Role-Play Community Leaders,

 

First off I would like to start off with this Disclaimer:  I am aware a majority, if not all mods and web sites related to the GTA Role-Playing world is provided free of charge for its users.  It is not and has not been my intent to create the following website to make a profit.  I have gone back and forth on whether or not to make this post.  The site below that I will talk about will be a great tool for any Police/Fire Role-playing community on any game/platform.  It would be a shame to do this work and not allow these communities to enjoy it, however I cannot financially support the cost of hosting if it is opened to the public thus here we are…..

 

Now…on to the post……

 

I am writing this post to see how much interest there out there is in a MDC site that is being developed.  Currently there is a 100% completely custom MDC being developed by my wife for my community, the Harbor County Department of Public Safety.  We are at a point in the development where we can build in the feature to allow multiple communities across multiple games and platforms to use the site.  However due to it being a website and not a program you can download there will be cost to us as the developers for hosting.  I am asking to see if we do allow other communities to use the site, would your community be willing to pay a small subscription fee to help with the cost of the server?  I have no problem and have the means to host it for my community.  However, to open it up to the masses will require a hosting account different from what I have and cost extra money.  As I said before this is not a ploy to take your money, this fee would be between $5 and $10 a month and could be lower if more communities come on board.  It would simply be used to cover the cost of hosting and maintaining the site.  Some websites within the GTA Role-playing community use ads to help with the cost of the server.  Currently it is not my intention to use ads, however it may be an option later down the road.

 

Now, with all of that said, this site would not be for all of the pop up communities out there that use free web hosting and such as they would most likely not be willing to pay the subscription.  Due to the subscription fee this site would only be feasible to those serious communities out there that have sustainability.  Since this is being created for one of those serious communities it will have serious capabilities.  The site is being developed by my wife going off my design and input.  I am a police dispatcher for a large city and the system is based off of the software used at my place of employment both inside the dispatch center and out in the field inside the cruisers.  

 

I will list out some of the major features below:

 

·         Separate screens/access for Units, Dispatchers and Civilians

·         Units notified when a run has been dispatched to them

·         Ability for all users to see a list of Pending Run, Dispatched Runs, Available Units, Busy Units and BOLOs

·         Auto Refresh on various parts of the screen to remove the need to refresh the whole page

·         Ability for Units to Self-Initiate runs

·         Ability for Units to clear themselves

·         Ability for Units to Self-attach runs

·         Remarks area on runs to be used for documentation purposes.

·         Ability for units to add remarks to runs

·         En-route Button

·         Arrive Button

·         Clear Button

·         Ability for Units to mark themselves in and out of service.

·         Ability for users to serve different roles at different times.

·         BOLO Creation

·         Custom Commands for Dispatchers

·         Future Custom Incident Reporting System

·         Responsive Design to allow a Mobile version for cell phones and tablets

·         And many more

 

 

As said before this site is not just for use with GTAIV.  It could be used by SAMP players, GTAV players, ARMA players or any other game that may have the need for an MDC.  This site in no way will be integrated inside an actual game.  Due to the nature of how games are coded it is too hard to develop a mod as powerful as this site to work inside of a game.  The site is designed to be used with a second computer like a laptop, tablet or even a phone.

 

I have attached a PDF file that contains some of the screen designs to allow you to get somewhat of a visual of how it is going to look.  The final product may not look exactly like this but it will be similar.

 

 

I have created a poll.  I ask only community leaders or those who see real chance of using this site to respond to the poll.  I am trying to get a feel for the interest in the site to see if it is worth taking the extra step to allow others to use it.

 

Any community leaders that are serious about this site please send me a message via LCPDFR with your community name, community website and an email so I can add you to a list and keep you updated.

 

Thank you for your time in reading this.

Really looks good so far from what you have shown us. Keep up the good work!

On a side note: I wish a I had a GF/wife that would develop and code something I wanted. Lol

GTAIVCode3 - Thanks for your response.  And yes....I am a lucky guy to have such an awesome wife.

