Site Features/Ideas (UPDATE 1.2)

shelby • 13 April 2015 at 9:17 PM

I have a few ideas I think would help improve Egg Cave and I decided to compile them into one thread and suggest them.
I don't know what has and hasn't been suggested, I just want to get all my ideas out.

:: Site Status Forum for Staff ::
I think it would be beneficial to have a forum where staff can create topics and tell us what's going on with the site.
It would be nice to see what is currently being worked on, what some future plans are, etc.
Lots of websites do this and it's great.

:: Separate Cave or Shop for User Made Creatures ::
Again, another thing lots of sites do.
Users could make a creature, submit it to this "cave" and then it is reviewed by the staff to see if it's okay. The user would have to draw their art themselves, and it would have to be the proper size, obviously.
-There would be an egg stage, 1st stage, 2nd stage and 3rd stage options. Egg and 1st stage required, 2nd & 3rd stage optional.
-There could be a set number of each user created creature, meaning: there are x amount of creatures and you have to buy them. The user that created the creature would then get a small amount of EC per purchase. Once all the creatures are gone, that creature is gone forever. It should also be cleared out at the end of each month; whether or not there are still remaining creatures
This would give Users a chance to see their creatures made.
-I think they should also be allowed to have "male / female" difference options if they so desire.
-Obviously nothing copy righted should be submitted, but that's why the staff would review it.
-Nothing inappropriate or rule breaking.
-Nothing that resembles current or past creatures.

:: Separate Travel Shop for User Made Travels ::
Same idea as User Made Creature area, just for travels!
-There would be a shop where users could submit travel ideas, it gets reviewed, and if approved, is put in the shop with x amount of travels to be bought. The User that created the travel would receive a small amount of EC per purchase.

:: Users Online Status ::
This is pretty simple and I see many sites do it.
Basically, at the top of the site, possible in front of the date / time notifier, there would be a "x Users Online" status. It'd be nice to see when the site is really active and might lag, and when there aren't many users on.

:: Site Leader Boards Monthly Prizes ::
In an attempt to get more users using the Click Exchange and being active, I think we should have monthly Prizes of some kind for being on the Leader Boards.
There could be 1st Place Prize, 2nd Place Prize, and 3rd Place prizes, aside from the amount of EC you already get at the end of each month depending on how many creatures you have on the leader boards.
I think depending on how many creatures you have determines what place you get.
The prizes are up to the staff but I have a few suggestions:
Small amounts of CC: This wouldn't break the economy at all. 1st place could get 500, 2nd place: 350, 3rd place: 200 (AS AN EXAMPLE).
-This would give new users or users who cannot buy CC an opportunity to get a little CC.
-This would give more incentive to users to be more active and to user the click exchange more, making it more effective.
-Since it would be such a small amount of CC, it wouldn't break the economy in any way. If anything, it would improve it. And it would only be once a month.
Another prize could be travels, a creature, next month you receive 1 free month at Tim's for all your creatures...there are endless possibilities for prizes, really.
Any prizes are up to staff, I just wanted to include some possible examples.

:: Monthly Click Exchange Prizes ::
Basically the same general idea as the Site Leader Boards prizes.
Only the prizes should be different; possibly just EC.
The top 5 clickers would receive x amounts of EC.
(just an example).
Again, this would get users more active on Egg Cave and more active in the Click Exchange.

:: Staff Held Contests ::
I've seen sites do this as well.
-Staff members would hold any type of contest they wanted.
Maybe an art contest, IE: Draw this creature and the top three are chosen for a prize.
-The contest(s) could be held once a month by either 1 staff member or multiple staff members for more than one contest a month.
-The prizes could be EC, A creature, A travel, etc etc
-I don't think the staff should have to give up something of theirs, more they should be given something once a month in order to give it away as a prize? That seems more fair.
This again, would get users more involved and active!

