Re: [DipKnights] Re: Re: (Cat23's Life, or Lack Thereof)

--- Luis <[email protected]> wrote:

> Can we reorganize the worldmasters' Cat23 subpage?

Absolutely. I would like nothing better. 

> I don't want to 
> detract from bigger changes but small adaptative
> "dolphin projects" are 
> often more feasible than large "whale" ones, as my
> sister says so often.

Actually you are proposing the whale, but that's
actually the best way to get me engaged. The worst
that could happen is that I might delay work on the
present site if there is significant interest in a
complete rewrite. I haven't read anything yet that I
interpret as a commitment, so you're in no danger of
discouraging me. 

> The two most important things to start with should
> be:
> 
> 1. A clearer inroductory page that explains that
> Cat23 is an open PBEM 
> Diplomacy club that welcomes everybody with interest
> for the hobby, with 
> maybe a brief history to add some flavor - I can't
> help with that: I'm only in my late 30s ;-)

I *really* am in my late 30's and I really would like
someone to either donate text content or point me to a
DipPouch article or similar source for historical and
"group identity" data.

> 2. An easily linkable Yahoo-groups links list (and
> not that mirror). 

Oh, yeah. I had no plans to try to figure out what
that was. I'm going to delete the iframe and put in a
link list. 

> Explaining and emphasizing which are the most
> important ones to join 
> (i.e. n-game and the currently ongoing games list -
> the 1200s) and the 
> meaning of the others (we have a large handful of
> lists, what may be confusing in itself).

It is. For one, I thought this thread would have
belonged on the list with "chat" in the name. If I was
in DipKnights, too, the crossposting would be driving
me insane. 

> 3. Additional helpful links for the newcomer: not
> just GM hints, model 
> house rules and a link to Dipknights (sincerely, I
> thought the knights' 
> project was deceased) but maybe also something as
> basic as a link to 
> Realpolitik download, to the game rules (1996 ed?)
> and maybe relevant 
> Diplomacy sites like the Diplomacy Archive with all
> that historical stuff.

Somebody is going to have to explain to me offlist the
allure of RealPolitik. It's not the maps, that's for
certain. 

You're right about the links, of course. I also think
that links to the Yahoogroups are more important than
what's there now. This is the organization I propose
(and will implement unless other content is
volunteered):

Home - Link to main Yahoogroup. Map will be replaced
by content when/if provided. 

Lists - A full list of current and past Yahoogroups
used by Cat23 with descriptions as given on the YG
page unless someone supplies alternatives. 

Links - Divided into novice, general purpose and GM
sections. I'll use the ones in this mail, those
currently on the site and some that I use in novice
games. 

The whole thing will be done with the yellow on black
of the Worldmaster's site and existing graphics or
edits thereof. (I inverted the cat and I can create
new nav buttons.) 

> 4. If there is a Diplomacy web ring (and I believe
> there is one) the 
> Cat23 page should be part of it with the ring
> navigation tool on bottom of it.

A site needs to work to a depth of "two clicks" before
I'll promote it. We're almost there for the
Worldmaster's site. The Cat23 folder won't be far
behind. Your interest has greatly accelerated the time
table. 

> So far the easy-to-do "dolphin project".
> Additionally larger changes can 
> be done as well. Personally I believe that a
> separate portal page and 
> even creating a forum (in the line of Redscape, for
> instance) could 
> help. GMs can find a lot easier to post maps and
> adjudications to their 
> game threads in such a space than to upload and
> modify HTML pages as the 
> game goes, provided they have a site. The forum
> would also allow for 
> general discussions like this to take place in
> another type of 
> enviroment. The forum itself seems like an better,
> more attractive 
> "bait" for newcomers than email lists alone, that
> may be percieved as 
> less friendly and maybe even somewhat prehistoric.

Redscape is Redscape. I'm certainly capable of
implementing everything that you describe and I
probably will for other projects and other groups.
It's not Cat23, however.

Uploading maps would be useful, however, or even
better (in terms of storage and bandwidth) generating
maps from a standard format. 

The worldmasters.net site is going to have the
capability to function like an adjudication helper,
but with the bonus of online order entry. This is is
being developed to reduce dependence on email for the
2008 Worldmasters. Whatever parts of this
functionality fit with the Cat23 way of doing things
can be adapted to suit. 

Chris 


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