April Updates

[Marked 197]

Forum-Restructure

 

I have been thinking about a more effective forum structure that will solve a couple of issues on the forum.

 

Firstly there is a very large decrease in introduction topics. At my last count a few weeks ago I think it was at only 5 for the year so far(its a little higher now) and its almost the fourth month of the year. Secondly is project topics. People aren't making project topics so much anymore and lastly is scripts. Looking at that as a whole, you could say RPG Maker topics in general are struggling. The case may be a decreasing interest in RPG Maker but we are still primarily an RPG Maker community so it's our task to promote it somewhat.

 

The post by Hai obviously sparked some serious concerns. And it would seem that Emily and I are back to the drawing board once more.

 

Looking at our Game Making section, I suppose it is rather intimidating looking at it from a new users perspective. Whether familiar with RPG Maker or not. So here's my new philosophy on the forums of the forum - strip it down to its bare elements.

 

For example: Discussion, Support, Scripts, Resources, and Projects. Chuck in a couple of sub-forums and you've got yourself an idiot-proof RPG Maker forum section. This structure should hopefully stimulate more activity through a much more user-friendly structure. There should be no confusion about what goes where and eliminates the maze-like attributes we have or had in the past.

 

Of course we want to appeal to a wider audience of game makers, so another category is necessary in this structure. This where AGM and Game maker etc. topics will be. As of now, there are no topics on those makers as I've seen so I think its necessary to divide them from Game Maker. A separate category will hopefully promote the fact we do support these engines, and this will be advertised and made clear that RMXP Unlimited does support them.

 

Here is a screenshot of the previous forum structure for comparison. I chose the simpler skin:

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5071/previousforums.png

 

Feedback and criticism please

 

Scripts Archive

 

Over the past couple of days I have been working on creating a more effective scripts archive than the one we currently have on the website.

 

To do this I created a custom content method specialized for RGSS Scripts. Each Script item or article is divided into its elements. If the article does not require an element, then it does not show. The advantage of this method is that there is no html at all required to be done and you still get all the features and more of the old script archive.

 

I would like to say a lot more about its features, but I have not yet released script submissions to the public.

 

Here is a run down of viewing the scripts archive:

 

As for item view, you can see for yourself. There many nice features of the new articles, such as the new lightbox method, ajax rating and comments. The commenting system is powered by intensedebate so it is not integrated with the site or forum. However any can use it if they just enter a username and an email address.

 

Any script on the site is downloadable in .rtf form(if not a demo). I tried a lot of different methods to display scripts on the site. The short ones were okay, but once you start getting thousand+ line scripts they start not copying properly and you get a lot of useless articles. So I decided that the most effective way is to have them in a text file.

 

The great thing about this is that most of it originates from a single template file that I actually made myself so it's possible to add features to each article without having to edit every single one.

 

I wouldn't mind some feedback and bug reports on the new archive :)

 

Its here: http://www.rmxpunlimited.net/index.php/rmx...s1-scripts.html

 

The articles are still there so we dont have so many broken links. I'll redirect each of them to the new articles so traffic doesnt get 404 errors.

 

Minor Stuff

 

I did some stuff in the Gallery ages ago. First of all I merged the sections. Then I split them. Short story shorter, I read the help files and derived the categories from there. I think it came out better than before. See sections here:

RPG Maker XP

RPG Maker VX(lonely)

 

Look better? Oh, and there is now a category for your personal resources! Kiriashi and Nisage discovered it already. It's for all your RPG Maker resources. The point is, you're playing around in photoshop or actually enjoy making resources(or whatever), so you can upload them to your own album and people can credit you if they use your stuff. Use it.

 

The RPG Maker XP homepage has been completely redone. Special thanks to Kirisahi who helped me with the tables you see there. The aim was to make it more new-user-friendly. Its about 90% done so far: http://www.rmxpunlimited.net/index.php/rmxp.html

VX will follow.

 

There's a bunch of other small things I've done. Such as Engine post icons. Topic starts will have seen those already(start a topic to see them, they're at the bottom of the page). They're basically post icons of the engines. They're complementary of the new forum structure. We are currently supporting Game Maker and Adventure Game Maker(not yet released). Also I got the ajax search working on the website. Its at the top-right of the screen on the website.

