The Son of Cornerwork?

[professordp]

I just checked my calendar, and it's time once again to beat the "dead horse"---Cornerwork. It's been quite some time since it went down, and the information about it's future has been rather clouded.

It provided a wealth of game enchancements in the areas of photos (fighters, venues, trainers, etc.) and ratings. Furthermore, the material was centrally located and easy to access. All these materials were well-organized as well.

Prior to it shutting down, Cornerwork had not been updated for some time. Since the last revision, we've had a very large number of pictures and ratings posted in the forum. Unfortunately, these "post-Cornerwork" contributions are scattered throughout the forum, thus requiring a time-consuming task of hunting through the search engine and the actual threads.

Particularly in the area of boxer ratings, we've seen a flurry of activity over the past year. Dean's "Day Council", John Dewey's massive efforts, and Bear's Tomato Cans (not to mention the "oddballs" in my "Spice O' Life" thread) have added countless new or revised boxer ratings for use in TBCB.

When Cornerwork was active, the ratings were "packaged"--European heavyweights, Carmen Basilio's career opponents, etc. You could just go there and "shop" around for what you wanted. Today, you've got to mount an expedition to get member-created items.

Personally, I think that the apparent demise of Cornerwork represents a major step bacward for the TBCB community. Maybe I'm alone in this sentiment. What do the rest of you think? Oh, and by the way, what's the lastest on Cornerwork? Is it dead? Or just in a deep coma?

[deedubbleyou]

Sounds like it was a great site.

I've compiled a huge collection of current heavyweight fighter photos. And I've rated nearly 500 current heavyweights. I may try and whip something up on a website. I'm not great with html or whatever but I might be able to give it a try. If anybody's interested in contributing with me let me know. We can try work on something. I've been absolutely obsessed with this game the last few months. The only setback is that I haven't purchased 2.5 yet. So my fighters will be in the 2.0 format. But if anyone's interested then let me know.

[Bogie]

I think it would be a tragic loss, it was very useful resource.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by deedubbleyou

Sounds like it was a great site.

I've compiled a huge collection of current heavyweight fighter photos. And I've rated nearly 500 current heavyweights. I may try and whip something up on a website. I'm not great with html or whatever but I might be able to give it a try. If anybody's interested in contributing with me let me know. We can try work on something. I've been absolutely obsessed with this game the last few months. The only setback is that I haven't purchased 2.5 yet. So my fighters will be in the 2.0 format. But if anyone's interested then let me know.

This is exactly the point I was attempting to make. Here's a new member of our community who has a ton of ratings and has never had the opportunity to go to Cornerwork.

Obviously, there's some interested folks judging by the number of viewings that this post has received. My only question is why hasn't anyone in the know about the staus of Cornerwork and its future responded?

[bigMatt]

Well, I mentioned it in the other thread, and I'll again float it here...if someone can get me access to the site, I'd be happy to continue updating cornerworks.com, as I was doing for a few months before it mysteriously disappeared.

As far as starting another site from scratch, I'm just not sure I'm up to the task. 18 credit hours this semester and a full-time job have combined to kick my butt on a daily basis.

[professordp]

Originally Posted by bigMatt

Well, I mentioned it in the other thread, and I'll again float it here...if someone can get me access to the site, I'd be happy to continue updating cornerworks.com, as I was doing for a few months before it mysteriously disappeared.

As far as starting another site from scratch, I'm just not sure I'm up to the task. 18 credit hours this semester and a full-time job have combined to kick my butt on a daily basis.

That's a tough grind--18 credits and a full time gig I read your comments on the other thread and made a similar offer to take the burden myself but was never contacted or given any sort of response to my offer. The key words are "mysteriously disappeared"! At very least someone could let us know where Cornerworks stands at this juncture.

I agree that starting from scratch is not particularly a very attractive proposition!

[bigMatt]

Originally Posted by professordp

That's a tough grind--18 credits and a full time gig I read your comments on the other thread and made a similar offer to take the burden myself but was never contacted or given any sort of response to my offer. The key words are "mysteriously disappeared"! At very least someone could let us know where Cornerworks stands at this juncture.

