Hey guys.
AEM is right - the order of the content doesn't match what I originally intended... but the layout of the content is great! I can't wait for the wiki to be skinned so we can match colors. Also, AEM correctly noticed that I left gaps in the skeleton. It'll take us long enough to get this much info in, and by then we will have had a chance to live with it a bit and decide if what we have works well or if we should reorganize. It's a great starting point, but not a thorough plan.
Anyways. The main page should have the most frequently accessed info on the front, without "link overload."
More frequently-acceed content should be listed higher in the 'grid' than less frequently-accessed content.
This means the topleft box should be "What is Allegiance?" type content because the bulk of the people hitting our wiki will be brand new players who have no idea what Allegiance is.
#2 should be "How do I play?" type info which introduces the Academy, Cadet, ACS, the huge value of teamspeak while learning (and mentioning that we do not moderate it).
#3 should be technical support. How do I fix this problem? that problem?
Take a look at the skeleton's main bullet points. I arranged those based on the hit count of that type of information on the knowledgebase. "What is Allegiance?" is the most frequently asked question.
I'll reorganize the grid cells when I get there, but I've got a lot more reading to do in this forum first. Plus it seems like a smart idea to put all of these Wiki: threads in their own subforum in here so I have to do that too.
If any of you want to beat me to the punch - go right ahead.
--TE
Wiki: Main Page
RE: TE's Main Page
EDIT: I'm a little confused since your last post was talking about things that weren't part of the skeleton you posted.
This is bit long, but I would like to address some concerns with TE's Main Page. I'm currently taking an Information Architecture ("Design of Information") class and have been working on structuring information and laying it out to achieve maximum accessibility. I chunked the main page I posted in a way I believe best caters to every type of person who will visit the Wiki. Sure it doesn't need to be layed out the way I did but I do feel the main page posted by TE is a step backwards.
First I'll try to break down the types of people I see visiting the Wiki.
Most importantly, people who have just stumbled onto/heard about Allegiance and what to know what it is. So they find their way to the Wiki. For most, they are solely concerned with answering the question "What is". Well thats why we have the What is Allegiance section right up front. But you venture outside the scope of what Allegiance is within that chunk. Terms of Service and Rules of Conduct as well as most Community Info such as Zones means nothing to these people and will be almost always be skipped.
Now they either find it isn't for them right now or become interested enough to try the game. A Getting Started section is essential IMO. We even had something in the knowledge base. Basically it is a mixture of info from all zones that composes what a player needs to do to get the game, get tech support info if necessary, start playing, and get tips on how to learn. It is hugely beneficial for it to all be in one place.
If it is not, they will have to jump all around the Wiki instead of going through it sequentially (and skipping tech support all together if they have no problems). Most probably will just manage to get it installed and join a game randomly to see what Allegiance is. They will not get any of the basic info and will probably just hop on the regular server and cause problems because they were not directed anywhere in the Wiki. In fact, most of the getting started section either links to what I know have called ZoneWiki's or would contain a more brief summary of something from the Zone to just get them on the right track.
I essentially have a Main Wiki, ZoneWikis, and SquadWikis. The page listing the ZoneWikis is similar to a lot of your main page. The ZL's or appointee's have a mini or sub wiki to organize all their stuff, while Squad leaders and appointed squad members can organize a squad profile page.
Anyway, now I've gotten those two types of players on the right track.
Other people visiting will be mostly people look up a specific answer or those just bored and wanting to read or write parts of the wiki to pass the time. Some things you have could be confusing. Development is not really Contributing. The act of developing is, but some may just want to see the changes and history. Their is no section on enforcement which is the other major thing I see missing besides Getting Started. I have an @Alleg page in Getting Started so they understand what the @Alleg team is. Then I have the ZoneWiki for Enforcement to handle enforcement issues. You do have the RoC and ToS but again they seem mis-categorized. They really become important when a player wants to download Allegiance and make a game account or when they want to make a forum account.
Mods seems to be in an odd place as well. Info about making mods, maybe...but looking in Contribute is a stretch, much less Contribute->Development since most don't want to develop mods. They just want to see how they can customize and enhance their Allegiance.
Anyway I hope you see where I'm going. Since I had already started, I finished up the polished main page so you can better compare the organizational method you went with vs mine either now or when TheBored puts up a version of your main page.
Just want to put these concerns out there now because it is easiest to address these things now. Here is my more polished main page (just lacking descriptions next to some of the links): http://www.AllegTraining.com/MainPage.png
EDIT: I'm a little confused since your last post was talking about things that weren't part of the skeleton you posted.
This is bit long, but I would like to address some concerns with TE's Main Page. I'm currently taking an Information Architecture ("Design of Information") class and have been working on structuring information and laying it out to achieve maximum accessibility. I chunked the main page I posted in a way I believe best caters to every type of person who will visit the Wiki. Sure it doesn't need to be layed out the way I did but I do feel the main page posted by TE is a step backwards.
First I'll try to break down the types of people I see visiting the Wiki.
