View Full Version : Stratics Plus
I'd definately want Stratics to stay online.
Lady Starr
04-23-2003, 04:55 PM
Stratics has become like a second home in the online world to me. I will do whatever I can do to help it stay intact! I have made numerous friends and the info in itself is worth it! Keep up the good work!
Lady Starr
themagi
04-23-2003, 04:56 PM
Is this a subtle hint that we are going to have to pay for stratics soon or we wont be able to access it?
Lady Starr
04-23-2003, 04:59 PM
I dont think it was no. I think they will keep stratics plus as a "choice" Which IMO I think is a good move. Let those "choose" to support or not to support.
Lady Starr
No, if that were the case, we'd just block everything and charge for it. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif The reason we're posting this request is so we never have to do what you've described.
Hope that helps clear things up!
-Den
Dern_Ironskull
04-23-2003, 05:05 PM
Without Stratics, where would the GMs tell you to go when they don't know the answer? /php-bin/shared/images/icons/members/krakrani.gif
Stratics will never go to that visitors have to pay. The contributions you make by becoming a Stratics Plus member are all volunteer and we will never ever make Stratics completely subscription based. The problem is just that people do not realize how much operating such a network costs and that the ads dont pay that anymore. Without the + members, the network would be forced to go offline, which would be a desaster. If people pay a small fee to help pay the monthly fees and maybe even some upgrades for our hardware (which benefits all) on their own, by joining the + membership program, we can continue to flourish and expand, to become a better community resource for all the games we cover. Those who cannot contribute or do not want to are free to not do it, however, we count and depend on the many who have had and will have a use for Stratics in their daily visits to the internet, to support us financially. Money makes the world go round as you know - that also counts for Stratics. We do our work for free, but the hosting fees and bandwith is quite expensive - each month. Once again: we will never force people to pay if they want to use Stratics. All that you contribute to us is your decision and we are thankful for every member, since it helps us greatly to continue our existance as a community oriented MMOG media network.
Considering the value I have gotten out of UO, EQ, E&B and NWN stratics sites, the 50 cents a week I pay is a deal.
If that not good enough...for 50 cents a week you can rename your post title to.....Old Grump /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif...ok, maybe you would want something else for your personal title.
But seriously, how many times have you read a post on stratics that has saved your butt in the game, or helped you gain that title/loot/house/ kill that boss MOB etc.
The number of times Crazy Joe's post on unstealable boat keys saved me from loosing my stuff at the Fel moongates is priceless :0
imported_Farquhar
04-23-2003, 05:29 PM
will stratics shut down if you don't get enough plus members?
Whatever chance there is of that happening, we'd like to avoid through informing our readers of our current predicament. Hopefully, if enough people understand and sign-up, we will not be forced to resort to more desperate measures in order to stay online.
-Den
imported_Farquhar
04-23-2003, 05:40 PM
Was OSI aware of this when they canned their boards?
They said everything was secure...
Everything in relation to the UO Boards is secure, and will be for some time.
This situation pertains only to the bulk of the Stratics Network, as well as its growth and stability over time. Please understand that this isn't a black and white situation; not just a light switch that may or may not be flipped off at some point.
We're trying to continue a service that has a very high level of expense related to it's operation and maintenance. Stratics is multi-faceted and has many different portions that may or may not be affected simultaneously.
Don't everyone go Chicken Little on me, now. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif We're politely asking for assistance so we don't have to worry about the sky actually falling.
-Den
Howdy,
As you may or may not be aware, we have been adding more and more advertisements to our pages over the last couple years. This was an effort to offset the declining ad revenue we have been receiving during this period. Over the last two years we have seen our overall number of daily impressions go up and our ad revenue go down. This is very important to note because this means our expenses have gone up, but our income has gone down. We worked very hard to overcome this by adding more pop-up ads, more intrusive forms of advertising like takeover ads, flash ads and so forth.
Even with these additional advertisemets, our ad revenue is no longer enough to cover our hosting fees. Let me reiterate the importance of that statement. Advertising alone no longer covers our monthly hosting expenses which cost us thousands of dollars a month. The irony of growing expenses and declining revenue should not be lost here. I’d laugh if it were not so serious for this network. We have done everything in our power, and I do mean everything – we’ve sacrificed quite a bit - to keep this network online.
We have worked hard to provide a valuable service to the MMOG community by providing as much information and services as we can for each title we cover. By offering community forums, news and information, guides and reviews, developer chats and interviews and so much more we’ve strived to become a complete online resource. We hope that you’ve come to count on Stratics as a source for information about your favorite MMOG title.
We tried hard to avoid exactly what I am doing here with this message to you; asking you for help. But really, it has come to just that. We need our visitors to help us stay online. Yes, it is that serious. We have done the best that we could to keep the Stratics Network online without any cost to our visitors, but we just cannot achieve that end through advertising alone anymore. The trend we’ve seen over the last year or so has been sites like ours asking for donations or offering membership services. It seems we now must move in that direction as well.
