Sneak Peek & Change Log

We'll know once we see if the clearance reports frequency decreases or not. Member such as @MikeMaster2 could be a candidate barometer to know if the fix has resolve its frequent recurrence.

 

Good point. @mikemaster2 if you happen to get on the forum and see this please try a download, see if you get locked out still.

 

So I ran a short 2-question poll on the main site to better understand what users are looking for and I'm going to share the results here since there's been some good discussion previously.

Have you emulated a console before?
Yes 663 (70.0%)
No 284 (30.0%)

Are you looking for a specific game or just browsing?
Specific game 402 (56.0%)
Just browsing 316 (44.0%)

What I find interesting is that 30% of people actually haven't emulated before. That's a lot of new people who we currently aren't really helping other than "here's the game, figure it out".

Additionally, I analysed the data to see if it what they were looking for depended on whether they were new or not. Turns out not really. (Not every user answered the 2nd question)

New user, just browsing: 81 (42.0%)
New user, specific game:112 (58.0%)

Experienced user, just browsing: 232 (44.9%)
Experienced user, specific game: 285 (55.1%)

I think currently we cover the "specific game" users quite well as we have decent search and filtering option. However, the just browsing people don't really have many options for discovering games. A lot of titles are missing good screenshots and there's no classification of genres or functionality. To me this tells me it's worth looking at better discoverability of new games.

 

Now that's odd, I didn't see the poll took place. Maybe because 99% of the time, I'd dive straight into the forum upon login. For me if I were to download something, it's mostly for specific games already in mind (and would have pre-research base on the genre I'm wanting to play at that given time), rather than random browsing trying to make sense of what the game is base on the name or through on the spot research.

So yeah, I think you'd need to add Sort by Genre. Of cause to do so requires editing the individual file tags in the database. Which needless to say requires some preparation before appending the database. Question is who is going to help edit the database once you made the platform. Your share section mod are missing most of the time, it'd probably boils down to you and Loonylion.

As for screenshots, I'm sure some members would want to add those,
Quote, "Help RomUlation add images for our games and we will award you points per approved image!

Before you upload please keep a few things in mind: Images must show actual gameplay, not title menu or boxshot. The goal here is to show other people what the game looks and plays like. Please don't upload watermarked images and in general make sure the image quality is good. Bad images will not be approved and no points awarded."

The above could also explicitly specify what the image dimensions are for each console, what the minimum dpi should be, that way you or Loonylion simply need to check its conformity rather than edit the entries. Makes your life simpler. And could use some further explanation how to actually prepare such screenshots from a-z, file name, file format, how to upload, etc. as I'm sure not all knows how, or have the ability to self-research. Also you might want to explicitly inform them how much point reward they are entitled to get per approved image. It could also be in the form of point return (sort like cash back) for screenshots provided from the rom they downloaded here. If they add e.g. 100 screenshots for 100 different rom links, then maybe be entitled to a week worth of temporary premium, which they could be entitled for an extension if they add the multiplication of that amount. And most especially, you might want to diversify so that every console get touched, as it might only be active for recent past system such as Wii and PSP.

While for missing rom, you'd need to provide list of what are missing for interested members to hunt, and what reward will be given for contribution for rom/iso not yet on the main site (not just limited to the missing rom). Including provide a 'how to', with the share post format simpler, e.g. just need the to provide topic title, file name, region, PAL/NTSC for certain console, and the file share link. You could specify a minimum target to acquire certain reward, a high enough target but is achievable. E.g. 20 new (whether it's from older console or current or even existing but of different region/language) untouched rom (not re-uploads of dead links base on the share section posts as those are already backed up into the ftp or various kind of patched rom or those already on the list) for main page gets 1 week premium or 1000 points.

I know you won't want to go down these kind of road, but let us face it, current members aren't interested in contributing unless given candies. For them, life is all about take and no give, or take and take.