Thursday, July 26, 2012

Little update

*Little update in the Little Update* Need more time to finish the stats page so now I'm shooting for something to show this coming weekend! Will keep you posted. Thanks!

Hey everyone. Just wanted to provide you guys with a little update on the website since it's been well over a week since my last update/posting.

I've been working on finalizing the statistics page and hope to have something to put up by this weekend or early next week.  I've been a little pre-occupied with some IRL stuff like work, moving, and the Steam sale (which was awesome!) so I'll get back in the swing of things here shortly.  I'll try to get you guys a little preview of how the stats page is coming along here in the next few days.

I have been keeping an eye on the site and everything has been running smoothly.  If you encounter any issues, please let me know at james@torparse.com.


Also, I just wanted to let you guys know that I have plans to keep this website up for a long time to come regardless of the outcome of EA's quarterly report that comes out July 31st.  I won't be surprised if they omit SWTOR all together, and if they don't, equally not surprised if SWTOR is not doing so great.  But, don't fear, I'm in it for good (as long as people still visit the site!) :)

Thanks!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sorry some of EU and all Asia Users!

Today I fixed a bug in the server database that was causing a lot of EU and all of the Asia-Pacific servers to show up incorrectly.  This change is not retro-active, meaning that the affected combat logs will still show the incorrect server information.

If you were affected by this issue and would like your combat log to show the correct information, there are two options available to you:

  1. Please email me at help@torparse.com. Be sure to include the links to the affected combat logs and the correct server information.  I will update them manually for you.
  2. Delete your combat log through your "My Logs" page and re-upload the combat log.  The bug has been fixed and the correct server information will now show up.
Thanks for the reports you guys sent me to help narrow this bug down.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Upgrading Database Security

*Update* I have completed the security upgrade for the account system and everything is back up.  Please let me know if you have any issues.  If you're interested in what I did, I basically changed the encryption on user information just incase there is any kind of breech.  I am now using the best form of encryption to secure your personal information.  Thanks!

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Account creation and login will be down for approximately one hour while I apply a security upgrade to the account database and service.  This will affect logging in, creating new accounts, advanced upload options associated with being logged in and viewing of "My Logs."

I will post here when the service has been re-enabled. Thanks!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

A Little Update and Sortable Tables

**Update** See update at the bottom of post.

Hey guys, so far the re-launch of the site has been pretty smooth and successful.  Had a couple bugs I fixed pretty quick this week with special characters messing stuff up... they always are!

Also, thank you for spreading the word about the site being back up, I really appreciate it.  Every little bit helps.  And thank you very much to the people that have donated to the website (you know who you are!), it will definitely help me keep the site afloat with new features on-the-way.  If you want to donate, you can find more information here.

Now, what I want to talk about, or rather show you, today is sortable tables.  Because of the vast amount of information the website shows you, sometimes it can be difficult to sort through the all the available information in tables.  This has been a popular request and it's almost done.  I hope to have it completely polished and ready to go this weekend.  You'll notice in the images there is still a little polishing left to do (*ahem* table row colors and formatting).  This will apply to pretty much every table on the site.  Check it out:

This is default view:

 This is after clicking on the "Action" column


So, there ya have it.  Obviously got some formatting work to do, but the hard part is all done!

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**Update 2** All done! Applied to Analytical View. It hasn't yet been applied to Group Parsing, but it will be soon.  I'm working it into a little big bigger update with some stat revisions to Group Parsing.  Hopefully have it done by tomorrow or the day after.  Thanks!

**Update** So, it's all done, now I just gotta apply it to the entire site.  Check it out :)

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone!  First, I just want to say thank you for all the supporting and motivating emails to get the site back up.  Now, on to business!

You will likely notice vast changes to the site.  I've added a lot of really cool features (or at least I think they're cool!). I'm going to detail all the changes in this post and also provide you a little insight into what is coming in the future.  Let's get started.


Blog
I've started this blog to have a centralized location for information on the site.  I'll post periodical updates and ramblings to this blog, so if you're the type of person that likes to read these things, then please do check back often!


