How about allowing some user contributions?

[ShiftyDave]

Hi all (particularly the design team),

I've really enjoyed the FFH2 mod, and I don't see how I could ever go back to plain old civ. In fact, I like it so much, I would like to help make it better.

I know that you guys listen to suggestions from the board, but really, isn't this just people creating more work for you guys? I also understand that making your design team bigger might just create more headaches for you, but that is not what I am looking for anyway.

What I am proposing is that you create a list of low priority, non-critical things which users could then contribute to. Examples might be fixing civilopedia entries, tweaking the unit art (such as not having disciples standing still when creating a mana node), creating/finding a sound effect file. Obviously things which involve changes to the C++ code would not be included.

Thoughts anyone?

cheers

Dave

 

[Nikis-Knight]

It's been done before, and will likely have some opportunities in the future. For example, there was/is a thread where spell descriptions were requested (and used) and a few design contests.
afaik, at the present digging out bugs is the most important part, though over the next few weeks the polish will be applied.

Obviously things which involve changes to the C++ code would not be included.

Well, some people who have proficiency with the programming languages (i.e., not me) have been helpful in spotting little mistakes in the code, which is a useful way of finding/identifying bugs.

 

[loki1232]

I mean that's a very good idea. For example someone did do this with sounds--most of the sound effects for spells and summons now were user contributions (AFAIK)
Graphics seem to always be the largest issue, but I guess you could submit pedia entries not yet done for heros and leaders. (send them to Kael)

 

[seZereth]

I mean that's a very good idea. For example someone did do this with sounds--most of the sound effects for spells and summons now were user contributions (AFAIK)
Graphics seem to always be the largest issue, but I guess you could submit pedia entries not yet done for heros and leaders. (send them to Kael)

Well, Graphics... perhaps buttons or something, but...
...don`t touch the unitgraphics (except when you find a bug or a wierd animation or something)

Next to Contributing to the wiki and the pedia () bughunting might be best.

 

[wilboman]

I think the problem is that we have no "road map", no definite goal for where we want to end up. So there is no way we can hand out "menial tasks", as it were, we don't know where the little things are hiding, necessarily. And in any case, finding and listing small stuff is not a priority when there are all the other things that need to be done.

But if you see something not working, like the adepts not doing anything, and you can fix it, then do, and let Kael know. Very often stuff like that finds its way in. And we're shamelessly stealing good ideas and balance fixes from the minimods, IIRC.

 

[wilboman]

Well, Graphics... perhaps buttons or something, but...
...don`t touch the unitgraphics (except when you find a bug or a wierd animation or something)

Next to Contributing to the wiki and the pedia () bughunting might be best.

So you want them to steal our chance to make unit texts but not your chance to make unit models? How brotherly of you

 

[marioflag]

Sezereth about Lunatic are you planning to make a more frightening model, this unit is so cool flavourwise?If yes when we can expect a new model? (Please don't let me wait too much! )

 

[Bringa]

I had the idea of rallying a few people to look at the AI in FFH a while ago; surely I'll come back to that (I'm just currently very distracted by a free mmorpg that I got drawn into) (never fear--it's an Asian grinding-style mmorpg, and I tend to tire of those very quickly). Actually, my real skillset is writing, and I think I should sit down and see if I can't contribute in that way a little bit. I'll need to read a little bit of the lore laid out so far, but most of the civopedia articles I've seen could definitely do with some editing.

And yes, a roadmap or at least a rough idea where the team thinks they need most help would be immensely useful. Also, for easier editability, I think we might want to do our changes on the wiki first, and then when they're in a presentable shape, notify the relevant people on the team and get their green light (surely we could also volunteer the manpower to get the changes into the xml if the team don't want to do that themselves)

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Also, for easier editability, I think we might want to do our changes on the wiki first, and then when they're in a presentable shape, notify the relevant people on the team and get their green light (surely we could also volunteer the manpower to get the changes into the xml if the team don't want to do that themselves)

I think the FfH Editor makes changing text easy on Kael's end, though I could be mistaken.

 

[seZereth]

So you want them to steal our chance to make unit texts but not your chance to make unit models? How brotherly of you

i personally prefer the writing team doing the text, cause what i read so far from you guys is awesome and i love stuff that fits together. But loki was the one to mentioning graphics and pedia entries, i just spoke out for myself

Sezereth about Lunatic are you planning to make a more frightening model, this unit is so cool flavourwise?If yes when we can expect a new model? (Please don't let me wait too much! )

Well, i did not crate the original Lunatic.... so i dont know if i am allowed to change the graphics, if it`s from Roland, it`s his stuff, so he can create a more frightening or give me the permission to create it, either way works for me. (i have a lot of stuff on my list, but a lunatic would be very interesting!)

 

[ShiftyDave]

I guess my point is that I would like to do something to help, and I dare say there are a few other people who would. However, I also know that I have quite a short attention span for these sort of projects, so I wouldn't want to make any grandiose promises which I can't deliver on. So I guess I'll just find some random thing that needs fixing next time I play and work on that.

 

[.SinClaire.]

I guess my point is that I would like to do something to help, and I dare say there are a few other people who would.

likewise, too bad I have no ability to actually contribute anything useful.