 

 

 

Anyone else with some feedback?   I have to admit I am kind of shocked in having only 1 reply and 3 votes.  Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing....

I like it! I personally do not like the fact that it would have to be paid for. 

Why dont you offer it for download if someone wants to host it on there server ect.?

I like it! I personally do not like the fact that it would have to be paid for. 

 

I can respect that. As I said before I do not like that I would have to charge for it. But the way I look at it....it is like paying for hosting for a website or a teamspeak server.  Only exception is the companies offering that service are out to make a profit.  We are not seeking profit.  Just ask for enough that we dont go broke paying for the hosting.

 

Why dont you offer it for download if someone wants to host it on there server ect.?

 

That is a good question.  Some developers are ok with releasing their code and some are not.  My wife is one that is not ok with releasing her code.  One of the main reasons is support.  It is nearly impossible to support a product like this once the code is released and someone has access to change the core functionality of the code.  Open source code is usually released by a company that has a large support team that can assist in troubleshooting.  Examples I can think of are SMF fourm software, Moodle and OSTicket.  My wife and I do not have a large support team by any means.  Keeping the code proprietary allows us to limit the issues that may arise and have the full ability to fix them. 

 

Most mods that are released in the GTA world are locked when they are released and cannot be messed with.  If this products code was released for someone to put on their server, anything could happen.

Edited November 15, 201312 yr by nc1787

Damn, You really Have put some of your time in typing that all out, 

The issue is that some communities might have trouble adding another bill at the end of the month, especially when the community might be small or when the owner might be the only one picking up the tab. Granted, most (successful) community owners are people (generally adults) with stable jobs who can afford the website, the VOIP servers, the time to make the mods, to advertise, etc. But there are others that would have trouble paying extra.

 

In my opinion (saying this as a fan, not an owner), maybe we should wait until it's proven (with videos, actual gameplay, maybe even demos) to jump the gun in terms of a monetary requirement. Or, have two versions; a free version (with either time restrictions, functionality restrictions, or usage restrictions) and a full version (paid)

Edited November 15, 201312 yr by spreilly

I have to admit I am kind of shocked in having only 1 reply and 3 votes.  Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing....

The thread has been up for a day, and you are shocked that you do not have more replies? Give it some time, not everyone is online 24/7 (unlike me, I'm always here). I'm sure more and more people will comment, if they find it interesting. 

 

On topic, I applaud the effort that's being put into this by you and your wife but I have to agree with the post above. In these days, money is a issue. I would not buy anything like this, not because I don't like it, but because I do not play online that much. 

In my opinion, it does look good however it is the money issue, I am not willing to pay for it. Sorry!

Damn, You really Have put some of your time in typing that all out, 

 

Thank you for noticing.  I hope you all can get the feel that this is not just another MDC topic that will pop up, say hey look at me, and then never develop into something.  I currently have no videos or solid screen shots to show you however I can assure you it is and will come along.

 

The issue is that some communities might have trouble adding another bill at the end of the month, especially when the community might be small or when the owner might be the only one picking up the tab. Granted, most (successful) community owners are people (generally adults) with stable jobs who can afford the website, the VOIP servers, the time to make the mods, to advertise, etc. But there are others that would have trouble paying extra.

 

In my opinion (saying this as a fan, not an owner), maybe we should wait until it's proven (with videos, actual gameplay, maybe even demos) to jump the gun in terms of a monetary requirement. Or, have two versions; a free version (with either time restrictions, functionality restrictions, or usage restrictions) and a full version (paid)

 

You hit on two good points/topics.

 

First, you say the most successful community owners are going to be the ones who can afford it.  You are probably correct.  As I said in my OP this site is mostly geared towards them but open to anyone.  Since I am not out to make money, I am not trying to sell this to the masses.  I would be completely ok with 3-4 large communities coming on board.  That would help offset the cost to us and allow us to share the site with the GTA community.

