[Discussion] Bots, Plans and Ways Forward.

[Basilisk]

I'm pretty much on board with everything here, but I would add two things: First, something that shows what our most recent update was, maybe even the cyclical announcements with a statement that says we do those every four months. That way it shows that the site is getting moderator work fairly regularly still. Second, a statement, probably on the front page, that explains what new players are seeing and why.

[Perdita Westcott]

I'm pretty much on board with everything here, but I would add two things: First, something that shows what our most recent update was, maybe even the cyclical announcements with a statement that says we do those every four months. That way it shows that the site is getting moderator work fairly regularly still. Second, a statement, probably on the front page, that explains what new players are seeing and why.

Hiya,

Great ideas both - but I would be cautious of the first.

a) The site has to be static. So it can not auto-update. It would rely on us to update and it wouldn't be like doing this. We're talking base HTML updating, none of the WYSIWYG stuff that we take for granted. Not even the ease of the wiki.

b) Yes. Opening statement about what this space is, why it's there, etc. Works.

[Pegasus]

Updated the first post - see what you think?

If we're going with example writing -I think we shouldhave "Here's the rule/ information" post then "here's an example of it in use" post. So- like for Immortals - lets have examples of Imms being written. Etc.

[Olive]

Here are my thoughts on what things to include. A lot of these are what other people said, but in general my thoughts are to include pages that show that the site has an active writing community, pages that show how to make a PC and how we level our PCs, pages that show that PCs have an impact on the world, and also, of course, pages about lore.

Pages that explain what's going on, and that the site has an active writing community.

1. An explanation of what's going on with the site, like Bas said. Explanation that the static site the newbie is seeing is a "shop front" site to explain lore, etc. Explanation that the site they're seeing is static, with information that is not necessarily 100% up-to-date. It is a snapshot of the live site. Explanation of how to get to the live site to log in and/or make an account.

2. The home page. In discord Peg said that any home page will not be live, but I still think the homepage should be included. It would be good if this home page had a link to the site discord or some other way to get them to the site discord [ie informing them to email a site email address asking for a link to the discord]. It would be best if the way for them to get to the site discord was automated [so maybe an automated email response with a discord link].

I think even a screenshot of the home page would work, because it shows recent posts and how many posts / threads we have on the site, which is thousands. It should be clear that this home page is static, so it's showcasing a point of time that is not live, but is indicative of the site as a whole.

3. A breakdown of site stats, somehow. Maybe how many posts were written in 2025, or something.

4. An explanation of things on the home page that the newbie is able to see, but might not be able to access. An explanation of the global announcements / active cities list. Probably a screenshot or example post of the active cities list.

5. An explanation of how we write on the site so newbies know that this is a site where you write posts with IC paragraphs. The Moderation page in the wiki, like Peg said, would be good for this. Also an explanation of how we level on the site so newbies know that this is a site where you write to level a PC.

6. An explanation of how we create characters. Information about character sheets, and a link to a character sheet. Maybe information about the UCP. Maybe information about the PSF. Maybe a screenshot of the "Welcome to Standing Trials" pm.

7. An explanation that things that PCs do on the site will have impacts on the setting IC- sometimes small impacts, sometimes large impacts, sometimes global impacts. Maybe an example of this.

Pages that explain the IC lore / setting of Idalos.

8. An explanation of the setting of Idalos. This site is high fantasy with god-like beings, magic, dragons, a dreaming world, etc. But this site is also medieval, ie in a medieval setting.

9. A link to basic Idalosian lore, like Idalos History or Category:Idalos History. Maybe a map or maps of Idalos, like Maps of Idalos or Travel Times.

Pages that explain more about the IC lore / setting of Idalos. Lore that is mentioned in Idalos History but that is not really explained there should be included.

10. An explanation of Emea, like Emea. What Emea is and how it relates to the world. Maybe how Emea relates to mortalkind, especially the Dagnyr.

11. An explanation of spirits, like Spirits Primer. What spirits are and how they relate to the world.

12. An explanation of the Beneath, like The Beneath. What the Beneath is and how it relates to the world.

13. An explanation of Dragons, like Dragons Primer. What Dragons are and how they relate to the world. A list of the dragons, like Dragons. Brief descriptions of the Dragons, or links to the Dragons' pages [or at least one Dragon's page].

14. An explanation of the Originals. I'm not sure we have an Originals primer, but who the Originals were and how they related to the world. A list of the Originals, like Originals. Brief descriptions of the Originals, or links to the Originals' pages [or at least one Original's page].

15. An explanation of the Immortals, like Immortals Primer. Who the Immortals are and how they relate to the world. A list of the Immortals, like Immortals. Brief descriptions of the Immortals, or links to the Immortals' pages [or at least one Immortal's page].

16. An explanation of mortalkind. Who mortals are and how they relate to the world. Explanation that these are the playable races in Idalos, for the most part. A list of mortal races, like PC Races. Links to the Races' pages [or at least one Race's page].

