Better, than the test site, blander than the past.

[Netch]

I don't like it. Old design was unique and charming, and had just the right balance of functionality and personality. This new design makes it look the same as every single other forum site in existence. I guess this is fine if you want your website to look the same as every single other forum site in existence, though.

 

[Taluntain]

I don't know about panic attacks, but your casual condescension is certainly beginning to bother me. You've been dismissive about every single bit of criticism against the new layout since its inception. Nobody asked for it and hardly anybody likes it, the vast majority of the changes it introduced were garbo and thankfully most of the really bad ones could be reverted. Meanwhile you just keep sticking your fingers in your ears while going NANANA I CANT HEAR YOU, YOU ARE ALL AUTISTS UPSET AT MINOR COSMETIC CHANGES because all you care about are google death threats regarding mobile viewing, and apparently couldn't give a shit whether the site ends up ugly as a result.

If I came over and started spray painting over your living room, that would also be a 'minor cosmetic change', but I bet it would leave you p. upset.

Also since we are apparently now left exclusively with Easily Changed Minor Cosmetics (tm) and all the Truemeaningfulstrongpowerful Changes (R) were reverted - was it worth it and is this an improvement? An inquiring mind wants to know.

That's utter bullshit; I've been dismissive of whining about minor things easily tweaked that most people here wanted to blow out of proportion. We didn't redo this layout because we had nothing better to do but because we HAD TO, as part of the process of converting the forums to XenForo 2. This as well is being done so that you and everyone else can keep on posting here well into the future, and to bring the software up to speed with the last 5+ YEARS of development that we've been missing out on. We HAD TO move to XF2 because what we've been using was OBSOLETE, unsupported and not developed any more for years.

As you obviously haven't noticed, mobile is broken and the retarded small text from 20 years ago has made it back into this new layout. And that's the 2 major things that this new layout was supposed to fix, but thanks to the pile of changes that Twiglard has been doing trying to satisfy every single complaint, managed to negate in the process. So no, it's obviously not an improvement yet because it's far from being finished.

"Ugly" is your subjective view that I don't agree with, I don't see anything "ugly" here. Throwing around such unsubstantiated adjectives is neither objectively true nor helpful in any way. The Codex isn't your living room but a shared space that has to work on several levels, not just your own personal taste. Everyone who has 30 seconds to comment about it doesn't have the necessary knowledge to understand even a fractions of its functions and workings and why certain things are as they are or have to be like that. And we can't spend hours explaining this to everyone.

You can be pretty sure that all the abuse and whining that everyone who's spent dozens of hours migrating the Codex to the 21st century is getting in return is bothering us as well. Most of the complaints have no substance other than "I HATE CHANGE" or "CHANGE IT BACK". That's not helpful in any way, if anything, it makes all of us trying to do things here less inclined to make any further changes, because pretty much all of them are met with derision.

It might surprise the Codex audience to learn that amazingly, just like in RL, hurling abuse at the staff is not likely to produce a result that you'll be happy with.

We can appreciate constructive criticism. Piling on drive-by comments of WORST LAYOUT EVER!!!11, repeated for the umpteenth time by every retard with 2 seconds to spare isn't it.

I did take out the social sharing buttons though.

 

[Sheepherder]

How do I remove these? What's up with this shit? Design looks like it's from one of them news sites that reports on twitter drama... wait.

 

[racofer]

Allright, I've installed the add-on and started tinkering. Progress is slow so far, but at least I fixed the maxWidth and have found some temporary greyish background color. If people are interested in trying it, install stylus and use this script:

Spoiler

@-moz-document url-prefix("[URL]https://rpgcodex.net/forums/[/URL]") { .message-cell { background-color: #333333; } .bbCodeBlock { background-color: #333333 !important; } /* Fix for max-width. */ .p-body-inner { max-width: unset; } }

It is not finished by any means, so don't bother telling me that it looks shitty.

