Website ideas and suggestions

[Diablo48]

I'm not exactly sure what you're suggesting for some reason. If you could rephrase exactly what you're looking for, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.


Randall

You currently have the link down at the bottom of the page, but I think it would be better if you moved it to the end of the section titled "2. As A Reader Of Fiction".  I was thinking of placing it immediately after the Universe Guide PDF and before the RPG setting so people read through the section, decide they want to learn more about the fiction, and see a link to do so right there.  Another way to look at it would be to merge the section titled "Getting Started" into the previous sections for more continuity of thought between the pages.

[Precentor Martial]

You currently have the link down at the bottom of the page, but I think it would be better if you moved it to the end of the section titled "2. As A Reader Of Fiction".  I was thinking of placing it immediately after the Universe Guide PDF and before the RPG setting so people read through the section, decide they want to learn more about the fiction, and see a link to do so right there.  Another way to look at it would be to merge the section titled "Getting Started" into the previous sections for more continuity of thought between the pages.

Okay, I see what you mean now...mmm...I'll think on that.

Thanks!


Randall

[Atlas3060]

Whoohoo! Omega is in the Bear's page!  O0

[StCptMara]

You know what would be REALLY cool for the faction pages? Some little IC quote that sums up the faction in
one, simple sentence.

[nckestrel]

You know what would be REALLY cool for the faction pages? Some little IC quote that sums up the faction in
one, simple sentence.

Capellan: We got your back.
Federated: We do it because it's (our) right.
Lyran: We own it already, thanks.
Free Worlds: Excuse us one moment.
Kurita: Everybody wants us a piece of us.

[Diablo48]

Okay, I see what you mean now...mmm...I'll think on that.

Thanks!


Randall

Happy to help as always.

You know what would be REALLY cool for the faction pages? Some little IC quote that sums up the faction in
one, simple sentence.

That would be good.  There have been a number of great quotes about the various factions over the years that would work perfectly, and it would be fun for players because the older players would get to try to figure out where they came from and the new players would see them in a novel or something and remember seeing it on the site.

[BARNESGN]

Maybe have a video how to section. Quick strike in action possibly.

[Precentor Martial]

Maybe have a video how to section. Quick strike in action possibly.

We'd absolutely love to do a few "universe" and "how-to" videos...but those are well down on the list as it's simply beyond our ability currently. But it is things we're looking at.

Thanks.


Randall

[Xtrahmxwohld]

Any new Wallpapers on the way, like say, the cover of FM3085?

[Moonsword]

Yes.  That would be very, very awesome.

[Precentor Martial]

Any new Wallpapers on the way, like say, the cover of FM3085?

Beyond these? http://www.battletech.com/gallery/

;-)

Hoping to have new ones up in the next week or two.


Randall

[Moonsword]

Yes.  That's an excellent start.

[Ratboy]

Can we get some wallpapers scaled for multiple monitors? Around 4800 x 1400?

[Paul]

?
You think 4800x1400 is a common resolution?

There are plans to provide a few more resolution options, but that's moving slowly.

Paul

[Xtrahmxwohld]

Beyond these? http://www.battletech.com/gallery/

;-)

Hoping to have new ones up in the next week or two.


Randall

As Moonsword said, it's a good start. ;)  I'm hoping for the 3085 cover

[Precentor Martial]

I believe I almost tripled the number of wallpapers available, including a lot of never-before-done images as wallpapers...and the requested Field Manual: 3085: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=29

Over the next few days we'll do the usual tweaking of the image sizes to ensure the page loads quick, as well as adding in a sidebar of navigation links since the page is starting to become a little unwieldy...and there's still a ton of wallpapers to add.

Thanks!


Randall

[trboturtle]

Any chance of getting those wallpapers in less large sizes? Not all of us have the big screen monitors.......

Craig

[Bedwyr]

For those needing alternative resolutions, while those and especially those you want aren't up yet, I can't recommend paint.net enough. It'll do all you need to crop and resize images that are already uploaded to your taste and your needs. It's donationware, uses layers, and just works for most of your needs.

[Paul]

Yeah, resizing them down at the same aspect ratio is a piece of cake on most any system.
Sizing up is "impossible", in the sense of it being impossible to add information, so resizing up looks hideous.

Paul

[Precentor Martial]

Okay for now I'm pretty happy where these are at.

