Greetings! Let's get all you guys up to date on my progress, and the status of our lovely upcoming update.
Nitty gritty aside first. And then we'll get down to the fun stuff! So please bare with me!
You may skip to any of the things you may find more interesting here.
If you have any questions or comments on all of this.
Please check the following thread and query there:
https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=48705
FRUSTRATIONS
*facedesks*
So.. (TL;DR below)
After the 8th time of doing database test updates on our test servers I haven't gotten one step closer to figuring out if I do the update some files will be lost or not. Well. That's a lie. I've gotten closer to figuring out something but is it the something that I need? I have no idea...
So far the process has lead to failed tables to transfer over, or certain information in said tables were lost somewhere in some process.
Whether it was at the time I exported from the original database (NC's Database) Or at the time I imported it onto the test databases, or it was in the actual update process. Those are, so far the only times where it could've gone wrong.
Now, if it was either of the first 2 issues. We're golden to actually set a date for the update. Which would be awesome!
So right now the focus of all my attention has been to figure out how to check this.
Now, mind you, I have had literally NO prior knowledge of any of the methods I've been using, Shinrya Kitsune has been a tremendous support in this endevor on elaborating on programs, commands, and methods of handling all of this sensitive data. So props goes for him!
But the continues effort, I will not deny rests on my hand. As I wish not any sensitive data to get into other hands, or experience major fallouts to render NC ruined and/or missing several days worth of information. So while the site slithers forward and everyone is doing their daily postings I have been keeping up with the update testing.
To be frank on the matter, it takes about two hours just to prepare for an update test (dropping the old database, re-uploading, deleting site files, re-uploading.. Basically removing the newly updated version with a new one needing an update) And then further time to prepare for the update process itself, as the database tends to take several hours to actually update the site content. I.e you won't be able to get any information from the database to the site URL until the whole thing is synced up. And THEN you can update without any errors. (that's at least from what I've learned through the past attempts so far!)
I've been approx. doing one update test per-day.
So I can safely say it's been some hard weeks, to also combine that with normal day-to-day projects in RL.
But.
I digress. Enough of me and my complaining.
TL;DR
Shit's tough bro.. But I keep testing though!
BANNER
Now, with all that dirt and grit aside. Let's get to the fun stuff.
At least fun for the graphics inclined.
We need a new BANNER
If you'll see this..
Lotsa Russian women around apparently!
Doesn't that look boring? Like, very boring?
Now let's try and add the current NC banner.
Bit more my kind of ad!
And when it does this, it also stretches the sides in order to use a 100% width. This is built in the style. So very difficult to change, unless we wanna miss out on the other goodies you see at the top of the site. (Will explain those later on)
I'm putting up another banner contest. This might also include a new logo. But I haven't made a decision on that yet. (I find the current one I made pretty neat)
For now, banner!
This contest is a little unique though.
For now, the color base is red. (look at the colors of the style in above pictures)
We might include other colors in different variations of the same style to enable different banners with different color themes as well.
The height limit is 280 pixels
The width limit is basically.. As wide as your computer can handle, but do not exceed 1920 pixels (due to most monitors being 1920 pixels in width.)
No text!! - This Style is a bit sweet, in the way that the the logo at the top left corner has text, and can have more text underneath it. This makes it so text doesn't disappear if you're on your phone, tablet or desktop.
One of the most key and essential guidelines for a beautiful banner for this style is most definitely:
Your design, render, most important subject, your creme-de-la-creme!!
A base example, without anything cool about it would be this.
Basically keep it all in the middle.
The style also cuts a bit off the top So take that into advisement when designing as well!
That's about it.
Please send all submissions to this contest my way.
I'll put up the voting once I have announced the set week where I'll do the update.
This meaning, you'd have a week to vote. And if not enough have voted, I'll let the vote continue on as the update comes through.
When you have submitted an image. I'll load it up on the test site, and I'll screencap it, just like the others above, and that would be the image you vote on.
If you have questions regarding this little competition, feel free to hit me up at any time.
FANCY BUTTONS
So if you remember the screenshots from before, those fancy buttons at the top.
What are those, you might be wondering..
