City of IF

Key · Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 1912 Location: The Royal Palace

Hi everyone,

I'm creating a list of possible enhancements to the site, and I'd like your feedback and suggestions. I can't say how much I'll be able to do when, but if I know what the most important ones are I can work on those first.

So far on my list is:

1. Make it so that you can delete or edit your own polls, instead of needing the moderator to do it.
2. Don't decrease your post count when posts are deleted.
3. Create a section on the profile where we can list site honors, such as IFys, Storygame of the Month, etc.

Anything else you want to add? Anything thoughts on which of these are most important?

BTW, in the old Interfable site the votes showed up on top of the topic. Here they show up at the bottom. What do you think of that change? Which way do you like it?

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 2316

Linear is a very quiet corner of the site, and I think it gets overlooked. There are some great stories popping up there. I agree - Fables for Linear is not a bad idea.

A small suggestion of my own - when you get a new PM you get a little pop up, that says 'click here to view your inbox.

When you click on it, it would be nice if your PM inbox was launched in a new window. Currently it kind of interrupts what you are doing if you want to pick up a new PM whilst you're busy reading or about to reply to a SG. :)

Chinaren · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject:

If you use Opera (www.opera.com) and posssibly some other, lesser, browsers, you could right click and select 'Open in new Tab'. Viola! Your wish is granted! :D

The Meaning Of Fear · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject:

C'ren, you double posted. :shock:

Key, maybe you could do something to stop double posting?

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 2316

chinaren wrote: If you use Opera (www.opera.com) and posssibly some other, lesser, browsers, you could right click and select 'Open in new Tab'. Viola! Your wish is granted! :D

Yeah, but I'm lazy. And I keep forgetting to do it. Cos I'm used to forums that already have this feature. :P

LordoftheNight · Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5241 Location: Hell

chinaren wrote: If you use Opera (www.opera.com) and posssibly some other, lesser, browsers, you could right click and select 'Open in new Tab'. Viola! Your wish is granted! :D

I think it's the same with most browsers. On some, simply using the middle mouse button opens it up in a new tab.

Player of Fates · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Posts: 217 Location: Darkness

Fables in linear is a VERY good idea.

Kalanna Rai · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject:

Ditto to Plates...I've been waiting for Fables to come to linear for a very long time. Maybe then I'll stop neglecting the stories I've got over there...

It also might encourage more traffic, but I'm sure somebody alread said that.

BStheGreat · Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Posts: 218 Location: Behind You!

I say we should have a spoiler tag, it shouldn't be too hard to do and it could be useful in certain situations.

Chinaren · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:32 am Post subject:

Quote: I say we should have a spoiler tag, it shouldn't be too hard to do and it could be useful in certain situations.

I'm not sure that's in our current ability.

Fables in Linear:

The Council debated this some time ago, and the reason there is no Fables in linear is that this is a SGaming site, not a post linear stories site. A decision was made that, whilst it's fine to have the other sections, the SGaming parts should get all (or at least most) of the glory.

Whether it's time to review this or not, I'm not sure, but I can't see any reason to change it myself. :?

One possible problem if we did give fables, is that people would post their 800,000 word pre-written stories and gain millions of Fables at the drop of a hat.

We made it Linear and Competition to help stimulate it, though it doesn't seem to have worked very well. I'd be happy to entertain other ideas.

dinranwen · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:58 am Post subject:

I don't we should give fables for linear either....for the same reason Chinaren has stated.

Yet Linear is sort of stale...but then again, so is every other section of the city besides Fantasy Forest....but that can't be helped.

A compromise between No Fables and Fables for Linear Stories. Is there are a way to give Fables only for Chapters in the Linear Section...or a way to give say 1/2 of the fables you would earn by posting it as a regular storygame?

I'm not sure if its possible, but if there was a way to limit the amount of fables someone could earn fables in linear...that may help with dropping loads of fables in linear at one go.

Mainly I'm thinking only Stories within the Linear should earn fables, if at all, and only the chapter stories (the ones with multiple chapter enteries) should be the ones that gain it. This suggestion, if possible, would encourage writers to write longer stories...with several chapters.