The max-width change is a godsend. I found it to look at little better using 90% width rather than all the screen width:

.p-body-inner {
    max-width: 90%;
}

I also found that slightly increasing the font size made it more readable:

* {
    font-size: 11pt;
}

I don't really like your color changes, though. Dark Reader provided the best balance for me (I will copy these changes later to a Stylus profile). It's not only about the background colors, but the border colors as well. The current theme has terrible contrast and Dark Reader managed to improve it all.

 

[Bl@de]

I don't like it. Harder to read and ugly in 16:9.

 

[†††]

DarkUnderlord
Taluntain

Like others have said before, if the forum had to upgrade to XF2 for programming or security or really whatever reason you might have to give us, fine. We don't like it, but if it must be done our hands are tied. But when Taluntain posts some hyper defensive shit like he did in this thread, that's when the outrage and worrying starts to kick in. It's not a nothingburger. You guys posted a feedback thread on the test site and everyone let you know that the new site looks atrocious and if you were to switch to it, the average user experience would definitely go down. I think I speak for all of us when I say we would appreciate some sort of reassurance and/or communication about how long the work that is in progress according to DU will take, and how close to the original website we can get this new XF2 version.

EDIT: The @'s are literally indistinguishable from the normal text. Some of this shit isn't even related to old format versus new format, you lazy shits just pushed out a premature update.

What I don't understand is the rush to get the new site ASAP instead of spending a few months polishing it. As it stands, it's the Cyberpunk 2077 of forums. I guess they really got nervous about Google threatening to drop their SEO rank, but still, you have to have a modicum of respect for your EXISTING userbase. But nope, just like developers who go on "entitled gamers" rants when the new patch ruins the game, they have to profess openly how much contempt they have for the guys who have supported the site for years, decades even.

 

[Saark]

The legibility of the entire site sucks ass. I have a headache already.

I kinda have to agree here. I don't know what it is, but somehow the new design is just more difficult to read (might be to due going to the old fontsize which worked well in the old design but might be a bit too small in the new one, especially with all the negative space on the sides).

Actually getting eye-strain after just 15 minutes of reading this.

If I had to complain about one thing in particular, it'd definitely be the empty space on the left and right. Having that in contrast to the fairly small font, pushes all the text further into the center of the screen which is naturally harder to read.

 

[Jenkem]

we tried to warn you... you didn't listen.

the trannification is complete.

 

[Alienman]

Worst layout ever!

 

[Sigourn]

User Banned (Permanent): Dismissive drive-by and whataboutism of forum design policies.

 

[Lokiamis]

Most of the complaints have no substance other than "I HATE CHANGE" or "CHANGE IT BACK". That's not helpful in any way, if anything, it makes all of us trying to do things here less inclined to make any further changes, because pretty much all of them are met with derision.

Do you promise?

 

[agris]

you're crazy about the font bro. not our fault if you use a 4k monitor without DPI scaling.

 

[Sarathiour]

Exited-rating doesn't show up properly.

neither does the parrot

 

[racofer]

Actually getting eye-strain after just 15 minutes of reading this.

Try using Stylus and increasing the font size as I described above. It makes everything a bit more bearable, although it's still far from being as good as it was before.

 

[Sheepherder]

Oh shit, the default troll avatar for subhumans who do not pick one was changed to the first letter of their handle

 

[Saark]

Try using Stylus and increasing the font size as I described above. It makes everything a bit more bearable, although it's still far from being as good as it was before.

Will give it a try, cheers. I still think the fact that the empty space on the sides is just one massive grey background is the main contributor to this. Most sites with similar design have actual background images there. You could put 2 codex trolls to the left and right and it'd be easier on the eyes than a massive grey wall.

 

[Sacibengala]

I hated this layout. What was wrong with the old one? It was shitty, but it was our shitty. This new one seems like my eyes are being raped by someone other than a family member. No one likes that, lol.

 

[Aarwolf]

It looks like shit and it makes my eyes burn. I hate it.

