[Suggestion] A few ideas to enhance this site

Anna Ruthven said: »

Bismarck.Laurelli said: »

Would it be possible to please remove anything from the P + R section from showing up on the home page? The random P + R thread was created, but people still keep thinking the topic on their minds is the 1 special topic that deserves its own thread. So out of the 9 recently updated topics on the home page, there's always between 2-4 P + R threads showing.
Considering that FFXI was always a game with little in game info, and we need to use outside sources for information on how to progress (including this site) seeing all that P + R takes away from the game's experience. even if you don't click on the thread, just seeing the titles are enough to annoy me. I'm also sure I'm not alone.

Rooks and I have discussed this bua neither a yes nor a no was really decided. It's require some caches to be altered.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Thread is open for discussion, feel free to post any ideas you may have
and I'll add them to my 2nd post reserved for other member ideas!

I'm writing this up for no particular reasons other than what I think would enhance the site further and make it more enjoyable for everyone. These ideas are open for discussion and modification if you feel something isn't quite right or you disagree with something. Also if you have a good idea that would benefit this topic please feel free to post your idea or PM me and I'll add it to the main post.

BBCode

I love using BBCode, I use it extensively for all my news postings and I feel like it is a very easy way to make posts a bit more personalized and interesting.

My first suggestion is to remove the moderator+ restriction for heading BBCode.

Code
[h1]Heading1[/h1] [h2]Heading2[/h2] [h3]Heading3[/h3]

Heading1
Heading2
Heading3

I don't see any reason for users not to use these, it's a very quick tag to type out instead of typing out: {span style="font: 22px Verdana;"} / {span style="font: 18px Verdana;"} / {span style="font: 16px Verdana;"}. I feel like there wouldn't be very much abuse of the tag, although...

Spoiler Alert! Click to view.
Joking aside I think it would be a very valuable tag for members. I've also noticed more guides being created by the community and having heading tags would help enhance them further.

I would like to request that our spoiler tag limit be increased to 10 tags per post. It is very rare that people run into this issue, but I think 10 is still a reasonable amount. I also think it would be nice if we could personalize the label inside the spoiler tag. For example:

Code
[spoiler][/spoiler]
Spoiler Alert! Click to view.
Your basic spoiler, nothing special.

Code
[spoiler="Click here Anye!"][/spoiler]
Click here Anye!
<3

Code

[spoiler="Chuuuuu click me! <3" align="center"][/spoiler]

Chuuuuu click me! <3

Code

[spoiler="Urial stay away, it's dangerous!" align="right"][/spoiler]

Urial stay away, it's dangerous!

Code

[spoiler="Click here Anye!" color:"#00AA00"][/spoiler]

Click here Anye!

I can only think of one other thing that I would like to see our spoilers able to do.

Sneaky Link

Spoiler Alert! Click to view.

It doesn't work, but I would like it if I clicked on the link and the spoiler opened up. Maybe set an ID for the spoiler then have the URL link to it?

Code

[spoiler id="1"][/spoiler] [url="spoiler#1]Text[/url]

If that makes any sense, anyways I'm out of ideas for spoilers, unless it would be possible to make a vertical spoiler that opens up to the right, but I'm sure that's not possible D:

I would like to see some additions and fixes to the BBCode Buttons above the reply text area to make it more convenient for members to use BBCode without remembering/typing the code manually while also providing some unique tags that rarely, if ever, get used.

Current Setup

Modified Setup

The two adjustments to the design are obvious, the color palette and the video player selection. For the color palette I chose to stick with the 16 standard web colors: black, gray/grey, silver, white, maroon, red, purple, fuchsia, green, lime, olive, yellow, navy, blue, teal, and aqua (gray/grey counting as 1, but both are valid names for BBCode). For the video player selection I just listed the players Scragg listed in this thread, which are YouTube, Metacafe, Vimeo, IGN, and Liveleak. The rest of the bar is unchanged for the most part except for some spacing, the first bar I wrote in BBCode so that's why it's shorter than the real one. The border around the palette selector and the YouTube icon wouldn't be there until you click the ▼ arrow, making the list drop down.

Didn't know there were other video players?

Spoiler Alert! Click to view.

