City Council Cipher Posted July 25, 2019 City Council Posted July 25, 2019 Firstly, I’d like to apologize for the very rocky last 48 hours with the website. A lot of things went poorly during migration and we ran into a big issue that either did not occur or was not as obvious during the test migration done a while ago. This issue was the biggest cause of delay during migration as it required some research, database work, and programming to resolve. Our plans moving forward have changed several times, as I’m sure many have noticed, but a final decision has been reached. We will be sticking with IPB and working to improve it, both functionally and visually. This begins with tweaking the theme to condense things a little and replacing the WYSIWYG editor and HTML system that IPB currently uses for posts with a new system that uses BBCode instead. We’re aware that some people are happy about the new forums and others dislike them. If you have a problem with or criticism of the new forums, I welcome you to create a thread here. We will be keeping a close eye on feedback and suggestions. Finally, members of our amazing GM team have offered to help go back and fix popular posts and guides that had their formatting get a bit messed up during migration, so hopefully we can get those fixed up ASAP. Again, we apologize for the mess and constant back-and-forth since the migration started; hopefully we can make the new forums something that everyone is happy with and comfortable using. As of the time of this post emails have been fixed, registration has been re-opened, and other features have been re-enabled. Thank you for you continued support as always, - Homecoming Team 4 5 If you need help, please submit a support request here or use /petition in-game. Got time to spare? Want to see Homecoming thrive? Consider volunteering as a Game Master!
Vadavim Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 Can we get a comment on why the change was made in the first place?
City Council Cipher Posted July 25, 2019 Author City Council Posted July 25, 2019 2 minutes ago, Vadavim said: Can we get a comment on why the change was made in the first place? We wanted something more modern and with better features. SMF's private message system, for example, was so bad that we didn't want to use it as a means to communicate with players at all. We also got a built-in support system, a better moderation system, and other features from switching as well. 3 If you need help, please submit a support request here or use /petition in-game. Got time to spare? Want to see Homecoming thrive? Consider volunteering as a Game Master!
Vadavim Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 Just now, Cipher said: We wanted something more modern and with better features. SMF's private message system, for example, was so bad that we didn't want to use it as a means to communicate with players at all. We also got a built-in support system, a better moderation system, and other features from switching as well. Oh, okay, that is very reasonable! Thank you for the reply. 🙂 1
Apparition Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 14 minutes ago, Cipher said: Our plans moving forward have changed several times, as I’m sure many have noticed, but a final decision has been reached. We will be sticking with IPB and working to improve it, both functionally and visually. This begins with tweaking the theme to condense things a little and replacing the WYSIWYG editor and HTML system that IPB currently uses for posts with a new system that uses BBCode instead. Great call on all counts. Thank you!
Tater Todd Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 I love this new Forum! The old one has a lot of memories but it left a lot to be desired! I think the SMF Forum was lower quality than the original forums!
Apparition Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 2 minutes ago, Tater Todd said: I love this new Forum! The old one has a lot of memories but it left a lot to be desired! I think the SMF Forum was lower quality than the original forums! The original forums were VBulletin 4.x, which was considered the premiere commercial forums software at the time. SMF 2.0 was free, and started development earlier, so it was bound to be lower quality.
Alty Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 (edited) YAY Folks will adjust to the new ways... The overall unfamiliarity will lessen. The mods/admins may need to provide guides with images to help folks know how to find things. Again I'm happy to have a decent mobile view, PM and search system. The editor doesn't really bother me since I've been through every version of IPB since 2006. So have several ROers. So I been able to properly say goodbye to BB Code. Edit: Re@Apparition post: UBB.Threads was the original COH forum then VBulletin. And there was much gnashing of teeth during that change then as well. 😊 Edited July 25, 2019 by Alty Game global: @Alty || Discord: @Alty#2005 Founding member of Repeat Offenders Network - Making stupidly difficult things easy since 2005 Global Channel: Repeat Offenders || Website: www.repeat-offenders.net 📢RETRO RO Teaming - Details in the Repeat Offenders Club
Retired Game Master GM Fiddleback Posted July 25, 2019 Retired Game Master Posted July 25, 2019 Hello all. You will find that a number of guides in various locations around the boards have already been tuned up a little. We've even gone ahead and pinned some that certainly deserved to be so. Tomorrow, as an aide to folks who would like to update their posts, I will make a Guide to Guides with some helpful suggestions about formatting and tagging and various other little incidentals for those that wish to make use of it. If you have a guide that you would like to update that hasn't been updated yet and you have no idea how to do that under the current system, drop me a line and I will happily assist you in getting it taken care of when and as I have free time. Have a good game. 2 "No, really. He's a GM. Don't ask me." --The Entire Server, probably.
Robotech_Master Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 Wow, pretty awesome. I really appreciate the reformatting work on my guides, and pinning the Making Millions one. (You might also want to consider pinning the P2W store one, as I think that one's particularly useful for new players. 🙂 ) I'll look forward to seeing the new BBCode-based editor. 1 If you liked what I had to say, please check out my City of Heroes guides!
