Issue Tracker feedback

[Hyde]

Hey folks.

We're looking to create a place that can hold feedback (suggestions, issues, bugs) that is a little easier to track than the main TSW forums.

Currently planning to use Bugzilla (already working on the server) with fields customized for game input.

Bugzilla allows us to give access to Funcom IF they want it so that they can download bugs.

I'm trying to flesh out the categories a bit and would like to know what else you think is valuable for users to be able to report to Funcom. Take a look at the following and feel free to brainstorm.

I don't promise all suggestions will go into the final format as all systems including Bugzilla have some limitations on the level of detail you can add. And I'd like to keep the overall reporting workflow as "flat" as possible so that new users don't get too intimidate.

The following mindmap is my current first-stab at classifying issues. Note that there are some logical cross-classifications that probably WON'T happen. For instance you could want to file a suggestion on "Game > Encounters > PVP > ABILITIES" to say that you think a specific ability needs to be nerfed in Fusang ... but the right way to report it would be "Game > Abilities". On the other hand if you thought that a part of the playfield in Fusang was bugged you would do "Game > Encounters > PVP > Fusang".

NOTE: I'm not sure I'll be able to do 3+ levels of classification. It may HAVE to be flattened to 2 levels. That will all get figured out when I have access to the admin interface again (Chris, see email However we might be able to add things like additional "classification" to the "Game > Encounters > Quests" through keywords for each of the quests.

TSWZilla.png (15.47 KiB) Viewed 11511 times

[Hyde]

An example of a suggested category:

* Game > Graphics > [Effects, Fonts, etc]

or it could go under:

* Software > Game Client > Graphics > [Effects, Fonts, etc]

which means maybe I flatten things out by doing:

* Game > Client > Graphics > [Effects, Fonts, etc]

The idea being I want feedback on how to make the system as logically organized as it can be while trying to also keep it simple enough to be navigated without too many errors.

Thanks!
/Hyde

[Chrisax]

Saw email, done, and also put an expertcss tag in your first post to give width to the text independently from the attachment. *cuddling Hyde*

And now I need to think about that stuff. Nice work Hyde.

[Chrisax]

Just a note: I have Quests lists but it's from the documents I had in Beta (and even, well... long ago) so they need some update. Also they are not all always at the same formet. But anyhow we need them also for TSWuniverse.