I hate to make false promises, so please remember that everything mentioned regarding these extensions, are eligible to change.
Mostly due to either an update to an extension, or the extensions itself suddenly not working, or we end up finding out we can't use it for anything. Or based off-of this post people hate the idea. Or something entirely different.
Any rate. On with the show!
I'll try and explain them as best I can below.
So FIRST UP! Quick Links.
This little bad-boy is awesome. It contains the information you see at the right side.
But also, if you're on your phone in portrait mode, it'll contain all the other buttons.
Making navigation on your phone or on other small browsers super easy.
Now, SECONDLY Glossary.
Now this one is sweet. You may have heard of glossaries and their intended purpose.
In this case it's very much accurate. In video game terms, on NC, it works like a tooltip.
So if you're sitting and playing one of them vidya games, and you moused over an object you'd get certain information regarding that object.
On NC, the extensions works like a link and gives you information regarding a specific word or sentence.
This has a lot of utilities, and many ways it could help a lot of players.
There are many ideas on this as well, but for now. the main idea behind it, is as follows:
If a player writes a shortened word. Let's say "BL" Or "CA" or "CP"
that "word" would be click-able. And if you do, an explanation of it would be shown.
An example of this, can be seen below. (it's just some semi-accurate text I wrote)
The way it works is that at the page that the top button leads you to, shows you a list of the glossary'd words.
Right now, on the test site, it's just BL = Bloodlines
But when we do the update, and we've had time to adjust and add things, there'll be added many more terms.
Another potential, but not yet decided on method of usefulness is to use it for the Battle System. But we're still figuring out how this can exactly work with so many different terms, and many of the words also being said in RPs. (which is where we would like to try to avoid a tooltip like this showing up in.)
And so THIRD News.
There isn't much to be said about this. We're still testing it out to see the potential features.
But so far what we have to say is that you'd be able to make articles, pages, and add certain information in it.
There are many ideas on the board.
Perhaps it could be used like a wiki of sorts for the Battle System? Or an actual source for news from the villages? Maybe something entirely different?
We don't know yet. We haven't gotten that far with it's testing. I'll write more about it once we know more.
Most of you should know what the ACP (Adminstrative Control Panel) is. But it's a button that should only be visible for those with access.
So I won't elaborate on that.
Yen is the exact same as now. Same system, same use. Same everything.
FOURTHLY Rules.
Now, it should be FAIRLY obvious what the purpose of this extension is.
It'll be a unique page, containing all of the site rules.
It will all be in one, easy to use and browse window. All with different sections and utility.
A perfect example would be the phpbb's own forum rules. https://www.phpbb.com/rules/
And lastly, a FIFTHLY extension that isn't completely obvious is Pages.
It's basically like the News extension, except we would have full control over it. This could be a container for a javascript or a php file.
It's all being tested, and naturally people won't be able to submit things themselves, so it won't be a security risk in that respect.
Now. All the above, area all pretty awesome if you ask me.
We can get new tools, new toys, new experiments and tests with them all.
All in all pretty neat.
At least in my eyes.
DISCORD
Now, if you weren't aware. We have a Discord chat. Woah!, right?, amazing!
Discord has a lot of fun utilities.
One of them is bots.
We're looking at what bots are cool, what functions they have that we could use, and how we could use them.
One such a feature is RSS feeds, and with the 3.1 update I intend to enable feeds for threads, forums, maybe even categories.
Now, you can add these feeds to your phone, or most news applications out in the web.
They are pretty neat.
But I digress, there are bots that can read feeds, and supply with announcements and thread updates as things the bots then post up, link to, or give synopsis of (depending on the bot)
We've been testing out bots, and so far one has won our little internal test races, and so, when 3.1 hits, we'll be including that bot to the Discord server. And we'll be enabling the feeds from Announcements and maybe some other areas.
We might even make a place where we'd have RSS feeds for General discussions or something else. Y'never know!
Look forward to that.
(if you're like me, and likes RSS feeds instead of emails in some respects)
unrelated side note
Sorry Kouin, Mee6 just doesn't seem to be your friend~
Nitty gritty aside first. And then we'll get down to the fun stuff! So please bare with me!
