v2 NEW FEATURE - Story Home Page

[severenz]

In v2, a story now has a landing or home page. It combines:

• expanded story information
• statistics
• Mature Audiences disclaimer (if necessary)
• whether submissions are accepted
• moderation status
• Story Introduction (if configured by the owner)
• Begin Reading link which takes the user to the first room

I'd like to allow bbcode in the introduction but think if the author makes it too long, it could make that page tough to take in. I'm very close to separating the Introduction and make it it's own step i.e.

Story Landing Page => Introduction (if exists) => First Room

I'm a little torn on this template so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[donteatpoop]

I can see the pros and cons of both, introduction may make people hesitant to click to read it; though if it's too lengthy that would be a deterrent too.

I think option B would work better, personally.

[severenz]

I already went ahead and separated the intro. From story home you go to intro and then first room. If no intro, it goes directly to first room from story home.

[Usoki]

Do you have to visit both of these pages every time you click on the story? My hesitancy depends on what "expanded story information" refers to. If it means the 'notes for others' space on the current site, then I am fine with this. That's the space I usually use as a short introduction. If "expanded story information" means something else, then there is not a single thing on the splash page I'm interested in seeing. I don't often look at the story's statistics, and I would resent being forced to look at them every time I'm trying to read something. The only thing I ever really check is the rating, but I usually do that on the search list, not in the story itself.

[severenz]

I guess it depends how people normally read stories. The link to goto the first room currently only resides from the story home page or introduction if it exists.

I think "buying in" to the maturity rating thing is an important step so the story home, whatever it entails will likely stay.

As for the introduction - I think it's part of the story. Remember some folks are putting "intros" on the first room (with only one choice) which you can't "skip" already.

At the end of the day, bookmarking does exist (via browser or the website). Again, we are only what 3, people and I don't read stories.

[Usoki]

The maturity rating acceptance does make sense.

I can't really think of any examples of this, other than maybe an Endmaster story where the first room was a 'read at your own risk' disclaimer. I guess it depends on what you would consider to be an introduction. I would use the space as a sort of 'author's notes', in which case it's just as informational as the stats, and wouldn't need to be separate. But if you're talking about a prologue or an opening scene or something... I use one choice rooms for spacing effect all the time. I dunno if it really needs special coding.

[Usoki]

So, all of my 'about the story' blurbs became 'author's notes' blurbs which are now hidden from the public. I don't suppose that there's any way to choose whether or not we want to make this section visible to others? Most of these blurbs are only two-three sentences, and so they're really not long enough or important enough to bump them to another page and make them into an introduciton.

But if not, I'll get over it. I'm just whining about how it used to be. Double whiny, since it's one of the most trivial details of the new upgrade. The new site is fantastic, and I cannot thank you enough.

[severenz]

I'm reconsidering the introduction idea but I'd like some more feedback if possible.

The main reason I created it was to make it easier for the folks that don't know how to "think outside of the box" to create a story introduction page.

I honestly don't even remember where the old "about" used to show....

[Usoki]

I... can't remember exactly either. All of that text used to appear on the statistics page, either at the very top, or at the very bottom. I think it was at the top, though. You had all the data for loose ends, room count, word count, last updated, about, and such all in one place. It was fairly hidden, since it was obviously one of the few stats that you couldn't search for in the master story list, and therefore one of the few stats that didn't exist in multiple areas.