Althanas Improvement Thread

[Max Dirks]

During the shutdown (and always), I'm very interested to hear ways to continue to improve Althanas.

If there is something you'd like to say about our judging system, layouts, content, features, etc. feel free to give us your opinions.

You're going to see a number of changes over the next few days, so please don't use this area to report bugs.

[Ashla]

- We can edit our titles for the threads like we can with the posts themselves (only the one who made the thread or a moderator can change the title)
- Linked accounts (since it's the same person anyways) can edit each others' posts.
- We can have the center/ left/ right tool for our texts for our threads again.
- More text fonts please! xD

[Max Dirks]

Thanks for your feedback!

As to the linked accounts thing, nope. That's a hack I downloaded so we're limited to the constraints of the program.




And as far as I know, the center tag works fine

It's <center> </center> where <> = []


And so does the left.

It's <left> </left> where <> = []


And so does the right!

It's <right> </right> where <>=[]

If you goto the advanced editor, you can click on the tags :)

[Ashla]

Your welcome and thank you! :)

[Max Dirks]

I'll see if I can go about adding a few more font files for you, as well.

[Ashla]

I write this message while trying to get help on how I could level-up Ashla once she becomes level three (and I was also working on Muri at that time) and I found that there weren't any stickies anywhere for the topic on how far you can go when leveling up (like how many abilities you can have per level, how you can improve your skills per level, etc.) Here's the original message with more details:

Hello,
I've been searching everywhere in the FAQ and the "Character Registration" stickies, but I can't find a list of how many abilities/ powers/ weapons/ stats etc. you can give your characters per level. Like I get told that three abilities can be given in level one, and somebody was told seven can be given in level three. And metals used for weapons for level ones at the highest can be steel. However, there aren't any threads that give that information for new and upgrading members to view on here. Partially out of curiosity, and also out of my plans to upgrade Ashla after my semi-solos; I've been looking for that to see how far I can go. I can't find a thread that gives me that information anywhere, so I was wondering if you could help me, please?
If you don't have a thread that has this information, do you think it's possible for one to be created?

Thank you.
~ BlueGhostofSeaside

Okay, so here's an example of what I was looking for.


ABILITIES:
Level One:
You can have up to three abilities. For high-level powers you have to limit how many times they can use it for how many times a day. For weaker ones, you can use them at any time.
Ability One: This character can control fire the size of a hound dog
Ability Two: This character can allow their blade to turn their blade on fire and attack an enemy with it. The burns the fire produces can give first-degree burns in one, small area of the body.
Ability Three: This character can form a wall of fire around them that protects them from three average attacks or one strong attack. This ability can be used up to three times per thread if not used at its full power.

Level Two:
You can have up to four abilities. For high-level powers you have to limit how many times they can use it for how many times a day. For weaker ones, you can use them at any time.
Ability One: This character can control fire the size of a horse.
Ability Two: This character can allow their blade to turn their blade on fire and attack an enemy with it. The burns the fire produces can give secondt-degree burns in one, small area of the body.
Ability Three: This character can form a wall of fire around them that protects them from three average attacks or one strong attack and one weak attack. This ability can be used up to four times per thread if not used at its full power.
Ability Four: This character can shoot small fireballs out of their mouth, producing second degree burns on the person they hit. and so on.

A thread that gives this information would be able to help new members who wonder how strong they can make their characters and give a little guidance for other odds and ends they may be wondering about. It would also help other members leveling up to see how much their character can be improved upon from the last level. It would also save the trouble of mods having to repeat the same rules over and over again per new player.

[Max Dirks]

Good question. We've actually wrestled with whether to release this information to the players for the past few years.

Speaking officially: There are standards that moderators use when approving characters. We have a maximum power level and a maximum number of abilities for each level. However, these numbers are flexible (and interchangable) depending on the character that is presented to us. In the future we may release how many abilities a level 16 character can have to give you a general overview, but don't expect to see us give numbers in between.

This is because we don't want the system to seem mechanical. That stifles creativity and leads to boring homogenous god-like power characters. Althanas is about how well you write, not how jacked your character is. My advice is this: if you've got a direction, go with it. We'll let you know if your character is too powerful or not.

[Ashla]

Good question. We've actually wrestled with whether to release this information to the players for the past few years.

