Comments on: Lack of updates and continuing to grow. http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/ The blog about virtual pets Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:50:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Aridxi http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-84 Aridxi Thu, 18 Oct 2007 03:10:50 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-84 Darn spammers! They ruin everything! Why can't a site be good and still not have spammers? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever. Off Topic: Zeta is back up! Darn spammers! They ruin everything! Why can’t a site be good and still not have spammers? It just makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Off Topic: Zeta is back up!

]]> By: ManzanitaGrove http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-74 ManzanitaGrove Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:50:53 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-74 Hey Ari! ^^; Look at all the Zeta users checking out the other links for Zeta when they check to see if Zeta is back up. XD "Nobody would really know anybody and therefore, no real friends would be made." ~ Aridxi Not so true. There would only be pockets of sanity. And I happen to be really bad at finding those. X] I think what you really meant is the overall community spirit is gone. You wouldn't be able post personal problems anymore without getting bombarded with nasty messages about you being emo and the like. And you would not longer be able to trade items without a second thought..... I think I'm going to have nightmares now. >,> That is the unique beauty of Zeta. I'm so afraid that it will die out. "That’s a major problem with Zeta, there are plenty of great ideas and concepts that are put into action, but are never completed." ~ Atlas Tell me about it. I really hope they follow through, it would be a nirvana. (*coughcough*) "Maybe now that Wulf is going into college, he will find a class he can use Zeta as a project on…" ~Atlas I can certainly hope! "I honestly don’t want Zetapets to have a larger community because it would be just like Neopets then. " ~ Aridxi "When you have too many people you end up losing the whole community to cliques" ~ Atlas "If it gets larger, then it is too hard to moderate, then spammers move in." ~ Zani Eheh. Look! All the Zeta users like small communities with nice people, and nice moderation unlike Neopets. I guess that means that Zeta can never be a great site size-wise because we like it small. Sure, no one is against new games/ideas/programming. Although those have a nasty habit of attracting spammers. A shame really. Its an odd situation. Hey Ari! ^^; Look at all the Zeta users checking out the other links for Zeta when they check to see if Zeta is back up. XD

“Nobody would really know anybody and therefore, no real friends would be made.” ~ Aridxi
Not so true. There would only be pockets of sanity. And I happen to be really bad at finding those. X] I think what you really meant is the overall community spirit is gone. You wouldn’t be able post personal problems anymore without getting bombarded with nasty messages about you being emo and the like. And you would not longer be able to trade items without a second thought….. I think I’m going to have nightmares now. >,> That is the unique beauty of Zeta. I’m so afraid that it will die out.

“That’s a major problem with Zeta, there are plenty of great ideas and concepts that are put into action, but are never completed.” ~ Atlas
Tell me about it. I really hope they follow through, it would be a nirvana. (*coughcough*)

“Maybe now that Wulf is going into college, he will find a class he can use Zeta as a project on…” ~Atlas
I can certainly hope!

“I honestly don’t want Zetapets to have a larger community because it would be just like Neopets then. ” ~ Aridxi
“When you have too many people you end up losing the whole community to cliques” ~ Atlas
“If it gets larger, then it is too hard to moderate, then spammers move in.” ~ Zani
Eheh.
Look! All the Zeta users like small communities with nice people, and nice moderation unlike Neopets. I guess that means that Zeta can never be a great site size-wise because we like it small. Sure, no one is against new games/ideas/programming. Although those have a nasty habit of attracting spammers. A shame really.

Its an odd situation.

]]> By: Aridxi http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-67 Aridxi Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:17:43 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-67 I've too begun to doubt that v3 will come out anytime soon, however, I do believe they are working at it. Ironwulf and Tigress are both working very hard on it. I believe Tigress is extremely dedicated, and I hope she always will be. The problem is that they are mainly the only people that work on it. Everyone else that used to help is gone because they got tired of the n00bs that come from other sites. I honestly don't want Zetapets to have a larger community because it would be just like Neopets then. Nobody would really know anybody and therefore, no real friends would be made. The only thing I really want improved about Zetapets is the games. At the moment there is less than 10 games. But I don't want so many games that you can't even find the one you want to play (Like on Neopets). It would be nice if the battledome was open as well, but I think that can wait. ~~Ari~~ P.S. Hi Zanita! lol I’ve too begun to doubt that v3 will come out anytime soon, however, I do believe they are working at it. Ironwulf and Tigress are both working very hard on it. I believe Tigress is extremely dedicated, and I hope she always will be. The problem is that they are mainly the only people that work on it. Everyone else that used to help is gone because they got tired of the n00bs that come from other sites.

