This huge Noodlescape update has a little something for everyone and I’m sure you’ll all love it as much as I do! I’ve spent all morning setting this up and I spent weeks thinking up the idea.
The origins of the idea. Last year, back when Noodlescape was still very young, there was a site (if you all recall) that joined our network under the name “u2s“, and at that site there was “Sector i“. The idea behind Sector i was it being a massive network of simple, independent HTML pages. The idea expanded to include others by allowing users to also upload HTML files. The idea was great but the execution was poor. The idea from the start was to have a “universe” like navigation system with solar systems, planets, and cities on each planet (each consisting of HTML/PHP files with different features). The idea failed because it was extremely difficult to navigate and there was no easy back end for users to upload their own content (it had to be sent to an Admin before it being uploaded). Sector i is still available for people to mock at /sector/i on the Noodlescape server.
The second source of inspiration was a “map” of Noodlescape drawn by Swizchese also around the same time as Sector i. I recall seeing the map somewhere on my desk a few weeks ago but after moving I can’t seem to locate it. The map was essentially and island (representing the Mainland). On another page (drawn in my doodle notebook) was another island (representing the forum), smaller than the first. The forum island was divided into three sections: “Admin”, “Swizchese”, and “k”. The size of the sections was determined by power and number of posts on the forum.
Fast forward to 2010. Combining the two ideas (and yet another old idea) I present to you all: iNoodlescape. Though currently still in a BETA phase it is almost fully functioning. The front end navigation of iNoodlescape is based of Swiz’s map concept and the content end is Sector i style mixed with a wiki (because wikis are the easiest way for users to be able to upload content).
Here’s a quick run down on how it works. When you first fire your browser to http://noodlescape.com/i/ you will see a map. That is Mainland Noodlescape. The squares on the map represent “Zones”. Each Zone has it’s own set of permissions (think of it like boards on a forum, only moderators and post in the Moderator’s Lounge but everyone can post in Introductions). Currently only Zones 1 and 2 are open.
Zone 1 is reserved for special use. Only admins and mods get to claim “land” on the Zone automatically (through the back end/user interface). For normal members to claim land at Zone 1 you must post a request at the forum under “Zone 1″ (which is under iNoodlescape) (or you can just click Request land at Zone 1 at the top of http://noodlescape.com/i/zone/1/).
Zone 2 is open for everyone to claim land. Let the battles begin. You can role play land claiming too (ex. Admin’s army defeats k’s at South Ramen Cape and Admin’s territory expands by 4 blocks to the East). Claiming land is easy. Just click “claim land” at the top of http://noodlescape.com/i/zone/2/. Getting used to this now? The only difference between public Zones (like Zone 2) and private Zones (like Zone 1) (apart from the fact that they are public and private) is the expiration date on land. In Zone 1, land is set to expire a year after it’s claimed. In Zone 2 land expires a month (30 days) after it’s claimed.
So what exactly can you DO with land?
1) Driving traffic to your website (land you claim can be linked to a URL*)
2) Role playing (ask Admin if you want your own map rezzed into iNoodlescape) (ex. you can draw a map with villages and such and roleplay a conquest campaign by an empire)
3) Bragging rights (as Mainland blog posts, forum arcade scores, forum posts, etc. can all grant you land you may use land to show off)
See the “*” above? Right. What if you don’t HAVE a website or blog to link to? This is where the Sector i idea comes in. Where can any user create content and make their own miniature websites? A wiki of course. Through it’s history Noodlescape has gone through a TON of wikis (most notably Terminalpedia and Spades Wiki). Traditionally wikis have been hosted on sites (apart from Noodlescape) on the Noodlescape network, usually the latest website to join our network. Breaking this tradition today, I bring you “The Noodlescape Wiki“. It’s here and it’s here to stay.
So what does this mean for iNoodlescape? You can create your own miniWiki (click for a tutorial, it’s really easy, I swear) website, write stuff you like (links to your twitter, facebook, write articles on your favorite things, etc.) and then claim some land and drive heavy traffic to it.
Extending the role playing idea I shortly described above. Let’s say you have a role playing thread going on at the Noodlescape Forum or some other forum. Let’s say you want to graphically display your role playing and maybe add some conquest into it. Go to the NS Forum, go to “Map/Zone Requests” and request for a zone (if you just want to display conquest) or a map (if you want a sweet map to show conquering on).
What this means for the Forum. As Admin of the Forum I am obligated to write this section. iNoodlescape should provide some decent Noodle sinkage over at the forum which should equalize the economy of Noodles. Soon newer zones will be opened where land may be purchased via Noodles. In other words, now users of the forum can pay Noodles to have a piece of Noodlescape (think of it like buying shares of a company) and drive some traffic to their sites (or miniWikis) (or Noodlescape Forum User Blogs for that matter!).
In short, iNoodlescape is Noodlescape mapped out across regions that users may claim land on and customize until they drop. Just imagine Sector i’s content and user interaction navigated through Swiz’s map concept all pulled together into one, easy to use, interface. Still have questions? There is some information available (that I wrote really early into the development of iNoodlescape) at the Wiki.
Feel free to post your suggestions, questions, concerns, etc. regarding iNoodlescape and the future of Noodlescape here. If you have any technical questions regarding iNoodlescape please ask them in the “Support” board under the “iNoodlescape” category at the NS Forum.
Have a great day, go out and claim some land!,
Christopher Su
- Admin
