A MagicDuel Newspaper

[MRnegative6]

Ill just be a source for now, if you need news i may be able to give it since thats...what my alliance helps me with:)

I can write...but i have my own researchs on GG i must keep carrying on...if any news on Omega Killer comes out...tell me asap...i must get that guy...:/

[Kragel]

myrrh NEVER be sorry for asking intelligent questions

without questions knowledge is never found weather it is a single person questioning the things he knows or someone questioning someone else got information


as for glor he is often times found in the MDA lands or there abouts

message me in game if i can help with anything in getting you started

or if you have any further questions about the game

[myrrh]

Okay, these are the people I have who told me they are interested so far:

Grido (reporter/copy editor)
Keith Moon (reporter/copy editor)
Burns (reporter)
Ivorak (source/reporter)
MRnegative6 (source)
DarkPriestess (artist/source)
Kragel (source/artist)
Awiiya (help of some sort)
Udgard (help of some sort)

I use the term reporter here lightly, since I get the feel that some are more interested in writing than reporting. Now, I'm afraid each one of you, if you still want to do this, will have to be more than what you told me you were interested in.. please give me contact info, preferably yahoo messenger if you have it, or else some other IM. I talked to Manu, who seems to be giving me the free rein as to formatting it, but I want to hear everyone's ideas first; it might help narrow down my choices.

And.. I need more people Please tell me if you want to get involved, or tell your friends that they can become part of the staff too. I think I have to go actively recruiting now. /:

[Lady Fang]

*ears perk up and tail starts wagging* a MD newspaper would be so awesome *giggles* I would contribute to it any way i could.

[myrrh]

Horo...

But yes, help very much appreciated, Lady. I guess you don't have yahoo messenger or another IM?

For anyone who wants to give their opinion, these are some things I've been asking those who are interested so I can gain a little perspective about the community's view of a potential newspaper:

[list]
[*][i]When you think of a MagicDuel newspaper, what sort of overall impression do you get from your visualization?[/i]
There are a lot of design options. We could have a clean-looking modern newspaper with a typeface like Arial, or something elegant with a lot of visual elements and a typefont with serifs like Times New Roman. It could be something else, too. Some persons have suggested scrolls, off-color paper, etc. I'm talking with a few persons about seeing if we could do something with flash, maybe just to turn pages if we have more than one.
[*][i]What kind of content?[/i]
What kind of tone should this newspaper maintain? It could be mostly serious with an emphasis on getting information across without bias, or it could be more light and humorous--with more light items, such as funny chat quotes and player-submitted work like Gargant's poem. It could be a mix, too, but it's hard to establish a template if we don't have some idea of what proportion of different content. This leads to the next question.
[*][i]What format?[/i]
We are quite certainly not coming out every week, since that would be a little hard. Every two weeks is a more likely option. But besides this, we have to figure out how many pages and what will be on each page. Keep in mind that it would be a plus if the newspaper was printable. Though one page would be nice since most average persons don't have a printing press in their home, it's standard to keep things organized and uncluttered by arranging different content on separate pages, i.e. one for news, one for editorials/opinions/letters, another for features, and so on. Another thing to consider about format is if we'll be using line rules to separate items, things like that.
[*][i]A name?[/i]
There are some classic options like MD Times, MD Chronicle, and so on, or the newspaper could adopt something more creative or humorous. Just remember we can't do MD Weekly or Daily. Kragel suggested MD Fortnightly. While the name may not seem imperative to figure out at the moment, it might help lay a precendent for all of the above.
[*][i]Do you have any other things you want to discuss about the setting up of the newspaper?[/i]
The questions above are very limited; they're just the things that came into my mind first. Feel free to suggest all you want.
[/list]
I know that sorting this out is pretty much my own job, but I'm not known for creativity and I don't want this newspaper to be just mine. This might mean that things pick up slower, but personally I'd feel more secure knowing that everyone's thoughts were considered. However, I'm not saying any suggestions will be implemented for sure. I wanted to be able to talk to those who've expressed special interest more conveniently (and also discuss things like what they'd like to do for the newspaper), which is why I asked about instant messengers, but I'm finding myself pressed with time so it could take a while to get to everyone. If instead you'd like to publish your ideas and talk with people besides me, feel free to post here instead.

[Chewett]

[Redacted]

Edited December 18, 2012 by Chewett
Redacted

[Grido]

for design like Chew i'd imagine a scroll type thing, sort of tea stained colour. i have a personal preferance to Verdana for font, not sure why though

content wise i think it would be able to change week to week, depending on the sources available, but to include at least some of both types each week

format, fortnightly would be good from my viewpoint, i should think we'll be able to easily fill up at least a page in a fortnight

[Kragel]

maybe an interview with a RPC player you could first pick the ones who are online most and work in the others when you can



and we need a comic strip maybe

and the scrolls are good ideas for sure i think we tossed a few of those names around with the fortnight lol



Kragel
The Metal Mage

[awiiya]

If you want to go with a bad pun:

Two Week Eyes

Get it... It's once every two weeks... and it gives us a weak vision of MD... ahaha... I crack myself up.