Example

Code: Select all

mission;                                type;  sk;  loc;      comment;            starter;                      reward;             
A Sacred Place;                         red;   0.5; 282,475;  ;                   ;                             ;                   
ATC;                                    dyn;   1.5; 419,658;  ;                   Danny Dufresne;               r3 green weapon (weapon power 124); 
Appetite for Destruction;               red;   1;   195,349;  ;                   Sandy "Moose" Jansen;         r2 white heart chakra; 
At Journey's End;                       blue;  1;   684,396;  back;               Suicide note;                 r2 green might chakra; 
Badge of Honour;                        blue;  1.5; 325,846;  ;                   Abandoned police cruiser;     r3 green heart chakra; 
Black Helicopters;                      dyn;   1.5; 386,991;  ;                   Ann Radcliffe;                r3 white creation chakra; 
Book of the Bokor;                      blue;  0.5; 396,140;  ;                   Book of voodoo;               r1 green heart chakra + 10 zombie powder; 
Bringing Sexy Back;                     green; ;    126,685;  (formerly Spy Plane); Broken RC plane;              cash;               
Bullets for Andy;                       blue;  0.5; 105,303;  ;                   Policeman's corpse;           r1 green heart chakra; 
Death, and the Instruments Thereof;     red;   1;   195,349;  ;                   ;                             ;                   
Dirty Laundry;                          green; ;    417,470;  (formerly The Collection); Cleaner's corpse;             cash;               
Draugnet;                               red;   1;   200,329;  ;                   Deputy Andy;                  r2 green body chakra + "Bold" rank 2; 
Dust to Dust;                           red;   1;   282,475;  ;                   Henry Hawthorne;              r2 green instinct chakra; 
Edgar's Flamer;                         green; ;    419,663;  new;                Half-finished flamethrower;   cash, flamethrower; 
Elm Street Blues;                       red;   0.5; 200,329;  ;                   Deputy Andy;                  r1 green creation chakra; 
Evolution of the Species;               red;   1.5; 387,990;  ;                   Harrison Blake;               r3 green body chakra; 
Floater;                                blue;  1.5; 620,754;  ;                   Old toilet;                   cash;               
For a Fistful of Zombies;               red;   0.5; 61,137;   ;                   Jack Boone;                   r1 green weapon (weapon power 75); 
Full Metal Golem;                       red;   1.5; 611,674;  ;                   Scrapyard Edgar;              r3 green instinct chakra; 
Horror Show;                            dyn;   0.5; 187,325;  ;                   Helen Bannerman;              r1 green weapon (weapon power 75); 
Hulk Smash;                             red;   1.5; 386,990;  ;                   Ann Radcliffe;                r3 green might chakra; 
I Phone Home;                           blue;  1.5; 571,589;  ;                   Damaged PDA;                  r3 green might chakra; 
Idol of Nergal;                         blue;  1;   470,18;   ;                   Ancient idol;                 cash;               
Last Tango in Kingsmouth;               green; ;    611,673;  ;                   Scrapyard security log;       ;                   
Message in a Bottle;                    blue;  1;   648,131;  ;                   Message-in-a-bottle;          r1 green body chakra; 
Missing Persons;                        blue;  0.5; 188,324;  ;                   Missing persons list;         r1 green prophecy chakra; 
Neither Snow nor Rain nor Zombies (1);  blue;  0.5; 340,258;  Unrepeatable;       Postal van;                   cash;               
Neither Snow nor Rain nor Zombies (2);  blue;  0.5; 340,258;  Unrepeatable, fixed; Postal van;                   r3 green instinct chakra; 
Neither Snow nor Rain nor Zombies (3);  blue;  0.5; 340,258;  Unrepeatable, back; Postal van;                   r3 green instinct chakra; 
Rolls Downhill;                         red;   1;   116,692;  ;                   Che Garcia Hansson;           r2 white melee weapon (weapon power 100); 
Runaway Lights;                         red;   1.5; 898,702;  ;                   Ellis Hill;                   r3 white prophecy chakra; 
Scrapyard Defence;                      purple; 1.5; 611,674;  ;                   Scrapyard Edgar;              r3 white weapon assembly kit; 
Something Wicked This Way Comes;        green; 1;   360,110;  Unrepeatable;       (359,106);                    Norma Creed [cash]; 
Supply Run;                             red;   0.5; 187,325;  ;                   Helen Bannerman;              r1 green prophecy chakra (Portent Chakra, 162 health, 21 attack rating); 
Tango & Cash;                           blue;  1.5; 616,674;  needs to be done together with Scrapyard Defence; Tattered note;                cash;               
The Captain's Playlist;                 blue;  1.5; 377,1005; Unrepeatable;       (380,1006);                   Captain's log [cash]; 
The Coming Dawn;                        green; ;    ;         new (at the end of "Appetite for Destruction"); Flushed brochure;             cash;               
The Curious Case of Joe Slater;         blue;  0.5; 191,325;  ;                   Incomplete report;            r1 green creation chakra; 
The Dawning of an Endless Night;        story; 1.5; ;         Unrepeatable, main story; ;                             ;                   
That'll Leave a Mark;                   blue;  1;   210,120;  (formerly The Injured Man); Trapped survivor;             cash;               
The Kingsmouth Code;                    green; 1;   282,476;  Unrepeatable;       (283,475);                    Henry Hawthorne [cash]; 
The Pickup;                             dyn;   ;    114,695;  new (Che Garcia Hansson); Che Garcia Hansson;           r2 green creation chakra; 
The Raven;                              red;   1;   289,335;  ;                   Madame Rogt;                  r1 green astral chakra; 
The Searchers;                          green; ;    330,170;  new;                Mutilated corpse;             cash;               
The Slaying of Dixie Bull;              blue;  1;   550,80;   (553,75);           ;                             ;                   
The Tentacle Trail;                     blue;  0.5; 461,480;  *;                  Box of squid;                 r1 white creation chakra; 
The Vision;                             green; 1;   289,335;  Unrepeatable;       Madame Rogt;                  cash;               
They Never Stop Coming;                 red;   1;   359,108;  ;                   Norma Creed;                  r2 white magic weapon (weapon power 100); 
Tomb Raider;                            blue;  0.5; 339,196;  ;                   Severed hand;                 cash;               
Trapped;                                blue;  1.5; 656,854;  Unrepeatable;       Dead draug;                   cash;               
Trespassers;                            blue;  1;   187,328;  ;                   Complaint form;               cash;               
Veterans Day;                           blue;  1;   265,495;  ;                   Kingsmouth war memorial;      r2 green prophecy chakra; 
What the Tide Brought In;               blue;  1.5; 288,981;  ;                   Broken Orochi canister;       general item reward bag; 
Would the Real Ellis Hill Please Stand Up?; blue;  ?;   941,742;  ;                   Beaten body;                  cash;               
Dead in the Water;                      dun;   ?;   389,989;  ;                   Ann Radcliffe;                r3 blue weapon (weapon power 144); 

[Hyde]

Yeah, I'm sort of leaning to making people type the name of the quest ... a drop-down is easy to fumble and would be a nightmare to keep up to date over years of content. Still debating that one.

