Proboards V5 - Big changes coming

[Webmonkey]

Heads up, proboards version 5 is coming up this year, and I have some things I need to do to get into compliance with that new code. I also have a player that is very excited to jump in and help me make some major mods to the look and feel of the boards.

That being said, you'll be seeing a lot of potential changes to the look and feel of these boards soon as we head toward V5 compliance in the months ahead.

Throughout that process, we're going to change links, menus, header graphics and tons of other functional and asthetic parts of these boards. Feedback is welcome!

Please be patient throughout this process as we get 'er done.

Thanks!

- Webmonkey

[Webmonkey]

Changes are closer still! I've just submitted our beta sites for the message boards to the staff of each sphere for feedback. I've heard tell that some of those proposed changes have leaked out already which makes me a little grumpy to have my thunder stolen, but I can hardly blame them, the sites are going to look awesome!

Still, if someone sends you a link to our beta, tell them they are a meanie and keep in mind that a beta is just that - a fanciful what-if that may or may not bear any resemblance to the final 'product'.

Still they're fuggin' cool. Just sayin'!

The talented Miss Seth Bowman has been working tirelessly to assist in getting this 'show ready' for the STs, and has done a great job!

Ok, I'll stop teasing you now. More soon!

[Webmonkey]

Here are some of the changes you can expect this year:



A Brand New Proboard Shoutbox
The ability to set a default posting background for your postings
Add colored backgrounds or background images to your posts
Add members as friends - Follow members posts on the forum
Build your own avatars
A New Like Button
Larger Posting Area - When Creating Posts
Add videos other than youtube
Brand New PM System
New Spoiler Tag -
Useful for adding author notes and links on posting pages
RSS Feed
Brand new News Box (replaces old news fader)
New button to show latest posts/threads on forum
New Atacthments -
Upload more than one image on a posting page
Show image and no image size
Updated search -
Now so much easier to find what you are searching for

And much, much more.....

[Webmonkey]

Things are a little odd looking right now and will be that way throughout the week. Please forgive us as we work through these changes! There is nothing 'wrong' it just takes time.

[Webmonkey]

Feedback! Give it to us!

[BLewis]

Uh ... So, as nice as some of the graphics are, is there a way to set the skin back to not having the banner take up the better portion of a screen? And there seems to be some issues in adjusting the actual message size with abnormally sized avatar icons (As entertaining as it is, having Broney's enormous Broney Avatar picture squish everything onto the right is a bit... well, off). That's my first impression feedback. More later, when it's daylight out.

[Webmonkey]

Thanks for the feedback!

- Headers are headers, we plan for them to be large and pretty, but CTRL+ or CTRL- will resize stuff to best suit your screen size.
- We think we fixed the avatar squish!

[AST Tai]

Well you already know most of my feedback from before so I'll keep it to this- Brad is right the headers are HUGE and readjusting them every time you click onto a new page kinda blows. If it ONLY re-sized the header and not all of the page making the already small font smaller it would be fine. It loads slowly and I think a large part of that is the headers. Other than that though my opinion hasn't changed, it's nice and all but I would like a not so bright and easier to load version.

[BLewis]

While the screen resizing is certainly a fix, I don't really see how a 511 pixel height header (549 for Werewolf, 414 for Vampire, 399 for Mage, and a whopping 717 pixel height of image for Changeling) is necessary or aesthetically fitting -- pretty or not. Coupled with ads, it can be well in excess of 1000 pixels of 'filler' material before actually hitting content. Yes, I know, we could throw more money at it to make the banner ads go away, but they're generally unobtrusive and the last month of their presence hasn't bothered me in the slightest (And, given that they lasted that long, I'll guess that they didn't bother anyone else overly much, either).

As a side effect of the resize to make scrolling less immediate, scrolling has become choppy rather than smooth, and non-message text (IE: Anything in the person-who-posted-box next to the actual message, anything in text at the top, or the menus on the left) becomes increasingly tiny, given the resize necessary to make these headers less 'pa-pow' on loading. This is tested on both a 1366x768 and 1440x900 resolution screen setting.