In order to try and help offset this declining advertising market, we’ve launched a new service called Stratics Plus. In partnership with Flashlink, we can now offer an ad-free Stratics, as well as promising future enhancements for our Plus (and, as always, non-plus) customers. Beyond that, a Stratics Plus membership helps to pay for our hosting support, and the Flashlink membership provides you with access to a number of other sites that have had to move in this direction.
We believe we offer a valuable service to the MMOG community and we hope you feel the same way. Help us continue to provide these services by joining the Stratics Plus program. I must admit, it is pretty cool to browse the network completely ad free! We do understand that many people have their own pop-up and ad blockers (which ironically might have helped the decline in ad revenue), but Flashlink gives you much more. You also gain some great new perks in the forums. Like the ability to edit your own title, the ability to post polls, special search functions, access to a special smiley icon library of over 55 icons and much, much more. We’ve also added a new EverQuest Database that includes over 11,600+ detailed items and three new modules are in development. They will be added over the next few weeks (one module a week). These include a reference material on spells, quests and factions. A new DAoC database is also going to be released in the very near future! We really want to show our appreciation to those who help us by providing as many tools, features and services as we can. Be sure to watch for announcements as each new item is released.
Your help is greatly appreciated and we hope that with this new service we can not only continue to provide great content and services to you, but we hope it grows enough to allow for us to expand our services even further. So please, consider helping Stratics by becoming a Stratics Plus member today. We appreciate the contributions that so many have made in the past and we really did not want to have to ever ask for a financial contribution from anyone. We have done our best to find other ways to keep the network financially viable; we're just running low on options at this time. For now any help, even the smallest commitment you feel able to make really can make a difference. Please help us so that we can continue offering you the services you’ve come to expect from Stratics.
Warm regards,
Ryan "Den" Findley
Founder
<center>
[ Become a Stratics Plus Member today! (http://www.stratics.com/members/signup.html) | Learn more about Stratics Plus (http://www.stratics.com/members/features.php) ]
</center>
*sticks some glue on the thread*
I'd love to help but you don't take Money Orders and I don't have a credit card.
Peaches
04-23-2003, 08:39 PM
Den, I did get plus service, and I have written to the email that dor had given me, as a plus member, I am still getting ads and popups. No response and its been about a week now. Why am I still getting them? Yes, I am logging in and I did what Dor suggested with saving the link to stratics desktop and I don't log out of flash, so when I come in, I am still within flash. Please advise?
-Soken-
04-23-2003, 08:43 PM
Worken good for me!! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Atreus GL
04-23-2003, 08:52 PM
same for me.
Sorry about the inconvenience! I'm looking into it personally for you...
A couple questions: what type of browser are you using, and is it set to accept cookies?
-Den
Peaches, have you looked for adware on your PC? I found some recently on mine that was generating pop-ups.
Marizelle
04-23-2003, 09:15 PM
Peaches-
Please go to http://www.stratics.com/members/bugreport.php, fill out and submit the form with as much information as you can. Currently this is the best way for submitting issues to our staff for the quickest resolution.
Thank you for the support.
Marizelle
04-23-2003, 09:21 PM
Rogal-
The system does allow for you to use a money order - the information is just not very visible. For more information check out https://www.flashlink.com/index.php?p=altpay for some payment alternatives!
now why didn't I see that? hehe
Tnx, I'll send the MO friday when i get paid /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Peaaches could not post, and would not show the + membership icon if he/she did not accept cookies.
Peaches, after they got mine to work I still had to delete all cookies and delete my cach, then chut down the browser and restart and log back into both Stratics and Flashlink it to make it work.
* blinks *
I forgot just how large Stratics is at times. I have no clue who you are and we are both Admins.
Hehe, I'm the guy who started it all. Nice to meetcha. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
-Den
Peaches
04-23-2003, 11:24 PM
Den, I am using internet explorer. I dont know what version and don't know how to find out. Am not all that computer literate. ;(
Yes, I do know it uses cookies, but thats all I know. ;(
Thank you and sorry for my lack of ability to be more computer literate!
*sighs*
Peaches
04-23-2003, 11:28 PM
Yup, I run adware almost every day now.
Ahh...Ok Peaches, to fix this you need to do the following:
From the top tool bar select the TOOLS
On the tools menue Select INTERNET OPTIONS.
Push the DELET COOKIES button
Push the DELETE FILES buton. (This clears both the cach and cookies, you will be logged out of both stratics and Flashlink by this)
Close your browser.
Start your browser and log back into Stratics and Flashlink.
Wolla, it will work.
I love you stratics! Thanks for the years of info, I'm finally able to give back! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/laugh.gif
Selenna
04-24-2003, 05:45 AM
Any idea on when additional information for Plus members (special databases and such) that pertain to UO will be implemented?
Peaches
04-24-2003, 06:01 AM
Ok, my problem seems to mysteriously disapear, what did ya guys do? And thanks! Am getting no more popups!!!!