Awi

[Kragel]

we have some cool suggestions here and im sure many more to come for a name

myrrh? maybe you could ask mur if he would sponsor a "Name the News" contest perhaps some smallish prize to get the people motivated in helping out.


we could take all the names people come up with til the end of the year then take the 10 best and have people vote on them the first article could be an announcement of the winning name



anyway thats my 2c for now

Kragel
The Metal Mage

[myrrh]

It would be nice to get it on the announcement log at the very least; we could get some more input and alert the many who have no idea of this project. I mention it every now and then in the chat, but I haven't logged onto the game much yet because finals just ended today. Unfortunately, I don't think I could get the suggestion to Mur soon, or that it would be an appropriate time to do so, since my family is hauling me off to the mountains... where it's even more cold. Going to ride an uncomfortable train for two days to get to them, and then immediately off in a freezing car for several hours to a place with no internet connection--hurrah. Oh well, I'll be back in a couple of days and maybe we can finally get things started then.

[lisana]

hhhmmm... I think this is a wonderful idea... implementation will be a pain... but... if you can pull it off... I'll help ya out as much as I can...

I can copy edit... and be a source... I seem to somehow manage to step into the juicy stuff at just the right time... soo...

Anyway, I like the scroll idea... and as for a name... something along the lines of "The Town Crier" it fits with the setting, and it's something associated with news.

Something to think about... you want it readable... no long articles... not a massive amount of pictures either... a few here and there to satisfy the "MB"'s out there *giggles*, but you want it short and sweet... something we can read when we are sitting at our favorite tavern having a drink waiting for regen so we can go out and whomp on someone again... (which happens to be what I am doing at the moment...)

I like the idea of a gossip column... perhaps something like "Tavern Talk"... as for cartoons... unless we have a cartoonist who is willing to do one... that may be a problem and a half (although linking to one off site would be fairly easy... if you could find one that would let you)

hhhmmm... what else... ah yes... you need eyecatching names not only for the paper itself... but for the different sections as well...

as for the quizzes... why make them have any rewards... except possibly recognition... those who answer correctly get a mention in the next issue, perhaps if they answer correctly so many issues in a row... they get something like ... well like the smaller gifts that mur gave out in the shop... maybe a small amount of honor... or even a bit of exp... (in the range of up to ten for honor... and upto 100 for exp)

hhhmmm... oh... and an updated section about ongoing quests... just basic info... the name of the quest... who is running it... and what the reward is if any is named...

oh and the critter section sounds great... but how about making it a war advice type thing... like how to set up rits... what critters are good at what mp levels... how to keep your balance without losing your mind... etc...

and before I forget... this would actually probably end up very similar to the last thing... but... basic info on game play... such as info on principles and how they are used... the differences between the three types of magic... actually this kind of thing would go with the last one... an advice column... gleaned from the more experienced players...

okay... I think I'm done for now... I'll probably have twice as many ideas tomorrow... though so... be warned...

[booblies]

I could help by reading it and posting feedback! I guess I be a CRITIC! Lol

[Glaistig]

Change of hands! myrrh's gone, at least for now; he might come back eventually when he's not so incapacitated. Or he might not. Anyway, a select few of you know that I was taking beginning journalism. Well, that was last year. Now I'm the news editor of the school's paper, so technically I [i]could[/i] manage this project if I were so inclined. However, what with magicduel being the game it is now, I have far more important things to do. I'm willing to work on it should interest still exist, but only at my quite-limited convenience.

What it would mean:
[list]
[*]an 90% chance of project failure
[*]irregular releases; first if there is one will probably be in summer break
[*]strong bias against roleplaying, new players in general and MD itself
[*]minimal help from Manu; no reward/guild for team
[*]minimal influence from Manu; the paper won't be for his lovely game~
[*]being subject to a far superior being who most likely loves MD less than you, and accordingly is less active
[*]less work! longer deadlines!
[/list]Now, possessing the character I do, I can understand why you might not like these stipulations. In that case, I can merrily forget this whole idea and maybe someone else will pick it up--or it will die. Honestly, it's up to you. Those who don't care, assuming there are some, have to reconfirm interest in this project. I don't want to hear about what you want to do if you want to do anything for the newspaper, honestly; just tell me if you still want a nice little pretty paper. I will spend extra effort to recontact myrrh-listpersons and ask them regardless of whether or not they see this thread.. eventually, anyway.

Have questions? Ask.

[Udgard]

I am still interested, an going to help, despite that 7 points above.. well, actually, except for point number 5 "the paper won't be for his lovely game"... what does that mean? Paper un-related to MD?

[Chewett]

[Redacted]

Edited December 18, 2012 by Chewett
Redacted

[Glaistig]

@Udgard, it'll be for the community of MD rather than the game itself. There's a difference to me.

@Cheett, you're right, I don't really want a paper for MD or even it's community. I just want to see if I can make one. I don't think I can counter this point well. It's not like I'll try to be biased or make the paper favor one side--I'm a better journalist than that--but that's my natural disposition and I can't help it much. Bias isn't something one controls easily.

