Split "Development" into two sections ?

[SeanHeron]

If you've missed it, we're currently engaged in revamping large parts of the site (ie the wiki ).

So, not wanting to do a half assed job, I petition to split up "Development" in the Link bar at the top of the page into "(Engine) Development" and "Game Making/Modding". Can't think of any catch one word phrases just now, but you get my meaning.
See here for some reasoning. So that we don't add clutter I say we drop "News" as a swap (same thing can be found at "Home", and that's where everybody looks, cause it's where every (game-)site has their news).

All those in favor: Raise your hand and say "Aye" (since poll doesn't work here...).

[lurker]

I'll poll you!

[Master-Athmos]

Well what is your main argument for doing so? I mean is it that bad that when clicking on "Development" you then have to choose between the one being about the engine and the other one being about games & mods?

You might have some point with your comment about the "News" link at the top. We might either create something unique though which would need some guys dropping a line now and then or we should just link to Springinfo which has some news posters...

[aegis]

Development -> Engine, Modding?

[jK]

I don't see a reason why to split them and to clutter the infobar (imho just Mantis could find place there).
There are multiple redundant items on the Development page, named:

• Mission development (the used lua in there got removed from the engine)
• Linux and Mac OS
• MTR
• General Resources
• Associated Development Groups
• Help
• Sync Debugging (should be a subpage of general engine dev)

If you remove those, you have more than enough space to separate the engine and the game development on the same wikipage.

[Master-Athmos]

@jk:
Yeah - when you look at the suggested new structure you'll see that the superfluous stuff already got kicked...

[SeanHeron]

thanks Lurker! (though having the "aye's" coming in would have been nice too - someone's already changed their vote! ).

My main argument for splitting I guess would be that these are two very important aspects of Spring - being able to continue improving the engine, and having a plethora of tools to create content with. I think we should clearly advertise both, and at the moment at first view we're advertising neither properly (they're not mentioned on "Home" either). So you have to go on "About" or the "perhaps what I think it is" Development to be shown those two aspects clearly.

I admit if there are no good one word terms we can think of, it definitely doesn't make sense. (A possible variation on the split would be "Coding" vs. "Modding"...?? though I don't really like the ing forms)

[Master-Athmos]

Hmm - well I guess Source <-> Development might be a good option. So if you come here and get to know it's open source it might be a good idea to indicate with a "Source" that there's a link / wiki entry about just that...

[FLOZi]

I don't see a reason why to split them and to clutter the infobar (imho just Mantis could find place there).
There are multiple redundant items on the Development page, named:

• Mission development (the used lua in there got removed from the engine)
• Linux and Mac OS
• MTR
• General Resources
• Associated Development Groups
• Help
• Sync Debugging (should be a subpage of general engine dev)

If you remove those, you have more than enough space to separate the engine and the game development on the same wikipage.

+1, especially to mantis

[SeanHeron]

Look, I'm totally not talking about how we want to design the "Development" page - it's uberclear that that's getting a thorough overhaul (I was considering a thread for design input...). Please stick to the topic!

So you guys would support: "Mantis" + "Development" but not "Source"/"Coding" + "Development"/"Modding"? Wouldn't it be pretty clear in the later configuration that if you want to submit a bug, you go to Source/Coding? (Mantis would be given prominence there of course).

[Master-Athmos]

Well adding Mantis to the navbar is no bad idea imo - I actually missed that right from the start of the new website design...

I think adding a "Source" link in addition to the "Development" link is no bad idea either. It really points out something that imo is a bit missing for first time visitors: You actually don't really get the idea of Spring being open source at all. I mean go to the "Home"-page yourself...

You'll just get to know that it's a "powerful free engine". There's not a single word of open source and also the name of the page is just "The Spring Project" also lacking something like "The Spring Project - An open source RTS engine". Adding a source category would make that more clear and maybe even save engine devs a click...

I admit though that this really is a minor issue but I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a Mantis and Source section and get rid of the pretty much useless News section (maybe add on "Older News" at the bottom of the "Home" page leading to the forum if you think that what's listed there is not sufficent)...

[Master-Athmos]

Ok so it seems most people vote for the told changes of the navbar. Does just Fnordia have the rights on changing this or can someone else change things like that too?