Did you know? Every one of these messages is hand-typed live, just for you.

UnrealSP.org update status

For discussion about UnrealSP.org itself.

Moderators: Semfry, ividyon

How would you like the navigation bar (at the top) to behave?

Poll ended at 26 May 2014, 16:09

Leave it at the top of the page. If I need something, I can scroll up.
3
60%
Scroll it along with the viewer! I don't mind a little less vertical space.
2
40%
 
Total votes: 5

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: Site updates/changes

Post Posted: 24 Oct 2013, 03:33

TheIronKnuckle wrote:Edit: also, there's no USP1 theme anymore! :cry: I enjoyed mucking around every now and then with that (dw it's not a deal breaker :P )


I killed that off after a swift check of how many users use which themes, realizing the 'basic' theme was only in use by 1 (inactive) user.

Well, I guess the fixed width isn't necessary, although I really like it... on my 1680x1050 it's not all that bad, anyway, and 960px is a widely accepted and popular fixed width as can be seen on websites like these:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com
http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: Site updates/changes

Post Posted: 29 Oct 2013, 13:45

I have changed the new style so that it takes up 60% of the screen (with a minimum of 960px) and made it the new default. Please report any problems you find!

By the way, if you guys could send me screenshots of how the forum looks on your screens (I am especially interested in 1080p and above), that would be most useful.
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar TheIronKnuckle
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1967
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 07:21
Location: Riding my bicycle from the highest hill in Sydney to these forums

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 29 Oct 2013, 17:10

Above 1080p:
http://image.torrent-invites.com/images/962screeny.png

It's better than before, but It still feels like there's a little bit of wasted space on either side of the forum content. What does it look like between 70-80%?
ImageIgnorance is knowing anything
And only idiots know everything

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 29 Oct 2013, 17:52

TheIronKnuckle wrote:Above 1080p:
http://image.torrent-invites.com/images/962screeny.png

It's better than before, but It still feels like there's a little bit of wasted space on either side of the forum content. What does it look like between 70-80%?


Wow! :shock: This is a very interesting insight (the Skype bit also :D). However, I'm sorry to say that extreme resolutions like that are none that I care to optimize the site for, at least not until I've developed a much faster and more efficient workflow that lets me easily design a website for many different resolutions without taking up lots of extra effort/time. I'll definitely keep this in mind, though, perhaps a solution can be found...

Your complaints about the main site's fixed width are much more plausible now, given all that screen space you got going, but I fear that you'll just have to settle with how it is right now; your screenshot, at the very least, makes obvious that you really don't need all that horizontal space, as it easily outspans most paragraphs that you will find on the forums. Instead you might cram another browser window or two in there while browsing USP.

Would you be so kind as to add screenshots of these two pages: [1] [2] ? I feel like comparing the two on your resolution.
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar TheIronKnuckle
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1967
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 07:21
Location: Riding my bicycle from the highest hill in Sydney to these forums

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 29 Oct 2013, 23:34

Hahaha I was just taking the piss :lol:. I've actually got three monitors, and only ever really view USP on one of them (Thanks for your extremely diplomatic response regardless! :P):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gh5l5tnwuq1kc ... shoot2.png
My comment still stands though. I think moving the edges closer to the red lines would be key:
Image
Although when you zoom out on that screenshot it actually doesn't look that bad... It might be because I've drawn the red lines in and they are acting as vectors/balancing the image.

OK I just did a test, and the site looks perfect on my left monitor, which is 1080p 21.5 inches, whereas it feels dodgy on my right monitor, which is a 15.6 inch 1080p laptop screen (Seeing as there is no difference in resolution I am unable to capture this via screenshot)
I can honestly say that's the first time when something has looked more appealing on the bigger screen. I usually go as small as possible in terms of inches (that's what she said) and as high as possible in terms of res. Must have finally crossed the point of diminishing returns!
ImageIgnorance is knowing anything
And only idiots know everything

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 30 Oct 2013, 20:12

A couple more changes have been/are being done today, tidying up a lot of small things and improving readability and design across the board. You will notice that some graphics have been smoothed out and no longer sport the old 'pixel art' style, while some long broken/ugly empty spaces and unreadable lines have been improved.

In addition to that, I have moved a couple of off-topic threads to the forums where they should be, mainly away from Project Presentation, and also changed descriptions on a couple forums to clear up how they should be used. I will remove the shadow topics in a couple days once I know most people have seen the changes.
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar Shivaxi
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1916
Joined: 24 Jun 2008, 19:51
Location: Behind You! =P
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 01:18

I agree with TIK about the wasted screen space. It all feels to cramped and narrow for me. I'm on 1920x1080, 24 inch monitor. Where TIK drew the red lines I think would be a good place to stretch out too. 80% instead of 60%. Also, when choosing text colors now, the little window for all the colors is extremely tiny and hard to click. I can't give any comparison shots at the moment.

also WTF TheIronKnuckle with that skype chat! rofl! thought u didnt even have skype?
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9950/shivavatar2.jpg Image

Waffnuffly: If there is any purpose for the god damned ocean, it is for us to eat it.
Jet_v4.3.5: I want to be Lincoln and kick Satan's ass. Emancipate and Proclimate on his ass.