I agree that starting from scratch is not particularly a very attractive proposition!

I hear you there! I guess I'll just leave it that I'd be happy to help in any way I can, given the limited time I have available.

[zyberianwarrior]

whats wrong with starting up a new cornerwork?

[professordp]

Originally Posted by zyberianwarrior

whats wrong with starting up a new cornerwork?

There's a load of material at the original site and the page was setup. If it could be restored, all you would need to do was add the new materials rather than start from ground zero with web page design, etc.

It only makes sense to get some direction from those in authority concerning the status of the site before running off and creating a new one.

The larger issue is not should we restore the previous site or build a new one. The question really is will we have a Cornerworks or not in any form. What are the plans and intentions of those who have the power to decide this matter?

The most perplexing aspect of this entire issue is the silence on the part of Andreas and the moderators of this thread. Unless I missed some postings, there's not been much clarity or specific information.

Cornerworks just shut down one day and that was it. No meaningful explanation was provided for the termination nor were we given any indication of Cornerworks' future.

At this point in time, all I'd like to know is what exactly is going on here. With a definitive answer, those who feel that we need this type of site to enhance the TBCB experience can take the next step.

Right now, Cornerworks and the members of this forum are both in limbo.

[zyberianwarrior]

andreas is under the infulence of roidball and boxing is a forgotten sport in OOTP's roster alsong the abondenment of any hockey plans. I say start up a new one the previous one was started by fans anyway.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by professordp

The most perplexing aspect of this entire issue is the silence on the part of Andreas and the moderators of this thread. Unless I missed some postings, there's not been much clarity or specific information.

I don't have any more information than you do Prof and I assume the same is true for Bear and Lee.

The site was run by a board member at first and when he no longer could, Andreas gave it space on the OOTP servers and there were board member volunteers that kept it going. They would post things when others would submit them. It never really was an official OOTP function even when OOTP gave it space on their servers.

Why it is down or if it will be restored are questions only Anreas can answer. If it is restored, it will again need volunteers to run it.

[kosh naranek]

I went to look at Cornerwork last week since it used to contain a large database provided by a forum member and I had just lost this in my latest laptop tragedy. When I could not access it I did a quick whois search and the site is owned until 2011 by Andreas Raht, OOTP developments. Interestingly whois showed the last change to the site was made last month. Through further search I was only able to find two viewable pages - a word document concerning weight changes and a boxer biography page which I don't remember from my last visit. Whether this means the site is being very slowly rebuilt or these are the last two remnants left is any ones guess.

As for creating a new site the most time consuming part is re-creating the content and putting the site together with day to day admin being negligible. I would happily put together a basic Joomla site but there is the question of where we would host the site and whether members could come up with sufficient content to make it worthwhile.

[professordp]

Chris pretty much summed things up by saying that we have to hear from Andreas before we can do anything. What we really need to know is if OOTP is going to furnish us with this space again.

Concerning those who would be willing to volunteer some time, that's very obvious from the postings. A number of us are willing to lend a hand or take the whole thing on.

But right now we're just "running in place" waiting for guess who to give us some basic information. This TBCB crowd sure is a demanding bunch!!!

Hey guys--ain't living in the OOTP basement a gas!!!!

[Lee]

I'll confirm what Chris said and also that I have no info on the site either. I know Andreas had plans to retain it, but with OOTP 11 looming I wouldn't count on any news soon.

I am hoping the OOTP release is earlier this year and stable, which will hopefully give Andreas some free time to get the site up and running and maybe even work on TBCB a bit.

Always glass half full

[Jersey-Jim]

Someone could just put up a temporary site and start uploading pictures and fighters, I suppose?

It could be an interim site and it doesn't have to be called Cornerwork. Then, if cornerwork comes back, the new site could either be kept (as an alternate download site) or put back into mothballs.

.

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Jersey-Jim

Someone could just put up a temporary site and start uploading pictures and fighters, I suppose?

It could be an interim site and it doesn't have to be called Cornerwork. Then, if cornerwork comes back, the new site could either be kept (as an alternate download site) or put back into mothballs.

.

