Talk:Mousezilla

Experimenting with a new layout

This is a "sandbox" page for us to experiment with a new layout for Species information. (I set it up as a new page, so an existing species such as the Whirlm wouldn't end up with hundreds of changes that don't represent new information for visitors.) Currently, the layout does not use a template, to allow convenient previewing/changes. Once the layout is done, we will migrate it to a template, and migrate other species over to the new design.

These changes are a rough draft of what we've been discussing on Talk:Mousemallow and Template talk:SpeciesInfobox. The changes won't be finalized until we actually can get to play the game, and ensure that the concepts we're presenting matches up with the actual gameplay.

Initial changes:

• Added family tree section to show advanced species details.
• Moved visit/reside requirements out of the infobox.
• Added romance dance requirements.
• Added Value and Rarity to the infobox.
• Incorporated house pic and house cost into the infobox.
• Removed 'Produces' from the infobox since it most likely isn't general to all species.
• Added section for tips on keeping/making this species happy.
• Added section for Food chain/Conflict details.

Todo:

• Convert initial table to div container.
• Figure out HR/float "z-indexish" conflict.
• Get HR to stop at container margin. Check [1] or apple example.

Comments, suggestions, revisions welcome. --FeralKitty 14:17, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

It looks good. Do we know if you can create your own pinatas for sure yet? -- Ramen 14:15, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Thanks. Based on the information we've gotten from several sources that you can "specialize" in a species, it's likely that several families of animals have more advanced species. We know that the Ponocky is either a "younger" Horstachio, or can be turned into a Horstachio, and that the Horstachio can be turned into a Zumbug.

Obviously, the Mousezilla is fictional, and certainly couldn't be changed into an Elephanilla. --FeralKitty 14:26, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Wow!

Looks great... This is very much what I was imagining the final version of the species pages might look like. I would probably move the Requirements section above Species Development... and don't forget that at some point we'll want to have a small space for merchandise info (maybe with a picture of the toy/figurine or stats for the electronic game or whatever applies to that). --Jimmcq 17:43, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Not what I had visualized...... better than I had! I'll continue to search the site and think and if anything good hits me, I'll post it here. Let's continue to expirment and when Jim gets back he can tweak it until he thinks it perfect(but it almost is perfect so I'm not sure there will be much to tweak). Then once he's done we can migrate it to other species. --Spartan 19:17, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Wait, what about nocturnal and sour versions? Will we maintain the current format or should we look into changes for that? Also for the Mozzipan and Buzzlegum we are going to put that they produce milk and honey under other info correct? --Spartan 23:17, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Nocturnal is just a category tag. Other than that, the information is the same. For Sour, we just change the wording a little to describe that they need to be tamed. We could also add a new heading for their (bad and good) behavior traits. Yep, milk and honey go under Other Information. --FeralKitty 23:48, 19 October 2006 (EDT)

Hmmm, one would think that a behavioral pattern and traits wouldn't be possible in a videogame but on the 360, with the talented Rare guys and lots of money being invested in this game I think that from what we've seen that behavioral traits are something that each species would have and worth a section in each species page. However, as pinatas might have comspicuous traits like a marshmellow being jittery and easily scared away and an Elephanilla being clumsy, there might be more subtle tendencies that certain pinatas have that may only be concluded from some time and expirence with that pinata in your garden. Maybe the O.P.B.... I may be reading too deeply into this but a list of good and bad traits seems like a must to me. --Spartan 01:26, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

I was speaking about a sour's good and bad habits. While each of the species has their own personality (likes, dislikes, etc.), and I'm sure that Rare has done an excellent job at making them vibrant, dynamic critters that respond and interact based on their surroundings, I'd say the good and bad behavior traits are confined to the eight sour species. If you wanted to write up personal descriptions of a species, similar to what you've done with the TV show plot synopses, I think it would fit in very well in the existing description area at the top. --FeralKitty 02:02, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

Alright, I didn't know that sours had any redeeming qualities before being converted to a good pinata. However I get where you are coming from and that sounds like a good idea as well. I think I will right a little something on some of the species pages that already exist to get a fell for it. BTW, I'm really behind on those plot synopses aren't I? --Spartan 02:09, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

Please, for the love of all that's good, don't make me spell out that a sour species has good and bad traits. No one said anything about them having redeeming qualities before being tamed. (Although I'm sure their mothers think they're wonderful :p) Now go write something please -- and I don't mean to me :p -- so I can go off and game in peace :) --FeralKitty 02:28, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

Alright I get it. I understand what you mean. I'm off to bed. --Spartan 02:37, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

will u hae room for info refering to base value and level as show here : [2] --Lord squazzil 15:11, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

There's already Base Value, and we don't know enough about level - it's likely that it starts at 1 for each pinata and raises, so there's no point adding that. Also, please speak in full (i.e. not "u r rabbit"). --Ramen 15:24, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

Variants

Sounds like Species Development should be changed to Species Variants --FeralKitty 04:27, 27 October 2006 (EDT)

Yeah it's a good thing that we got all of this worked out and understood before we finalized anything, even if we waited until we got the game. Alright once you guys rework it we're not gong to apply it until the game comes out right? --Spartan 19:46, 27 October 2006 (EDT)

I think I've seen enough to say that this version is probably good enough to be considered pretty close to the final version. A couple things to note:

• Tamed species do have resident requirements... they are the steps needed to tame them
• Advanced species can have as many as seven requirements in each list
• I'm not positive, but I believe the variants are more parallel rather than linear (if that makes sense). Think of them as branches rather than steps down a single path.

We might want to wait to convert most species until we learn more about them though.

--Jimmcq 20:01, 27 October 2006 (EDT)

I was planning on converting everything two days before the game came out, to allow for as much news as possible. The reasons I'd suggest for converting everything at once are a) it provides a consistent, uniform look throughout the species articles, and b) users will be able to add new information to the right fields and sections, without having to deal with fixing up the page first.

Also, if we left some of the pages in the old format, someone's going to try to help out by converting them for us.

I agree that the variants aren't linear. I'm imagining a table of 3 rows, with column headings of "Variant" and "Method to create" (or something like that). --FeralKitty 05:24, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

I didn't get a whole lot of details on variants from the preview, but I'm under the impression that they are pretty much the exact same species with the only difference being name and appearance. --Jimmcq 10:52, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

Rarity

We might want to consider changing the term 'rarity' to something else. In the preview it was mentioned that during design species were divided into ten different levels of difficulty... I have no idea if these distinct levels will be apparent in game though. --Jimmcq 16:44, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

I that case it would be better to use what ever the game has. But we won't know about it until after the game comes out. So we can't start applying the new boxes 2 days ahead. If we leave rarity out then we would have to inconviently put it back in or if we left it we would have to inconviently change it. I don't know what to do. --Spartan 17:00, 28 October 2006 (EDT)

Its likely the game won't explicitly say 'Common' or 'Rare' in the pinata's profile, so if it doesn't (or if it isn't easily distinguishable) I think we should just establish our own system. -- Ramen 17:31, 28 October 2006 (EDT)