Website Quicklink: Server Roadmap

[Mot Dab]

Simply a suggestion and I expect to get shut down, or told that it has already been thought of and discussed, but I could not find anything on it, and I think it would involve less grieving of the DMs with the ability to still involve the player community with the direction of the server... here it goes.

I'm suggesting a quick-link (ex. News, FAQ, Statistics, Forums, etc.) that brings you too a page where it lists the ideas and projects of the DMs at glance. It can be followed up with a link to a forum, specific for the project either elaborating, stating problems, allowing discussion (every now and then) or like a developers blog. (The forum idea was something i just thought of while typing... ) It could involve Ideas that involve near future implementations, bugs fixed, or some a completely crazy idea that you may do in the distant future.

I noticed a few attempts to inform the players in the Forums. Which was follow by some grief?s and negativity. Which I'm sure gets tiring and aggravating when you are trying to create the world you want to... Having this sort of "locked in listings" may give hope (to players), external support (Players being able to help with a few simple tasks that can take a load off of DMs.)

Yes, my idea is a self fact that I personally would like to know what the DMs are planning on doing. As I'm sure we are all interested. It would also allow newcomers to see if this is the server is for them. Rather than downloading the haks, playing not enjoying it, complaining on the forums (I'm not doing that am I? ) and etc.

I would also like to help the development of the server, but not having enough DMing, scripting, and programming experience limits me. Rather than try and think up some ways to help and PMing a DM with them only to waste their time reading them; I would be able to view what projects are ahead and possibly be able to help in a couple areas (I doubt it but someone else may be able to benefit from this) And submitting the work you do on the side to the DMs seeing if they care to use it or not, building credit and experience for themselves with the server other than the status of ?good role-player? and maybe saving the developers some stress.... in the process
I also realize this will take more work to implement and sort through all the suggestive projects (if any). But I think that once set up it would involve little maintenance for the DMs compared to answering repetitive questions and suggestions in the forums.

Then again I could be entirely wrong and writing all this up was a waste of my time?. Say what you think, I expect criticism, or else this probably would have been done a while ago lol.

[Leevoth]

I agree. Although I was one of the first person's to post after the first road map was listed and I called my own comments 'negative', it was meant to be constructive feedback based on my real concerns.

Perhaps, if the new roadmap is just a list and not something that can be replied to, that may help. Just a list to see what updates the Devs have thrown up there, might be a good idea.

[Mot Dab]

Constructive criticism is never a bad thing, however, there is a time and a place. Which could possibly be controlled by locking and unlocking specific subjects in a criticism forums or something I dunno... lol

[Saulus]

The problem is there is always a general lack of "constructive criticism". I'm sure many people think they are giving it, but that is far from the case most of the time. There's a lot of uneducated advice that gets tossed around and a lot of sore egos when it doesn't apply.

[Leevoth]

That's the thing though. Most of the time, people are trying to help. If people think something should be changed to make it better, they will say so.

Of course, not everyone can have what they want all the time, so there will always be upset people. And of course, there are the haters, but screw them anyway.

I guess what I'm saying is...Yay, Roadmap! Spill yer guts Saulus!

[Mot Dab]

Was that "uneducated suggestion" thing hinted toward me? lol meh it happens...
Yes if you don't like the Roadmap link idea, I do think it would be a good idea to open up Thread topics for specific ideas that are in production and can be locked to end "formal" discussion on the topic. You may be able to also add a format to suggestions and criticisms and if it is not strictly followed your post gets trashed.

[sharringtonm]

I believe the un-educated suggestions is geared toward every suggestion that starts off with "I'm not sure if this is possible but...." or "In my opinion...."

As for constructive criticism, every time I see someone post some, 3 people immediately post. 2 of which arguing with them and 1 disparaging the original posters intelligence.

Over the last few years over a few different servers in both NWN1 and NWN2, I have found that constructive criticism is most effective when its sent via PM. There's a few here on this server that have learned I will talk much more openly and frankly with them about their ideas and suggestions if it comes across in a PMs.

