Modify the Foundry UI for better mission access

captainhunter1 · July 2015

Hi Dev Team!

The current Foundry UI is in desperate need of a functional facelift for mission access. The "Top 3" system in Sector Space for Foundry missions has been a help in this area, but the main Foundry 'menu' window itself is absolutely crippling access to the vast majority of all Foundry content.

Currently we have a very nice starting point for the Foundry when the 'Content/Hail' button is pressed on the mini-map. Shown here:

Sadly, it becomes a mess after that. You are dumped right into the "Spotlight" mission list window with a small "Browse all" button hidden along the side to access other missions. If you find this button, you are then taken to a extremely limited list of only the top 50 rated missions - - out of over 90,000 that are available. (only 50 out of 90,000?!?!)

The following is a solution to the problem taken from suggestions by all the top Foundry authors/players. After pressing the "More" button in the above window, you would be taken here:

This would allow a player to easily select any category they wished. Or even do a custom search right from the start (without the need to find a 'hidden' search menu feature).

Cryptic programmers could very simply automate the entire 'categorization' process for each mission using existing code. The 'Spotlight' and 'New' categories are super easy - they would use the exact same code they have now. 'Story' and 'Combat' missions would be auto-categorized by simple majority numbers, using the existing review system (see below). In the following case, the mission in question would be assigned and listed under the 'Story' category (it has more entries in the 'Story' row than in the 'Combat' row).

Clicking on the hail buttons above would take you to the mission listings for that category. For example, this is the one for the Spotlight missions. Notice the prominent "Next 50 missions" button at the bottom of the interface - allowing a player to cycle through as many pages of missions as he/she desires, thus gaining browsing access ability to the entire library of Foundry content.

I think these relatively simple and inexpensive modifications to the Foundry UI provide an elegant solution to the issues currently crippling the Foundry. It would certainly open up access a great deal and give every mission a chance to see the light of day.

somebob · July 2015

Yes, do it, make it so, whatever.

The Foundry UI is a complete joke at this point and it's downright impossible to find anything actually IN it unless you know what the mission itself is called BEFORE HAND.

Kinda defeats the ENTIRE purpose of the entire interface right now, no?

Do something, anything to improve it. There's so many stories there, so many that people will NEVER find.

botc76 · July 2015

I'm all for it, it's a mess as it is.

farnihr · July 2015

I want this so hard...

solax79 · July 2015

You could even have it on the authors to tag their own story as primarily "story" or "combat" driven. They know what they made, and can do it themselves.

But yes, I agree that if nothing else, an upgrade to this mess that is the Foundry is greatly overdue.

markjames1 · October 2015

solax79 wrote: »

But yes, I agree that if nothing else, an upgrade to this mess that is the Foundry is greatly overdue.

This. So very much this! I love the Foundry. It's the biggest part of what keeps me coming back to STO.

markjames1 · October 2015

From the bottom of my heart, I profusely apologize to the STO Forum community and any moderators for necroing this thread.

It was truly an accident and I am sorry! (Won't happen again!)

captainhunter1 · October 2015

markjames1 wrote: »

From the bottom of my heart, I profusely apologize to the STO Forum community and any moderators for necroing this thread.

It was truly an accident and I am sorry! (Won't happen again!)

Don't apologize - this thread needs to be seen in order for change to happen.

I've updated it 3 times in two years. If I updated it every month like the forum rules say I should, I would get an infraction for 'spamming' it.

guljarol · October 2015

Yeah, don't apologise. Your heart is in the right place

Hmm, maybe several people should post here once in a while (3 weeks or so) to keep it "alive"... So that it's not just one over and over "spamming".

strathkin · October 2015

Most seem like reasonable requests.

Cryptic even takes on a few ambitious projects to better immerse players & expand game play options within the Star Trek Universe--Sector Space update so why not something simple. They could have expanded the Alpha Quadrant by simply introducing new Sector Blocks, yet choose to take on a BIG project to make one map for each Quadrant while greatly improving Astrometrics & Plantary Star Systems.

I'd surely love to locate more missions with more granular SEARCH or FIND options not only by the highest rated or in a particular subcategory | Spotlight | New Content | Story | Combat Simulations so why not CREATE an additional subcategory called Q SEARCH that gives more what the author of this thread requested? It will also be nice if people score an area < 3 stars it should require a brief or detailed suggestions only the author could see to improve it.

