TappedOut Meets!

TappedOut forum

Posted on July 9, 2011, 3:07 p.m. by yeaGO

Hello all,

I'd like to get your feedback on a new feature I'd like to add. I wonder if anyone is interested in it or thinks its hot, lame, etc.

Basically, you could register your location with TappedOut and create an meetup event. At that point anyone publically on TappedOut could join up or check-in to that event.

I could even connect this to FB so if you created a TappedOut event, I could post it to the site after a few minutes.

Have I sparked any interest? Is this somewhat similar to how anyone out there already does things?

IPyro92 says... #2

I think this is an interesting idea and I do think that it would be a good idea. It would allow casual players more opportunities to meet for fun and it would be able to show people who want to playtest more people that they could test with. Although I do think that as you said, it should be a register thing. You shouldn't automatically have to link your FB or location to the site as anonymity is something that people do prefer.

July 9, 2011 3:58 p.m.

theemptyquiver says... #3

My real life group meets once a week on average, and many of us are T/O users (about half)...but we are always welcome for more people who want to play!

We can either meet at "The Mox" in the Ballard area of Seattle, or if we like the people and they are not crazy psychotic child rapist murderers, then we would invite them to our homes where we normally play.

Overall, I think this is a good, idea because I know a lot of people who play Magic online on MTG:O or PSN/XBOXlive would love a chance to find friends they can meet and play their creations against someone face to face.

Before I got my MTG group together a little over a year ago, I would have loved to have a support community helping me find people and places to play!

July 9, 2011 4:36 p.m.

yeaGO says... #4

How do you organize this? Informally or via FB?

July 9, 2011 4:39 p.m.

theemptyquiver says... #5

It is just informal currently.

We have a core group of guys that have been friends for over a decade that play, but we have slowly been incorporating co-workers and friends of friends.

We generally just throw together an email thread that invites all "members" of our group to show up at the designated spot.

For instance last night we had 4 people show up for a night of Magic at "The Mox" (a Magic/and board game bar/eatery --all ages though, no hard liquor). The email thread just got the word out and then people showed up.

July 9, 2011 4:44 p.m.

yeaGO says... #6

k. well you could either

1) post the event to FB and TappedOut could auto-detect it

2) post the event to FB

Then it would appear and people in your area would see

a) when/where

b) check-ins of TappedOut users (not FB profiles, keep in mind, but TO usernames)

c) could comment and ask to join up or just show up?

What do you think? How would you like it to work?

July 9, 2011 4:46 p.m.

theemptyquiver says... #7

Yeah. I like the first option where T/O auto-detects the event, and then people can contact the event through T/O to find out specific and "check-in" with their T/O username. That seems cool.

I haven't seen many Seattle users on here, but maybe the promise of playing new people at a fun place will draw them out of seclusion. (it is summer here now...no more depressed moping pale-skinned nerds hiding behind curtains for 3 months!)

July 9, 2011 4:53 p.m.

yeaGO says... #8

So if your Event was "Open" would you want a link back to the actual FB Event page where people could rsvp there too?

July 9, 2011 5:10 p.m.

theemptyquiver says... #9

Yeah. I think that would be fine.

I'm not super picky about the specifics I guess.

Whatever makes it easy for people to find pre-existing groups of Magic players, or create new groups where they could have fun and share a like-minded hobby seems like the penultimate goal of this.

July 9, 2011 5:15 p.m.

brianguymtg says... #10

I would also love this feature. It would give me a chance to play with people without making a super-long drive to the few places that I have near my home that play officially.

Thanks for the idea, I love it!

July 9, 2011 8:18 p.m.

Is there a way that T/O can identify where everyone is by location?

That would make inviting people easier.

Maybe you could create another little user poll that everyone has to participate in asking if they would like to submit their home city for tracking purposes for the T/O meet up groups.

July 9, 2011 8:40 p.m.

brianguymtg says... #12

There is an option for displaying location on the settings page, but how do I put my location in?

July 9, 2011 8:50 p.m.

yeaGO says... #13

'Place me on the map!'

July 9, 2011 9:05 p.m.