Retired Game Master GM Fiddleback Posted July 25, 2019 Retired Game Master Posted July 25, 2019 OH yes and by the way: If you know of someone else's guide that should be pinned, let me know that, too. Feel free to drop me a pm/dm/whateverthey'recalledm. "No, really. He's a GM. Don't ask me." --The Entire Server, probably.
BlastLord Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 I do love the new features on the forums keep it up.
DecreeOfJustice Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 The new format displays a lot better on mobile. Thank you for the improvement. Judgement Day - Soldier - Excelsior
Lockpick Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 11 hours ago, Cipher said: We wanted something more modern and with better features. SMF's private message system, for example, was so bad that we didn't want to use it as a means to communicate with players at all. We also got a built-in support system, a better moderation system, and other features from switching as well. Any chance there is a feature to see all posts in a thread so we don't have to click between pages? It would be very helpful to be able to view an entire thread when looking for information and not remembering what page it was on. On another note, I like the new forums. Thank you everything you guys are doing!
_NOPE_ Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 You mean change the number of posts you can see per page? If so, I'd like this functionality as well. I'm out.
Retired Game Master GM Capocollo Posted July 25, 2019 Retired Game Master Posted July 25, 2019 IPS doesn't allow users to change how many posts they see per page. The admins can increase or decrease the number for everyone, but it's not customizable due to the way that IPS creates links to specific posts or pages. 1
Apparition Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 40 minutes ago, GM Capocollo said: IPS doesn't allow users to change how many posts they see per page. The admins can increase or decrease the number for everyone, but it's not customizable due to the way that IPS creates links to specific posts or pages. Yeah, most modern forums are like this now, for better or for worse.
Alty Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Lockpick said: Any chance there is a feature to see all posts in a thread so we don't have to click between pages? It would be very helpful to be able to view an entire thread when looking for information and not remembering what page it was on. This may be where the search feature comes in handy, because it can search in whatever thread you're viewing at the time. Click on the search bar area at the top of the thread and select 'This Topic' 1 Game global: @Alty || Discord: @Alty#2005 Founding member of Repeat Offenders Network - Making stupidly difficult things easy since 2005 Global Channel: Repeat Offenders || Website: www.repeat-offenders.net 📢RETRO RO Teaming - Details in the Repeat Offenders Club
macskull Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Apparition said: Yeah, most modern forums are like this now, for better or for worse. It wouldn't be so bad if it, I dunno, auto-loaded the next page as you scrolled down but I'm sure that functionality doesn't exist. Other than how... inefficient in terms of screen real estate the current software is, the only other complaint I have is that I can't use a php script as my avatar anymore. "If you can read this, I've failed as a developer." -- Caretaker Proc information and chance calculator spreadsheet (last updated 15APR24) Player numbers graph (updated every 15 minutes) Graph readme @macskull/@Not Mac | Twitch | Youtube
Shoulin Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 I will say this layout is much more to my liking, it loads much quicker and the features that can be added post full launch will help in the future. I have had experience with building websites and forums for numerous guilds/companies/private shops in the past and usually went with an modded version of IPB in the end. It looks and feels great so far, great work guys!
Vadavim Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 (edited) So I logged into the forums today and I'm noticing the formatting in the new forums looks muuuch better than it did yesterday (larger text, less unnecessary spacing, etc.). I really appreciate the changes! Edited July 25, 2019 by Vadavim
Oubliette_Red Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 Perhaps they could add the old forums colour theme to the Theme toggle at the bottom at some point. For those of us who can't really look at this dark blue format for any length of time. Dislike certain sounds? Silence/Modify specific sounds. Looking for modified whole powerset sfx? Check out Michiyo's modder or Solerverse's thread. Got a punny character? You should share it.
Retired Game Master GM Fiddleback Posted July 25, 2019 Retired Game Master Posted July 25, 2019 I have it on reasonably good authority that other themes are coming, but they may not arrive immediately due to current fine tunings to the forum. 1 "No, really. He's a GM. Don't ask me." --The Entire Server, probably.
Retired Game Master GM Capocollo Posted July 25, 2019 Retired Game Master Posted July 25, 2019 10 minutes ago, Oubliette_Red said: Perhaps they could add the old forums colour theme to the Theme toggle at the bottom at some point. For those of us who can't really look at this dark blue format for any length of time. The old theme's in a different format that would require manual porting, so it's a possibility that color scheme will return, but for now there's blue and white.
Oubliette_Red Posted July 25, 2019 Posted July 25, 2019 6 minutes ago, GM Fiddleback said: I have it on reasonably good authority that other themes are coming, but they may not arrive immediately due to current fine tunings to the forum. I just saw the post down in Website Suggestions and Feedback. Thanks GM Fiddleback! Dislike certain sounds? Silence/Modify specific sounds. Looking for modified whole powerset sfx? Check out Michiyo's modder or Solerverse's thread. Got a punny character? You should share it.
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