[Sethron]

Due to a size jump when we transferred it, most the headers were immediately blown up in order to fix the small-size I had built the website in.. so the original height of the top got blown up. I intend to fix this, but the Changeling header will still be a bit bigger than the original board you were used to, as will the werewolf.

When everything was smaller, the scrolling needed from top to the first board on almost all the boards (sans Changeling) was the same. I am hoping, with a little effort, I can return it to that, but it may not be a perfect fix--you may have to scroll a little. I understand right now, though, it is VERY large and has a hard time getting there. If you'll be patient with me, I'll make them cleaner and more compact, kaykay? X3

EDIT: I have now redone all the headers to be 400 pixels tall or less. The original ECC picture was about 350 pixels tall and also had 100px of the main banner/messages at the top, so the scrolling should be about the same now. It's a LITTLE more, I think, because of graphics, but nothing horrible. Tell me if you feel it's acceptable now. I hope so, because much smaller and I'll lose the details.

ON SLOW GRAPHICS LOAD: None of the headers are more than 500kbs. The delay you probably have on the first load is that there are about 20 different graphics your computer has to load the first time you go into something. After the first load, it should be fine.

EDIT: I was wrong, the werewolf graphic was 650kbs. It is now under 400kbs, as are all the rest.

[Webmonkey]

Awesome constructive feedback, thank you!

[Audrey]

I think the reproportioning is working well, it's less awesomely shiny, but much more practical, which I think will actually be most people's priority. Not just the headers, the reproportioning of everything. Bit sad about the 'meanie' thing, but it's not a big deal. Also, have you considered using the style from this board for Sabbat, just it's less different and wrong looking? Unless you're intending to remove it completely, it might work well as an interim measure, and using this look as a default is.. orderly to my mind, and therefore pleasant. Just a thought. Otherwise, I think it's fine. Also, I continue to hope that people will not get all ragey over a website, and continue to give polite and constructive criticism like adults. Seriously, it stresses me.

[Webmonkey]

A vast majority of the feedback we've gotten has been constructive, so don't stress, seriously we're good.

As for the Sabbat boards, they still exist in a 'hidden' state. When or if there is ever a Sabbat game again, I can bring 'em back in a jiffy and we'll come up with something cool to do with them. Same thing goes for that Revenant/Mummy Pro-Wrestling Crossphere LARP you've been planning.

j/k. ;P

Totally KOE/Demon Street racing. ALL TAPES TURN INTO THE BEST OF QUEEN.

[Audrey]

They're not very hidden. They're still in the sidebar, that's how I went to check on them. Also, now I have to go read Good Omens again. Are you proud of yourself, making me have to do stuff? ^.^ *amused*

[BLewis]

The redesign and upgrade seems to run much smoother and cleaner on the mobile webpage. Haven't a clue on the mobile app, but the mobile page is coming up much faster now all together.

[Webmonkey]

Jul 3, 2012 11:31:29 GMT -8 Audrey said:

They're not very hidden. They're still in the sidebar, that's how I went to check on them. Also, now I have to go read Good Omens again. Are you proud of yourself, making me have to do stuff? ^.^ *amused*

I have all the pride.

[AST Tai]

I agree it is MUCH faster loading now and the headers are of a practical size. The board is pretty and useful. This is a great thing.

[Webmonkey]

Thank you!

[Just Evan]

+1

The new design looks fantastic and everything loads very smoothly. New item locations (such as the Nav bar) are intuitively placed and mesh well with the overall site design.

This is great work and looks damn professional.

You sir, have earned this brofist.

[Webmonkey]

I have now been appropriately fisted by Evan. I may consider using the term Nohomo ironically while still displaying solidarity with my non-straight brothers and sisters, brothers in sisters and sisters in brothers.

No, on second thought I won't. I'll just accept the fisking, er fisting and reply in kind.



The over-all designs were a conceptual collaboration, with the majority of the graphics work coming from Sethron, (who is henceforth known as SubMonkey), with a ton of coding collab, color tweaking and shouting obscenities at unhelpful code snippets done last night until stupid AM.

SubMonkey Sethron, take a bow!