User Accounts
I elected to ditch the old "user" system I had and create a brand new system from scratch.  The new system is very easy to use, requires no "account activation" (ie clicking a link in your email), and you can get started in seconds.  Here's some information about the new user system:

  • Free - There is no cost associated to you for becoming a member.
  • Create an account in seconds - Literally, it is a matter of typing in your desired username, password and email.  That's it.  Then you're ready to go.
  • More upload options - For full information on this, see the "New Upload System" section below, but in a nutshell, you will be able to keep track of all your logs, keep your logs on the site longer before they are deleted, and create/manage/join group logs.
  • My logs - Keep track of all the logs you upload and all the group logs you create.


New Upload System
You will notice the upload page has a lot more options now than it used to.  Don't fret!  It's still simple to use!  I've added a couple new pieces of required information, mostly in order to facilitate group logs and statistical information.  Here is a guide that will detail all the new options and what they mean.

These are the basic features if uploading a log anonymously:

  • Combat Log - This has not changed.  I've added additional functionality to detect if a log has been uploaded before, and if so, to prompt you with a link to that log.
  • Server - This is a new option.  Simply choose your server once, and it will be remembered.
  • Timezone - This is a new option.  This field is very important and must be used correctly.  **This is the timezone of your computer, NOT of the server** If this field is not chosen correctly and you attempt to join your log into a group log, the group log will not parse correctly.

These are the additional options allowed if logged in with the new user system:
  • Guild Name - This is a new option.  Specify your guild name and show up in searches by guild.  Guilds will also eventually be included in statistical information.  This field will be remembered when typed once.
  • Description - This is a new option.  This feature was highly requested before the site went down.  It can be difficult to keep track of all your combat logs, so I have added this field that allows you to create a short description of the log you have uploaded.  This field can only be viewed by you under "My Logs."
  • Group Logs - Please see below for more information on this feature.


Log Keep
This is a behind the scenes operation, but something I want to inform you about upfront.  Logs will now be deleted from the website after they have been inactive for a certain period of time.  This period of time is much shorter for logs uploaded anonymously than it is for logs uploaded by registered members.  I do not have the exact periods of time nailed down yet and it is very likely the period of time will fluctuate depending on site usage.  I will likely add a "Status" page that will inform users of behind the scenes values that may affect their usage of the site. Ultimately, I am doing this to keep server costs lower.


Group Logs
Group logs is something I've been working on for quite some time.  I really wanted it to be a seamless integration into the site, and I think I've come pretty close to accomplishing that.  I'm not quite done with all the stats, and will be making a few passes at the various parsing options on the multi-log display page.  I'm going to offer you a brief tutorial here of how to create, join and manage a group log.  I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but here is a guide!

  1. You must be a registered member and logged in to access this feature.
  2. When uploading a new combat log, the bottom option will allow you to select "Solo Log", "Create New Group," and "Join Group."  The default value is "Solo Log."
  3. Creating a new group log is very easy.  Simply click the "Create New Group" button and enter in a password to join your group if you would like.  Then, upload your log as normal.  You can manage any group logs that you own from your "My Logs" page.
  4. To join an existing group, you will either need the Group ID and Group Password, or the person that creates the group can provide you with a link that will automatically fill these fields in.
  5. Any of your combat logs that belong to a group will show the group link under your "My Logs" page.
  6. That's it!


Statistics
Statistics will be generated every few days.  Once I have enough data to generate the first group of statistics, I will let everyone know and provide more information about the kinds of statistics and how they work.  Look for this in the coming weeks!


Search
This feature is pretty self-explanatory.  As of this moment, you can search by character and guild, but I will be adding in Class, Subclass, Faction, and Server searching shortly.


Coming Soon
These are some features I'm working on that are not quite ready for the public yet:

  • Desktop Application - The application is in the very early stages of development and this is a totally new realm of programming for me, so expect it to take some time to get out.  Initially, I will launch it as a syncing application that allows you to sync your combat logs with the server.  From there, I will implement live in-game solo and group parsing.  I will likely need beta testers in the weeks to come, and will be recruiting, so please keep an eye out!
  • More Search Options - I will be adding the option to search by Class, Subclass, Faction and Server soon.
  • Comparative Parsing - A feature that has been requested a lot is the ability to compare two of your own logs/fights side-by-side.  It's a planned feature. :)
  • Overall Stats - I will be updating the "My Logs" page to add overall stats for all of your characters.
  • API - An API for the site is in the early stages of development that will allow you to link fights and stats from the site into your own site.


Thanks for reading.  Please keep an eye on this blog for periodical updates and information on the site.  And as always, all feedback, questions and concerns are always welcome.  Don't hesitate to email me!