Chaotic Portal Backup

Yeah since this isn't a wiki but a controlled environment, we won't have the issue of unreviewed material being published - no 'fake news' as the media would put it

Blits if we're going for something new, I need concept art to work off of. I'll start tackling the data itself for now, but I'm not a UX person.

I've begun creating the webapp. @Blits

https://chaoticbackup.github.io/portal/

Yeah its in really early stages! We need to discuss layout and content organization. I'm still deciding how to do the content delivery network (cdn). We can hook this up to a dropbox or googledrive account for all the image hosting. Google Drive CDN Realistically, we should store the data in an spreadsheet or something (json file) so that authorized users can edit content without having to edit the github repository (webpage itself). Google Sheets API

I'm having so much fun designing a system that is completely free to run! Using github pages, we can have free hosting (but it has a size limit for storage) so if we have a separate free hosting service as the cdn then we have a completely sustainable model.

What do you think? I definitely see potential (like its gone from an idea to a puddle of mud, but that's still better than all talk).

After we get this underway, I'm going to apply what I've learned to making the "Collection" page. (Yeah with the advanced card searching capabilities we always wanted.)

The learning curve for the website itself is a little steeper than pure html, I'm using a platform called react.js to create a single page app. Its cool stuff. It's state driven so it removes redundancy in html code.

Edit:
Alright, I decided it. I'm going to go with the format I proposed. Spreadsheets for data and images with name. (Might want to make a thumbnail folder too).

So here's the layout
Root/
|_Creatures/
_|_Overworld (spreadsheet) etc.
_|_Overworld/
_|_Underworld/
_|_Danian/
_|_Mipedian/
|_Locations/
_|_(spreadsheet)
|_Mugic/
_|_Overworld (spreadsheet) etc.
_|_Overworld/
_|_Underworld/
_|_Danian/
_|_Mipedian/
_|_Generic/
|_Battlegears/
_|_(spreadsheet)
|_Attacks/
_|_(spreadsheet)

• At the root page, you have an option for each of the categories. 
  
• Once in the category, the system will grab the spreadsheet to generate the list of items.
  
• The name of the items are the url
  
• At a specific item it populates the fields based on the layout
  
• Grabs picture
  
• Grabs data
  

This makes design simplified into having a template/theme for each card type and tribe. Populating the spreadsheet data, and adding images (name corresponding to name in spreadsheet).

Example user flow:
Main page -> Clicks Overworld Creatures-> Clicks Maxxor
Resulting URL:
/portal/Creatures/Overworld/Maxxor
Boom! The user has Maxxor's portal page

I'll eventually do some performance tests on the system. It may have to be broken down into smaller spreadsheets if look up times are too long (aka per set).

Edit:
So I created the drive schema, and its changed a little bit. I abstracted "card data" into their own spreadsheet so it can be used again later (also reduces data to be parsed through when generating the list of creatures).

Program flow -> 
/portal/Creatures/Overworld/Maxxor
navigates to Creatures folder, finds Overworld sheet file, looks for Maxxor entry
populates page with corresponding columns
pulls image from Creatures/Overworld/Maxxor.jpg
opens card_data, looks for Maxxor entry
populates corresponding fields

Edit:
I'm also working on the interactive header. (Yay!)
Header
So I finished the header, and I think I found out why the header never worked in the original forum hahah

Edit:
I made some changes to the rive layout. Increased subfolders for the different images (thumbnail, splash (full) art, card  image), then the spreadsheets:
Folder[Type]
|_Spreadsheet[Type]
|_Card_Data

With the exception of tribe types (Creatures and Mugic) which have the corresponding tribes instead.
The spreadsheet sharing the folder name (or tribe) correspond to the portal to perim content exclusively, the card_data spreadsheet is just that, information found on cards.
This way when I begin to recreate the "Collection" page, I can simply use the card_data files.

Anything else I'm missing? I guess you'll see this post added to a lot haha

Stretch Goals:
Mobile Friendly (theme design)
Page Linking

As for linking pages together, that will be a little more involved on my end. I'm thinking of defining a code (like mediawiki) of enclosing a link in double brackets [[ ]] (in the data file)

Due to the url layout, we will have to make a lookup table so that [[Maxxor]] -> /portal/Creatures/Overworld/Maxxor

After a long period of inactivity I'm proud to bring you the first working page -> https://chaoticbackup.github.io/portal/Creatures/Overworld/Maxxor

https://chaoticbackup.github.io/portal/Overworld/Creatures

I need help with filling in the spreadsheets and images, so please contact me either here or discord if you want to help.

