Forum design

[lvjtn]

Juankar was so nice to create a new banner for the header. this bannber and the logos of the forum subsections are based on the look of the default opengen buttons in the game. i tried to edit the rest of the css files to fit this style, but the stylesheets of this forum are a bit messy for me, and i'm sure i made/left lots of errors, inconsistent settings. please, don't hesitate to report it, or any other comments, wishes, etc. i can't promise anything, but i try to do my best

[Juankar]

Great work, Csaba!
Maybe you're already on it, but I'd suggest replacing the white backgrounds by a light grey, and light blue by a darker grey would give a more consistent look to the forum.

[randowe]

Hello

I tried to set up two new topics with tables using these [td][/td] codes. One was a copy of the list of map recources and one was a new list of useful links for campaign and scenario designers. At JP's it looks good, but the table codes doesn't seem to work here, no?

Btw, the forum and the new rank insignia look beautiful. I already feel at home here

[lvjtn]

Maybe you're already on it, but I'd suggest replacing the white backgrounds by a light grey, and light blue by a darker grey would give a more consistent look to the forum.

while i agree with you, honestly, i have so much other projects now, that it has less priority for me. however, the style of this forum is written in pure css, i just slightly modified a built-in style, if anybody who is familiar with phpbb and css and also wants to improve it, i can share what we have

I tried to set up two new topics with tables using these [td][/td] codes. One was a copy of the list of map recources and one was a new list of useful links for campaign and scenario designers. At JP's it looks good, but the table codes doesn't seem to work here, no?

yep, only the most important bb codes are available by default, i've added the {center} tag, i'll look after the tables too, but i can't promise i do it this weekend

EDIT: here you are, it wasn't difficult:

one	two
ein	zwei

[randowe]

EDIT: here you are, it wasn't difficult:

one	two
ein	zwei

Perfect, Thanks!

I added a new thread containing two tables in the Design forum, one table is a copy of the map resources table from JP's and one is a table with some useful links. I'd like to revise the first table in order to make it fitting better into the new forum which has a smaller width. So if everybody agrees, i will revise it. For example, i think it is not very much important who submitted the links years ago, so i would like delete that column and try to keep the other columns less width.
Here is the aforementioned thread: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=73

[Parabellum]

I have a problem with the view on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4 mini / Android). The start page is not displayed completely. There is only "General". "Topics", "Posts" and "Last Post" are missing. There is only a white, empty area. Do other users possibly have the same problem with their smartphones?

[lvjtn]

I have a problem with the view on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4 mini / Android). The start page is not displayed completely. There is only "General". "Topics", "Posts" and "Last Post" are missing. There is only a white, empty area. Do other users possibly have the same problem with their smartphones?

yep, with smartphones you can see a reduced view, "last post", etc. are visible when you enter a forum/subforum

you see the white space because the logo is larger, designed for pc/tablet

edit: i checked the phpbb forums, and the mobile view is a built-in feature. and with my 10" tablet, i can see the "full view", so it may depends on the resolution/size of the machine what you use to visit this forum

[Parabellum]

I have a problem with the view on my smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S4 mini / Android). The start page is not displayed completely. There is only "General". "Topics", "Posts" and "Last Post" are missing. There is only a white, empty area. Do other users possibly have the same problem with their smartphones?

yep, with smartphones you can see a reduced view, "last post", etc. are visible when you enter a forum/subforum

you see the white space because the logo is larger, designed for pc/tablet

edit: i checked the phpbb forums, and the mobile view is a built-in feature. and with my 10" tablet, i can see the "full view", so it may depends on the resolution/size of the machine what you use to visit this forum

I understand. Thanks for the explanation. From which size of the display is the start page displayed completely? Are the 6,1" of a Galaxy S10 enough? Experiences from other users?

[lvjtn]

I understand. Thanks for the explanation. From which size of the display is the start page displayed completely? Are the 6,1" of a Galaxy S10 enough? Experiences from other users?

i've edited the related css, now the logo is disabled if the browser width is less than 550px and it is forced to display if the widht is at least 700px

it's not a perfect solution, but i really have zillion more important issue than learning the device-related css (btw. jp was terrible on my phone, so this site is better now as it is)

again: if someone is familiar with css and phpbb, i can share the hacked files to improve them

[lvjtn]

i've fixed the logo issue for smaller devices (max width = 700 px). it's okay on my phone, would you test it please?

