Idea for Player File Status

[BadSkeelz]

I think it's a pointless addition that doesn't actually add anything new or would measurably improve anyone's experience. Implementing it would just take resources from other projects. So chalk me up for "Bad idea."

[SuchDragonWow]

Either 200+ people put in requests for their pFile every six months, or a tool could be designed that gives out the information a staffer allows in an Account Notes request (since they are now separate from Karma Review, what need IS there for a note request?)

Do 200+ people apply for account notes every six months, and are they doing it to run logistics on the guild configs of their latest PCs?  Somehow, I feel this statement is a fallacy, but good marks for the efforting.

If nessalin feels like coding it, that's his prerogative, but it seems underwhelming compared to the awesome things he's been up to.  Since we live in a black and white cartoon and ideas can only be good or bad, mark me down for bad.

[Reiloth]

Everything takes time, whether or not people think it does. Something like this takes time to code and implement. I'd rather Nessalin and coders be working on the shit they find intriguing and roll it out (wear loc changes for example) than something rather frivolous like this.

Bad Idea +1, BadSkeelz Camp.

[Lizzie]

Last time I checked my account notes was in 2013. I don't really want my account notes. Most times, I don't want to know what the staff has to say about my characters, good or bad. But I do like to know how frequently I choose hunter as a subguild, compared with scavenger or a crafting type, how often I try a burglar, maybe even compare the longevity of different main guilds with other main guilds. I could run a spreadsheet, but if the website's database could do it for me, and for everyone, why should we do it ourselves?

And no I am not asking for anything. This is an idea. Not a request. It's a "wouldn't it be nifty if..." thing.

[SuchDragonWow]

Yes, but this is definitely one of those things you can easily handle yourself with Excel, and it adds nothing to the game other than to hand hold you through that process.

[Lizzie]

Yes, but this is definitely one of those things you can easily handle yourself with Excel, and it adds nothing to the game other than to hand hold you through that process.

Uh, no I can't. If I could do it "easily" I wouldn't have even come up with the idea. I have 33 characters, the last 7 of which don't appear in my account notes, because I haven't asked for account notes since 2013 (as I already pointed out) -  I know there are players who have several dozens of characters - how "easy" is it, exactly, to have them write up an excel file that has cross-referencing, so they can see "how many of X" have I had in the past "y" years, or "which of my X characters had this Z subguild" or "of all the Z subguild characters I've made, how many were dwarves?"

Not sure how many different ways I can say this until you actually understand what I'm saying - it would be a handy tool to have. It might even be a handy tool for the staff to have, for their own data-collecting purposes. Maybe they want to see how many times Player Amos has requested dwarves, and of those dwarven PCs, how many of them were stored before a RL month was over. Or maybe they are considering removing karma from someone and want to see if that player really does roll up as many whirans as they think they do - and they just want a simple count, but that player has been playing since 2006 and has over 100 characters they have to check on. When instead, if this type of tool existed, they could simply search the database for Player Amos Whiran Count and it'd bring it up.

Database is not spreadsheet. This isn't something you can easily to on a spreadsheet, and databases aren't "easy to do." There already exists the player database, yours is called a Pfile. It already exists. My suggestion is to create a tool that provides data-mining of your own pfile with regards to numeric statistics.

[SuchDragonWow]

I guess it's pretty easy for me to hit that list characters option and remember the guild and subguild of all of them.  Maybe not as easy for people who have like, 100 chars a year.  I still don't think it adds much to the game.

[Lizzie]

I guess it's pretty easy for me to hit that list characters option and remember the guild and subguild of all of them.  Maybe not as easy for people who have like, 100 chars a year.  I still don't think it adds much to the game.

It adds NOTHING to the game. It's not a game idea. It's an OOC tool idea for players (and potentially staff). Sort of like when the staff added "karma review" to the request tool options. It wasn't a needed thing, it adds nothing to the game. But it was a neat idea and someone on staff tossed that on the request tool list. Also like the new (comparatively) website wasn't a needed thing, it added nothing to the game, but it was a great idea and someone felt it was worthwhile to do it, and so it got done.

This is just another idea among the myriad of ideas players have come up with over the years.