Riiiiight on! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/laugh.gif
-Den
We don't currently have a set timetable for the UO side of things, but we do plan on eventually moving existing UO data over to a more comprehensive database system. Right now, our priorities are fleshing out the info for games we do not adequately cover at the moment (such as DAoC), so we don't know exactly when UO-specific DB features will be rolled out. We'll definitely keep you posted.
We should be able to release a calendar of scheduled database rollouts in the near future, but that can only happen after we've got bugs and technical issues totally locked down. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
My next Plus wish: @Stratics.net e-mail addresses for members. This will be coming as soon as we lock down the bandwidth situation.
-Den
Wyrmsbane
04-24-2003, 01:58 PM
...that @members.stratics.net would be more appropriate to reduce confusion with Staff.
Damien
We'll definitely work out any logistics problems internally before launch.
-Den
Xena Dragon
04-24-2003, 02:44 PM
I'm stirring in the pot already Selena. It most certainly is my goal to bring Stratics Plus members lots of UO goodies in the near future /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Shelleybean
04-24-2003, 03:17 PM
OSI needs to step up to the plate and help out Stratics. I'm sorry, but it's just not right that OSI gets to reap all the rewards with Stratics promoting their game, providing information, etc and leave you guys with all the responsibility and financial burden. It's just not right.
"Hehe, I'm the guy who started it all. Nice to meetcha.
-Den "
Mo....Mo....MOMMY?!?!!
* Thrust head against Den's Bosom *
Where have you been all my life? LOOK! I TURNED OUT CRAZY!!!!
* sobs *
Peaches
04-25-2003, 05:22 AM
But, this is what Stratcis chose to do, for many many games. It seems to be that it is a fair exhange between stratics and the other game companies as well.
Actually it's a growing trend in the "Free" Websites that I've seen start YEARS ago.
Fark.com, provides free links to funny news articles. For a little extra donation, you get the links before anyone else, including the naughty links, which will most certainly go down with the massive bandwith.
Some news sites offer the same service, even headlines emailed to you - as an incentive to donate to keep their site open.
I think Gamespy network years ago added pay program to get first dibs on the FTP downloads, because the amount of downloads were INSANE and they had to keep it up somehow.
So, this trend started long ago by many other companies, more than I listed of course.
It comes down to a very simple equation.
If Stratics can't make enough money to pay the server host, then the site simply goes down. If anyone can't make heads or tails of that, then we can't make it any clearer, and they will be the ones complaining how 'poorly run' it was when (if) it does go under.
However their complaints won't be heard as much, as the flood of posters go to the next best free site, load their servers down, and cause another crash.
As the saying goes, "Nothing in life is ever, truely, free".
Yugiri
04-26-2003, 09:49 AM
Well, I for one have finally decided that supporting Stratics is definitely worth the cost. I have used Stratics almost religiously for the two and a half years that I have played UO, and I don't know where I would be with out it.
I remember how disappointed I was when Stratics first went to the pop-up ads. It was quite a shock, but it is the nature of the Internet. Now with the state of advertising on the Internet, the quality of free content is slowing dwindling. The fact that Stratics has moved to a voluntary paid support model is commendable. I for one have no problem sharing my contribution with those who are unable or unwilling to support such an important service.
There will always be people who will absolutely refuse to pay for any online content. That is the freedom of the internet. In fact it was the immature and vitrolic response that I have seen to the roll out of Stratics Plus, that has pushed me to finally place my money on the table.
Stratics has always been the first place I have turned for news and information. I believe in Stratics, and I for one want to, for the first time, give a big Thank You to all of the people who donate their time to making Stratics the place that it is.
Now if only Stratics could set aside a little money to buy a spell checker for the forums!/php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
bone daddy
04-26-2003, 05:50 PM
Well the condom ad with the flying condom (there are actually two ads, one looks like a blown up condom and the other looks like a discarded condom) has convinced me to get on Stratics plus. May be is you guys put more seedy ads on more people will switch...
*jots down the note about a spell-checker for Stratics Plus members* /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
-Den
Ludes
04-29-2003, 05:49 PM
I am with those that are glad to be able to give a little back. 30 bucks a year is a small pittance to pay for the comraderie and info I gain from Stratics.
Dern_Ironskull
04-29-2003, 09:50 PM
While you are jotting things down.......
How about a discussion board?
The current discussion board is...
not formatted to actually hold a discussion,
the current stratics posters have claimed it as a clique board,
The mods don't want to have anything resembling the MuUO boards in this forum, and especially the MyUO posters...
And they are willing to "fight" for this
I don't want to "fight" your mods.
They don't want MyUO posters in their forum, thats cool...One more board can't be that difficult.
Thanks for listening...
Well, we definitely don't have a policy of "fighting" users who have come over from the myUO boards. If anything, our number one priority has been to make the transition as smooth as possible, and to make all new users feel at home here. Of course there are always some rough spots when combining two forum populations into one community; but if you notice anything out of the ordinary, please e-mail me.
