Trackbase big news update: multiple clans, stats, name changes, payed ranks & more

[Paul]

This time be ready to read a lot as we have a full list of news!

As first I want to thank all of you for using the website, and giving the feedback! Trackbase is continuously updating and growing, thanks to all his members.

Since the launch on 10-10-2010 we have kept all the visiting data (anonymous!) and this is the result after almost 1 month

• 74,258 Visits
• 652,577 Pageviews

Quite a good result, as it's still growing every day !

New game
A new game has been added: http://farcry.trackbase.net/
It's still under beta

Player signatures
Next point, as you might already have seen the player signatures are now working, goto the name reservation page and check out the "Show signature", it also provides a link that you can include here on the forums, or elsewhere

Donations
There were some things that needed to be done before donations were possible, now they are done, we are testing the system. Expect the donations within 1 week from now!

Multiple clans
Some people were asking what's the status and rules about multiple clans. The answer is simply that it's still not allowed to have multiple clans. We are currently working out a system which will allow certain "Squads" to have for your clan. More about this soon, and then you can comment it

Translations
We want to thanks all the translators who have helped on translating Trackbase, soon there will be a new system so anyone can edit text (abuse will be taken care of) so it's easier for everyone to update languages and wrong texts.

Rewards for topplayers (Provided by tOrM)
There has been a serious thought about rewarding top players (in money). Please read the document in the next post (it didn't fit in 1 post ) to get more information, also, note that this may start from December on, but nothing in sure yet, many things can change!

Tracker status
The tracker status for all the games & the server loads will be accessible HERE.

Transferring rate, changing name
As you might have noticed there are several people who's rate was transferred to the new name (actually, the name was just changed).
Because more people are using this now there will be rules from now on:
- You can transfer your rate between names without clantags
- You can transfer names between the clantag, without losing rate.
- You can transfer clantagged names -> normal names without losing rate.
- You can transfer normal names -> clantagged names with keeping 75% of your rate.
- You can transfer clantagged name to another clantagged name with keeping 75% of your rate.

The Trackbase Team

[Paul]

Message by tOrM

TrackBase Money Award System
By tOrM.

-Introduction
Trackbase Money Award system is thought to motivate skilled players to be active and to compete as crazy for top places in the rating system. Just like the other awards in trackbase, this one will be displayed in main page with the winner name, with the difference that this award is monthly and not daily. Money award consists in giving $7 to $10 dollars (yet to be decided) to that player who was at #1 most time during the month.
-How does it work?
Basically the idea is to calculate using trackbase system, who was the player to be most hours / days /weeks in position #1 and award him for that. The award will be displayed in main website, just like the other awards, with the difference that this award includes a money reward as an extra and this award will be given each month and not each day like the other.
Nothing simpler to explain this, than an example, so here it is:
After the Official Award Announcement, let´s say FOR EXAMPLE, 15th November 2010, the calculation for #1 player will start 1st day of the following month, so in this example the calculation would start on 1st December, and player who is #1 for the bigger amount of time will be awarded on 1st January and paid that same day. (Check payment section for details)
-Why money?
Some people might ask , say, complaint , whine and refer to the money award in a bad way, but basically the idea is to motivate serious players , give them some sort of a goal to rate , apart from the "reputation boost" that comes with being #1 , or being in the top.
This award is also thought for those players who love rating just for fun, and this way they get a bonus for being on top. I am, as a rater, that rating in top positions can be stressful sometimes, and I am aware that maybe a money award could bring a little more stress to it, but on the other hand all that stress, effort, and playing hours will be forgotten once you achieve #1 and get the satisfaction of winning this important award.
Some other people might whine, that $8 to $10 dollars is nothing.., and for that we must understand, first that most of the players are young people, we do not attempt to make this a way of living, lol, even less to give money away for nothing, this award is a bonus to those players who spent all their time rating, either they did it for the money or not, with something extra. Also this amount of money could increase, all depending on how the system and the implementation of the award will work. All the problems will be solved –on-the-run- after the award announcement, taking into consideration the community feedback and implementing those changes which are worth into the award.
Finally, answering the main question, why money? Simply because track base wants to keep Enemy Territory and its community alive, and money, even when it's not much for some people (for some other it is! ) brings attention to the game, to the tracker to the servers , and can make old retired players to come back , and attract new players into ET.
-Who can participate + Payment Method?
Basically anyone who is at #1 position in TrackBase is able to win the award; the only conditions are to follow the Rules, which are mentioned later on this document, and to own a PayPal or Neteller account in order to be able to receive the payment. On a side note here, I must say there are some countries that do not allow receiving money using PayPal (example: Colombia), and for that matter I have included Neteller as an alternative payment method. It is important people contact us, post or writes if there is any problem regarding the payment using PayPal or neteller in your country and propose solutions, such as other payment methods and we will consider them and see if it's possible to add them with no problems.
-Rules (susceptible to change)
As it was stated along the document, this is a new project and any problems, whining, and general issues will be fixed –on-the-run- , in order to be able to get the best out of it and to be able to implement the feedback given by the community. This part of the document is susceptible to change, but we have come across some of the problematic scenarios that could occur by the implementation of this award.
First scenario that comes in is "xp whoring" (there will be a document specifying what exactly is considered as whoring). Those players found whoring, with valid proof from a valid and reliable, or trustee source will be immediately out of the money award competition. Note: A reliable source to provide proof could be a server admin, a known anti-whore, or a respected player by the community, not every nub hater can come in with proof, because it could lead to false demos, fake screenshots, etc. just to harm rating players.
More scenarios are in my head of course, but is so twisted stuff it's better not to make it public until it happens, but let me assure you that players participating in the top will be watched closely in order to avoid tricks to get unfair advantage and win the price. We might implement some sort of "police" or "squad" to check the fair rating along the servers, but this is just a crazy idea atm.
There will be a forum Topic, to provide demos and screenshots and whatever proof there is , if there is much complaints from a specific player , getting unfair rating and going to top. All these cases will be watched closely by trusted people, admins and moderators.