:: Games to Earn EC ::
I'm sure this has been suggested and maybe it's being worked on, I don't know.
But basically I think we should have some basic games to earn some EC.
-Memory Games
-Spot the Differences
-Find it
Etcetc
There could be a limit of x amount of EC you can earn Each day, so users don't just sit there all day and play the games.

:: Indicator To see if you posted in a topic already ::
This idea is pretty straight forward and is used on lots of different sites.
Basically; next to a thread, there would be some kind of symbol to indicate that you've already posted in that topic.

:: Some simple BBcode enabled ::
BBcode for profiles would be great.
Underline, Bold, Italic, Strike out, color text, Aligned text (center, right, left), egg cave specific IMG codes (for showing creatures, items, travels, etc)...ETC.
Egg cave is the only site I know of that doesn't currently allow us to use BBcode to customize our profiles..at all. So it would be nice if we could have that!

:: Indicator to see how many stats a creature has received a day ::
This is pretty self explanatory, but I did make EXAMPLES:
http://oi58.tinypic.com/sevx38.jpg (if you go to "my creatures" page)
http://oi58.tinypic.com/2zi5uuo.jpg (If you click on a creature)
I think it would be nice to see how many stats you get a day, if you want to know!

That's all I have FOR NOW. If I think of more I will add it here.
If some of these have been suggested, well I suggested them again. 😋

fakeworld • 17 April 2015 at 2:25 AM

@shelby
These are some pretty nice suggestions 😊 I think the first one would be so cool. Them giving us little hints and notes about what's in the-new before it actually happens would be so exciting. I love the monthly click exchange prize one too, I think that'll encourage more users to use the click exchange, which will be beneficial to those who's committed to using it. These suggestions would be so useful right now, I hope and pray they take some of them into consideration.

shelby • 17 April 2015 at 3:01 AM

@fakeworld

Thank you very much!
I know Egg Cave is trying to be unique in many ways, but I feel a lot of these are basic and essential to a sites over-all success.
I have actually seen a few sites fail and go out of business due to lack of features and such, and I'd hate to see that happen here.

I've seen users leaving already, and new users don't seem to stay long. I'd like to help boost Egg Cave's activity and get users more interested in the site. I feel a lot of these things will help do that!

bun • 20 April 2015 at 3:26 PM

@shelby
BB Code. Most definitely. This is needed.

Especially BB code for images. That would be awesome.

shelby • 20 April 2015 at 5:18 PM

@_black3333_

I agree, it's bland and difficult in some aspects not being able to have simple BB codes.
It would be nice to have access to even simple, limited BBcode.

Even if we couldn't use external images, it would be nice to use Egg Cave image codes.

And it would be great to have access to color and styles of font for profiles.
We could spruce up our profiles and make them more personal.
😊

iceiceice • 21 April 2015 at 1:49 AM

@shelby
BBcode YESSSSS THIISSSs.

Also support the Users Online Status idea. Just the number, though, I'm sure some people prefer to stay hidden.

Click exchange idea makes sense too and Indicator seems helpful.

BBcode YES YES YES THIS

shelby • 21 April 2015 at 6:17 PM

@iceiceice

Yes, that was my intention, not showing who is on, just a number.
Thank you for your support!

sparklefox • 13 May 2015 at 2:13 AM

@shelby - These are some really neat ideas! I definitely support all of them. Especially the BBCode. EC's gone on for too long without that.
All of these have the potential to keep some users from leaving for that little bit longer. I've noticed a lot quitting lately, and newbies don't seem to stay that long either...
I hope these all are implemented at some point in EC's life.

newlife • 13 May 2015 at 11:07 PM

@shelby
Love all of these ideas, especially BB code.

For the online users list, people can show up on it, however, if you have your 'Last Seen' set as not shown, then your name would not pop on the list.

So there would be a # online, and under that, users online that have their 'Last Seen' as visible. A lot of sites do that as well.

yogurt • 14 May 2015 at 8:31 PM

I love the travels idea. So artists don't have to work so hard to come up with unique ideas. Sometimes you kind of run out of original things to draw.

The others are great too. 😊
@shelby