Getting the Plugin Dev's to Take your Request Seriously.

Discussion in 'Archived: Plugin Requests' started by feverdream, Mar 28, 2011.

  1. Offline

    feverdream

    I have been reading the Plugin Requests forum for a while now. I and other developers like to read requests from this sub-form to give us ideas for plugins because as they say, giving the customer what they want is good for business, even if your an open source junky and this is all free.

    The Problem is I don't see many people posting in the plugin request forum as if they really want their ideas taken seriously, and sometimes I see posts that I actually get interested in, but I don't make the plugin or allocate time to the ideas that spring into mind because the request itself was either crap even if the idea was great, or the person making the request broke a rule of this part of the forum.

    What you say? Rules? Yes, this forum has rules. You don't just blindly get an idea, throw it on this forum, and poof the plugin is created That is not how it works.

    You want your idea to be created as a plugin? Following these rules and your chances will be greatly increased:

    1. Read the rules and follow them. They are here: http://forums.bukkit.org/threads/please-read-requesting-plug-ins.1070/ Remember that not following them can get the mods angry.. and you wont like them when they are angry.

    2. Don't ask for client side mods at all. If it involves a new block type, hiding your name so you can sneak up on people, enabling flying, different graphics, re-skinning an item to look like something else, or a new interface for something, its a client side mod and your request will be ignored by every developer I know of, no matter how much you whine. So don't waste your time asking for it until AFTER notch adds OFFICIAL client side modding support. No, he has not added it yet.

    3. Use the search feature and manually read a few pages of the forum to find a thread relate to what your asking about before you create a new thread for it. This is in the rules, but its such a big isse that I have to list it here. If you really have a good idea than others will reply to that thread, and it will grow as more and more people request that plugin. The larger the thread the bigger the interest by a developer in creating that plugin, so by not following this rule you only hurt yourself and pissing off the moderators for not following the rules.

    4. Don't ask for a plugin that already exists for bukkit. Just because the plugin developer has not updated a plugin in a day or two doesn't mean they have abandoned it or will not update it if you let them know it needs it. Remember, plugin developers are people too, and as much as we would all like to think of ourselves a gods with mastery of the code, the fact remains we have lives, mortgages, families, and pets to take care of in the real world as well. So if the plugin already exists for bukkit and just needs to be updated, don't post about it here. Find the thread dedicated for that plugin and bug the original developer about it, because part of having this Plugin Developer badge means that we will have respect for other Developers.

    5. Don't ask for a plugin to be ported to bukkit from Hey0 or other mods. Instead, talk to the original developer and get them to join the bukkit community. We would love to have them. If they refuse, that's up to them and you have no right to attempt to force it on them. Once again, plugin developers have respect for other programmers and you should to.

    6. Use the best spelling, punctuation, and grammar that you can. Most browsers have spell checkers in them these days, and while nobody expects you to be perfect, at least try to communicate as effectively and clearly as you can given your language skills. If English is not your native language, SAY SO and also let us now what IS your native language so we can work out ways to communicate.

    7. Have respect for the people you are asking to do free work for you. Most people who spend their free time coding plugins here have day jobs working as professional programmers, and so their time is valuable. So remember that if you had to pay a plugin developer for the work they are doing for free for you, you probably could not afford it. So be thankful, and respectful, when making your request.

    If I see a post that violates these rules, I ignore it.. and I'm sure Mods like @RightLegRed would rather you follow them too. (Tagging him so he can give feedback..)
     
  2. Offline

    retsrif

    So true. Every single word of it. They just come along here asking for herobrine and flying, even though many threads show that those are not possible. Someone should sticky this.
     
  3. Offline

    mindless728

    good post feverdream and i am one of those people that is too busy ATM to do any good amount of programming on my plugins because of college
     
  4. Offline

    feverdream

    All all for it being merged with the rules thread or stickies, but that is up to a mod as I lack that power-up.
     
  5. Herobrine is possible. I'm working on it using Redecouverte's NPC engine.
     
  6. Offline

    feverdream

    Herobrine may be, bu a lot of the same requests we get over and over require client mods and the people are not even willing to spend 2 damn seconds to find that out instead of spending a few minutes posting to ask for it when their question has already been answered.
     
  7. Offline

    Moo Master

    This is actually nice, because a lot of people ignore the search.

    you get an internet (200th one :p)
     
  8. Yeah, I will recognize that. I have yet to see anything feasible (that isn't already done) in this request forum yet.
     
  9. Offline

    aPunch

    The problem with this post is that those who ignore reading the Plugin Requests rules thread will most likely not read this one, as well. It is extremely useful and has great info, don't get me wrong. But, even if you sticky this, do you really expect those who ignore the requests rules thread to read this one? I'm sure some will, but there will always be those people who start threads asking about client-side mods and porting hMod plugins. It is unavoidable.
     
  10. Offline

    feverdream

    A dark, evil, little part of me wants to ban everybody who doesn't use the search function first for a day or two.

    Would I do it? Depends on what I was asked to do, how hard I was asked to enforce the rules.

    Still, a dark little part of me is laughing like a super villain at the thought... and thats probably why I'm not a mod as I would enforce the rules a bit more than they are now.
     
  11. While banning people who don't search the existing forum would be a mod's dream, it's not feasible. I moderate a C++ forum and lord knows how many threads are repeats.
     
  12. Offline

    feverdream

    Oh yeah, dont I know this. But a girl can dream.
     
  13. Another dream of mine is to ban users from the forum who display a high level of "I can't program and don't know what documentation is."

    I don't know if there would be much forum left after that...
     
  14. Offline

    MisanthropX

    This should be stickied as most of the requirements do have no respect for you plugin gods :>
     

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