|
|
Post by Suji on Jul 18, 2010 15:31:15 GMT -5
Here's a list of some of the things I've thought could be improved/made more efficient. If we need to make separate threads for them, that's totally okay. - Get rid of the "Constitution."
I understand that it came about particularly due to the "unusual" birth of this site, but it's heavy and overbearing to anyone who doesn't know the history of the site. Focusing that much on the administration/government of the site is kind of strangling, and I think it's going to become just another barrier to entry for new folks. Changing it to a general mission statement wouldn't be a bad idea, however, and could express a lot of the values.
- Rework how the boards are laid out.
Nixing several continents helped "clean up" the site, but now looking at it, people might wonder why the only places represented are the US and Africa, haha. We'll have to work this; I think we had way too many places before. Maybe a solution is that there is a HQ on each continent, much like NYC, that is always visible. It's filled more or less with NPCs, but it shows there is a presence in those places.
I also think we have too many redundant boards, and boards-inside-boards. This doesn't apply to IC places. I'll make a list later; the "Getting Started" guide is fantastic, but the site is still kind of hard to navigate.
Also, I think we need to cut down on how many global-sticky announcements there are. Takes up too much of the page. This also goes for like half of the stuff under "The Forum" graphic on the left navigation bar (the graphic is sweet though!).
- The Academy is broken.
=( The Academy, while a great idea, is currently broken. It'd be ludicrous to ask new folks to come in and go to the Academy when they'll have pretty much no one to play with. However, the idea that a lot of Animorphs come from a shared "school" is very compelling. Fixing this will probably be the most important thing to do before starting seriously advertising.
This could be fixed by having an active-ish teacher community there: I wouldn't mind having Helena become a teacher. I could also retcon Nineteen to stay there longer. Mostly it'll be about populating the area. If we want to keep it, I would suggest people tossing their old characters there and doing a thread or two.
However, I think we should definitely give people an option to not join through the Academy. If we go with the continent-specific-HQs idea, that could be a valid option for people who want a quicker start. If we offer this, I think we need to hold the applications to higher standard though -- maybe they have to have a short-ish writing submission about how they joined, or something. Basically it should be an option for people who are pretty experienced RPers, who have a clear sense of the character they want to play, and want to go directly into current storylines.
This is what I've got so far! |
|
|
|
Post by Suji on Jul 18, 2010 15:39:42 GMT -5
- Get rid of money.
If we don't have anything to do with it, take it out. There are some great currency systems, but it's a loooot of effort (I played with it a bit for Exodus last summer) and you have to have a clear vision for it. We already reward people for posting with morphs; not sure we should add another level.
- Add a logged-in-only board for discussing internal site-things.
|
|
Dean
Animorph First Class
I ain't looking for help from on high. That's a long wait for a train don't come.
Posts: 153
|
Post by Dean on Jul 18, 2010 17:01:13 GMT -5
I haven't looked at the constitution since I signed it, but I plan on rewriting it to be more of a softer read. I want to keep it up as kind of a Terms of Use agreement. Such as an understanding of the rules and regular posting.
I agree on the layout. I have reordered a bunch since a got adminship and STILL haven't found a configuration I like. If you feel up to it (Or anyone for that matter) I have no problem at all making you a mod and giving you free reign to rearrange the site to make it more user friendly. As far as the logged in thing goes, I keep debating on making most of the site like that. (Maybe keeping the academy open so guests can get a taste or the game-play and literacy) I hate it when users can just check on things without logging in. it makes the site look inactive.
I have plans for the credit, but am keeping it a surprise : )
I'm keeping the all the Announcements and the Forum Topics up because technically, It's not fully my site yet. I don't have Seiya's password yet and on top of that, anyone that decides to come back before we reopen the site fully needs to know what has been happening. But once things get back to normal I plan on have no more than three up there - no more than four on the Forum Table. Other wise it just looks icky.
Drake and I are playing out things in Cape Town so that they are back at the Academy. After that I'll bump Reanimation and start a new plot there. I like the HQ idea though, but I want to get things rolling up in Antarctica first.
Yes! definitely
|
|
|
|
Post by Aubrey on Jul 20, 2010 2:41:13 GMT -5
I think a lot of good points have been brought up.
