For some reason, the option for Crescent a l'orange on the "new game" page wasn't being honoured. I think it is now. In any case, move headings have been added to this banter page. In principle, this (and the long game) should also be unwinnable.
I think we can now consider this thing to be up and running (although heed the caveat on the front page at the moment). I would be interested to hear any ideas for feature enhancements. Currently I have the following ideas:
Permalinking technology exists at the back-end (i.e. one can specify a range of posts to show in the URL) but I need to find some way of generating the appropriate links. This can probably wait until we have a few more posts.
I may well add a 'search' facility at some point (again, more posts are required before this becomes useful).
I might add a login feature so that the server can remember things like which games you're playing, award prizes for stunning play and so on. (NB this seems to be controversial, but the point is you won't be obliged to use this feature).
A side-effect of something I have planned elsewhere on this site would be to have an editable MC reference. Obviously we already have the Encyclopaedia at !York, but I think it would be cool to have an editable, searchable volume here. Ideally one would wish to transfer the Encyclopaedia entries over from !York, but I don't really know what's happening to maintenance of that server.
Anyone got any ideas? I know PaulWay has mentioned a few at Orange-- now I've made this NS4.76 compatible, perhaps here would be a good place to discuss such things.
Been busy rab! :) Looks neat and tidy on IE6, though some colours are a bit 'iffy'. Might have to see what it looks like on Mozilla to check any differences. Cheers.
Checking in. I think I'll go by my abbreviated name on this here site, folks, as I cannot use a handy six-character passcode. I notice we can start our own games here. If I can persuade that dratted Kezar frm preening himself for five hours, anyone object to us starting a round of 'Chirades'?
Hello ev'ryone. I may have been a bit misleading about the use of NS4.76. You can use this site with that browser. But it looks really rubbish if you have CSS enabled. I will work on an option to turn off CSS on these pages if you insist on using a dodgy browser. Anyway, let's let the play continue!
Ah yes, I did find the line saying something like if name contains 'bob' then ignore bad_html, so it turned out that deleting it sorted everything out!
Well done. My only quibble is name colours, a ruse I use to find out the last time I posted in a game so that I can read everything since. Are you planning to implement hot links?
It was a concious decision to strip HTML tags from game titles and names to stop messing up the front page. I am planning to do hot links, and hope to implement some sort of smart catch-up feature in the longer term. I could add name colouring a la MCiOS as a little extra too. Sadly, I also have a job so these things might take a while to filter through.
Might I suggest having links at the bottom of each game to the main page, like the other MC servers do? Otherwise it's a pain pressing the back button twice to return to the index. Well, it is if you're as feeble as I am.
I appreciate these buttons are nonobvious. I will get around to providing the text alternatives to these so waving your mouse over them makes their purpose more obvious.
Would someone be so very kind as to nod me in the direction of a link where I my discover such advanced (to my tender brain) html commands as putting things in color ("red" in "red" for example), even a few short written instructions may suffice. You may mail me at kolesh@free.fr. Thank you so much, and Bravo rab!
[Artaud] This page gives you an overview of the basics. One of the things it don't mention is font colours. Do those by enclosing the text in <font color="red"> ... </font>, eg like this. I wouldn't rely on the HTML-checking technology to sort out all your problems though!
Rab, you're a cad sir! I imagined that the "expose all" button above would merely show all the moves made in a game so far, however my colleagues and I are currently in a state of panic having been denuded by one button click. As I type this frantically from under the desk with only a copy of last weeks overtime sheet (offering scant protection) I can only hope you rectify the problem soon. I didn't even know php could *do* this!
A couple of minor suggestions: a way back from the complete page to the latest - a "reclothe" button? :) - and a jump to bottom of page link would both be very useful. Looks great so far, love the muted colours.
I'm all for suggestions, so keep 'em coming. The logo top left does redirect to my main page since as my site grows, this will be the standard way to get to the home page. Alternatively, it could take you "up" I s'pose. Wait and see on that one (had realised it was misleading).
I could add the buttons you suggest. Yessir. Whacking it on "Things to Do" list now...
I like; the pastel shades, the neat and petite navigation button (keep it - it is good), the intro bar above each game, the ability to choose the winning move. I miss (from other MC games) consecutive lines in the limerick game (the gap makes it awkward), 'see whole game/last current move' links, automatic name labelling for next comment or move. Ideas box contributions: a punchy title ('more crescent' is a bit quiet. Off the top of my head, Rabs Crescent, More Nington or Pleasant Crescent or how about an abstract title like Slap My Jammy Badger. Change of 'skins' (as per orange) only with different pastel shades, a players profile page updateable by players (as per Yet Another). One thing I’ve always wanted with an MC game is a link to a spare page to which players can upload images for a caption competition game. This may already be possible, but I'm a dullard and don't understand these things!
[BtD] I'm glad there's something you like! Now, to address your points:
Limericks games. Whoever started it (DrQ?) chose "game headings". I can turn these off since I too dislike them. Should I do this?
See whole game is there, once the game is long enough (look at the top of this page, for example). As I said, I'll add "jump to the bottom" and "reclothe" when I have a few minutes spare.
Auto name labelling was there originally, but I think it disappeared at some point during an "upgrade". I shall attempt to reinstate it.
Punchy title. The title was deliberately understated, but I'm willing to hear suggestions.
Reshading: this was one of my customisation ideas.
Updatable profiles (and possibly encyclopaedia) are On The List. (But note "I have day job" caveat).
Caption competition... interesting. Either this could go as a separate type of MC game or maybe a completely different interactive part of my site completely... I shall think about this. Allowing people to upload images makes me feel slightly queasy from a storage point of view, but I could impose a suitable filesize limit I suppose.
Since this is a benign dictatorship, I've remodelled the limericks game to make it more user friendly. (Some comments have vanished, but I can reinstate these if people complain about the censorship).
I'll let you guys get on with the chatting eventually, but I thought I'd point out that the game limit on this server is set quite low to avoid treading too much on the other servers' toes. I note, for example, that Dunx has a ticket available for quite some time now, an unusual state of affairs, and I wouldn't wish to draw custom away from the more established places. However, if the demand is there, I can up the game limit at some point.
You will need to monitor what is uploaded for content as well as file size. Suggest emailing to you to upload?
Re another thing. I've always thought that there are too many games on the go on most servers. Good move!
Now all those Goodies have given me an idea for the Beige Allegro game... PS. This is the first time I've tried a list. If it hasn't worked, none of this will make any sense. Sorry.