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Topic: Rizzen's Blog: Changes & New Site Progress (Read 1151 times) |
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Rizzen
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Last On: 04/27/11
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Last night wsa kind of a bummer... I just couldn't get anything to work right. Luckily, I got a few bugs fixed... but besides that just had one of those nights where nothing would work right for me.
We are close to having "go to latest post" working for the forums and thread pages. We would've had it last night, but one system was incompatible with another.
We are near having the new design done. I'm starting to have a few second thoughts about it now though... I like it, but there just isn't much color in it. At this point, the color will need to come from the content. Which is an awkward way of doing it. So we'll have to investigate another way of bringing some color to it.
I'm thinking that even if we have to do a redesign of it from scratch, we'll at least get the code mostly done before doing so.
"No" just showed me the design with a bit more color and it did help quite a bit.
We'll see.
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Rizzen
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As you can see I added the ability to "Jump To Last Post". You'll also note it isn't on every single forum/thread. Thats because we have to run a giant database querry to update every entry in the database. Hopefully, Deusin will get a chance to do that tonight.
Also, "NO" Should be posting the full page design in the new few hours. Not only that, he's putting up a few color designs for you guys to vote on which you like the best.
So please, spread the word and get people to cast their vote on it. The vote will be done through a forum thread. And the designs should be as a news item on the front page.
Don't kill me if he can't get it done tonight... But I'm guessing he will.
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No
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Time to consult the crystal ba.... errr... forums. Let us see... 7 images appear before me. Colors float in the air. One must be chosen from many, or the future will not come and all time will cease. Do not let these dire warnings fall on deaf ears, O' mighty Forums. Choose, but choose wisely...
Ok, so these are samples of the layout we'll be using. It's filled with sample content, but I want all of you to keep in mind that this content is for visual use, not for specific functionality. The filters pictures might not be the final filters decided on, the game info displayed is not the exact info we wish to display, even the navigation links may not be the final product. I say keep this in mind because I want your votes/opinions on the overall visual (especially the colors) rather than the potential functionality pictured. The first person to suggest in this thread that "Neverwinter Version" would be better as a text box than a drop down is going to feel my IRE. 
With that dire warning out of the way, here are the links. Feel free to post a single vote, or to list your order of preference... both are helpful.
Color Set 1 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test1.htm
Color Set 2 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test2.htm
Color Set 3 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test3.htm
Color Set 4 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test4.htm
Color Set 5 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test5.htm
Color Set 6 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test6.htm
Color Set 7 - http://nwnbeta.game-connections.com/layouts/test7.htm
Cast your vote here:
http://nwn.game-connections.com/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewmessages/id/29954/guildid/0.htm
*unleases the mob*
--No
PS: These files are big (300k each). I used good quality jpegs so the details didn't eat it. So you modem users are in for wait to see the whole layout.
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 22, 2006, 6:02AM » |
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Rizzen
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What a hellish week at work! From about Wednesday on I was unable to get anything done on the site.
Today is our day for working on the site. "No" is going to meet me online shortly and we're going to work on the layout today and hopefully get it to the coding point.
We'll keep you posted.
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Rizzen
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Ok, work has been absolute hell lately... Almost quit my job at one point.
Anyways... "No" has been a real trooper... Getting a lot done. He's just about done getting the new design put in to html. We are just about ready to get coding. Thats my plan this weekend.
I'm planning on taking 2 to 4 days off of work in the next few weeks to really jump start the new site. Hopefully after that we'll let you guys jump on the site and at least see news and forums.
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Rizzen
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Wow... Got a ton done this week.
I've got the User Profile/Preferences section completely done. Some of the highlights:
* Email Alert options: You can now turn on and off (under preferences) whether you receive email alerts related to your schedule, receiving a message, forum posts etc.
* Recommended Books: You can now show a list of your recommended books.
* Community Resources: You can now show a list of your favorite community resources
* IGNORE LIST! you can now manage your own ignore list. People on this list cannot message you and you cannot message them. In addition, they will be highlighted in any game they are in that you are looking at joining.. So you can avoid that person. With the ignore list you have the option of giving a reason so as to remind yourself at a later date.
Anyways... I'm moving on to the display of your profile. Then its on to characters.
"No" has been hard at work on the new message system. He's got a kickbutt set of regular expressions that allow phpBB style message parsing. Also... he's going to have some custom Forum/Message buttons that allow you to include portraits, schedules, RSS feeds, etc... directly in your messages! Woohoo!
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Rizzen
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Lots of progress on the new site!
I thought I'd update you on a few things real quick.
First, we are implementing a wiki system for site Help. So on every page will be a link to a help-wiki, so any user can update the help links throughout the site as they feel it necessary. I'd like this to eventually include NWN1, and NWN2... Actual help on the game/connecting etc.
