Grow Battles - What Do We Need to Fix or Change?

[bakEQuatorial]

Also this time around we lost way more than half of are battle staff and the holes still havent been filled sadly . and the state we are in now threadmarks are the only way to keep the relevant post or updates marked for going back to

Never thought of it that way. Now I feel like a dick. I gotta go learn about this threadmark thing I've been hearing so much about

 

[Steviestash]

I'm all so not a fan of the big battle thread with all of them together

 

[Sour D]

Too bad there isn't a way to make it more anonymous to remove the "popularity" contest

 

[MR magoo]

I think that the one in all thread is lacking in knowledge, not because it's not there, it is. it's just that it move so fast. I get on tomorrow and ten pages has been added.

 

[Builder0101]

Here's what i find confusing: If our first round fails, rules on second round inclusion for participation never have been clear. Am I nixed from competing in another grow battle in general or from that vendor for having had failed my first round, or can I at least keep participating with the seeds remaining (or if i had germinated all seeds buy my own seeds eligible for that competition and continue as a non-competing participant in the other legs to maintain my gladiator badge).
How should I handle extra seeds sent for competition, should I grow them, or hold them until such a time as the next round comes along so I can participate in the next competition?
Would Vendors, staff and fellow gladiators allow those whose attempts did not pass the finish line and need to start a new plant asap due to legitimate reasons to do so using the competition seeds as long as they are documented properly here on AFN and then be allowed to be included in equal consideration for next years growing rounds/growoffs/etcs and retain their gladiator badge?

The deadlines on some of the legs of the grow battles are a bit tight if you're running a super long strain like some that are ultra long flower strains (a la auto ultimate and my one dreamberry).

I have seen it where who enters one battle, enters multiple battles and wins multiple battles using the same picture. I never understood why there was no rule requiring different pictures to be entered into different battles. Like if you are in a grow off and a lighting battle, you shouldnt be able to use the same pictures.

Like if you're going the KISS route, i understand multiple pictures, but is it possible to allow a forum user to only win one battle and not multiple, like if they win a light battle and a grow battle, they have to choose and then 2-4 move to 1-3 on the battle they conceded in. I think that allows more inclusion of people as it will allow more newbies to enter grow battles because it will feel less scary.

Plus, the name grow "Battle" Is scary to a lot. I know I hate being compared, and I always know I'll lose. Last time I voted in the battles it was a bit iffy feeling for me, but i think things can change... HOWEVER, here is a scary issue... It is currently possible to make zombie accounts which appear as live people and vote anyone you want to win (if you wish I can show you). There has to be some way to fight this through a verification method of voting rights with those who vote required to have a certain posting count or a ranking weight with less than 100 posts based upon their content strength value. Such a plugin could be developed to simply take the user, evaluate the overall data of the user's posts, then add weight based upon who quotes them, who they are replying to, what words are and are not said, in what sentence structure etc. Such a structured system could be achieved with a simple and quick auth script.
So basically i believe voting itself should require multi factor authentication.

To properly manage battles you will need to write a custom module that basically does the following: It will allow each admin to create a battle group. it will then allow the admin to fill in the battle sponsor, the battle subgroup(s), the battle subgroup leader, then the battle subgroup members. The forum also has basic details such as the Strain info provided by the company and their rules for the grow, start date, end date, and the code used for the run and when the grow battle will be announced.. After the leaders are selected in the admin module, a new topic announcing the grow battle is automatically generated by the system giving all details that were entered into the forum and then put either directly online, or into a queue to be published at a later date when the grow battle is to be announced. If the users are not announced at the time of the grow battle, the admin (or the subgroup leader) can go into the battle management section and then either add members, remove them, or message all of them, or one at once as the list is available. They can also see the last few posts by each of their group members in their individual battle threads. Once this list is completed the battle leader can lock the list. Once the list is locked, a time can be set for another auto generated set of topics to be generated and published by the system under the names of each user who is part of that grow battle allowing them all to have the exact same format for their topic. Since the system generated and published the growers grow battle topics, the system has access to all the information needed to fill in the grow battle leader's management field. The management module can then alert the grow battle leader on x number of updates to the grow battle so there are less updates to scroll through on the home page. The system can also pick up on images that are published, so when an image is published by the user, the grow battle leader can simply click to reveal the latest post with the photo and then go over to the account update window and check off that the update for grower x is complete for that day. When the grow battle leader checks off this box, an auto generated post is added to the first post announcing the grow battle's start date and information
[EDIT]You could also have such a system so that each individual grower submits their pics through such a module and then their pics are also automatically submitted via the system to the main thread and then the grow battle leader gets an actual time of arrival for the photograph and its instantly uploaded for them to check out without wading through pages of threads[/EDIT/]

