Mystic Software Forums
Mystic Software => General Discussion => Topic started by: Michael J. Hill on February 23, 2007, 01:28:54 PM
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This is strictly an idea building post. In the near/semi-near future, there may be changes coming to Mystic Software. We're putting it up to you, to suggest new features. Suggest anything, from the seemingly inane, and the wildly outrageous, to the most useful ever contrived. Everything will be evaluated on practicality and ease of coding. There are no promises, but what comes out of this thread could have lasting repercussions on Mystic Software, and maybe the TK community overall.
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Maybe make some more forums skins. Have like a Dark one, maybe a Red and Black one for them OTR dudes and perhaps one that looks like the original skin from the main site. Heck maybe you could have the forums kind of merged with the main site like with TKZ.
Oh and maybe host the Toolkit itself. TKZ did it when they weren't even the HQ of the Toolkit, so why not?
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The new forum didn't remember me so i had to make a name. but i messed up the first one cause i accidently put i was too young. But it looks better.
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Okay, you're suppost to reset your password. It says that on the main page. MJH, maybe you should put it in bigger letters.
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Wrong topic! This is idea building for what may be a new MS....maybe...
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Honestly I don't like the new TKZ, some of the features are great but the interface isn't as user friendly as the old one, and that one needed improvement. On MS, first off more interesting skins besides teh default one, and some more integration with the main site would be a good idea, and maybe using another bbs or making one from scratch, as a friend and I are doing. Some of the bbs's are getting fake user attacks like crazy, like ones for "enhancement" pills, and "enhancement" images Wink . Are there ways to address that?
Maybe you can really screw with the code and make all sorts of things happen. maybe trying a non-standard format, even make the skins customizable. I found some neat info from a book called The Zen of CSS, one thing is that you take two images, same image but one has some type of effect done to it, set the original one as the main background, fixed positioning, and set the affected one as bkg for all the subelements, fixed like the original, it adds a sort of translucency, especially if you tint the bkg's of the subelements. It's wicked cool. Just an example of smth you can do to spice things up if you wont want to go the minimalist route.
Also Tosoto needs one of these: (http://http://ic3.deviantart.com/fs4/i/2004/269/c/b/_shakefish__by_newklear.gif)
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We're aiming for more feature-set ideas first. Forum integration is definitely a big one, but I'm not into...reinventing the wheel right now. Skins, not exactly what I was referring to the requests at the moment, though there will be more eventually.
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Ideas, eh? I might be able to throw a couple at you.
-Custom smilies, face it, the default ones blow. We should replace them with custom smilies like.....oh....Various long-time members of the community replacing the default ones with smiles, sad faces, cool faces, dumb-looking faces. Who knows how it would turn out? (http://http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Tosoto/emot-iiam.gif)
-A dictionary-esque page where people can look up articles about various MS-related things. Such as certain members someone may want to look up to see their history at MS, popular games and resouces, and/or events that happened within the site and community.
-A sub-forum dedicated to me for me to moderate and for cool people to hang out. I think this is the best idea of all.
There's a couple of ideas, what do you think?
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We could make the Mystic Software Wiki. Nobody works on the Toolkit Wiki, last time I checked, we could take it over.
But yeah, also make new smiles, these ones do blow. They're so generic. Like what the hell is up with this one: Laughing who the hell laughs with their teeth shut!?
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Wiki ideas are interesting enough. Smilies and such are...still a little out there. I'm referring to specifically features of the site itself, not templates, not skins, not graphics, but site features. Such as the blogs and such that TKZ has.
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Maybe have a search engine for the games and resources. Oh and perhaps have a page for each letter of games, rather than #,A-H, I-Q, R-Z. Also clean out some dust collecting stuff. Like a few of those waste of space games. Like I heard Wally World was just one board. And perhaps make some more interviews. Maybe interview Xorlak, he's an interesting guy. (Heh...)
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Maybe have a search engine for the games and resources. Oh and perhaps have a page for each letter of games, rather than #,A-H, I-Q, R-Z. Also clean out some dust collecting stuff. Like a few of those waste of space games. Like I heard Wally World was just one board. And perhaps make some more interviews. Maybe interview Xorlak, he's an interesting guy. (Heh...)
Okay, the search engine idea is the kind of stuff I'm looking for. The other things, like the page changes, and 'spring cleaning' -- they're more organizational ideas, not features. An interview is a content idea, not a feature.
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Oh, okay. Yeah, I've actually got some more ideas now. Like we have the review submission, perhaps we could have a tutorial submission. And perhaps we could get a TKZ style game page, where users can post info about their game on it.
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I also think a search engine would be good but mostly improving what is there now. Especially the website layout. One awesome thing though (I was going to use this on a site at one point) would be like gamer cards like on the XBOX website and avatars from games like H:F etc. If you need a design or some PHP work done I am experienced.
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Oh sweet!
We could have little accomplishments in our games that add to our MS User Card points! And giving useful resources, reviews, and tutorials will also give you points!
It could be like the 360's system!
Man that's cool.
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If anything, it's still a ways off. If anybody's interested in drawing up a layout design, and working on the graphical end. I'm only focusing backend and core technologies. Even then, it's gonna be a while because I'm now back in school. Everything sorta came on to me before I decided to go back.