-Where does the money come from?
As this is a starting idea and a starting project (trackbase) I (torm) will pay for the award. I am not looking into anything in return; just want to see a nice competition and an alive community. Supporting trackbase in all ways I can in order to avoid it to become what splatter-ladder sadly became in (bad admins, dead forums, and no one care about problems). Also the idea is that the more popular the site gets the more people will donate. Donations made to Trackbase WILL NOT be used to pay this specific award, this award is going to be paid only by me, and well if anyone else wants he can also give more money and we can extend the price award, but for the moment this is what there is. Important Note: Just to repeat that donations made to trackbase will not be used to pay the Money Award.
-Final thoughts and comments
So I want to go more personal on this part of the document, basically I want trackbase to succeed, ironically I was one of the guys saying a lot of possible problems and being skeptical about it working or anything before its release, but now I am fully convinced that this system is a nice piece of work and a general nice idea. I also want a more competitive kind of scene in the jaymod /nq / etpub part of game, and rating, even when many people bitch about it, is a way to measure in some way who the good players in these mods are. Of course there are cases of cases, nubs at top and stuff , but when I was #1 I could say the following positions were nice players in general, I am not the best and they are not the best , but they weren't nubs and there was a nice competition for the top before I got faked and quit rating temporary. I also want to do everything I can do to help the ET community to grow or at least keep it alive as much as it can, and projects like trackbase are here for the same reason, so let us be all supportive with trackbase and that's what I am doing with this little idea.
I also want to change those people saying "rating is this…" "Rating is that..." and complaining all the time about it, and try to make it a nice thing that everyone can enjoy, and let´s face it a money award is a nice thing, I would have loved to be paid anything when I was in top and I have done this thinking as a rating player who happens to have a lot of fun while rating.
As a final comment, I would love people to say what they think about this, just no useless stuff, give good feedback and well thought ideas, that help us improve as much as we can with this, please avoid whining, attacking sort of comments and bullshit talk. Don´t see how this would harm in any way the actual system/community, I just see benefits!

[Didjay]

Hello,

You done a great job and the community of Far Cry will be grateful and will always support you!

A big thank you!

[tOrM]

Give feedback! Thanks!

[Sfin]

Nice mate!

[Koiranpentu]

Great news!

But about that translating system; it can be really misused on a popular site and it may be hard to moderate if there will be lots of changes. And even you (people behind TrackBase) can't moderate everything - especially those languages you don't speak.
Couldn't there be "suggest correction" feature instead of ability to edit translations for everyone and at least one active person for each language who is checking those translation before they are approved?

[Spl@$h~]

Great news!

But about that translating system; it can be really misused on a popular site and it may be hard to moderate if there will be lots of changes. And even you (people behind TrackBase) can't moderate everything - especially those languages you don't speak.
Couldn't there be "suggest correction" feature instead of ability to edit translations for everyone and at least one active person for each language who is checking those translation before they are approved?

hello , this is gonna change , we need basic thing to be translated and except for portuguese there is no complain. dont need it perfect but understandable.
Later i guess there will be other things which will need to be translated but its gonna be different.

[Dragonji]

except for portuguese there is no complain. dont need it perfect but understandable.

Do you want to say Polish is incomprehensible?
Polish is kinda the most difficult lang. I'm sure I did my best. Yes, it isn't bugs-free, cause I've found 2 or 3, but after I sent it back to Paul. It's normal when there are a large number of translators for one lang that everyone has their own concept.

[Joni]

Polish is kinda the most difficult lang

How do you know that? Do you know all other languages to say that polish is the most difficult one? :b

[Adrian]

Dragon I can help you with you want am polish to also nice to see new game added maybe cod 4 will be added soon