We will be ensuring that Stratics Plus members have a private forum or two. These will most likely not be game-specific, however.
-Den
Dern_Ironskull
04-30-2003, 12:04 PM
From your response, it doesn't sound like we will be getting a new UO forum, a discussion forum, and that is too bad.
One other option would be the ability for plus members to toggle between date-slip and bumping, but the latest word on this says that it might not even be possible.
If the two options above can't be developed, then I think we may have a real problem on our hands. Removing the current date slip fomat of Uhall, would be in effect, like taking that board away from the posters who have always posted there. As an ex-UO board poster, I know what this is like, and would not wish that on anyone. However, leaving that forum with the current format would also be the insult added to the injury of the UOboard abandoment.
Unless the date-slip option can be modified for plus members, the ex-UOboard posters like myself will still be without a discussion board we can use in the format we have come accustom to. We can only post in a forum that does not function for us, or not post at all.
Hopefully there will be good news soon.
Thanks for listening.
Yeah, and it doesn't rain candy raindrops either, what a world...
Seriously, we have a ton on our plate and must prioritize our limited staff and resources. This isn't on the top of our list--and won't be in the near future unless we see a huge demand for it.
-Den
Dern_Ironskull
04-30-2003, 12:48 PM
And you attract more flies(+) with honey, not vinegar.
Ok, we'll just have to think of something else, or somewhere else to go.
Cya
Aww, Dern got no sense of humor? *tickles Dern's chin*
Again, if there's enough of a demand for a particular feature, we'll no doubt bump it up a notch on the Priority Alert Level (PAL), through our Office of Message Board Security. But we'll need to be made aware of the demand through the voices of multiple readers.
Btw, I obviously don't mean any offense. Just seeing if I can get a smile out of a Grumpy Vet. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
-Den
Dern_Ironskull
04-30-2003, 01:43 PM
This one made me smile:
<blockquote><hr>
But we'll need to be made aware of the demand through the voices of multiple readers.
<hr></blockquote>
How will you ever hear multiple readers, when the posts don't bump /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
real convenient...
You could put a "sticky" post at the top of the forum if it wouldn't violate the spirit of this board to have a post that doesn't float away.
But we'll need to be made aware of the demand through the voices of multiple readers.
Yeah, I like that one too. The best part about it is the fact that there are several ways to contact us and make suggestions for improvement, such as e-mail. If enough readers want the feature (and it's feasible on our part), then it will most likely be implemented.
den@stratics.com
Den
Very happy to hear! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif Thank you.
Den
Tim Dunkin Dunca
04-30-2003, 04:03 PM
There are 30+ other forums that do bump
FYI: We will be adding a toggle switch for users to personally select between date slip and post bump with the next update to our forums.
Hopefully that will help,
Den
Citern
05-02-2003, 04:51 AM
because i cannot join stratic plus since it refuses the data i enter
same date i entered to pay for my second uo account, buy uoassist support
no problems there but your system has a problem....
weird eh ?
Dern_Ironskull
05-02-2003, 09:53 AM
Wow.
*Is impressed*
I know you have alot on your hands with the Stratics Plus program rollout, and I certainly appreciate you taking the time to look into this issue. I am aware that you can not dedicate time looking into every idea and issue that arises on this board (especially a board that gereates 1000s of rants & raves every day); but you managed to stay open to ideas and concerns, and that is a fantastic quality for a company to have. And I would also like to thank you, Den, for your personal envolvement in this issue, which is definately "above & beyond" the normal participation level of someone in your position.
I think that your choice of resolution on the issue is the best one. Being able to toggle the format as a Stratics Plus member is a good opportunity to increase your membership base & a good business decision. Giving the choice of format will be a popular decison with the community. And while some would say that this is just one forum of many, it is "the" main discussion forum, and so, quite important to us all.
I'd like to congradulate you on your ability to stay in touch with the UO community on the small changes to the Stratics Plus program. Of course this only makes me more eager to see how you & your staff can amaze us with the large additions to the Stratics Plus program. Your involvement that you have shown with the community can only be an indicator that the Stratics Plus program will continue to be a great success.
Thanks!!
Dern
I'm glad that, thanks to the great people we have on staff (Teresk in particular), we could resolve this issue for you and others who may not be accustomed to the U.Hall default. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Thanks for the kind words,
Den
Please send an e-mail to support@flashlink.com and they should be able to help out with any problems in the billing form. First, however, you should verify that all fields are filled out completely and with the specifically correct information.
Den
Chinalilly
05-02-2003, 04:30 PM
<blockquote><hr>
FYI: We will be adding a toggle switch for users to personally select between date slip and post bump with the next update to our forums.
<hr></blockquote>
Can we please get an ETA on this?
Sure: when it's ready for implementation, hopefully sometime soon. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
Den
SirLynxx
05-02-2003, 09:17 PM
I know this is in the Stratics Plus Thread .. but i have to ask to make sure is the Thread Bump Feature going to be a Plus thing only or is it going to be for All users ? (Crosses his fingers as he cant get Plus for prolly 2 months)
Dern_Ironskull
05-02-2003, 10:15 PM
C'mon, it has to be a plus member feature. If they are going to take time out of development for the stratics program to implement this, it should fall under the plus program only.