[Chrisax]

But people will almost never enter correct names IMHO, and will ask for an automatic choice I guess. So I don't know...

A way I used in Floaty to limit risks was to have inter-dependent drop-down lists.

I don't know if Bugzilla can do that that.

For example

First list is zone names
Second list is missions names

Step 1: pick a zone - You have nothing to select in the list 2 (mission names) as long as a zone is not selected

The choice made in list 1 calls a second list of missions names for the zone selected

Step 2: pick the mission among the missions of the zone

This kind of system doesn't make errors impossible but limits them, especially if there are enough lists to "screen" the final input

[Hyde]

No, unfortunately Bugzilla's interface is pretty traditional. I actually looked around today for a more AJAXy tracker database but didn't find anything that was a significant improvement. Either the interface was snazzy but the data was cloud-based (out of our control entirely), or the interface was snazzy but the reporting and capabilities were lacking ... or it was not significantly better than Bugzilla.

I may be able to fudge things by creating my own interface for quick-n-dirty bug entry, but I'm not sure it will be worthy.

[Calen]

A friend just started developing his own iOS and android apps and has been using Google project issue tracker for his bugs. He's on vacation so I couldn't get more about it, but this was the link he sent me a few weeks ago.

http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/G ... arted?tm=6

[Hyde]

A friend just started developing his own iOS and android apps and has been using Google project issue tracker for his bugs. He's on vacation so I couldn't get more about it, but this was the link he sent me a few weeks ago.

http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/G ... arted?tm=6

Yeah the problem there is data ownership and site name.

Data ownership isn't a big deal to me as I trust Google wouldn't be abusive about it, but it also means we don't have good control over import/export. Personally? I'd make the compromise, but need to hear Chris's thoughts.

Site name is just ... we'd like to have it under the TSWUniverse domain for subconscious marketing purposes.

The mobile idea is great ... but part of why I'm going with Bugzilla as it has been around so long that it actually has a fair amount of mobile app support.

...

I'm so ambivalent about private hosting (TSWUniverse) versus public hosting (Google) that I'm leaving that one up to Chris's preferences. Google has serious advantages (we don't have to do IT work to keep it running and for upgrades, Google handles accounts and authentication) but equal disadvantages (no customizations, all accounts are public). I actually considered proposing it but then decided the pros/cons balance so it was a wash for me.

However ... I'll give one giant "pro" for Chris to ponder: if I fall off the face of the earth, or (like AO) quit playing, he wouldn't need to go learn Bugzilla (not that much to learn really) to run it.

[Malosar]

I hate losing control of the data and being able to do what I want with it, but I'm an IT control freak. I can see yuor points with google offerings though, and it's something I had to gnash my teeth over here at work when we moved from internal Exchange to cloud Google Apps for our collaborative systems.

[Chrisax]

Each time I used a Google service or a similar service, it followed the same path:

- once I accepted to lose personality and (quite a lot of) personalization, it worked fine, really

- as soon as I stopped thinking as the provider assumed I would think or even more I should think, or tried to do something the provider didn't think about or considered uninteresting, it become hell and I hit a brick wall

- last but not least, fixing something the "hard" way, ie directly connect to the database and modify data inside it, is of course impossible

I'm not at all a Google-phobic. They got really good tools and services (we will maybe even use some for the site). But in our very specific situation, I tend to think that keeping full control is better.

That said, I'd like to see what look and feel Bugzilla will offer to the average user.

The reasons I didn't offer to create a custom bugtracker as I did with Floaty is
1) Being already too busy at the moment with other tools in the making
2) I know my own limits* and I would hate to tell Hyde at some point "I'm sorry but we can't do this or change that"

* Floaty-like or Tarakill transparency pages like http://www.clansunited.org/transparency



UGH big issue, this message was restored after a crash. Posting it, will say more whne issues fixed.

Issue:
http://www.athenpaladins.org/forums/vie ... f=2&t=7225