So what do you think of the new site automation & bbcode?

[The Dark Wizard]

We've gotten lots of feedback on the style, but we haven't really heard anything about the new automated system where users can make their own RPs(we've fixed a few kinks since the system was first introduced) or the new bbcodes.


Please tell us what you think !


Edit: BBcodes can be found here: http://www.roleplay.zone/threads/roleplayzone-bbcode-guide.59893/

 

[Sherwood]

As a ST of several games, I like the freedom of being able to make changes to the game without having to bump it up a notch and ask Moderator for help. Also, I have noticed that as a game creator, I can go in and give another player higher status, giving him or her in-game moderator status to assist the ST. Very handy. Overall, I have not seen anything about the new system to complain about! Great work, guys.

 

[cyl]

All sounds good ta me ! I even like the new smileys style.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

All sounds good ta me ! I even like the new smileys style.

Glad you like it !

As a ST of several games, I like the freedom of being able to make changes to the game without having to bump it up a notch and ask Moderator for help. Also, I have noticed that as a game creator, I can go in and give another player higher status, giving him or her in-game moderator status to assist the ST. Very handy. Overall, I have not seen anything about the new system to complain about! Great work, guys.

Really good to hear that it has given you new freedom as an ST.


Let us know if there is anything you'd ever like to see in it. Though I think we pretty much covered everything possible in terms of automating roleplays.

 

[Melissia]

Actually, I DID gave my feedback about the bbcode before, but I'll give it again: It's awesome.


The bbcode gives a ton of options and is very easy to use.

 

[The Fuzz]

The new bbcodes are sweet. Having a way to put stuff like character attributes in a little sidebar is pretty handy.

 

[solyrflair]

Only thing I would like to see is hidden threads. That way I can make notes or provide info to a guest ST that only mods would have access to. But I can wait on that.


I haven't created my own forums yet so I can't comment on those.


I have left a few messages about bbcodes. Only improvement I could offer about those it to have them in a menu on the editor to insert so I don't have to look them up so often.

 

[Melissia]

Only thing I would like to see is hidden threads. That way I can make notes or provide info to a guest ST that only mods would have access to. But I can wait on that.

Isn't that what PMs are?

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Wolf praises the new system mechanics, however... I didn't want to say anything before and I won't repeat it again, given how such a review can do zero good but I'll state it once for the record: I don't like the new design at all, personally. Aside the whole light/dark wars - I adored the dark theme and would like nothing better than to see the old RPdom back, but I am using the non-dimmed white theme now, albeit with a black stripes in the background, and to my own surprise I've grown attuned to it. What I dislike is the rest of the design: the layout, the appearance of subforums within a game, all the little details that I can't quite put my paw on.


I'm sorry, but it all just feels very... cheap and amateur-like compared to the elegance of what we previously had. I have found it very difficult to get immersed into the games I play to the same extent as I once could. It's just that the place feels wrong. I hope to one day be happy once again about it, but until then I will try to just suppress my negative thoughts and experience and focus on roleplaying. But I can't really enjoy the site the way I used to.


I know this was meant to be a report on the mechanics. I praise those. Excellent work. I especially love the BB code update. Awesome. So there you have it *bark*

 

[hellrazoromega]

I give it two thumbs up!!! I'd give it more but I have only two thumbs--then again I have been told I am all thumbs--so if that is true I'll give it ten thumbs up!!


All kidding aside, I love it. Kudos to the staff for all you work, thanks guys.

 

[solyrflair]

Isn't that what PMs are?

In effect, kind of.. In actual use, no.


The benefit of a PM is that the conversation can include numerous people all with exclusive ability to view and edit their posts. But the information is designed for immediate use.


A hidden forum is a place to post information that can be viewed as needed. For instance, suppose I create a timeline that I don't want the players to see. I can create that timeline in a format that is easy to view when accessing the site for my own use. If I add a new ST, they would have access to all those forums, multiples if they were created that way.


I could take all my notes and forward them to the new ST. But if I had hidden forums, then I would just need to change their status and they would instantly have access to all of the notes.


Like I said, this isn't very important, but is something I might eventually like to have. Not sure how difficult this would be to do, and if it is very difficult, I could live without.

 

[Miz]

Only thing I would like to see is hidden threads. That way I can make notes or provide info to a guest ST that only mods would have access to. But I can wait on that.

That can technically be done - but not really in the manner you mean to ask for it. You can soft delete a thread which would hide it to everyone but moderators of the forum. Like others have said though, private messages are probably for the best.