If this feature doesn't add to the membership base, how can they justify the dev time used to create it? Free developent is nice, but its just not the way successful businesses work.
A few days ago, the chances of this being done were very slim. and now that it is a possiblity, we should not be so quick to rule out that it will be a Stratics Plus member item (and IMO rightfully so) only.
Steelworker
05-03-2003, 05:01 AM
At the very least the new features should be available to the plus membership base for a set time period (6 months or so?) before being made available to the hoi polloi.
Citern
05-03-2003, 11:41 AM
all fields are filled in correctly, i compared to the info i used for my uo accounts and the data is EXACT (capital-exact included) the same
but i still get an error..
Citern
05-04-2003, 05:38 AM
well i send em an email but i just as wel might not have
i have a bill here from my creditcard company that has my adres info info on it (it is acutally used to deliver it to my adres)
i enter the EXACT same info and it is refused
Oluffer
05-23-2003, 11:10 AM
I've been using the stratics sites for a long time so of course I bought Stratics plus + =D
Keep up the good work! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif *mmm so nice with no pop-ups*
I'm glad you're enjoying the service! As an aside, please note that we will soon be getting much faster, so Plus will become like a suped-up hotrod: lightning fast, baby, awww yeah. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
-Den
Tadriendra
05-23-2003, 05:35 PM
ok what so good about it now?
I want to get stratics + but i dont see what iam going to get out of it
I only really come to stratics for SWG now, what are they offering for that?
Lasolan of Cats
06-05-2003, 12:15 AM
Absolutely no problems with more ads or popups on this end. Since I've restricted most ad sites from my browser, I get these big blank spaces where your ads are supposed to appear... and of course the popups don't show up, because the sites are restricted.
So by all means, add more ads! I don't see them anyway! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Ravalox
06-07-2003, 09:54 AM
Agreed!! Easy to block, no reason to pay...
Goodman Atlantic
06-10-2003, 03:42 PM
I just tried to sign up. It won't let me get into it far enough to register.
Marizelle
06-10-2003, 08:12 PM
Can you please provide some more details as to the problem you are encountering?
Where on the sign-up page are you having issues? Is it during submission? Etc.
Please provide any details you can to help us track it down.
Thanks!
Goodman Atlantic
06-11-2003, 08:57 AM
When I click on the link at the top of this post to sign up, I get the standard "not here" page from explorer. Same is true when I go through the links on the main web page. It can't seem to open the page called "signup.html".
Hopefully that describes it well enough. (Its not a problem with my computer or my software. No other problems are being found on other pages or other web sites.)
I tried again today, with same result.
Goodman Atlantic
06-12-2003, 07:20 AM
There must be something at my office blocking certain kinds of input from the internet. I was able to access it from my home computer without any problems.
I was regesterd for Stratics + near the first day it was offerd, I love stratics and would give them money stright up if they had a button or something so i could just click on it and send them some cold hard cash. So far my only complaint is that at times the boards do not refreash and i cant access some threads, im running a cable modem with 1.5 GHz Pentium 4, so im pretty sure its not on my end. Then thing i love is the fact i dont have to deal with all the annoying ad's I hate that. That is the same reason i left AOL for stright Cable b/c of the pop up add's in game during UO sessions. Nothing as frustrating as fighting Titins or LL or Bloods and have a advertisment for Vigra pop up in your face duing a time when you are casting ivesablitly to exit out of the pop up to see You Are Dead on your screen and you WW follows shortly.
Turlock
07-01-2003, 07:25 AM
LOL, and thats were it all starts! I can remember at one time AIR was free at 7-11, then some idiot put a 25 cent charge on it and then a bunch of even worse idiots payed for it. So now we have vending machine air stations *Rolls Eyes*
Frankly I could care less if stratics or any web site shut down *Shrugs* You simply just move onto the next one. Up until UO shut their site down many never even gave Stratics the slightest glance. Also considering OSI deemed LaGStratics it's official site for the gathering of customer complaints, idea's and communication then let them carry the financial burden. To be perfectly frank, how stupid at business does one have to be to take on such an endevor and not ask for compensation from the MULTI MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY taking advantage of their established hosted site and user base?
