GuildWiki talk:Style and formatting/Skills/Skill box

Starting The Vote Over
Because I am the dictator of 1/3 of my brain (1/6 of my brain recently obtained democratic independence, while 1/2 of my brain has been demonically possessed for quite a while now), I am once again calling off the proposed deadline for the skill box vote.

New Decision Process
Format is Majority rule w/ instant run-off.


 * 1) Idea Proposition Period.  Starts today, now, and will end 7 days after the last comment/suggestion/change was made to any one of the proposals.  Trivial comments/discussions or extremely minor changes may be ignored for the purpose of ending the idea proposition period, unless there is disagreement on whether a comment/dicsussion/change is trivial/minor.  While people may prevote during this period, they are encouraged to check the proposals again when the proposition period ends.
 * 2) Voting Period.  Lasts 7 days.  Starts when Idea Proposition Period ends.  During this time, only minor changes may be made to the proposals.

Major Ideas after the Proposition Period
If you have any brand new design after the voting period has started, it has to wait and cannot enter the vote. After a new format has been decided, you have several ways to get yoru brand new design in.
 * 1) You may choose to argue that your skill box is simply vastly superior to previously chosen one, and call for a vote to overturn the previous decision.  A 2/3 vote is needed.
 * 2) You may choose to appeal to the people that the previously chosen skill box has flaws and needs to be replaced.  A 2/3 vote is needed to agree to ditch the previous voted decision.  Afterwards you only need a simple majority vote to get your design in.  This process might seem harder at first, but you can gather votes of people who don't like your design, but also don't like the existing design to win the first 2/3 part, and then it's easier to have your design win the 1/2 part.
 * 3) Break your brand new design into tiny design components/features.  Introduce them slowly and gently into the previously voted format, slowly infesting and taking over.  No voting are needed unless someone take the initiative to call for a revert of a component you introduced (which would be a majority vote).  And even if one component is rejected by the majority, the rest of your designs might still get through.  Sneaky evolution vs drastic revolution.

Rules for Proposals
Propals must have the following:
 * A Name/Label for identification purposes.
 * General description of main design principles/features.
 * A direct link to a page where the syntax of the template is specified in pre /pre tags.
 * Direct links to full skill article pages using the proposal for the following skills:
 * 1) Unyielding Aura (unless a skill with longer description and a skill with upkeep are used)
 * 2) Glyph of Elemental Power (unless a skill with longer name is used)
 * 3) Rush (unless a skill with shorter description, a skill with shorter name, and a skill using adrenaline are used)
 * 4) Call of Protection (unless a skill with longer recharge is used)
 * 5) Offering of Blood
 * 6) Any skill from the Wilderness Survival line (suggest Troll Unguent, but not required)
 * A direct link to a quick reference list using include on all the above articles in the same list. Direct template calling is disallowed.  This is to simulate how quick reference lists will really look like.  Additional skills may be included if desired.


 * If you have deletion, modification, or addition to the above set of rules, please post in the discussion section below.

You may propose a template that other people have created but decided not to propose. In which case, it is your responsibility to make sure the template conform to the rules above.

The Proposals
(All the old stuff can be found in ../Archive 4 and ../Archive 5, feel free to dig them out as-is and use them as proposals)

Landscape v4
Proposal status: Rule Compliant

Features:
 * Consistent look for skill article and quick reference
 * Similarity with in-game Skill Menu layout
 * 800x600 Friendly
 * Simple & small syntax, including "Plain English" to mark elite status.

Previews:
 * 1) User:PanSola/Unyielding Aura L4
 * 2) User:PanSola/Glyph of Elemental Power L4
 * 3) User:PanSola/Rush L4
 * 4) User:PanSola/Call of Protection L4
 * 5) User:PanSola/Offering of Blood L4
 * 6) User:PanSola/Troll Unguent L4
 * User:PanSola/Landscape 4 List and Syntax

Skuld's easy syntax
Proposal status: Rules Compliant

Features:
 * "plain english" code

Preview:
 * 1) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Unyielding Aura
 * 2) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Glyph of Elemental Power
 * 3) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Rush
 * 4) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Call of Protection
 * 5) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Offering of Blood
 * 6) User:Skuld/Skill_box/Troll Unguent
 * User:Skuld/Skill_box/List and Syntax

Hybrid 3
Proposal status: reorganizing to follow the rules

Hybrid 3 makes better use of horizontal space than Hybrid 2, by putting skill stats in one column, and skill categorization (campaign, attribute etc) in another column.


