Most Wanted Improvements

[Draenin]

Okay, let me go ahead and say these things ahead of time to save a lot of pointless debating.

• The results of this poll do not accurately represent an opinional consensus whole of the entire Graal playerbase.
• This poll is purely for the purpose of inquiry for a small division of the community which uses the forum.
• This is not some kind of affront toward administrators. It's just to see where there might be a lot of demand for improvements.

With that said, I've tried to be as broad as possible with the choices presented in this poll. Try to vote for the things you think matter most, and remember that you're wasting your vote if you select everything or nothing.

If you wish to regard information from the results as rubbish, feel free to do so. But I think it might be in the interest of people on the forums, so let's see where things go, shall we?

[callimuc]

Actually there need´s to be an update in all things

Website (Layout, Web 2.0 Features, Theme, Content)
Could be in need of some new style. Or at least have a little option scroller somewhere where people can toggle it since some people might want to keep this design, while a new design could be more friendly for new people

Business Approach (Subscriptions, Rentals, Promotions, Gelat Shop)
Speaking of Super Rewards: They need to get updated. There are always old links which have been already used by the user and just like 50% are not working at all.

Game Client (Bug Fixes, Options, Controls, Video Capture, Voice Chat)
There are so many small bugs with the Default system (movement and stuff) which also have been on iClassic. Well they fixed it there (at least some) but there should be a global fix of them (like with the horse that you can move through 1 tile thick walls to the bottom/right). I´m sure there are a lot of more bugs where players already won´t pay that much attention because they are used to them.

Development Tools (RC, GraalEditor, GraalShop, TerrainGen, LevelGen)
The GraalShop really need´s an update which can maybe support different stuff (being able to see the CHANGEIMGCOLOR changes in the GraalShop, maybe supporting different alpha images, not 8bit images only and stuff). Pretty much the same counts for the GraalEditor which should be able to atleast debug GS2 scripts (doesn´t have to run them).

Content (Quality and Quantity)
(If I understood it correctly) there should be more default features/images/ganis/... which can be used by servers which just started (even though they are dead in 1 month). Wouldn´t require players to come to the forums and look up every single content. Or there should be one thread (maybe hosted by PWA´s) where people can get different shared things (ganis, graphics, scripts) which would be sorted. Could clear up a lot of confusion if people are showing some stuff for suggestions while some people might think they are shared or whatever.

User Education (Tutorials, Instructional Videos, User Mentoring)
Tutorials are mostly server based, but some stuff probably won´t change on the most servers (map opening, inventory, moving keys, ...) so maybe there should be a little option at the login, showing what keys do what. Maybe there should be a .txt somewhere in the Graal folder having everything documented. There is one though, but that´s in the shields folder (looked for it at a v6 version of Graal which I downloaded a few weeks ago and actually didn´t change anything in there).

Content Integration (Multi-Platform & Multi-Website Integration)
Not sure how this is handled by Stefan/Unixmad, but servers should have a better chance of going at least FB. Or there should be one FB version where you can login to any Graal server just like when you would install it. Stuff could get limited though (no client RC and stuff). Could get some peoples attention from FB without having just iClassic as option (and soon probably iEra) where a lot of people are raging.

This are things how I see it. Probably a lot of stuff is not possible/won´t get changed, but I´m sure some things could get changed.

[Draenin]

Originally Posted by callimuc

User Education (Tutorials, Instructional Videos, User Mentoring)
Tutorials are mostly server based, but some stuff probably won´t change on the most servers (map opening, inventory, moving keys, ...) so maybe there should be a little option at the login, showing what keys do what. Maybe there should be a .txt somewhere in the Graal folder having everything documented. There is one though, but that´s in the shields folder (looked for it at a v6 version of Graal which I downloaded a few weeks ago and actually didn´t change anything in there).

By this section, I mostly mean users educating other users about how to do difficult things. Not server developers teaching players how to play the game.

Several categories in this poll relate directly to players, so don't just think it's calling for change from administrators alone.

[callimuc]

Originally Posted by Draenin

By this section, I mostly mean users educating other users about how to do difficult things. Not server developers teaching players how to play the game.

Might have stated it wrong. But I didn´t mean that single servers should do it. With the login I ment the login server where you log into before you join a server. There should be somewhere such a button.

Having players teach others something can work out good, but than mostly on servers with FAQs. A general quick tutorial with the basic and most used keys would do it too.

[Draenin]

Originally Posted by callimuc

A general quick tutorial with the basic and most used keys would do it too.

Writing up a tutorial for how to put stuff like that in your server so you don't have to explain it yourself to every player would fall under User Education too.

[Cubical]

You guys are aware users can create developer tools yourself using gscript?

[Draenin]

Originally Posted by Cubical

You guys are aware users can create developer tools yourself using gscript?

I am well aware. I chose not to include it in the poll because of character limitations.

However, I would even say that's a problem with User Education because not enough people are aware of useful scripted tools or they don't know how to make them. Unfortunately, scripting is not a skill everyone has.