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 01:40

The message posting dialog has been adjusted so that the color picker is larger. That should definitely help.

EDIT: Also, topic icons have been enabled for Off Topic and Site Speak for starters. What do you think? :P

EDIT:
Some more minor style restructuring. Removed the "Moderators:" line from the forum overview.
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar TheIronKnuckle
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1967
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 07:21
Location: Riding my bicycle from the highest hill in Sydney to these forums

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 03:13

Shivaxi wrote:also WTF TheIronKnuckle with that skype chat! rofl! thought u didnt even have skype?


:lol: I installed 2 days ago specially for an assignment and reactivated an old account. I'll hold onto it for the next RLCOOP session :)

EDIT: Don't know if I like that the posts don't alternate between light and dark anymore. It's definitely a change I can get used to, but not sure if it improves things or not. I guess that's a REALLY old relic from back in the USP1 days on hellscrag.net. I remember being very impressed with that back when I first signed up. Thought it was neat and elegant.

EDIT2: I notice in that prototype review page you linked me to there is a different background image (from ONP I think). Two Questions:
1. Is it possible to make the background image on the forums rotate like on the main page?
2. Can we put out another community call for new screenshots to bolster the existing library of backgrounds? I'm particularly interested in getting S3TC versions of the shots that we were using round about the 2006 period. (up until 2008/09 I believe) It was a great screenshot collection. Like, there were some cool Xidia and shamu quest ones that I haven't seen for a while. I'll see if I can dig up the archive...

EDIT3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ioy9oudcor2tqnw/UnrealSP.7z
(They haven't aged well :P)
ImageIgnorance is knowing anything
And only idiots know everything

UB_
Nali Priest Nali Priest
Posts: 7960
Joined: 11 Nov 2007, 21:00

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 10:47

Hmm the board's own black background (not the screenshot) is way too bright for me. It does some sort of flickering effect. Using Chrome here.
ImageImage

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 11:06

TheIronKnuckle wrote:EDIT: Don't know if I like that the posts don't alternate between light and dark anymore. It's definitely a change I can get used to, but not sure if it improves things or not. I guess that's a REALLY old relic from back in the USP1 days on hellscrag.net. I remember being very impressed with that back when I first signed up. Thought it was neat and elegant.

Well... yeah? Nothing changed there, the borders between single cells in the layout have just been defined a little more.

TheIronKnuckle wrote:1. Is it possible to make the background image on the forums rotate like on the main page?

We already had this talk and I remember saying that changing background images on the forums, a section of the site that people refresh very often, would be a performance problem, as every new page loaded by every new user would mean a ~150-200 kb download. I'd love to add this feature, but I seriously fear for performance, as our web hosting already slows down to a crawl frequently WITHOUT any of that.

TheIronKnuckle wrote:2. Can we put out another community call for new screenshots to bolster the existing library of backgrounds? I'm particularly interested in getting S3TC versions of the shots that we were using round about the 2006 period. (up until 2008/09 I believe) It was a great screenshot collection. Like, there were some cool Xidia and shamu quest ones that I haven't seen for a while. I'll see if I can dig up the archive...

That is definitely something I plan to do, however this time I would only accept uncompressed screenshots of 1920x1080 and above that have proper graphics settings (AA, AF etc.) I feel this would disqualify the majority of the community from contributing.

UBerserker wrote:Hmm the board's own black background (not the screenshot) is way too bright for me. It does some sort of flickering effect. Using Chrome here.


It's the same line pattern already in use across the whole site. It shouldn't cause flickering to anybody unless they screw around with the page zoom, and even if I do that on my Chrome, nothing of the sort happens. Is this an issue many people have?
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

User avatar TheIronKnuckle
Gilded Claw Gilded Claw
Posts: 1967
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 07:21
Location: Riding my bicycle from the highest hill in Sydney to these forums

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 31 Oct 2013, 11:44

Ahh so the background images are going to fill the whole screen now at 1080p. Will comment more when it happens.
ImageIgnorance is knowing anything
And only idiots know everything

User avatar AlCapowned
Skaarj Elder Skaarj Elder
Posts: 1174
Joined: 19 Dec 2009, 22:25

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 01 Nov 2013, 14:18

ividyon wrote:It's the same line pattern already in use across the whole site. It shouldn't cause flickering to anybody unless they screw around with the page zoom, and even if I do that on my Chrome, nothing of the sort happens. Is this an issue many people have?


I see it happen in Firefox when I have my zoom set to default. Zooming in or out fixes it.

UB_
Nali Priest Nali Priest
Posts: 7960
Joined: 11 Nov 2007, 21:00

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 01 Nov 2013, 14:30

On Chrome the flickering only goes away when my zoom is set to very high values (150%).
ImageImage

User avatar ividyon
Administrator Administrator
Posts: 2352
Joined: 12 Nov 2007, 14:43
Location: Germany
Contact:

Subject: Re: 29/10/13: New forum style || Changelog of site/forum updates

Post Posted: 01 Nov 2013, 14:53

Well, judging by the ~secret project~ I started on yesterday, I don't think that this style will survive for very long, so expect much larger, more noticable changes somewhere in the future... :D
UnrealSP.org webmaster & administrator

Previous Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests

Copyright © 2001-2024 UnrealSP.org

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited