Editing Forum:MegaProject: Arise - Traverse Town Project

{{Forumheader|The World that Never was}}

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{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=18:06, 4 May 2014 (UTC)|TRONWhite=I think it's about time we got this going now. This is basically the second major part of the Traverse Town Project: Reconstruction (the first part, Reassigning, is already being discussed thanks to Erry [[Forum:Updating our Projects|<font color=#0066FF>here</font>]]). Basically, Traverse Town, which is supposed to serve as the Wiki's Community Portal, is...dysfunctional and outdated, to say the least. We need to reconstruct the portal in such a way that it truly serves its purpose. So, discuss! How should Traverse Town look? What should it do? What parts need changing, and what parts need to stay?}}

==Discussion==
{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=21:25, 20 May 2014 (UTC)|TRON=So, my geometry teacher once advised us that when we design something, we should consider function before form (if only he had that in mind himself when he tried to give us the geometry project he was talking about when he told us this). So, I've come up with several ideas/functions that I think the Community Portal should have.
*Bulletin Board: Allows users to post small notes for the entire community to see. The notes would have to be of relevance to the Wiki Community (Example: reminders about voting, call to review a template for the wiki, etc.)
*Site Notices/News: Similar to the Trinity Archives, but should list news for the whole Wiki. Could have the Trinity Archives here.
*Getting Started: links to pages for new users to help them get started.
**Help
**Editing
**Userpage
**Tutorials/Links to [[Help:Contents|<font color=#FFFFFF>Help:Contents</font>]]
*Contact: Allows new users to contact users
**Administrators/Staff (link to [[KHWiki:Staff|<font color=#FFFFFF>KHWiki Staff and Administration page</font>]])
**Other Users that are willing to be contacted for help (allow such users to sign their own sig or something)
*Helping Out: Works similar to "Helping Out" on Main Page. Links to Projects, Expand categories, Under Construction categories, Clean Up of the Month (it'd be great to bring this back).
**Projects
**Expand, Under Construction, Images, etc. Categories
**Clean Up of the Month
*Forums: A link to the [[Forum:Index|<font color=#FFFFFF>Forums Index</font>]]
*Featured: Links to Votes for Featured Article, Featured Media, Featured User
*IRC: Introduction and link to the IRC
**Roundtable
*Projects: Page that lists projects for users to learn of and get involved in.
**Official Wiki Projects: Official Wiki Projects (Example: MegaProject: Arise, Operation: Super Merge (I think), etc.)
**User-created, user-controlled Projects: Projects created by specific users. Those users may want help, and can post for it here, but the projects are not officially of the wiki.
*External sites: links to external sites
**Social Media
***Facebook/Twitter Feed?
**Affiliates
*Magazine/Podcast: Links to the wiki Magazine and podcast. Could be merged with the Site Notices and News section.


Thoughts?

}}

{{TheFifteenthMember|time={{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 00:00, 21 May 2014 (UTC)|default=Okay. So at the moment, the Traverse Town is divided like this:
*First District: What keeps the Wiki running
*Second District: Projects
*Third District: Community
*Gate: External links
The only part I don't like with this old categorisation is the First District as most of its contents aren't related to each other very strongly. It seems like it contains everything that's ''not'' in the Second and Third District and then the "What keeps the Wiki running" label was slapped onto it without too much thought. That's why I think we should break it up and introduce the Fourth and Fifth Districts too. My new idea for categorisation:
*'''Gate:''' External Links and affiliations.
*'''First District:''' Information/Content Navigation
**"Accessory Shop": Portal for the mainspace content.
**"Restaurant": Portal that links to the Wiki aspects (e.g. "About" page, "Copyrights" etc.)
**"Item Shop": Top content and categories. Can perhaps be tied into Featured Content.
**"Mailbox": Links to the Trinity Archives.
*'''Second District:''' Community
**"Gizmo Shop": Magazine / Podcast
**"2nd District Shops": Forums
**"Hotel": IRC and Roundtable
**"Alleyway": Mirage Arena
**"Dalmations Den": Let's Play and other interactive, fun stuff.
*'''Third District:''' Projects/Editing
**"Vacant House": Individual users's projects.
**"Merlin's House": Official, wiki-organised projects.
**"Fountain": Flyers for other improvements like stubs and needed images.
*'''Fourth District:''' Guide for New Editors
**"Back Streets": Userpage help.
**"Fountain Plaza": Social page coming off KSM's "allow new users to contact more experienced ones" idea.
**"Flick Rush Colosseum": Link to Manual of Style and other policies.
**"Medal Shop": Link to [[Help:Contents]].
*'''Fifth District:''' Staff
**"Garden": Staff's chill place.

I included most of KSM's ideas. What do you guys think?}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=15:45, 24 May 2014 (UTC)|TRON=I think that's great. I'm starting a draft, of sorts, [[User:KeybladeSpyMaster/Gadget Lab/Project Page 1|<font color=#FFFFFF>here</font>]]. Right now, it's just the front page. I'm recycling old pages, and I may model it after the Magazine format, only to avoid creating too many pages just for a draft. There're a couple of my ideas that I'd like to discuss, and see if they fit or not.

*Bulletin Board: The idea behind this lies in personal experience. In the past, I'd wanted to try and get the community's input on a couple of things. But leaving a summary is rarely effective, for those who don't frequent the Recent Changes Page, and the IRC isn't always busy. The bulletin board would be used to get attention to an issue, and perhaps call several people to the IRC (say, the staff, or such) in a timely manner, without having to message everyone on their talk pages. The idea would be to create a separate template that would act like a sticky-note, of sorts, and use that when posting something to the Bulletin Board. After whatever issue the note meant to attract was taken care of, the note would be removed. Simple, right? But do we want it? I think it'd be useful, and it would work somewhat like the site notice, without needing admin rights or using the same level of attention.

*Clean up of the Month: I know this existed at some point in the Wiki's history, it's still in the Main Page's source code. Rather than leave it there, I think a good place to put it is in Traverse Town. I just don't know where, or if it's worth it. Why was it taken down? Did it prove ineffective?

*Site Notices/News: This is supposed to serve as a Trinity Archives for the wiki, detailing any news from within the Wiki Community rather than news from the Kingdom Hearts world. It would just sit in it's place in Traverse Town, if implemented. Do we want it? Or are we okay with "What's Happening" on the Main Page?

On another note, I was wondering if we still want to use the images the way we did in the existing Districts. In other words, take the image, cut it in thirds, fourths, whatever, and link like that, or do something else?

I'm really excited to get this going!
}}

{{TheFifteenthMember|time=23:31, 24 May 2014 (UTC)|persuade=Response to KSM's bullet points:
*I'm not sure how much more effective a bulletin board would be than simply having stickied threads and what-not. Since the bulletin board would require editors to frequently check back on the page anyway, I doubt anyone who doesn't already monitor the RC will bother to check it regularly. About calling people to the IRC, it's necessary that we message each individual user because we need specific people so the bulletin board won't help with that. 
*I wasn't there when Clean up of the Month was active so I don't know how successful it was then. I think we should revive it but if we do, we need to discuss the finer points (how it's going to be run, where it will be held etc.). Maybe we can talk about this next roundtable?
*The Trinity Archives isn't limited to games; it also gives important news about the Wiki. We also have the news that we'll have the magazine. For those two reasons, I think it'd be redundant to add a site news to Traverse Town.

And other points:
*We should keep the images the same, unless we've found a better alternative.
*I noticed that KSM's workshop for the First District has the actual Trinity Archives news on the mailbox. Considering we already have '''a)''' the main page '''b)''' the magazine and '''c)''' the Trinity Archive page itself, it's not a good idea to have yet another place for a news feed. That'd mean whenever we create a new entry in the Trinity Archive, we'll have to update the Trinity Archive main page, the home page ''and'' Traverse Town. Instead, I think we should simply have a description, link and an image to pretty the page (any image of a written text from KH would do).}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=02:05, 31 May 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Well, I've started the draft on the Second District [[User:KeybladeSpyMaster/Gadget Lab/Project Page 2|<font color=#FFFFFF>here</font>]]. Tell me what you think.}}
{{Xion4ever|time=04:15, 31 May 2014 (UTC)|talktext=I like how Keyblade's first response set things up. Also, 15 did a great job placing everything in the respective categories. Sounds good to me. As for the past two messages containing bullet points:

*Bulletin Board: I agree with most of what 15 said. However, I think Keyblade brings up a good idea. I don't like the idea of solely relying on the Bulletin Board page for important notifications. Some matters deserve being spammed on user talk pages. But for matters such as a question on what a file should be named/other minor things, I can totally see them going on the Board. I think having a "reminder" or "check" list of what hasn't been settled is a good idea. That, and having a clear list of "what remains to be done" makes it easy for users who have been inactive for some time to get back into the swing of things. Especially for staff.

*Clean up of the Month: ...was started with the intention of raising awareness to a specific project/article(s) that needed work. Raise awareness, rally volunteers/helpers, and stuff. It's been a while so my memory isn't exactly clear...Anyways, this, as far as I remember, never really took off. It's kind of like stub articles or projects: popular for a short time, then pushed to the back burner. But to answer your question, yes, it eventually became ineffective. As for where to put it now? Perhaps somewhere in the Third District 15 proposed?

*Site Notices/News: Are you implying that we slash the current Trinity Archives and replace it with something new [to be placed in the new Traverse Town]? I thought we were going to do a joint news feed with KH Insider? If that's the case, I don't know whether it would be wise to save this part of the project until later or not.

*Other points (images): I'm for whatever the majority decides. The current images look fine to me, but if someone feels absolutely compelled to create new ones, go for it. In the least, should someone really want to create new images, we can vote between the current and the proposed images.

As for the project page: Second District looks good to me. Is that the format everyone agreed upon?

Overall, nice job on picking/continuing this project, you two. This is a really big project, but you guys have stayed on top of it. Nice work. ^_^}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=01:50, 24 June 2014 (UTC)|TRON=I mentioned this on the [[Forum:MegaProject:_Arise_-_Main_Page_Revamp|<font color=#FFFFFF>Home Project forum</font>]], but I thought it belonged here anyways. I feel that help pages and introduction-related pages/links belong on the First District. That way, much like Sora, new users start in the First District on their adventure on the wiki. So perhaps it'd be best to sort things out like this.

Portal for Mainspace content? (need some help, what is this supposed to be?)

*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''First District'''</font>: New Editors and editing
**Accessory Shop: About, Copyrights, basically the introductions from the KHWiki-space, anything that could prove useful to new editors. Perhaps Manual of Style, wiki policies, if it's not too crowded.
**Restaurant: [[Help:Contents|<font color=#FFFFFF>Help:Contents</font>]]
**Item Shop: Command Board/Helping Out sections from the Main Page
**Moogle Workshop: Userpage Help
**Mailbox: Trinity Archives and Current Happenings from the Main Page
**Post Office: Social Page, as FM has dubbed it
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Second District'''</font>: Community
**Unchanged from FM's concept
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Third District'''</font>: Projects/Editing
**Unchanged from FM's concept
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Fourth District'''</font>: Content and Wiki Navigation
**Back Streets: Portal for Mainspace Content (if I guessed it right...)
**Flick Rush Colosseum: Top content and categories
**Fountain Plaza: Stubs and Wanted articles.
**Medal Shop: Featured Article/Media/User. Other featured content?
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Fifth District'''</font>: Staff
**Unchanged from FM's concept

What do you guys think?}}

{{TheFifteenthMember|time={{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 20:02, 26 June 2014 (UTC)|default=The Command Board, stubs and wanted articles belong on the "Editing" district. Also, the Trinity Archives / Current Happenings belongs to the "Wiki Information" sections. It's important to keep these organised methodically. I don't see the great need to swap the First and Fourth Districts around but I have no real argument against it either.}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=15:53, 8 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Now that the Main Page is finished, this project can start in full speed. If I understood you correctly, FM, then from my idea, we should move the Stubs/Articles and Command Board/Helping Out to the Third District and the Trinity Archives to the Fourth District. In that case, we can split the Accessory Shop and move the Manual of Style/Policies to another place in the First District. So how is this:

*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''First District'''</font>: New Editors and Help
**Accessory Shop: About, Copyrights, basically the introductions from the KHWiki-space, anything that could prove useful to new editors.
**Restaurant: [[Help:Contents|<font color=#FFFFFF>Help:Contents</font>]]
**Item Shop: Manual of Style/Wiki Policies
**Moogle Workshop: Userpage Help
**Mailbox: Social Page
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Third District'''</font>: Projects/Editing
**Vacant House: Individual users's projects.
**Merlin's House: Official, wiki-organised projects.
**Fountain: Flyers for other improvements like stubs and needed images (Replace with Stubs/Wanted Articles?)
**Secret Waterway: Command Board/Helping Out
*<font color=#BFBFBF>'''Fourth District'''</font>: Content and Wiki Navigation
**Back Streets: Portal for Mainspace Content (if I guessed it right...)
**Flick Rush Colosseum: Top content and categories
**Fountain Plaza: Trinity Archives
**Medal Shop: Featured Article/Media/User. Other featured content?
}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=05:13, 9 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=I've created all I can do with Traverse Town. Tell me what you think. I really need help figuring out what exactly the portal to Mainspace content is, though...and maybe the staff page on the Fifth District.}}

{{TheFifteenthMember|time={{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 17:35, 9 July 2014 (UTC)|The structure is fine. Here's lots of nitpicks for your draft:
*First District
**Accessory Shop is '''Wiki information''' so it belongs on the Fourth District with the other information centres.
**The Accessory Shop can be replaced with the "Chain of Reward".
*Third District
**Secret Waterway should be removed. It is redundant to the Fountain.
*Fourth District
**Back Streets should have the info currently on the Accessory Shop. The mainspace info is on the Colosseum.
*Fifth District
**The Garden is basically links to the [[KHWiki:Staff]] and [[KHWiki:Staff/Retired]] pages.
Mind if I edit your userspace to tweak some stuff?}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=18:25, 9 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Sure go ahead.}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=00:36, 10 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Ok, I've moved everything around, and added the Exit, but only to find there really weren't things to change there. Anything you guys want to add? Also, what else needs to be changed? Or are we good to release Traverse Town?}}