You may skip to any of the things you may find more interesting here.
If you have any questions or comments on all of this.
Please check the following thread and query there:
https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=48705
FRUSTRATIONS
*facedesks*
So.. (TL;DR below)
After the 8th time of doing database test updates on our test servers I haven't gotten one step closer to figuring out if I do the update some files will be lost or not. Well. That's a lie. I've gotten closer to figuring out something but is it the something that I need? I have no idea...
So far the process has lead to failed tables to transfer over, or certain information in said tables were lost somewhere in some process.
Whether it was at the time I exported from the original database (NC's Database) Or at the time I imported it onto the test databases, or it was in the actual update process. Those are, so far the only times where it could've gone wrong.
Now, if it was either of the first 2 issues. We're golden to actually set a date for the update. Which would be awesome!
So right now the focus of all my attention has been to figure out how to check this.
Now, mind you, I have had literally NO prior knowledge of any of the methods I've been using, Shinrya Kitsune has been a tremendous support in this endevor on elaborating on programs, commands, and methods of handling all of this sensitive data. So props goes for him!
But the continues effort, I will not deny rests on my hand. As I wish not any sensitive data to get into other hands, or experience major fallouts to render NC ruined and/or missing several days worth of information. So while the site slithers forward and everyone is doing their daily postings I have been keeping up with the update testing.
To be frank on the matter, it takes about two hours just to prepare for an update test (dropping the old database, re-uploading, deleting site files, re-uploading.. Basically removing the newly updated version with a new one needing an update) And then further time to prepare for the update process itself, as the database tends to take several hours to actually update the site content. I.e you won't be able to get any information from the database to the site URL until the whole thing is synced up. And THEN you can update without any errors. (that's at least from what I've learned through the past attempts so far!)
I've been approx. doing one update test per-day.
So I can safely say it's been some hard weeks, to also combine that with normal day-to-day projects in RL.
But.
I digress. Enough of me and my complaining.
TL;DR
Shit's tough bro.. But I keep testing though!
BANNER
Now, with all that dirt and grit aside. Let's get to the fun stuff.
At least fun for the graphics inclined.
We need a new BANNER
- "But whyyy Tetsuo?! Isn't our current one cool?!" you might be asking.
- "But why can't we just use it then?" You might respond.
If you'll see this..
Lotsa Russian women around apparently!
Now let's try and add the current NC banner.
Bit more my kind of ad!
- "Woah?! What happened?" you might be thinking. Or saying out loud.
And when it does this, it also stretches the sides in order to use a 100% width. This is built in the style. So very difficult to change, unless we wanna miss out on the other goodies you see at the top of the site. (Will explain those later on)
- "What does all that mean?"
I'm putting up another banner contest. This might also include a new logo. But I haven't made a decision on that yet. (I find the current one I made pretty neat)
For now, banner!
This contest is a little unique though.
For now, the color base is red. (look at the colors of the style in above pictures)
We might include other colors in different variations of the same style to enable different banners with different color themes as well.
The height limit is 280 pixels
The width limit is basically.. As wide as your computer can handle, but do not exceed 1920 pixels (due to most monitors being 1920 pixels in width.)
No text!! - This Style is a bit sweet, in the way that the the logo at the top left corner has text, and can have more text underneath it. This makes it so text doesn't disappear if you're on your phone, tablet or desktop.
One of the most key and essential guidelines for a beautiful banner for this style is most definitely:
Your design, render, most important subject, your creme-de-la-creme!!
- Must be at the center of the image. And the sides must be less interesting, or at least not with any important graphical elements.
A base example, without anything cool about it would be this.
LIKE THIS
NOT LIKE THIS
NOT LIKE THIS
Basically keep it all in the middle.
The style also cuts a bit off the top So take that into advisement when designing as well!
That's about it.
Please send all submissions to this contest my way.
I'll put up the voting once I have announced the set week where I'll do the update.
This meaning, you'd have a week to vote. And if not enough have voted, I'll let the vote continue on as the update comes through.
When you have submitted an image. I'll load it up on the test site, and I'll screencap it, just like the others above, and that would be the image you vote on.
If you have questions regarding this little competition, feel free to hit me up at any time.