WhatTheBleep says... #14

This sounds quite good to me. I also do casual meetups in my area (a non-metropolitan area, mind you) and it would be great to recruit more T/O users to join us.

The option to have a FB event automatically be detected to be listed on the T/O website is perfect. I already make FB events for the meetup and that is the primary means of spreading the word.

There are a couple things that come to mind when thinking about how this would work. The first thing that strikes me is the concern of privacy and keeping unwanted strangers (nice description, theemptyquiver) from showing up. In some cases I imagine that the gatherings will take place in public places, in which case it's less of an issue, but in my case, I have the gatherings at my home. I'm definitely open to having new people show up, but there must be a way I can control who sees my address before they just decide to / are able to show up. This could work in an RSVP sort of matter, where "Yes" RSVPs can then be followed up with a confirmation (that I would send, as the host) that lists the address. I don't list my address on the FB event for this reason and I send my address via message to new people (or they more often are friends of people that already attend, so they just come along or get it from them).

Another thing I'm thinking about is how this would work with recurring events vs. one-time events? In my case, it's a pseudo-weekly event. What I do is manage one event on FB and then just change the date to the next one (it definitely seems overkill, and would be obnoxious, to make a new event for each gathering). Now that I think of it, most MtG gatherings are going to be recurring. Since FB has no system for recurring events, how would T/O manage that?

That brings up another question: how exactly would you detect that a T/O meetup event was created on Facebook? I'm wondering what kind of synchronization would occur and how I can manage that as a host.

Don't mind the extensive questions and concerns; I think that this is a great potential feature!

July 10, 2011 2:14 p.m.

yeaGO says... #15

Basically you click 'Import from Facebook' and your events appear. When you click the event you get the event on a form on my website where you can make any changes you like. At that point you may place a marker to mark the event wherever you want. It also pulls in known tappedout members and lists them as Attendees (as their TappedOut account, not their facebook identity).

There's a comment box where people can comment on the event.

I haven't set up anything for recurring events but I suppose it wouldn't be that hard to do. Though you're already doing it on Facebook so I would re-import when you do on TappedOut.

July 10, 2011 2:23 p.m.

yeaGO says... #16

version 1.0 LIVE

July 10, 2011 8:42 p.m.

yeaGO says... #17

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

TTTTEEEEESSSSSTTTTTEEEEERRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

July 11, 2011 8:39 p.m.

Actually I tried to make a post yesterday, but when I tried to complete it, the page never responded.

I double-checked the date formats and fields and yet it did not submit.

I forgot to message you because I got busy, and then drank too my Pernod, and then went to bed.

July 11, 2011 8:56 p.m.

yeaGO says... #19

'never responded' .... ? AKA timed out?

retry plz.

July 11, 2011 8:58 p.m.

When I clicked "create" nothing happened.

It did not time out, it just did nothing. I used Firefox (3.6.18)

I will retry, but I the wife says I have to eat dinner first. I must obey.

July 11, 2011 9:01 p.m.

Okay. I was able to get it to work.

I failed to understand initially that I had to type the address over the map area in addition to the other field.

Unfortunately, now that I created the event, I am unable to "Edit" the event.

When I click on edit, a hoard of ornithopters come after me carrying an airship.

July 11, 2011 9:46 p.m.

IPyro92 says... #22

I'm not sure if this is in there already but there should be a format that allows you to check boxes or prompts you to include what formats will be played at the meet, (standard, extended, etc.).

July 12, 2011 9:19 p.m.

yeaGO says... #23

This is in the works.

I secretly plan on merging this with the Top 8s section...

....BUT NOT UNTIL YOU ALL START USING IT!

I am also thinking about adding 'Recurring Events' so you can register your weekly MTG events.

July 12, 2011 9:21 p.m.

Did you check on the event I created? The last time I tried I still was getting spammed by pesky ornithopters telling me the EDIT link was not working.

I would like to update the description. :)

July 12, 2011 9:26 p.m.

yeaGO says... #25

in the middle of some fixes but I will post @ your wall when fixed.

July 12, 2011 9:28 p.m.

yeaGO says... #26

FIXED editing. GOGOGO guys.

July 15, 2011 6:43 p.m.

This discussion has been closed