(btw. the cascading css files of the phpbb engine are more like a l'art pour l'art rococo design than an effective scandinavian puritanism what i'd prefer )

[Parabellum]

i've fixed the logo issue for smaller devices (max width = 700 px). it's okay on my phone, would you test it please? ...

it is better than before. "Topics", "Posts" and "Last Post" are still missing (always, no matter which view I choose or in which menu I am), but the white, empty area has disappeared. I think that it is so OK. Watching the forum via the smartphone will be an exception for me. The screen is so small that my eyes hurt. I'll need a magnifying glass soon

[lvjtn]

Forum request: Theme "Dark" (or "Panzergrau" or "OG" or so)

Dark Background, white colour for writing.
Background colours to match the http://www.open-general.com main site.

The reasoning: it is much more convenient and healthy for the eyes, when reading white text on a dark background.
also, with same backgrounds the forum would be in line with the main site.

phpbb styles consist of hundreds of php, gif, css files. it's not to easy edit them (e.g. changing the logos, icons), but making a new one is absolutely beyond my knowledge and available free time. so enjoy the panzergrau header instead of the "amerikanisch" olive-drab, that was the most i could do, but minor adjustment of the colors is possible (i just replace a few css code), so gimme screenshots, which color is wrong, and can be slightly improved, but don't expect me reworking ALL colors, sorry

[mythos]

Wrong ? Nothing

I wasn't thinking of creating a completely new style. Well, technically, probably yes. But practically not.
There are indeed quite a bit of colours.

What i was thinking of was replacing 5 (dang, there are seriously a lot of layers ):
- the 2 main background layers (pale gray and white)
- the 2 posting layers (light gray and yellowish)
- the writing colour (black)

I don't care about all the rest, like colour of:
- Search engine
- quotes
- background of various surfaces and buttons (i.e. the link section below top banner, or the "Edit" button)
- the little borders everywhere
they could remain "as is".


I can dig up a programme i have, to specify the corresponding colour hex codes - and then add some screenshots to detail what i mean.


The point in question though: i was specifically thinking of adding a second style, so people could choose between the 2.
However, i have seen that such an option isn't included, which means the board would be needed to be modified in that regard.
Another possibility would be to run a poll about design.
All in all however i guess that many like the JP style. Thus, unless you see an easy way to do it, i say forget it

[randowe]

All in all however i guess that many like the JP style.

Nah The new forum looks so much better than JP's. Like a new noble Benz compared to an old rusty bucket.
Only the old special rank paroli/insignias looks very small compared to the new forum standart ones. I like the new ones as well, but maybe the old special ranks paroli could need an "upgrade"? I would volunteer if needed.

[lvjtn]

Another possibility would be to run a poll about design.

sorry, but it's not a poll issue

there are 297 lines containing colors in the css code, and there are 93 different colors used (yes, edges and shadows of the buttons, etc. can have several very similar but not exactly the same color), so it's not a popularity issue. i worked a lot (more than 30 hours) to change 10-15 colors to have more greyish and less blue main colors, but it was just a very simple conversion not affecting the complex relationship between the colors. and that's why i said, if there is a small glitch somewhere in a rarely used function what i missed, i can fix it. but switching to a dark theme is not possible. buttons, shadows, etc. won't work or the result would be a mess. the guys who create a new theme work on it for months. it's not an option here. btw. i never heard anybody ever asked jp switching to a dark theme, please, be realistic. it's a new forum, not a candystore for kids with endless supply

and before you ask why not installing a dark theme from the available extensions: my answer has two arguments:
- first of all, this theme is already customized, e.g. i added more menu items, logos, solution for smaller devices etc. what all are stored inside the theme (again: a theme contains hundreds of css, php, png and gif files). i don't want to work twice and write comments about when and where i changed something to figure out how to solve this in another theme with a differing structure
- secondly: the less code i should maintain, the less possible glitch i make, so i resist to install any extensions untill my last breath not to mention the updates: the default style is always updated when a major release of phpbb arrives, but several themes, extensions, etc. stop to work or at least they don't work properly. so if we want this site to be upgradable, we should forget using more and more custom "add-ons", "themes", "extensions" or whatever we call them

and sorry if i sound rude like a tyrann, but if anybody thinks s/he can do better the forum design, i gladly send the related files her/him, ans s/he can improve it, we can test it on a test server (i can even dump and copy the entire forum with real posts), and if her/his version works, i accept the modifications and apply here. but that's all. until i'm in charge, i will do only minor fixes, not significant changes. and i think it's still more what we got on jp

[lvjtn]

Only the old special rank paroli/insignias looks very small compared to the new forum standart ones. I like the new ones as well, but maybe the old special ranks paroli could need an "upgrade"? I would volunteer if needed.

i guess mine has the same height, and mabe Jurgen's has the same too, but pzm, Luis and other guys defintely have smaller gif images. maybe the higher the rank, the smaller the paroli should be, compensating the growing ego

seriously, if you can improve anything, you are welcome! just ask the guy whose paroli you'd fix before spending too much time on it

[mythos]

sorry

Thanks for explaining Csaba, as said "if too much work involved just forget it"

And: all good, i was chatting with a comrade late last evening and by chance was told that the monitor can be set to "night modus" which reduces brightness a lot

[mythos]

Csaba, if logged out and reading a thread, each post shows the small ["] icon for [quoting].
Is this intended ?


