Here's another update for you to ponder over.
It's mainly got updated on Realistic vs. Arcade game mode and, as a result of that, some notes on WBT modifications.
At the moment, I am compiling this document as a full statement of facts about the stock game, Build mod and all their aspects.
However, that doesn't make for a very readable document and it therefore has to be adjusted to the various spots
where we want people to be able to find information on New Horizons.
!!!You will understand I refuse to do all that myself, so we will require other people to help with this!!!
PiratesAhoy! Wiki:
- There's two purposes for this:
1. Quick-reference for people needing an answer on a certain aspect of the game
This will also allow us to refer people to the relevant pages when they post questions
2. Full reference guide to future modders, including what has been done and how it works
- Two purposes means that we might need to have two seperate sections on the Wiki for this
1. Section 1 could contain basically the same information as the Manual does, though maybe more complete than the Manual does.
2. Section 2 would contain additional references of deliberately hidden features so they won't be lost and forgotten
It could also contain explanations of how exactly various mods have been realised, possibly including the various modders' own documentation on their work,
as well as modding tutorials and such.
ModDB:
- Information doesn't need to go in-depth on keyboard controls or interface use
- Needs to have many images and movies embedded where applicable to liven up the result
- Various articles, beginning with one purely on the stock game (this would be close to a review of the stock game)
- Since each article will be limited in size, we can go fairly in-depth on actual gameplay aspects to make one article on one gameplay aspect
- This also means we'll have lots of articles to post, which would mean prolonged interest
- Lots of seperate articles means that different people could each prepare part of these articles, so nobody has to do it all
Wikipedia:
- Probably need to update the stock game's page and fix the errors on there
- Possibly add a short write-up of the Build mod on the stock game page, but for more information refer to:
- A seperate page on "Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons"
- The seperate page will include an introduction on the History of the Build Mod, including what was done in earlier editions
- The information here needs to only give a brief overview of the main Build Mod features and shouldn't go in-depth on anything
- There need to be some pictures, but only a few on the most major changes
- Can include write-ups on the various storylines, especially where they are based on real history, movies, books or TV series
- In fact, we could include additions on the historical/movie/book/TV series' pages that reference back to our modding work
Imagine the Bartolomeu o Portugues page mentioning that he has been included in a modpack for the Pirates of the Caribbean game?
And the Hornblower and Pirates of the Caribbean book/film/TV series pages can also contain such a reference
- Links required to the PiratesAhoy! Forums, the PiratesAhoy! Wiki, our ModDB page and the RumAndGrapeshot YouTube channel
New Horizons Manual:
- I think the Manual will probably NOT need to be all-inclusive, but does need to mention the important gameplay elements,
as well as keyboard controls and menu functions that beginning players will need to know about.
- If we make it too extensive, people will not read it or if they do start, they won't finish it.
Needs to be short and to-the point.
- The feature-based write-up can be located AFTER the gameplay-based write-up that we already have, courtesy of Snow White Sorrow.
After all, the gameplay-based part is a much more fun read and will hopefully encourage people to want to know more about the game,
thus getting them to either read the rest of the feature write-ups there-after
or looking through the PiratesAhoy! Wiki section to look up the specifics on various aspects of the game.
- There will need to be an introduction here on the stock game and Build mod history
There already is, but once this project is well underway, we might be able to expand this (pending on Snow White Sorrow's and Thagarr's opinion on the matter)
- Outside the Introduction and History, I think we do NOT need to mention here any chances vs. the original game or earlier mods.
We just need to mention how THIS edition works.
Ingame Tutorial:
- I like Morgan Terror's idea of an ingame Tutorial Storyline
- If so, it should be the Standard storyline, so if you just press "Start" without any adjustments, you'll get into the tutorial
- This will ensure that new players will get the main features laid down for them on a silver platter
- We need to mention EVERYTHING here that players might not be aware of (Changing Flags, for example) or would be likely to complain about (BuildingSet and Sidestep!)
- To make sure that people do play this through, we'll need to make it worth their while.
We can do this by shaping the tutorial in a story-form with some easy, but cool action scenes in it, such as swordfights and ship battles.
Humour and weird fun stuff could also help. We need to keep their attention for sure!!!
- RANDOM IDEA: Add some quizzes to check that people understand what is being presented to them
To prevent this from being (too?) annoying, we could make it so that you don't NEED to give the correct answer to progress
Additionally, maybe if you DO give a correct answer, you might get to hear a "secret" or "hidden feature" in return
These could include: How to find Hendrick Vanderdecken, the trick of renaming your ship so you won't be be remembered and Clint Eastwood with his shotgun
(Any comments? Bad idea? Almost good idea? Further thoughts?)
Basically Section 2 on the Wiki should be the most comprehensive overview of the full modding work.
This means that we could start with this and then take that content and post what is applicable on the other places where we want to mention the Build features.
So we'll make one full document and then copy/paste for all other purposes.
Also, I'm wondering if maybe we could do away with any major mention of features in the Manual/Gameplay Guide that we already have.
Instead we could just link through to the Wiki for more information.
Though probably there is some simple things that do need to go in the Manual,
such as Build Default Controls, Options Menu, New Game choices and the various ingame menu's.
and 20 islands 
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