Personally I think linear as more of a training ground for writers, or for those stories that just simply not work if they had reader participation.

Anyway, I just thought I suggest the comprimise just in case it was possible, but if it's not possible, well then, I have to agree with the fact that we should not give Fables to Linear Stories.

The White Blacksmith · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 2477

If you make loads of posts in a day when you post it says something along the lines of 'You have exceeded the allotecated(sp?) amount of posts in one day and your post count will not rise any more'. That could be changed to affect fables or stories you post in Linear.

I personally don't think we need fables in linear any more than we need them in the rest of the site. They serve some purpose, but unless stories like GREED become commonplace they are, as someone once said, like post count. It becomes more 'I've got more Fables than you'. Maybe we could have little pictures you get in your avvy once you can pay for them, or once you've got so many posts. You know, like once you get 'citizen' you can add a little scroll in one corner?

On a side note, one use of fables that has fallen out of use is creating personal titles. Anyone care to tell people how they could?

Kang · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:56 am Post subject:

one suggestion may be to give the Linears a slot on the main menu page becuase no one can really tell which linears are getting favorites ( which makes my job to report to the IQ on this matter) and that i think that as a result the linears are getting put on the back burner

BStheGreat · Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Posts: 218 Location: Behind You!

Whatever happened to linear stories contest anyway? That's more fun than SG's in my oppinion.

Chinaren · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject:

BStheGreat wrote: Whatever happened to linear stories contest anyway? That's more fun than SG's in my oppinion.

It died through lack of interest. We could always bring it back though.

No, it's not possible, without coding anyway, to award 'half' Fables, or do anything other than turn them on or off for a forum. The amount of Fables awarded cannot be changed for different forums either, it's an all or nothing thing.

You can add linears to favorites, but it doesn't happen much.

I have a scheme for Fables where you can award a medal for good comments and some such, in Chinaren Hall and here.

Kang · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:20 am Post subject:

which is the point that i have been trying to make for a while that Linears are not getting the respect they deserve whis is why i've suggested giving the linears a main page like Jester and skiffy have in hope that maybe the linears would get noticed more often

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 2316

chinaren wrote:

Fables in Linear:

The Council debated this some time ago, and the reason there is no Fables in linear is that this is a SGaming site, not a post linear stories site. A decision was made that, whilst it's fine to have the other sections, the SGaming parts should get all (or at least most) of the glory.

Whether it's time to review this or not, I'm not sure, but I can't see any reason to change it myself. :?

One possible problem if we did give fables, is that people would post their 800,000 word pre-written stories and gain millions of Fables at the drop of a hat.

We made it Linear and Competition to help stimulate it, though it doesn't seem to have worked very well. I'd be happy to entertain other ideas.

I dont know why anyone would want to post a pre-written 800,000 words story on a public site, surely they would prefer to see if they can get it published... :?

I think that Linear should have fables and be more prominent. People are more likely to comment in a linear story if there are fables to be had, and in turn the seasoned storygamers' increasingly more elaborate advertising sigs might draw the hard core linear fan to the ways of storygaming.

For a site that boasts free online RPG, Greek Mythology and Gods, Downloads etc... (which to me seems to be a gross misrepresentation of whats going on here), promoting Linear may tap a new group of people out there who are not interested in RPG but love to write.

Just my 2cents...

Kang · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:45 am Post subject:

hate to say crunchy i do agreee with you. It seems like the linears are the "black sheep " of the storygaming genres ( from what i have seen since i've joined here ) There is clearly a want of liners otherwise there wouldn't be anywhere from 15 to 20 linears in progress versus the 100 or so storygames. we have to remember that even though storygames are great to have. that they have a linear edge to them. granted we the readers may give our opinions and votes to what option we want. the author can take our ideas use it and then make other decisions that lead to another vote and etc . the action inbetween the voing is the linear element that it seems like that we the readers either don't see or don't notice which is why it dissapoints me that the linears are getting "shafted" as bad as they are

Chinaren · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:45 pm Post subject:

Quote: I dont know why anyone would want to post a pre-written 800,000 words story on a public site, surely they would prefer to see if they can get it published...