So I don't see why a slightly expanded UI couldn't easily help more authors gain exposure for new missions not yet discovered. Q SEARCH.

Like you I have a DREAM and I'd like to see it seriously considered. I also have a dream like yours to PUBLISH more ground maps or let us you ship interiors we've saved / customized at tailor or see in missions; it be nice to see a few more episodes based aboard starships. Everyone who's every watched Star Trek realizes the vast majority of episode's took place aboard Starships.

http://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/#/discussion/1203457/5-changes-to-ship-interiors-encourage-interior-packs-to-be-sold

corbisum · October 2015

A wonderful idea. Cryptic? Please make it is so!

thedancingfox · November 2015

Would love to see this.

Only found the Custom Search mode half by chance, half by following up how to get a particular episode, well after a year of playing STO and looking for Foundry content!!!

Thanks.

guljarol · November 2015

At this point (absolutely no mention of changes to the interface), I'd appreciate at least "NEXT 50" or "MORE" or something to that effect button. Even that would improve search.

lorne12 · November 2015

farnihr wrote: »

I want this so hard...

/sign

minababe · December 2015

Yes, make this happen! I'm in the process of completing what will be my first mission, and I'm getting discouraged by what I keep hearing, that it's virtually impossible for new authors to be seen/discovered.

dogmaticus · January 2016

Wow... that makes SO MUCH sense! And seems like a relatively easy change.

What else can I say than: make it so!

daniela1055 · January 2016

Make it so.

strathkin · February 2016

See my revised comments above for Q SEARCH category for exactly what the author of this THREAD requested for advanced search options and allowing next 50, next 50, to expand content from top down or bottom UP.

strathkin · February 2016

lorne12 wrote:

I believe you that it's been away based on your GRAPHIC text if not Season 8; for a VERY very long time which is what started the problem in the first place--so forgive me paraphrasing here rather than a direct quote.

I recently logged another BUG request for camera panning on my Klingon toon 'K'redek' always FORCING the angles backwards of where I'm looking or wanting to go. I realize if you have enemy ships targeted it changes the view toward them, but this should depend upon the camera options, sometimes you want to see where your flying not trying to deselect targets.

midarcsother · May 2016

This is a good idea.

I'd support a change that streamlined access and let you search for missions by this much criteria.

So much content, we need to be able to parse it in some way.

d3nd3n12 · June 2016

Here's another rezz of this thread!

The Foundry is such a great concept but has been, and still is, in such a confusing, frustrating, disappointing state. It has so much potential, too! They give us the paper to write on, the audience to share with, but only give us half of a red crayon to write our story with.

Being able to sort through all of the available Foundry content with greater detail is a small bit of coding that will make a huge difference for us. I mean, why allow us to tag Foundry missions if we can't then later sort content by the tags?

Here's my vote for re-prioritizing upcoming content by moving the major Foundry update/upgrade/overhaul to the top of the list.

kasraken · August 2016

I like this idea and hope the dev's can do something once the console release is out.

captainhunter1 · December 2016

Bump

Unknown · May 2017

This content has been removed.

aspartan1 · June 2017

I'm all for a revamped interface.... I really wish we had more control over UI things such as camera zoom - my personal peeve.

All my Foundry missions vanished. I was earning some good change via them yet they are gone... Sad really...

duncanidaho11 · July 2017

aspartan1 wrote: »

All my Foundry missions vanished. I was earning some good change via them yet they are gone... Sad really...

With the top 3 system back online (bugged for a bit), you should see more players finding your missions now. If not double check their publish state. Sometimes a mission doesn't happen to make it through the auto-republish. A manual republish is usually all you need to get those missions back out.

As for topic, here's an outline I was working on for another Foundry revamp proposal.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cuQS5Ju5uOFzJBPp7ZnKViDCQzU9em1z9of-AfEk8rA/edit?usp=sharing
I work through a different set of updates to the categorization system and I also make a few suggestions for the top 3 system.

Unknown · December 2017

This content has been removed.

azyurion · March 2018

Modify the Foundry UI for better mission access - CaptainHunter1

You have my vote, assuming Cryptic/PWE is counting!

locutusofcactus · April 2018

Also, it would help if the search functions worked fully.

rhenvar42 · April 2018

I would vote in favor of Foundry improvements.

arionisa · April 2018

Yes, please, improve it.

Modify the Foundry UI for better mission access

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