Bot taking Polls

[CloudHelmut]

I noticed that DSB just put in a Poll feature on it's pub bot. Since so few players, percentage-wise, make their way to these forums it might help the staff gauge public opinion.

I'm not sure I like the implementation over at DSB, they have a separate command for getting the poll question and for voting. I would suggest same command for both with a "?" switch to get the current poll question.
[edit to correct: reading through their news.txt shows that you CAN use the same command for voting&getting question]

Example command/output

Cloud> /!poll ?
TWPub-bot>> Current poll question: Should the weasel switch back to 2 tiles?
TWPub-bot>> type /!poll A for yes, large weasel.
TWPub-bot>> type /!poll B for no, small weasel.
Cloud> /!poll A
TWPub-bot>> vote accepted. Cloud has voted "yes, large weasel" in current poll.
Cloud> /!poll B
TWPub-bot>> vote rejected. Cloud has voted in current poll. Check news.txt for poll updates.


And actually start using your news.txt, lol. Waddya think?

[Tibro]

http://forums.trenchwars.org/forumdisplay.php?f=14


If people dont know about the forum they would'nt know about the poll bot either

[Kolar]

Bot Polls never work. I think it's better if people discuss topics on here where the Smods and Sysops can get ideas. That's not a sense of public approval, but we don't need that to do things in this zone.

[CloudHelmut]

Umm, don't see how a link to the poll forum challenges my point. An in-game poll is obviously going to be seen more likely than a web-forum....[edit: pub bot could announce poll on arena entrance]

Of course I agree that it's better if people come here and actually discuss the issues. You get a much better idea of what they think. I just thought it might be another useful tool. Not to "get a sense of approval", but to see what the players are thinking about changes. Not saying they have to follow it.

So Kolar, you've seen these implemented and fail before? Did people just not bother to answer the polls?

[Kolar]

Linking to the poll forum on specific topics wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't see the needs to know how players feel about topics when it really doesn't help the Smods and Sysop make specific changes or changes that players feel are needed. Bot Polls never get a good number of people voting.

There will be a new system for bring change to anything in tw soon so I would wait until that's made public.

[Evul Fly]

why not just create bots that make new bots, so we can close twdev :grin:

[CloudHelmut]

Well, it was just a suggestion. I'm sure lack of participation is a problem with all polls.

If you're gonna stick with the forums, you should have the poll forum announced on arena entry. Also, I know people usually ignore the news.txt - that's because most zones overuse it and nobody wants to read/download it every time they log in. If you use it selectively you might find people using it.

Good luck with upcoming changes then staff.

[Stultus]

Bot polls are inadvisable. Why?

Let's just say I have 30+ aliases.

[Theif of Time]

TWBots do run polls, usually in hosted events. And usually people don't bother to vote, the most I've seen vote is about 20 out of 60-70 odd people.
BTW, what is with all the screwing around with settings, the 'band-aid' fixes?
Its like, talking on twbeta chat and qans talking about 1 idea to try fix weasel, and then someone, probably DoCk>, goes off and gives the lancs Xradar, going off on a completely different tangent.

[Shas'la T'au Kais]

Our input, except when something is very, very wrong, is useless


get used to it, we aren't gonna change anything, it's all up to DoCk>

[CloudHelmut]

Yeah, the alias thing is an issue. But it's an issue on forum polls as well.



Jeez Shas'la T'au Kais, I thought I went to a lot of trouble to not sound whiny. I post here on the forums when I care about a setting/bot change so I have no worries about the staff at least seeing my opinion. I'm "used to" the situation, they do look for player input IMHO they just aren't bound by it.


BTW Theif of Time, 20 out of 60-70 is an incredibly GOOD rate of return on a survey. Telemarketers would cream their jeans.

[Twerp]

why not just create bots that make new bots, so we can close twdev :grin:

TWdev is also about creating arenas.

[Volny]

TWdev is also about creating arenas.

Those bots would create arenas as well :grin:

[CloudHelmut]

Good thinking Volny. With a few bots to play the ships and post on the forums, we can all take the summer off. :P

[Kolar]

get used to it, we aren't gonna change anything, it's all up to DoCk>

It's not always up to DoCk>, the Smods can make changes if they agree on something. Right now it's very easy for any staff member to influence change because we're closer to them. That will change a little bit soon though.