[Nocturnal_Nick]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd make a suggestions thread so we have a place to do just that! Let it be noted that there is already a thread for game requests and suggestions or game titles, so this is pretty much everything else.

To kick it off, I'd like to see bar staff wearing these:
http://www.flickr.co...ter/2491804555/ (YES this link is safe for work)

Possibly with the Mana bar logo on the other side?

[TheExodianSeanDavies]

or not maybe?

[Nocturnal_Nick]

TheExodianSeanDavies, on 09 March 2010 - 01:18 PM, said:

or not maybe?

Or not what? Or was that just one of those comments 6-8 year olds make in primary school to feel better about themselves?

This is a suggestions THREAD. Suggest things. I'm not going to be disappointed when nobody wears an Aperture Science lab-coat, but even if nobody else does, I thought wearing subtly game themed uniforms (not cosplay or anything) was a cool idea.

When you have one of your own, post it :-)

[n3o]

I want that shirt.

[Yug]

We've got specific mana bar shirts being created for the staff, along with drink logos, etc ... i am thinking of merch with clever artwork we can sell to those who are keen though!

[Nocturnal_Nick]

Yug, on 09 March 2010 - 08:45 PM, said:

We've got specific mana bar shirts being created for the staff, along with drink logos, etc ... i am thinking of merch with clever artwork we can sell to those who are keen though!

Clever artwork is kinda your thing :-P Unfortunately I can't afford a shirt of just about every ZP video, so I guess I'll have pick :-P

So... More suggestions when they arise I guess :-) The lack so far is probably 'cause they're covering all bases :-D

[Ravenbel]

Hey guys

I'm from Hells Pizza, any chance you'll have some gurgling stomachs that need feeding??

[Yug]

Ravenbel, on 20 March 2010 - 03:43 PM, said:

Hey guys

I'm from Hells Pizza, any chance you'll have some gurgling stomachs that need feeding??

You guys RAWKED turning up with the pizza's for the poor people in the line, thanks heaps for that!!

[Taco]

Ravenbel, on 20 March 2010 - 03:43 PM, said:

Hey guys

I'm from Hells Pizza, any chance you'll have some gurgling stomachs that need feeding??

You guys were awesome. I reckon it'd go down real well with all the patrons if something could be sorted out between you guys and the bar. :D

[Ghostling]

Great job guys, just a few ideas...

1) Headphones for GH.

2) Possibly consider trying to arange deals with Timezone - they close at 3am on weekends, and have lasertag now. Very vague idea, I know, but with potential benefits on both sides.

Urgh brain is dead, Shanny sleeps now.

[Jules]

Food.

Please?

[Pras]

Ghostling, on 21 March 2010 - 05:32 AM, said:

Great job guys, just a few ideas...

1) Headphones for GH.

2) Possibly consider trying to arange deals with Timezone - they close at 3am on weekends, and have lasertag now. Very vague idea, I know, but with potential benefits on both sides.

Urgh brain is dead, Shanny sleeps now.

Headphones are something we're definitely against. The whole point of the bar is to socialise and interact witheach other, something that the headphones will kill. That said, we do know we need to sort out better sound in that corner.

Jules, on 21 March 2010 - 09:21 AM, said:

Food.

Please?

This is actually the one thing we're really trying to work out. Right now we haven't come up with a feasible solution but we're thinking really hard about it... so hard my head hurts. Although that could just be a hangover...

[zero1328]

I can't really think of a good way to have food in there. I'd personally feel more concerned for the controllers. It's a bit tricky.

[Jules]

Pras, on 21 March 2010 - 09:43 AM, said:

This is actually the one thing we're really trying to work out. Right now we haven't come up with a feasible solution but we're thinking really hard about it... so hard my head hurts. Although that could just be a hangover...

You could always do something with Grilld? The guy who handed out the two for one vouchers had a genius idea because they definitely got used. (And you even went there too :P You said hi and asked us if we enjoyed the bar when we were ordering).

The only problem with that though is people need to leave to buy food... which I wanted to do a couple of hours before we left but we didn't want to have to line up again to get back in :(

[Jules]

zero1328, on 21 March 2010 - 09:48 AM, said:

I can't really think of a good way to have food in there. I'd personally feel more concerned for the controllers. It's a bit tricky.

Food is safer around controllers than drinks. What's the difference? At least food won't break them... *is still mourning the loss of her laptop keyboard from the 'Coke incident'*

[zero1328]

Spilling anything on the controller would make it unusable, but sticky hands lead to sticky controllers. Wipes were sometimes handed out yesterday, sure, but I'd personally feel a bit more uneasy with food around as well. Maybe it's just me?

[Jules]

zero1328, on 21 March 2010 - 09:57 AM, said:

Spilling anything on the controller would make it unusable, but sticky hands lead to sticky controllers. Wipes were sometimes handed out yesterday, sure, but I'd personally feel a bit more uneasy with food around as well. Maybe it's just me?

That depends on the food choice and the player. I always wash my hands after handling a controller before I eat and then again after I've eaten to avoid dirtying the controller.

Just make it a house rule to clean your hands after eating, before handling a controller. And always give them napkins with food.

Edit - Or make sure you don't serve finger food. I know that means extra cost in plastic cutlery, but isn't that better than replacing controllers?

[theGhostWolfe]

I'd be a little more concerned about food and the proximity to other gamers. Shuffling drinks back and forth across the Mana Bar is one thing, but I'm not all that fond of the idea of people eating inside (anything more complicated than a bag of chips or a chocolate bar, that is).

Deals with the food places nearby, that would be an awesome idea ^_^

Pras, on 21 March 2010 - 09:43 AM, said:

Headphones are something we're definitely against. The whole point of the bar is to socialise and interact witheach other, something that the headphones will kill. That said, we do know we need to sort out better sound in that corner.

I know my hearing is awful, but I couldn't hear the game at all, just little snippets of music >_<

/angell

[Lagfish]

Whilst food seems like a good idea in the bar it's more trouble than it's worth. Even chips and chocolate.

As the ex-IT GUY (well, ex IT girl, rather) of a LAN cafe it was always terrible to have to touch keyboards/controllers that peoples greasy fingers had been all over. (There was even a time when I made a person wipe down the keyboard after they licked chip flavouring off their fingers and touched the board. GROSS GROSS GROSS.)

Drinks are one thing because people are careful with liquids because anyone with a brain bigger than a kobold knows liquid+electronics=BAD and liquid dries. The problem with food is... people aren't so careful. People get food on the floor AND on the controller (even without meaning to. It's like the crumb-pocalypse half of the time because they get in the button grooves and can't get out... and take forever to dig out.)

I for one prefer non-greased up controllers and I'll just deal with my tummy at closing time! PIZZA IN THE CITY!

[Jules]

All fair points. I think a deal with Grilld and/or Sushi Station is in order. As long as you can have some sort of 'food pass' so you don't have to wait in line to get back in. Maybe you could have patron buys x amount of cocktails and then receives a two for the price of one voucher? That worked really well for Grilld yesterday.