[SOLUTION] Collaborations

Duke_Scratch56

Support, this would be really useful.

PhanVinhHien

I would like to propose a detailed concept for the Turn-based Collaboration System. This system ensures safety, avoids version conflicts, and requires no private messaging.

How it works:

Collaboration Project Type: The owner can invite other Scratchers via an official invitation system. Once accepted, they become official collaborators.

Turn-Based Editing (Single-user lock): To prevent overwriting, only ONE collaborator can edit the project at a time. When the current editor clicks “Save”, the newest version is uploaded. The next person can then take their turn to edit from that latest version.

Time Limit & Anti-Stall Control: Each turn has a base time limit of 2 to 3 hours. However, if a collaborator is working on an important, time-consuming part, the Project Owner has the full authority to extend the time limit for that turn. The Owner can also manually kick an inactive editor out of the turn at any time to prevent stalling.

Project Roles & Credits: The owner can assign roles on the project page (e.g., Owner: Ben, Programmer: UserA, Artist: UserB, Tester: UserD). This gives everyone proper credit without Scratch needing to track complex code changes.

Safety & Moderation: This system does NOT include any built-in private messaging or live chat, keeping it completely safe and easy for Scratch to moderate.

Benefits:

No more sending .sb3 files back and forth.

Zero version conflicts and highly flexible time management thanks to the owner's extension and kick features.

Fair credit for every contributor.

Perfect for team projects and school assignments.

Last edited by PhanVinhHien (July 14, 2026 07:25:49)

Passion111

PhanVinhHien wrote:
I would like to propose a detailed concept for the Turn-based Collaboration System. This system ensures safety, avoids version conflicts, and requires no private messaging.

How it works:

Collaboration Project Type: The owner can invite other Scratchers via an official invitation system. Once accepted, they become official collaborators.

Turn-Based Editing (Single-user lock): To prevent overwriting, only ONE collaborator can edit the project at a time. When the current editor clicks “Save”, the newest version is uploaded. The next person can then take their turn to edit from that latest version.

Time Limit & Anti-Stall Control: Each turn has a base time limit of 2 to 3 hours. However, if a collaborator is working on an important, time-consuming part, the Project Owner has the full authority to extend the time limit for that turn. The Owner can also manually kick an inactive editor out of the turn at any time to prevent stalling.

Project Roles & Credits: The owner can assign roles on the project page (e.g., Owner: Ben, Programmer: UserA, Artist: UserB, Tester: UserD). This gives everyone proper credit without Scratch needing to track complex code changes.

Safety & Moderation: This system does NOT include any built-in private messaging or live chat, keeping it completely safe and easy for Scratch to moderate.

Benefits:

No more sending .sb3 files back and forth.

Zero version conflicts and highly flexible time management thanks to the owner's extension and kick features.

Fair credit for every contributor.

Perfect for team projects and school assignments.

I see 2 problems that could arise from this:

1) Although you couldn't necessarily play “owner keep-away,” one of the collaborators could just delete everything in the project during their turn. For example, let's say Jeff invites a Scratcher named Billy, who he met through a studio, to join the collaboration. Jeff has worked on the project for hours and wants Billy to look it over and improve it. When Billy logs into the project for his turn, instead of improving the game, he just deletes all the code and art that Jeff spent so long working on, completely ruining the project.

2) People could still use backdrops, costumes, comments (the in-project note things), say or think blocks, or variables to chat privately via text. The only way to truly eliminate all use of private chat would be to remove these from collaborations, which, undoubtedly, would make colabs much less useful.

(I haven't looked through all the posts, so this might be restating what someone else already said.)

bettergames_11

PhanVinhHien wrote:
I would like to propose a detailed concept for the Turn-based Collaboration System. This system ensures safety, avoids version conflicts, and requires no private messaging.

How it works:
- Collaboration Project Type: The owner can invite other Scratchers via an official invitation system. Once accepted, they become official collaborators.
- Turn-Based Editing (Single-user lock): To prevent overwriting, only ONE collaborator can edit the project at a time. When the current editor clicks “Save”, the newest version is uploaded. The next person can then take their turn to edit from that latest version.
- Project Roles & Credits: The owner can assign roles on the project page (e.g., Owner: Ben, Programmer: UserA, Artist: UserB, Tester: UserD). This gives everyone proper credit without Scratch needing to track complex code changes.
- Safety & Moderation: This system does NOT include any built-in private messaging or live chat, keeping it completely safe and easy for Scratch to moderate.

Benefits:
- No more sending .sb3 files back and forth.
- Zero version conflicts.
- Fair credit for every contributor.
- Perfect for team projects and school assignments.

good Idea on paper, but you're missing the fact that collaborators can add notes to thier project as a form of private chat and if, say, we removed notes for collaborating projects, not only would they find workarounds (e.g. operating blocks like the if “_” contains “_” block), it would also make it harder for collaborators to understand eachothers' work. Plus, Turn-based sharing with a large amount of people (especially 10>) would be very inconvenient.

