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MikiHeart
10-25-2013, 04:01 AM
I thought we could use a management discussion thread.

Bring up any topic management related, we'll discuss it, and I'll put the question and the most common answers in this first thread.

I'll start us off.

How often do you update, or plan to update your site? (How many adoptables, how often, so fourth)

I personally was thinking to start my site with 5 adoptables, then updating once a month to release I'm thinking 2 or 5 adoptables. For special events, like Halloween, Christmas and Easter, have more, like 5. (I plan to do it like this, because I want my adoptables to be limited. Some limited by time, others limited by adopted times)

How do you update your users with news?

I'm not sure about the system implanted. I can't remember but I have an idea to use myself. I using a script years ago, called cutenews. I think it would be interesting to bridge the two, or implant the same sorta feature. (I like how it had avatars, and comments and stuff) - I plan to do this myself, or commission someone to do it. Either way, I WILL share it. Promise ^^

What do you do for forums?

This is a deal breaker for me. I want a forum inside my adoptable script. I don't care if I have to pay for it. It's GOING to happen XD We need something like bbpress but for this script. A forum we can implant. There's got to be scripts out there, there are so many frameworks. THIS IS HAPPENING AND THAT'S FINAL D<

Hall of Famer
10-25-2013, 06:38 AM
Sounds like an interesting idea, I am not sure if I should say anything about it as I am no longer actively running an actual adoptables site. My internet activity is mostly about PHP development, and this script is of course an important part of it(working on version 1.4.0 now, this will be fun).

I hope you can get people to talk, but its not easy as they see this forum as a support forum only. Unless the nature of this forum can be changed, most will just come ask a question and then never visit again.

MikiHeart
10-25-2013, 08:37 AM
You can still give your opinions, share your knowledge and experience.

I think the nature of the forum should be changed. There should be more discussion. I know it's mostly a development and as you said, people come, they ask questions, they leave.

Shouldn't it be more than that? Shouldn't we support and help each other develop our ideas?

Abronsyth
10-25-2013, 01:49 PM
While I've yet to release a finished or even 80% finished site (I get distracted easily) I do have a general idea of what my answers would be to these questions.

For the first one; I plan to open up Public Beta with at least 10 adoptables, but would prefer more like 20. For updates I'd probably add one or two new adoptables weekly. I'm one of those people who craves updates in VPS, so it makes sense to me to be updating regularly with new pets/items. For holidays it really varies. I'd probably stick to the normal schedule, simply adding holiday-themed pets/items.

The news thing (technical terms here) is something that I've been slowly, slowly picking at. I'm thinking of eventually figuring out how to integrate some sort of blog-type system that would update on the main page as well as send an alert out to all users once a new article is posted. Unfortunately I am a long ways away from having the mastery of php needed to even consider this, but I'll get there eventually or pay someone else to!

Forums drive me nuts. I dislike Mybb in general, and would like a seamlessly integrated message board system. I may go ahead and save up funds to hire someone to come up with this as well. I really need to start learning php some day.

Since this is a management discussion thread I think I'll share some of my problems/experiences as well.

My main problem is that I apparently have dedication issues. I jump around site ideas so much that I can never settle and simply end up doing a lot of work just to dump it for something else. I can't even recall the times I've gone through and just wiped a site clean to start something new. It's frustration that I can't convince myself to stick with something, both to myself and hopeful users.

A secondary problem is I want to do all of the artistic work myself. I want the site to all be done in one style, and if I hired artists they'd end up plotting my demise because I wouldn't leave them alone. Of course when I'm ill or otherwise unable to produce artwork for the site, what am I supposed to do if I'm too picky to hire artists? It's another habit of mine that is incredibly frustrating. In all it's a little hilarious how much my personality infuriates me, or gets in the way of creating a successful adoptables website. However, I am determined to eventually do just that! I have a domain name purchased and just got back into coding CSS/HTML themes the other day.