 

[JarlFrank]

As you obviously haven't noticed, mobile is broken and the retarded small text from 20 years ago has made it back into this new layout. And that's the 2 major things that this new layout was supposed to fix, but thanks to the pile of changes that Twiglard has been doing trying to satisfy every single complaint, managed to negate in the process. So no, it's obviously not an improvement yet because it's far from being finished.

How many Codexers actually care about mobile? Internet forums are browsed on desktop PCs. And what's retarded about small text? If everyone here wanted the small text back, maybe people like it and it's better than having big text on some devices (as in, desktop PCs)? I like smaller text and hate how many modern sites switched to bigger fonts that make it harder to see a lot of text at once on the screen, making me scroll more. Just because it's from 20 years ago doesn't mean it has to be changed, or is no longer good.

It might surprise the Codex audience to learn that amazingly, just like in RL, hurling abuse at the staff is not likely to produce a result that you'll be happy with.

I'm literally offering you 100 bucks to change it back yet you still refuse.

 

[Stavrophore]

There will be always whiners with every change, as with every change, people get comfortable and then someone ruin it. But the good news is, that whiners will eventually get accustomed with the new layout and design and the strong feelings will pass away.

 

[Alienman]

There will be always whiners with every change, as with every change, people get comfortable and then someone ruin it. But the good news is, that whiners will eventually get accustomed with the new layout and design and the strong feelings will pass away.

Yeah, that worked so well for all those ruined franchises.

 

[†††]

How many Codexers actually care about mobile? Internet forums are browsed on desktop PCs. And what's retarded about small text? If everyone here wanted the small text back, maybe people like it and it's better than having big text on some devices (as in, desktop PCs)? I like smaller text and hate how many modern sites switched to bigger fonts that make it harder to see a lot of text at once on the screen, making me scroll more. Just because it's from 20 years ago doesn't mean it has to be changed, or is no longer good.

There are so many things that affect legibility, not just font size. For starters, font seems different. Then you have stuff like padding and so on that affect how our brain reads text. This version is simply too busy looking.

Good thing we can check the archives and compare: RIP OLD DEX

 

[JarlFrank]

There will be always whiners with every change, as with every change, people get comfortable and then someone ruin it. But the good news is, that whiners will eventually get accustomed with the new layout and design and the strong feelings will pass away.

No, they will not. I loved the old Codex layout and will never stop complaining about this new decline.
Just as I have never stopped complaining about the decline of the Elder Scrolls series after Morrowind. I've been complaining about that for over 15 years now.

You underestimate the length of time Codexers can complain about something.

The only thing that might pass is my love for the Codex, for right now it looks like the woman you used to love but now she gained 200 pounds and had a horrible accident that disfigured her face and even though you still love her personality, each time you look at her your heart breaks a little more because you remember how beautiful she used to be... but her beauty is forever gone, and it hurts to see what has become of her. It just hurts so much.

 

[Boleskine]

I can't seem to view who gave me each particular rating on any given post.

I need this feature so I may assess and distribute ratings to others accordingly. I must know if best posters like Sukhāvatī and Dreed have given me ratings so I may kindly return the favor.

Browsing the list of alerts is inefficient since it's chronological, even more cluttered now since it's EVERY rating instead of just the first new rating on a post since the last read notification.

--------

Overall, upgrading the forum software for security purposes makes sense. Nobody has an issue with that. Breaking the user experience in a variety of ways is the issue.

 

[Alpan]

If I had to complain about one thing in particular, it'd definitely be the empty space on the left and right. Having that in contrast to the fairly small font, pushes all the text further into the center of the screen which is naturally harder to read.

Taluntain: Yes, please extend the actual thread/forum viewing area. Outside of ill-advised design dogma that somehow became widely adopted common wisdom, there is no reason why so much space should be wasted, and it's probably the single greatest contributor to the backlash because it reminds people of the rest of the web that so easily patronizes people.

I also second racofer's suggestion to use Dark Reader, it helps with contrast considerably. Maybe consider checking it out and adopting the color scheme directly.