Web Site Update

[AlanH]

I've made some changes to the http://gotm.civfanatics.net web site, mainly related to game information navigation.

The changes are mainly visible to you when you are looking for information and results for current and past games using the left hand menu column. I hope they will make it easier to reach these pages, and that the page rendering on your browser is as it was, or better.

However, they have cut quite deep into the file structure of the site, and I have had to modify some forum links as well. So it is possible that there may be some secondary damage that I have not detected.

I am aware that forum links to games a few months old will take you to the original pages with the old left hand menu column. I intend to replace those pages with redirections to the new ones during the next few days.

If you find any broken links, either within the site, or from forum posts into the site, please take a moment to notify me here. And I *know* you'll let me know of the new page arrangement causes you any problems .

 

[bluebox]

nice change! in fact, the listbox of the results index page may be redundant, because I can choose the game from your new sidebar listbox and click on the results button - at least in those cases I tried the results table was generated correctly.

but redundancies are not always a bad thing .

 

[AlanH]

Glad you like it.

listbox of the results index page may be redundant

Well spotted. I'm making the changes progressively, so redundancies like that are low priority.

 

[grs]

If you would include the SGOTM instead of the outdated medal play series next...

 

[AlanH]

Yes, I was planning on just that, though I propose to add SGOTM to the menu, and fully to the site, rather than to replace MP.

When I picked up he keys to the local filing cabinets, one of the items of unfinished business was to complete the Medal Play results for seasons 5 and 6. That was almost a year ago, but it's still on my todo list, and that list is currently getting shorter

 

[Offa]

This does look neat.

I don't suppose you could name the games in the drop down menu to identify them by the civ played: eg write "18 Celts, monarch" instead of "Classic 18". I certainly remember games by their difficulty and the civ played rather than the number.

 

[bradleyfeanor]

I think you can do away with the last paragraph: "I would like to make a special note about the 'Quick Start Challenge'. Firstly, we have not abandoned it. The popularity of it is overwhelming, so we will continue to support it. Unfortunately, the work required to support it has also been overwhelming, which is the main reason that you haven't seen any results in a long time.... Please be assured that it is on our priority list."

Or change it to: "Lastly, thanks to the tireless effort and amazing talent of the Good Samaritan of GOTM, AlanH, the Quick Start Challenge is back with a vengance!"

 

[ainwood]

I think you can do away with the last paragraph: "I would like to make a special note about the 'Quick Start Challenge'. Firstly, we have not abandoned it. The popularity of it is overwhelming, so we will continue to support it. Unfortunately, the work required to support it has also been overwhelming, which is the main reason that you haven't seen any results in a long time.... Please be assured that it is on our priority list."

Or change it to: "Lastly, thanks to the tireless effort and amazing talent of the Good Samaritan of GOTM, AlanH, the Quick Start Challenge is back with a vengance!"

I would say that we should probably update the text on the front page a bit more regularly as well... A monthly update would be good, rather than a spurious annual one.

 

[AlanH]

I don't suppose you could name the games in the drop down menu to identify them by the civ played: eg write "18 Celts, monarch" instead of "Classic 18". I certainly remember games by their difficulty and the civ played rather than the number.

Space is the issue here. I don't want to increase the width if that column, and adding the civ would make it enormous - think "Classic 26, The Han Dynasty, Deity" in a popup menu. I don't see how you can avoid including the "Classic" bit as in a few months time the two number schemes will overlap, making "18" ambiguous.

This is why I put in some significant effort to add dynamically generated client-side Javascript so that when you select a game you get instant feedback on the civ, difficulty and the month it was released in the text area below the menu. You can select games and see their headline data very quickly without going to each page. If this isn't showing up for you then please let me know what browser/OS you are using.

 

[AlanH]

Or change it to .... the Quick Start Challenge is back with a vengance!"

In case you hadn't worked this out, my mainly focus has been on style rather than content on the web site. I must confess, as I've been manipulating the web page files to get them to fit the new template, I've cringed at some of the ancient runes I've noticed gracing our pages. However, I'm a bloke, so I have to concentrate on one thing at a time. That's how we work

Speaking of style, I'm working on the next version of the page HTML using CSS instead of tables to separate layout from contenot more formally. As this is my first venture into CSS it's fun, but slow progress. If there are any gurus out there who know how to do a cross-browser, variable-width, three column layout like the one we have, in CSS, I'd be interested to exchange PMs on the challenges I'm facing.

 

[Offa]

dynamically generated client-side Javascript

I stand corrected.

 

[bluebox]

However, I'm a bloke, so I have to concentrate on one thing at a time. That's how we work

that's the professional way to do it .

 

[TimBentley]

The link for the SGOTM results doesn't work. It goes to .../results/... rather than to .../submit/...

 

[AlanH]

Well spotted! Thanks. Fixed. At least someone's paying attention

 

[AlanH]

I have added a page listing the GOTM awards and medals here

I have also updated the page that explains the Jason scoring formulae here. It now correctly lists the calculation steps used for the current games.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

I always wondered what happened to the Tournament.

 

[Ambiorix]

<snip>If you find any broken links, either within the site, or from forum posts into the site, please take a moment to notify me here. And I *know* you'll let me know of the new page arrangement causes you any problems .

Maybe I'm just not seeing it, but I don't find a link to SirPleb's highlighted GOTM18. I got to it eventually via the Stories & Tales Archive thread.

And since asking doesn't hurt : how about a link to the spoiler threads from within the results page ?
(I wouldn't want to see you left without any work... ).

 

[AlanH]

I've added a Spotlight main menu item with a page containing the (currently 2) links for Spotlighted games. I've also added Spotlight game links to the Results pages where they were played.

Spoiler thread links will take a little longer, but I assume you are aware of the GOTM Reference thread which provides links to them all (well, most of them )

 

[Ambiorix]

Dzjee Alan, you made that change almost before I finished typing.

Spoiler thread links will take a little longer, but I assume you are aware of the GOTM Reference thread which provides links to them all (well, most of them )

Don't consider this high priority. A link just seems like a convenient and easy way to switch from the gotm-website to the forums (in that direction).

 

[AlanH]

I had already considered adding thread links, but because of the variability of the different game thread sets it could get messy to implement it.

There's a link to the forum top level in the main menu., so two clicks and you're into the reference thread. I could provide a top menu link straight to the reference thread, I guess, but that menu is getting kinda busy.