals. Anyone can start a Group. A Group can be formed for any purpose, and we have created some broad categories to start.
 

• Multiplayer Region Games: Organize your own multiplayer region games. Create the first multiplayer "Region Journal"!
   
• Special Interest: For groups with their own special interest goals and objectives.
   
• City Journals: Create a group dedicated to your own City Journal, or create a group for city journalers or city journal unions.
   
• Building Architects: BAT teams can create their own Groups to better update their fans on current projects, and provide a format for their own team to discuss and share ideas in private before releasing them to the public.
   
• Uncategorized: A general catch-all for groups that don't necessarily belong to any of the above.

 

Group Home Page

Each group will have its own customizable home page. Group owners can create layouts for their home pages and add additional pages. Customize your group with a custom header, logo and background. Group Theme options will also be available (in the future).

 

Group Membership & Ranks

Group owners can assign their own moderators to manage the group page and/or the group discussion forums. Groups can be open and allow any Simtropolis member to join, or groups can be invite-only and require the Group Owner to choose who can join.

 

Group Discussion Forums

Create your own Group discussion forums. Group discussion forums work just like the regular Simtropolis forums, and will appear under the Simtropolis Groups forum category.

 

Group News

Assign a discussion forum you created to be your "Group News Feed" and these will appear on your group home page as news items.

 

So get out there and start or join a group today!

 

Note: If you are starting a group and have a pre-existing thread you would like moved into your group discussion forum, contact me with the thread(s) in question and I'll move them for you.

 

(Groups is an experimental feature.  You are encouraged to use Simtropolis Groups in any way you like. While you are responsible for your own group discussion moderation, the standard rules of conduct of Simtropolis will still apply, and groups are still subject to administrative moderation. Bottom line, please keep things clean and friendly!)

[Cyclone Boom 17,016]

A nice idea, I think this will be greatly appreciated, especially by custom content teams.

 

Though I was wondering, since there are already dedicated subforums and topics for some BAT and modding teams, is this feature planned to supersede them in the long run? It seems like groups will give teams more control of how their content is organised and presented, which is obviously an advantage. But if there are two discussion areas for similar related content, it may lead to confusion over which section is best to post in.

 

Maybe it would be possible for teams to have their existing topics moved to their new group area (if requested). Everything could then be kept well organised, in one dedicated section. Existing discussion could also be continued. Of course, this all depends on each team's individual requirements. They may not want to create a new discussion forum, so groups could just be used for news, and to showcase their content.

 

Anyway, just thought this might be something worth considering.

[Haljackey 17,366]

Interesting concept, let's see how this takes off!

 

For closed groups, is there a certain password you need to get in or is just by invite only?

[Dirktator 2,324]

A nice idea, I think this will be greatly appreciated, especially by custom content teams.

 

Though I was wondering, since there are already dedicated subforums and topics for some BAT and modding teams, is this feature planned to supersede them in the long run? It seems like groups will give teams more control of how their content is organised and presented, which is obviously an advantage. But if there are two discussion areas for similar related content, it may lead to confusion over which section is best to post in.

 

Maybe it would be possible for teams to have their existing topics moved to their new group area (if requested). Everything could then be kept well organised, in one dedicated section. Existing discussion could also be continued. Of course, this all depends on each team's individual requirements. They may not want to create a new discussion forum, so groups could just be used for news, and to showcase their content.

 

Anyway, just thought this might be something worth considering.

 

Yes, we (the admins) can move existing Forum threads into newly created groups and have them become part of that group's discussion forum, so that way we're not fracturing the discussion.

 

Group owners should contact me to have pre-existing Team threads moved to their groups.

Interesting concept, let's see how this takes off!

 

For closed groups, is there a certain password you need to get in or is just by invite only?

 

Groups can either be "Public" or "Hidden".  Public groups get listed on the main group index. Hidden groups can only be accessible via Links.

 

Group owners can further control access, by setting permissions based on group ranks.  The current group ranks are:

 

1. Group Owner (Admin)
2. Group Moderator
3. Group Member
4. Guest

 

 

Group Owners can adjust what each rank can view or access.  Further, Group Owners have 4 levels of Membership approval options:

 

1. Open: Membership is automatic for anyone who wishes to join the group.
2. Owner Approval: New members must be approved by the Group Owner before they are granted membership.
3. Invite Only: New members must be invited by a current member of the group before they are granted membership.
4. Invite with Owner Approval: New members must first be invited by a current member of the group then they must be approved by the owner before they are granted membership.

[AndisArt 2,068]

Wow, that is so cool, didnt see that one coming!

