OtakuBoards v7

[Patronus]

[color=darkblue]Maybe, a quick attachment box with the quick reply box. It'd be much simpler.[/color]

[Circ]

I've said it may, may times: sub-forums accessible from the main page. That's my only suggestion.

[G/S/B Master]

This may be suggested on the board before but I want to say this idea again only for v7.

I would suggest RPG Hacks. Like character stats. Everytime you post your character builds up and also your money to buy stuff that helps your character. The character is use for spar battles. Though it must be players that are online to battle. And yes it is possible. If you want, you can add ranks to the characters and the ranks can be upgraded( like warrior->Ronin ), or a rank change ( Warrior-> Magician/Mage ). This might be a handful for a board this popular so this is just a suggestion. I understand if it bring back the server freezes ect.

[Sandy]

Mmm, I get what your thinking G/S/B, but you have to realize that very few of the RPG's here are the normal sword&magic-type - most of them don't even use ranks. So that rank-upgrade-system wouldn't really work.

But I'd like to see some kind of system that would classify roleplayers to beginners, advanced players, masters etc. I don't really know if that's possible with today's technology, but perhaps the system would depend on other members giving the player "scores", pretty similar to the grade-system that was eg. on OtakuArtist. The reasons for such a system are that people would know each others' talents as players, and also that you could gain respect among other players better. I wouldn't see this as a discrimination of beginners, since you earn the points - I see this more as a block for sucky players to make useless games or join someone else's game and then leave them before/when they start. :p

What say you, Jamesy?

[Solo Tremaine]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Harlequin [/i]
[B][font=gothic][color=crimson]Some kind of auto-spell checker. It is very, very desperately needed.[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

Yes, please. I know I find it infuriating whenever I make silly spelling mistakes and have to re-edit my posts five successive times, sometimes even for the same word.

The User Profile colour/size thingy would be nice too, if possible.I don't think the gamic forums should be combined, though. That doesn't seem right... although I don't tend to go into them much. It just seems better to me having them separated. But if the discussions are more or less blending together anyway then I can understand why.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Shy[/i]
[b][SIZE=1]Please no, I would go insane if I had to listen to Yugi saying "It's time to duel!" every time I checked in on the forum.[/SIZE][/B][/QUOTE]

Whee, hehe! That would get very annoying very quickly, I imagine. I know I wouldn't want Yugi in my ear every five seconds.

There was something else I wanted to suggset, but I can't remember what it was. I think the RPG hacks may ought to be more confined to an RPG-specific board. I'm not too fussed about the star ratings or whatever personally. I can see why it's nice, but it's not something I'd want particularly. The more there is on a site, the more that can go wrong.

EDIT: I remember what it was now- I would like to be able to actually [i]see[/i] Who's Online. I haven't been able to for weeks.

[Circ]

Sage, I think a thing like what you are suggesting could only be achieved by combining a forum-specific post count to the regular post count.

I think title that take account of the forums we post most in would be cool in that way. (if you have more game post or artist post/threads etc.)

[Hyper]

[size=1]Sound-bytes could be optional like with e-mail notification. Btu i don't think enough people want them at all.

I'm looking forward to some skins, too. But that's already coming along. Skin ideas?
- .hack//ANYTHING (I don't care if it's the anime or video game)
- Super Mario!
- Zelda (I already know the WW skin is coming)

The font setting sin profile, naturally.
Spell-checker, naturally.
::Thinks for somethign else to end in naturally::
Quick attachments, naturally.

The RPG idea is cool, but it have to a few options and settings for maximum usage. That might not be possible.
Sara's (non-recent) idea about collapsable forums on the main page seems helpful. Makes it easier to view the forums you actually post in.

-Hyper//
[/size]

[Manic Webb]

I remember visiting another online forum that used an RPG hack. Your EXP would increase with your post count (after the bar reaches max, it starts over again and you gain a level... naturally), HP increased with the number of threads the user actually started (rather than just replied to), and MP increased with the post-per-day count. I don't know if it would just make the Author column look kool, or cause more SPAM when some users try to increase their stats.

User-specific default font settings! Yes! I've been meaning to switch to green colored text, but I'm far too lazy to type it in everytime.

Quick-attach. Can't go wrong there.

And I have the same problem as Solo with spelling. Sometimes I notice a typo, edit it, notice another typo, edit it, notice that I only made the first typo worse, edit it again, ect.

Who was it that suggested embedding mp3s in user profiles? Shinobi? Don't you know that there are still people out there using dial-up connections? I honestly don't want to look at somebody's profile for 30 minutes straight just to know what mp3 they have playing in the background.