Most importantly, people who have just stumbled onto/heard about Allegiance and what to know what it is. So they find their way to the Wiki. For most, they are solely concerned with answering the question "What is". Well thats why we have the What is Allegiance section right up front. But you venture outside the scope of what Allegiance is within that chunk. Terms of Service and Rules of Conduct as well as most Community Info such as Zones means nothing to these people and will be almost always be skipped.
Now they either find it isn't for them right now or become interested enough to try the game. A Getting Started section is essential IMO. We even had something in the knowledge base. Basically it is a mixture of info from all zones that composes what a player needs to do to get the game, get tech support info if necessary, start playing, and get tips on how to learn. It is hugely beneficial for it to all be in one place.
If it is not, they will have to jump all around the Wiki instead of going through it sequentially (and skipping tech support all together if they have no problems). Most probably will just manage to get it installed and join a game randomly to see what Allegiance is. They will not get any of the basic info and will probably just hop on the regular server and cause problems because they were not directed anywhere in the Wiki. In fact, most of the getting started section either links to what I know have called ZoneWiki's or would contain a more brief summary of something from the Zone to just get them on the right track.
I essentially have a Main Wiki, ZoneWikis, and SquadWikis. The page listing the ZoneWikis is similar to a lot of your main page. The ZL's or appointee's have a mini or sub wiki to organize all their stuff, while Squad leaders and appointed squad members can organize a squad profile page.
Anyway, now I've gotten those two types of players on the right track.
Other people visiting will be mostly people look up a specific answer or those just bored and wanting to read or write parts of the wiki to pass the time. Some things you have could be confusing. Development is not really Contributing. The act of developing is, but some may just want to see the changes and history. Their is no section on enforcement which is the other major thing I see missing besides Getting Started. I have an @Alleg page in Getting Started so they understand what the @Alleg team is. Then I have the ZoneWiki for Enforcement to handle enforcement issues. You do have the RoC and ToS but again they seem mis-categorized. They really become important when a player wants to download Allegiance and make a game account or when they want to make a forum account.
Mods seems to be in an odd place as well. Info about making mods, maybe...but looking in Contribute is a stretch, much less Contribute->Development since most don't want to develop mods. They just want to see how they can customize and enhance their Allegiance.
Anyway I hope you see where I'm going. Since I had already started, I finished up the polished main page so you can better compare the organizational method you went with vs mine either now or when TheBored puts up a version of your main page.
Just want to put these concerns out there now because it is easiest to address these things now. Here is my more polished main page (just lacking descriptions next to some of the links): http://www.AllegTraining.com/MainPage.png
Last edited by aem on Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Been chatting with TE about all things Wiki. He likes your proposed Main Page, so I'll add it in /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
(I'll post here once I'm done)
TB
(I'll post here once I'm done)
TB
[18:48] <Imago> dont take me seriouslyspideycw wrote:QUOTE (spideycw @ Nov 28 2008, 02:50 PM) All the retards are contained in one squad mostly (System X)
Feel free to use whatever. TE's works too with a little reorganization/relabeling. All this just feels a bit rushed, but I know you all want to get rid of the KB /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> I'll take your word on how bad it was. Guess we'll just jump in and see how things go.
edit: oh yeah I know we just got this, but Alleg a FPS? That makes me think of something like Halo. Something involving space combat seems more appropriate rather it be "Space Combat Game, "Tactical Space Combat Game", "Team Oriented Space Combat Game", "Multiplayer (or Massively Multiplayer) Space Combat Game), or something along those lines.
edit: oh yeah I know we just got this, but Alleg a FPS? That makes me think of something like Halo. Something involving space combat seems more appropriate rather it be "Space Combat Game, "Tactical Space Combat Game", "Team Oriented Space Combat Game", "Multiplayer (or Massively Multiplayer) Space Combat Game), or something along those lines.
Last edited by aem on Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm mostly done with it, but I'd like to finish it in the morning. I'll edit it in tomorrow /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
TB
TB
[18:48] <Imago> dont take me seriouslyspideycw wrote:QUOTE (spideycw @ Nov 28 2008, 02:50 PM) All the retards are contained in one squad mostly (System X)
Allegiance certainly is not a first person shooter... You aren't a person, so you don't shoot.
It's more a space combat / flight sim.
--TE
It's more a space combat / flight sim.
--TE
The Allegiance community currently hates their sysadmin because he is doing: [Too Much] [____________|] [Too Little]
Current reason: Removing the PayPal contribute page. Send Bitcoin instead: 1EccFi98tR5S9BYLuB61sFfxKqqgSKK8Yz. This scale updates regularly.
taking the lead from the original devs
BSBLSMSAGWYOOTUIARTS
well, i like it, but you probably want something shorter
BSBLSMSAGWYOOTUIARTS
http://www.allegacademy.org/devs/igndevdiary1.shtmlJoel Dehlin wrote:So that's Allegiance: "Beautiful, squadron-based, large-scale multiplayer Space Action game, where you're one of the units in an RTS." We coined an acronym for the game type and genre: BSBLSMSAGWYOOTUIARTS. We're hoping it will catch on.
well, i like it, but you probably want something shorter
Last edited by madpeople on Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
