Apr 22
Imythess Reviewed, Part 2
In my previous blog entry I discussed the bad reviews Imythess has been getting on the RPG-D Topsites. In this entry, I'd like to continue the analysis of what I think the root problems could be and how we might begin to solve them. This entry covers the main concern I'm aware of, and more entries will follow.
The biggest thing that I think is unpleasant for people is the mandatory format for topics in the Sales Counter. It's definitely a pain in the ass, but it's a necessary evil. In the past, members posted to tell us what they wanted to buy/sell/trade and the admins handled the rest. It sounds simple, but unfortunately, it was very common for the unformatted requests to be very disorganized and confusing, and even if it was clear, there is still a lot of work that goes into verifying things and putting items into a person's inventory. As the site grew, the staff had an increasingly difficult time getting them all filled and it wasn't uncommon for people to wait a month or more to get a request filled. Overall, it was a bad situation.
And thus, the time came for us to reevaluate how we operate the Sales Counter. The first thing we had to do was lighten the burden on the staff. Converting to Zetaboards was the the first step in that direction. New moderation tools made it possible for both mods and admins to fill requests, not just admins. Huge leap forward for sure.
The second step was to ask the members to meet us half way on doing the work. If the members can set up their requests so that they're really easy to read and more information is provided, we have less running around to do and can fill things quickly. Thus came the format, the need for stating which shops your items are coming from, and putting links to your inventory/alt accounts into your profile.
As a result, the system became more complicated for members. The complication of the system as a whole remained the same, but half of it was transferred from staff to members. It sounds like a fair distribution, but it can be overwhelming for many people. So the question now is: How do we make purchases easier on members without re-burdening the staff?
We've always wanted to automate the entire shop system, but presently that isn't doable. But perhaps filling out a purchase request can be automated a little if I create a form that helps guide members and does some of the work and formatting for them. Imagine a drop down list that lists the different categories of shops: weapons, armor, spells, familiars, misc. Pick one from the list and another drop down appears with a list of the shops that fall into that category. Pick the one you want to shop from, and another list appears with a list of all the items available in that shop. Just point and click and the form will take the info you gave it and format it for you, then click post and voila! Easy-to-use guide for buying.
This would require quite an investment of time on my end, but it would certainly be worth it. The big challenges would be coming up with an interface that is quick and easy to use, and deciding the best way to implement the logic behind the scenes. A series of randomly appearing lists isn't the best way to interface it. Visual blocks you can click on would speed things up instead of lists, but that severely complicates the coding for me. Interactive pieces of code are always tough.
Thus concludes my thought on the mandatory format. I hope to tackle other issues in my next entry. Please feel free to post feedback and suggestions for improvement.
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Comment by Sakkara, Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:46 pm
Lothy, the best thing I can tell you is to not take such a review so personally. Have you browsed through some of the reviews on RPG-D that have been completed previously? I have, and when compared to my own, the difference was overwhelming. Staff members of RPG-D do not seem to be comfortable with zetaboards software and don't know where to look. They also don't spend a lot of time on the board submitted for review like they need to, and as a result, do not see the core of the board and the sheen the gem's core gives off.
Imy is a great place just like Arda was. Don't let anyone else tell you any differently. And if so, demand that examples and reasons are given behind those opinions. If proper feedback is what you seek, I would advise against submitting anything for a review on RPG-D due to the biased and otherwise blind-seeming staff there. Try different places. Perhaps I can help you look. :]
Btw, this is Lady Darkness. ;3 I joined just to leave this comment. I hope it helps in some way. If not, please feel free to contact me. I'd love to help and get back in touch with you, Lothy. -
Comment by Spectre, Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:32 am
I've seen a system similar to what you have described on another site, and all I can really say to the matter is that I hope you would be able to find a way to make it a bit fancier. The one I encountered before was rather bland and over-simplistic. If I ever figure out how to do coding similar to what you're talking about, I would be more than happy to help but I JUST started learning how to do any sort of coding whatsoever.
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11:39 AM May 19
