New Site Layout/Format

[DarthParametric 3,795]

So the new site skin seems very phone-centric. All the headings and text are big and chunky, presumably for touch navigation. There doesn't appear to be any provision to change scales or widths in user settings. Switching to the default theme does make a minor improvement (including putting downloads on the navigation bar instead of burying it in a drop-down), but Jesus, the blinding whiteness of it. Are there any plans for more desktop-friendly themes/layouts in the future?

 

Edit: Btw, I find the "someone reacted to your post" message unintentionally hilarious. The first time I saw it I imagined the reaction was Tyvokka's eye twitching.

[jc2 581]

I am pleased with the new update, I like the direction and intention behind the site's update. 

Yet I too am confused by the new layout, especially your point about the downloads section being a bit less obvious, since 80% of Deadlystream is the downloads section. 

[LiliArch 115]

It’ll take a while to get used to it, that’s for sure. Also, avatar issues. I’m confident things will sort themselves out, though.

[Tyvokka 198]

Thanks for the input, we will adjust as needed. I hesitate the add any additional themes but I will keep it in mind. Please do note this is not the final form, just an intermediary step that had to be taken to continue developing the interface of Deadlystream. Thanks for your patience through it all and please keep submitting bugs, ideas and general feedback. I am listening! Preferably keep it to this forum though. 

 

 

[DarthParametric 3,795]

As far as the themes go, I was just thinking it would probably be the easiest way of implementing optional changes without screwing over people that might like it as-is. Like, for example, just duplicate the current DS theme and set it to 90-95% screen width, call it "widescreen". I don't think you'd actually need a bunch of themes. I'd think one optimised for desktops and one optimised for mobile should be sufficient (assuming IPB doesn't already have some in-built mobile provision).

[Tyvokka 198]

I dont personally have any issues with this theme as is, the point is to have just the one theme that can dynamically fit to the resolution size of your screen. But I hear your concerns so I will think about it more.

[LiliArch 115]

Maybe a ”zoom” or ”change font size” setting? (A max-width setting so that it doesn’t spread too much on a big screen, but adjust comfortably nonetheless? I wouldn’t know though, my screen isn’t that big.) Just an idea. I don’t mind the theme per se, other than the fact that I’m completely lost 90 % of the time.

[HK-47 84]

I think the new looks is cool. I miss my personal color choice, but I'll live.

 

The status update thing wasn't obvious to figure out. There is no "see more" button, and replying wasn't obvious either. 

A few things took some time to figure out, but that's only because I'm used to the old layout. I am interested in finding out if the search function is changed. It wasn't very good before. The filters in the old one were a bit weird too. Some odd options, while missing necessary ones.

[LiliArch 115]

I seem to be unable to send comments on downloads that don’t currently have comments, although some of them still do have comments sent and commenting them works. Or maybe it’s just an issue with specific files. I am confused. Is this caused by the updated version?

[Kexikus 995]

I've only just returned home after being away for three days so I didn't have much time to browse the new site but there are some things that I noticed immediately, so I figured they might be interesting. My general feeling is that the update is a great and welcome improvement for DS!

The top menu/bar seems weird to me. It links to site parts that I rarely ever use while getting to the IMO core parts of the site like the main forum page or the downloads takes two clicks. That doesn't seem very user friendly to me.

I could use a bigger font on my monitor. I don't even know if it's smaller than before or if there is an option to change the font size but judging from this thread the latter doesn't exist. If it does just disregard this sentence.

And just a personal opinion on design: The top banner looks cool but I think it should be focused on KotOR as that's the central part of the site. But that's just a personal opinion and not important at all.

[newbiemodder 37]

I miss the Signature on the member responses. I used to have a couple quotes at the bottom of my responses that are no long we there.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

13 hours ago, HK-47 said:

The status update thing wasn't obvious to figure out. There is no "see more" button, and replying wasn't obvious either.

Did that just change in the last 12-24 hours? I could have sworn there was a "what's on your mind" field directly under the status bar on the side panel after the initial site update, but that no longer appears to be there. I can't see an option anywhere to set a new status. And replying seems to requires clicking through a bunch of pages. This seems like a step backwards, and the previous version wasn't exactly stellar to begin with. Edit - So it looks like the "what's on your mind" thing randomly comes and goes? Weird. When it is there, it seems like it just leads to a content overview, not a place to actually add a new status update.

 

On a different note, there's no option to use anything but a WYSIWYG editor? Where's the option for a plain text editor with raw BBCode? Does this version of IPB altogether lack general board settings?