Oh, there's a fun topic! Site themes and layouts. The theme is the very first thing that catches a potential members eye when they visit the site, so it is one of the most important aspects of said site. I for one know that if I visit a site with an obnoxious, difficult to use theme it doesn't matter how amazing everything else is; I'm done with it. So, what are your preferences/choices with the site theme? Light themes, dark themes? Color palettes? ((I prefer neutral themes such as shades of brown or green for lighter themes, and blue or yellow-green for dark themes)).

Well, ah, there's an elongated post. I need to stop typing books whenever I reply to a thread on a forum.

MikiHeart
10-25-2013, 09:06 PM
I know how you feel. I have the same problem, I always have multiple projects going at the same time. But I don't wipe it clean, ever. I save everything I ever work on, because then I can go back to it, or reuse what I've already created.

With your art problem, I would suggest making adoptables ahead of time. Not as you need them. Be at least 6 months ahead with your releases. That way if something comes up, illness, art block, anything really. You will still have things to release to the public.

I agree with you on themes. I can't stand a site that has poor graphics and a poor theme. It drives me mad! I won't even sign up for a website if it's poor looking. Which is bad, because I know that not everyone can do themes themselves. But I have this thing where everything needs to be perfect and professional looking before I release it to the public.

Hall of Famer
10-28-2013, 10:38 AM
You can still give your opinions, share your knowledge and experience.

I think the nature of the forum should be changed. There should be more discussion. I know it's mostly a development and as you said, people come, they ask questions, they leave.

Shouldn't it be more than that? Shouldn't we support and help each other develop our ideas?

I do want to see it changed, but tbh I do not know what I can do to make this happen. Perhaps the number of users for this script has yet to reach a critical mass such that they can self-organize into a discussion/communication group. I am not sure how BMR's MA worked, but I'd assume his members just formed a community in their own, since BMR seldom interacts or manages the community. After all, the nature of the forum is largely decided by what a forum the active members want it to be.

IntoRain
10-28-2013, 04:29 PM
I guess most people disappear once their site is up or they simply get bored./tired.

I don't really have a website currently, I'm not a spriter nor do I have good ideas, I just mess around with code and enjoy adding stuff (though I've given up on some stuff :P )
BUT if I had one website and since I enjoy coding little things, I'd probably spam it with functionalities and users' suggestions every week or so (I'd spam it with creatures too if I knew how to sprite lol). Like rarities to species, a stream of eggs dragoncave-like (not based on time though), personal shops, some sorting functions (still trying to add groups though, I don't have much time nowadays... xD) and I'm currently implementing a job and a quest system, but it's still at its beginning phase. I like the things you can do with code, even though they will probably never be implemented in any website of mine xD


For the news... Hm. Just posting the news on the forum is enough. Though if it's an event, it would be all over the website. Maybe join in a little bit of roleplay and send messages to users about new locations or species discovered. Like a weekly newspaper or something.


I really like a specific italian forum provider. They have beautiful layouts (free) and the signatures can be... Really, really awesome. I fell in love with it years ago and I always, always use it. It wouldn't be incorporated into the website but I don't really mind, it just looks so pretty and... "free", I love to use it

MikiHeart
10-28-2013, 10:21 PM
Hall of Famer: I think it's because not many people are active. I'll try my best to start things up XD I check for replies like a bazillion times a day @.@

Intorain: I like your feature ideas. Have you ever thought of sharing your codes? At least they can be put to good use.

What forum provider is that?

IntoRain
10-29-2013, 07:23 AM
I'm glad you liked those ideas! :) It's because I'm not good at explaining and most of the time I forget what I did and what I changed to make something work xD I will probably share it once I have the time to write a good explanation about each feature.

forumcommunity.net, the english translation is a little bit weak (it was at least last year) though. http://shugochara.forumcommunity.net is a good example of a pretty and clean design you can do to the forum, although it's about an anime and all xD

Hwona
10-30-2013, 09:08 PM
*sneaks into thread*
I'm hoping to start off the site with about 10-20 adoptables with about 1-4 new releases every now and then (about 1 a week excluding event pets).

Normally I just post any really important news on the home page and as for the forums, I just use a hosted one on another site since mybb seems to really hate me. xP