I'd like to make these few notes:
-If you do design a layout and submit it for what may be the next version, and we accept it, it then becomes the property of Mystic Software, though you will be credited for the design.
-Nothing is set in stone, worst-case scenario, any accepted layout designs become integrated into the current system.
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I actually started on a new layout. But I'm not happy with how it's turning out and haven't touched it for a few weeks.
So yeah, drcrazy, if you're interested in doing a frontend layout, by all means go ahead. We can compete and Mike can pick which one he likes best. (Heh...) If you need some temp hosting account space to work with, send me a PM and I'll set some space up for you.
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I actually started on a new layout. But I'm not happy with how it's turning out and haven't touched it for a few weeks.
So yeah, drcrazy, if you're interested in doing a frontend layout, by all means go ahead. We can compete and Mike can pick which one he likes best. (Heh...) If you need some temp hosting account space to work with, send me a PM and I'll set some space up for you.
At least you realize that you're not off the hook! ^^
I really should actually get to work on my end...not good having all this stuff being done if there's nothing to graft it onto.
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Yeah I will give a layout a go. Got nothing to lose. And don't worry I got plenty of hosting space to muck around with Wink.
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here's a few improvements that aren't features:
1. Better smilies
2. Better layout, like what that one guy was saying, with a plain image for the background then the same image but with an effect for the sub-backgrounds.
3. More Images that you can pick from. for the backgrounds.
here's some things for feature improvements:
1. Search engine that can be area specific.
2. PLEASE include a RPG-code-specific-dedicated-help-forum-area-kinda-place.
3. Have info cards for every user in a searchable library.
4. A game area for people to post there games and images, but instead of a post layout, more like an entire page kinda like on Tkz.
5. Um.... I'll think of more....
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Oh I know something else how about when your posting a reply, instead of it taking you to a posting page the text box and options for your post are at the bottom of the rest of the posts. well... I am mean like youtube's and tkz's.
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The last post here was four months ago. I highly doubt MJH checks it out anymore.
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here's a few improvements that aren't features:
1. Better smilies
2. Better layout, like what that one guy was saying, with a plain image for the background then the same image but with an effect for the sub-backgrounds.
3. More Images that you can pick from. for the backgrounds.
here's some things for feature improvements:
1. Search engine that can be area specific.
2. PLEASE include a RPG-code-specific-dedicated-help-forum-area-kinda-place.
3. Have info cards for every user in a searchable library.
4. A game area for people to post there games and images, but instead of a post layout, more like an entire page kinda like on Tkz.
5. Um.... I'll think of more....
It's been quite a long while since I've posted, but these are not features that I'm looking for.
Non-features:
1) Smilies are graphical changes - as such I ignore anything regarding graphics.
2) Layouts, I believe I specifically said, had you read the entire thread, that I'm not focusing on layout design.
3) Images = Graphics, I've ruled them out already.
I stated specifically feature requests only.
Feature Requests:
1) Area specific, what do you mean? The forum search engine can easily search specific forums, ignoring others.
2) An RPGCode specific forum was here at one time. It never had much popularity, and as such, has since vanished from our forums. Secondarily, the addition of a forum is not a feature request.
3) Infocards: There's something called a User Profile. Searchable: There's something called a user list.
4) We're not trying to copy TKZ. 4-a) We already have games and other resource submissions. They are not likely to change anytime soon.
I do frequently look by here from time to time. I do have a lot on my plate with work and school. If I sound like an ass right now, it's because I'm being one. One of my biggest peeves is that people don't bother to read an entire post to find out what was going on prior to posting. They don't understand where the discussion is going, and what's been deemed acceptable for said discussion. That being said, any future posts that are clearly not feature requests will be deleted on sight. I'm tired, and it may be prudent to keep an eye out for rules being updated.
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I stand corrected...
I have one: could you bring the old titles back? I miss my Brotherhood badge, and I'm sure Aminaga misses his OTR badge (if he ever comes here). I suppose the actual badges would require graphics, but I'm sure that you have them saved somewhere... Doesn't that one guy have them? Matt####?
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That one may be possible, however, I won't have time for the next week or two. I'll throw you all a bone there as I should have left everything from the other forums online.
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Two weeks passed. Alas, no word from MJH.
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Bring back the RPGCode Shack. Or at least make a skin that resembles it. Purple + Gold = Win.
I know I wasn't supposed to submit an idea like that, but I couldn't resist. Razz
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There ARE the site skins. This (http://http://www.mysticsoftware.net/skinhandler.php?skin=1) is what you're looking for.
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TKZ exploded after TK3 came out and all the changes that cbm made. It used to be only a resource site than it grew into the monstrosity it is now. Maybe this site needs to be really into resources like TKZ was, maybe start the process for MS so that it can become better than TKZ. There are millions of sites out there with content waiting to be plucked. Happy huntin!
Maybe get the cream of the tuts from TKZ and post them in an archive on the site. also the main site could use a lil sprucing on the frontend.
I know a hard feature to be added, RPGCode sandbox! safe way to test code without bsod worries.
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There ARE the site skins. This (http://http://www.mysticsoftware.net/skinhandler.php?skin=1) is what you're looking for.
Frickin' A. That's slick. If only we could skin the forums that way too.
Oh, right, features. *Starts pondering.*