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Topic: Rizzen's Blog: Changes & New Site Progress (Read 1151 times) |
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Rizzen
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Last On: 04/27/11
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Greetings,
This marks the first post of the progress I'm making on two fronts:
1) short term: Improvements on this site. socket erros, database response times etc.
2) New web site.
Now let me go in to the details thus far.
We've added 2 more people to our team:
"No": http://www.neverwinterconnections.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/statistics/id/38722.htm
"Deusin": http://www.neverwinterconnections.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/statistics/id/38723.htm
They both are long time friends and are pretty pumped to be working on this.
We've layed out our tasks for the next few days:
Me: I'll be working on the current site for the interim. I'll be changing all of the links on this site to use ?name=valuepairs&name=valuepairs instead of using the forward slashes. Believe it or not, thats the source of all of our problems. We went that route in the beginning to avoid the issues with search engines back in 2001. They wouldn't index sites that had ?& in their URL's. that changed. However, it locked us in to a very old server version.
Once I've finished that I have to jump in and change our 404 error screen to catch and redirect from all the broken external links we'll have now. I'll need all community members to update any links they have on their own websites, their forums, and in the their profiles.
Finally, I'll need to send "Deusin" all of the existing queries to put in to Stored Proceedures. I'll then take his stored proceedures and place them in to CFC's in coldfusion.
Basically all of this will drastically speed up the site.
"No": will be working on the new layout and will have something to show us very soon... the community that is. Once he's done with that, he's jumping over and taking over where I last left off. I'll then jump on to his new layout and start coding like a mad man. We aren't reusing 99% of our code. Its all going to be new based off of what I've learned in the last 6 years. Once he's done with the current site modifications we'll get him on the new site also.
"Deusin" will be our database extrodinare. He's starting this evening by going through and optimizing the database and re-indexing our table structure. So by tomorrow morning you should "feel" a change to this website. Then he'll start on putting all of my queries in to stored proceedures.
Ok, that covers our next 4 days.
Let me talk quickly about what we have planned. I'm not going to get in to too much because I dont' want to end up promissing something we just can't deliver on.
Question: When will you be done with the site?
Answer: By the end of May
Question: Rizzen mentioned a while ago that he's going to create a network of sites? What about NWC?
Answer: Our 1st and #1 priority is to build NWC from scratch by the end of May. Its going to use the NeverwinterConnections.com domain name. However, it will also have the new domain name which we'll announce later today or tomorrow. The new domain name is similar but will allow us to go to other games also.
Question: Are you going to have two seperate sites for NWN and NWN2?
Answer: I don't think so. Why? We could end up fracturing the community more. If you feel strongly in favor of two seperate sites, please... start a thread to discuss the pros and cons of it!
Question: Can we beta test the new site?
Answer: Yes... I will let you know when 
Question: You did such a crappy job running this site over the last 1 1/2 years, why should you keep running it.
Answer: Actually, I'd prefer you guys run it when we are done. A council. Now I plan on being on the council... but the council members will have full admin functionality to change news/links/pages... add and remove portraits, classes/races.... you name it.
Ok, thats enough for now. Please feel free to discuss this in another thread. I'm going to keep this one locked so only I can update it. I'll post more later.
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 15, 2006, 5:57PM » |
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Rizzen
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We've settled on a new domain name. Just waiting on whether we've successfully registered it or not.
NeverwinterConnections.com will always be in place, however we are grabbing a new one also. Just FYI.
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Rizzen
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Damn Gilaun is fast!
We now own game-connections.com
So... besides http://www.NeverwinterConnections.com we'll have nwn.game-connections.com
Nothing is there yet... no server binding etc. So don't expect anything there yet.
My plan is to move over this code to nwn.game-connections.com. Massage it... get it working really well, then move http://www.neverwinterconnections.com over to it. So you guys are free to check out the improvements I am making on it to remove socket errors etc.
Woohoo!
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Deusin
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Greetings!
I thought I would take a second to introduce myself and afterwards put myself square in your line of fire.
I’ve been gaming for nearly as long as I can remember. Starting with the scary 1st Edition D&D and the earliest RPG’s available for computers and consoles. My interest has never waned for any extended period of time and I always find myself back looking for more role playing and character development. I’ve DM’d for at least 15 years (started far too young). Back in the day I GM’d on two separate MUDS before I had a hand in the development and running of my own. These days I try to balance my time between my wonderful family, a full time job and rabid enthusiasm to all forms of Gaming.