{{TheFifteenthMember|time={{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 00:42, 10 July 2014 (UTC)|happy=Well, we can't release without the hub images! :P
Anyway, I'll look over the drafts and correct a few things tomorrow.<small> *Goes to continue Clannad*</small>}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=03:04, 10 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Ok, so I've been thinking about this, and it seems to me we might have to replace the hub images with something other than the artwork currently in use. MIGHT, so maybe we don't. The reason for this is that some places in the new Traverse Town (Moogle Workshop, Dalmatian's Den, Alleyway, Garden) aren't really seen in the artwork. Of course, we could try to fit it in, but the 1st District art wouldn't fit any more areas into it. I don't know. I'll try and make a version with the artwork, but just keep in mind we might not be able to make it fit.}}

:I made some changes to your drafts; they were mainly just little paraphrases and formatting. I left the Fountain of the Third District, though, until I figure out a way to make it prettier. In the old Traverse Town, the idea was that there was flyers up about stubs, needed images etc. I think that's what we should do here, maybe by dividing the page into coloured boxes with each being a different flyer?
:If we can find new artwork, then sure. But if not, I guess we have to make do with what we have and have the text links on the artwork even if they don't correspond to the exact location. {{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 15:20, 10 July 2014 (UTC)

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=17:04, 10 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Ok, I added colored boxes, but I've got an idea of what we could do. We could create five templates (FlyerArticles, FlyerStub, FlyerExpand, FlyerImprove, FlyerImage) for people to add to the Fountain Page. The flyers would all require a link, a description of what is requested, and the requestor's signature. So, for example, if I request an image for [[Ice Slide]], I go to the Fountain Page, and use FlyerImage to add a request for Ice Slide. What do you guys think?}}
:That sounds like a good idea but wouldn't the page become too cluttered after tens and tens of requests get put up? The coloured boxes look neat and nice so I think we should leave it like that. If people want to request that image, they can add the [[Template:Images]] on the Ice Slide page, which will add it to the requested image category, so people can find it from there. Also, if someone wants to draw attention to a particular page, they can add the article onto the appropriate coloured box so lists fill out that way. It takes less space to add one link to an article than an entire template. {{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 17:11, 10 July 2014 (UTC)

----
Sorry that this interjection is a bit random, but I managed to [http://i.imgur.com/0SeHOZC.png replicate] the font style that is currently in the portal for when it comes time to produce new image tiles.  The font is Floridian Script, if anyone is curious.  {{User:Obitus/sig/temp}} 00:24, 11 July 2014 (UTC)
----

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=05:01, 11 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Ok, first, yeah, I thought the flyers idea would get the page cluttered. I was thinking of organizing some form of choose-option idea/system, but I began to think it might get complicated. So if we don't want it, then that's fine. As for the font. I was trying to create the names of the worlds using a font based off the Traverse Town logo. However, I do appreciate you helping me with identifying the original font used, since I'll still use that somewhere (and, if it all blows up, I'll just use it all together). Anything else we still need to tweak? There are no other artworks, so we'll have to squeeze it into existing art, or get someone to take first-person-point-of-view screenshots of the areas from HD 1.5 ReMIX, but I think that'll get complicated to get and use.}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=23:54, 12 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Ok, how are these images? I'm thinking of creating an image map, so we don't have to split the image up and upload each section separately.

[http://1drv.ms/1jD6hyK <font color=#FFFFFF>Traverse Town - Reconstruction - OneDrive</font>]}}

Since it seems that you darkened the area behind the text for all of the blurbs, could it be darkened more?  It would make the text easier to read overall.  {{User:Obitus/sig/temp}} 00:03, 13 July 2014 (UTC)

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=00:17, 13 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=How is it now? (They're in the same place, same link, I just overwrote them)}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=04:58, 14 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=It's finished, pictures, links and all. Right now, the imagemap links go back to the same draft pages, but the links will be changed when we release Traverse Town.}}

{{KeybladeSpyMaster|time=18:27, 14 July 2014 (UTC)|TRON=Having seen no objections and having cleared previous problems/concerns, I will now release Traverse Town!}}

==Two Last Things==
{{TheFifteenthMember|time={{User:TheFifteenthMember/Sig1}} 12:28, 21 July 2014 (UTC)|default=Quick-fire questions:
*Do we want a Traverse Town navigation bar at the bottom of each page so you don't have to always go back to the hub to get to a new page?
*Do we want to bring back the Secret Waterway for the Clean Up of the Month?}}
:Navigation bar is probably a good idea. As for Secret Waterway...From what I've taken from our discussions, most agree to have it separate. I'm up for it. {{User:Xion4ever/Sig}} 02:34, 22 July 2014 (UTC)