Basic reforms and updating of the Main Page

[Surly]

Okay, this is not a complicated programming issue… it is simply a case of tightening up the loose ends of the Main Cantr pages, updating them where necessary and simply changing them in others.

Now as I said, these are not complicated. What I’m asking for is the addition of links in certain places, and changing what is written in others. I know that I am capable of these changes (seeing as they are web design rather than programming) so I know they are not difficult. Hopefully, as a result, I can convince a programmer to make these simple changes.

Changes:
1. Simple rewrite of the main “description and background” page, to bring it up to date (for instance, correcting the statement “There is no limit to the amount of characters you can create” – a statement years out of date)
2. Rewrite and update of the “general explanation” link from this page, so it includes descriptions of newer implementations (such as deterioration and violence. Yes, this description is *that* out of date)
3. Link “Staff members (under construction)” to http://www.cantr.net/index.php?page=departments
4. Add a link to the FAQ. Give people a better idea of what to do, before they sign up and become suicidal newspawns.
5. Rewrite the capital rule description. Make it more specific, and make the descriptions consistent. Use the experience of the PD, who should know common problems, to make to plain and clear with no room for misinterpretation

And some changes after login, for ease of use:
6. Move the unsubscribe button. Just as a temporary measure, until unsubscribing is made more difficult… move the big X away from the logout button. Put is under the paypal bit or something. Just move the damn thing…
7. On the character page, there is the large question mark between the back button and the log out button. This leads to an information page. A link to the FAQ should be placed here, as well as updating the page somewhat.
8. Move “Please also be aware of Flyspray, our bug reporting system.” From the discuss Cantr section to the Game Administration Menu just above it
9. As previously suggested… a back button on the clothing main page
10. Also, a back button on the machine use page.

Now I know many of these changes seem petty… but I think that they are simple, and can make a difference. The first five, for instance, all affect the pages people see before signing up. Making the various descriptions clearer could help encourage people to sign up… make the game more obvious. There is no point running the risk of confusing potential players and maybe driving them away, when it is so simple to update and change it. The latter five… well that is for ease of use. No denying that. But they are simple changes that could/should make Cantr easier to play, and less frustrating in many cases. Again, when it is so simple to change, why not change it?

Now I know that programmers more than likely feel their time is better spent elsewhere. These changes are cosmetic, and don’t need detailed programming knowledge… or any programming knowledge, as previously stated. It is possible that this will provoke the “if it’s so easy, why don’t you volunteer” response. Well, if I’m asked to, I will happily oblige. I have plenty of free time at the moment, I might as well try and help Cantr. If nobody else is willing to change this, I am happy to help. Just call me…

Anyway… I posted this on flyspray, link here:
http://www.cantr.net/flyspray/index.php?do=details&id=135
Look forward to a response from whomever…

[Nick]

*claps*
I'd like to see an argument against this.

[Peanut]

Changes:
1. Simple rewrite of the main “description and background” page, to bring it up to date (for instance, correcting the statement “There is no limit to the amount of characters you can create” – a statement years out of date

There really is no limit.

Yes you can have only 15 chars at a time.

But you can always get a new char if you lose one.

[Surly]

No offence Peanut... but if you read the rest of the paragraph in question, you'll understand me when I say it's out of date. I didn't quote the whole paragraph because it would be cumbersome and ultimately pointless, but what I said applies to the whole paragraph not jus that specific phrase.

[wm]

As requested, I moved this topic to this forum:

I said in there:

Tho, being a constitutionalist like i am when you think about it, the Capital Rule has a big hole in it:

Take this scenario:

Given: IC are not supposed to have OOC knowledge. That means our characters do not know, cann not know the knowledge we have gained through playing of other characters.

