Future update coming, in due course.

[Michael J. Hill]

Of my many infrequent posts I make, I'm back again.

I've a lot on my plate at the moment between school, looking for a new job, and other side projects I may have.  I haven't come back, however, just to say why I disappear the way I do.  I've a few announcements to make.

1) In the coming days, yes, days, I will be posting a seemingly needed revision to the forum rules.  Right now they're just a disjointed collection of guidelines by which we follow, and generally abide by fairly well.  Having seen a few things on my return this time, I've decided it's time to make a few changes.  No rules are going to change drastically.  No consequences are going to change drastically.  I intend to clarify some rules, and reformat the way they're presented.  My goal is to make them as clear and straightforward as possible.  There are inevitably going to be gray areas concerning any rules, but those gray areas are tackled as they come up.  Look forward to the updated post sometime this week.

2) Many moons ago I started trying to collect ideas for a new backend for the Mystic Software website.  Results were less than spectacular and eventually left me in a rather foul mood.  I'm back again, and feel like starting up a new side project to actually get the job done this time.  Such work is beneficial to both Mystic Software and myself, so I will not lie and say that there aren't some personal motives in the renewed desire to complete this project.  So, I'm asking again, what kind of features do you, the community, want to see in a new, revitalized Mystic Software?

Clarification on what I want to see in feature requests:  Nothing concerning images or layout design at all!  No emoticon (smiley) selections, no graphics, no multiple layouts, no multiple color schemes, nothing concerning default avatars, no skins.  None of that will be accepted as a feature request.  If you post stuff like that, and catch me on a good day, I may leave the post as is, on the otherhand, on a bad day, I may delete it.  ^^

To figure out what I want, assume I make the site modular.  Think of what kinds of modules you want to see on the front page, and items like that.

I already know forum integration is a big thing, and that's on the top of my list.

Stuff I gathered from the previous thread:  Search engine, the XBox gamer cards (Read my subnote later in this post). -- That's sad...many months of posts, and only two valid features...

With regards to the gamer cards:  1) I'm not sure how I'd implement a points system, insofar as to what benefits points would provide.  2) I do not own an XBox, so my information on how the gamers cards are set up is very limited.

I will make one more statement:  I know people want more skins, and the old titles back.  I'm a busy person.  The titles I'll bring back as soon as I can, but the next few weeks are going to be busy with school, and my neighbor having had surgery.  Skins take even more time than simple titles.  The titles I can probably find time...actually in class this week.  Skins require my studying the templating system for the forums, and then rebuilding the layout to use the new graphics and colors.

[D. Ein]

TBH, I think the site skin is fine enough as it is. If the forums need to be changed more than once, then they're changed too often.

Another thing I wanted to request (although this will probably not happen unless the whole forum template is changed) is the way the old forums worked with the names of people visiting: i.e. it will say someone's online, but if they're writing a post, it will underline the name. Relatively minor thing, but if you could do that easily, then please do. Otherwise, ignore that.

Oh, and also, here's a major feature you must include: hack the main Toolkit site, and make their forum link redirect to MS. Oh yeah, that's a must.

[Michael J. Hill]

With regards to the forums themselves - They are not changing.

[Dude Man]

I think I recall suggesting me or somebody else suggesting that you get game pages like they have on TKZ, where users can upload screenshots and such.

And maybe make an easier way to submit games, perhaps have it kind of like what we have with the resources submition.

[Xabi]

"Future update coming, in due course"...talk about redundancy, haha. "Update Coming", "Update In Due Course", "Future Update"...

Anyway, Mike - just do it. Code the foundations, integrate the forums, add standard features such as site searching, and then start faffing around for user input. But until the basics are there, MS just sits idle for yet another year as people talk the talk but do little else.

[Xorlak]

Xav is absolutely right.  Just go for it.  Start with the basics that the current site has and work them into your new system.  One all of that is complete and polished, I'm sure people will become interested in MS again enough to offer valid suggestions.

1) In the coming days, yes, days, I will be posting a seemingly needed revision to the forum rules.  Right now they're just a disjointed collection of guidelines by which we follow, and generally abide by fairly well.  Having seen a few things on my return this time, I've decided it's time to make a few changes.  No rules are going to change drastically.  No consequences are going to change drastically.  I intend to clarify some rules, and reformat the way they're presented.  My goal is to make them as clear and straightforward as possible.  There are inevitably going to be gray areas concerning any rules, but those gray areas are tackled as they come up.  Look forward to the updated post sometime this week.

You are stressing too much.  Just delete the rules.  No one reads them anyway.  (Heh...)

In the 3 years or so I've been moderating here, I've seen little trouble as way as posting goes.  Especially the past 1-2 years, most everyone has been rather civil.  I'm curious as to what you saw that you think needs changing.

2) Many moons ago I started trying to collect ideas for a new backend for the Mystic Software website.  Results were less than spectacular and eventually left me in a rather foul mood.

Stuff I gathered from the previous thread:  Search engine, the XBox gamer cards (Read my subnote later in this post). -- That's sad...many months of posts, and only two valid features...

 

I think part of the problem is you are asking the wrong people.  (Heh...)  Seriously, apart from the few times the TKZ went down, who actually comes here to talk about the Toolkit?  I certainly don't.  The MS community has whittled down to a very small handful of guys who just want to goof around and/or participate in a certain forum RP.

Apologies for not being able to deliver on the front end we discussed a while back.  I will be honest, I don't really have the interest this time around.  Actually if MS starts up again, I will have to retire from handling the RPG Code section due to not really being proficient with the newer TK3 RPG Code.  I have been sort of trying to handle the new submissions from all the categories by myself for the past year or two, but have stopped due to the general deadness of MS.

Best of luck with this project.  And definitely go for it!  I'd love to see a revitalized MS.

[drcrazy4]

You'd need to do an awful lot to get users back here. I know we shouldn't mention design and stuff but it is a little outdated and I don't think people would see much difference without a bit of improvement. One thing I could suggest is the resources section isn't very user friendly. Maybe changing it so every resource has a page where you can comment and let users rate the content like TKZ allows you to.

If you need any help with the website I know PHP/mySQL/HTML/CSS really well and wouldn't mind chipping in or just helping with any problems you may have.

[D. Ein]

In the coming days, yes, days...

The titles I can probably find time...actually in class this week...

...Two months pass since the last reply...

Michael-sama, are you still alive?

[Michael J. Hill]

Yes, I'm alive.

As for the project, it's not dead; however, it IS on indefinite hold.