Friendly Banter

"Should we keep going?"
Started by Michael on 4/2/2017 4:07:19 PM


 
Michael
4/2/2017 4:07 PM
I don't know, AcroFever looks pretty good. Nice interface, graphics, etc. Apparently someone has time to put into it. Time that I obviously do not.

it has been 15+ years after all.

comments? thoughts?
MrPuzzle
4/2/2017 7:47 PM
Short answer is: YES! Keep Acrochallenge alive.

Acrochallenge is much better than Acrofever which I tried out for a couple of games.

Here are a few of the ways:

- Much better use of screen space
Acrofever, many things that could take just one line take 2,3, or even 4 (like the chat for example).

Things move around.

- Better organization of games (# rounds games vs 25 points)
The scoring is different, probably neither better nor worse.

- Better graphics
Acrofever ... gray letters on white background? Really?
Hard to identify changes in the game state (transition to voting especially)
I got slightly dizzy after staring at white screen for 2-3 games.

- The number of letters in the round and who picks the topic are random.

- It wasn't clear if number of players in a "Lobby" is limited or not,
I did not see any Private Message or Kick capability,
nor Password controlled rooms, or other things AC has.

- It is not strict about words-must-match-the-letters in Acros.
You DO have to match the letters, but you can put in extra words and it takes them.

Well, that's for starters ...

Oh, and I recruited a couple of players to try AcroChallenge while I was there.

So, no, Michael, please don't abandon this ship ...
Acrofever is not a good substitute ... it would just barely do.

peanut11
4/2/2017 11:50 PM
I haven't tried Acrofever yet, but I would hate to lose AcroChallenge after all these years. We appreciate all the time you put in to keep it going.
fuct
4/2/2017 11:58 PM
I dont know either mike
But
I do know
Once your done
Your done

Lol an im not done yet

AmishSheep
4/3/2017 12:09 AM
Yes please continue Acrochallenge some of my dearest friends I have met here..It's always a delight to come here and play with a great variety of folks of all ages and areas
AmishSheep
4/3/2017 12:09 AM
Yes please continue Acrochallenge some of my dearest friends I have met here..It's always a delight to come here and play with a great variety of folks of all ages and areas
SLUGGO1969
4/3/2017 12:11 AM
I sure would hate to lose AcroChallenge! I play here nearly daily, and would really miss it!
virgingoods
4/3/2017 12:15 AM
Oh, Michael, I can't express how grateful I am that you have kept this game going. I have made such dear friends here, and can't bear to think of losing the place where we gather. Places are important. This is a wonderful place. Can we somehow make it more attractive for you to continue? Let us know. Either way, thank you!
klj
4/3/2017 12:15 AM
I would hate to see AcroChallenge disappear. I've made some really good friends over the years and there are times when this game is the high point of my day. It gives me an hour of fun where I can forget my worries plus improve my vocabulary, boost my brain power and have a good laugh or two.

If possible please keep this game going. We all appreciate the time and work you've put in to making this game fun to play and I for one would really like it to continue.
bilbolives
4/3/2017 12:16 AM
Dear Michael, April 3, 2017

Mr. Puzzle has offered a succinct summarization of why we love Acrochallenge. We appreciate all the effort you put into keeping this site running. This space serves members' mental, emotional, and social needs to interact with others in a manner that encourages sharing the truth of oneself via the acro sentences. In summary, it allows a means of connection much deeper than one might imagine. We love you.

Sincerely,

bilbolives
bilbolives
4/3/2017 1:09 AM
Dear Michael,

I just went to Acrofever for the first time and was very underwhelmed. When I asked a question, a person called me a name, and since there was no way to block him, I felt unwelcomed there. Also, the quality of the acros is subpar, with lots of references to body parts and sexual acts, many of which were not spellchecked. In addition, the timer is too long and there's no way to adjust it. Furthermore, the chat/game play interface was awkwardly positioned. In conclusion, Acrofever does not rise to the superior nature of Acrochallenge which offers erudite individuals a place to connect with others who understand that there's more to life than pee pee jokes. Thank you.
rehab33
4/3/2017 1:27 AM
PLEASE Keep Acrochallenge going!!!!!
af_icedbergs
4/3/2017 1:58 AM
Hey Michael,

I stumbled upon this thread and had a bit to do with the Acrofever project so thought I'd post a bit of the AF story along with my thoughts in case it helps you with your decision.

Like AC, AF is developed/hosted on a hobbyist basis for the love of acro - the minimalist ads on there cover a portion of the hosting costs. AF was created because we wanted to have a site to play acro on that worked decently well on both mobile and desktop. It's also open source - anyone is welcome to get in touch and help contribute features they want for consideration, and his hopefully also means we'll never have an Acrobabble type situation where it all disappears one day without any forewarning never to come back.

