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.
Apr 10
Imythess Reviewed
Imythess has a decent number of advertisement and promotional / site ranking sites that it participates in to spread the word and invite in new members. One of my favorite of these has always been the RPG-Directory Top Sites. It does some great traffic recording, traffic ranking, vote counting, and it allows members to leave their own individual rating and reviews. Very comprehensive data all around.
Unfortunately, since I took over as the head admin at Imy, all the reviews in this particular location have tanked.Here are the current reviews:
- 27 December, 2010
- 7:54pm
This is, unfortunately, one of the worst sites I've ever been on. The admins are controlling, there are a lot of egos clashing, and the system is far too complicated to allow for fun; all creativity is hindered. If there were better people running it, Imythess might be fun, but sadly it's just a site to stay away from.
- 3 March, 2011
- 4:22pm
Not a great place to be.
- 19 March, 2011
- 12:11am
ehhh
Obviously, I can't help but wonder what I'm doing wrong, and who has been so negatively impressed by Imy that their feedback is this dismal.
The latter two are particularly depressing for me because there's no detail about what they dislike, so I am unable to correct the issues and better the experience for future members.
The first one is difficult to address; my knee-jerk reaction is that it's a personal attack on me since I'm the only active admin around to say those things about, and most (all?) of the new system was my idea. But I stop, take a breath, let out a sigh, and switch back into analysis mode. I ask myself: "Which parts of the system could make someone feel this way?"
It's also difficult to understand because I try very hard to be objective about Imythess and our system. The staff is very aware that there are many flaws in our system, and we have been putting all our effort into coming up with solutions to the biggest problems. It's a little painful to hear that this effort hasn't been noticed by some of those who seem to want it the most. Could it be that we aren't doing a good enough job? Or is it that the people who are upset about these issues are so displeased that they just left without expressing themselves and don't care to see how we're continuing to grow?
I must finish this entry so I can do homework, but I'll be coming back with an edit to try to shine light on what I think are the least pleasing aspects of Imy and how we might improve them (if it's possible).
Aug 27
My Wishlist
This didn't seem to have anywhere else to go, so I'm stashing it in a treasure chest in the dungeon of my haunted blog!
Shops WishlistZone of Mystery - 35 gold(Thanks, Cassiel!)
Bright Light - 60 gold
Light of Truth - 120 gold
Radiant Ray - 120 gold
Luminous Aura - 90 gold
Pacify Weapon - 55 gold
Transmutation Lock - 120 gold
Arcane Center - 120 gold
Whispering of the Grasses - 60 gold
Chain Lightning - 120 gold
Gale - 180 gold
Frozen Touch - 150 gold
Demon Fire - 180 gold
Grand Total = 1375 goldItem Codes
Rare Spells Wishlist
Summon Snow Elemental
Summon Hades' Clown
Darkness Spell
SoundburstExtinguish(Thanks, Alice!)Flood
Purify Air
Curse
Baleful Teleport
Shadow Monster
Rare Familiars Wishlist
Any familiars obtained here will become part of the castle's bestiary.
Black Knight
Coal Golem
Chill Dragon
Steel Dragon HatchlingThunderbirdWhite Worg(Thanks, Redfiver!)
Pet Socks
Glass Drake
Beer Elemental
Twinkling
Quasit
Diamond Hound
Dragon Viper
Shadow CloneMusfa(Thanks, Sargoth!)
Living Goo
Rare Edibles Wishlist
These and all of Loth's consumables can be found throughout the castle, often a saving grace to those who get lost in the dungeon or fall victim to gribblies.
Gingerbread Snowmen
Spiced Nog
Cavity-Causing Candy Corn
Chocolate-Covered Cherry
Dragon's Beard Candy
Super-Sticky Caramel Apple
Pound Cake
Spice CakeSponge Cake(Thanks, Mephz!)
Ice Cream Cake
Black Forest CakeMoon Cake(Thanks, Redfiver!)
Fruit Cake
Assorted Flavor LollipopsOrange Egg Candy(Thanks, Redfiver!)
Sesame Cake
Crystal Surprise Cake
Rock Candy
Magical Ice CreamBox of Assorted Chocolates
Imp Beans
Rare Equipment Wishlist
Star Blade
Fan of the Silent WindMorphing Blade(Thanks, Redfiver!)
Quiver of PlentyMonster's Bane Bangle[In order to keep visitors safe from the gribblies lurking in the castle, this item will be made available to those who might receive the Witch Queen's blessing upon entering the castle grounds.] (Thanks, Redfiver!)
Ray BowTanglewhip Vine
Pegasus Statuette
Exploding Arrows!
Silver Bow
11:40 AM May 19
