(Forum) There is a way to make the forums better?

StopSignal · 2013-12-09T22:34:40.000Z

I mean, since the game is getting more and more big and we are getting more users, why we don’t change a bit the Cataclysmdda page and the forums? I think we have here some neat dudes that could do it, and i am here (and i guess that there are far more better artists than me, check Draw Your Cataclysms) to aid. Buttons, backgrounds.

The forums are neat, but they can be far more better, at least, graphically. Have you seen the Minecraft forums? What about making something like that? Or simpler and more elegant, like Roguetemple (Check it out http://www.roguetemple.com)

The Main Page is good, but it really scared me a bit when i was going to download the game for the first time. It really looked abandoned. The color scheme looks too serious to be a game. Looks like an unfinished blog.

So… what do you think?

GrizzlyAdamz · 2013-12-09T22:39:58.000Z

Well, the front page maybe, but the forums share the same base as the roguetemple & dwarf fortress forums. It’s smf. If you don’t like the colorscheme, (and shame on you, darker is better for your eyes!), you can change it in your settings.

StopSignal · 2013-12-09T22:44:27.000Z

GrizzlyAdamz:

Well, the front page maybe, but the forums share the same base as the roguetemple & dwarf fortress forums. It’s smf. If you don’t like the colorscheme, (and shame on you, darker is better for your eyes!), you can change it in your settings.

Well, i mean backgrounds, different icons and misc, good-looking but useless stuff. To beautisize the forums. I don’t know if this is possible, but if it does, i’m here to help, drawing and photoshopping.

kilozombie · 2013-12-09T22:47:19.000Z

note: This is just how smf. works. It’s not really too interesting and if you don’t like the color scheme it can be changed. I’m not sure how much can be ‘edited’, we didn’t build the website from the ground up whatsoever.

I’m OK with how the forums look. I don’t want anything eye-hurting.

GrizzlyAdamz · 2013-12-09T22:57:13.000Z

Hey, no one said anything was eye-hurting yet!

No idea as far as changing icons/adding background ala DF’s main page, but as a layman I agree the frontpage for cata is pretty bare-bones. Might be because of resolution though.

Forums is eh, it’s a nice base already. Doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.

Overall it seems like the kind of thing that gets neglected- we players don’t care about the facade nearly as much as game content, and the same can probably be said of our kindly devs.

StopSignal · 2013-12-09T23:08:46.000Z

Well, i am pretty comfortable with the forums too. But, why not make them look appealing to new users? I don’t want to sound stupid, but if the main page’s updates didn’t said when where they posted i could easily think that it is never updated anymore.

We need something that attracts players, that yells at them: We are alive!, and not: Don’t lok at the main page, think in the game!

Let’s face it, most people buys books because of their cover.

TheGrifter · 2013-12-09T23:27:02.000Z

I’d like a star and flag system, like on AboveTopSecret, so we can rate the merits of various posts.

kilozombie · 2013-12-09T23:38:22.000Z

TheGrifter:

I’d like a star and flag system, like on AboveTopSecret, so we can rate the merits of various posts.

There is a flag system (report to moderator) and in terms of rating posts…

xkcd.com

Klout

Though please do confirm that it's actually *me* on Klout first, and not one of my friends trying to get me punched. The great thing about this douchebag deadman switch is that I will never dare trigger it.

I’d approve of a ‘like’ function but smf doesn’t have that capability.

StopSignal · 2013-12-09T23:44:58.000Z

kilozombie:

http://xkcd.com/1057/

I tought i was the only one to read XKCD-

Does SMF have a function to customize how you see a forum, not only the color scheme?
I could check myself, but i am lazy now.

GlyphGryph · 2013-12-10T05:57:08.000Z

[quote=“kilozombie, post:4, topic:4446”]note: This is just how smf. works. It’s not really too interesting and if you don’t like the color scheme it can be changed. I’m not sure how much can be ‘edited’, we didn’t build the website from the ground up whatsoever.

I’m OK with how the forums look. I don’t want anything eye-hurting.[/quote]

It’s all pretty basic stuff, if I wanted I could change basically everything I want. I’ve got full source access. I could make it amazing.

But every minute I spend working on the site and forums is a minute not spent working on the game, and honestly? I think they work well.

Also, I absolutely abhor using the Minecraft forum style. So there’s that. Do want we to drive people away with a terrible design and be left with the sort of forum folks the minecraft community has? (Which is clearly a byproduct of their forum design. )

ClaytonRISING · 2013-12-10T06:05:57.000Z

I do think some design changes or artwork for the main page would make it a bit more appealing.

Anonymous · 2013-12-11T18:31:31.000Z

[center]http://xenforo.com/[/center]

[size=8pt]This is a pretty good (one of the best I think) forum software out there. You can do a lot with it. The catch is that it is not free and some upgrades have to be purchased. However, you could do what a lot of other sites that use it do: offer premium membership where members can make a one time purchase for forum perks (be able to change your name color, no ads, etc). Or you could run a donation base to help pay for costs. Just an idea.[/size]

TheGrifter · 2013-12-12T07:53:23.000Z

I think we should have a star and flag system like ATS, or a like system in an unfortunate parallel to that idiot site Facebook.
We need a way to rate other’s posts. If that system is implemented, feel free to rate me an idiot an a narcissist. I deserve that.

GrizzlyAdamz · 2013-12-12T08:47:39.000Z

Need is a strong word.

John_Candlebury · 2013-12-12T09:12:47.000Z

The forums are well IMO. I just like the fact that the use smf like bay12.

Now the main page could definitively use more love, and i am pretty sure that spending a few days working on it would pay well in the future. I think we should try to have something like the one Toady keeps for Dwarf Fortress, as it makes the game more attractive and accessible.

GrizzlyAdamz · 2013-12-12T09:23:49.000Z

[quote=“John Candlebury, post:15, topic:4446”]The forums are well IMO. I just like the fact that the use smf like bay12.

Now the main page could definitively use more love, and i am pretty sure that spending a few days working on it would pay well in the future. I think we should try to have something like the one Toady keeps for Dwarf Fortress, as it makes the game more attractive and accessible.[/quote]
This is precisely my thoughts on the matter.
But it’s up to the devs, as always.