Last edited by bettergames_11 (July 14, 2026 14:42:01)

oobiegoobie1247

MASSIVE support, but, I feel like the limit of 2 people is weirdly strict. maybe a limit of 4 or 5 people? perhaps there are some issues with big amounts of people that I don't see. maybe, if there are 3+ people collaborating on a project, then the turns are smaller, maybe only 4-5 days, to prevent it feeling like you have to wait an eternity in-between your turns? idk. massive support

UltraSuperDJ

Support. We need more options for collaboration. But, as oobiegoobie1247 said, the limit of 2 is a little strict. I think the limit should be 3. Also, you should have the option to pass your turn before waiting the week to do the auto-pass, in case you're just about to go offline or something.

oobiegoobie1247

bettergames_11 wrote:
PhanVinhHien wrote:
mega snip
good Idea on paper, but you're missing the fact that collaborators can add notes to thier project as a form of private chat and if, say, we removed notes for collaborating projects, not only would they find workarounds (e.g. operating blocks like the if “_” contains “_” block), it would also make it harder for collaborators to understand eachothers' work. Plus, Turn-based sharing with a large amount of people (especially 10>) would be very inconvenient.

I think you've forgotten that OP along with Zachary has decided that a collaboration project MUST be shared during the collaboration process.

bettergames_11

oobiegoobie1247 wrote:
bettergames_11 wrote:
PhanVinhHien wrote:
mega snip
good Idea on paper, but you're missing the fact that collaborators can add notes to thier project as a form of private chat and if, say, we removed notes for collaborating projects, not only would they find workarounds (e.g. operating blocks like the if “_” contains “_” block), it would also make it harder for collaborators to understand eachothers' work. Plus, Turn-based sharing with a large amount of people (especially 10>) would be very inconvenient.

I think you've forgotten that OP along with Zachary has decided that a collaboration project MUST be shared during the collaboration process.

fair, but my point about the Turn based collabbing being inconvenient still stands

purplebunny63

Passion111 wrote:
PhanVinhHien wrote:
I would like to propose a detailed concept for the Turn-based Collaboration System. This system ensures safety, avoids version conflicts, and requires no private messaging.

How it works:

Collaboration Project Type: The owner can invite other Scratchers via an official invitation system. Once accepted, they become official collaborators.

Turn-Based Editing (Single-user lock): To prevent overwriting, only ONE collaborator can edit the project at a time. When the current editor clicks “Save”, the newest version is uploaded. The next person can then take their turn to edit from that latest version.

Time Limit & Anti-Stall Control: Each turn has a base time limit of 2 to 3 hours. However, if a collaborator is working on an important, time-consuming part, the Project Owner has the full authority to extend the time limit for that turn. The Owner can also manually kick an inactive editor out of the turn at any time to prevent stalling.

Project Roles & Credits: The owner can assign roles on the project page (e.g., Owner: Ben, Programmer: UserA, Artist: UserB, Tester: UserD). This gives everyone proper credit without Scratch needing to track complex code changes.

Safety & Moderation: This system does NOT include any built-in private messaging or live chat, keeping it completely safe and easy for Scratch to moderate.

Benefits:

No more sending .sb3 files back and forth.

Zero version conflicts and highly flexible time management thanks to the owner's extension and kick features.

Fair credit for every contributor.

Perfect for team projects and school assignments.

I see 2 problems that could arise from this:

1) Although you couldn't necessarily play “owner keep-away,” one of the collaborators could just delete everything in the project during their turn. For example, let's say Jeff invites a Scratcher named Billy, who he met through a studio, to join the collaboration. Jeff has worked on the project for hours and wants Billy to look it over and improve it. When Billy logs into the project for his turn, instead of improving the game, he just deletes all the code and art that Jeff spent so long working on, completely ruining the project.

2) People could still use backdrops, costumes, comments (the in-project note things), say or think blocks, or variables to chat privately via text. The only way to truly eliminate all use of private chat would be to remove these from collaborations, which, undoubtedly, would make colabs much less useful.

(I haven't looked through all the posts, so this might be restating what someone else already said.)

1. Every time a turn ends it saves the project data into a history section so if someone did that on your turn you could just press the history button, select the one you want and select load to project

2. The project would still be visible to everyone they just can’t edit it (they CAN report the project if it’s inappropriate)

CuteRobot22

2. The project would still be visible to everyone they just can’t edit it (they CAN report the project if it’s inappropriate)

That would defeat the purpose of this collab system.

Last edited by CuteRobot22 (July 20, 2026 17:50:11)

UltraSuperDJ

CuteRobot22 wrote:
2. The project would still be visible to everyone they just can’t edit it (they CAN report the project if it’s inappropriate)
That would defeat the purpose of this collab system.

But if it cannot be seen or reported, then private messaging, inappropriate collabs, and other bad things would spike up everywhere, thus making this collab system impossible for the ST to work with.

purplebunny63

CuteRobot22 wrote:
2. The project would still be visible to everyone they just can’t edit it (they CAN report the project if it’s inappropriate)
That would defeat the purpose of this collab system.

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