 * 1) User:PanSola/Unyielding AuraP3
 * 2) User:PanSola/Glyph of Elemental PowerP3
 * 3) User:PanSola/RushP3
 * 4) User:PanSola/Call of ProtectionP3
 * 5) User:PanSola/Offering of BloodP3
 * 6) User:PanSola/Troll UnguentP3
 * User:PanSola/Hybrid 3 List and Syntax

Hybrid 4b
Proposal status: Rule Compliant

This is a hybrid of portrait6 for skill article and landscape v5 for quick reference list.

Portrait 4b Features:
 * full page width, splits into two columns, with Icon and skill description taking up the center, and skill categorization/details on the right side.
 * no floating means no potential weird gaps to avoid collision with progression table.

Preview:
 * 1) User:PanSola/Unyielding AuraP4b
 * 2) User:PanSola/Glyph of Elemental PowerP4b
 * 3) User:PanSola/RushP4b
 * 4) User:PanSola/Call of ProtectionP4b
 * 5) User:PanSola/Offering of BloodP4b
 * 6) User:PanSola/Troll UnguentP4b
 * User:PanSola/Hybrid 4b List and Syntax

Hybrid 5
Proposal status: reorganizing to follow the rules

Hybrid 5 starts from the Hybrid 3's concept, but takes the description outside the box (but still in the template), and made the box floating again. An invisible clear:right table is at the end of the skill description to ensure the skill box will not intersect with the progression table. If skill description is too short (such as User:PanSola/RushP5 when ToC is hidden), there might be lots of blank space between the description and the next section.


 * 1) User:PanSola/Unyielding AuraP5
 * 2) User:PanSola/Glyph of Elemental PowerP5
 * 3) User:PanSola/RushP5
 * 4) User:PanSola/Call of ProtectionP5
 * 5) User:PanSola/Offering of BloodP5
 * 6) User:PanSola/Troll UnguentP5
 * User:PanSola/Hybrid 5 List and Syntax

Hybrid 6
Proposal status: Rule Compliant This is a hybrid of portrait6 for skill article and landscape v5 for quick reference list.

Portrait 6 Features: Preview:
 * Minimalistic float-right box
 * Full-size profession icons
 * Description part of the article text instead of the box
 * 1) User:PanSola/Unyielding AuraP6
 * 2) User:PanSola/Glyph of Elemental PowerP6
 * 3) User:PanSola/RushP6
 * 4) User:PanSola/Call of ProtectionP6
 * 5) User:PanSola/Offering of BloodP6
 * 6) User:PanSola/Troll UnguentP6
 * User:PanSola/Hybrid 6 List and Syntax

The Votes
Voters are advised to consider how the proposals look at 800x600 resolution.


 * 


 * 


 * 


 * 


 * 


 * 


 * 

Related Voters

 * Pan Sola (previous votes were: landscape v4 > Hybrd4b > Hybrid 4 > Hybrid6 > Hybrid 5 > Hybrid3)
 * Xeeron (previous were landscape v4 = skuld easy = hybrid 4b
 * Rainith (previous vote was landscape v4)
 * Dinosaur Planet (previous vote was landscape v4)
 * Bishop (previous vote was skuld easy)
 * Barek (previous votes were: Hybrid 4b > Hybrid 4 > Hybrid6> Skuld's)
 * Evil_Greven (previous votes were: Hybrid 6 > Hybrid5)
 * LordBiro (previous vote was Hybrid 6)


 * User:Theeth
 * User:Tetris L
 * User:TheSpectator
 * User:LordKestrel
 * User:130.58
 * User:Novalith
 * User:Cloud
 * User:JoDiamonds
 * User:Evan The Cursed
 * Karlos
 * 161.88.255.140

