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JeBu · 08-22-2012 05:46 PM

Hello guys,

I'v been very inactive and havent posted to forums.
Anyway I noticed that old website and forums are dead.

SphereServer have much potential, but things aren't going very well.

Search Engine
For example if I try to search "sphereserver" from search engine I find only sphereserver pre-release website. If I try to search for "sphereserver forums" I find only old broken links to old forums and one runuo forum link etc. If i try to search "free uo" or "uo emulation" ... I find only links to RunUo.

We definetly need new website where we tell shortly about sphereser, forums and link to pre-releases, also list of sphere shards. Why list of Sphere Shards? Because there are so few sphere shards that way we could work more together. It would be like those top lists but more information for sphere community.

**darksun84** · 08-22-2012 09:45 PM

ahh good idea

Even if I think that people should start to get forwarded into the nightly builds instead of the pre release of 2009

Rayvolution · 08-23-2012 10:58 AM

Well, I hope SphereServer grows back into what it once was; "the" server emulator.

I still feel it's one of the best; just RunUO dominates the market at the moment because the original Sphere team disbanded, allowing time for RunUO to dominate. Once I get my server completed I have full intent on advertising Sphere using my server as an "Example of what Sphere is capable of", and I feel that all of us admins should do the same.

I want Sphere to grow, and I plan to do what I can to make it happen. Smile

**darksun84** · 08-23-2012 01:28 PM

You have my axe !

JeBu · 08-23-2012 05:12 PM

Yes I meant nightly builds.

Also people are searching for "game emulations" and if they find out how easy and open uo is for imaginations and new ideas there is big possibility that they get interested about "UO + Sphere" even they havent played UO before.

Very simple website
- Short description about what Sphere and UO are (We use right words so website gets google optimised
- Sphere Wiki
- Forums
- Downloads
- nightly builds
- maybe axis etc
- Sphere servers
- All sphere users can tell about their shard, describe hat kind fo shard they have, status, information if they need scripting or staff help.

Also I would like to see this kind of information with forum user profiles. What I mean: ppl would choose if they are Owner/Admins/Deticated Scripter/Freelance Scripter/ Deticated GM/GM without work/etc

Also maybe we should get in social media too.

Rayvolution · 08-23-2012 10:58 PM

Well, if SphereCommunity is going to become the new official place for Sphere they may need to stepup their game.

Don't get me wrong, I love this place. But if we want Sphere to grow, we'll need to convert SphereCommunity into a more official outlet, with dev news, information about Sphere, and a what not. Just flesh it out!

Reason being, currently if you don't know what the big UO emulators are, chances are you'll find RunUO first and not even realize Sphere exists because there's sadly very little easy-to-access public information about it.

SphereCommunity would probably benefit from going with a system like my server's website. An all-in-one community core like Invision Power Board, with IP.Content for custom pages and IP.Downloads and IP.Gallery for SShare.

(Not trying to plug my shard!!) But take a quick peek at my website, image it all in sphere colors, and with an additional section for SShare. I think this would be a good start to get SphereServer off the ground again. Only problem is using Invision Power Board *correctly* involves somewhat advanced PHP knowledge, and really good graphics design skills to make a good skin.

EDIT: We also need a shard list like the good ole days! Big Grin

**Mordaunt** · 08-24-2012 03:05 AM

What we need is a STABLE release!

I know there are fewer people working on the actual server, and that they have other priorities in life, but the last "once-yearly prerelease" was in 2009!

To build the community not only do we need a better organised website (no disrespect) but there has to be a product that people want to use, and will choose over RunUO, Pol, and even Wolfpack/UOX3.
I've been sphere for a long long time, though there are times I wish I had tried out RunUO way back when they first started it, the main reason I didn't try that was because as a community they came across as arrogant and aloof and were not really willing to help new people, and using a scripting language like C# which you can learn anywhere really, they didn't really need to.

Another issue is how badly sphere currently handles people running the latest client/patches. If someone has UO patched all the way up and coes to play on a sphereserver running an older client, sure they can grab the files, but unless you are offering up all the maps in .mul form (which I am not sure will make a difference) the map is screwed up, there are holes everywhere, and even stuff missing, important stuff like stairs for example.
This HAS to be addressed, it is making work for shard admins and is likely to drive players to a server that can support them. After all, who wants to either uninstall UO only to reinstall it and not patch it right back up (and patching at all right now is a pain in the ass) in order to play a different server, or even have 2 seperate installs of UO in order to play.

Sphere's has not been helped at all by the closure of the official site and the choke hold that Menace & Damian have on what is done with the server. That's not to say that sphere can't bounce back to the forefront, it's just going to take some hard work by the Dev's the Webguru, and yes by everyone in the community here on the forums.

htid4life · 08-24-2012 10:53 AM

Ok First off
i like sphere alot... but at this stage its going nowhere....

i agree with mordaunt

Need Stable Release of sphere the 2009... way outta date..

And setup some proper google searches its easy to do..... common folks we need sphere back to how it used to be!!

ok thats my small rant over with lol.

Rayvolution · 08-24-2012 10:56 AM

With proper SEO it wouldn't be too hard, I don't even advertise my server anywhere yet (but my sig here) and if you google "Mature ultima online server" my only 3 week old website is on page 2 already.

This forum is very SEO unfriendly. Shock

For example, on this forum, this thread is:

Code:

http://forum.spherecommunity.net/showthread.php?tid=1692&pid=4990#pid4990

on my forum, a thread looks like this:

Code:

http://aetharia.com/index.php?/topic/22-what-would-you-like-to-see-in-aetharia/#entry33

What has more keywords for the search engine to pickup? Smile

**darksun84** · 08-24-2012 12:23 PM

There is the sphere server page on facebook Big Grin

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