Codex Shakeup

#1

Have a shakeup for all the others, why not this one? :shock:

So, I was looking at yet another growing Codex thinking, man this could be a big Codex and I thought, "That is what we need, a mini-Codex of some sort."

Two immediate thoughts (which is all I really have time for) are:

1) Instead of showing the entire submission, have more of a listing of similiar submissions. I think the one I was looking at was mundane magical items or something. So it would be more like a collection of links and descriptions. Not exactly formatted like the normal browsing pages, but something similiar.

2) Crap, there was another option when I was looking at it.... Now I forgot it, frickin studying is frying my brain :)

You see what I am looking at though?...it is sort of like freetext/Codex, a crossbreed.

I might want to limit the Codices to a certain amount too else they might get insane and kill the server. I really don't like the idea of pagination for those as it disrupts the flow of them, I think. I would rather have two Codices and connect them somehow with a link or with the final codex or something vs. making multiple pages.

What is the general feeling about the Codices anyway? Do they kick ass, just somewhat useful, or annoying?

Or not, maybe I just needed a reason to procrastinate more.

Re: Codex Shakeup

#2

My view of it: while a Codex is cool, it may be too big for our needs.

In many cases a Codex could be simply converted to a non-Codex, a Suggested Submission is then compact enough... but we could do with something slightly larger, perhaps also with author's name and a few stats.

On the other hand, I like Codices because they can add their whole content to another thread, and create super-articles. The question is how to shorten them. Hmmmm...
- no comments
- less stats
- skip things like Add to Favourites and the Edit Submission links... those are better on a submission's page
...

*ponderponderponder*

So one thing we could have is something between the full Codex and a Suggested Submission.

Then there would be a slightly shaved Codex. Graphically, we could bring Codex entries more together, to make them not be so stand-alone things posted on one page. At the same time, we want to make clear they are submissions of their own... okey, that will be diffilcut to balance. :)

At first, I suggest to make the burden of Codex entries lighter, to see what happens. Once they are, we could start bringing them closer, or reducing them even more (a limit on the size of displayed text, etc).

We also have to inform our public of the planned changes. Seems that when you come back, there shall be updates on several major parts - Scrolls, etc. It will be called V2.1, right?

Re: Codex Shakeup

#3

See the top sticky in this forum on V2.1. I have been updating that pretty religiously with changes. Will move that to a public place once I start working on it.

I have my own opinions but will wait for a few more comments. Considering I don't use them as much I want to get some ideas of what to do with it before I start my tirade. :)

Re: Codex Shakeup

#4

Codex comments, will try and figure out how to move the comments to the bottom. The issue I have with that is that right now the codex are stand alond submissions that sort of float together without cohesion beyond a 'list' of submissions. Putting the comments at the bottom dissassociate those comments with the King submission so once you get to the bottom now there are just comments floating there as well.

I have NO idea even where to start although manfred brings up some valid thoughts. I started the codex as you said, manfred, pretty lightweight, but in doing that you have no way to easily comment on any of those posts except by clicking on them, leaving the codex and visiting the submission to actually vote/comment/view stats. So I slowly added to it till it became the entire submission. I like the fact that I can vote/comment on a codexed submission while still being in the codex. I can comment and vote if something catches my eye or continue to read through without having to comment if I choose. I like being able to view any comments on a codexed submission as well. I think that is all convenient when viewing a crapload of submissions. That was the thought process when I built it.

If that changes, that is fine, but I need more of a consensus before I do any major revisions like that.

Any Codex submission that is a scroll has ALL of the scroll added to it as well so those submissions are now longer in the Codex. I can get rid of that too, but a scroll IS its scroll submissions so I thought it appropriate.

Re: Codex Shakeup

#5

Actually the thing I had thought about to shorten codex pages

Each linked submission shows only the first three inches or so of the post (and no comments). The info bar will be completely shown (from Type to For Golden Submission or heck stop a HoH listing) and just that much text will be there. The remaining text and comments are all truncated. That way, it gives you an extremely large preview of the item and you have to click on it to read everything. It shortens the amount of info on a given codex listing and allows people to go into the file to get the details... if they are interested.

Also I would personally list the Table of Contents under the King Post. This is an asthetics, rather than space thing, but it means more people will actually read the King Post of the codex more often.

In codices with really long table of contents, perhaps it can be broken down into two or three columns?

Re: Codex Shakeup

#6

I was actually debating about putting the TOC in the left menu portion of the King somehow. Also thought about putting it in the right menu as well, but discarded that idea. Not sure how those thoughts strike you.

I could put them in the king as well, and get them to do multiple columns if long. Could try that.

The other ideas are interesting.......