I can give a web page to that easily enough.

If anyone wants to submit something just shoot me a PM.

Whatever is sent will need to be in a zip file format. I have an FTP server that I can make an account on - very easy to use and I'll give anyone that PMs me the access information.

I'll create the page when I get the first submission.

It would be great if the person offering the zip file could give a brief description of what it contains as well which I'll attach to the downloads when I make them available.

This won't be lovely to look at but I'll try to organize it in some sort of logical fashion. If it works and people are submitting things, I supose that we could throw a sticky note up about it in each of the TBCB forums.

[CONN CHRIS]

OK, it's not pretty but I threw something together:

TBCB COMMUNITY DOWNLOAD PAGE

One person already sent a PM concerning some things he will send and I gave him the ftp server account access info. If this gets rolling, I will post a formal sticky everywhere.

[Cap]

I guess this is what it's like being the ugly sister, eh. Notice they finally tarted the place up a wee bit though. New coat of paint from the leave-overs.

Hoorah for brother Chris! He'll be there when TBCB turns out the lights. Got to give the lad points for patience. A veritable saint for patience. I put the game away a few weeks ago and don't expect to fire it up again. If Andreas or some other brave soul decides to revive the franchise with a new really improved version, I'll be standing in line with my money.

Cap

[BigBoyBrackey]

I dunno. Other than a couple minor glitches (the tendency for the count on a knockdown late in a round to end as the clock reaches zero, causing a de facto 'saved by the bell,' is the biggest one for me), I'm not sure what else the game needs.

I know there seems to be some desire for a role-playing element, but I'm not sure how that would even work with a sport like boxing. It seems a lot easier for something like ootp or Madden, where you're dealing with a set season and offseason, draft, free-agent period, salary cap and so on. Trying to work in the politics of boxing is difficult enough in a fictional universe, I'm discovering, much less attempting to code it into a text simulation.

That's a matter of taste, though. The database team seems pretty diligent about updating ratings (there was a new Yuri Foreman a day or two after he beat Santos, as I recall), which are the biggest selling points for other sports games, like Strat-O-Matic. The only suggestion I'd make is that it somehow be indicated when the rating was last updated, so the user would know if the most recent results for active fighters have been taken into consideration for the rating (i.e. "rating good through 2/10" on the bio, or some such).

I've been in an online Strat league for years and, while they tweak this and that from year to year, I rarely notice other than to be annoyed if they change something I liked.

What would you be looking for in a new version, Cap (or anyone else)? Sorry if I've missed such comments on other/earlier threads, but would be interested to hear.

[Jersey-Jim]

Here is a link where you can check up on the latest revisions: Changelist

A handful of TB'ers help Ice Tea with the ratings in spare time and I agree, the updates are a very valuable aspect of the game.

Different people are bothered by different "quirks" (if you want to call it that) of the game. When you really sit back, though and look at it, having people getting mad at you because they want certain things in the game is actually a good thing (at least for awhile).

That means you have a crowd of people who care about the product beyond just wanting to kill a half-hour here and there. If I were a game maker, I'd love to have customers who were basically - lifetime customers.

Of course, sooner or later you have to be able to give people what they're asking for or they move on to something else.

I added Cornerwork.com's link to my site at Welcome to The Boxing Magazine.com. A Different Kind of Boxing Web Site. when I started the site last June. Andreas asked me if I'd add the link. He was willing, actually, to pay me for the Title Bout Ad on the site... but I built the site to help sell the game as much as anything else. And OOTP was nice enough to add my site to their list of recommended sites.

With Cornerwork down for so long, I removed the link. I haven't tried contacting him about it because after reading the threads here, I assumed things are going on and he's not available.

As a owner of a small company myself, I realize that all kinds of stuff is going on with the economy and everyone's cutting back, stress is high, and certain products and services are going by the wayside (being discontinued).

That being said, even I (ever the optimist) have to say - buckle up and get comfortable if you want to take this journey - because I have the feeling that it may very well be a long, long ride.

Summing it up, I think I'm going to grab myself a few drinks in just a bit and head on over to inside the ropes for a little bit of universe posting and reading.