Now:
1) a brand new person, like myself, creates a character... Just one character, as we can, just to try out the game.
2) We take that character through his life, learning how to use the various equiptment, learning how to interact with other characters in life and with resources and machines.
3) We become expert at playing this game and know all the little nuances and tricks of playing, know all the things successful players do to get where they are, and know all the traps to avoid that can lead to starvation or worse.
4) Now, we decide to create another character.
5) That character will NOT be at the same skill level our first one was when we began playing. there are certain things that we will already know how to do without having to ask (as our first character had to).
6) The second character will be infinitely more skilled than the first one, who, when he started, did not even know how to talk to people or farm for food.
7) Even if he lives his life the exact same way, he's going to be infinitely moe successful, because he came into the world, essentially with all skills that his 70 year old counterpart took a lifetime to learn. ex: not so much as where the best land for potato farming is, but how to cooperate for instance on farming potatos. Not so much where the resources for building a house are, but how to best acquire those resources and utilize them efficiently so he has more time to do other things to increase his QOL.
This is OOC knowlege used IC; it must be, and can be nothing else. And there is no way to regulate it. If OOC knowledge was not allowed ever, every character would have to start out fresh and new, being a blundering idiot, doing stupid things, and not have any knowledge. In short, every IC charater would have to be a new OOC person. The fact that there are successful players and non-successful ones demonstrates that it is used everywhere, and by the interpretation I read above, constitutes a breech of the Capital rule on a *universal scale*. Because we know everyone does it. My limited experience with the game shows that as plain as day.
9) Since this is not possible to regulate, either this game should only allow one character per person (which would make the game less fun,) or revise the Capital Rule to allow for OOC knowledge, (which would violate the spirit of the game), or third, and this is what I am suggesting, revise the newbie's guide to tell them precisely what is and is not allowed in terms of IC/OOC knowledge sharing, and how to do things to bring their OOC knowledge up to the level of the average/moderately serious player from the get go.
10) This does not include a map of the known world or anything. Just a guide to do things to keep ourselves from practically starving to death because we don't know how to play or from doing what I did and stating that I can die and respawn, when there is no way my character could have known that.
11) Or perhaps a tutorial that is manditory for all new accounts showing them the basics, with like a generic character that they must play until they pass the tutorial.
12) It would be a great help, and it would solve the problem of OOC knowledge being used IC for all but those who'se goal it is to cheat.

This is just a thought... You'll do what you want because I'm gaining more OOC knowledge like this every day I play and its benefiting al my characters equally... Like today I learned how to restart an abandoned project... All my characters now know how to do that, so if they ever come upon one its theirs!

Feel free to comment or critique... I like this game and want to make it an awesome game.

Serenely
WM

[TatteredShoeLace]

Well William, I'll say what I thought the first time I read it....its a long statement. Viewing it as what I presume is a persuasive aspect, it is too mind numbing for me to try to analyze and pick apart every point you make-but I know of some people here who would love to.
I am not a big fan of Cantr-philosophies or semantics with CR; just don't cheat, have fun, and keep playing. That is my advice. And make your posts shorter, alot of us speed read to get through the filler junk, you'll get faster and better responses with shorter messages.

[wm]

Well, I was offering a programme for change.

I needed to present the problem as a coherent argument

I needed to present a call for action contingent on the problem.

And if i would have said "There is a CRB on a universal scale, so we should change the way the game is structured" I would have got nothing.

Sometimes short and sweet is good, sometimes it is the absolutely worst thing.

WM

[west]

This is the exact argument Nick and I and a few others have been using to advocate a knowledge base that all characters have access to.

[Surly]

Yay for a knowledge base!

Not part of my proposed reforms... as it requires a bit more thought, but what the hey.

[wm]

I like the idea of a knowledge base, with generic and moderate "how to" sort of info. I don't think t would reduce the fun of discovery, just the frustration of being born fully formed and conscientious of your own inability to preform the most simple tasks, like feeding yourself. How do we start one?

WM

[Surly]

In addition to my previous points... I have started a basic guide to the Cantr interface (explaining how to do basic things, with explanatory screenshots). Would there be any use for that?

And any chance of feedback from a GAC/GAB member to either tell me its a good idea to propose such changes, and whether they would like me to do anything, or to tell me to stop producing such rubbish and shut up...?

[swymir]

I was always under the impression that the Capitial rule was only meant to keep people from cheating and/or making the game unfair or not fun to others. Most of the CR breeches that are reproted are so minor that you should be ashamed for reporting them.

[Jetlag]

I have started a basic guide to the Cantr interface (explaining how to do basic things, with explanatory screenshots).

Hurray! Something like that, with a nice, obvious link from the front page (and possibly also in-game) would be really good!

[PRUT]

Knowledge Base is really a good idea!

Many newspawns just give up with this game, when they don't know what to do! It's really hard to know why rice can be simply eaten and corn not?
What to do with caught cod? How to kill an animal and what to do next? Why it is so hard to produce something.

They give up and commit suicide. Only most persistent players survive and play.

[KVZ]

6. Move the unsubscribe button. Just as a temporary measure, until unsubscribing is made more difficult… move the big X away from the logout button. Put is under the paypal bit or something. Just move the damn thing

I agree. This button should be moved or unsubscribing should be more difficult. One of Polish players lost his account by unsubscirbing few days ago. I suppose he did it by mistake when he wanted to log out, because he returned to the game after two weeks (account has "on leave" turned on), so maybe he forgoten how logout button looks.