New Pause Gaming Website

[Muppet]

I thought i would throw up this thread to keep you guys informed of the status of the new website developement.


Developement State

[100%] Script to allow users to login to the forums from outside the forums
[95%] Seating area (allows for multiple event reserve seating)
[80%] Signup System
[80%] User rig area
[80%] Browse Events (past and upcoming)
[50%] Admin Area (as a total - seating overviews, payment overviews, events)
[30%] Members List with javascript 'expanded' option
[0%] Online Payment
[0%] Transport options integration
[0%] UserCP
[0%] Tournamenets (if i ever get around to it)
[0%] New Image Gallery with easy upload

[0%] AJAX integration (cool funky stuff)
[0%] Templating system (including support for hand-held browsers e.g PSP)

[30%] Overall Completion (on a guestimate basis)

Target Completion Date: Roughly one month before LAN #1.


Also, i wanted to make this a thread where people could post their (realistic) ideas of what they would like to see on the new Pause website.

The idea of this new website was only to interface with the vB forum database - so people could browse outside the forums whilst still logged in and signup to events / choose a seat / pay, without having to create a new user on a new database.

[Sideshow]

A mobile device style sheet / set of served pages? I like my PSP :)

[Muppet]

A mobile device style sheet / set of served pages? I like my PSP :)

Interesting - i'll definately look into this.

Seems easily do-able with just a style sheet change - no need to make a seperate website for handhelds!

[Hex]

I know this has already been discussed but I still feel online payment is unnecessary. The current pay in cash scheme works fine, and taking online payments means we lose a cut of the money to Paypal or whichever other online payment system.

I'm afraid I don't have any ideas for the site, Sid did such a good job of it already - it has everything I can think of which I'd actually ever use!

[Muppet]

I know this has already been discussed but I still feel online payment is unnecessary. The current pay in cash scheme works fine, and taking online payments means we lose a cut of the money to Paypal or whichever other online payment system.

It's still a topic of discussion between me and Sid, but we both feel its a good idea just to have it there - it doesn't have to be used - but just to be there anyway. Plus it might serve a function later on ;)

I'm afraid I don't have any ideas for the site, Sid did such a good job of it already - it has everything I can think of which I'd actually ever use!

Yup, this is just really an expansion of what we have already i think. It's just to take the need for an events forum and signup away from the Forums and move it to a dedicated site. Never know, we might just actually turn this into the new Pause Homepage but maybe keep a similar layout but definately same content.

[Sideshow]

Style sheet is indeed the easy way to go, and probably effective enough. Check out http://m.gmail.com/ to see the difference a server side change makes. Actually, I'd bet there's already a plugin for vbulletin to do this.

[Uuurrahh]

Anal prolapse of the day.jpg

[DAve]

Script to allow users to login to the forums from outside the forums
I'm not sure if I follow. What's the point of having the ability to logon to the forums if you're not on the forum?

If you mean the logon from the homepage, then that's quite useful. I don't think I'm following what it's going to be used for though, can you explain it please?

[Muppet]

I'm not sure if I follow. What's the point of having the ability to logon to the forums if you're not on the forum?

If you mean the logon from the homepage, then that's quite useful. I don't think I'm following what it's going to be used for though, can you explain it please?

Yup. The new signup/seating/payment system will rely on knowing who exactly is signing up/choosing a seat/paying for an event. There would be 2 ways to do this, create a new user database (where people would have to signup again) or to interface with the already existing user database on the forums. I choose the latter, and for the site to know who is who, you would need to login for it to determine who you are before you are allowed to use any of the new features.

[Sideshow]

Don't forget the 'Order Pizza' button.

[Chesire Cat]

SHOUTBOX!

[Hex]

SHOUTBOX!

Shoutbox's are amusing, but we have a fully fledged forum...

[GingerPrinz]

It might work well as a flamebox?

[LastChanceHotel]

Label it 'flamebait'.

[GingerPrinz]

If the tournament section is gonna be a regularly used feature, there should really be a link from the frontpage no? Also it'd be cool if upcoming tourneys were displayed, either in the "upcoming events" section or perhaps it's own section.

[Muppet]

Yeah, it's something we're looking into just now - not a great priority, but this Tournament system i threw up in 5 mins is just really a test. Just to see if its worth using or investing/coding our own.

