OK, so this is going to be the thread where we take suggestions on how we want these new boards to look. If you have any suggestions, anything you have seen done on other boards that you want done here, etc this will be the place for it.

I won't say we will use all or any suggestions, but they do help when plotting things out. Some things we are already thinking about doing includes getting some new smilies, shifting things around a bit, looks like r13 and Vito got the colors fixed last night or this morning.

If you don't want to post them here, you can hit me up with an email as well.

- Better dividers between posts. Either the alternating colors of the old board or a colored headline or something.
- Lower treshold for "hot topics". A hot topic should only be a topic that is considered "hot" by the stnadards of the board, currently 90% of the threads are "hot".
- "Devisiting" threads with new posts. You know, the old boards didn't use a cookie but altrered the address enough so your browser would no longer consider the link visited.
- Adding the option to disable the automatic scroll to first unread post. That's annoying, especially since the system and I tend to disagree on the subject of which post was the last unread.
- My old post count [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img].

Something like this board -

http://www.altbristol.org.uk/portal.php

Not colour wise, but it does do some nice things. I think the best feature is giving points to posts in certain forums, which can be exchanged for forum name effects.

It is something which the guys that run it have written, I think, so may be impossible to implement here.

someone mentioned in asherr's poll thread about adding some more space between the tables to divide things up a little more. looking at an old archived thread i have, the old boards didnt have that extra space. BUT! they do have the alternating colors for the posts. right now we have green for the avatar area and blue for the post. the old ones were green all the way across and the next post blue all the way across. i think setting it back to that will help with those complaints.

also mentioned was making posts with new replies default back to unread.

otherwise some new buttons and stuff will help make it feel like home again [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

oh and can you turn off the 'jump to last post' thing when clicking on a thread? that's a bit annoying when its a new thread with 7 responses and it takes you to the last post when it's your first time viewing...

*edit
i see i was beaten to the punch [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

OK, the dividers between posts, I already noticed this morning . Totally agree, it is hard to read.

The scrolling to the latest post, I am trying to find out where to turn that off currently. Bloody annoying....

I thought I tweaked the Hot Topic thing to stop that last night, guess I will have to look at it again.

keep em coming! =]

oh and while im thinking of it...

the font size for the secondary and tertiary text elements could be taken down a couple of sizes. right now everything is the same size and i think is contributing to that 'crammed together' feel people seem to have. that is to say, there is currently no visual hierarchy for text. if the main text is 12pt then i would got 10pt and 8pt for the secondary and tertiary, respectivly.

ugh.. im starting to use my graphic design vocabulary.. it is time for snemmy to sleep...

I agree with the better dividers between posts.
For some reason I think that the screen looks cluttered even though there are not too many options and things.

I would lose the "Post extras" options below every post.
I don't see the need for these options.

What I think would be very nice is to disable the signature option or restrict it to text (with links etc.) only with a maximum of 2 lines.

To spice up the looks maybe you can hold a competition for new forum graphics like a banner and all the options like reply, quote, quick reply, previous, next etc.

i LOVE the quick reply bar, but i would like to see a Directory tree at the bottom, so after i post and it relaodas i don't have to scroll up to go back to the parent forum,

Well, you could be radical and choose a brand new colour scheme. Something less dark and oppressive [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

hey, arrange a redesign contest, polycount is starting to look old. a lot of old useless links on the main page etc. I'm sure one of these fellas can come up with something revitalizataring

a new version of the main page is already in the works. shhhh, silly Norway-type person.

A contest for board graphics is soon to come.

Your state of knowingness has been raised 2 full levels!

I thought there was a re-design going on behind the scenes anyway. I know something was mentioned when I did a CSS, tableless version of the site two years ago...

narrower columns, we're barely using half of whats there with the user column, same for the last post column

might one ask nicely for custom ranks, or at least custom ranks being an option at a certain post-count. (i fully expect to get flames for that)

remove post extras like someone said.

turn off the damn preview of posts thingy. PLEASE!!

ikraan: signatures are already restricted to text only, and 150 characters.

A nice button to the forums at the top of polycount.com

Sundance: I am figuring out how to do the rank thing, there has to be a way to let you guys do it. The preview posts you can turn off in your personal options, I don't want to turn it off globally.

Marine: ah yes, I see what you mean, that is pretty wasteful. We'll see what we can do about that.

hahaha Shampoobanana IL...HAHAHAHA.

swampbug: i'm happy to replace the button i put up there already, a month or two ago. would you like to do a new one for me? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

thanks kub, missed that when i was fiddling with my settings this morning, i was too busy trying to get my sig to work and set the time properly...

and I have GOT to turn off that defaulting to the last post. That is driving me NUTS.

i also vote for killing the animated avatars, we were fine without them, and while they can be used tastefully, they won't be and the forums will end up looking like a flashing epilepsy causing nightmare

I second what Mojo said. "Tasteful" ones are fine but I have a feeling for the most part that we will end up with a bunch of flashing distracting ones.

I'm not a fan of ranked threads. It creates competition within the boards. One thing I always liked about polycount was the level friendly playing field.

- BoBo

Bobo: oh ffs, I didn't even notice that til now. =P That will be turned off. Thanks. =]

As for the animated avatar...

There have been people that have wanted them for a looong time now (hell if I know why...) so, since you can now host and update them on your own and the size limit is set to 80x80, I am going to let them go until I get some "official" rules written up. Trust me, I can't stand animated avatars, but I am doing my damnedest to please as many people as possible.

Is it possible to import the old emoticons (except that bear type one [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]) that soern did all those years ago? Nice to see those good ol fashioned PC colours back, changing the 'jump too' roll down so as it goes to the link as soon as a section is chosen as opposed to having to push the jump button even if you change the destination?

!A VERY BIG POLYCOUNT LOGO AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!

i miss it [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

that thing of being able to see who is browsing at any time is kind of freaky, is it possible to send them an instant message type thing so as it pops up in their page login status bar that someone has sent them a personal message? not that i think it would be necessarily a great idea, but interesting to know how it would work.

Not having to add a subject line

not having to preview personal messages, add subject lines to them, basically more ability to not get the post right first time

Whatever only small suggestions as just been enjoying the being able to brows them again, thanks for the efffort all those that put it in.

Have to set my homepage to polycount.net soon [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] so i dont get that nasty 404 any more

tpe

Damn almost forgot jolene Blalocks inner thigh.

i am glad to hear that the ranked threads will leave, it does add an unnecessary and unhealthy dimension to message boards... but you knew that.

as far as the animated avatar issue, i'm okay with them in the case of, say, conor's, which is svelte and subdued. the obnoxious shit like ankalar's and especially anything like arshlevon's has to go immediately. dunno how this translates to policy, but what about saying that for you to have an animated avatar it must be wholly your own artwork? anything to get rid of the 'funnay image from teh intarweb' tendency. just a thought.