I had planned to let willing people review pieces before release to suggest change in tone or additional information from the perspective of one party or another if necessary; I also wouldn't mind if someone else more appropriate took on the job of deciding what would go in the paper, which is more or less an editor-in-chief. I could be an adviser who also makes the layout. However, finding that person might take hunting. Most everyone I know takes a stance on the issues of MD and its community, though perhaps not as strongly as I, and out of the couple who don't not all of them would want to do it.

So, what do you think, Che? Enough to contend for the meantime or should I just off and away?

[Chewett]

[Redacted]

Edited December 18, 2012 by Chewett
Redacted

[Glaistig]

Ha! The less I do, the happier I'll be. Maybe. I don't want a project I'm accomodating to be a [spoiler]crappy[/spoiler] newspaper. I don't really trust average MD players to be able to make a good one without a lot of assistance. Anyway, what were you saying? I'd love it if someone I approve of waltzed over and said they'd like to take charge, but if no one volunteers right now, I'd have to manage the project for at least the beginning. The other option is to wait indefinitely and not start at all unless someone does, which suits me as well. Pick. And oh, hey, since when did we have custom member titles?

Yes, I put spoiler tags around what I consider to be profanity. Don't bother me about it.

[Chewett]

[Redacted]

Edited December 18, 2012 by Chewett
Redacted

[Glaistig]

offtopic: Huh. Darn it. Can I still use it?

ontopic: 90% chance of project failure~ I don't plan to even try my hand at this if I can't gather a substantial workforce. But evaluating potential workers comes after analyzing general response. Che, you really mumble a lot. Don't worry though; I collect your flotsam and make a junkbear. :o !

Three samples, hnn.

[Glaistig]

I finished my history studyguide. :) Almost, anyway. I have to do the map, but I lost that (and the actual studyguide, but I had Lu's), so I will obtain one once school starts again.

Lack of reaction in forums indicates lack of interest to progress in project, but the forums are undependable since so few actually use it. Glai doesn't give up easily, you know; she will only stop when I know for sure it is impossible. That's why I always accomplish so much! n__n Anyway, back to the forum thing, I guess I have to resort to ingame surveying. I never thought I would fall so low as to mass-send pms, [spoiler]damn[/spoiler] it. And forums overall are inappropriate if the project continues. I can't work with one thread and more would be excessive due to the high risk of failure.. Huh, the forums are useless.

Anyway, this is the basic schematic I will go by to determine whether or not the project can progress under my hand:
[list]
[*]Phase 1--Surveying Interest[list]
[*]spread awareness and evaluate likely number of subscriptions
[*]create a committee of interest which will help make decisions in following phases, esp. phase 2.
[/list]
[*]Phase 2--Decide Content[list]
[*]determine primary and secondary purposes of newspaper, e.g. deliver information, document historical events and showcase player work
[*]evaluate amount of work necessary, what kind of resources will be used and overall tone of paper
[*]contact likely columnists/cartoonists, so on to verify how much space will be used for different content
[/list]
[*]Phase 3--Decide Design/Format[list]
[*]based on content/tone and context constraint, determine amount of visuals, typefaces, colors, etc.
[*]allocate content on specific pages (if multiple pages) depending on proportion as decided by function for primary or secondary purposes
[/list]
[*]Phase 4--Create Team[list]
[*]based on content and pulling mostly from committee of interest, decide who will do what
[*]especially look for editors, copyeditors/reviewers, artists
[/list]
[*]Phase 5--Churning Issues Out
[/list]This way I will know when the project fails--whenever progressing onto the next step or phase seems to be futile or impossible. And you can follow along, hurrah!

[MRWander]

I m mostly easy to get along with and I think it d be a good idea but please stop sending me about it in game.

[Glaistig]

Oh, honestly! I'm quite sincerely sorry that I managed to send one or two extra messages to you by accident (mind to tell me exactly how many, so I can judge exactly how nitpicky you are?) and no doubt cluttered your inbox exceedingly with that [i]huge[/i] number so that you had to spend [i]so[/i] much effort to strenuously stretch your holy finger and press the delete button to that [i]extreme[/i] amount, but to my humble knowledge what I did was perfectly legal. Someone tell me if it isn't, thanks. Now, if you don't want it to be repeated, go to some obscure location someone like Glai won't visit to survey all the people there. You know what? If no one moved from his location, I most likely wouldn't erroneously send duplicates anyway; but [i]no[/i], people [i]have[/i] to move around so that I to my most magnificent horror do make such abominations of events.

I'm sorry. I really try not to. I just can't memorize a hundred names of whom I have already surveyed. Want a virtual cookie for consolation?

[Burns]

is there a school for that sort of sarcasm? i want to have some^^

seriously, wander, you get all sorts of advertisements more than once, think only of the stupid protector PM's, those few extra from Glai won't hurt you xD

oh, and while i'm here, i'd still like to be in the staff of the paper, i like little work and long deadlines, and i know about some of the things going on ingame, as i'm online for training quite a lot =)