[F] *New* Formalizing Idea Submissions

[fiernaq]

Here's an example of an idea:

Movement Options - Draw path onscreen
v1.2
- Add Sub-Option under Path called "Confirmed Path"
- Movement does not occur on touch.
- Path draws as soon as you touch but you must then lift your finger and click on a "GO" button before your character will actually move.
- Confirmed Path will not change so if a monster moves into the path you will auto attack or stop based on your settings.

v1.1
- Cause path to avoid creatures unless specifically aimed at.

v1.0
- Add additional movement option called "Path"
- On touch, draw a line onscreen going from your character to the spot being touched to show what path the computer will have you take.
- Path updates every step to account for movement of creatures.

Person A could then say "+1 v1.0 " but then Person B says "You should make the path avoid creatures unless you specifically click on them" at which point the OPer would then add v1.1. Person A now says "If you're going to do that you should add an alternative option allowing you to confirm your path before you actually move." The OPer then adds v1.2 and then 10 other people all +1 v1.2. Now a mod moves the entire opening post minus all the discussion to the suggestions thread where a dev can look at it and decide that v1.2 is not possible to code but v1.1 is good enough to add all by itself and changes the title to "[APPROVED] Movement Options - Draw path onscreen" and when he has time he can add the code to implement the suggestion before changing the title to "[COMPLETED] Movement Options - Draw path onscreen".

[Taledus]

+1 fiernaq...

Listing corrections to the original idea with a change log would help to see how the proposed idea was tweaked in order to work. Initially I thought that having a changeable poll, where if the idea is tweaked or clarified for better understanding or better incorporation into the game, would allow for people to change their vote if the tweaked idea worked for them after changes. Being required to have a change log at the bottom listing changes would assist with people seeing what has been changed...then they would be able to refer back to a version if a tweak wasn't sitting well with them.

In a way though this is somewhat like the "idea" and "suggestion" difference...once something like this gets enough popularity from the community then it should get voted on in the meetings...they can even "wait and see" how the idea evolves before voting on it as well, so it wouldn't be required for any certain version of the game. Some ideas might be really really great, just might not work for the game though.

Once the idea is modified and approved by the dev's then it can be moved to the Issues List (http://code.google.com/p/andors-trail/issues/list) for it to be picked up by someone willing to implement it, or at least found to implement it...so far there is 91 items on the list and I am not sure that all of them have gotten any attention. Some of them are just 1-lined issues or not-well-detailed ideas for new stuff that really would benefit from more details.

Perhaps the versioning for the ideas change log should start at v.0.1, but I have never really seen something like this for ideas so I am not sure on exactly how it would work...have any additional input on something that works?

[Sarumar]

..change my vote. This seems very promising +1

[phydeaux]

+1 fiernaq and taledus!
Moving approved suggestions to the issue tracker is a major + then link the suggestion to the issue, and vice versa, if possible... Then if a dev is looking at suggestions on the tracker, they can easily link back to the suggestion to easily see how the idea progressed, and if a different version of the suggestion would be easier/better to implement

[Taledus]

I was thinking that the version would be what was voted on at the meetings. Like in the example, if v.1.2 of this idea was too much, yet v.1.1 of this idea would be better suited, the vote would include which version was allowed to be brought to the Issue Tracker and to locate a programmer. While this idea is mainly dealing with the forums and not the game itself, it would just stay here...Maybe that could be another sub-forum for ideas - "Forum Suggestions"

From there the person willing to take time and implement the idea would know exactly which details have been voted on to include for the game...all the programer would have to do is put in exactly what was decided for the game. The programmer would not have the entire thread posted in the Issue Tracker, only the relevant stuff that was voted in...if v.1.2 of this idea would be sufficient then I would just submit the first post on the Tracker.
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+300 fiernaq for the very detailed example!

I really like that. I am going to sit down today and re-structure this idea and will add that in for the versioning.

[phydeaux]

Good point... At the same time, I don't know how many times I've had an ah ha moment when I've been looking at something else for a bit

[Taledus]

Good point... At the same time, I don't know how many times I've had an ah ha moment when I've been looking at something else for a bit

Very true. I think maybe once the version is voted on, the idea creator should re-modify the idea for the corrected version, then just submit the link on the Issue Tracker. That would be a much more efficient process, and could allow the programmer to see everything that has been done.

*Changing original post to reflect this.*

This idea is soooo full of WIN+1!!!!! Thanks guys for helping with this

The bad thing is every time I turn around I keep coming up with a tweak that I think would make it better...please check Change Log at bottom of first post for additional changes.

[nether]

Beautiful idea firenaq.

[phydeaux]

Btw, fiernaq, +1 for the idea you used as an example... I would use that movement option if it were available in game

[fiernaq]

I would too

It's already been suggested and even shows up on the survey that sdevaney ran a while back as an additional comment at the end although I didn't have the additional sub-option for confirm path. I was trying to think of an example that I could modify to give me some more version numbers and that was all I could come up with