Now for what you all really wanted to hear: What can I do to help out around here? I’ll be handling much of the back-end side of things; particularly the database responsible for everything. First thing I’d like to do is work on performance of what we have to work with right now. Which pages or sections on our site here are the slowest for you? Is there anything you’ve noticed that just seems to take longer than it should? I’d appreciate hearing about it in a PM so I know where to focus my efforts.
Thanks in advance.
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Rizzen
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One thing I've learned in the last 6 years is how to write a foreign language system for websites. One code base, multiple languages. So, we'll have multiple language support right out of the gates.
We'll need individuals to help translate of course... but the support will be there!
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Rizzen
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I've touched bases with Jay W at Bioware and Shane the community manager of NWN2. Looks like we are in like Flinn and will have a great relationship with Shane. Of course Jay loves us (as we do him!) and was very glad to hear from us. I'll contact him again once we are all done and can make a Dragon Age and MMORPG page for them.
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 15, 2006, 11:47PM » |
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Deusin
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Heads up!
Just a brief warning that while overall the system should improve in stability and speed, tonight and tomorrow some infrequent lag spikes will occur as things get cleaned up and running more smoothly.
Weather the brief storm if you can and if it's causing anyone significant problems or frustration, please message me and I'll throttle it back for a bit. I'll be monitoring messaging close enough that response time should be good tonight.
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Rizzen
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Lots of work accomplished tonight! Good news too.
The site is up and running on the new box and we made some changes to short cut our issues! Meaning: I think we can start using it now!
I'd like everyone to start using:
http://beta.game-connections.com
Keep in mind that this is a temporary domain name and once we decide its free of socket errors, we'll redirect to this.
Good job to Gilaun for putting in many hours to get this done!
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Rizzen
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Work is progressing fast! I hope we can keep up this pace.
I cannot wait to show you guys what "No" has going on the new design. Hopefully in the next few days we can give you a peak at it.
The new server seems to be running well! Be sure to post any socket errors you encounter on the new server... in the other thread. Please dont' post in there unless you get one.
I haven't had a chance to chat with Deusin yet... Hopefully we can get these forums in shape. The queries that is.
Hopefully I can talk "No" in to posting an update on some plans of his. I need to start coding the new site this Saturday (I've already got a bunch of code done... but really, really need the new design). Its very hard for me to not have control of the design process. Its my baby and I've always done my own design for my own projects. But... "No" is light years beyond me in Photoshop and 3D Studio Max. Damn artsists. Suppose it helps to have a fricken art degree...
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 16, 2006, 4:22PM » |
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Rizzen
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I mentioned in a previous post that we’ll be supporting multiple languages. I thought I’d expand upon this a bit. For the last two years, at my current job, I’ve done exactly that… give language support to web pages. My plan is to use the following list of the worlds 100 most popular languages (feel free to create a thread and tell me a different list) to get us started.
http://www.serv-inf.deusto.es/ABAITUA/konzeptu/nlp/top100.htm
The idea is you would choose your spoken language and any secondary languages you speak. Although, I haven’t decided on only a primary and no secondary languages yet or not (there are issues with this).
You would see a drop down list that would resemble this:
English (6899)
Spanish (1022)
Italian (250)
…
The number in parenthesis is the number of other language speakers of that specific language that exist on our site. So not only can you choose a language you know, but you know how well it is represented on the site.
Now… the language Administrator… I have multiple ideas on this subject.
1) Users can edit the language “labels” much like a wiki… They have free reign but past version can be rolled back. But they do have to be members before they can make changes. They would also see on the page somewhere a notification saying “Another (6) translations need to be made to the site you are viewing” just to let them know when something gets added to the site that’s not translated.
2) The other option is to allow the “council” to choose specific translators. I’m less inclined to use this method. Although, it allows a greater degree of control.
In addition to this, each game and profile would list the language preference… so that games can be filtered/hidden from view based on the language of choice.
Last, let me describe exactly what a “label” is. A label is any text that makes up the user interface of the site. Where our site says “My Scheduled Games”, that is a label. Wherever that is seen we check the database for a translation based on your language choice and display the appropriate language.
An admin for labels would look something like this:
If you have any additional comments or would like to see something completely different, please let me know through the discussion thread.
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 16, 2006, 2:08PM » |
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Rizzen
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Wow, lots of changes tonight. Deusin just logged for the night after pumping out a bunch of stored proceedures.