[HK-47 84]

As far as I could tell the change took place after the site was updated. For me the "what's on your mind" spot for status updates has been there even after the site update. Replying needs to be made a little more obvious. Someone not familiar, or most in general, wouldn't think to click the number of replies. I clicked that in order to reply to the status update because I discovered that it was a clickable link. That takes you directly to the status update. I'm cool with that, however my only problem is that as I said, most would not think to click the number of replies to get to the status update. Yes you can go to the status update by checking their profile, and that kind of gives users information on other users and their activities, but it is a bit of a hassle if it's not necessary. 

 All I'm saying, is that if there is going to be a link to get to the status page directly, there needs to be a "reply here" button.
 

Personally I don't feel that the site is supposed to be considered as finished with its update yet. I expect there to be much polishing going on before it's actually done. Right now it's just got all the main parts finished to get the site back up and running as soon as possible.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

Ah, you have to edit your profile and click the enable status updates button in order to be able to post status updates......

[UnusualCharacters 105]

Are we supposed to be able to know who is reacting to our posts? Or is it a fun little mystery?

[Snigaroo 119]

Presently in the Downloads section you can no longer view all the various subcategories of a game at once (ex. going to the "Knights of the Old Republic 2" category brings up all the subcategories on the right, but says there are no mods in the mother category). This was incredibly useful to me as I could view all the submitted mods for a game regardless of their category all at once; it'd be nice if viewing them all together saw a comeback in some way.

[Tyvokka 198]

Good point looking into it. 

[zbyl2 811]

Been few days, so I kinda gotten used to some of new changes. I'm not a fan of how big everything is now, but it's not a huge deal.

 

I hate how you can't read whole status updates and its comments from the main forum page, though, can we change it back? There's not even "see more" now, I think you have to click on "replies" to read the whole update, even when there aren't any replies?

Also, why can't we see who rated our posts? I want people to know I'm the one laughing at them when I give them a "haha" (congrats to UnusualCharacter for getting all 4 ratings in a single post)

 

I added a "new stream" in unread content that was supposed to only show me threads, but I'm not really sure how to access it again. Every time I go to "unread" I just get the default view. Also, I liked "new posts" on the old forums better than "unread", because it was easy to go back to the latest threads even after clicking on them once. Seemed just more functional.

[LiliArch 115]

9 minutes ago, zbyl2 said:

I added a "new stream" in unread content that was supposed to only show me threads, but I'm not really sure how to access it again. Every time I go to "unread" I just get the default view. Also, I liked "new posts" on the old forums better than "unread", because it was easy to go back to the latest threads even after clicking on them once. Seemed just more functional.

”Activity” > ”My Activity Streams” > (the name of your new stream)

Also, clicking the ”previous” button seems to update the stream, so you can go back to the unread posts list and be up-to-date, unlike in the old version. Or maybe it’s just because I’m using a different browser.

[zbyl2 811]

WHO ARE YOU

I WILL FIND OUT

 

oh hey is there some kind of preview button? I don't see it

 

4 minutes ago, LiliArch said:

”Activity” > ”My Activity Streams” > (the name of your new stream)

Thanks, that's pretty well hidden Not very user friendly. Loads of clicking.

[JCarter426 1,220]

57 minutes ago, zbyl2 said:

oh hey is there some kind of preview button? I don't see it

Yeah, it's now on the top toolbar, to the right of font size. And it behaves completely differently now.

[zbyl2 811]

Whoa, found it. Fancy.

[Tyvokka 198]

1 hour ago, zbyl2 said:

WHO ARE YOU

I WILL FIND OUT

 

oh hey is there some kind of preview button? I don't see it

 

Thanks, that's pretty well hidden Not very user friendly. Loads of clicking.

Everyone should be able to view reactions also I bumped the reaction limits. 

[LiliArch 115]

I seem to be unable to access my older PMs from my Inbox. No matter what I do, I seem to be able to have the list show only 5. What’s the deal with that?

Nevermind, my browser was playing tricks on me. The list scrolls after all.

[DarthParametric 3,795]

I figured I'd keep this in here rather than spam the forum with a bunch of different topics about the site updates.

 

Community Engagement - Updates to polls (surveys), raffles and awards. We want to see a big uplift in the number of community events hosted by both Staff and the community as a whole. 

 

I think I asked about/suggested this once before, but do badges, like the kind LucasForums implemented towards the end of its life, figure in to this sort of thing at all? Those were kind of cool, and the kids these days love achievements, right?