Speaking officially: There are standards that moderators use when approving characters. We have a maximum power level and a maximum number of abilities for each level. However, these numbers are flexible (and interchangable) depending on the character that is presented to us. In the future we may release how many abilities a level 16 character can have to give you a general overview, but don't expect to see us give numbers in between.

This is because we don't want the system to seem mechanical. That stifles creativity and leads to boring homogenous god-like power characters. Althanas is about how well you write, not how jacked your character is. My advice is this: if you've got a direction, go with it. We'll let you know if your character is too powerful or not.

Okay, I can see where you're going with that. Thanks for replying :)

[Fox Owen Xavier]

Is there anyway to have it automatically create links to profile. It's very helpful to look at other people's profiles during quests and stuff and since most people don't seem to link them, I'm frequently having to search the ROG forums to find their character sheet. (Picture of profile link attached so people know what I'm talking about).


3190

[Max Dirks]

Realistically, the only way I could have it done is to have the ROG moderator add that profile field when a character is approved. That would require the ROG moderator to have administrator access, which I'm not too keen on. Maybe before final character approval, we could mandate that players put their profile thread ID into that field. What do you think?

[Fox Owen Xavier]

Hmm, I personally think it would be a nice thing if people all linked their profiles. They could do it as they update name, age, etc. Could also use that as a time for if the person wants to ask the ROG staff any final questions about their characters just in case they want to change anything last second.

Well, I don't know. I think it might be best to hear what other people's thoughts are on this issue.

[Krausus]

I'm down for it. I don't think it harms anything.

[hoytti]

I tried to link the profile before, however, it never works. It always says error.

[Fox Owen Xavier]

Had a few thoughts on the wiki after talking a bit with Christoph on the subject. He probably has some more thoughts on it but I'll leave up to him if he wants to mention it or not.

Anyways, for the wiki, shouldn't pages be judged based on length and quality to encourage people to spend time making sure it is great instead of just throwing together a bunch of stuff for the experience. Maybe not a full judging used by quests/battles but more of a quick judging to make sure the content is good and also to take in account how long the entry is.

Also, it might be good to split standard cannon material from player lore and stuff. That way newbies won't get confused between the two of them.

[Lye]

+1 to the splitting of player and canon information. Perhaps a graphic indicating an official Althanas Canon like a seal of approval? (Go Luned!)
+.5 to judging all wiki entries.

If player material is separated it will allow more flexibility in presentation. Canon material should look formal and professional. Player material should be any range of contribution just like the various ranges in technique and skill of the writer. However, I believe there should be a collaboration between player and staff should something want to be adopted to official canon. In that respect, there can be a workshop to review for errors, flow, presentation, and content.

[Max Dirks]

Wiki pages will only receive EXP during the shutdown. This is a non-issue.

[Fox Owen Xavier]

I think wiki entries should still get experience after the shutdown is over. Otherwise, people will probably not write much for it. The experience doesn't have to be much, but I think there should be a bit of a reward to encourage people to write them.

[black shadow]

Or at least a few days afterwards, as I would like to, but don't have access to my character sheet, as I would like to add that in there.

[Ashla]

Or at least a few days afterwards, as I would like to, but don't have access to my character sheet, as I would like to add that in there.

Agreed.

[Krausus]

At that, it takes a while to do it. For those people who STARTED theirs during the shutdown, as in have 500 words or more, get the full 500/250 EXP, and after the shutdown, keep it up but reduce it to 50 per stub, and 100 per full article, at that point, whoever looks over it can add/take up to[say, 25] exp depending on quality, and can make comments. We all win, and you guys get an incentive to write, simultaneously improving the canon. Anyone here think this would be fair?

[Fox Owen Xavier]

Like I said earlier, I don't think flat experience is the best way to go. I think articles should be judged on quality and length.

Also, most wiki pages created as part of this will probably be personal lore and not canon material.

[Ashla]

At that, it takes a while to do it. For those people who STARTED theirs during the shutdown, as in have 500 words or more, get the full 500/250 EXP, and after the shutdown, keep it up but reduce it to 50 per stub, and 100 per full article, we all win, and you guys get an incentive to write, simultaneously improving the canon. Anyone here think this would be fair?

Sounds great to me.


Like I said earlier, I don't think flat experience is the best way to go. I think articles should be judged on quality and length.

Me too.

[Krausus]

Look back at it please then.