I'm trying to think of everything I changed tonight. I'll let Deusin tell you his.
1 ) Forums: "return to top" of page.
2 ) Fixed the numbering issues of the threads list.
3 ) Changed the folder navigation and added it to the bottom of some pages and not just the top.
4 ) Used one of Deusin's queries to alter a query on this and many other pages that were calling a simmilar query.
5 ) Put some quries in a cfc.
6 ) Fixed user links of moderators and forum operators so they didn't go to white screen from bad url.
7 ) Choped off a bunch of old content that was just clutter.
8 ) altered the queries on the front page with Deusins help again.
9 ) revamped the query of users/guilds.
10) recoded online users page... much much better
11) Made online users page alphabetical
12) changed layout of online users page
11) For fun I added "Member Since" to the player profile screen.
12) Changed fonts on Forum a bit... bold was bad. Also, added tool tips to most of the icons.
...Tons of query changes.
A big thanks goes out to J'dai Voison! She's our bug queen. Actually she is, without a doubt, the most valuable member we've probably ever had on this site. *snif*... we miss her! I've been going through all her bug reports and suggestions over the last few days.lot of those.
Ok, tired... going to bed.
Oh, "No" was gmail'ing me some damn cool designs tonight. Soon, so very soon.
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 17, 2006, 12:09AM » |
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Deusin
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Morning,
Late, late last night had Rizzen and I working on improving the specific performance of a couple different pages. Most notably: the front page, the forums and online users. As excited developers are apt to do, we wandered a bit just making minor changes here and there as well.
It was late and the forum page changes didn't quite get completed (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the new functionality I couldn't NOT put in).
Still, my familiarity with this particular system is improving so that I should be fully a master of it just in time to rewrite everything for the new site No is working on. *snicker*
Expect more changes soonish. Cross country deployments at work today, but perhaps I can sneak out early and make some more progress...
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 17, 2006, 4:53PM » |
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Rizzen
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Good Evening!
I just got done fixing a few bugs on the forum. More www1.rpgwarehouse.com links were on moderator lists.
Deusin and No are coming over to my house to game tonight... Well, we were going to table top game but one of our friends couldn't make it so we decided to brainstorm our database stuff tonight and get some serious planage done tonight.
I'm hoping to be able to show you a preliminary design snipet (just a small portion of the new look) later tonight or tomorrow. Its looking awesome. I hope you guys agree. I'll give you guys some hints:
- Illuminated Book (google it)
- Map in the background
- Ancient Line art with angels & dragons
- parchment
- Professional
- Navigation similar to Gamespot. Horizontal.
Ok, thats just enough to Whet your fancies... However... I hope it doesn't sound too hideous, because it really isn't.
Man, oh man do we have some cool plans in the works... Just to whet your appetites more.
* RSS feeds for every player & character on the site.
Ok... I better stop.
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Rizzen
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Whew! We are getting a ton done tonight! And we aren't even close to be done (I hope thats the case anyways).
I'm not sure where to start:
* Fixed a bunch forum bugs
* Optimized a ton of queries
* Mark all posts, mark all topics read, very fast (was crashing server sometimes)
* BIG ONE: We now have Top 50 most recent posts. This only shows the posts from our primary forums... not from peoples games. Hold your mouse over the thread and you'll see what forum its from.
* Last post now only shows posts from the main forums.
We are working on optimizing the Threads list queries... removing a cubic ton of debris there... getting it very fast.
Oh, and thanks for the great suggestions. We'll be scraping the review system for something like Lazybones is suggesting... I'm also looking forward to reading some compiled suggestions soon that should get us really going on the right track.
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No
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Hi all,
Alright, here's the new layout baby...
[img src="http://www.neverwinterconnections.com/new_design.jpg"]
Well, part of the new baby... really, it's just a picture of the new baby. And don't think that just because I'm calling it 'The New Baby' that you all have to like it and ooooh and ahhh. Lots of people have ugly babies, and you shouldn't be afraid to tell them so.
I think I wandered off topic there. To refocus this post, questions, comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thank you guys for your awesome responsiveness while we're putting these exciting things together. It is a great motivation to have such a band of helpful members.
Oh, and btw, I'm No. I do CF code and scrawl pretty pictures. Yay!
-No
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| « Last Edit: on: Mar 20, 2006, 3:37AM » |
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Rizzen
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You can now delete Campaigns.
Also, the page numbering issue on the "Top 50 Recent Posts" has been fixed.
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