What new features, if any, are you not a fan of?

[Serilliant]

Althanas has added and changed a number of things in the last couple of months. After a bit of time playing with them, what changes, if any, do you not like? Please explain why and also consider telling us the things you do like as well. We're also open to the possibility of any new ideas you may have.

[Breaker]

Errm... why are Citadel battles judged faster than other threads? I think it would be better for everything to be given equal priority.

[Serilliant]

Citadel battles shouldn't be judged faster. They don't have any special priority.

What it may be, though, is that when a Citadel battle rises to the top of the queue, the judge who accepts it simply judges it faster than those staff members who have claimed earlier threads still pending judgement.

But yes, on our internal system, threads have priority only by date of submission. If a thread seems to be taking a while, try the Check your Judging Requests (http://www.althanas.com/world/postreports.php) link which will tell you if it has been claimed yet and, if so, what the estimated time of completion is from your judge. If it has been claimed for a while with no judgement and no update to the status, you can try sending a PM to that staff member to check the progress. If you don't receive a response, you can then PM an administrator and, if need be, we'll unassign the thread and give it next priority.

That was a longer explanation than you were going for, I think, but I like to be comprehensive :)

[Rajani Aishwara]

Everything's fine. Especially the PG system. People need to realize that the PG activity is not limited to the PG forum, and it's supposed to take time and investment to earn something like an HQ.

[Ladies' Man]

Everything looks good; it really shows that people have been putting a lot of time and effort in. I especially like the way Mutant Lorenor, for one, is starting up grand "FQ-like" quests that will help all the newbies who don't know where to post or how to get connected. Hooray for Open threads!

[Reiko]

I don't like the new Dajas Pagoda. It's a part of Scara Brae but it 's an on going tourney like the theater of war was but smaller scale and it's about holding a position. The thing is that it's pretty much everything that Scara Brae should not be. Scara Brae was supposed to be a place where people can go to get used to Althanas and learn the ropes and have fun without too much worry about an oldbie showing them up or kicking their ass. The Dajas Pagoda is the opposite of what Scara Brae is meant for and really the opposite of what it was when it started, though it did fail back then. I mean everything about Scara Brae should be about helping newbies get better, not have some on going tourney that's just about proving someone's the best. Althanas is just too much about scores already and here we have a tourney masking as a newbie helping ground when it's just a tourney and nothing more, really it's only for those who want to show people up and not for those that want to learn.

[Farsight]

While, in theory, I agree with what Reiko said... I also must say that the Dajas Pagoda was SUPPOSED to be a new member's and lower level character's version of the Theater of War. When it was being created again, revamped if you will, the discussion was that it was supposed to be opened at the same time as the ToW, and that lower level character's could join both, but the DP was supposed to be something that was open for the newer characters and to assist them.

As it stands, without the ToW open, it kind of makes it so that the infamous system used for the fighting tournament is being opened to all the older players. Granted, SB IS meant for new members, I honestly doubt that most of us that are below or equal to level 1 are actually new members. If the newer people require assistance, by all means, they can still talk to the SB moderators. The Dajas Pagoda is by no means something that they are obligated to take part in, though it would be wonderful if it was not the only ongoing battle-esque tournament that was running... opening it up for all levels...

So, from what I've seen over time, I feel the DP is good for what it is... but not under the current circumstances... those being no upper level version of it open at the moment to draw the higher level people towards it.

Or, perhaps, if they were both open, there could be different incentives for them. I figure that a lower level reward for the Dajas Pagoda would still give people the will to fight in it, but not those that are better skilled... unless they are greedy. Lol.

Higher level incentives for a new ToW would definitely draw the higher level people in, and the lower level too... but it is rare, though not impossible, for a low level character (with minimal story to work on) to outdo someone of a higher level (and more indepth story).

Heh.

I only voted that I disliked the newer system for the Power Groups... but mainly based on person issues with it's current activity compared to the former glory of the old IV... lol. As well as the forum dedicated to quick, fast battles, which I believes takes a lot out of fighting and makes it more like a quick PvP match in WoW. No depth, just in and out for the gold and money... lol.

Either way, that was all I had. I really don't have any true issues with anything currently happening, though I AM still trying to catch up quite a bit since my absence...

[Xilium Rupertus]

Going off what I've seen the new Setup is amazing and works very well. I remember when the site was first coming up on it's own ((a few years back)) and how the judging system and such was out of wack for a long time. It seems much of that has been fixed, there is more information on all zones and more area's ((Use to be just main area's and battle area's ,without preset cities and such)), and the judging system is much much cleaner then it use to be.

Keep up the good work mods, I remember all the stress it was when I was doing it way back, and it's good to see so many dedicated people on the ball on this site. Good to know whenever I get the urge to forum RP I can come back here and be set.

[Farsight]

XILIUM! OMG! Hey. lol. Didn't realize you were back, though I don't even know if your the original OWC xilium... heh.

Anyway, I just noticed the new feature that allows us to see our submitted judging request. THANK YOU! I LOVE IT! And have no qualms with most of what's going on anymore... since I figured it out... though my argument/discussion about the ToW and DP does stand.

[Karuka]

Reiko, the Dajas Pagoda is far from a required obstacle course that new members have to run through. If people want to challenge a heirarch, then that's fine, it's cool, it's awesome.