Meta-stuff regarding the decision process

 * Trying to make things absolutely clear: Exactly where are these skill boxes intended to show up?  In short, what exactly are people voting on?  (This probably belongs near the top of the page!)
 * Presuming these boxes will be on actual skill pages, can we get a single example of an entire skill page for each suggestion? (Presumably relatively easy, since the page can be copied and the skill box can be included in one location.)  The skill page itself seems like the most important place where these skills will be.  --JoDiamonds 02:00, 22 March 2006 (CST)


 * That's one of the rules... check out the Preview: section under each of PanSola's proposals. The Hybrid format PanSola is using has a different format for the actual Skill Listings such as what would be on Warrior Skills Quick Reference, which is also exampled there. - Greven 03:50, 22 March 2006 (CST)

Hybrid 6
I've been looking over the code for Hybrid 6, as it is currently my favoured proposal. I feel quite strongly that the images for the skills details (such as Upkeep, Energy, Recharge Time) should not contain such details description. Simply saying "Energy" would be better in my opinion, since the user can look at the skill box, and if he mouses over the image he can see that the number refers to Energy. Currently the long description is actually a little counter-productive. What do you think? 21:09, 21 March 2006 (CST)


 * I actually think the longer description is needed if there is to be any mouseover at all. Formerly, there were links that described what each detail did... by removing those, a longer description was needed. - Greven 03:47, 22 March 2006 (CST)


 * If they just described what the image meant this would also be fine, but I think less correct. Let me try and give an example.


 * Using a text browser (lynx to be precise) on User:PanSola/Unyielding_AuraP6 to simulate a text reader as closely as possible, the result at present looks like this:

Unyielding Aura Image:Unyielding Aura.jpg Campaign   Prophecies image:Monk-icon.png Profession: Monk Attribute: Divine Favor Type:      Elite Enchantment -1 This skill has unlimited duration, but while remains in effect you have -1 energy regeneration. 5 ''This skill costs 5 Energy to use. You cannot use this skill if you do not have enough Energy.'' 3 This skill takes 3 seconds to activate. 45 Once activated, this skill will be disabled for 45 seconds.


 * Please note, I have italicised the text myself, there is no visible difference in the text browser between the text in the alt attribute of the image tag and the text from the rest of the entry. This is, as far as I'm aware, the intentional behaviour of the text browser. The alt attribute should contain a textual representation of the image and nothing more. If I have an emoticon for a smiley face, the correct value for the alt attribute would be ":)". It would not be "a picture of a smiley face" or even "happy face".


 * For the same reason I believe the icons should use the alt property to describe exactly what their textual representation would be, not a detailed description of what they actually are.

Unyielding Aura Image:Unyielding Aura.jpg Campaign   Prophecies image:Monk-icon.png Profession: Monk Attribute: Divine Favor Type:      Elite Enchantment -1 Energy regeneration 5 Energy 3 Activation Time 45 Recharge Time


 * In my opinion the second option makes a lot more sense. For semantic reasons especially, the image does not represent "This skill has limited duration..." it represents "energy regeneration". If you think there should be a longer description somewhere in the skill box, then fair enough, but I urge you not to put it in the alt property for the image. 04:06, 22 March 2006 (CST)
 * Biro, I think the only reason you see them on multiple lines was because they are so long. If they became shorter, then I expected them to all be on the same line which was part of what you used to complain about.  Originally without mouse overs you get to see the "Energy.png" etc didn't you?  I'll change the Energy to be shorter and see how it works out. -SolaPan 08:09, 22 March 2006 (CST)
 * Energy and Activation modified. Haven't changed anything else yet.  Lemme know how it look. -SolaPan 08:12, 22 March 2006 (CST)

Syntax Poll
The structure of the vote is mostly geared towards the layout, IMHO. However, it is completely possible to use Skuld's layout with my syntax, and vice versa. So here's a poll on which syntax people like better:


 * PanSola's syntax (used for landscape v4 and all the hybrids)
 * 1) PanSola


 * Skuld's syntax (used for Skuld's easy syntax proposal)