I'm not sure it would be the best idea to make this board a log-in only board (even if there is the Academy open to snoop around in). As much as it may hide any inactivity, I feel it might also drive away potential players. I only say this because when I was browsing around the internet for a forum to RP on, I came across some boards that were like that. My reaction was to exit them immediately and keep looking. I didn't like the idea of being forced to register just to see the flow of the RP and the players. And sometimes people just need to lurk around for awhile before registering, and so closing off the boards denies that.
I do think that rearranging the boards and hiding some of the excess continents is a great idea. I always felt like it made the board too large and too empty-looking.
As for the Academy. I never personally liked the Academy too much, because I felt after a few posts it starts to become tiresome. I don't remember what the post limit was until you could leave, but I remember posting for awhile (and having threads get choked up and never move on) and never being able to escape with Jon. I also feel like it kind of boxes in the creativity of having your character be found by other Animorphs and initiated in that way. What I saw most in people's beginning posts was the same situation over and over: getting off the ship, meeting someone. Getting off the ship, meeting someone. Rinse, repeat. Not the most interesting thing.
I do think Suji's solution will help immensely; if people that want to bypass the Academy have a route to do so, they will stay. I think this will help people feel like they have more control over their character's beginning development and storyline.
I do like the idea in general, and I do think it's a good place to help out people who might be unsure about how to start RPing or people who want to have that feeling that their character was connected to others before beginning on their real RP. But I think forcing people to play there (especially in the very early parts of their RP) might drive them away.
Also, correct me if there's something in place already for this (can't remember if there is). I was thinking that to get another account/character, you have to post X amount of times on your first (or second account). That way, someone can't make a bunch of characters right away and get overwhelmed. It also ensures that person has stuck around at least awhile before adding more characters.
|
|
|
|
Post by Suji on Jul 20, 2010 11:43:58 GMT -5
- Re: Log-in Only
Personally, I'm with Aubrey on this. I really tend to hate when an entire forum (or most of it) is log-in only. Whenever I am looking at new RP sites, the first thing I look for (once I know the genre and bare bones of the plot) is activity. If I see that a lot of boards are being used, or even a couple but they were updated frequently, I don't mind a smaller "Members in the Last 24 Hours" list or whatever. It's REALLY high on my priority list that a site be at a healthy activity level for me to want to join, provided I don't know anyone there. It's something I look at before really digging into the site's plot, its rules, etc.
I don't think the Academy would be enough. While I think the Academy is a cool idea, it doesn't really show where the meat of the RP should be happening. I know it's supposed to be a "teaser," but I think it would end up being misleading.
- Re: Post Limit for New Characters
Not sure how I feel about this. I don't know, I'm just not sure how much of a problem more characters ever were. I could go either way though; I just think that we tack a lot of stuff to post count already.
|
|
|
|
Post by Drake on Jul 20, 2010 17:40:51 GMT -5
- Re: Post Limit for New Characters
Not sure how I feel about this. I don't know, I'm just not sure how much of a problem more characters ever were. I could go either way though; I just think that we tack a lot of stuff to post count already.
While I don't think having a post limit for creating new characters is a bad idea on its own, it reminded me of how tedious it is to keep a bunch of different lists and red tape in place. In my opinion, the fewer things there are to keep track of, the better. That being said, are there ways we can streamline the various lists and regulations that are already in place? The ones that come to mind include: Face Claims Faction Claims Member List Gaining New Morphs Timelines Crossing Off Morphs in the Morph Pool Constitution Accepting New Character Applications Reviewing Faction Leader Applications Increasing Warning Levels for Rule Breakers Transferring Five Controller Posts into one Animorphs Post The "Taken Morphs" List The "Guest Stars (NPC)" List Reviewing Controller Rank Applications Number II on the Constitution And General Site Maintenance I didn't even know we had some of these until I started looking them up. If we could streamline or eliminate the need for some of these, I think it would go a long way towards making the site more friendly toward new members. Also, as Dean requested, I might try my hand at reorganizing where some of the threads are to make them easier to find when needed. I'll try not to mess anything up.  (EDIT: I can only move threads, and it seems most of the problems have to do with the boards.  ) |
|
|
|
Post by Suji on Jul 20, 2010 18:30:19 GMT -5
100% agree on streamlining. The problem of course is that the site has ton of lore, and that at the time, lists/separate threads seemed like a good idea. However, some of it is redundant or could be combined.