I honestly don’t want Zetapets to have a larger community because it would be just like Neopets then. Nobody would really know anybody and therefore, no real friends would be made.

The only thing I really want improved about Zetapets is the games. At the moment there is less than 10 games. But I don’t want so many games that you can’t even find the one you want to play (Like on Neopets). It would be nice if the battledome was open as well, but I think that can wait.

~~Ari~~

P.S. Hi Zanita! lol

]]> By: atlas_arc http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-63 atlas_arc Wed, 17 Oct 2007 17:02:29 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-63 As Zani said, there are probably around 20 3+ users floating around, and I suspect more are just not very vocal on the forum, but still enjoy playing the game. As for roadblocks, I think the biggest is (from what I have gathered) that the code is messy, but I also have heard that Tigress has taken on the admirabl project of cleaning up all the code. This makes me almost certain that v3 won't be done anytime soon, if she is going back through and basically re-coding everything that has already been made. I'm hoping that she does not lose interest before she's finished. That's a major problem with Zeta, there are plenty of great ideas and concepts that are put into action, but are never completed. Maybe now that Wulf is going into college, he will find a class he can use Zeta as a project on... As Zani said, there are probably around 20 3+ users floating around, and I suspect more are just not very vocal on the forum, but still enjoy playing the game.

As for roadblocks, I think the biggest is (from what I have gathered) that the code is messy, but I also have heard that Tigress has taken on the admirabl project of cleaning up all the code.

This makes me almost certain that v3 won’t be done anytime soon, if she is going back through and basically re-coding everything that has already been made.

I’m hoping that she does not lose interest before she’s finished. That’s a major problem with Zeta, there are plenty of great ideas and concepts that are put into action, but are never completed.

Maybe now that Wulf is going into college, he will find a class he can use Zeta as a project on…

]]> By: admin http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-61 admin Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:43:28 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-61 I'm sure because IronWulf will never step down and pass his ownership to someone else. Amanda tried to do it; Tigress is the lead programmer and I doubt they'll ever pass it away. Zeta has always had unique ideas, it's just up to them to step up and get them done. When I worked for them before, they were planning to release RPG features like mining and such. Ya, the coding has been bad for the past 3 years. Well, the community should stay strong even with new users. v2 should be still be worked on as well - why shouldn't it? That's a shame. I’m sure because IronWulf will never step down and pass his ownership to someone else. Amanda tried to do it; Tigress is the lead programmer and I doubt they’ll ever pass it away. Zeta has always had unique ideas, it’s just up to them to step up and get them done. When I worked for them before, they were planning to release RPG features like mining and such.

Ya, the coding has been bad for the past 3 years. Well, the community should stay strong even with new users. v2 should be still be worked on as well - why shouldn’t it? That’s a shame.

]]> By: ManzanitaGrove http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-56 ManzanitaGrove Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:38:42 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-56 I know that it started that way, and there is hope that when (if) v3 comes out that it will return to a teen site that instead of competing with all the other "cuter" sites. So there will never be a new owner? How are you so sure? Roadblocks: So many other sites with similar ideas. Community tends to break down with more users. All work is geared toward finishing on v3, with only item releases as new things for v2. The coding is bad, and they are unwilling to redo it. (this is based on what you have said, I have no experience with this type of coding) Those are a few that I can think of. I know that it started that way, and there is hope that when (if) v3 comes out that it will return to a teen site that instead of competing with all the other “cuter” sites.

So there will never be a new owner? How are you so sure?

Roadblocks:
So many other sites with similar ideas.
Community tends to break down with more users.
All work is geared toward finishing on v3, with only item releases as new things for v2.
The coding is bad, and they are unwilling to redo it. (this is based on what you have said, I have no experience with this type of coding)

Those are a few that I can think of.

]]> By: admin http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-53 admin Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:35:09 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-53 Well, Zetapets was first started as teen-orientated community and that's been since dismissed.. It'll never have a new leader as IronWulf will always be the owner. He starts college next year - and Tigress is going to be moving soon. They have the highest potential to grow but they just don't want to. It doesn't have a lot of things to do and the quests were coded by Benbread about two years ago. What are the roadblocks would you say? Well, Zetapets was first started as teen-orientated community and that’s been since dismissed.. It’ll never have a new leader as IronWulf will always be the owner.