After today, all the code for individual creatures will be in place, so if anyone knows html/css and wants to work on the layout of information, I'll hook you up with the repository (assuming you know how to use git). Or if you're scared of javascript server stuff, you can create html and css pages and I'll try to merge it into the existing code.

Majorly overhauled how I handled data on the portal. Page load times should be faster and the experience is smoother between navigating through pages! No more clunky reloading a page which you've already navigated to!

Marrillian wrote:Majorly overhauled how I handled data on the portal. Page load times should be faster and the experience is smoother between navigating through pages! No more clunky reloading a page which you've already navigated to!

Just a heads up, the images are not loading for the cards.

It's been tested working for chrome or firefox. The problem may be with Safari.

good job you are doing great work

good  job you are doing great work

Thank you <3 Since I'm waiting on more data for the portal, I'll next begin working on the collection page. That one should be the most helpful for players

The Portal is out of early development. This means all the sections work (and the collection page too!). I'm not good with UX, so if anyone wants to throw around some prototypes, those are always welcome. Enjoy!

I wish someone knew how to make another tcg online game just like the old one. I don't like the one we use.

Give me a few months, and maybe King and I will be able to try to muster something up to improve the fan experience.

I'll be looking forward to it!

Hey so my name is Nick and i'm actually interested in helping out with this project if you guys are in need of any help. I've worked on websites in my free time and have built applications and worked on different kinds of development teams. Also i'm currently in my third year of being a computer science major at a university.

Hello Nick. I'd be happy to have you join. (Oops looks like the link to the github repo was broken).

https://github.com/chaoticbackup/chaoticbackup.github.io

I didn't exactly document the dev environment. But if you're familiar with node, its just an npm install away. hehe

The app is built using Reactjs (webpack babel). It's all client side so there's no backend code. 

I've got a few open issues that I'd definitely could use the help with!
(FYI: Thing's I've assigned to myself I'm currently working on)

You sir are one talented man!  I read your post even though I understood little of it!
I don't know anything about web design or writing code for web pages.  However, I am a hobby artist and have been learning to use Clip Studio Paint.  I have all the cards except some promos in addition to the MI playmats of each tribe.  If there is any info or images from the cards you would like, I'd be happy to give it.  Otherwise, I'm sorry to say I won't be much help other than moral support.

Also, I checked out the different parts of the site.  Everything looks great! Very professional, easy to navigate!  Brings a tear to me eye      Consider my mind blown!

Sorry i couldn't get back to you sooner! Due to college and work and other hobby's i got a little distracted I just cloned the project and started going through it, i was curious if you had a starting place that you would like me begin and work off of? OneMajorPain's comment gave me the idea to work on a database of all the cards in the game, listing the picture/bio/other information(if one does not already exist). Let me know your thoughts

majorpain, Voltwar

The database is stored in google sheets to allow for easy access to non-programming team members. We've already reached 100% of card info to the database.
@chiodosin1  

---

Thanks majorpain. I'm really happy to hear its easy to navigate! That's the biggest thing I aim for in front-end web design. There's only one "secret" section which is the pack opening simulator, that's found under "enter the code", so poking around I hope would find it.

If you think you can make some mocks of an interface, feel free to share and I'll see if its suitable. Otherwise, it's great enough for moral support by hearing people enjoy it.

I just tried the pack simulator...WOW! I am blown away! That is awesome! I had fun opening packs! Too bad I couldn't keep the online pulls...I had a TSK in one
BTW: by interface, I assume you mean the gameboard we'd use. do you mean a digital gameboard pic?

I meant general layout. Like how content is displayed on a page etc. Color schemes etc. I'm not a graphic artist so usually you'd have a gfx designer doing the mockups and the programmers implementing it.

I tried to do some mock-ups a while back but never got them into a format to show you. I really dropped the ball on that one! Lots of things have happened in my life since then that really needed my attention. I can still try to get them into a decent format, but with the news about Chaotic 2.0, do you still want them?
I have always held onto the hope that this game will come back. Bryan Gannon apparently has mugical ability after all: he played Song of Revival! Glad it is coming back.

I'm not looking to perform any ascetic updates now that I've got a full time job. Thanks for the offer though!

KingMaxxor4 wrote:I'm not looking to perform any ascetic updates now that I've got a full time job. Thanks for the offer though!

No Problem! Glad to hear things are going well!