And suggestion:

Forums - More Games
- a combined PG2 (remember there is also Open Panzer browser game, a PG2 descendant) + PG3 forum
- a general "other Games" forum for everything not PG/OG related (Panzer Corps, Assassins Creed, whatever)

What do you think ?

[randowe]

At "Last Post" on the right side of the forum table, i can't see anymore the thread, only the person who posted last is shown. Does that has changed? Previously it was possible to see which thread the person posted in. I considered it useful

[lvjtn]

Csaba, if logged out and reading a thread, each post shows the small ["] icon for [quoting].

you mean that you see an apostrophe < “ > as a reply button? that's inteded, of course

next time may i ask a screeenshot, please? it's easier to understand what [generic] you may think about

Forums - More Games

i created only those subforums what were asked by trusted people who allegedly will use them, however i'm sceptic, the existing three "other games" subforums on jp were close to dead, not to mention the others which weren't created here. therefore i'd say unless a trusted* user will ask to create a new subforum, we shouldn't create any more subforums, and the empty/dead ones can be removed after a longer period (maybe a year w/o a new post). remember, it's an opengen forum after all, not an archive of dead forums

* trusted = who actually used these forums on jp and can expect to do the same here

At "Last Post" on the right side of the forum table, i can't see anymore the thread, only the person who posted last is shown. Does that has changed? Previously it was possible to see which thread the person posted in. I considered it useful

i removed the subject thinking it's too much information, but 've reinstated it now. if anybody dislikes the subject, i can start a poll (maybe later, when more joined people can vote )

edit: that's how the board index looks like with subject and without subject

edit2: i've added the "strike" custom bb code, unfortunately it has no effect on hypherlinks, just on regular text like:

sweetie, this dress looks as if a cow with deadly infected stomach vomitted it upon you. fantastic!

[LuisGuzman]

i removed the subject thinking it's too much information, but 've reinstated it now. if anybody dislikes the subject, i can start a poll (maybe later, when more joined people can vote )

edit: that's how the board index looks like with subject and without subject

My vote is for having the subject too

edit2: i've added the "strike" custom bb code, unfortunately it has no effect on hypherlinks, just on regular text like:

sweetie, this dress looks as if a cow with deadly infected stomach vomitted it upon you. fantastic!

Nice!

[lvjtn]

a question / poll: i created the cc archives similar to the design of the jp's forums, however, we actually can change it, and hide the 74 locked threads into one "archived cc threads" subforum

pro: less scrolling on board index (starting page)
con: one more click to find a certain cc announcement (including sometimes improtant rules)

any thoughts?

[randowe]

hide the 74 locked threads into one "archived cc threads" subforum

I'd vote for this option
The whole OG forum will look much cleaner. People who are looking for the CCs would still easily find them in the sub-forum.

Add "Current" or "Running" to "Challange Campaigns" forum and create the archive subforum below that one and keep the similar tank icon/banner for both. That would be my suggestion. So there will be: "Current Challange Campaigns" and "Challange Campaigns Archive"

[Juankar]

hide the 74 locked threads into one "archived cc threads" subforum

I'd vote for this option

+1

[Wonderdoctor]

Great idea! That really tidied up the place.

[Parabellum]

Great idea! That really tidied up the place.

+1

[LuisGuzman]

+1

[randowe]

I don't want to open a new topic for this, so i post my line here:
I don't know if it is possible and who is in charge, but maybe we can add the link to the new forum to the links section of Gilestiel's mapfinder?

[LuisGuzman]

I don't want to open a new topic for this, so i post my line here:
I don't know if it is possible and who is in charge, but maybe we can add the link to the new forum to the links section of Gilestiel's mapfinder?

Good idea!

I forgot Gilestiel completely @me.

I'll mail him ...