17. An explanation of the moderated cities. A list of the moderated cities, like here. Brief descriptions of the moderated cities, or links to cities' lore [or at least one city's lore]. An explanation that there are other unmoderated cities, and maybe brief descriptions of the unmoderated cities.

18. An explanation of things that have gone on IC with Emea, spirits, the Beneath, and Dragons, with information about PC impact. Maybe an explanation of moderated events in general. An example of a regional event and its impact on its region [ie, the Scalv events], and an example of a global event and its impact on the world [ie, Ruin's Dawn].

Pages that explain other options for PCs.

19. An explanation of skills, like Skills. Links to skills' pages [or at least to one skill's page]. An explanation of how we level skills. Maybe an explanation of things like Capstones and Tier 2, though I say maybe because they're more late game.

20. An explanation of magic, like Magic. What magic is and how it relates to the world. A list of the magics, like Magic Disciplines. Links to the magics' pages [or at least one magic's page]. Maybe an explanation of non-domain disciplines, like Alchemy and Ensorcelling. Brief descriptions of non-domain disciplines, maybe. Brief descriptions of spark vs nonspark magic, maybe.

21. An explanation of immortal marks, like Immortal Marks. What immortal marks are and how they relate to the world. Links to immortal marks [or at least one mark's page]. An explanation of curses. Maybe brief descriptions of curses or links to curses [or at least one curse's page].

22. An explanation of spirit-related powers, like the Forged in Scalvoris or the Wardens in Rharne.

23. Maybe an explanation of Effigies. I say maybe because Effigies are more late game.

Questions.
How do newbies get to the site discord?

How do newbies and other players access the live site if it's not accessible by google?

Do we want to encourage newbies to make an account to be able to browse the site, or provide something like this for them? We might be able to set up and provide temporary browsing accounts to newbies [browsing accounts with names and passwords that we give to newbies so that they are able to temporarily log in to the live site before they make their account].

This is more a thought than a question, but including lore in the static site means we will need to keep the static site up to date when there are updates to included lore.

[Pegasus]

So, I've had a loooong chat with TG today.

We can do this - and have the 10 pages of information. We just need to give him the content of that - he'll sort the rest.

However what he'll also do is create a situation where a new player can:

a) Make an account with a name that they choose that isn't their PC name (this is often a sticking point for new folks).
b) They then can look at the site, but not post anywhere other than the PSF. Not until they've dealt with c) below.
c) They can, in their UCP, claim a reward where they choose their PC name and race. When they do that, then the automatically-created CS, Letters, Plot Notes etc are created.


We need to get this information sorted, though. As a matter of priority.

[Squirrel]

I'm completely on-board with everything that's been outlined so far. Putting the site behind a wall that prevents anyone who doesn't have an account from making posts, having this unique approach to the way they go about it.

I would definitely say that if new players are going to be required to claim a reward in the UCP before they can join, there should be a page (ideally one of the first few pages) that explains how to gain access to the site and start posting, and how to navigate to the UCP and find what they need to do. Perhaps directly after the index, pushing into page 2, mixed in with general information on how to navigate the site. Similar to what Oliver mentioned, an explanation of how to log in and/or make an account, what each button does, (what is the Lore wiki? and other such questions). It would also be a great time to explain what the PSF is and how to use it, since they'll need to use that to communicate with us for creating their character, such as requesting Immortal Marks or magic in character creation, and having their character sheet approved.

Then race, history, location info. Pigs had a good list down, Skills (and how they work), I wouldn't do all of them, more just a short explanation of how skills work and that "we have them for most activities one can do" or something like that. Races, with pictures and blurbs. Magic, with pictures, short descriptions of some of them, again maybe not all? Just a general topic of, we do have magic. Immortals, absolutely. Seasons and how we keep track of time.

I don't think site stats are necessary.

I also absolutely would NOT dive into "deeper" subjects. Emea, Spirits, The Beneath, Dragons, these are all such huge things... and frankly, too much to throw at new people beyond a passing mention. I'd say what's been said so far has been a good template - and if you're looking for any information in particular like a full write-up of the Idalos History or something, I'm happy to give a crack at it.

[Darius Baer]

Apologies - my earlier half-written post got lost in the ether, so here's a summarized version...

My feelings very much echo those of Squirrels.

Keep it thematic, prioritise on surface level for anything but the basics, ignore site statistics, and use it as a player guide so new users can set up a new PC.

Entice people without overwhelming them, and provide a simple way for them to sign up.

I would start with something thematic, but short. Maybe it's a couple of writing examples, in different styles or by different people, but certainly in different scenarios - contrast is key, methinks.. Then go into a little about what ST is and how to join, before heading into (in no particular order): history, races, skills, locations, magic, Immortals, etc. All at a surface level, and all with a link to the Wiki to read more.