Ideas for legacy content

[jacksonbarno]

I figured I'd take NS37's suggestion and open up a new thread for ideas regarding legacy content. Hopefully if we come up with a good solution it will still be available, I can't speak for JR though.

My current idea as it stands would be to have a system involving purchases. If someone without CC buys content from them, that purchase would be recorded as it is under their account, however if that person is or becomes a club car member, there could be a section, either within the club car area, within the "my downloadable products" section, or maybe even a new tab under the "my account" tab which would provide an outlet for downloading legacy versions.

An easy way to alleviate the need for support might be to include a nice big disclaimer on the top of the page, although since people don't seem to read those things, this might not be an adequate solution. Alas, you can't please everybody in this situation, but I think that at least having it with a disclaimer and no support would be better than having the older versions disappear forever.

That's just one idea, so let's hear some others! With a little bit of thinking we might just come up with something.

 

[simulatortrain]

The problem with the above is that it still requires maintenance on the site. If asset xyz.cdp now exists as a TS09 conpatible piece of content, but gets updated to where it only works in TS12 and up, the new file is going to be uploaded as xyz.cdp under current procedure. Either the new one has to get a new filename, say xyz2.cdp and the store paths changed for that, or the old one needs to be renamed, say xyz3.cdp. Even if we do nothing to actually help the user operate the xyz3 content, we still have to make sure that file remains in its place on the server, since we would have chosen to make this permanently available. I believe this is something that was said on the other thread, so I am trying to clarify that a bit more.

A personal problem I have with legacy content is the possibility for improvements in the looks department not to be applied. There is a significant portion of my own content that I do not use because I am no longer happy with the way it looks, for various reasons. When I do put out an update, it bothers me at times to see screenshots that do not use the improved version of an asset, even though that user may not have known or cared about the update. By throwing legacy content out there to languish without updates, either I am giving myself extra work in improving that, or endorsing inferior representations of what I can do.

 

[RRSignal]

The problem with the above is that it still requires maintenance on the site. If asset xyz.cdp now exists as a TS09 conpatible piece of content, but gets updated to where it only works in TS12 and up, the new file is going to be uploaded as xyz.cdp under current procedure. Either the new one has to get a new filename, say xyz2.cdp and the store paths changed for that, or the old one needs to be renamed, say xyz3.cdp. Even if we do nothing to actually help the user operate the xyz3 content, we still have to make sure that file remains in its place on the server, since we would have chosen to make this permanently available. I believe this is something that was said on the other thread, so I am trying to clarify that a bit more.

Renaming and keeping old files is extra work, sure, but not terrifically difficult, and probably worth it to support those users. Moving such content to a form of Legacy Section should minimize the chances of old content getting mixed in with the new.

A personal problem I have with legacy content is the possibility for improvements in the looks department not to be applied. There is a significant portion of my own content that I do not use because I am no longer happy with the way it looks, for various reasons. When I do put out an update, it bothers me at times to see screenshots that do not use the improved version of an asset, even though that user may not have known or cared about the update. By throwing legacy content out there to languish without updates, either I am giving myself extra work in improving that, or endorsing inferior representations of what I can do.

If you subscribe to the notion that prior versions of Trainz were limited in their visual capabilities, then you can simply chalk it up to squeezing the most out of the game possible. JR and others have largely done just that. There comes a point where you just can't wring that last bit of graphical goodness out of a game. Relax, kick back, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for doing all with what you had to work with, and focus on T:ANE for "next-gen" content.