[randowe]

Maybe it is also a good idea to update the in-game forum banner and link to the new forum.
I think the new banner can be even somewhat bigger



I'd suggest to use this banner (It looks perfect already ) and add "Forums" after "Open General" or at the right side behind the General:

[mythos]

Hi Csaba

Forums - More Games

i created only those subforums what were asked by trusted people who allegedly will use them, however i'm sceptic, the existing three "other games" subforums on jp were close to dead, not to mention the others which weren't created here. therefore i'd say unless a trusted* user will ask to create a new subforum, we shouldn't create any more subforums, and the empty/dead ones can be removed after a longer period (maybe a year w/o a new post). remember, it's an opengen forum after all, not an archive of dead forums

* trusted = who actually used these forums on jp and can expect to do the same here

I thought about it. I do understand that halfdead/undead/dead forums shall be restricted or even not be present at all.
However, my suggestion doesn't focus around undead forums, it focuses around organization.
In a sense, you and me are trying to have "clean" forum, just i try to solve it via centralized places for stuff.

Example: you are right that Peg, PG, PG2, PG3, their derivatives and a general "other games" are halfdead/undead forums. However, sometimes discussions pop up. Without a central place for people to talk about these topics, they will scatter the threads "somewhere" on the forum.
Case example: Panzer Marshall, a PG2 derivative, ended up being in the Virtual Pub forum.

Next what could happen is someone posting questions about PG2 in the OG subforum. Next someone could describe a game he/she liked in the X forum. And so on. This would mean either that [if people are looking for something, they need to search every sub forum] and/or [moderators need to search the forum and move threads to a diffrent location], because there is no central place for these kind of threads.

Thus, to keep the forum "clean", i suggested to have additional places for these discussions.
I understand that complete forums might not be the "cleanest" way. However, what about
- merging Peg, PG2 and derivatives into 1 forum
- PG, PG3 and derivatives into 1 forum
- extend the description of the Virtual Pub forum from currently

Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads.

to new

Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads and games which you play.

?

PeG + PG2 are quite comparable in terms of graphics and game engine - and a PeG forum already exists.
PG and PG3 are not comparable, but considering that PG3 was clearly dead, it shouldn't disturb the (few) PG discussions - and a PG forum already exists.
Alternatively, merge Peg + PG2 + PG3 and derivatives into 1 forum.
As for the Pub, a "What other games do you play" thread (like the thread on JP's, which i just have seen also was in the Pub) would suffice.

What do you think ?

[lvjtn]

Thus, to keep the forum "clean", i suggested to have additional places for these discussions.

(...)

What do you think ?

1. og team discussed the possible subforums, and it's not my decision or opinion, but a collective conclusion: we don't open new subforums until people who actively would use it will not ask it. so there will be no pg3 subforum, because it was dead on jp too, and we don't know anybody who would post there. honestly, i created the pacgen subforum by a mistake, if pak88 and the few other users on jp who posted there will not join, and no post will be there within a few (6-12) months, this subfoum could be deleted too

so far only peg and pg1/pgf were explicitely asked to open. even the pg2 forum on jp was dead since mid-2018. why the hell should we open it here? who would post there? and about what? if you mean converting pg2->og issues, they can be discussed in og subforum, as we did on jp

2. when the number of posts in the pub about other games will be "too high" (e.g. more than 50 in a year, i just wrote something, it's not even my opinion ), we can create an "all other games" subforums, and move there the treads, or if (generic) you insist to open it now, somebody should raise a poll about it

[mythos]

Just to clarify what i meant:

we don't open new subforums

I didn't suggest new forums this time, i suggested [merging non-existing forums into existing], and [add a thread].
Please read again:

what about merging
- Peg, PG2 and derivatives into 1 forum
- PG, PG3 and derivatives into 1 forum
and
- extend the description of the Virtual Pub forum from currently
[Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads.]
to new
[Place of the offtopic, funny or interesting threads and games which you play.]
?

I meant changing this line of text:



And i suggested to
- merge/combine PeG + PG2 = 1 forum .. extend [PeG] to [PeG + PG2]
- add a new thread to the Pub (with a specific thread title known from the JP's forums)

By these changes, "General" games like PeG and the different PG games, would be
- present
- merged/combined into 2 collective forums (instead of each having an own forum)
and all other games
- could be discussed in a thread within the Pub (again: instead of having an own forum)



That is not new forums. Just a bit of text work with existing forums

The idea is to do the text work now - instead of later having to move threads around and tell people where to post (probably multiple times to both).

[lvjtn]

I didn't suggest new forums this time, i suggested [merging non-existing forums into existing], and [add a thread].
Please read again:

what about merging
- Peg, PG2 and derivatives into 1 forum
- PG, PG3 and derivatives into 1 forum

Chris, for the heaven's sake, we don't have pg2 and pg3 subforums and honestly i couldn't imagine games to be farther than pg and pg3 so again: what the hell should we merge? we have a peg AND a pg1/pgf subforums. hopefully you don't wan't to merge them

edit: +1 anybody can open a new thread, it's not an admin/mod job

[mythos]

That is not new forums. Just a bit of text work with existing forums

The idea is to do the text work now - instead of later having to move threads around and tell people where to post (probably multiple times to both).