I have some more points to discuss with the BBCode bar but I think they would be better addressed in the next section.

Update: Demetreos reminded me of something I meant to add to this post, and I think it would be a great addition to the media players we have atm!

Quote:
Siren.Demetreos said: »
Spoiler Alert! Click to view.
I'd quite like to see Soundcloud player support added, it's very simple to do from what I gather. I messaged another nameless staff member about it recently and they were nice enough to give me no reply whatsover, so I'm gonna throw it out there again.

http://blog.soundcloud.com/2009/07/28/soundcloud-player-in-forums-5-step-guide-for-soundcloud-bb-code/
Siren.Kalilla said: »
That is a very good idea Demetreos. I know exactly what you are talking about and I think it would be a nice addition.

[audio]url[/audio]
Error displaying SoundCloud!

Very cool idea, adding it to my main post as well as the user page. Love it!

Lists are a great way to bring structure, organization, separation, add logic, and offer meaning to the listed item content while also bringing a touch of style to dress it up.

Lists that currently work:

Code
[ul][li]Unordered Lists[/ul]
Unordered Lists

Code
[ol][li]Ordered Lists[/ol]
Ordered Lists

Lists that currently don't work:

~~Letters list~~

~~Lowercase letters list~~

~~Roman numbers list~~

~~Lowercase Roman numbers list~~

[dl]
[dt]Definition List[/dt]
[dd]Definition List Discription[/dd]
[/dl]

~~Circle bullets list~~

~~Square bullets list~~

~~Aside from the Definition List, I have needed to use the above at one time or another and just substituted the unordered/ordered in.~~ I've also had to change the bullet into an image once or twice before, an just managed with tables. Wasn't any big deal, but would be nice if this worked:

Code

[ul style="list-style-image: url"][li][/ul]

or

[ul][li style="list-style-image: url"][/ul]
<!-- so you can set the image for each individual bullet. -->

I'm very curious to know why these don't work, because when I click the BBCode button above the reply text field it says:

"Starting Number" and I type in "1" and hit okay and it gives me this code:

even if I add in the [li] it won't work:

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

~~Ordered List~~

This last section is more of a miscellaneous section that include small ideas which don't require a whole section of their own.

The only issue I have with images is not being able to set the width and height.

For links I would like to have the option to have them open in new tabs, instead of right clicking them and clicking new tab:

Code
[url target="_blank"]http://www.ffxiah.com[/url] [url href="http://www.ffxiah.com" target="_blank"]FFXIAH[/url]

The bottom currently won't function as a link, but I think it would be a way to do it.

When trying to color a URL link, it will over power any settings you have for the text color.

At the moment the only way that I've found to color a link is to do this:

Code

[url=http://www.ffxiah.com style='color:#6600FF'][b][s]FFXIAH Home Page[/s][/b][/url]

~~FFXIAH Home Page~~ _↖ _{_{I also have an issue with the red line too, but that's the next mini-section.}}

Code

[url=http://www.ffxiah.com][span style="color:#6600FF"][b]http://www.ffxiah.com[/b][/span][/url][/s]

http://www.ffxiah.com

This is because URLs are activated automatically. It really isn't an issue though, just thought I'd cover it. If there was a way to override the automated settings with a tag it would be nice, but completely unnecessary as it is just an extremely minor issue.

When coloring a hyperlink the mouse-over hover color does not change as well and remains red.

Example:

FFXIAH

FFXIAH

If there was some way to change the hover color with just BBCode that would be nice, I feel that there isn't though.

I was planning this to to be my next mini-section but strangely enough it just happened to me again in the last code tag. This section is for the code tag when using Google Chrome.

There is just one issue I have with it, and that is the bottom scroll bar:

Code
[url=http://www.ffxiah.com][span style="color:#6600FF"][b]http://www.ffxiah.com[/b][/span][/url]

I'm reusing the one above because it's perfect for this example. When the text is just long enough that it doesn't word wrap but triggers the bar the scroll bar at the bottom covers everything up preventing you from reading anything.

This only happens in Google Chrome; Firefox / Internet Explorer / Opera / Safari are all fine and work properly.

