Custom URL avatars

[TosaInu]

The discussion about this got a bit lost in the swamp. Not much was decided about it yet. I recall that members wanted to stick with a set theme, wanted to allow photos and painted images and one fixed dimension for the images. Is that correct? Do we move on from there, or start all over again?

[Just A Girl]

I beleve This is what you mean.
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=47834

Ive already bumped it back up for you was prety much in the middle of the watch tower threads.

[Monarch]

Hello,

I am newer so pretty much missed this discussion. However it seems from a quick glance at the link Just A Girl provided would support your recollections.

I would like to have a custom avatar but I believe everyone should still be forced to have TW orientated ones. In addition I like how everyone has the same size avatar, keeps the forums tidy in my opinion.

Edit: Oh yeah, I meant to say a custom avatar would be nice. But the preset collection is extensive and so easy to find at least one avatar that you like.

[R'as al Ghul]

Hello Tosa.

Regardless of a custom avatar option I always found that the S:TW avatars are too few. I know that the amount of source images is limited but I created some (100+) new profile pictures for the Shogun mod of M:TW_VI and some epic event pictures. (mostly taken from japanese woodblock prints)
There're also the images by TomteofDoom who worked on DukeJohn's Sengoku mod and which are very popular.
Maybe we could add some of those pics (in avatar size) to the Shogun collection? (about a dozen)
I'd of course offer to upload them in the required format.
What do you think?

[Lentonius]

I think the TW avatars are good, but in order to get the really good ones you have to have upwards of 150 posts...

I have one i like at the minute but i really like a 250post one...

i like the system of TW avatars, but maybe there should be more encouragement to make more and better avatars..

For instance, in TWcenter there is a screenshot of the month. We could do the similar, with people taking screenies of their fave units, or their own units from any TW games, except the winner's screenshot is made into an avatar for just him/herself. Also, maybe Mod team leaders should submit 3 or 4 avatars for the mod teams to use, if their mod has been completed...

and the ORG yearly awards should have a special avatar competition, with the best 30 for instance being able for the public to use...

My ideas are very 'competition orientated' but they would give someone with 1/2 an hour free to do, and would make a nice improvement to the forums, with people being able to do more than they can...

Although This has been said, custom avatars in my mind would be slightly tatty, and the competitions would be fun and help the avatar problem...

[Just A Girl]

I dont know about the post limit avatars...
would give people a reason to spam.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Mod teams could be encouraged to enrich the avatar pool with their custom portraits.
.

[TosaInu]

How large are they R'as al Ghul?

The URL avatar system could easily have some default pool to choose from, in case a user doesn't have another source. And anyone could submit avatars that match the theme/size (whatever they gonna be) to be stored in the pool for public use.

As there's always the issue of someone not going with the theme, or worse, posts something inappropriate and the endless that brings, the system could be made so that only avatars hosted here can be used. One difference with the current system: anyone can submit avatars and anyone can use those after some community approval.

[R'as al Ghul]

How large are they R'as al Ghul?

Game size:






resized:

[TosaInu]

A nice size, how about using that 96*142 for the URL avatars? These are ~5 kb only and even allowing up to say 10 kb is fair?

[R'as al Ghul]

.
Mod teams could be encouraged to enrich the avatar pool with their custom portraits.
.

This is a fantastic idea.
I think all the mods hosted in this forum should be represented by portraits.
Wouldn't that be great? I think there are already a lot of portraits which could be uploaded.

The URL avatar system could easily have some default pool to choose from, in case a user doesn't have another source. And anyone could submit avatars that match the theme/size (whatever they gonna be) to be stored in the pool for public use.

A URL avatar pool would be ok, too. But in the end you loose control about
the theme/ content of the images. There's nothing that prevents offensive
content. With additional hosted galleries the board would remain in control.
The decision which ones to include could be made by you or the community
in this sub-forum.

A nice size, how about using that 96*142 for the URL avatars? These are ~5 kb only and even allowing up to say 10 kb is fair?

I have DSL. 10K is fair enough if needed.

[Lentonius]

i think you should be able to have your own custom avatar, but it should either be of a hosted mod you are included in (which in that instance there should be mod avatars for devs and ones for supporters) or ones which you could submit to someone, but has to be approved of i.e to do with the Total war series of games...

I agree to a certain extent on the posting system, which is cooler avatars require more posts. However, i think before having 0 posts OK ones, and then 100 post fairly good ones, there should be a bigger variety before this can happen. Also, if there were a few for each ten or twenty posts it would mean people may not spam as much for a good avatar. This system would mean in a couple of days normal posting you could have another 2-3 avatars to choose from...

[TosaInu]

URL avatars (an alternative system) will not use postcounts.

There's a varity between 0 and 100: 20, 50 and 75 are other limits.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I'd rather have post counts then custom avatars...