[Mot Dab]

I believe the un-educated suggestions is geared toward every suggestion that starts off with "I'm not sure if this is possible but...." or "In my opinion...."

I don't really know if that’s fair to say, because some of us don't have that experience on here to know if something can be done. (Hence why we are not programming a server ourselves). But does that mean our opinion should be overlooked? I do understand why you say that though, it makes sense cause although attempting to be helpful it is "uneducated" all the same.
Maybe it's because if I agreed then I would be agreeing that I myself am very uneducated and am therefore un-helpful... Which I wont really disagree on either... lol
All I am personally saying is I am trying to help and to come back round to the original topic of discussion, I think that if a road map was present it could also show players what CAN be done as far as the server goes.
Although uneducated we are still the player community (or at least I can say for myself lol) and we attempt to help if its helpful or not... and having a roadmap (which is entirely controlled by you guys) may help filter such uneducated guesses by educating...

Yes I agree. However I have never thought to PM a DM as I thought it would "clutter" up their inbox. IF this is a good way to present ideas to a DM is it recomended by all? or just something have going on personally with a few players? If so Ill continue using the forums.

[Shadoweaver]

Perhaps it would be good if the Devs just told us what kind of feedback (if any) they want from the playerbase and give us a clearer picture of what is beyond discussion, and what our opinions would be wanted for?

Shad

[Jaeram]

http://www.sundren.org/forum/showthr...t=sundren+road

Not sure if you saw this thread or not, if so, please disregard this post.

[sharringtonm]

I'm sorry you all feel slighted, but the truth is, I don't have time to teach you all what can and cannot be done. Hell, I really don't know myself half the time.

It took me 3 years of scripting and fiddling with the toolset in NWN1 and then a year of intense work in NWN2 to know what I do. And Saulus sees me as barely competent. (I hope). There is no magic post I can make to teach you what can and can't be done.

If you want to suggest something that your not sure if it can be done, instead of asking us to figure it out for you, why not google it? or search the Vault? Or search the obsidian forums?

When I was trying to figure out how to do something and was stumped, I would post on the forum at Obsidian. There's people that live on that forum that live for this kind of stuff.

Seek the knowledge yourself.
A good example recently was the Mage Armor thread. ((The person who posted that, please do not be offended, it was before all this information, so your not at fault.))
It was suggested in that thread that we figure out how much the ac of armor thats being worn is and then subtract that amount from the mage armor spell so that it doesn't stack with armor. Its posted a few places on the Obsidian forum that there is no function to break an Armor Class down to its types (basicly by this I mean querying the server how much of a person's 26 AC is of the armor type and not the other 4(3?) types.) And there is no direct function to return the unmodified AC off of armor. The person wasn't aware of this, but if he had done a search on the obsidian forum not only would he have answered his own question, he would have seen that Rob McGinnis posted that he would look into making those functions in upcoming patches.

Just because you don't know the answers doesn't mean you can't figure it out. You don't need to know the toolset or scripting to search the web.

If you'd like to suggest a spell or PRC or such, why not find it for us? Link us to it?

See a cool thing on the vault that we haven't discussed before? Link us!

See something thats already in game that breaks the immersion? Thats a great thing to suggest gets fixed.

Have a question your unsure of that sounds like a great idea? And you went out and found the answer on the web? And now you know how to do it and can link us the answer? Thats Awesome! Tell me about it then!

[Mot Dab]

Yes I did find that one and it is what made me think of suggesting what I did above in the first post.

Yes I understand there is no magic page you can post. It is a very good point, and thank you for responding to with the "research Aid thingy..." lol

But my point to this all, was to bring forth a suggestion that may help reduce clutter... That was all... being a project manager of a few other things in life outside of NWN... I know clutter is probably the work of the devil it so awful... and when you let everyone else know (including the "consumer") what you plan on doing and keeping a regular updated "roadmap" then there is less confusion as to what is expected of yourself as a manager, or as a developer.

[rustediron]

You said you wanted to become a dev; I think a character speech writer position was open.