As I've mentioned before, I'm not sure if the Elthos/Imagination Machine system will be able to make established role-players stray from their current role-playing system. Still, I think you can use it as a tool to teach people with zero role-playing experience how to create, and play, an adventure. I've role-played with you for a few years now, as a player, and as a GM. I think that you have a strong passion for the hobby, and a desire to teach creative types who are interested in role-playing, but have no experience.

As is, I think the web app is not as intuitive as it should be. It also lacks the visual appeal that is expected these days. Since all of the code is essentially done, why not re-work the user's first experience as an instructional, step by step wizard?

I picture the wizard being super detailed, and ultra streamlined (no menu, just the task at hand, an appropriate graphic, a save progress button, and a log out). Each screen would offer a simple choice of data entry, text instructions/commentary, an audio link, and a how to video link. Here's an example of the first stage:

1. Making a New World.

Enter the Name for your world:________________


-Text Instructions: Name the world where your players will have their adventures. It could simply be called Present Day, Flat Earth, or the Galaxy. That's right, a world doesn't need to be just a world, it could be everything the characters would know about. Later, you will fill your world with specific places, and those places can have places (more on that later). Press continue when you're done.

Continue Button

Video Link - Audio Link - Save Progress - Log Out

That's it, nothing else, but the banner. Keep each page simple, pretty, focused, and uncluttered.

As the wizard moves on, you should allow users to go back to old sections for review/changes, but make sure that they can't muck things up. When their world, and first adventure is complete, you can have the wizard offer to print out the first module. Later, when the user is done with the wizard, he or she can go into the main app (hopefully a more intuitive, and streamlined version).

In short, Elthos is another role-playing system. There are many out there. The online tool set is geared toward Elthos. That means that you can't have one without the other. If you turn Elthos into your exclusive teaching tool for beginners, you might have something unique to offer.

If you build a following, they may stick with it, and you can add their world contents to your public databases, but I would go with the teaching route first to get them to the world building point.

Why?

What you do have are a very particular set of skills.

Skills that you have acquired after a long time role-playing.

Skills that make you a great teacher for some people.

If you put Elthos out now, that may be the end of it.

People may not look for it.

People may not pursue it.

If you go with a wizard, people will look for it, they will find it, and they will pay you.

Good luck.

Now look at this video!



Joking aside, I hope you get my point.

-Chris

Thanks Chris. I will make sure that this takes a central place in our discussions going forward. I think what you are suggesting makes good sense. 🙂

As a quick follow up, while I haven't gotten to the particular expression of Wizardishness that you're talking about Chris, I want to still say Thank You for the general concept. I've done a lot of work on making the application more Wizardish in other (what I think are more crucial at the moment places) and the results speak for themselves. The application is much easier to understand and to use. Thanks!