[James]

everything

[dude2020]

Originally Posted by James

everything

This.

[Geno]

i know this poll didnt get that many votes

[papajchris]

Why do people keep making threads about improving Graal? It's not going to improve until management can improve.

[Draenin]

Originally Posted by papajchris

Why do people keep making threads about improving Graal? It's not going to improve until management can improve.

Hopefully you made your choices reflect what you're saying.

[anubis_wing]

Development tools means better development, which in turn means better servers, which means more players, which means more advertisement, which means more players, which means better developers, which means better servers, etc.

[Fulg0reSama]

Originally Posted by anubis_wing

Development tools means better development, which in turn means better servers, which means more players, which means more advertisement, which means more players, which means better developers, which means better servers, etc.

Only if it were so simple.

[Draenin]

Originally Posted by Fulg0reSama

Only if it were so simple.

Scripted tools could really change the development scene if they were released as one solid package. However, I would suggest some kind of voting system for which tools get included in package updates on the forums. I can think of several tools right now which would accelerate game development on every server if more people were aware of them.

[ffcmike]

I'm surprised development tools currently have the most votes. I would have thought any efforts to modernise them would be futile as long as PC Graal keeps the current business model. Whereas with an improved business model PC Graal could get away with being insufficient in these other areas.

That said it's been stated this is directed at a small division of the community which use the forums, which I suppose would consist of a higher proportion of developers.

[fowlplay4]

Subscriptions need to be re-worked. Observer mode needs to be eradicated from the game.

Better documentation will help development much more than updated development tools will. The lack of documentation leaves skilled developers to find out features by mistake or on their own. It'd also be nice if our requested features were added every once in awhile (and not just because they're essential to iWorld).

Despite the age of the tools and the painful work flow it's still possible to create high quality content with them.

As for improving development tools it would be cool to be able to "deploy" a level with client-side GS2 and allow players to be able to test it without having to shell out for a server.

Level Editor -> Deploy Button -> Level sent to server -> Server Compiles Level/GS2 -> Returns Compilied Level/GS2 -> Loads Level in V6 Client (Offline Mode).

[Draenin]

Let me just say, I am loving these numbers right now. Thanks so much for voting, guys.

Just makes me put a hand to my chin and go, "Hmmmm."

[Fulg0reSama]

Originally Posted by Draenin

Let me just say, I am loving these numbers right now. Thanks so much for voting, guys.

Just makes me put a hand to my chin and go, "Hmmmm."

I'm a bit impressed as well.

Though I'm a bit surprised by (comparatively speaking) the lack of votes in "Staff Professionalism".
I'm aware of course about the issues that underlay the foundation for why there's a decline in professionalism amongst staff.

[MajinDragon]

Staff professionalism and Content.

Though content IMO is the most pressing issue on Graal, - It is what ultimately retains users/customers - it is surely wishful thinking to ask for content without dealing with the underline reason for the lack of it; Staff professionalism. It's very difficult to imagine a talented developer consistently devoting most of his time into various projects with no real incentives. This ofcourse leads to very inconsistent levels of development periodically; where most of the development, if any, centres around holiday periods but is rarely/never followed up by anything more, this often leads to a focus on the short-term playercount or success of the seasonal event. It also leads to an obvious lack of developers or talented enough developers who move on to more inspiring projects.

While I've highlighted and elaborated on what I feel are the key issues, we need a solution. Incentives are the key, and the two that would work best in this situation is ownership (credit) and finance. Finance would be a more immediate incentive and solution to staff professionalism as staff would be required to meet performance standards to earn their pay. How this would be co-ordinated is another discussion. Ownership would be a better incentive IMO, but more difficult to pull off as it works out as a financial incentive in the long run.

I should mention that a Business Approach is also very important but not before the foundations are laid. There's no point spending money promoting a terrible product.

[Fulg0reSama]

Originally Posted by MajinDragon

Staff professionalism and Content.

Though content IMO is the most pressing issue on Graal, - It is what ultimately retains users/customers - it is surely wishful thinking to ask for content without dealing with the underline reason for the lack of it; Staff professionalism. It's very difficult to imagine a talented developer consistently devoting most of his time into various projects with no real incentives. This ofcourse leads to very inconsistent levels of development periodically; where most of the development, if any, centres around holiday periods but is rarely/never followed up by anything more, this often leads to a focus on the short-term playercount or success of the seasonal event. It also leads to an obvious lack of developers or talented enough developers who move on to more inspiring projects.

While I've highlighted and elaborated on what I feel are the key issues, we need a solution. Incentives are the key, and the two that would work best in this situation is ownership (credit) and finance. Finance would be a more immediate incentive and solution to staff professionalism as staff would be required to meet performance standards to earn their pay. How this would be co-ordinated is another discussion. Ownership would be a better incentive IMO, but more difficult to pull off as it works out as a financial incentive in the long run.

I should mention that a Business Approach is also very important but not before the foundations are laid. There's no point spending money promoting a terrible product.

+rep

Thank you Sherlock