1. Tweaked the New To BattleTech? page to better integrate the "Getting Started" page links: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=400

2. Tweaked the "Getting started: As a Board Game..." page to include small hyper links for all the product to ease navigation of the page: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=175

3. Added the full "Getting Started: As A Roleplaying Game..." page: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=3809

As always, let me know if you've any feedback.

Thanks!


Randall

[Diablo48]

Okay for now I'm pretty happy where these are at.

1. Tweaked the New To BattleTech? page to better integrate the "Getting Started" page links: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=400

2. Tweaked the "Getting started: As a Board Game..." page to include small hyper links for all the product to ease navigation of the page: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=175

3. Added the full "Getting Started: As A Roleplaying Game..." page: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=3809

As always, let me know if you've any feedback.

Thanks!


Randall

That looks great to me.  My only little complaint is that it looks a little bit odd for the reader of fiction section to be longer than the other two sections so I think it might help if the "Story Fiction vs. Sourcebook Fiction" paragraph was moved into the fiction page.  Of course, that might make the main getting started page harder to figure out for new people, but I am personally inclined to favor a brief initial description on the front end and leave the more in-depth explanation for the detailed page.  Alternatively, you could go the other way and add a brief introductory paragraph in front of the PDFs for the board game and RPG sections which would balance things out at the cost of making the page harder to quickly skim through.

[Bedwyr]

Yeah, resizing them down at the same aspect ratio is a piece of cake on most any system.
Sizing up is "impossible", in the sense of it being impossible to add information, so resizing up looks hideous.

Paul

If it's just for wallpaper, you can get away with scaling images up to 10-15% without getting too much distortion. Past that and it starts looking funky though.

[Paul]

If it's just for wallpaper, you can get away with scaling images up to 10-15% without getting too much distortion. Past that and it starts looking funky though.

Might be the software I use (crap) but I've never liked the results.

Paul

[Bedwyr]

Might be the software I use (crap) but I've never liked the results.

Could be the algorithm. I'm a die-hard photoshop user but whatever.

[Moonsword]

I believe I almost tripled the number of wallpapers available, including a lot of never-before-done images as wallpapers...and the requested Field Manual: 3085: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=29

Over the next few days we'll do the usual tweaking of the image sizes to ensure the page loads quick, as well as adding in a sidebar of navigation links since the page is starting to become a little unwieldy...and there's still a ton of wallpapers to add.

Thanks!


Randall

This is awesome.  I'm not using any of them yet but come 26 December, when I take my current Christmas wallpaper down, I'll be putting one up on my desktop.

[GOTHIK]

We'd absolutely love to do a few "universe" and "how-to" videos...but those are well down on the list as it's simply beyond our ability currently. But it is things we're looking at.

It's a shame that the idea of instructional videos are low on the priority list.  A friend of Mine that I got into BattleTech plays several other table-top miniatures including Infinity (which I had never heard of).  He and a friend of his invited Me over to play Infinity with them one night and while they were setting the table up, I watched the tutorial videos on the Infinity website.  I was pretty much ready to go for the first time.

It made things SO easy for Me to play the game for the first time and I IMMEDIATELY asked Myself why there aren't videos like that on the Catalyst site.  Not only would it help new players, but I think everyone would be able to benefit from it.

[Moonsword]

3. Added the full "Getting Started: As A Roleplaying Game..." page: http://bg.battletech.com/?page_id=3809

The link to the Quick-Start Rules is broken.  There's no "s" in download for the correct address.

[Paul]

Yeah, some jerk changed that on me. ;)
Fixed. Still need to optimize the various and sundry images.

Minor request: because you quoted the link to the Getting Started page, it took me a bit to figure out you meant the links on New To. That's more my problem than yours, but given who you're dealing with, I'd appreciate any accommodations made with regards to my dim wit.

It's a shame that the idea of instructional videos are low on the priority list.

There's no dispute with regards to the usefulness of such, there's just the matter of available resources. The Infinity videos you refer to are good, but require resources and skills CGL doesn't currently have.

Paul

[Moonsword]

I'll keep that in mind next time.

[Northman3050]

snip......


There's no dispute with regards to the usefulness of such, there's just the matter of available resources. The Infinity videos you refer to are good, but require resources and skills CGL doesn't currently have.

Paul

Couldn't a contest be done through battlecorps for the best instructional view for set scenario?  Say how to play the intro rules for Total Warfare. Or just start with mechs, and the vechicles, and so on.