[Bluepixie]

Sounding good guys. Would also love to see the "Picture of the Day" make a return. :D

[Muppet]

Sounding good guys. Would also love to see the "Picture of the Day" make a return. :D

Sounds do-able.

[DAve]

Also, i wanted to make this a thread where people could post their (realistic) ideas of what they would like to see on the new Pause website.
something I've always wanted to see is a thing on the memberlist (or somewhere) for listing your gaming machine information (CPU, mem, HDD, gfx) or 3dmark scores.

I'd really like to know where my machine sits compared to the rest of pausegaming.

[Muppet]

something I've always wanted to see is a thing on the memberlist (or somewhere) for listing your gaming machine information (CPU, mem, HDD, gfx) or 3dmark scores.

I'd really like to know where my machine sits compared to the rest of pausegaming.

Theres something kinda similar (but based on SuperPI results) here (http://www.pausegaming.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341). But having a list of everyones rig would be quite cool. Should be pretty easy.. just create a form where people would fill in their details and it would save them to display on a page by itself.

[Hex]

A summary for the avatar box on each post would be neat as well. Just CPU, RAM, GFX for the Avatar display, full specs on a page someplace else, that'd be awesome :-) Then I could show off my brand new PC without even having to do anything ;-)

[Muppet]

A summary for the avatar box on each post would be neat as well. Just CPU, RAM, GFX for the Avatar display, full specs on a page someplace else, that'd be awesome :-) Then I could show off my brand new PC without even having to do anything ;-)

You mean on the forum? I don't think i would be touching anything to do with the forums :/

Might be able to integrate some kind of link between an icon on the avatar area of a post linking to the rig setup posted by the user on the other site though.

[Hex]

Can't you just add a few more text fields below the current ones like Real Name etc?

[Muppet]

Can't you just add a few more text fields below the current ones like Real Name etc?

Personally i think it would just clutter the avatar side of each post - what do other people think?

If there's enough interest, i'll look into doing it.

[Fyndir]

By the time you add the CPU, RAM and GPU that's an extra three lines.

It's pleasantly full at the moment, adding more would make it look too cluttered, I'm with Muppet on this.

[Sideshow]

I recon we could drop location and posts...

[GingerPrinz]

Full agreement with Sideshow and Hex. I could also care less about people's real names...

[Muppet]

Something like mine?

[Strings]

That looks hideous. Why do we have to change the outlook on the top face forum profile. Is there no way to do it within the information when you click to view the person's profile?

[Muppet]

That looks hideous. Why do we have to change the outlook on the top face forum profile. Is there no way to do it within the information when you click to view the person's profile?

We dont - personally i don't want to, just showing the guys who would like it, what it would look like. Plus i've disabled it on people's profiles for just now because this is just purely testing.

As an alternative i was working along the lines of (still not complete):

http://www.pausegaming.com/dev/rigs.php

But don't know if'll add it in the final verison.

[DAve]

As an alternative i was working along the lines of (still not complete):
http://www.pausegaming.com/dev/rigs.php
something like that is perfect.

I wouldn't mind seeing it in people's profiles either.
With a simple div/css hack you could hide it in the profiles for people that didn't want to see it. Oddballs ;)

[Hex]

I like the avatar idea, tbh if people don't wanna see it they could hide it with some cunning feature no doubt. The rigs page looks nice, but it doesn't seem to work for me - I added my rig twice but it won't show up :-?

[Muppet]

Should work now - left the query part commented out.

[Chesire Cat]

Should work now - left the query part commented out.

looks too cluttered now :( perhaps just keep it on the profile page?

[Muppet]

looks too cluttered now :( perhaps just keep it on the profile page?

We were referring to http://www.pausegaming.com/dev/rigs.php :p

But yeah, i'm about to allow users to add some simple pc specs to their profile - but not on the avatar side of posts... for just now at least.

[Chesire Cat]

oh right. looks alright then...jsut keep it off the avatar thing :)

[Muppet]

Anyone know if Pause has a transparent gif?

[Chesire Cat]

what the pause symbol?
don't think so...you could easily make one in photoshop if you want...just save in .png with the paw on a transparent layer.

[Muppet]

what the pause symbol?
don't think so...you could easily make one in photoshop if you want...just save in .png with the paw on a transparent layer.

