Several have asked... and many more have dreamed. Folders. Organization. A way to save your private messages in a way that makes sense to you, and helps keep things where you can easily locate them for future reference.

Well, we have listened. We have worked to develop a new private message inbox system that we believe is functional and practical. Now, you can determine what to do with your messages when they arrive... or later, if you desire. With individual private message folders, you will be able to customize your inbox and move your messages wherever you want.

Let me show you what we've come up with...

When you first log in to your Control Panel, there is no immediate indication that something has changed. We have left this view as it was, with one minor adjustment - we have changed what used to be "Sent Private Messages" to "Saved Messages (...toggle)":

Of course, clicking on the "toggle" switch will provide you with a different view.... your expanded list of folders:

All Stratics Plus Users will have 10 personalized Message Folders, and all other registered users will have 3. Each box will be customizable as far as the name of the folder goes. We will get to that later. Let's discuss how to move your received messages to the folder you desire.

There has been no change made to the method of receiving new messages. You will still see the icon, and clicking it will still take you to the "Received Messages" folder. We have changed what you see when you open the message... ever so slightly.

You will note that no longer do your message management buttons read "Delete message", "Quote message", etc. It was redundant, seeing as you are already dealing with the messages. Also, this allowed us to place a drop-down box to manage your messages with the new folders. You will note this on the right-hand side of the view, with a "Move" button. Once you select the box you wish to move the message to, you are returned to your main "Received Messages" folder. The message will have successfully moved to the desired folder for you, and therefore no further action on your part is needed. We felt that returning you to the main list was more effecient than carrying you with the message to the desired folder.

Once you have moved your message, you are still able to manage it. The options are still available in your private messages folders that you have in the "Received Messages" folder:

You will note that the subject is clickable, to view the message. Also, the sender's name is clickable, which will take you to that person's profile page. When you open the message, you can still manage the message, including moving it to another folder if you decide to rearrange things.

As a result of this feature, you are now able to move multiple messages at once. If you notice, the checkbox used before when deleting a message now can be used to either move or delete messages. Above that, you will see the "Move checked to:" and a drop down box. This box is populated with your personal message folders. When you rename these folders, this drop down box will update with the new name(s). Now, the "Delete checked" option will only appear at the bottom of your message listing. So you will go through your list, check the ones you wish to delete, and then go to the bottom and click "Delete checked". This will hopefully alleviate the potential for deleting messages in error... you must be deliberate in choosing to delete.

Now, this is a good time to point out how to rename your Private Message Folders. You see the words "Message Folder 1"? Clicking on the link of the folder name takes you to the portion of your Control Panel where you manage all of your customization... signatures, avatars, titles, etc... directly to where you will rename your folders. This would be under the section at the bottom of the Control Panel under your Main Configuration, in the section entitled "Stratics Unique Features / Stratics Plus ..."

Once there, you will see a view dependant upon whether or not you are a Plus User:

Once you edit your folders, the names you have assigned to them will appear in the drop-down boxes and lists in your Control Panel and message management.

Also, note the "Return" link to the right of the image. Do you think we're just a bit obvious? Clicking that returns you back to your Control Panel. This link is present in each of your Private Message Folders for ease of navigating around.

As always, your feedback is appreciated. We intend upon releasing this version on Wednesday, November 9, 2005, at 6:00pm PST.

Thank you!

AutumnKiss
Stratics Forums Programming Team

Content Editors: With so much being added to WoW every day, we have need for people who are experienced in writing and developing content for a gaming site. All applicants need to be able to work with a schedule, as part of a team, and be able to deliver quality work on time. We need players to help us gather images and descriptions of creatures, NPCs, and items in the game, to write up profession/skill guides, and any other content that might be needed. HTML knowledge, while not required, would be a great plus.

Database Developers & Maintainers: Currently we hold two databases, these needs to be updated and it is apparent that they are not sufficient to contain all available data about World of WarCraft. You will to know either LUA scripting or hold SQL Knowledge to apply.

Forum Moderators: Stratics is for the community, by the community and our forums are where we all meet on a daily basis. If you enjoy participating in mature conversations on our forums and want to help keep the conversation mature, then we may have a job for you.

News Reporters: We are looking for people who have a real eye for news. If you enjoy going from website to website, looking for new information about World of WarCraft, then there is a good chance this is the job for you. As a news reporter, you would be responsible for keeping an eye on the official boards for developer posts, or other information that is relevant to World of WarCraft. As well, you should like to check out other World of WarCraft websites for information in which readers have an interest. Applicants should be able to post when the news is made and have basic HTML knowledge.

To apply you can email ladybeth@stratics.com and please remember to include the following:

• Personal information, including name, age, location, etc.
• Why you want to join the WoW Stratics staff and what position you are interested in?
• An appropriate writing sample (Please include in the body of the email or as a URL - please do not attach as files. CE & NE only).

Stratics brings you their own coverage of the Austin Game Convention by "Sweetchoch" of LineageII Stratics. More than simply reporting on LineageII, Sweetchoch brings us coverage on several panels and discussions he attended, including Smedley key note address and a discussion on IP & Ownership in MMOs

Head on over to the AGC Coverage page on LineageII Stratics and check out all his articles.

The time of year when the leaves change colors and the air gets a chill is upon us again. As we approach the beginning of the Festival season, there have been more occurances of Pumpkin, Scarecrow, and Shadow sightings. Is it just the season that is bringing these creatures out, or is there something bigger at work?

First in an Exclusive series of Q&As, our own "Robc" speaks with Flying Lab Software's Leade Designer, Taylor Daynes about Pirates of the Burning Sea.

We feel that it’s very important for players to have an impact through both trade and combat. This is where our economy and our nation vs. nation PvP come into play. Players can choose to participate in direct combat, port conquest and economic warfare, or they can try to steer clear of conflict. But in the end, there’s no way to avoid the impacts of the national competition, because ports are constantly changing hands, trade routes are opening up and getting tapped out, and the pirates and naval ships that patrol your waters are always adapting to the new strategic landscape.

Read the Question and Answer session here.