I won't push the matter any further. I only wanted to express my opinion, which i have done

[lvjtn]

I only wanted to express my opinion

and i simply don't understand what you really want

anyway, i expanded the description of the pub, that was an easy job

[mythos]

Thanks

and i simply don't understand what you really want

Half of the time, i don't either

Something different: i activated notifications (when someone answers 1 of your posts), however, i find that too much. Is it possible to "mark" or "check" only specific threads, for which you want notifications ?

[lvjtn]

Is it possible to "mark" or "check" only specific threads, for which you want notifications ?

"subscription" is your friend, see this mini-howto:

viewtopic.php?p=1092#p1092

[mythos]

Thanks a lot Csaba


Edit:
I cannot delete already received notifications. Are they auto-deleted after a while ?

[lvjtn]

I cannot delete already received notifications. Are they auto-deleted after a while ?

yes, the already read notifications are auto-deleted after two weeks (14 days), though we can change the timeframe

[mythos]

No, all good: i was confused, so i asked - you answered, case closed

[randowe]

Please please, i don't want to be a moderator of the german forum anymore with immediate effect.
It happend already twice to me, that i accidentally edited a users post when i wanted to quote it.
One time i could restore the post but today i couldn't So please strip me off my moderator rights. Thanks

[lvjtn]

It happend already twice to me, that i accidentally edited a users post when i wanted to quote it.

i removed your right to edit a post. would you try it (carefully ) to confirm, please?

[randowe]

It happend already twice to me, that i accidentally edited a users post when i wanted to quote it.

i removed your right to edit a post. would you try it (carefully ) to confirm, please?

Yes i can confirm. But now "Delete" is first in the line. It is even more dangerous
Please please, i don't want to be a mod anymore.

[HexCode]

In the forum dedicated to "PG Forever", I posted:

I very much like the sharp focus of the {"PG Forever"} forum. PGF comes in only one flavor, Version 1.02 for "MS Windows". This avoids the inevitable confusion and absence of focus arising out of accommodating a bunch of "similar" titles, some being native to diverse operating systems and having been released in diverse media.

So, in my books, there's no PG1 / PGF forum; just PGF. Compared to the unwieldy mess that that other PG / AG forum was, the present forum is a breath of fresh air. Nostalgic ( ? ) emulation of the past isn't always the best way to move forward.

[lvjtn]

But now "Delete" is first in the line. It is even more dangerous

ok, now you can't permanently delete a post, just "soft delete" what you (or admins) can also restore too

hopefully we can keep the cosy environment here and mods will have very few real jobs, but i really think it's better an active member watching all subforums, and it's more important for the non-english speaking subforums, and hopefully all the other moderator functions are separated to the moderator control panel, so you can't accidentally do any of them

[lvjtn]

So, in my books, there's no PG1 / PGF forum; just PGF. Compared to the unwieldy mess that that other PG / AG forum was, the present forum is a breath of fresh air.

you know, it's like the opengen subforum: it's not a "pg2 + opengen" forum, but pg2 is the ancestor of opengen, and it's impossible to completely separate them, so there will be always posts and threads about pg2 issues in opengen subforum, same for pg1 vs. pgf

as you see, while i refused the idea of merging anything, i think we should show some tolerance for not 100% on-topic threads or posts. if or when there will be enough users, posts, threads about pg1, then we create a dedicated subforum for it

[randowe]

But now "Delete" is first in the line. It is even more dangerous

ok, now you can't permanently delete a post, just "soft delete" what you (or admins) can also restore too

hopefully we can keep the cosy environment here and mods will have very few real jobs, but i really think it's better an active member watching all subforums, and it's more important for the non-english speaking subforums, and hopefully all the other moderator functions are separated to the moderator control panel, so you can't accidentally do any of them

Okay, i understand

[Major Heinz]

I do not know if this is the right thread, but is there any chance to raise the limit for PMs in this Forum? eg with a Limit of 100 PMs like at JPs? I am creating an allied Campaign with Randowe and we have to write very often because of this and all three days I have to delete a several number of PMs, because my box is full. And I do not want to delete newer Messages (the oldest were sent two weeks ago) because often the Messages were important and Randowe told me eg how can I do certain things with the Suite.

[lvjtn]

is there any chance to raise the limit for PMs in this Forum?

increased the limit to 75