FANCY BUTTONS
So if you remember the screenshots from before, those fancy buttons at the top.
What are those, you might be wondering..
I hate to make false promises, so please remember that everything mentioned regarding these extensions, are eligible to change.
Mostly due to either an update to an extension, or the extensions itself suddenly not working, or we end up finding out we can't use it for anything. Or based off-of this post people hate the idea. Or something entirely different.
Any rate. On with the show!
I'll try and explain them as best I can below.
So FIRST UP! Quick Links.
This little bad-boy is awesome. It contains the information you see at the right side.
But also, if you're on your phone in portrait mode, it'll contain all the other buttons.
Making navigation on your phone or on other small browsers super easy.
Now, SECONDLY Glossary.
Now this one is sweet. You may have heard of glossaries and their intended purpose.
In this case it's very much accurate. In video game terms, on NC, it works like a tooltip.
So if you're sitting and playing one of them vidya games, and you moused over an object you'd get certain information regarding that object.
On NC, the extensions works like a link and gives you information regarding a specific word or sentence.
This has a lot of utilities, and many ways it could help a lot of players.
There are many ideas on this as well, but for now. the main idea behind it, is as follows:
If a player writes a shortened word. Let's say "BL" Or "CA" or "CP"
that "word" would be click-able. And if you do, an explanation of it would be shown.
An example of this, can be seen below. (it's just some semi-accurate text I wrote)
The way it works is that at the page that the top button leads you to, shows you a list of the glossary'd words.
But when we do the update, and we've had time to adjust and add things, there'll be added many more terms.
Another potential, but not yet decided on method of usefulness is to use it for the Battle System. But we're still figuring out how this can exactly work with so many different terms, and many of the words also being said in RPs. (which is where we would like to try to avoid a tooltip like this showing up in.)
And so THIRD News.
There isn't much to be said about this. We're still testing it out to see the potential features.
But so far what we have to say is that you'd be able to make articles, pages, and add certain information in it.
There are many ideas on the board.
Perhaps it could be used like a wiki of sorts for the Battle System? Or an actual source for news from the villages? Maybe something entirely different?
We don't know yet. We haven't gotten that far with it's testing. I'll write more about it once we know more.
Most of you should know what the ACP (Adminstrative Control Panel) is. But it's a button that should only be visible for those with access.
So I won't elaborate on that.
Yen is the exact same as now. Same system, same use. Same everything.
FOURTHLY Rules.
Now, it should be FAIRLY obvious what the purpose of this extension is.
It'll be a unique page, containing all of the site rules.
It will all be in one, easy to use and browse window. All with different sections and utility.
A perfect example would be the phpbb's own forum rules. https://www.phpbb.com/rules/
And lastly, a FIFTHLY extension that isn't completely obvious is Pages.
It's basically like the News extension, except we would have full control over it. This could be a container for a javascript or a php file.
It's all being tested, and naturally people won't be able to submit things themselves, so it won't be a security risk in that respect.
Now. All the above, area all pretty awesome if you ask me.
We can get new tools, new toys, new experiments and tests with them all.
All in all pretty neat.
At least in my eyes.
DISCORD
Now, if you weren't aware. We have a Discord chat. Woah!, right?, amazing!
Discord has a lot of fun utilities.
One of them is bots.
We're looking at what bots are cool, what functions they have that we could use, and how we could use them.
One such a feature is RSS feeds, and with the 3.1 update I intend to enable feeds for threads, forums, maybe even categories.
Now, you can add these feeds to your phone, or most news applications out in the web.
They are pretty neat.
But I digress, there are bots that can read feeds, and supply with announcements and thread updates as things the bots then post up, link to, or give synopsis of (depending on the bot)
We've been testing out bots, and so far one has won our little internal test races, and so, when 3.1 hits, we'll be including that bot to the Discord server. And we'll be enabling the feeds from Announcements and maybe some other areas.
We might even make a place where we'd have RSS feeds for General discussions or something else. Y'never know!
Look forward to that.
(if you're like me, and likes RSS feeds instead of emails in some respects)
unrelated side note
Sorry Kouin, Mee6 just doesn't seem to be your friend~