Gerard

Graphics and Tech Experts are good ideas too, but probably not Gang Experts or anything too general like Forum Experts (since these would be staff). So my suggestion would be: GTA Classics Expert (GTA1-GTA2) GTA III Era Gameplay Expert (for help with missions etc) GTA III Era Modding Expert GTA III Era Support Expert GTA IV Gameplay Expert (for help with missions etc) GTA IV Era Modding Expert GTA IV Era Support Expert Tech Support Expert Graphics Expert There would be up to 5 Experts in each category at first (maybe more in the GTA III Era sections). If the idea really takes off, we could split it up further (eg split GTA SA out, then later split out the other games). But one set of categories per era is probably best for now? Any other suggestions?

Yeah I use twitter, so it's probably a good way of bringing news to the people that only read the forums, and links to the homepage can only help that. Go for it.

I don't see why that shouldn't be possible. Once they've gained "Expert" status it shouldn't be too hard to let them take on multiple roles - but not too many, otherwise they would end up spread too thinly and not be able to get anything useful done. Theoretically we could just make people Experts, and not restrict them to a specific forum, but I want a list of Experts on each particular topic so that they can be contacted easily (not just a list of all Experts). Yes this would replace the Elite/Veteran system, since that never really took off. You became elite for registering a long time ago, and for being Chris' best friend. That doesn't indicate a good member, and certainly doesn't mean they're helpful at all. That's the big difference for Experts, as the entire point is GTA-related forum content and helpfulness. That's quite a good idea. I suppose if you are picked as an Expert, we can list the languages you speak, so that someone from that language can contact you. It's probably a good idea to have a central topic dedicated to people who speak other languages, and all language-speaking Experts can be listed there, so they can contact you even if it isn't on your own subject matter, simply because it's easier and better than using online translators. Oh and cheating by using a translator whilst trying to become an Expert, by trying to pretend that you can speak 20 languages, will not help your situation. It's a good question, but ideally I'm thinking about 5 to 10 for each subject matter, depending on how deep down we go. We could have any of these: One Expert category for each Game One Expert category for each discipline (Modding, Multiplayer, Tech Support etc) Within each game, have one for each discipline (GTA SA Modding, GTA IV Multiplayer) Within each discipline have subsets (Modding:Scripting, Modding:Installation, Modding:) Have subsets for each discipline within each game (GTASA Modding:Scripting, GTA VC Modding:Installation) But if there are more than say 15 Experts for each category (depending on how many categories we have), then it will get a bit messy to manage. So I suggest we start with either each game, each discipline, or Discipine-in-Era (eg grouping GTA III Era games together, since they use similar techniques).

I'm not sure many people sit and watch entire mission videos for many missions. If you could do 30-second cut-down versions (ZP style) that managed to only get all the important content in (not just speeded up) then that would be pretty cool, and a lot more useful IMO.

Drunken pic time:

This isn't about rules and regulations, there won't be any specific criteria to become an Expert. This is simply about being helpful. Users who regularly help others in that subject area. For example a user who regularly (correctly & helpfully) answers questions about how to install/fix/uninstall mods would be considered. If they manage to still be helpful even with spelling mistakes, that doesn't matter. If the spelling is so bad that they stop being helpful, then they wouldn't get in because they aren't being helpful. If their knowledge is crap and they don't know the difference between manual/IMGtool and VCM/SAMI installations, then they can't be helpful enough to qualify. Everything comes back to that one point. As for long/short and friendly/formal, everyone has different styles. Again this won't be one person, there will be a few - so there ought to be an Expert who can solve your problem. I think each question tends to have an adequate length of reply, and it will be up to the Experts to judge what reply is required. "how do i install mods" needs a short reply with links to existing tutorials. "my mod is broken" probably needs a long reply to find out the cause. If someone always gives 6 pages of reply, no matter how simple the question, then that isn't helpful. Likewise if they don't say enough, that's not helpful either, so they wouldn't get picked. I'm not looking for staff to give an impartial neutral viewpoint and a standard reply, just looking for someone who often helps people out. If we wanted people to act like staff (moderating, deleting, telling people what not to do) then we would make them staff instead. We're looking for something different to staff. I'm not looking for unhelpful geniuses who don't share their knowledge, or annoying idiots who reply to every topic they see.

Thomas you ask some good questions. Firstly, they would have to be helpful members, not just knowledgeable. This answers two of your questions. A genius who never helps is pointless and wouldn't get picked. Likewise, if they stop being helpful, then they stop being Experts. That doesn't mean it would be rigidly enforced (eg you MUST post 1 helpful topic every day), but if they aren't contributing over a long period of time, then there is no point them having experts. An introduction is a good idea. I was originally considering a separate page where you can ask a question directly to an expert, however this is a forum, and the entire point is that the entire forum can contribute, not just staff/experts. So Experts would just be the people who usually answer questions, often write tutorials, and this is simply a way of helping them do those things even better.

This is a suggestion I've been working on as an idea of a new group of members. This would replace the unused Elite/Veteran system, and also help refocus the forum back onto GTA. Experts would be those users who have shown considerable skill, expertise and helpfulness in a particular game/era or discipline (eg modding, multiplayer). If they are selected as an official TGTAP Expert, they get a badge, a few extra rights and maybe their own subforum. There could be specific "Ask an Expert" topics, and the Experts would be responsible for the pinned topics (tutorials etc) in the relevant subforums. Some Experts could be given some moderator rights for their relevant subforums, such as closing and pinning topics. This should be more successful than the Elite system, because it doesn't try and create a separate community. This isn't about bringing Experts together in their own world, away from normal members. This is about giving normal members access to these Experts, and giving the Experts the ability to show off their skills for the benefit of the forum and its community. Also, Experts are selected because they are good at what they do, rather than just being here a long time or being friends with staff. This is just a suggestion in its early stages, so let us know what you think, and shout out any suggestions you may have.