Seems to me ifin yer beggin pennies from your viewers and letting the big boy exploit you then you really should rethink your stratagies or shut it down, or at least find smarter people to handle the financial end of the company /php-bin/shared/images/icons/frown.gif
Dargalin
07-03-2003, 03:31 AM
<blockquote><hr>
*jots down the note about a spell-checker for Stratics Plus members*
<hr></blockquote>
Can you make it compulsory so I can understand D3WD? *grins*
flatscan
07-09-2003, 12:55 PM
You’re presuming they don’t receive some compensation. But if they are not, there to just shut down? How ridiculous is that. So every UO player site is to try and hit up UO for backing or shut down? Stratics isn't here just to cover UO's discontinued forums. Their here cause (I’m guessing) they like it, enjoy providing information and resources to players, and are proud of the environment they maintain. I don't think it unreasonable to ask help form the people that benefit form there work. I personally have used Stratics for news and information since almost day one of starting in UO. I have yet to find another site that offers even remotely what Stratics does. So if they need a few bux to continue supplying the content they do, then I’m more then happy to help out. Live cheap and you tend to miss the best life has to offer. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
Telon
07-09-2003, 06:27 PM
Signed up for Stratics Plus today! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Thanks very much! I hope you enjoy all the features--especially those that are right around the corner. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
-Den
Hawkeye
07-12-2003, 09:52 AM
While playing UO i have have found the love of my life. We met in UO and now her and I are the best thing that has happend to each other. Anything to help keep stratics(best place to finda anything for UO) up and running is worth every cent.
Right on, man! That's totally awesome. May your future together be bright. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
-Den
Citern
07-24-2003, 04:59 AM
i payed for pkware 6 professional since my last post, my 2 uo accounts are being paid every month with my cc (from now on every 6 months) and these companies also require cc info check just like you do
but for some reason your billing system does not accept my cc info even though i *know* it is correct
and no i am *not* sending the info by email
fix your billing system !
Here's some info that may help:
"We have had quite a few where it wouldn't go through,
but when it came down to it after helping the customer, in every case one of
three things happened :
1) They were living at address "A" and were entering that instead of the
address where the bill was actually sent, which for obvious reasons caused
the card to come back declined.
2) They had their home address listed with the credit card company as an
"alternate address" and it wasn't the address where the bill is sent. To
get an authorization when this happens we need to do it manually with a
phone call to the card processing center and it can be approved since they
can then see the alternate address on file. The problem is the automated
system kicks it out and won't allow it, so unless the customer e-mails
support and provides the information or their phone number so I can call
them at home and take their sign up over the phone, we don't have any way to
get an alternate address to verify.
3) They had a typo in their address, city, or zip and that caused it to not
go through. In this case, usually after talking to them at support they
re-enter the information and it goes through (and I can see when looking at
their account what was different the first time, and it was a typo.)
If there are any other reasons this is occurring I'm not familiar with them.
From the support e-mails I receive and resolve the above three things are
what happens all the time."
If none of the above provides an answer, please contact support@flashlink.com and you'll receive personal assistance.
Thanks,
Den
meru of europa
07-27-2003, 01:52 PM
I didnt' go for stratics plus at first because I wasn't usign stratics that much.
Now I am, I have.
And it seems to go a little faster without Ads.
As I'm aware of how much bandwidth costs, I don't run adblockers. Websites cost money and I'm not going to block the tiny income stream from adverts for those I use.
Citern
07-28-2003, 05:36 AM
<blockquote><hr>
1) They were living at address "A" and were entering that instead of the
address where the bill was actually sent, which for obvious reasons caused
the card to come back declined.
<hr></blockquote>
i enter the EXACT same info on my uo accounts and they accept it
it is certain the same method is used so all the info *is* correct
<blockquote><hr>
2) They had their home address listed with the credit card company as an
"alternate address" and it wasn't the address where the bill is sent. To
get an authorization when this happens we need to do it manually with a
phone call to the card processing center and it can be approved since they
can then see the alternate address on file. The problem is the automated
system kicks it out and won't allow it, so unless the customer e-mails
support and provides the information or their phone number so I can call
them at home and take their sign up over the phone, we don't have any way to
get an alternate address to verify.
<hr></blockquote>
there *is* no alternate adress
for the rest: see above
<blockquote><hr>
3) They had a typo in their address, city, or zip and that caused it to not
go through. In this case, usually after talking to them at support they
re-enter the information and it goes through (and I can see when looking at
their account what was different the first time, and it was a typo.)
<hr></blockquote>
i went so far to open the uo account website and copy paste the same info from one browser to your register webpage (wich was exactly what i entered manually btw)
for the rest see my reply on 1
your site has a problem
Citern,
I would very muchlike to help you personally, but I cannot. For this type of assistance, please send a descriptive e-mail to support@flashlink.com and your problem will be remediated.
Thanks,
Den
Oo this is so much nicer and "quieter"! (Not having the ads, I mean.) Do you like my kitty? (points to icon)
I like your kitty very much. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif Is that an albino tiger cub?
(Btw, thanks for joining Plus! It helps us out so, so very much.)
Best,
Den
No no, it's a snow leopard cub /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif I think they're adorable! My Siamese-mix cat actually has the same markings in the same color on his face. His name's Tyger.
I knew there was a Tyger in there somewhere. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
-Den
I think I will have to sign off as Plus member, I get no advantages on the guildforums, still ads there.
What's worse, your guys now nerfed the moderators on the guildforums, so I won't be able to have [NEW]'s forums there in the future, I will have to find an alternative host and only use the public forum to guide visotors to the real forums, where I can admin my forums.