I admire your vision and the app + userbase you have built here at AC. With all respect to whatever you decide to do with the site, based on some of the posts above, I would love for you to keep going with it. A fair few of the criticisms called out by MrPuzzle and others in this thread are design decisions that have been consciously made. While AF is under semi-active development and will continue to take requests and add features, it looks like we just have a different view on some things to the userbase here, so AF isn't and probably will never be the acro site that some of the users of AC are wanting.

P.S. If you do choose to wind things here up and people are looking for an acro site with an AC 2.0 kind of approach, anyone in this thread with a knack for development is more than welcome to fork the AF codebase and use it as a primer to build a site approaching the Acrophobia concept in the the same manner as AC. I for one would be happy to spend a bit of time on a Hangout helping someone get acquainted with the build process so they can get it building locally and start changing things up.

All the best.
af_icedbergs
4/3/2017 2:17 AM
@bilbolives sorry you had that experience, it's not representative of how things always are. Active player numbers can get a bit patchy around this time - late afternoon/early evening EST is our normal peak, there should be solid community members and a mod or two around and things will be more welcoming. Regarding timer - the experts lobby has a more aggressive timer and faster play if you can get a game in there. The General lobby has a longer one to be more friendly for players using the mobile site/app.

Anyway, not going to post any further to try and explain design decisions. Not my intention to promote the AF site or anything like that in here, that's not why I posted. Will check back every so often to reply if you have any queries/comments, Michael.
MsMcQ
4/3/2017 8:58 AM
I love Acro... been playing 18 yrs... I would miss all the friends I have made. Take it away and you might as well take my air away from me
rehab33
4/3/2017 9:40 AM
I feel the same way MsMcQ!!!!!
DOOSHEBAG
4/3/2017 12:34 PM
Yes, definitely Michael. I've played on AF and it's a decent game...it just doesn't have the feel that Acro Challenge does and the people playing there just are not the same. I'd be happy to help save it and will make sure that I come back to AC more than what I have been in the last couple months.
TheGroomingNazi
4/3/2017 12:49 PM
I went into AcroFever to try and didn't see any adult games or the option to play without topics. I understand your concerns in regards to keeping AC going. I try to go play acrochallenge at least 5x's a week. However, it is hard with the few players. I tell many ppl about this site, however, it is difficult to get more ppl to play when most ppl have only their cell phones or tablets. I know the decision is yours ultimately and I will support you in whatever decision you make.
MsMcQ
4/3/2017 12:54 PM
Michael... your post was the 1st time I had ever heard of acro fever... curiosity got the best of me and I had to check it out... I am not impressed! I also did not play a game and doubt that I will... it would make me feel like I were cheating on you... never gonna happen... please keep AC up.. the other site will fall apart, it's new - people are trying it out and they will see it's not the same!
Ella
4/3/2017 7:42 PM
I feel rather selfish saying this, but please stay with us, Michael. AcroChallenge is more than a game. It's a group of friends I've been with for a long time. Every so often, someone comes on and says, "Wow! Where have you been? I haven't played this game in years!" and the responses are telling. Not many people left here. Those who are left feel very strongly about the others.

Thank you for all you've done all these years.
Avridge Jo
4/3/2017 8:23 PM
Hello Michael ~ Like so many others, I am hoping you will keep AC going. I've met some very nice people hear not to mention the challenges the game poses. I've been playing for over 14 years and and would it would be an enormous shame to see the game disappear. Thanks for all you have done over the years to keep it going. LLA ~Long Live Acrochallenge
Bazu
4/3/2017 8:42 PM
Yes, please keep going. There are still games here every day, even if it isn't 24/7. I go to AF when there is nobody here, and I agree with the points made by Mr. Puzzle and others - the interface at AF is a bit confusing and random, although they have some interesting topic suggestions, some of which I borrowed for a thread on topic ideas for players here recently. The other day I asked players at AF if they played here, and they said they prefer it over here at AC. It could be because of smart phone capability that some play at AF, but not here, I don't know. Long live AcroChallenge.
MariCookie
4/3/2017 9:01 PM
YES, keep it going, please! :)
Lately I'm not showing up, but I'll be back soon. I have been playing since 2008 or 2009 and Acro is a great way for me to keep up with my vocabulary in English. Also I have met some good friends here that became friends in real life as well! :D
I'm totally ignorant when it's about technology, however I can suggest something, in case you don't have time enough... why don't you choose moderators to help you with the page? So when something goes wrong and you're busy, you have people in whom you trust and who can help you (us!) out? Maybe that's a way to keep low stress and at the same time continue the fun... ;)
Please, do not give up on us, Michael! :)))
clouddancer
4/3/2017 9:24 PM
I really hope you keep it going. I've made many friends over the years here and really love playing. I have never played acro fever but I don't think I'd like it based on what I've just read.
clouddancer
4/3/2017 9:26 PM
If you need more mods, I'd be glad to help... I've moderated message boards before, I'm guessing this wouldn't be much different.