What Did I Miss Window

[Illysia]

I'm not sure if this can be done, but it would be nice if there was a window that would summarize the features returning players missed since they last logged in.

The way I imagine it, every major feature added, new skills, major new art, new maps, new NPCs, NPCs with updated/new quests, etc would be summarized and added in. When a feature is added, it will be tracked and assigned a version number or date. The last time the active character logged in would also be tracked. When the window is opened, with a command like /catchmeup, it will match last log in date with features added after that date. The window will filter the list of features to display features introduced after the last log in date.

As a returning player, changes can be a bit overwhelming. Not to mention, you may have some idea how things worked X years ago then feel a bit lost as you realize you effectively have no idea what's going on anymore. I think returning players need something to help them ease back in.

There may be a more efficient/effective way to handle this, but I think something is needed to catch up returning players without having to make a tutorial just for them.

[Emaline]

Illysia-
I think that's done here http://207.244.96.64/PlaneShift/smf/index.php?board=45.0
Anytime we update things we add a post here so they'd just have to browse this section.

[Venalan]

This would also fall into to the realm of nice ideas which need server and client work so can't be done now. Things like this would be nice once we get into UE4.

There is also the news windows in pslaunch but I have totally no idea how that works. I'd quite like to have write access to w/e file that reads so I can announce things to players using it. This same window could technically be added into the client proper and used to display the same news.

[Ravna]

found it (pslaunch news), we can try and see if we can get it to work, that would be a nice way of pointing people to some additional information (like a forum link containing more complete patch notes, or something like that).

[Venalan]

This window used to show news so I expect it still works but is just not updated worn text anymore. We need to ask talad about us devs being able to update it with any news we post on places like the forum or Facebook.

[Ravna]

I meant to say, I know which file on the server it is pointing to, and indeed, if that file gets content again, it will work (already tested locally). We can work out the details on IRC.

[Illysia]

Thanks. Only a small fraction of any playerbase ever visit the game's forums regularly, but 100% of the players of the game will see something on the game launcher. Maybe a link to the website's news page so returning players can scroll back to see previously added things.