ToTPP Download Bundle Website

McMonkey

McMonkey

----Evertonian----
SLeague Staff
Joined
May 9, 2005
Messages
2,805
Location
Cardiff
For a while, I've been thinking about a way to promote ToTPP & the work of the Scenario League.

Getting into a heavily modified game like Test of Time can be a daunting prospect for new players. You need to download an old disc from Amazon or E-Bay, install & add patch v1.1, find & install the latest version of ToTPP & then download scenarios. For someone unfamiliar with ToT this may sound like too much hassle.

I found the Open General bundle download so handy. One download & you have the latest version of that game, plus a huge number of campaigns and scenarios ready to play.

I thought it would be great to have a similar thing for Test of Time with the ToTPP installed & a starter selection of scenarios ready to go.

I have built a very basic, free webpage to test the concept: https://rooster998.wixsite.com/test-of-time-pp

Homepage.PNG


It's very rough & the download is a little sketchy looking, but if the concept has legs then I would be willing to pay a small monthly subscription to get the extended server storage space so the download can come directly from the host site.

Regarding the download of ToT. I think the game is, in effect, abandonware at this point & I'm more than willing to take the risk that Microprose will object. They haven't sold a copy of the game in over a decade & after the source code experience, I don't think anyone really knows who owns the rights anymore.

My idea is to get the website to a state where I can post a search term on social media that people can search & find. Posting weblinks on social media is a bit of a no-no, so I'll need to find a workaround.

I would then promote it on Twitter & YouTube to anyone I think might be interested. I'm not selling anything & wouldn't be pushy, but I think there would be a lot of people out there who would be interested in a free game with a ton of quality scenarios ready to play.

For example, if I'm on a video about the Spanish Civil War I could mention the fact that I have a scenario about it and direct the person I'm conversing with to the website where they can download ToT & scenario. The site will also have links here.

This is just an experiment at this point. I'm willing to listen to arguments against the idea or suggestions how to improve it. I just think it would be good to spread the work of the Scenario League to a wider audience.
 
I remember a couple of years ago seeing Civ2 on Amazon for just $749.99 for MGE and $319.99 for ToT. seems most of these price gougers are gone, good riddance. They still want way too much for it though, like they expect you to get it and put it in a display case never to be touched.
 
techumseh said:
A wonderful idea. Thanks for taking the initiative.
Click to expand...

My desire is to capitalize on the resurgence ToTPP and Lua have stimulated and try and grow our little community. At the moment we get a trickle of newcomers, but they're often valuable contributors, such as Civ2Units, Tootall, Buck etc...I'm under no illusions that I'm going to turn this trickle into a flood, but if we can gain even a moderate flow of interest then it will be worth the effort.

As I said, I'm not going to be giving this the hard sell & spamming all over social media, but I think I could set up a Twitter page with links to the Bundle website, the Scenario League & Wiki, Facebook Page & use that as a way to attract interest in a non-pushy manner.

John Petroski has made a few videos on Lua. Perhaps we could set up a YouTube channel also & add bits and pieces when we get a chance. Perhaps short reviews of classic scenarios. These should be easy to build with a mic and a screen capture program (perhaps John can recommend a good one?) with just a brief overview commentary while the main features of the scenario are explained.

Then it's just a case of connecting up the pieces, as in cross-linking between the SL, Twitter, FB, YT & the Website. I've been meaning to tidy up the SL Information thread for a long time & I think we could all chip in to give the Wiki a bit of a spring clean. Many hands make light work & all that!
 
Broken_Erika said:
I remember a couple of years ago seeing Civ2 on Amazon for just $749.99 for MGE and $319.99 for ToT. seems most of these price gougers are gone, good riddance. They still want way too much for it though, like they expect you to get it and put it in a display case never to be touched.
Click to expand...

You've got to admire the sheer audacity of these people. I wonder if they ever caught a fish?
 
I've created an initial Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Civ2League

@Civ2League

Civ2Twitter.PNG


I can use this as a hub to start networking. Easier to post a Twitter handle on a comments thread than it is a url.

I'll tart it up a bit with some tweets about scenarios, including some screenshots.
 
Very interesting and useful initiative! Thank you!

(Apparently, me have to register on Twitter ...) ))
 
McMonkey said:
I've created an initial Twitter page: https://twitter.com/Civ2League

@Civ2League

View attachment 496746

I can use this as a hub to start networking. Easier to post a Twitter handle on a comments thread than it is a url.

I'll tart it up a bit with some tweets about scenarios, including some screenshots.
Click to expand...
Have those sports organizations under the trending list been sweet-talked into being the SL's "corporate sponsors?" :p
 
This is strange. It downloads and runs fine for me. You also had issues with .rar files I was posting with the saves & Vanilla mod. Has anyone else tried downloading the bundle? (which I do need to update when I get a moment)
 
If the ToT patch project would work on the Android, and given the number of people who have read that topic, and since it is in effect superior to ANY Android strategy game, then you should consider a rather sizeable potential user base that is hungry for decent gaming versus what is available. I would imagine thousands would purchase it IF coupled with Exagear Strategies and the process of installation was explained clearly.

Otherwise how many new computer users can actually run ToT? Isn't that part of the problem?

Additionally it's plausible there is Wine emulator solution for Ipads and or using the Mac OS version of ToT and whatever emulation is there too. There is currently a virtual Windows 7 free app for the Ipad, so if ToT will run under that OS, then thousands might download the bundle for their Ipads.
 
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@Cassius Critzer. I will get back to you about this when I have a chance to think it over. It does sound like a good idea, but i'm really not very familiar with the format. I'm certainly not looking to profit off of it. My aim is simply to grow the community.
 
People are basically selfish. Providing Civ2 MGE and ToT to Android and Ipad owners will increase simply if they are aware the games are superior to what they are playing now. It is outside their awareness.

What is daunting is the average tablet user wants a simple installation with clear instructions and not have to spend days getting it to work. This new Windows 7 emulator for the ipad should facilitate the process and it's free. Android users have the problem of having no simple way to do Windows emulation that is not arduous or expensive. Exagear is priced too high when Wine is free. Yet Wine is not a Google app through Google Play. It is as simple as Google allowing another free app (like thousands of ones like VLC player) so Wine emulation is available to all.

I see nothing inherantly wrong with the bundle and the process should not cost the organizer.
 
Cassius Critzer said:
People are basically selfish. Providing Civ2 MGE and ToT to Android and Ipad owners will increase simply if they are aware the games are superior to what they are playing now. It is outside their awareness.

I see nothing inherantly wrong with the bundle and the process should not cost the organizer.
Click to expand...
May I have a clarification of intention, here? Who are you terming as 'selfish,' the SL and ToTPP organizers, players in their 'limited awareness' bubbles, or both?
 
Patine said:
May I have a clarification of intention, here? Who are you terming as 'selfish,' the SL and ToTPP organizers, players in their 'limited awareness' bubbles, or both?
Click to expand...
The vast majority of humanity are driven by selfish desires of pleasure seeking. Selfish is not a perjorative but an observation on motivated self-interest.

Altruism is rare. Offering the bundle is altruistic. Offering free advice taking hundreds of hours on how to install Civ2 on an Android is altruistic. The creation of ToT scenarios is altruistic. The design of free unit graphics is altruistic. The creation of ToTTP is altruistic.

Most people cannot be bothered to do this but simply want to play. Hopefully,more people selfishly playing leads to more multiplayers for those interested in that and some portion are creative and might design new terrain, units, and scenarios.
 
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