I have left a few messages about bbcodes. Only improvement I could offer about those it to have them in a menu on the editor to insert so I don't have to look them up so often.

This maybe in the works. Its hard to say speaking we (and I mainly mean Pineapple) would have to edit some files directly. Issues with updates occur when we do that. So we have to look at all means available. Though having icons for new BBcode isn't off the table.

 

[Purr]

I do like it, but there is one aspect I really miss.


What I like: The ability to change colors is nice (it is not too bright anymore!), I like all of the different options we have as players to customize our posts (I put a video in and RPZ auto-centered it for me; that was cool!), and I like how easy it appears to be for Storytellers. It also appears to take a load off some of our staff in some ways? I hope this is the case. I also think there are more new goodies I am not yet aware of that I will find later (from what I have been reading). =)


What I miss: I miss the "game banners". I could find our "Bureau of Paranormal Defense" game quickly on RPdom by scrolling down the screen and finding the rectangular picture. Very neat! Here, it seems I have to go the game section, click "Scion", then choose "Bureau of Paranormal Defense" from the list of available Scion games (I am glad Bureau starts with a "b" so it is at the top), and then enter the game. Mrph.





I appreciate the staff's efforts in improving the site! =)


Honor and fun,


Dannigan

 

[The Dark Wizard]

I do like it, but there is one aspect I really miss.
What I like: The ability to change colors is nice (it is not too bright anymore!), I like all of the different options we have as players to customize our posts (I put a video in and RPZ auto-centered it for me; that was cool!), and I like how easy it appears to be for Storytellers. It also appears to take a load off some of our staff in some ways? I hope this is the case. I also think there are more new goodies I am not yet aware of that I will find later (from what I have been reading). =)


What I miss: I miss the "game banners". I could find our "Bureau of Paranormal Defense" game quickly on RPdom by scrolling down the screen and finding the rectangular picture. Very neat! Here, it seems I have to go the game section, click "Scion", then choose "Bureau of Paranormal Defense" from the list of available Scion games (I am glad Bureau starts with a "b" so it is at the top), and then enter the game. Mrph.





I appreciate the staff's efforts in improving the site! =)


Honor and fun,


Dannigan

That shouldn't have to be the case.


Since you posted in that game, when you head on over to dice RPs, it should be one of the ones at the top for you.

 

[Purr]

Ah. I have not been clicking on the Dice RP link, but going straight to Scion. Thanks for pointing that out. I still miss the banners, but I appreciate you showing me a faster way to get to the games I am involved in. Thanks, Dark Wizard! =)

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Ah. I have not been clicking on the Dice RP link, but going straight to Scion. Thanks for pointing that out. I still miss the banners, but I appreciate you showing me a faster way to get to the games I am involved in. Thanks, Dark Wizard! =)

Well just to double check it is at the top right?

 

[Purr]

Well, when I click on the Dice Roleplay List, the list of the games I have posted in are just a slight bit down the page (requiring only a turn of the mouse wheel to get to), right under Popular Tags.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

@Dannigan,


Want to make sure that functionality is working correctly !

 

[Purr]

@The Dark Wizard


That's because you care. And people who care, rock. =)

 

[Kaerri]

I LOVE the new bbcodes, being the sort of person that can spend hours making a spreadsheet - 10 minutes to enter the data, the rest of the time making it look *just* right. After I found the thread on bbcodes I went off for a while making my character sheet look *just* right as well. (And it isn't even that complicated - but it looks better now!) I miss the old smileys but there is nothing wrong with the new ones!


As for the setup and design of things, I don't have a problem finding what I need, and it looks well enough to me. Mind you, I haven't been on the site nearly as long as the rest of the posters here, so I expect I just haven't had that long a time to be used to it, and thus have adapted quicker. Still, overall it works for me.


I generally found my games through the alerts and through Watched Forums, which haven't changed a bit. The lack of banners makes it look more forum-y and less picture-y (more generic is how others have put it, I think) but I'd guess it also lets the site load faster without all those pictures.

 

[B.B. Rain]

Is there a way to disable the little square-face function, and just view the original text placed there? The way a number of the resources I joined up to read have been altered isn't impossible to work through, but it would be nice not to need additional mental gymnastics to read them.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

[QUOTE="B.B. Rain]Is there a way to disable the little square-face function, and just view the original text placed there? The way a number of the resources I joined up to read have been altered isn't impossible to work through, but it would be nice not to need additional mental gymnastics to read them.

[/QUOTE]
That is built into the forum software, the only power we have is the ability to change the image.


It is something we've been working on for a long time. While smiles are neat and fun, sometimes they bother with formatting.