I see no reason for this changes, if someone can't keep the rules, then nerf them and admin their forums.
I'm so disapointed with Stratics right now, that I don't feel I want to support Stratics with my money.
I would had been willing to pay a little to get full admin right on my forums if it included a access list I could admin without sending stupid forms to the admins.
Sorry, but I'm in bad mood
Freja
Dargalin
08-12-2003, 07:14 AM
In the list of things for stratics plus, there is a big green tick next to guild forums.... any chance of giving us an update as to what exactly that does? be nice to have an ad free guild forum...
Darg.
Balder_DK
08-15-2003, 08:14 AM
ask OSI to pay up... or ban the dev team ;P
Anubz
08-18-2003, 04:43 AM
I signed up for Plus just to get rid of the anoying blooming adverts /php-bin/shared/images/icons/laugh.gif
Plus I use this a my main reference site all the time /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif Plus the boards are a ok read while I'm board at work Oh and it's relativly cheap IMO
zoaron
08-19-2003, 09:39 AM
I noticed that if/when I sign up for Stratics Plus you record the IP address. I am presently not on the computer I usually use but on a work computer is this going to present a problem if I sign up now? Should I wait to sign up on my home computer? Will I be able to sign in to Stratics Plus from any computer?
You should be able to use your login from any computer, no problem. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
-Den
DEAR GOD DONT DO WHATEVER U said was gonna happen if the costs get to high
NOOOOOOOOOOo
Ive been here for about 2 weeks and this place is cool
*know what its like to pay for stuff*
im only 14 ow me grandma 500
and i pay 70 every3 month for uo
*damn us exchange rate*
This plae is soooooo cool
The goverment should pay for you
Use there taxes for a good cause
I would like to point out that:
a) The admin nerfing was not supposed to be rolled out to guild forums and should have since been reversed.
b) The fact that you are receiving guild forum hosting at no cost should mean something to you - or would you prefer Delphi forums or some such crap?
c) We're working on providing full access list for admins as well as advanced management features to our guild forums.
Thanks for your support (or do we have it any more?) I would recommend patience in the future, my friend.
-Den
a) The admin nerfing was not supposed to be rolled out to guild forums and should have since been reversed.
I know that now and all is back to normal again.
b) The fact that you are receiving guild forum hosting at no cost should mean something to you - or would you prefer Delphi forums or some such crap?
It do mean something to me, the guildforums are great, special for guilds, who can't run their own forum.
Delphi, no thanks, hate Delphi, then I would like Perl better. My new forum is phpbb and it's not the most easy code, it don't look like Perl or C++ but I will learn.
c) We're working on providing full access list for admins as well as advanced management features to our guild forums.
That's sounds really great, think the access list was what I had hardest with being without.
As I said before, I would not mind to pay a fee for a forum.
Thanks for your support (or do we have it any more?) I would recommend patience in the future, my friend.
Yes Den, you do have my support. I just got chocked of the nerf to the guild forums. They came without warning. Now I know it was a mistake and they was not meant to be there.
Guess I deserved this slap /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Well, now I gotta give you a hug! /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
Thanks for being cool with us as we iron out goof-ups, etc.
-Den
Thaks Den
*Hugs back*
Keep up the good work, UO players would be lost without Stratics /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
RAEL of LS
08-29-2003, 06:20 AM
Sell Stratics to EA...
seems like the thing to do these days...
I like using stratics, but I will never pay for it. Since Uo has moved its message boards to stratics, I have no choice but to come here... I dont like being labeled a "Visitor" because I don't become a "plus" member. I have been coming to the UO boards for many years and I resent this label and just because UO dumped this mess on stratics why should I lose my status as a moderately active messager on these boards?
It was lame when UO tossed this service to you guys, not that you arent doing a good job, but that EA is too lame to keep up thier own services and "visitors" are the ones to suffer.
Just a few words of complaint from a long time user of stratics.
One other thing... Host your own website. all you need is a couple servers, which you can build or buy very cheaply and then pay 39.50 a month for the isdn line and host your own ISP service as well....
you can pick up coins in the street and pay for that... :P
RAEL of LS
While your patronage is appreciated, your post gave me a good laugh (no, I'm not being sarcastic, I'm chuckling as I type this). The thing is, we don't live in La-La Fairyland (though sometimes I wish we did)... I don't blame you for not being aware of the realities of online publishing - very few people truly are. I'll try and clear a couple points up for ya:
"Sell Stratics to EA... seems like the thing to do these days..."
I'll let you know as soon as they make an offer. But wait, oh yeah - we cover many other companies and games besides EA. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif Stratics would hardly be viable - and would no longer be Stratics - if EA were to purchase us, which they never would do anyway (they are a games publisher, not a online media conglomerate like ZD or IGN).
"One other thing... Host your own website. all you need is a couple servers, which you can build or buy very cheaply and then pay 39.50 a month for the isdn line and host your own ISP service as well...."
