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I'm going to be honest, I disagree with the direction you are wanting to take the server in. The problem facing most servers is the lack of developers on the game as a whole; potential developers have no drive to acquire new skills, and those that have them rarely feel like applying these skills. The reason that people are developing less now than they were before is because, to put it simply, it's no longer fun. The development pool being thin isn't limited by the lack of documentation, with an obvious exception with scripting, it's just developing on Graal is no longer providing the entertainment on the scale that it used to.
A testbed server has massive potential in terms of fixing the problems Graal has with development. However, you're limiting it too much, considering the fact that you are trying to encourage people to develop. It really just comes across as contrived, especially with a ranking system based on online time. I know you're trying to encourage people to use the server and everything, but that should probably be done in a little less obvious way.
Successful games are about content, not code, and that is why I believe that the focus of a development-encouraging testbed server should be for all sectors of Graal development not just scripting. Yeah you guys don't have a place to practice or showcase your work unless you purchase a server, but neither do any of the other development areas other than graphics. Level designers can make levels offline, improve their skills through practice and collaboration on the forums of different ideas, but they don't, and neither do gani artists, graphic artists, hell no one does. This is the issue you should be targeting, and as a testbed server is a good platform for a community to practice content development in easy outlet to expressing ideas, it works. Ideally, players would be able to develop alongside other developers, improving their skills together as a community and show off their levels live rather than in screenshots where a lot of the content is stiff. Multi-developers would also benefit from being able to practice and apply their skills on multiple levels, like Dusty did with his Mario remake.
There is a wide variety of areas that you can provide resources for and with actives and 'competitions' development can be fun again. How do you think websites such as DeviantArt and PixelJoint promote development of graphics AND community aspects? Through challenges and community projects. We often have things like this on the forums, scripting practices, level collaborations, but the testbed server can be a great way of showcasing these fun activities to anyone that would like to see them. With an increase of activities and monthly challenges that are linked between the forums and the server, you will see an improvement in the state of the development pool. Improved and applied skills, broader population of design talent, community incentives. |