Spaceport is a mess!!!

[CalculusWarrior]

Also a section for scenarios!

Right now it's kind of annoying to put scenarios up there, because they don't fit any of the provided categories or tags

I would love to see more scenarios! We definitely need more organization for all these user-created addons...

[M5000]

Instead of using tags by themselves, the users should basically have to choose ONE section to place the file in when it's uploaded.

The user is prompted to enter the title for the submission.

The user is prompted to select whether this is a public or private submission.

The user is prompted to select whether this is a current version or an outdated version. (This will ideally always be current version upon first upload, but when they edit their post later, they can change this if the pack is outdated.)

There would be, on the upload screen, a drop-down box with the following options. We will call this Dropdown 0:

---Choose One---

-Save File

-Craft

-Gameplay Mod (Things that make the game do more stuff, rather than being parts-based. MechJeb would be a good example, FAR and DEADBEEF's stuff as well.)

-Part Mod (Things that add parts to the game. KOSMOS SSPP, KW Rocketry, KSPX, NovaPunch. Things that don't really expand what the game does, but adds parts.)

-Other Mod (Something that doesn't quite fit into either category, or fits into both. Kethane sort of fits into both, though there likely wouldn't be much in this section. Maybe things like Lionhead Aerospace that are basically just re-creations of real life craft, or things that are vehicles in and of themselves like some of Bobcat's stuff.)

-Other Game File (This would likely become increasingly useful as the game expands. Flags, decals, config files, new textures for parts, possibly things that mods use, such as a MechJeb Configuration file or something. Anything that basically isn't big enough to stand on its own.)

Every section would then, after selecting a valid field, have another drop down box... It would be like this. We will call this Dropdown 1:

---Choose One---

Single File

Pack

Basically, if the user chose "Single File" as the option, it would only allow .sfs for when Dropdown 0 is set to "Save File."

If the user has Dropdown 0 set to "Craft," the upload script would only allow a file with the .craft extension.

If the user has Dropdown 0 set to "Gameplay Mod," the upload script will only allow a single file with the .dll extension.

The user cannot select "Single File" if Dropdown 0 is set to "Content Mod," "Part Mod," or "Other Mod" is selected, as this implies that they're uploading something more complex (parts require folders and therefore a .zip). The "Single File" option will be greyed out on the dropdown.

If the user has Dropdown 0 set to "Other Game File" then the upload script will allow any single file, as long as it is not a .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, or .exe (Or, presumably, any other compressed file folder format.)

If the user selects "Pack," then the user will be able to upload a .zip file only, no matter what the Dropdown 0 is set to.

At this point, we will create a set of Radio Buttons that appears after a choice is selected on Dropdown 1.

A line of text asks "Can all the files being currently uploaded be loaded into the stock game with no issues?"

Radio 0 says "Yes"

Radio 1 obviously says "No"

If "Yes" is selected, the file is put into the stock half of Spaceport, if no it is simply put into the modded portion of the site.

Radio buttons 0 and 1 will not appear if the user is uploading a content mod, parts pack or other mod, the files will automatically be dumped into the modded section with no choice from the user.

If radio 1 is selected, OR the Content Mod/Parts Pack/Other Mod were selected on dropdown 0, the user will automatically get a text box where they are prompted to list any mods required for use. (Some mods require other mods to work properly).

If radio 1 is selected AND dropdown 0 has "Other Game File" selected, the text box will appear.

If radio 0 is selected OR any other option on dropdown 0 except for Other Game Files was selected, no box will appear.

The user is prompted with two more radio buttons, 2, 3, and 4 and 5 and 6.

A line of texts asks "Would you like to upload a readme file for your file?

Radio 2 says "Yes"

Radio 3 says "No"

Radio 4 says "Readme File is included in the pack."

Radio 4 will only appear if Dropdown 0 was set to "Pack"

If radio 2 gets selected, then the user will be able to upload a single .txt file.

If 3 is selected, no upload prompt for the readme will be given.

Another line of text will ask "Would you like to include a how to install to replace the default?"

Radio button 5 will say "No"

Radio button 6 will say "Yes"

If radio 6 is selected, a text box will appear with a BBCode editor allowing the user to type in their own how-to guide. No upload prompt will be allowed, but BBCode will allow for embedding of pictures.

If radio 5 is selected, the default "How to install mods in KSP" will come up.

The user is prompted to enter an "About" section to display on the page.

The tags would be allowed to be typed in however people wanted, or have a similar list set up like now.

