more announcements on the main page

Dawe · Post by **Dawe** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:28 pm

I've been following vega strike for quite a while now, and one of the main things that aren't functioning so well are the announcements on the main page, this game could easily count as dead to some one visiting it for the first time.

It's not that there aren't any things to put up, the deathmatch multiplayer is a big step forward even if it's just experimental! Maybe it should be announced, or maybe other steps forward should be announced.

my point is just that it would be nice with a page more alive than it is now.
the new page design looks great by the way!

Post by **jackS** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:26 am

Something about the multiplayer testing, the status of our physics rewrite, and other such things will be posted soonish. I'm waiting on word from HellcatV that the account registration server for the multiplayer testing is in a somewhat more stable state.

As broached on the thread concerning the new web page design. when we do the facelift, if there's a simple way to note project activity stats (time since last commit, SF.net activity percentile for the week) then that should give us some painless "heart still beating" credibility between news updates.

As for the news updates... well, even if there isn't always really "news" as such, we should probably be posting status updates every month, or at least quarterly.

In general, more reachable milestones for our step-function-style-progress will do as much for assurances of project continuation as anything else. We bit off a bit too much, and have been doing our best to chew and swallow and haven't thought too much too often about posting to the front page - after all, it's rude to talk with one's mouth full

charlieg · Post by **charlieg** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:13 am

Basically every time there is a newsworthy update... post it! At the moment it seems to be only releases that cause posts. However development is always ongoing. We could mention new models going into the game, or the current development focus, or new features recently developed. There's many things going on in the forums and on the wiki that would be of interest.

G-wolf · Post by **G-wolf** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:43 pm

I think it needs an update as well, its still the same as when i first joined up.

GoldenGnu · Post by **GoldenGnu** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:24 pm

yerh.. I don't even look at the main page anymore... Only browse forum, It's the only real source of information right now...

More news is good... Keep people coming back to check what's happening.
And we want that, if we want anyone to download the new release

Or the main page should be change to have information about the project, and no news..

Post by **jackS** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:23 pm

GoldenGnu wrote: Or the main page should be change to have information about the project, and no news..

It's perhaps worth pondering splitting the news and (non-news)updates.
(We'd be far from the first to do so - see, for example, Guild Wars with distinct pages for each)

However, in terms of design layout - it might be not be obvious how much screen real estate to give to each. Off the top of my head, I can imagine having a distinct news and updates page, with the slower-changing news at front and center and the link to the updates page prominently featuring the date of the last update to the updates page. Whether or not that's a good idea, I don't know.

Indeed, whether or not such a split is itself a good idea is questionable - but it's probably worth devoting a few thought-cycles to.

Kangaroo · Post by **Kangaroo** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:40 pm

Agreed. More news could only do good. Let people know that VS is improving.

Dawe · Post by **Dawe** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:24 pm

An activity meter of the kind jackJ spoke of would be great, publishing the slightest news may be dreaming, after all someone would have to dedicate themself to deciding on what to put up and not, and finally announce it.
The activity meter is as jackS said a

painless "heart still beating" credibility between news updates.

which wouldn't require so much effort once it's up and going.

Anyway I look forward to the day I see the 0.5 announcement!