[Armaddict]

I'm certainly not against it.  It has no downsides.

I don't see any particular reason not to.  But it's not essential, either, which means I'd like it to be one of those coder projects they can pick up at their discretion as a neat-and-handy thing that isn't stressful to work on.

[Lizzie]

I'm certainly not against it.  It has no downsides.

I don't see any particular reason not to.  But it's not essential, either, which means I'd like it to be one of those coder projects they can pick up at their discretion as a neat-and-handy thing that isn't stressful to work on.

Thanks, that's pretty much how I saw it in my head when I was thinking about it. Earlier today I was thinking my next character would be a ranger. But then I worried almost all my characters have been rangers. And then I wondered - is that even true? How many of my PCs have been rangers? I checked and saw - not all that many really, they've just accounted for my most long-lasting characters, so they're more memorable. Then I wondered what kind of "record" I have for long-lasting characters - which were like, the top 3 guild/subguilds for them? I wondered - have I ever actually rolled up a warrior? I couldn't remember if I had or not. And the more I got to wondering, the more I thought - boy I wish I had a way to just pull the info up on my pfile. And lo, the idea was born.

[SuchDragonWow]

Sorry, kiddo, maybe I was giving you a little too much of that Lizzie treatment.  Of course, it's a lovely idea, let's order two.

[Large Hero]

I think it's a pointless addition that doesn't actually add anything new or would measurably improve anyone's experience. Implementing it would just take resources from other projects. So chalk me up for "Bad idea."

[Barsook]

I think it's a pointless addition that doesn't actually add anything new or would measurably improve anyone's experience. Implementing it would just take resources from other projects. So chalk me up for "Bad idea."

[BadSkeelz]

I think I should have said it wouldn't "measurably improve my experience." That'd be fairer.

[Raptor_Dan]

What an interesting thought. Thank you for sharing.

Now here is a list of thirty-eight reason why I think your idea should never become a thing, and how awful it would be if staff actually implemented this.

#1. Just kidding.


In all seriousness, I think it's neat, and would probably use it often.

[Inks]

I think it's a pointless addition that doesn't actually add anything new or would measurably improve anyone's experience. Implementing it would just take resources from other projects. So chalk me up for "Bad idea."

[Riev]

I still can't get behind the idea of "I say its a bad idea because I want staff to work on other things".

Doesn't make it a bad idea, just means you don't like it. Say you don't like the idea, that you wouldn't use it. That's fine. Personally, I'd like to know how often I roll a warrior, and if I've ever ACTUALLY played a ranger. I could track these on my own, but the database ALREADY TRACKS IT. The information exists, without me trying to remember, or request notes I can only get every 6 months as it is.

I think the idea is sound, if someone wanted to put something together on their off time to brush up on PHP/MYSQL skills or something, I'd certainly be for it. I don't think it'll happen, but if it does, NEAT.

[Inks]

Karma changes infrequently enough that it is a waste of time even debating this subject further.

[SuchDragonWow]

Karma changes infrequently enough that it is a waste of time even debating this subject further.

[Inks]

Heheh.

[Lizzie]

Karma changes infrequently enough that it is a waste of time even debating this subject further.

So you're saying that among all the possibilities that this idea could provide, you didn't bother to read any of the entire thread except for the word "karma" and decided that this is what the thread is about, and you disagree with anything involving this word.

Got it.

[Reiloth]

No, I think he's saying having all these changes just so you can check things while you're in game or see if your karma has moved (somehow without being notified by Staff, which I think you are 100% of the time?) is sort of pointless.

[Lizzie]

Forget karma then. My idea no longer involves checking karma at all. It is still about all the other things I pointed out, that a few other people think is a neat idea. And so far, the only people who think it's a bad idea, do so because - they aren't interested in it? Seriously?

[Large Hero]

I just don't think the time cost:benefit ratio is a good one.

[whitt]

so far, the only people who think it's a bad idea, do so because - they aren't interested in it? Seriously?

More because of the opportunity cost of having someone code, test, and maintain it plus adding staff time respond to someone thinking they found something that is inaccurate.  I don't think anyone would truly object to being able to see their own metadata if it was there.  Kind of like no one complains about the bio entry functionality.