[TosaInu]

I'd rather have post counts then custom avatars...

You're already served then: the postcounts are displayed.

Back to topic.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

The existing avatars probably satisfy many ORG members already - after all, most people are here to post their opinions, not to look good with some fancy avatar / signature

That said (and since this topic is based upon change), why not scrap the required posts limit for the various default TW avatars currently available? Instead, allow all of the present TW avatars (and potential ones to be added to these exisiting pools) to be used from 0 posts upwards. At a stroke this will provide more satisfaction and choice to members, as they can browse a wider catalogue of avatars.

However, I can see the negative opinion to scrapping avatar-related post counts. Where is the reward for posting X times in the ORG? Well for these members, since they've (probably) constructed many important / relevant and so on topics in the past (and with post counts numbering in the thousands), why not allow them to upload a custom avatar of personal preference? Obviously rules and guidlines could be laid down to make custom avatars either related or non-related to TW, and the relevant warnings / punishments for exceeding the forum rules.

From what I've pieced together already on this topic, some distinct members are currently allowed to use a custom-designed avatar that relates to TW. Why not continue in this tradition?

[TosaInu]

Since 96*142 is used for the game avatars, and mod created avatars also have that size, do we think that size is a good one to go with?

One of the older disussions about avatars showed that some people like the uniformity here, Seasoned Alcoholic. So, I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to custom avatars. The ones made by R'as al Ghul are very nice and I've seen many other beautiful pictures, but they're not going to be included in the normal pool. The URL avatar is a compromise and an option to please the other side of the spectrum.

Right at this moment, it even isn't technically possible for users to upload custom avatars to this server (and that has nothing to do with me being unwilling to pull the switch). But, when the large majority of users can come to some agreement together, I'm more than happy to change as soon as possible. Playing cop for legal PG-13 pictures is neither fun nor rewarding.

OT: R'as al Ghul, the 1st on the left in the 2nd row is Toyotomi Hideyoshi right?

[Just A Girl]

Since 96*142 is used for the game avatars, and mod created avatars also have that size, do we think that size is a good one to go with?

i think it is a good size.

[R'as al Ghul]

OT: R'as al Ghul, the 1st on the left in the 2nd row is Toyotomi Hideyoshi right?

Right.


This text goes along with the pic on the "electric samurai" webpage:

(1536-1598)
He was born in poor farmer, but he succeeded to Daimyo.
As for him finishes the long war-shattered age, formed public standardization finally.

Cute, isn't it?

Since 96*142 is used for the game avatars, and mod created avatars also have that size, do we think that size is a good one to go with?

I do, but I still would like more variety in the Shogun section.

[Lentonius]

i propose an avatar competition every once in a while. the winning one is put as a public avatar, simple

[TosaInu]

96*142 being the uniform size? Objections?

[Uesugi Kenshin]

None here...

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
OT but could the profile picture size be a little bit increased? Something like 320*200 maybe?
.

[Just A Girl]

thats a large avit...

As i use a tv not a monitor If i want to actualy be able to read any text i haft to use 800x600,
sometimes even 640x480.
320x200 would take up a bunch of my screen and i was hopeing to view the custom avits as well.

wouldnt 220x100 be adequate enough ?

[Just A Girl]

actualy i think 200x200 wouldnt bother my display much either.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
The profile picture is not an avatar or sig image Sham; it appears only at one's profile page.
.

[Just A Girl]

OOOOH
Now i see what you mean by OT.

Oh well then i have nothing to say :P

[TosaInu]

No objections, 96*142 will be the fixed size for UrlAvatars.

The initial idea, was to make it 100% free for registered members who have say more than 3 posts (obviously to prevent incompatible acounts to display just anything). But, since most users here want to stick to a theme, the hosting may have to be done differently.

There are two options.

-1 Hope for the best, expect people to stick with the theme (whatever that is going to be) and allow external linking to a picture.
-2 Host the images on this server and only allow images hosted here to be used. That would be more like what is done for the avatars we have now, but the difference is that the collection can become much bigger and richer.

Option one or two?

[R'as al Ghul]

-2 Host the images on this server and only allow images hosted here to be used. That would be more like what is done for the avatars we have now, but the difference is that the collection can become much bigger and richer.

Option one or two?

Would this option mean the url-avatars are unique to a single user?
If so, then I'm for option two.
I know it may not be pleasant to nanny those uploads but imagine
the circumstance of allowing all possible avatars. Even if
misuse is punished I wouldn't want to watch over it.

[TosaInu]

There are no checks for double using avatars.

There may be possible methods/checks and we may add those. But that's not the question here. The question is:
-allow remote linking -> I'm not going to police unless it's dirty.
-only allow local linking -> I'm not going to police either, but will ask some members to move candidates from an uploadfolder to the pool.