Nov 12, 2023
I'm fed up with "maybe later".
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I'm fed up with "maybe later".
Honestly, the thing that really burns my ass about mobile web design these days isn't even the bloated ads – it's the pages where there's nowhere that's safe to touch to scroll because every single pixel is a clickable hotspot that whisks you away to somewhere else, including the text. I truly believe the owners of websites that do this should die.
Minority Report (2002)
So I'm watching this video about the genius of Skyrim's opening cutscene, and I got to thinking about Animal Crossing and Project Special K again.
In the original Animal Crossing, you start on a train in first person perspective, and Rover starts asking questions. This determines who you are, what your town's name will be, and (via a personality test) what you'll look like. You switch to third person overhead when you arrive. So far so good.
In Wild World, you start in first person in a taxi, where Kapp'n asks the character creation questions. In City Folk, he drives a bus instead but otherwise it's the same setup.
In New Leaf, you start in a train again, getting harassed by Rover again. Which makes sense as far as returns to form go.
And then in New Horizons, you start in first person in a DAL terminal. Timmy and Tommy ask the questions, and there's no personality test to determine your looks — you just switch to the customization UI on the spot.
Those are all in-universe. Characters are asking these things about you and your destination.
In Skyrim, you start locked in first person, in a cart, and all your character customization things happen at once when you get to Helgen and the Imps realize you're not on the list. In Morrowind, you start on a boat, get out, and get sent to do some paperwork that functions as the character creator. Skyrim's character creator isn't as in-universe as Animal Crossing's, Morrowind's very much is.
Right before I post: I just looked at a playthrough video for Hello Kitty Island Adventure and apparently that goes with a redacted take on New Horizons in that your destination is set in stone but you're given a character creator interface. Which like in ACNH can be redone by using a mirror. Anyway...
Here's where the thoughts begin.
One feature that's planned for Project Special K is the ability to select a map generator — do you want an ACNH-style island, a beachfront town bordering a forest, or something else perhaps? Each generator has a Lua script that makes all these determinations, so you pick a generator and a size in acres and off it goes.
But what about the character creation? It makes sense for AC and NL to have you start on a train, as you arrive at a train station. It makes sense for WW and CF too, likewise. And NH makes as much sense — no road nor rail leads to a hitherto uninhabited island, after all.
But in PSK you can decide what travel amenities there are.
The hard way would be to have Not!Rover on a train, Not!Kappn in a bus or taxi cab, and the Not!Nooklings at an airport depending on what the generator says it'll provide.
The easiest way would be to not have it happen in-universe at all: have a big menu list that lets you pick a map generator and size, town name, player name, and player appearance, and a big blue Ⓐ EMBARK button. Generate the map, spawn in, you're done.
But hey, maybe there's a third option I haven't thought of?
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I don't often go to websites on a mobile browser
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Tumblr updated and put the reblog button on the opposite side of the screen. This is terrible. I need it to be on the right side of the screen within reach of my scrolling/swiping thumb.
@staff PLEASE fix this, or make it a toggleable option, or something. It makes the app significantly less ergonomic and user friendly.
Avalon (2001)