I also plan on making many of the main members of this site the master editors/admins of the wiki to help keep it up to date and to help us keep vandalizers out of there. Although I don't think that will be a big issue with this awesome community.
We also want to make an integrated wiki for general content pages etc. It may even be the main method for putting up conventions etc. The wiki might have some tools that allow "drop in" widgets. Like the ability to drop in a schedule list based on a memberid etc. So if you wanted a campaign page you could drop in a schedule widget or something. Guilds would have wiki access also... for their own personal wiki system. That we they could update rules and regulations etc. Just a few things we are kicking around related to wiki's.
The new character system is done on the site. It includes: Class(es), prestige class(es), diety, organizations, profile, portrait,
level, race, subrace, alignment, name, and profile. Let me know if I forgot one.
We did go with an avatar of 100px X 100px. It won't force you to 100px by 100px... you can pretty much do any size in between.
"NO" is chomping away at new "pods" (for graphics) and the message system.
Hopefully we'll go in to an early Alpha test soon. I'll open that up to some main members of this site to move around and give me their thoughts etc.
Please post to the forum if you have any ideas, or suggestions about what I've said.
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Rizzen
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Sorry that its been so long since my last post. However, I can tell you that we are plowing ahead at full speed and have some totally kick @$$ stuff in store for the site. I'm extremely excited.
"No" hasn't quite yet finished the message system, and honestly thats holding things up a bit. Thats not the only reason we are behind schedule, but thats a big part of it. It hasn't been for lack of working on it. The biggest reason we are behind? Adding features! Thats right, we have some cool ones.
Its so hard to pick out one feature and explain it in depth... So I'm not sure I should even try.
What I will tell you is this... We are going to have a "help" button on just about every page that links to a wiki. I'd like to start allowing you guys in to the site in the next two weeks to help beta test and to help populate that wiki with some useful tidbits etc to help new users.
We still have yet to add the wiki to the main areas of the site to allow editing of content pages on our site... But hopefully that will be happening fairly soon.
We also need to start thinking of a "council" of sorts to manage the day to day operations of the site. Just start thinking about it is all.
I'm really excited for chat this Thursday! Should be pretty fun and exciting!
Please... let me know if you are interested in helping write the wiki help and I'll extend you an invite to the new site to help write for it. However, seriously... dont' ask to get invited if you aren't going to do any writing.
Also, please let me know if you are capable of translating the site in to any other languages...
Again, post to another thread your responses to this one.
Ok, I'm rambling now... I just hav eso much to say and dont' know how to say it and make it sound as cool as it is! .
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| « Last Edit: on: May 20, 2006, 1:22AM » |
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Rizzen
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Sorry for the lack of updates. We are still plugging away at the latest version of the site.
I'm thinking we'll have a beta of the site ready in the next few weeks. "No" has almost got the message system completely done and I've only got one or two more tweaks to the scheduling system. I just have to plug in a news system and we need to create a system for listing games and we are pretty much done. We won't have a guild system right off the bat, but it will follow sometime soon.
I'll let you guys know in the next couple of weeks who will be getting in on the early beta.
Rizzen
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Rizzen
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Ok... yes, we got a bit burned out and took a break. At the company where we work we have to prepare for a yearly convention. Well, that convention hits in August. To prepare we have a ton of coding to do and I had to go to the convention also... So needless to say we were putting in late nights for 3 months straight and trying to code on this website... Didn't work. We all got majorly burnt out. Well, we've had a few weeks since convention to get back on track and this Friday we are putting together our list of whats left to be done to rollout (which isn't a lot).
We won't have the guild system for our rollout... I can't say what else until we make our list on Friday.
I'm taking a four day weekend this weekend... and I'll be coding for a lot of it. I should be able to completely wrap up the "Event" system and tie it fully in to the message system. "No" has a flash event browser just about finished. I've got to make the "scheduled event list" a little more robust etc. After that its mainly tying a news system in to our forum system and a few last minute items.
So... fear not, we just got swept up in our summers and enjoying some free time. I just talked to "No" on the phone about Friday and we are both good to go. He's also got a four day weekend coming up.
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Rizzen
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Hey guys, just a quick update.
We are working really hard on the new site. The event code is taking longer than I thought. Mainly because I keep adding features etc. Feature creep is always a problem when doing this type of a site. However, I don't want to releas anything thats not really kick butt.
We've got a few areas that we still have to address:
1) menu system. Our current one (on the new site) sucks. So we're going back to redesign it.
2) I am not happy with the event browser.
3) I need to implement a tagging system for our games. So you can "tag" the event with some key words, and so can your players so you can find it easier.
4) news system is not done.
5) improving the forums.
6) "No" has some changes to the message system to make.
7) "No" also is working on the Flash event browser for the front page and elsewhere.
Thats really the bulk of what we have left. I should be done with the event system this week and can jump on these other things (which are much, much smaller).
Anyways, just wanted to give you guys an update.
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