If people would rather focus on quests, that's awesome, too. If people want to spend the entirety of their level 0 and level 1 careers in Scara Brae, good for them. If their character never sees the shining shores of the island in a 10 or 15 level career, that's fine, too.

Personally, the only thing that annoys me about the Pagoda is that there hasn't been too much interest in it and that we have heirarchs dropping like flies.

[Serilliant]

Anyway, I just noticed the new feature that allows us to see our submitted judging request. THANK YOU! I LOVE IT!

Thank you so much. That new system is the one thing on the list for which I would have to claim complete personal responsibility, so I'm happy to hear that people are responding positively. I'd also like to remind everyone that this change was as a result of member request. If anyone has any ideas on a way to change, add to, or subtract from a system in order to make it better, the staff is always listening and open to new ideas. The Your Word forum is the perfect place to let your voice be heard.

[Dissinger]

In response to Reiko, might I point out that the original Dajas Pagoda simply had a more experience person fight a lesser experienced person.

The idea was that the veteran should be teaching the person their fighting a few tips and tricks along the way. They may lose the fight, but walk away with a bit more understanding of how to write, and how to gauge their level compared to an others.

[Reiko]

The thing about the pagoda is that Althanas had enough ways for players to prove how great they are with Tourneys and battles and now we can add the Dajas Pagoda to the list. The thing is that Scara Brae needs something that promotes players to help each other get better, not another "look how great I am!" Feature. Althanas needs to rise above inflating and popping egos and have some features that actually promote helping players.

I mean the old Dajas Pagoda at least proided help to newbs and not have to worry about the helper going apeshit if s/he power games. I was hoping for a feature that would allow a training battle without that threat but it doesn't seem the case. Althanas needs to do more to help the players if it wants to hold scores in such esteem. The Judging and the occasional link to a random creative writing essay is the most that people can expect to help, no wonder only a couple of naturally talented writers ever get JCs. We need features that promote people helping other writers get better.

[Christoph]

I like the Pagoda. I find that it provides a way for talented writers to display their skills, as well as for new writers to get better in a competitive setting. It's a nice feature and, most importantly, it's optional. If you don't like it, you certainly don't have to get involved with it.

My only problem with the Pagoda is that if your opponent goes inactive, causing the battle to get closed, the active player winds up with next to nothing to show for his/her efforts.

[Karuka]

150 GP (+ more if you've got a good winning streak going) isn't exactly nothing.

[Christoph]

If you happened to be the challenger, it might as well be nothing since you paid out 100 GP just to enter. Even for a member of the hierarch, it's not much, especially for a battle that expires a few posts before finishing

For a challenger, yes, you get to move on to the next level if your hierarch opponent drops out, but it still leaves a feeling of time wasted.

[Amaril Torrun]

You are actually allowed to finish the battle if the time expires. The person doing the stalling loses in the Pagoda, but the battle can still be finished, judged and awarded as if it were a normal battle.

At least, that's what I thought.

[Thoracis]

I wasn't aware of the changes made to the EXP and GP formulas. Talk about over complicated. It's a damn good thing I wasn't around when that got started cause I would have been fighting tooth and nail against that craptastic mess.

[Slayer of the Rot]

I'm against having a big gay admin.

[Christoph]

You are actually allowed to finish the battle if the time expires. The person doing the stalling loses in the Pagoda, but the battle can still be finished, judged and awarded as if it were a normal battle.

At least, that's what I thought.

Once they are declared the loser as far as the Pagoda is concerned, few would actually opt to finish their battle. Maybe we should try to do more to encourage that, as opposed to simply letting them die.

[Amaril Torrun]

Well, everyone has the option to continue the battle if they want too. They still get the advantages of a normal battle and the loser of the Pagoda rules doesn't always lose the judging part.

[Christoph]

Yes, I know. Still, too few bother with it, sadly.

[Amaril Torrun]

I know it is hard to watch perfectly good threads remain unfinished, but it is ultimately up to those involved.

[Rok the Blade]

There is only 1 thing I am tired of at Althanas. And that is looking at the exact same background color schemes all day. I dedicate a lot of time to this site and the 3 backgrounds to choose from are more boring after all this time than they've ever been.

Also the new point system irked me. I used to change my title all the time, and now I can't do it unless I get a person to come to the site and dedicate themselves to it, 3 people if I want it to be like old times. I've already told like all my friends about it, they've checked out the place and everything. But this was a year ago, and I don't believe I remember telling them to refer to me. I think that points should illicit different rewards, because at this moment i'm almost desperate enough to run up to a stranger, slap them upside their head and force them to register on Althanas and bullshit 10 posts so I can change my title. I mean, doesn't Althanas have enough members already?

[Seth_Rahl]

True true. I was irked the first time I saw that. Isn't it supposed to be about quality and not quanity? Just because there are more members doesn't mean this site is gonna suddenly jump up and become famous.

[AdventWings]

Ah, yeah. That's a bit of a bore, isn't it?

The BG color scheme thing is a pretty persistent problem, since we don't have our own designer at the moment. :p If you're interested, you can try and make one for the site. Of course, that's up to you.

As for the Point System... Referrals is only one of the ways to earn points in here. As for the other ways, well. I'll get back to you on that. :D