Forums

I have launched the first stage of a forum system for the site. I investigated using an existing forum package into the site, but I want to integrate it with the site user system and also add my own Hexcell specific features to it. All of the packages I found were far too complex for what I wanted and would require a large investment of time to learn how to customise.

In the end I have written my own very simple forum. Like most other things on the site it is ‘just enough’ for the moment and I can grow it as the need arises.

Inactive Users and Pickups

As discussed in a previous post I have decided to allow the planes of inactive players to be picked up by active players. Hopefully this should relieve the growing number of stalled games.

I have coded up the games so they now recognise that a logged in player is not part of the game and that there are inactive users in the game whose planes can be taken over. All good. But the bit where the user becomes inactive is a bit more tricky.

The plan is that once a day, when the game reminders are run, all the user’s are looked at. If they have not logged in for the previous seven days they will get a warning email. If they have not logged in for a total of ten days they will get another email and their account will set to inactive. Simply logging in will reset their accounts to active.

Some of you may be getting that first email very soon.

Two New Planes

The Fokker DR1 and the Sopwith Camel got some love this week. Expect to see them available to play soon.