He starts college next year - and Tigress is going to be moving soon. They have the highest potential to grow but they just don’t want to. It doesn’t have a lot of things to do and the quests were coded by Benbread about two years ago.

What are the roadblocks would you say?

]]> By: ManzanitaGrove http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-50 ManzanitaGrove Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:42:29 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-50 There are 3year+ users around. I don't know many are not active on the boards but still lurking. Some have made new accounts as well. So its really hard to tell..... 20 is a rough estimate. And yes, if Zeta got more staff, they could handle more users. It does deserve to be larger. However, the way they are running things now, coupled with what it is surviving on, (honesty and trust in the general community spirit) I don't think that it can grow too much more. Sure, it has potential............ but there are a too many roadblocks, and a lack of interest in tackling them. If it had new leadership, then I suppose it could blossom. Especially with some unique ideas. They do plan to orient to a more teen audience, something that I haven't come across before in a pet sites. (But thats likely because I don't have much experience with other pet sites; Something I hope to change.) Not to mention there are doubts that v3 will ever come out. There are 3year+ users around. I don’t know many are not active on the boards but still lurking. Some have made new accounts as well. So its really hard to tell….. 20 is a rough estimate.

And yes, if Zeta got more staff, they could handle more users. It does deserve to be larger. However, the way they are running things now, coupled with what it is surviving on, (honesty and trust in the general community spirit) I don’t think that it can grow too much more. Sure, it has potential………… but there are a too many roadblocks, and a lack of interest in tackling them.

If it had new leadership, then I suppose it could blossom. Especially with some unique ideas. They do plan to orient to a more teen audience, something that I haven’t come across before in a pet sites. (But thats likely because I don’t have much experience with other pet sites; Something I hope to change.) Not to mention there are doubts that v3 will ever come out.

]]> By: admin http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-45 admin Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:39:17 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-45 So, the old veteran users like that have played Zetapets since 2004 are still around? The slowness of updates or? Zeta isn't stuck, it wasn't stuck before. Updates were produced and the spammers came in, but they managed when their moderators. It's attractive but it needs more members + dedicated workers so that it can get larger. Don't you think Zeta deserves to be a lot larger? So, the old veteran users like that have played Zetapets since 2004 are still around? The slowness of updates or? Zeta isn’t stuck, it wasn’t stuck before. Updates were produced and the spammers came in, but they managed when their moderators.

It’s attractive but it needs more members + dedicated workers so that it can get larger. Don’t you think Zeta deserves to be a lot larger?

]]> By: ManzanitaGrove http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-44 ManzanitaGrove Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:32:39 +0000 http://www.virtualpetsblog.com/2007/10/14/lack-of-updates-and-continuing-to-grow/#comment-44 Well, depends on what you mean by veteran.... some leave and come back so does that count? How active do they have to be to be "still playing?" My guess is around 20 are active veterans. I agree with atlas about some of its charm is the slowness. And that is also a hindrance. Zeta is stuck. If it gets larger, then it is too hard to moderate, then spammers move in. Then it is too similar to gaia/neopets so the spammers leave for other sites with other attractions, and the veterans leave because they don't like spam sites like that. On the other hand, if it gets too small then it will just die off. It is a site in between that has manged to survive on the border. And the people there like that it is one of the few sites that has managed to have just the right combination. Its anyone's guess as to how it will change in the future. Can it continue to survive like this? My guess is yes. But anything might upset the balance. Well, depends on what you mean by veteran…. some leave and come back so does that count? How active do they have to be to be “still playing?” My guess is around 20 are active veterans.

I agree with atlas about some of its charm is the slowness. And that is also a hindrance. Zeta is stuck. If it gets larger, then it is too hard to moderate, then spammers move in. Then it is too similar to gaia/neopets so the spammers leave for other sites with other attractions, and the veterans leave because they don’t like spam sites like that.

On the other hand, if it gets too small then it will just die off. It is a site in between that has manged to survive on the border. And the people there like that it is one of the few sites that has managed to have just the right combination.

Its anyone’s guess as to how it will change in the future. Can it continue to survive like this? My guess is yes. But anything might upset the balance.

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