The files would then be uploaded and dumped into the proper server folders. Tags would then be populated

On every user's profile, you could browse their addons in their respective sections, or search them by name or tags. There would also be a folder for their outdated, old versions of their files. The outdated section would be a top-level folder, hidden from normal searches and browsing, but findable through specifically browsing a user's "Outdated" section of their profile, or special searching it.

You could browse spaceport by "folder". If you search from the main spaceport home page, you will search through ALL public mods by title, uploader, and tags.

You can then, also, from the home page, click on the "Stock" and "Modded" sides of spaceport. If you initiate a search from here, you will only search the section you're in, respectively, and will ignore the other section.

However, you could also opt to delve further into the subfolders of "Saves" "Crafts" and "Other Game Files" on the stock side, and on the modded side, all of those, plus "Content Mods" and "Part Mods".

If you search within one of these folders, you will ignore all other same-level-or-higher folders.

There will also be a dedicated search tab that allows you to enter up to 4 lines of text.

One line would be "All Search Terms" Which would look at title, user, "the about description", and tags.

Another would be "By These Users"

Another would be "By These Tags"

And the last would be "By These Titles"

And have a similar dropdown box structure as I listed above that would allow users to refine their search to certain sections of craft.

The user will also have a checkbox that will allow them to search in the "Outdated" section for what they're looking for.

And another checkbox that will disallow any current version files, restricting the search to the "Outdated" section only.

This would be the only way to get to an outdated file, other than the direct link and finding it under the "Outdated" section on a user's profile.

This would be good because it funnels files into specific places they're supposed to go, and tags, even if they are spammed, only begin to affect one folder. If it was properly moderated, you should never be able to find a modded craft while looking for a stock craft.

Ahem. SQUAD, I just wrote the psuedocode for your upload and search filtering scripts. No, but seriously, does this not appear more logical than the current system?

Edited May 21, 2013 by M5000

[superecnate]

I would love a way to click something during a search, and click a box named 'exclude from further searches' so that I won't see it again.

[Fel]

Idea. would require starting over with spaceport though

When a new file is submitted it is tagged as "new file" and whatever the tags the author wants. you can filter off "new file" parts so you dont see them. The "new file" tag is not removed until there have been 25-50 people who have downloaded the file AND submitted a review of said file. IE: they pick the categories THEY think the craft should go in. After this trial the file is tagged with only those tags that the majority of people used.

This would prevent people from going and making a new accounts. Because that would be a LOT of work just to get a few downloads.

*edit*

Ninjaed by seconds! Great minds think alike

Or to clarify

Mod Writers (and .craft builders) do not pick their tags, the USERS pick the tags

Yeah. Spaceport's becoming literal Augean stables. Propulsion tab gives you telemetry mods, Science&Utility throws space plane models at you etc. Cleaning it will become new Herculean task

Actually, I think a person who was dedicated enough could knock it down in a single day, at most two. The real problem is the complaints.

"MY CRAFT IS SCIENTIFIC LIKE, AND TOTALLY PROPULTIONARY... GIVE ME BACK MY TAGS N00B!!!!!"

Edited May 22, 2013 by Fel

[Eric S]

If the user has Dropdown 0 set to "Gameplay Mod," the upload script will only allow a single file with the .dll extension.

This rubs me the wrong way (as do some of the others, for the same or similar reasons). It's possible that something in this category may use a support file of some sort. Not to mention the fact that this would prohibit READMEs. It also means that they'd need to make sure the server implements transparent compression, as some people still live in the world of metered internet usage, and downloading uncompressed stuff would be less than optimal.

[Kerbol Prime]

The only way...NUKE IT. Maybe thats not such a good idea actually...but I agree it is a mess.

[CalculusWarrior]

This rubs me the wrong way (as do some of the others, for the same or similar reasons). It's possible that something in this category may use a support file of some sort. Not to mention the fact that this would prohibit READMEs. It also means that they'd need to make sure the server implements transparent compression, as some people still live in the world of metered internet usage, and downloading uncompressed stuff would be less than optimal.

I agree, readmes are great, but users could upload them in the 'how to use' section of their mod. I find it's easier to read how to use the mod before the download and install, rather than downloading then realizing that I need to modify some of my parts by inserting code x here and etc...

[M5000]

I agree, readmes are great, but users could upload them in the 'how to use' section of their mod. I find it's easier to read how to use the mod before the download and install, rather than downloading then realizing that I need to modify some of my parts by inserting code x here and etc...

Remember, this is just psuedocode.. It's just my idea for how I'd basically like it to work, it's not like I'm sitting here on SQUAD's servers playing with scripts and changing things...