 

Second, about waiting.  I respect your wish to reserve your opinion/judgement till more can be seen.  But please keep in mind this post was just to get a feel for how people would view the idea.  Asking ourselves....Is it worth taking the extra time to develop the ability for other communities to use the site?  If not then we move on and develop it just for Harbor County which is still a win situation.  Without developing the option of opening access up now, there would be a very very small chance of opening it up in the future.  And the Free vs Paid versions idea still has the issue of offsetting the cost if everyone choose to use the free version.

 

 

The thread has been up for a day, and you are shocked that you do not have more replies? Give it some time, not everyone is online 24/7 (unlike me, I'm always here). I'm sure more and more people will comment, if they find it interesting. 

 

On topic, I applaud the effort that's being put into this by you and your wife but I have to agree with the post above. In these days, money is a issue. I would not buy anything like this, not because I don't like it, but because I do not play online that much. 

 

 

I was fully aware of the length of time the post was up at the time I posted it.  At the time I posted it there had been 100+ views with only 1 reply.  I understand not everyone that reads the thread will reply.  1% of readers replying is what i was shocked about.

Our group has had something similar for quite some time now, interfaces with the game, and with dispatch.  It's great.  Additions like these are awesome.

The thing is, you really need people who are in-house writing the code for it.  Not only do you get more reliable software (as GTA isn't the most accepting host), you get software that works for your group.  For example, you want a button moved from the left side of the page to the right because it's easier to click on there, it's already done.

 

As far as charging people to use the software...

 

Groups come and go very quickly.  I would hate to see someone spend money on some software just to see their group disintegrate in front of their eyes.  One of the reasons that our group works so well together and stick together is that we all work on bettering the group.  We all work on different aspects, whether that is code, models, ideas, whatever.

 

There are plenty of CAD systems available for free.  The only reason that I could see someone (who did their research) using some paid software is if that software directly interfaced with the game - which basically needs to be developed in house by someone who knows GTA really well.

 

 

Matthew

 

I already spend $100-150 each month on our website, Teamspeak as well as other things.

If it stays below $10 a month, I'd probably consider it a possible option if it significantly increases gameplay quality. The thought of it being a paid service reassures me in thinking that I will get a quality and sustainable service in return.

Groups come and go very quickly.  I would hate to see someone spend money on some software just to see their group disintegrate in front of their eyes.  One of the reasons that our group works so well together and stick together is that we all work on bettering the group.  We all work on different aspects, whether that is code, models, ideas, whatever.

 

 

Which is why it would be a monthly subscription fee.  If the community dissolves then they stop paying.  They do not have to pay for something that they will not get use out of.

 

I already spend $100-150 each month on our website, Teamspeak as well as other things.

 

I definitely understand it is not cheap to pay for hosting for a site especially if you do it right.  That is why I would keep the cost as minimal as possible.  

 

The fee policy would go something like this:

 

Lets say it costs us $40 a month for hosting.  

 

5 communities subscribe at start. - Cost is $8/month. 

 

Another community comes on board to total 6.  Cost for all  now goes to $6.50/month.

 

Cost for community would never rise past the monthly cost they signed up at if other communities leave.

 

It would be as fair and in-expensive as possible.

 

Again this is just to cover the cost of our hosting.

 

 

 

As I stated before I understand this is a foreign concept for our world. Just trying to provide something to all without going broke.

Seems fishy and like a scam honestly. I'm a web developer my self, and I can tell you that hosting a web page can cost about $5 a month. You say you're not going for any personal monitory gain, but, that seems odd to me. Why release something to the public like this if you're not going for a profit? Please note that I am not accusing you of any crimes, wrong doing, or anything at all really. I just find it suspicious for some reasons that may or may not be understandable. It may just be that you haven't done research on reliable cheap hosts, and if that's the case I'm sorry you've been paying that much money for hosting. Infact, this website offers free hosting that works just fine, or you can even get primum hosting pretty damn cheap. http://www.000webhost.com/ I use them to host most of my crap, and it seems to work just fine. 