~~I wish to request for a unique tag that disables BBCode until the tag is closed, just like when you use the code tags basically except not in the code display.~~

I wish to request for four unique tags to cut down on the use of span tags.

First would be a color tag:

Blue!
Blue!
Blue!

Would make: ~~Blue!~~
Second would be a highlight tag:

Yellow!
Yellow!
Yellow!

~~Would make:~~ ~~Yellow!~~
Third would be a size tag:

~~Text Size~~

Would make: ~~Text Size~~
~~Fourth would be a font tag:~~

~~Font Family~~

~~Would make: Font Family~~

My final BBCode suggestion, strike-through.

Almost all of us do it from time to time, type an area in game ending with ~~and then... well you see!~~

I would like to suggest that the Strike-through tag changed to [st] instead. I think that's fair, and now that we have the button up above it shouldn't be an issue! I think it would help a lot, this forum is for FFXI and FFXIV, so I think we have to adjust with the games as well.

Whew, that was a long chapter @.@;

Forum & Website Adjustments

If you use this site there is a very good chance you've used the forums at one point (if you're reading this, which you are, then you do :P). I would like to suggest some tweaks, fixes, and additions to make the process easier.

When creating a topic, you run into the possibility of messing up your title. You could choose to change it, but to do this you have to get in touch with a moderator to fix it for you. I would like to suggest that we lift this restriction.

It would still be restricted, but the only members who would have the authority of changing a title would be the original poster, moderators, and administrators. I only say this because I make many topics a week and occasionally I misspell something, decide I don't like how I worded it later on, or I have to update the title because of something SE changed/added. I feel like I sometimes burden moderators with my requests at times (don't you deny it Anye!) and would like to have the freedom to do it myself without asking for their assistance.

I would like to see our PM system posts work a bit more like posts made in the forum would look. If you ever make a table with borders in a PM the borders are extremely thick no matter what setting you use, and also if you post pictures in a PM they aren't shrunk down and are shown at their full size. Other than that there really isn't that much wrong with it and works well enough for what it's meant to do.

If our posts get deleted by a moderator/admin I would like to see the name of the moderator/admin in the post.

Instead of getting this:

Post removed by moderator.

I would like to see something like this:

Post removed by Anye.

Where when you click on the name it would open up the PM message box in case you want to ask why it was removed. The name would also be colored to be if they are a moderator (#00AA00) or admin (#CC0000). It could also be a prefilled message with an already written up title and description of the PM and you just have to verify to send or not. You could also skip this step all together and have the moderators select an option from a predefined list of reasons why a post would be deleted (example: Excessive Profanity) and it would look like this:

Post removed by Anye.

Reason: Excessive Profanity

This way the user would know exactly the reason right at that moment, and could save a few PM's in a day the moderator might have to respond to from the result of the deletion.

Update: Anye suggested that it might be better if the moderator's name isn't included. I'm okay with that, I think a reason for why a post was deleted would still be very nice. Just like how members click the report link and a list of options comes up, when a moderator deletes a post I would like to see something similar to that as well, and possibly have an option "Other" at the bottom for rare cases.

I would like to see private screenshots to be added, and I've posted this idea before here.

Siren.Kalilla said: »

Suggestion: Private Screenshots

During screenshot submission we have options to disable ratings, or disable comments. Why not add one that makes them private.

Private screenshots would make screenshots bypass the front page and only show on the player page. This would create less clutter, the stuff that pisses people off and go on [-] rages and insulting the people for submitting such a useless screenshot. We don't need that in the community, the name calling and what not. It can be cut down a bit if we enable an option to just keep it to our player page, and not on the front page. We could still enable ratings and comments, but the reason for the submission wasn't for views, but simply for their player page...

...If they want to post for their player page but don't want it on the front page they should be able to without having players comment on why they submitted it. Plus giving the option for screenshots to only be viewed on your player page and not the front page means that people will be more willing to post them for their page. This means that there will be a larger, more friendly, community and if someone really wanted to talk bad about a screenshot they have to take the effort of finding said persons player page and comment there. I see way too many screenshots of people saying something bad about the user because of the content of the screenshot and get 50 likes because people thought it was stupid as well.

