MFI RP SIM/dspace

Introduction

D-Space

D-Space is an RPG Management System designed from the Drupal Core to create a professional management system that specialised in the accomodation of Role-playing Games. The system was designed for the Maquis Forces International's RP SIM Division, a group that adds additional benefits of club membership through hosting and participating in text-based RPG's.

Drupal

Drupal is a modern, sophisticated content management system that works standalone or through the addition of modules which increase its core functionality. These are created by drupal users all over the world. D-Space employs this openly available modules as well as its own modules binding them into the core system

Many developers acknowledge that Drupal stands at the forefront of Content Management and that the possibilities with this core base are endless. Whats more is that the system is powered using just MySQL and PHP which eliminates the CGI Post/Get experience still found on other boards.

Drupal continues to be upgraded with new updates to the system in terms of additional core functionality and efficiency to which extent D-Space will be updated to comply with new core versions as and when feasible to upgrade with minimum disturbance.

Development

D-Space has been developed uniquely to any other Drupal Installation preying on the functions of existing modules and modifying them to specifically meet the needs of a Star Trek RPG.

Acknowledgement for the D-Space project goes to Drupal-developers globally and to Samuel Bibb who compiled this installation developing many custom modules to accompany the installation.

Features

In this section, features and some pertinent workings of the system are explained

Boards

A Board is defined as an area that supports role-playing. When a board is created, the Notes Area, Board Admin Menu and Roster associated with it are also created.

Front HTML Page

Each Board has one stand-alone page capable of supporting HTML and CSS Entry via a form accessible to Board Administrators. This is not a replacement to the wiki but a front-page where any pertinent information can be entered.. It may be that in time this is configured to operate in a similar way to the lists with it carrying links to various areas..

Notes Area

The Notes Area is where posts on the board happen. This is accessed via the "Notes/Posts" Tab on top of the board.

Here users can post and read in a threaded view... A configuration is available for the users to post via mail and/or receive posts via mail. Again, to post you need an account however to read, you can sign-up to have posts for a board sent to your mail address.

Automated Roster

When you post, your character on that board also comes up with the post on the board and as part of the subject if e-mailed... All characters are created in the admin menu and can either be considered in "rostered-state" or "unrostered-state".. Rostered is for player characters and they appear on the roster and Un-rostered is for NPC's which can still be used but wouldn't necessarily appear on the roster.

The Roster appears on the front-page of each board below the HTML Notes Area.

Characters can be added to multiple boards [works in a similar way to MFI being able to accomodate members being on multiple cells] and here, the same character can be used [Multiple Groups are selected for its access] or a fresh character.. The User accounts panel caters for that

Access Levels

A part of drupal that draws attention to many developers is the simplicity associated with assigning access to indivudla users. Access can be per-role [A group of additional access features] or by feature i.e. access to edit a single page... In addition to this, access can be added per-group which is what is needed for the boards to work. Multiple roles can be assigned to a given account which pull in various different access features.

Alot of refactoring to the roles system has gone into this build which eliminates the mess generally associated with admin panels making it even easier to use. Levels of access are defined below:

Guest

This level of access is provided to those who are not logged in and do not have a user account:

• Read/View Posts
• Read/View Pages

Member

All members regardless of role with the exception of suspended accounts have this access. This enables the following:

• Ability to Log-in
• To Post
• To View posts
• To View pages

Board Administrator

This is a per-board role and is assigned to each individual board which means that in the case of their being two boards, one CO would not have administrative access over another CO's board.

This enables various administrative functions to the board:

• Edit HTML Board Front-Page
• Administer Roster [Add/Delete/Modify Character]
• Render a given users posts moderated on the board
• Approve/Disprove requests for membership to board.

SysOps

SysOps are as the name sorta gives away "System Operators."

SysOps carry complete front-end access over the system:

• Edit Members Accounts
• Suspend Members Account
• Grant Roles up to and including SysOp
• View Members Lists
• Has Admin Access over all boards [Cannot be removed - In the system, the Sys-Op role carries precedence over the Board Admin]
• Create/Edit Pages
• Put Site on/offline

System Manager

The System Manager to all extents and purposes is a SysOp with the exception that full back-end access to the database is granted and editing of system files is accessible.