 

Best regards,

GtaGamerCop

Seems fishy and like a scam honestly. I'm a web developer my self, and I can tell you that hosting a web page can cost about $5 a month. You say you're not going for any personal monitory gain, but, that seems odd to me. Why release something to the public like this if you're not going for a profit? Please note that I am not accusing you of any crimes, wrong doing, or anything at all really. I just find it suspicious for some reasons that may or may not be understandable. It may just be that you haven't done research on reliable cheap hosts, and if that's the case I'm sorry you've been paying that much money for hosting. Infact, this website offers free hosting that works just fine, or you can even get primum hosting pretty damn cheap. http://www.000webhost.com/ I use them to host most of my crap, and it seems to work just fine. 

 

Best regards,

GtaGamerCop

 

No offense and/or accusations taken from your post.  In fact, I respect and appreciate your post.  I can understand how you may feel this way.  I will attempt to explain the situation a little more in depth.

 

Cheap Hosting:  You are correct.  There is hosting offered for free or dirt cheap from some places.  This hosting typically revolves around PHP code and MySQL databases which is all open source and free.  Since it is free, hosting companies can offer it for next to nothing.  If this was just a website to provide on screen static text/information, one of these options would be feasible.  Another thing to note is they are hosted on a Linux box. (See Below).  

 

.NET: Unfortunately one of these free/cheap options is not feasible.  My wife is a .NET developer.  A site coded in .NET cannot be hosted on a Linux box without some tweaking.  Even with the tweaking you may not get the full functionality of your web app.  The type of coding my wife does requires a Microsoft box with IIS installed.  Since Microsoft charges hosting companies to use different versions of Microsoft Server, they pass that cost on to the customer, thus making the price a bit higher.

 

Databases:  Being a web developer yourself, you should be familiar with how databases work.  When designing a site like this you have 2 main ways of doing it.  One massive database with client ID's to keep each separate client's data separate.  Or one database for each client.  We have decided on having one database for each client/community.  We chose this option as it allows for easier troubleshooting.  It also minimizes down time and/or issues for clients.  If a database for client A has an issue.  Client B is not affected.  Another positive on using different databases for each client is that it allows for some customization on a client by client basis if needed and agreed upon.

 

Another issue with databases and hosting is how many and how large.  Most of the cheap hosting companies will only allow 1-5 databases and will only allow those databases to be a certain size.  It is very rare to find a cheap hosting option that will allow unlimited databases and have a high cap on the size.  Currently, for my wife's business, her hosting is $20 a month.  That gets her unlimited databases but they can only be 1GB in size each.  With a site like we are making that would be fine at first. However as time goes on and more and more information piles up in the database, that option would not be feasible.  Especially with the Incident Reporting feature that we are planning on adding later down the road.   They would start charging for databases over 1GB.  In the end you could end up paying much more than originally planned.

 

Another issue with cheap hosting is server bandwidth restrictions.  Depending on site use and traffic this could also be a factor.

 

In my opinion it is always smart to get a plan that covers what you need and then some.  Protects yourself and your clients from overages that can prove to be more costly than paying for the extra service up front.

 

 

The reason I am making this feeler/announcement post now is simple.  I wouldn't feel right coming in here and showing off the site without first mentioning the intention of seeking some monetary support to cover the cost.  Failing to mention that would be shady.  Allowing people to see a product they may be interested in, get them excited for it, release it and then say.....Oh ya....by the way we need some money now.  Completely wrong and unethical.

 

I would also like to note that my earlier example of $40 a month for hosting may be high.  I did this on purpose.  I would rather quote high so that communities will know what they could expect to pay.  If the hosting is found for less it is a win win.  Cheaper for all.  Again, would rather be honest and forthcoming at first instead having to ask for more later.

 

 

In conclusion, there is no way for you to know what my intentions are.  I get that.  All I can do is assure you that I am not out to make any money.  If my explanation above does not allow you to understand my thought process and believe I mean what I say, then we will just have to agree to disagree as you are entitled to your own opinion and feelings.

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited November 16, 201312 yr by nc1787