Activities Page: Ideal Speedup

[Anthony Roberts]

I'm sure we all know that at times the Actvities page can, well, take damn near 2+ minutes to load, depending on how many activities there are. So, I've collaborated a bunch of ideas that I've seen on the forums, and put them all here. I want everyone to give their input on which idea they think is best, or their own idea, and then once there's pleanty of say on which one is the best, we'll all go busting down Programming Department's door and demand that something be done! ...Or we'll just ask nicely.

The "Split Up" System (Version 1)
- This is an idea I seen a few times, where all the activites get split up based on what they are: Manufacturing, Digging, Farming, etc etc.
- Pros: Speeds up load times, organized.
- Cons: You'll need to load at least two pages. (One to get to the screen with the catagories, than the catagories screen itself.) Also, depending on how it's split up, some of the screens may be just as long to load as they are now.

The "Split Up" System (Version 2)
- This system will just be the activities page, split up much like an internet search would be, or even these forums. It lists say, 50 projects, then you click "Next" to get the next 50 projects.
- Pros: Speeds up load times.
- Cons: May need to load more than one page to find that activity you want to work on.

The "Pause/Resume" System
- This is my own idea I advertised a long time ago, I still adore it because it will prevent you from having to load the Activies page, unless you need to. In case you are unfamiliar with the Pause/Resume System, you can read up about it here: 'Repeats, Pause, and Resume' (It starts at the highlighted "Pause/Resume")
- Pros: Don't have to load the Activies page once you start work on a project.
- Cons: Need to load the Activies page when you first start helping someone.

The "Initiator Split" System
- When clicking on the activity page, it loads only all projects that you initiated. Clicking on another button would then load the entire Activities page to show everything.
- Pros: Quickly able to resume one of your own projects.
- Cons: When you wish to help someone with their project, it will take awhile to load that Activies page.

The "Assist on People Page" System
- When looking at the People listing, the 'assist' button could have dual-purpose. Sure, you help them drag someone with this button, but when they're not dragging someone, you should automatically join in whatever project their working on.
- Pros: Don't have to load the Activies page if you're helping someone.
- Cons: If you're going to return to a project no one is currently working on, you'll be forced to load the Activies page.

The "Age" System
- When you load the Activies page, it will show the newest projects first at the top (Still sorted normally) up to 1 year ago. You will then need to click another button to receive older projects.
- Pros: Easily resume a new project.
- Cons: May need to load more than one page to find the project.

The "Random Return" System
- While on the Locations page, when you click a resource to start a new project, there will be an added button to say "Resume Project". Clicking on this button will load the Activies page, but only to show current projects for this resource. This button could be placed on all objects and clothing articles as well, for the system to be universal.
- Pros: Able to resume a project instead of start a new one, to stop 'older projects' from clogging the screen.
- Cons: May need to load several pages to finally get to a project.

The "Ancient Project" System
- When a project that has aged for 5 years, or more, the project should instantly cancel itself, dropping on the ground all that it had completed, plus whatever extra resources were put into it - if any.
- Pros: Will keep the Activies page clean of older projects.
- Cons: It's possible that a project that was going to be worked on in the future cancels itself, when the character was off getting resources that were needed for it. (Possible cure: Give them the option of choosing if the project is perminant or temporary; Or: All resource gathering are temporary and can cancel, all production and manufacturing are perminant.)

Other
- If you have your own idea to contribute... now's the time to speak up!

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Personally, I would perfer the "Pause/Resume" system, merged with the "Split Up" (Version 1), and with the "Assist on People Page" ability added on. That's my opinion.

[NetherSpawn]

Actually, in general, I like it the way it is. I do agree that old projects should be removed, perhaps a year after the last time they are worked on. I'm not so sure you should even get your resources back. Other than that, though, I think it's the problem of the individual towns to keep themselves clean.
Now you can't immediately cancel other people's projects if they have no work, resources, or people working on them, right? I think that feature is just bad, and removing it would allow people to eliminate useless project.

Projects with repeats that are at 0% with no one working on them should be deleatable, but I think they count as having work on them because earlier repeats have been completed.

[joshua johnson]

Lots of good ideas. I have been in some towns and worked on abandoned projects that were over 400 days old.

I think the age idea in general, with this twist.

Resource gathering and processing - 5 years. Then becomes Cancellable with half the finished amount falling to the ground. Somebody would have to cancel it though.

Building, manufacturing, construction - 20 years. Then becomes Cancellable or becomes reversable, if someone wants to undo it, they could undo it at an accelerated rate to get back the resources.

This should be enough time to prevent someone from undoing a car that you have been working on forever.

I somewhat like the queing idea, as characters would be more productive if they automatically went to the next task, unless of course someone else completed the task in the meantime. But on the other hand, it would make the characters somthing like workbots, which might not be good.

As a side note, It would be good to be able to rename buildings every 25 years or so.

[The Industriallist]

I like split version 1, and if it isn't too much work for the PD pause/resume. Though I can imagine issues with that...

Also, help from people page just seems obvious (I think it used to be that way, didn't it?)

Related point...make the initiator links in the projects page actually point to the initiator...I had to rename every person I didn't know to ID a project initiator once.

[nitefyre]

The Pause/Resume idea would increase efficiency be ideal to most characters, who briefly go to chase a thief or enter a building.

The Help Someone idea, via using that button is definetly something I'd like see implemented On a similar note, using the eat button to change your daily food would be great to have.

Heheh, I overdid the bold, didn't I?