Sound bytes would not only be annoying, they'd freeze my computer (damn eMachine). I'd probably [i]stop visiting Otaku Boards[/i] if that happened.

[Semjaza]

I remember the idea of putting midis in people's profiles. Those usually top out at 20k, if that. MP3s are simply too big for such things.

The only real suggestion I have otherwise is making sure there is some sort of signature limit again. I don't care how long it is, as long as people can't make signatures that are 10 inches long.

[Baron Samedi]

Add to my previous one- have it so that when you are making your signature, you can see it as people see it. so it is easier to put word s where you want them and stuff- ill come back and clean this up l8ere- gotta dash!!

[Turkey]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Manic [/i][B]...or cause more SPAM when some users try to increase their stats...[/B][/QUOTE]
Maybe Mods could be given the ability to lower the stats of SPAMmers.

I have only 2 suggestions:

1. If the Console Forums are united, there should be icons that allow you to mark your post for it's corresponding console. Example- If you are posting a Gamecube game, you could put an icon of the console by the topic title.

2. A Viewtiful Joe skin. That's all I can say.

[boothten]

[quote]
[i]Originally posted by G/S/B Master[/i]
[b]I would suggest RPG Hacks. Like character stats. Everytime you post your character builds up and also your money to buy stuff that helps your character. The character is use for spar battles. Though it must be players that are online to battle. And yes it is possible. If you want, you can add ranks to the characters and the ranks can be upgraded( like warrior->Ronin ), or a rank change ( Warrior-> Magician/Mage ). This might be a handful for a board this popular so this is just a suggestion.[/b][/quote]

[size=1][color=darkblue]I would have to agree. I'd like to see that on OBv7. I'd actually come more that I already do. lol, it would be a nice change to see something like that though.[/size][/color]

[Guest Musahi]

[color=#003399]Ick. I can't stand boards with that RPG hack. It sounds as horrible as soundbytes. I don't like that idea at all, if anything it would steer me and several others [i]away[/i] from OtakuBoards, but that could just be me.

I like the idea of Midis in profiles, though. But once again, people might be steered away if they have dial up. connections. Soundbytes, would just suck I would probably kill myself if I had to listen to catch phrases every time I enter a specific forum.

I'm not enjoying the STAT idea very much either, it just doesn't seem good. I say do away with post counts and have 4 status'.

Member
Moderator
Super Moderator
Administrator

Nice and simple.

I [i]love[/i] Turkey's idea for the icons though. If we collapse the console gaming forums (I like this idea as well) it would help greatly. But some people will either skip over icon useage, or mis-mark stuff on purpose, which would be a problem.

Oh and Turkey, VJ skin all the way man. ~_^[/color]

[Semjaza]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GunMetal [/i]
[B][color=#003399]
I [i]love[/i] Turkey's idea for the icons though. If we collapse the console gaming forums (I like this idea as well) it would help greatly. But some people will either skip over icon useage, or mis-mark stuff on purpose, which would be a problem.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE]

The icon idea is something that I like as well. Whatever we need to do so people will mark these things properly and save everyone confusion.

And really, I'll still be around. If people are mismarking things and causing problems in there, I'll just edit the titles and fix it. It's not a big deal. Sooner or later people would get the idea heh.

In addition to my reasons for earlier... making one console forum would basically finally allow people to have a place to talk about Sega systems and so forth... something I personally miss.

A VJ style would rock, I admit.

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=crimson]Initally, I was quasi-interested in that rpg hack thing, simply for the novelty. But my main concern with it now is the lack of freedom. Wandering around posting simply to make some character get stronger seems to me to reduce the overall quality of rpgs. Every rpg I've been in that was good, was good because of the quality of writers involved, not because of how much they've posted. And when you're someone like me who often changes characters every second rpg, having to build them up because of some dodgy hack rather than simple write the character well and post decently seems pretty stupid to me.

But then, I'm a contentious bastard.[/font][/color]

[James]

[color=#884667]I think you're misunderstanding the "RPG Hack", Harlequin.

It has nothing to do with the RPGs in Adventure Arena. ^_^

It's simply a profile-based hack which replaces your custom status with various RPG-like stats, which change based on your posting habits on the boards.

It's kind of like an interactive element that combines with your own user profile. [/color]

[Jesus Chicken]

You are a contentious bastard I would have to agree with you there. However I am with you there. I personally don't post as much as I would like to, due to lack of stuff to post about, time constraints, and me being lazy. So I think some people who write very well, (not me, obviously) would be at a disadvatage from such a set-up of building up a character from posts. Personally I like to try and work one character into many situations, but thats just me.
I think other people, who like to try dfferent styles of characters would suffer under such a system. Because of course it is mostly the better writers who change their characters, and they would have many characters who then would be worse off.
I just don't like the idea, it goes against the whole point of intelligence.
But don't ask me, I'm just the friend of a contentious bastard.

