Stop using staff blocks for everything.
 

You guys have a small wall in OSL that was meant for news. Staff blocks everywhere full of text looks very messy, unprofessional, and unnecessary when you can simply post a lot of this in some kind of news post.

They do?

Agreed lol.. there's also a block somewhere with: New GP lougne?

uhggggggg is it just me or does EVERY staff member have staff blocks and live off of them? they put one right in the middle of the road at unstick me and i crashed into it so many times that i can't even count.

I don't have staff blocks.

I've never seen a staff block 'right in the middle of the road'.

GG

last night, it was in the middle of the road, and it said something. i never saw what it said, i was more focused on not dying in the fire that combusted when i drove into it.

I've seem them many times.

I 100% concur with you. I've always wondered why they never use the news wall function. Perhaps, maybe use it in the newspapers...

I know they want the word to be spread out quickly, but that's just unprofessional, and a big mess. Staff blocks should only be used for development purposes only.. or something.

Agreed that the news section should be more utilized.
I would argue that people are more apt to read something out of the ordinary like a staff block "in the middle of the road", but at the same time, the news section should stand out more.
Also realize that many of the staff don't even have access to that news tab. Their only way of communicating to the players is either mass message or placing a big, gray staff block in an apparent location.
The only thing that wall is used for now is seeing the gang scores, and hell, more than half of the wall is taken up by two soda machines.
Perhaps a freestanding bulletin board or something would be more fitting, saying "updated 01/27/09!" or something.

On the other hand, isn't there a whole "news" tab that pops up when you hit N?
By default, doesn't that come up every time you log on?
Is there a point to even having any news indication outside of the news tab?

Should have a super-sized sign NPC interface with news listed there. Everytime it's updated, the post itself should have some kind of animation or so to stand out for a few hours.

I don't know, anything to keep staff blocks off every corner of the populated areas.

Could have a board that scrolls through the news. Sorta like the old message system did.

The news GUI that automatically opens when you connect has little bubbles to notify you when a tab has been updated.

I don't see a problem with staff blocks at all...they're temporary, easily noticeable, and can be used by virtually any staff member. They're a great tool for planting notifications or announcements relative only to a particular area, too.

i.e. the skateshop gets new skateboards, and a staff member places a staffblock on top of the building "Check out my new skateboards!"

Certainly not important enough to make the news GUI, but still something players might like to hear about.

Should have a pretty sign that says it for you then. Staff blocks do not belong in levels unless it's some sort of emergency. The notifications I see are usually minor and event related, stop being lazy people.

Why waste time on a "pretty sign" that would only hold a temporary message? I'm pretty sure the staff team has more important things to worry about right now...

I do agree with you, however, that announcements such as the auctions should have gone in the news GUI.

I'm more worried about the new players of Graal seeing them and thinking they are some kind of glitch / error then end up leaving the server.

Wow, what am I saying? Graal hasn't been able to keep a new player long enough to click anything on the serverlist.

Why would they waste time on new skateboards then?

That was an example, but rofl.

lol uhh its called an account locked door lol theres no blocks

It's gone now.. It was on the gmap, Where the entrance of ninja is.

Seriously, Not all of era staff is smart give them a break...They don't realize that they can leave a message for an admin or /opencomments "whatever" for whoever and leave a message there, They just don't realize it, don't give them a hard time, spamming with blocks that no one knows about makes them feel powerful.

I know. ;)

You should've seen my specialized staff block :D

EDIT: Found it!
Attachment 47271

Lol

Thats actually pretty cool I wouldn't mind seeing that one...But it is a bit of a problem the amount of staff blocks there are, why not use level npcs that say it? They don't block and don't cause that much lag

wise words from sweden

really now

I have to agree with Crono. It's very poor presentation and over-all lazy. It wouldn't take that long to have some sort of news system set up... in fact, isn't there already one set up? Why not just use that, or is that too time-consuming as well? If that's the case hire someone to do the news reports for you, though that's just as lazy.

There is a news system, but only a few people can update it...They use staff blocks for minor things.

there just staff blocks why get so upset about them?

They dont look irl style.

The health bars dont look irl style etiher IMO

No one is upset. If Era wants to look like **** I don't think anyone here who is suggesting something helpful really cares.

What's IMO?

In my opinion. (via internets)

Well if only a few people have access to the news updater, they are the only ones who need it, I think blocks should be removed from anyone who is not an Admin, because anyone else has a way to get there message without lagging the GMAP with ugly as hell laggy as hell blocks.

You guys complain whenever staff members don't inform you about minor updates, and when they do, you still complain :rolleyes:

Also, I highly doubt staff blocks are causing any lag for you...

Idea:

Creat some signs?

Signs wouldn't really be useful for temporarily needed messages

I think the lag might be coming from the army of pinecones.