Is anyone interested in themebuild?

[K3k0m@n]

Themebuild: http://forum.blockland.us/index.php?topic=286680

I started hosting freebuild as years ago I used to host freebuilds with multiple themes on the same server. This just led to the server feeling empty, though.
Then, I had the idea to make it so the themes rotate every couple hours.
I could never be able to create that idea, so I abandoned it.
years later, I remembered the idea again, and figured out that it could actually work.
Then themebuild was created.

However, not as much people liked the idea then I thought, and I can see why.
It seems that people don't want to have to suddenly stop making their build due to the theme changing, and with the two-hour span for each theme, it takes quite a while to be able to continue that build. It seems that for some people, two hours isn't enough. Not to mention, if you join half-way through, you'll have to wait an hour just to get to the next theme only so you have time.
Also, people don't like certain themes. For me, I don't really like the space theme too much. Well, I like the theme, but I suck at making spaceships and other space-related things. You'd have to wait for two hours, doing nothing but jetting around, just to wait until the theme you like comes up. Again, not too ideal. What if you wait all that time, then find out that you have to go for whatever reason? All that time would be wasted because of some theme you don't like.
(actually if you host a normal themed server then people could still argue so maybe this isn't a valid point)

The main question is in the title. I'd like you to vote in the poll and express your opinion in a post. I'd like to know your final decision on if I should host this or not for the upcoming weekend.

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[Man Of Greenish]

lego build

[K3k0m@n]

going great so far

[K3k0m@n]

just bumping for the first and last time because I feel that 19 votes isn't enough

[sir dooble]

I personally prefer a freebuild with one particular theme.
Generic freebuilds never seem to draw people in, IMO.

I like the idea of 'Themebuild', but personally was put off by how quickly the theme changes. In a fun freebuild with others to chat to I can easily spend 2-3 hours building something of small-medium size, which assumes i get on the server/start building as soon as a new theme starts.

[halonerfer29]

Accidentally voted for one specific theme. What if the theme stayed for 12 hours then moved onto a different theme, and then every time the theme changes, the build is auto saved and then cleared.

[K3k0m@n]

I like the idea of 'Themebuild', but personally was put off by how quickly the theme changes. In a fun freebuild with others to chat to I can easily spend 2-3 hours building something of small-medium size, which assumes i get on the server/start building as soon as a new theme starts.

Yes, but if you have themes on for too long, what if you don't like the theme it's set on? you'd have to wait around a day to come back to it. If it takes too long to rotate (if this was a 24/7 server) then some themes could be on whilst you're sleeping, which would make you miss out on the fun. I want to keep all the themes to rotate in a day, so everyone can experience as many themes as possible.
I put the theme length to 2 hours because then you can easily join a theme back once it fully rotates round, and generally being able to get through more themes in a day. If we make that longer, some themes may not even be hosted. Note that I can't host 24/7 either. Even though the server's hosted on a seperate laptop, I won't be able to host it throughout the night. This makes it so I would have to make them shorter to get them through the day.
If my parents allowed me to host 24/7, I'd fit the themes so in total it'l take 12 hours to rotate. This is so then in the day you'd have all the themes avaliable to play on, and at night, the same. Even so, you'd still have the problem of waiting a long time to get to that one theme to finish your spaceship.

Accidentally voted for one specific theme. What if the theme stayed for 12 hours then moved onto a different theme, and then every time the theme changes, the build is auto saved and then cleared.

This is how the system works right now, but the builds are autosaved every 2 minutes or so and they rotate every 2 hours.
This could work, but then you'd get a theme that would be hosted when you're asleep. Ok, let's change it to 24 hours. But wait, what if you don't like a theme? You'd have to wait an entire day to get to the next theme, and even then, would you like it? This is a persisting problem and the solution that I thought of was to make the themes switch faster.


Me and a friend thought of an idea yesterday, and it was to have a vote for what theme's next, every time it's about to switch.
Could this work?
Well, you'd have the problem of favouritism, where one theme would probably be voted for constantly. Alright, let's make it so themes can't be voted for three times in a row. Can't you switch between two themes all the time? This would make other themes be ignored, and others more played on.
Say, there's 5 people on the server total. There's a vote. 3 people pick space, 2 people pick island. Space would win. Sad for those 2 people who picked island though right? Another 3ish hours pass, another vote is up. Again, 3 people pick city, 2 people pick island. Welp, seems like the island theme won't be on for a while.

It seems there's no real way of getting this to work with everyone being happy.

[sir dooble]

If you were to have a vote you should probably not have it possible to vote for the current theme.

So say the available themes are Western, Space, Island and City.
It is currently on Western.
A vote is called, and choices are Space, Island or City. Island wins.
It is Island for several hours and a vote is called. Choices are western, Space and City.

I personally would have the rotation take 4-6 hours, preferably 6.
This is long enough to give most people plenty of time to build/explore, even if they arrive a few hours into a rotation.

It is also short enough to give you 4-6 themes in a single day, so there is plenty of variety.
It is also long enough that you probably won't have people who stay through multiple rotations and hijack/manipulate the vote to their pleasure.

[K3k0m@n]

If you were to have a vote you should probably not have it possible to vote for the current theme.

So say the available themes are Western, Space, Island and City.
It is currently on Western.
A vote is called, and choices are Space, Island or City. Island wins.
It is Island for several hours and a vote is called. Choices are western, Space and City.

I personally would have the rotation take 4-6 hours, preferably 6.
This is long enough to give most people plenty of time to build/explore, even if they arrive a few hours into a rotation.

It is also short enough to give you 4-6 themes in a single day, so there is plenty of variety.
It is also long enough that you probably won't have people who stay through multiple rotations and hijack/manipulate the vote to their pleasure.

again you gotta remember I can't host 24/7. If I could, I would be fine for 4 hours each theme.
If the rotation takes 6 hours, that's only two themes in a day (12 hours). chances are, you'll miss out on the themes that are on when you're asleep.
That's also why I don't want themes to take TOO long.
even so, because I'm not hosting 24/7 I would only host two themes a day, which seems too long. idk.
I guess I'l have to look into the possibilities of hosting all day and night. If I could, I'l probably have each theme to still be 3 hours. I still want all the themes to cycle round in a day, maybe even having some cycle around twice. I think times like 6 hours is too long for this sort of thing.
Again though, I'm talking about it like it's some kind of automatic gamemode server where people play gamemodes for an hour or two, then switch to a different one. This is a freebuild though, so it pretty much has to be longer, for people to actually finish their builds.

I'm just not sure about what to do for this. I think it's an interesting idea for a freebuild, but I don't know exactly how to execute it properly, with most people being happy. It seems that a freebuild with theme rotation won't work well because of unfinished builds because of not enough time, and the fact that some people will like one theme, whilst others will like another. Maybe that second one isn't even a problem, it's just a thing that always happens. Even so, I want people to be able to finish their builds, or be happy about the progress they've made on it so far. I don't want them to be suddenly interrupted by an announcement saying 'Changing Themes...'.

the vote idea though I'm fully in for it.

By the way, if anyone else has an interesting idea for a freebuild, I'm right here.