I was exaggerating! Maybe not by much though.

Take Plates for example, he has recently been publishing a works (which is very good) which he has "pre-written". It is about 10 chapters long, and still going. I remember other people on this site who posted much longer ones too.

Maybe we can change the linear into a 'critique' area or something though, and the author could give Fables for a critique*!! That way we get some Fable transactions, and a reason to post in 'linear', what do you think?

*I mean a proper critique. We'd have to right up some rules for this.

NeverNeverGirl · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject:

i think youhave the right of it Cren. That seems to be, to me, why ppl post in liea. they want comments/feedback... def the way to go... :-)

BStheGreat · Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Posts: 218 Location: Behind You!

How about having a prize of fables for the winner of the linear stories contest?

LordoftheNight · Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5241 Location: Hell

There always has been BS - it's a hundred fables IIRC.

BStheGreat · Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Posts: 218 Location: Behind You!

Oh, I didn't know that. I haven't entered one since before fables existed.

Chinaren · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:31 pm Post subject:

You could always try running one BS. :D We can up the prize to 500Fables, to help stimulate interest. (The City can pay the prize).

NeverNeverGirl · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:42 pm Post subject:

YAY for prizes ! *sigh... one day*

LordoftheNight · Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 5241 Location: Hell

chinaren wrote: You could always try running one BS. :D We can up the prize to 500Fables, to help stimulate interest. (The City can pay the prize).

My loverly fables - how could you just throw them away so callously?

Yeah, alright. What about SGotM then? Should that receive the same boost?

dinranwen · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

Not a bad idea...Lordy, although not necessarily necessary.

Mother Goose · Joined: 09 May 2004 Posts: 520 Location: Connecticut

Now that Linear Lane is a place apart, is it going to have its own icon on the top of the page under Storygames? 'Twould be handy.

Key · Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 1912 Location: The Royal Palace

That's a good idea, Mom! :-)

Any volunteers among our artists to create an icon for linear?

The White Blacksmith · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 2477

Don't look at me! I finally get the chance to not EVER do Art again, not like I'll do it for fun.

Crunchyfrog wrote:
For a site that boasts free online RPG, Greek Mythology and Gods, Downloads etc... (which to me seems to be a gross misrepresentation of whats going on here), promoting Linear may tap a new group of people out there who are not interested in RPG but love to write.

Yeah, can we change that?

Crossfire · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject:

And voila! It is done. Let no one ever say that Key does not listen to the unreasonable demands of his lowly subjects. ;) I propose that our Citizens wander out to others worlds suspended in cyberspace and propose that a road between our universe and theirs is built, by way of a so-called 'link'.

In short, we should get other sites to post links to ours so that we get more traffic. The more links we have, the higher up on the list we are for Google, and other search engines, in comparison to other websites that contain all of the search words but have less links to them. It's an inefficient system, and deserves to be exploited.

Key · Joined: 08 Feb 2004 Posts: 1912 Location: The Royal Palace

A couple of other site improvements, done by popular acclaim:

- the memberlist and profile pages now have a "last visit" date which shows when the last time a citizen visited the site (regardless of whether they posted, but of course they have to be logged in for this to count).

- If you click on Search, there is now a link at the top right that leads to the last week's worth of postings. Handy if you happen to accidentally reset the "New posts" link.

The White Blacksmith · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 2477

Yay! Power to the people!

Finally!

Bookwizard · Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:31 am Post subject:

i dont have much time,but i hope you can put this into consideration o-).

we shoud have a seperat place in city central, for all the current contests, it would make things a lot easer. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Chinaren · Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:33 am Post subject:

bookwizerd wrote: i dont have much time,but i hope you can put this into consideration o-).

we shoud have a seperat place in city central, for all the current contests, it would make things a lot easer. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

We allready do Wiz. It's called Writers' Arena and it's in Linear Lane.