Face Claims and Faction Claims could be handled in two posts of the same thread, since most people register them both on the same day.
A Timeline thread is probably still necessary, but I think we should put it in a Site History section. Also in this section could be "Chapters," or brief overviews of different stages of the lore. The "Background" section would essentially be Chapter Zero.
Transferring the 5 Controller Posts thing is a clunky solution to a kind of sophisticated problem. If we want to reward people for playing Controllers, we could make it bracketed that every certain number of posts, the Animorph "linked" to their account gets a morph appropriate for that number of posts. Only one Controller-Animorph link per character (that is, one Animorph, one Controller). It might seem unfair at a glance, but in a way, playing a Controller consistently is probably offering more posting opportunities for other Animorphs, as well as enriching the site's lore. I think it'd be easier to calculate too. I'm not against getting rid of the "reward Controller posts" all together.
I personally am still against the Constitution. It's been modified, and I prefer the current version, but I still think it's a needless level of red tape. Once you apply to the the site, it should be expected that you will follow it's rules. Having to virtually sign a page in order to be able to RP strikes me as incredibly heavy handed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2010 21:16:29 GMT -5
The Constitution
Ok, personal question. Dean, did you keep a copy of the old Constitution or keep it in archives or something? I only ask because I would want to keep it as a writing sample if I apply for legislative aid jobs and such. It was one of my first attempts at legislation/constitution writing. However, I didn't save it and I didn't ask you to so if it's gone I guess it's gone.
As for it's place on the site, it occurs to me that Constitutions only really get signed once. After that, yeah, everyone who lives under them are expected to follow their rules. So having a Constitution isn't necessarily heavy handed, but forcing people to sign it may be. If it's just up there with its original signers or whatever it just basically tells you what the site is like and doesn't become a barrier to membership.
Lists
Yeah, keeping all those lists is a pain. And it really hampers anyone responsible for them. Even if the lists are split up it takes away from posting. I, personally, would eliminate the "Taken Morphs" List and just merge it with the morph pool. When someone takes a morph, cross it off and put the name of the person next to the morph. Instead of having a separate list. The Faction/Face claim joint list is a good idea too.
I would also get rid of the NPC list. If NPC's are important the people playing them know who they are. Normally no one else really used them even though it would have been cool if they had. If you want to keep track of all the characters (played and not) running around in the RP then you can do a list like Matt had on AA. But keeping a separate NPC list can be tiresome.
The Gaining New Morphs list is pretty self regulating. No one has to approve you when you post there and such. The Controller Rank App can be merged with the Controller App period, that way it doesn't have to be review separately. Someone will still have to know what ranks are taken to make sure there is no overstep but I don't see that being a huge problem since there aren't many controllers around anyway.
Those are all the ways I can think of reducing lists that haven't already been suggested.
The Academy
I don't really have thoughts on the Academy except to say reduce the graduation level. Or maybe that's not the problem, idk. Most people actually reached graduation level and then had no place to go or were waiting to play out their goings. I think if there were established factions that would go a long way to eliminating the problem even if no changes were made to the Academy. I know Xander and I were playing in the Academy way into our 40th posts because there were no factions to go to.
Just my contributions. Hopefully I'm being helpful.
|
|
|
|
Post by Suji on Jul 22, 2010 21:34:28 GMT -5
I think NPC lists should stay but we should move to a format where you submit an NPC by form. That means you have to have an 100 x 100 avatar for them, unique playby, maybe a certain number of posts by them/certain level of involvement, name, bio, importance, etc.
That way it's not about any one person writing that stuff, it's about people submitting their NPCs and you just popping it in alphabetically or something. I think that model is a lot more sustainable than anyone personally keeping track of anything. However, NPCs (Sootman, for example) can become pretty decent players, especially villains, as you need to have some sort of recognizable, recurring bad guys.
|
|
)
