this is a thread to attract SE4 forumers to the first Dungeon Oddessy roleplay thread

[Krsqk]

I just tried linking to a specific post, and I can't even get it to consistenly link to the right page, let alone the right post. I'm not sure it's going to work right. Maybe you could just say "Reply 35" and they can do the math and figure out it's probably on the third page from the end.

[Jack Simth]

Just to the thread; for example, the URL to jump to the second page of this thread is
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...;f=23;t=009207

Let's brake this down:
The server:
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/

The directory the page is in:
cgi-bin/

The web page itself:
ultimatebb.cgi

Signal to start feeding variables into the page
?

Variable: ubb: the action being taken: Get the topic.
ubb=get_topic;

Variable: f: the number of the forum the thread is in.
f=23;

Variable: t: the number of the thread:
t=009207;

Variable: p: the page number of the thread to view:
p=2

Unfortunately, the page number is measured from the most recent post; for now, this is page 1 (p=1); the page with the post that started the topic is on page 3 (p=3). If thirty more Posts happen, then the page with the post that started the topic will be on page 5.
You could link to a page that has a particular post, but it would require going back and editing the URL every 15 Posts in order to keep it up to date.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

um...i must be missing something here. my link in my sig works fine, it brings me right to the first post. are you saying that when it gets another page it'll go to page two?

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
um...i must be missing something here. my link in my sig works fine, it brings me right to the first post. are you saying that when it gets another page it'll go to page two?

No, I'm talking about when you link to a page in the middle of a thread with a post you want to view. The link doesn't change; however, the page numbering on the Boards runs a little oddly. Page 1 always contains the 15 most recent Posts, unless there are less then 15 Posts. Page 2 always contains the next 15 most recent Posts, unless there are less than 30 Posts, and so on. The higest numbered page (3 for this thread as I type, 8 for the one we are doing the roleplay in) has the post that started the thread. Linking to the section of The Misadventures of the Missed Adventurers where we were going over how to summon a griffin, for example, requires changing the link every so often so that it continues to point to the intended post. If that doesn't happen, it ceases to point to the post after several more Posts have occured.

The link in your signiture actually brings you to the most recent post, which is the Last post, not the first, as do my bookmarks. Try bookmarking, say, the post that started the nonsense thread, wait a week, and then load the page from the bookmark. Chances are the post won't be attached to the bookmark anymore; it will point a few pages after that post.

[Krsqk]

There's also a #xxxxxxx variable which is appended after the t=xxxxxx variable (i.e., t=009207;#000023)

So, this link should take you to the 23rd reply from the beginning of this thread, but it doesn't. On the other hand, look at the links created by the search function. They are formatted f=23;t=009207;p=2;#000023 but still don't take you to the right post. In fact, the search algorithm counts the replies correctly (earliest to latest); but when creating the link, it counts them backwards--it assumes post 1 is on page 1.

On a third hand, there's also a reply_num variable for some functions, but I can't seem to get that to work either. In fact, I can't get anything to work correctly.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

ok. i'll import the information tomorrow.

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
ooc:[well, except where krsqk comes in. we need a post from him, before we continue, i think. his Last post sounded villinious.]

It's been 41 hours, give or take - how long should we wait before deciding to move on?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

well, he does have computer problames. he said he'd have them fixed in a week and i don't post on sunday, so...if he doesn't post by the end of monday, i propose we go with this: 1st. the wizard is a villian. 2nd his plots have interfered with whatever krsqk was trying to do. 3rd we don't get specific as to how. 4rth. if he doesn't post by wednesday, we fill in details as we have to - in other words, he slowly becomes a stuffed dummy.

[Jack Simth]

Makes sense, although as he hasn't committed to traveling with the party at this point, we wouldn't need to make a stuffed dummy out of him.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

well, we could tie up the connection with the mage and then he runs of to parts unknown.