If it is just on their player page and not flooding the front page then why does it matter if they post said screenshot? It wouldn't receive such nasty comments and people wouldn't have second thoughts as to whether they should post this or not because it wouldn't be approved by everyone and would get tarnished. It might of been a personal achievement for them but not by the community. Do they really need to get called out saying it's not an achievement and they are stupid for thinking so? If they want others to judge they can post publicly, but if they want to post privately then why shouldn't they be able to? So what if you can disable comments and ratings, it still gets posted on the front page. What stops others from making fun of them/harassing them on their player page as well (I see it with almost every screenshot deemed worthless by the community)? You can delete comments you don't want to see but why does it have to come to that?

This isn't very long, but I would like to squeeze in this idea. I would like to see Poll's added to this site at some point, either the OP creates it or it could be made for individual posts. I think it would be a great way to give our opinion on something without writing up a post about it for something that might of been said 20 times already yet people can still give their input on it.

Please consider it, I can think of a hundred ways I'd like to use it already XD (okay not 100, but you get my point .-.)

FFXIAH is partnered up with Windower and Guildwork, and for this section I would like to focus on the relationship between this site and Windower.

Recently the Windower staff has started to post more often on these forums to get out important news updates, information on their side, and assisting members of this site, and I think it would be a great opportunity to make a brand new section just for Windower.

Windower

General
Anything NOT support related.

News
Important Windower news and plugin updates.

Support
Support related to Windower, plugins, and windower programs. Not Spellcast!

Spellcast Scripting Support
Warrior Monk White Mage Black Mage Red Mage Thief Paladin Dark Knight Beast Master Bard Ranger Samurai Ninja Dragoon Summoner Blue Mage Corsair Puppet Master Scholar Dancer Other

I believe this would help members of this site a great deal. This site has a much larger population and getting help here would probably be faster than posting on the windower site, although their site would get the more advanced help I believe. I still believe it would benefit this site greatly, and it's members.

Hyshio from Windower said: »

The Windower stuff would be a God send for me to keep track of any errors beyond our own forums.

Also, I would like to see Legion added to the Endgame section as well please.

Finally I would like to touch up on Guildwork now and finish off my post. The relationship between FFXIAH and Guildwork is much stronger compared to Windower. Many of the features for this site have been enhanced because of Guildwork, and I would like to suggest a unique idea that I think will bring both sites together even more.

I think it would be nice to have an instant chat feature just like the one Stanislav made over at guildwork, but I would like to add a small twist to it. The small widget would hover at the bottom right corner of your screen just like the sticky menu and members menu do.

By paying premium over at guildwork you'll be able to talk to members here at FFXIAH while also talking to members over at guildwork without having to leave FFXIAH to do it. This would join the friends of both sites together so you'll be able to use whichever site you wish to use without separating contact from them. Could possibly have [GW] or [AH] before the members name, or just keep the bar to separate the two which I think looks better.

This would also enhance our status system, giving us now 3 different status: Online, Idle, Offline. You would no longer mistake someone on your friendlist for being online when they are idle/afk. You could also set a status to be invisible so you can use FFXIAH without being bothered/noticed. Invisible status does not stay on after logging out, you'll have to re-enable it after logging in. You could have a setting/check-box to enable invisible status before signing in for convenience. The messenger would override the status on the site, syncing them both together.

This would work basically like the Meebo service you see on some gaming sites but would work kinda like this:

Even if you log into the FFXIAH site, you'll have to sign in with your guildwork information. If you are a premium member it will show who is online for both sites instead of just FFXIAH (and vise versa on GW's end).

I would like to see a button on our forum posts, possibly by our names, so people can click it and talk to them without being on their friendlist. This would also give moderators a faster more noticeable way to contact members in case they need to be contacted. Anything official with the website that you need to have PM records of you should use the PM system for that, but for general chat I think it would be nice.

This won't replace the PM system, but if you're using a computer it would be much faster for small chitchat. I also believe it will benefit Guildwork very much and would encourage members that use both sites to upgrade to Premium so they can talk to friends between both sites.

I've written up quite a bit in this post, and think I'm at a stopping point. If you think something needs corrected or added feel free to post or PM me. Thank you for taking the time to read this (if you didn't just skip to the end :P)!

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[Suggestion] A Few Ideas To Enhance This Site