Organization of the docs

[My 2 sids]

The idea of redoing the organization of the docs has been brought up many times.  So I'd like to know if others think a simple reorganization will help people want to read the docs, thus helping newbies learn the game (as well as all players keep up-to-date).  I'm one who thinks people won't mind reading a lot of information but don't want to go sifting around tons of pages to do so.  Paragraph length is more important than page size.


Off the top of my head idea would be to start with a few basic "channels" to read: code instruction, creating a character, role playing that character, OOC information as it applies to the game (such as maps, time, help features)  I hope that people who only see a few channels with little bits of information will A.  Read them and B. it will keep them interested enough and helpful enough, to go back and dig around for more information.

Channel: Introduction
- "Advertisment" overview of the game.
- What can people expect
- Rules of the game

Channel: Code instruction
- basic commands (with small examples)
- that emote helper someone made up
- a list of flags that could happen to your character
- ONE PAGE dealing with the basics of emoting.  Links to other stuff.

Channel: Creating a Character
- "Creating a Character" doc and http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/
       http://www.dhorizon.org/characterBuilder/
- "Walkthrough" doc
- ONE PAGE that gives maybe a paragraph on each race and links to more information.
- ONE PAGE for each guild  (Thief:  "Thief bible" doc, a few GDB discussions on thieves, help file links with such things as steal, laws, templars, etc.)
- ONE PAGE with the basics of each race

Channel:  Role-play
- ONE PAGE of how Emote, Think, Personality, Race, Social ranking, IC description and History relate to role playing.
- Societal norms broken into three pages:  Rank and Race, "What you know" docs for the cities, and customs (clothing, tattoos, fears, hate, etc.)
- ONE PAGE on the basics off all the clans (or two pages: one for each city)
- "Role playing Guide" doc
- "Players' role playing tips" doc
- Subclasses help file

Channel:  OOC help
- list of helpers
- maps
- ONE PAGE each:  Time, stats (and how to use them), player assumed truths (one RL day = IC week, PSI will take less stun sitting down, list of what to say ICly when logged out,  list of IC sayings like "Shade and water".
Examples:  descriptions, emotes, "player logs" docs.

[creeper386]

I personally think the Introductory Information does a fair job of what your are saying there. It doesn't have everything but it's one of the acctually decently navigatable areas of the site, but some how newer players obviously don't read it.

Since this isn't about that, and more about the orginization of the website, I'll continue on that subject. For the most part, I think the site has a decent design already. It really doesn't have a huge learning curve. When I first came here I DID spend a massive amount of time reading through the webpage but I didn't have any troubles finding most of really anything. There were just a few things here and there that are hard to find.

Overall, I think the website could use more consistancy in the guidelines they are following. A brief look at just Introductory Info and Roleplaying should show a example in inconsistancies. I do beleive John has been working on fixing alot of this sort of thing when he has time, and what I've seen he's done a good job. I think all the work is just a mock website set up among the GDB server though and hasn't even been started to be switched over to the main website.

Beyond more consistancy, I'd like to see more definition in terms of what is what. Like the overview in the Introductory Info. More consistancy would fix this somewhat. Overall, it'd make things easier to find I think. Would lesson the learning curve on the orginization of the website. Wouldn't make a grand difference though. Most of the information is right there and not hard to find by any means, would just make the website easier on the eyes and alittle easier to search for anyone not used to it.

THIRDLY, I suggest again a search ability. One of the whole site first of all. Second of all an addition of the helpfiles to make searching through them on the site less work.

Oh... Also alittle more information on the front page. Explain alittle bit whats in the section so people know what they are looking at, and where they need to go to find what they are looking for. A site that is overly nice, and hand feeds everything may be annoying sometimes but is better then problems with navigation.

Creeper

[My 2 sids]

Oh... Also alittle more information on the front page. Explain alittle bit whats in the section so people know what they are looking at, and where they need to go to find what they are looking for. A site that is overly nice, and hand feeds everything may be annoying sometimes but is better then problems with navigation.

I don't think an easier navogation system is the same as spoon feeding.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I would guess a lot of people give up before they even get started because the game comes across as cold and complicated.  Although the -world- should be... the game shouldn't, not if we expect new blood.