No. Bisexual means interested in both sexes (equally or not). Gay/Lesbian means interested in the same-sex only. Straight is opposite-sex only.

So any more for any more? Interesting to see more Bis than Gays. But is that just a cover/excuse/halfway for those that won't admit it (either publically or to themselves)?

I think doing it like multiplayer would be best. One modding subforum for cross-game topics, with a subforum for each game/era. I think this is what you suggested. That way you don't get thousands of topics thrown together. You could also have redirects from each game subforum. But if you did only have one subforum, you'd need a well-organised selection of pinned topics to make everything findable, which doesn't happen enough here.

Guys seriously cut down on the swearing. The Lounge is a very public area and there's just no need. Keep it to your private gang forums. Undercover, this is your 5th warning for swearing, so a more serious penalty will be incurred. Topic moved to general gaming.

I know someone whose job is actually to co-ordinate the response to those kind of fuckups for a certain branch of the church. Every time a boy admits being raped by a priest or monk or whatever, he manages the press statements and pretends that they never let it happen. And (separately) I work at a monastery. One of the monks was becoming far too friendly with me, and invited me privately swimming with him and stuff. They did nothing. At all.

If you don't get a reply after a few days (or a week), PM the Gang Don and ask him to reject your application (so that you can apply for a different gang). If you still don't get a reply, PM an admin and they can manually delete your application.

Better than trawling through confusing government websites or deliberately-scary media stories, read the flu wiki. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what this really is. It is not "swine flu". One version of swine flu mutated (as it regularly does) into this flu, which is a mixture of a few different types. This variation can be passed to humans, and passed between humans.

Er no, judging by the photo it's just phallic. How mature

A service pack is a collection of updates, patches, fixes etc. Microsoft release a new one every year (or so). Sometimes new features are introduced, and a lot of things are fixed. Vista SP1 is the current "version" of Vista, and SP2 will come out soon. When SP2 is released, everything that has been fixed so far (through automatic updates) will be included in it. So you don't buy the same version of Vista that was built in 2007 (and then spend weeks going through thousands of automatic updates), you buy a more recent version. Or if you only have an old vista DVD, you can just install the service pack for free.

Just like it says on the description of those subforums: "Post count will not increase in here." I think as well just as having an unfair "advantage" (in being able to easily increase your post count), it's also to stop people spamming (which they might do in order to get their post count up). Even though post count isn't used for anything, many people see it as a status symbol and will go to extreme lengths to inflate it, which often is detrimental to the forum (eg if they spam). The Fun & Games subforum is largely unmoderated. We'll deal with any incidents of fighting, porn etc, but we don't react to one-word posts like the rest of the forum. This lets people post what they want without filling the rest of the forum with crap

Nate, that's sort of what I was saying before. Being Elite is something you earn, something that everyone else aspires to be one day, so it is only fair that there is some reward. Not every wants to be staff, cos its a job and it can often be boring, and a lot of people hate you just because you're staff. And not everyone can be staff, simply because they don't have the right mindset or skills. But anyone can be elite (eventually) if they just behave well and are helpful enough. So... I want more members to WANT to be elite; and I want them to try and be really helpful so that they can become elite. Just like people put in effort to win the awards every year, it could be a good way to encourage people to play along and help others. Theoretically...

I think being a good forum member is very different to being a trusted server administrator. We can't guarantee that every elite will be a good admin. If this was the situation, then we simply would choose to not have many elites. Being elite is a privilege that is earned, being staff is a job. Plus admins have the ability to get any vehicle/weapon, and also give any vehicle/weapon to anyone else. That would be MORE unfair. If they ONLY had the ability to ban, NOT the ability to influence the game, then that might be an idea. It would be very obvious if they banned someone unfairly, and they would lose their Elite status straightaway.

Well there aren't many elites, so its not as if new users won't have a chance. They probably won't see an elite very often, so it'll have no effect. If one gang has a lot of elites that may become an issue, but we could make it not apply to the gang-war server (just freeroam). Plus the entire point of elites is that they ARENT twats, so they won't just go round killing people for no reason. Well Spaz might, but he's allowed to...

Yes, but I'd wait until RC1 comes out - to make sure you have a legit (and fully working) version.

Keep the language down, seriously. Title edited.

RC1 is available to Technet subscribers as of today-ish. It's been available inside Microsoft for a short while, which is probably where the leak came from.

I was just giving my observations based on what has been posted time after time on here about GTAF. With regards to stepping back, there are too many complaints about your staff banning someone because they seem to be in a bad mood; because they were personally upset; or because they disagreed in an on-topic discussion/argument. Bans seem to be a tool of personal attack, in retaliation to personal feelings, rather than a purely formal sanction due to rules being broken. That's not just a happy coincidence... By ex-cons I mean staff with warnings. Kinda explains a few things... Maybe I'm being prescriptive but unless those warnings are a LONG time in the past, they shouldn't be staff. We've had staff who acted fine, but still had that pent-up anger and frustration that caused them to spaz out and go psycho on someone that upset them. Those people are no longer staff, and we haven't made the same mistake since. Of course I don't believe everything everyone says. If someone is banned, they might realise it is fair, or they might think it is unfair. Usually here people realise that we are fair, and they understand why we do what we do (even if they don't like it). With GTAF, people don't seem to understand why they were banned. Of course I take that with a pinch of salt, just like I take what you say with a pinch of salt. You're clearly defending your forum and your position (rightly or wrongly), which is no bad thing, but it's what I would expect you to do.