Perhaps there are some extremely tech savvy members who can help the staff. Obviously giving a member administrative access to the system may be a real bad idea. @MissUniverse perhaps you should generate a mock database and write the code. Present it ti AFN. may be that there are products from sponsors that can be allotted for this help to compensate those members/member. Also; if the amount of posts coming in from contestants is overwhelming perhaps a bi-monthly update requirement is better than weekly. The caveat being the final post may be 5 days after the last bi-monthly post...

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

This has been a very long, on-going discussion with our staff for awhile now and I'm not sure if anyone even bothered to simply ask the growers participating, but we'd like to know what you like and/or DON'T LIKE about the grow battle system.

What have we done right?

What have we done wrong?

What is confusing?

What is REALLY confusing?

lol

We're trying to keep this to the "KISS" concept (Keep It Simple Stupid.) The original structure had our staff running around looking so much that half of them burned out in the process.

If we are to keep grow battles going, we need a better game plan, both for those running them and for those participating in them. We know there's a few glaring issues and inconsistencies, so let's talk about them!

@Gladiators @Global Moderators

So the grow battle system itself isn’t difficult or confusing but ya I agree all in 1 thread could maybe be separated to their own but not necessary! Just helps not miss tons of convo etc having sooooo many people updating in same place!
NOT THAT I WOULDA WON BUT ONLY CUZ CURIOUS..... HOW COME MYSOLO CUP PLANT FOR FASTBUDS GROW WASNT IN POLL?? Idon’t remember forgetting anything and def did all my updates just never saw at the end so was wondering so I knew what not to forget next time!

 

[420Forever]

ppp

 

[MissUniverse]

Perhaps there are some extremely tech savvy members who can help the staff. Obviously giving a member administrative access to the system may be a real bad idea. @MissUniverse perhaps you should generate a mock database and write the code. Present it ti AFN. may be that there are products from sponsors that can be allotted for this help to compensate those members/member. Also; if the amount of posts coming in from contestants is overwhelming perhaps a bi-monthly update requirement is better than weekly. The caveat being the final post may be 5 days after the last bi-monthly post...

I think there are definitely members on here who are able to help do something like that. If i was able to have a mock up of the current site server (and its current database schema) on a vm or elsewise provided so I can do a clean install with just some posts with no values nor private info/keys/etc set (like just posts of like random pictures and such. So basically a demo install set up to just developed the module on ) it would be something I can look into, or at least the current schema, theme, add-ons etc since they are not all free would help me get it all working right to test since i cant pay for add-ons on a forum system i wouldn't use for myself.
it looks like the torny module is closer to what would work but not quite whats needed, that looks more like for gamers than growers. I can see the idea where the flow is going on that module but dosent quite cut it.

**NOTE NOTHING IN THE POST MEANS TAKING DATA FROM THE ACTUAL AFN SITE JUST JUNK DATA I WOULD FILL IN FOR TESTING ON MY END

 

[Sleeper143]

So this is the first battle for me, I initially thought our battle updates would go in the individual threads where I signed up for the battles, sort of threw me that they got locked and everything gets put in one thread - my first thought was “I pity the moderator who has to trawl through all of this to check off battle entrants update posts in amongst all the other chat and non comp plant pics”.

As a “contestant” I have no problem putting my updates in the one main battle thread, that’s easy, but must be a nightmare for @TheMongol .

The outdoor auto/photo battle thread, that @Waira mods, seems like a stand alone battle thread (I know it’s not a sponsored battle), so why not just keep the individual battle sign up threads as the place to post our updates for individual sponsor battles? Wouldn’t this make it easier for the sponsors to check in on peoples progress and offer any feedback/support if needed, and make it easier for a mod to check through for the contestants updates? I’m sure you had a good reason to do things the way they’re being done now though, I’ve not been around here long enough to know “the old ways” :smoking:

 

[Sleeper143]

Oh forgot to add, I quite like the 2 x 6 month battle periods. I only have a little 2’x2’ tent, so can only feasibly do one battle at a time. As I grow autos, I can realistically enter 2 battles in each period with a bit of wriggle room in case something doesn’t go right and I have to start again, and as I have to dry my tent, there’s always a week break between grows while bud is in the tent drying