[James]

[color=#707875]Once again...this has [i]nothing[/i] to do with Adventure Arena or the RPGs contained in there.

It's simply a "dressed up" custom title system. You're not creating a character or anything of the sort. It's just a unique way of tracking your own status on the boards.[/color]

[Guest Zeh]

You two posted at the same time, James. He didn't read your post :-P

I'm with GunMetal here, scrap post count all together. Or maybe use some system like gamefaqs has, if it's available for vB. They call their post count 'Karma'. Once a day, if you post, your karma will increse by one. If you post 20 times each day, it'll still go up by one, but only if you post.

I like it, atleast.

[James]

[color=#707875]I actually would like to put a system in place where your rank is "voted on" by staff. So, you're given points for post quality. Each time a Moderator sees a high quality post, they can give you a certain number of points, which then increases your status.

But, there are a lot of problems with that idea. I'm not sure how workable it would be in the end. So, it's an open question at this point.

But in particular, I would like to ask about replacing post counts...or adding to them in some sense. Something that doesn't necessarily reward higher numbers of posts.[/color]

[Braidless Baka]

How about a system where, you have a certain number of "points" a day to give to people you think deserve them? So say someone's written an intelligent post, you click a little button in the bottom to give them a point? But you only have so many points a day, so you've gotta be careful who you give your points to... And the number of points would reset itself across the boards, say every week?

I've seen a similar idea in use elsewhere, and it seems to work well... although you would have to contend with friends just giving their points to each other O_o -- I dunno, maybe it could be workable

[GinnyLyn]

(Only read the last page of this, so forgive any ignorance.)

I recently visited a MessageBoard where they were doing a similar thing--you had a RPG status like so:

(avatar)
(custom title)
HP: ---/---
MP: ---/---
(board title)
(location)
Post#

I'm not quite sure how the post thing worked, but longer posts would get you more experience (banking on the fact that the longer posts were entailing quality posting). Your HP and MP would naturally go up as you got more experience. Money was a hidden feature, and allowed you to buy custom avatars or a Custom Title. (Of course, this limits/reduces (whichever way you want to see it) the turnover of custom ability. People would be less likely to change as often.)

If I can find a pic of the above, I will post it.

The thought on having the staff rate people is, sincere apologies here, just unfeasible. That sounds like an awful lot of time for the staff to dedicate. Unless you mean only rating when they like a post by someone. Then you start stepping into the realm of favoritism, and that just gets ugly. Anyone remember the rating system we had way back when? I do, ugh.

Custom titles would be fun. ^^

[Semjaza]

I don't honestly understand the point of all these ratings and RPG systems. Okay, so you have all these stats. Then what?

I for one, am not going to base my interest in someone's posts on how many stars they have or if their rating is through the roof. I base it on what I actually read. I honestly don't get the point of any of these systems, especially the one where people rate eachother. Seems like a way to simply judge people and either raise their ego or make them feel unwanted.

So eh. Perhaps if someone would tell me some benefit of any of these things, I'd know what they'd even be needed for. Other than this money idea Ginny mentioned, and the whole RPG aspect it could provide... I really don't see the point.

[James]

[color=#707875]Well, there really [i]is[/i] no point. I don't think anyone takes this very seriously (well, a few people do, but I'd say that most don't).

Really, it's all just a little fun. That's what it's there for. The RPG hack is certainly not about judging/rating someone (though I don't like the fact that it's somewhat arbitrary in nature), it's really there for members to have fun.

However, I'm always leaning on the side of having something that replaces post counts. At least, having something that emphasizes quality rather than quantity. In all honesty, I haven't seen anything running on a vB which does that even remotely effectively.

So, it's entirely possible that we'll keep post counts...but make them private (ie: you only see them when you visit a profile). Or, we'll do something with the titles...so that people no longer spam to receive higher titles.[/color]

[Sara]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i]
[B][color=#707875]I actually would like to put a system in place where your rank is "voted on" by staff. So, you're given points for post quality. Each time a Moderator sees a high quality post, they can give you a certain number of points, which then increases your status.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [SIZE=1]This bit just made me think of Harry Potter and House points, heh...

Taking a slightly different view of things, as far as points and titles and post counts go, whatever system we end up using we are going to have to be able to explain every time a new member asks... A rather daunting task. [color=white]Alternately, we could just point them to a single posted explanation, but where's the fun in that?[/color] Anyway.[/SIZE]