 

I need sleep now. Enjoy the updates! A few more major ones to come over the next couple of months ;)

[Anemoi 0]

I understand the situation. It seems that with this new structure things will flow better. Indeed the forum was too crowded... Maybe that was the reason I didn't knew where to post something. But these changes will make surfing the forum much easier and more user-friendly.

 

Anyways, great updates.

[Leon 55]

The decrease in posts in both the Script forum is for 1 of 3 reasons: It has already been done; it would take too much time, or there is absolutely nothing interesting about the script they want. New, innovative ideas for scripts would be nice...

 

As for projects, well, the only reason i haven't posted one in a while is whenever i post a demo, i quit working on it. That and i really need some custom sprites. I may just have to go out and seek some that aren't to my specifications, but will work.

[Polraudio 122]

Like the new look of the Scripts Archive and the RMXP. Why is there information for VX on the RMXP page?

 

Lets hope everything goes as planed.

I been having a little more time so i might be able to release more resources and scripts.

[Marked 197]

The decrease in posts in both the Script forum is for 1 of 3 reasons: It has already been done; it would take too much time, or there is absolutely nothing interesting about the script they want. New, innovative ideas for scripts would be nice...

 

As for projects, well, the only reason i haven't posted one in a while is whenever i post a demo, i quit working on it. That and i really need some custom sprites. I may just have to go out and seek some that aren't to my specifications, but will work.

That is interesting. Actually the part about the forum re-structure was written on march 30th before I actually started planning changes which I tested on an offline board.

 

From you said it doesn't really matter about the forum structure as to why of if members are going to be posting their projects or scripts. At the very least it is easier for them to do so.

 

There are certainly going to be minor edits especially to forum descriptions but I'm not keen on doing this again. We've done it like 10 times and apparently got it wrong each time.

 

Like the new look of the Scripts Archive and the RMXP. Why is there information for VX on the RMXP page?

 

Lets hope everything goes as planed.

I been having a little more time so i might be able to release more resources and scripts.

 

Well its a comparison. Did you read the page?

Comparing Engines

 

There has been much debate over which RPG Maker is better. RPG Maker VX's criticism has died down since its release now that users have had a change to use it properly. Below is a table comparing RPG Maker XP to RPG Maker VX to help you decide which Engine is the one for you.

So new users can compare the two engines and decide which they like. The table is not finished yet however, im trying to base it off facts and not opinions. For example RPG Maker XPs graphics are way better than RPG Maker VX's.

 

I'm glad you like the script archive. That is the main announcement that I had to make, it took a long time to make and I hope people will find it useful. I just really want to expand and open it to the public to be able to add their own stuff, but my time is running out :(

 

To show how effective the new system is, I replicated the articles that were being added a year ago in one night. Hours and hours of work done in minutes.

[Leon 55]

I do plan on posting a new project I have been working on, thanks to Jesse getting that 'downed' sprite I needed. Now I just need to make a few changes, give it a test, and we will have a nice demo sitting on the site. I do hope people will play it; I've already had a couple people test it, and trust me when I say that I believe this is the finest game i've worked on.

[isaacsol 10]

Quick note, I think we need to install a reCAPTCHA mod, to help prevent the recent increase in SPAM bots. If you want the mod I will happily find it for you.

 

-isaacsol-

 

N.B. I have also set up the keys with reCAPTCHA, if you decide to install this mod, you need to get the keys off of me.

[Marked 197]

I do plan on posting a new project I have been working on, thanks to Jesse getting that 'downed' sprite I needed. Now I just need to make a few changes, give it a test, and we will have a nice demo sitting on the site. I do hope people will play it; I've already had a couple people test it, and trust me when I say that I believe this is the finest game i've worked on.

Sounds good Leon, I enjoyed playing the games you made before.

 

Quick note, I think we need to install a reCAPTCHA mod, to help prevent the recent increase in SPAM bots. If you want the mod I will happily find it for you.

 

-isaacsol-

 

N.B. I have also set up the keys with reCAPTCHA, if you decide to install this mod, you need to get the keys off of me.

We're actually already using reCAPTCHA, thats how we stopped the bots the first time. Logout and click the register button to see.

 

To stop the spambots IPB have released a PM flood control which I'm going to try and install later today. There may be a compatibility problem though.

[Selkie 0]

Really good updates! =D

[Satsuriku 0]

hehe the colours are too bright for my taste