It will be interesting to see how it will play out in terms of the existing forum usage, it's a potential competing between the two that could occur. Competing for attention of the users that I mean.

 

How is the display of "Popular Groups" generated?

It looks like by member number?

 

I would suggest to add the group directory on the right pane to the front page of groups to ease navigation.

 

Also, the ST Wiki group ends for me in an error :

IP.Board Message        You do not have permission to view this group

[katherman111 182]

This is indeed a very good new feature. This was the thing i always missed about the Simtropolis Forums that you could make groups and special fora for specific people (like I made a group some moments ago for Dutch and Afrikaans speaking people). The feature was already avaiable on Sc4d but since i'm not active on Sc4d. I wouldn't use it very much

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Just great!

[Forthwall 1,118]

Excellent idea Great way to make a sort of private forum system without all the clutter on the forums.

[Dirktator 2,324]

Wow, that is so cool, didnt see that one coming!

It will be interesting to see how it will play out in terms of the existing forum usage, it's a potential competing between the two that could occur. Competing for attention of the users that I mean.

 

How is the display of "Popular Groups" generated?

It looks like by member number?

 

I would suggest to add the group directory on the right pane to the front page of groups to ease navigation.

 

Also, the ST Wiki group ends for me in an error :

IP.Board Message        You do not have permission to view this group

 

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, we'll definitely integrate the group listing a bit more -- we're just out of the gates, so expect further enhancements and refinements over the next while... 

[simlink 1,098]

Very interesting idea - look forward to watching how this progresses.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Great work!!!

[Prophet42 1,503]

Great idea!  Looking forward to participating in a group (or groups  ).

[city89 147]

how do you join this ?

[felano 90]

its really nice idea.. it can accommodate ppl that want to share their journal!

[Haljackey 17,366]

how do you join this ?

 

Find a group here you like and click 'join group': https://community.simtropolis.com/groups/

 

Some groups are invite-only or by request (must be approved by a group leader).

[Joe 90 358]

Have you added long-range telepathy to your list of talents, Dirk? I've been plotting the Return of the Simlympics for some time and that is absolutely perfect.

I do have a couple of questions from playing around with it:

Are we going to be limited to one additional text block on the homepage? Seems odd when we can add lots of space through new rows but not any content.

Is it / will it be possible to add subforums?

Will html posting be enabled, like in the main forum and CJ section?

[Delecto 941]

Great add Dirk. Thank you for all the hard work you put on Simtropolis again and again and again!

[Alejandro24 575]

Very nice idea, this will be usefull to have a more better organization between the ST users.

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Just a gerenal question. Will it be possible to be part of more than only one group?

[Cyclone Boom 17,016]

Just a gerenal question. Will it be possible to be part of more than only one group?

 

Yes, I believe you can join as many groups as you like. However, some groups are private, or have restricted access. For these ones, you must be invited, or gain approval from the group's owner. A list of the groups you've joined can be viewed via your User Profile > My Groups tab.

[Darth Apple 54]

Loving the concept. Definitely looks like a great addition to ST that will be very useful!

[Moonraker0 193]

Wonderful...I had been planning on starting a new multiplayer region project after I stopped playing Blue Hope, and I even organized the necessary files and found software to synchronize everything, but never actually went public with it.  This feature should make easier and more organized.

[dazza262 133]

Excellent idea. Simtropolis just keeps getting better and better.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Dare I say we could all become Groupies?

[Dirktator 2,324]

Dare I say we could all become Groupies?

 

Well done, Nonny...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Dare I say we could all become Groupies?

 

Well done, Nonny...

Just couldn't resist.    It must be Punday.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Okay something I do not understand, so the only people can be in the group is the team? If you make put the people that's not part of the team an make them be Visitor they will not be able to post in the forums and give up thumbs ups, and I love the thumbs up thingy and live on it. That's why my numbers is high.

 

If I rename the rank it will act the same as default rank, but if you make a new rank there's not much control on how you want it to work. I made a new rank for a test and the new rank can't view the NYBT Forums. I have renamed the rank called Visitor to Group Fans, sense we area all fans of something on Simtropolis, I think it can be a good Idea, but then again I could be wrong. I would think the control of the ranks can be improve in some sort of way when it comes to making new ranks.

[Delecto 941]

I agree with Aaron, I can't look at the contents of NYBT forum anymore. Do I have to join the group?

[anotn 223]

I agree with Aaron, I can't look at the contents of NYBT forum anymore. Do I have to join the group?

It was our settings for the forum that had things messed up, I think I've fixed it now so that anyone can view and post in our forum, just like anyone could before.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Thank you, Anton. I have look every where to fix this problem, I have been looking around for Hours.