Lol, hahaha... I can't stop laughing. Whoo! *catches breath* Again, I'm not trying to insult you man, I'm truly being honest: I really have gained a comedic sense of pleasure from your post and am not offended in any way by your lack of knowledge. I truly think it's great that you believe that we do not have our own servers and have yet to "host our own website". We have 4 boxes and spike up to around 12Mbps. An ISDN line, lol.... Sorry had to stop typing for a sec. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/laugh.gif Lol, an ISDN line would not come near to meeting our needs, to say the least. Hosting alone costs us thousands and thousands of dollars per month, to give you an idea of the difference between a homepage that would fit on ISDN and a network that sees half a hundred million pageviews per month. So in order to physically host our servers - say out of my house - we would need to lease a T3, which is far beyond our budget, hope ya understand. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
I hope this clears up your confusion. Feel free to never pay a dime to Stratics - just know that our top priority right now is improving the quality of service to our members. We're not going to lag in the slightest with maintaining our free service and providing quality content to the community, but anything new that goes above and beyond what we currently provide (which, believe me, is quite a bit) will be given only to Plus members. This is simply an economic reality.
As for your Visitor status, all you have to do is post more. That's it. We don't charge to get rid of Visitor status, mon frier - that's up to you. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
-Den
RAEL of LS
09-25-2003, 10:17 PM
First, Let me say that I love Stratiucs and I am eternally grateful for all the work all the people have put into this website over the years. It has proven to be the best source for info on UO anywhere and has remained on top of the issues, consistently and invariably.
But......
I don't like having to pay for a + next to my name, just so I can avoid advertising and having my "Posting" Ttile next to my name.
Ads don't bother me much as I have dsl and the time it takes to download your pages isnt too bad, because of the lag created by the ads themselves. The thing that bothers me is two fold...
1.)I have paid UO 10 bucks a month for 6 years and until this year, I had free access to the UO message boards. I still do with Stratics, but I lost my posting title in the transfer, no biggie. Titles are for people that have no personal ego and have to have a title to feel important. In-game and Out-of-game. But it did irk me that I am no longer getting these boards from UO themselves.
2.) It costs 35 bucks a month to maintain your OWN ISDN line and a few servers of your own would only cost a marginal amount. If you can't afford the web host that is carrying your website, why then don't you just host it yourselves? Certainly, One good server with say 3 gigs of mem and enough hard drives to hold all your pages would be far cheaper than having someone else host your site. So, all this whining about costs and such is really kinda false. Crocodile tears to motivate people to send you money for something they can get for free.
Furthermore, If you really are having that much trouble getting your website hosted, why not have EA or UO either help pay for the site or actually host the site for you. EA certainly has the system to do such a thing and UO/EA, while previously DUMPING the boards onto your shoulders, should bear some of the responsibility in the cost of such a thing.
I always thought that taking on the boards was a sucker move for you guys at stratics, mainly cos it cost OSI/EA alot of money to create the boards and maintain them, and irrespective of what kind of renumeration you all are getting for hosting the official board site for UO, they are still getting the better end of the deal. And, now that you are hosting the boards your traffic count has risen and thusly so has your hosting costs.
So, if you ask me... which you did.... I would have to say that you guys should pull in the cash you need from EA and let the players continue to benefit from your free access, get EA to atleast host the web site and/or create your own hosting service and get on with what is important in this world.... playing UO!
Thanks for the opportunity to share my little turds of wisdom from time to time.
RAEL of LS
Catskills Elvis
10-02-2003, 08:29 AM
Dude, stop. Den is probably trying to get the pee out of his pants from laughing so hard at your post. The term "ISDN" and a site this size just makes you look like a total moron. And your trying to tell them how to do business without knowing squat about any of the deals that they may or may not have worked out is unbelievable.
It's just silly really. If you don't want to pay - don't pay. I'm considering paying because of the amount of help and entertainment I've gotten out of this site. But they've said as long as they can keep the doors open it will be free to you, so what's your bitch?
kitiara-atlantic
10-06-2003, 01:18 PM
Can anyone tell me if Stratics Plus users have faster load times for these message boards? It's annoyingly slow from both my work T3 line and my cable modem at home.
I'd pay for Stratics Plus just to make these boards load as fast as any other boards on the net!! I've never understood why these are so slow.
Thx /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Being a Stratics Plus member will remove the ads from the pages, which speeds up loading times considerably. You'd be surprised. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/smile.gif
Also, if we are able to ramp up our Stratics Plus membership and get about 50-100 new members in the next 30 days or so, we'll be able to perform another upgrade for better performance, much sooner than expected. We've actually upgraded both our hardware and our bandwidth (thanks to our S+ members!) - but it fills up pretty quickly, as we rapidly get bombarded with increased traffic and visitors. The more S+ members we have, the more bandwidth we can afford to buy.
-Den
So if I sign up for stratics plus it will load the forums faster?
Yes, the forums and the rest of the network will load slightly faster.
-Den