Yeah, but cant be arsed installing it :p

[Chesire Cat]

haha! i can do one for you but you wouldn't get for liek another few hours. quicker tbh to install photoshop.

[Muppet]

haha! i can do one for you but you wouldn't get for liek another few hours. quicker tbh to install photoshop.

Would be great. Time isn't of any essence. Just need something to look at while i code parts of the site! Getting bored of text only.

[Chesire Cat]

how big do you want it?

[Muppet]

how big do you want it?

Just

http://www.pausegaming.com/forum/images/misc/pauselogo.jpg

that but transparent would be perfect.

[Chesire Cat]

how transparent? as in...the text? the paw? what?

[Muppet]

how transparent? as in...the text? the paw? what?

lol, the text and the paw have to remain - just the black background to be gone. However, the black inside the paw should remain please.

[Chesire Cat]

okies.

[CaNNoN_FoDDa]

Erm, think something is wrong here:

199

Think it's displaying the genre for the second-last forum posted in, in that category.

[Hex]

That's likely due to the fact that the EVE thread has somehow escaped being categorised, it should be filed under Other (though maybe something more specific like MMO would be appropriate). No doubt Stuart will have it sorted by the time I check this thread next ;)

[Muppet]

You are indeed right! Just can't find where to edit the thread specific properties :?

If an old thread is uncategorized (i like spell with z's) it fills the DB cell with 'NULL' . So somewhere in the script it forces a prefix onto the thread (seems to be Shooter - might be Other now) only on the forum index page - quite weird, but should be fixed simply.. if i can find the script changes.

As for now, i've sorted the EVE thread and added the MMO prefix. But it shouldn't happen again, unless someone rekindles an old thread :p

[Sid]

Got back from Greece yesterday and I've just skimmed over this thread and read a few points people have brought up.

DAve: That's a great idea in terms of the rigs. Stuart has already whipped something up that will be refined into the new site. Look out for a nice main-site members page with user info and photos and the option of adding rig-info etc. etc. etc. (not unlike the members page on the old GUNS site).

Also look out for the option of integrated "I need a lift" features in the event signup this year.

Sideshow: Do you actually want a mobile stylesheet? I'll try to do something like that if there's a genuine demand and I have time.

Hex: An online payment system is something that I'd like to have coded just incase. We're still unsure whether it'd be used for payment of the monthly LANs but I can see it being handy in the future for lots of things. It'll be coded but we'll need to wait and see whether it will be included for any actual purpose yet.

Keep the ideas coming guys. We all want to make the site as geared towards what you guys want. I'd be the first one to admit that the site I did last year lacked a lot in content, so this year I'm keen to get a lot of functionality and information in there.

[Sideshow]

Yeah, I'd be quite interested. I can do it myself, unless you want to.

[Hex]

Can you extend the textbox length for msn addresses in the user profiles? My address is too long, it doesn't fit. Also I've always thought it would be nice if the logo at the top of the forums brought you back to the actual homepage rather than the forum index, being as there is a link to the forum index just below it!

[Muppet]

MSN string length sorted.

[Sid]

Sideshow: Cool. A mobile style sheet seems like quite a good laugh. Once the HTML is finalized for the new site - I'll send you a copy. I'll try to get round to making a mobile style sheet myself but if you do it first, I'll stick it up. I also don't have a device to test it on, although I'm sure I could find an emulator.

Hex: lol shit, I meant to fix that textbox length thing a while ago. In regards to a link back to the homepage at the top of the forums - something like that will definitely feature in the new site/forums.

[Phizz]

Maybe we could split these ideas into a 'Suggestions for Stuart' thread. I'm sure he'd appreciate the input and possible coding help that such a thread would deliver and centralise.

[Sid]

Maybe we could split these ideas into a 'Suggestions for Stuart' thread. I'm sure he'd appreciate the input and possible coding help that such a thread would deliver and centralise.
Stuart set up this exact thread for that kind of input and to keep you all in the loop :p

[Strings]

Also I've always thought it would be nice if the logo at the top of the forums brought you back to the actual homepage rather than the forum index

Emm yeh, this is a great idea. I like checking the forums by repeatedly going back to the Homepage (queer but cant help it). So yes, please please make this lil change.

[Hex]

If an old thread is uncategorized (i like spell with z's) it fills the DB cell with 'NULL' . So somewhere in the script it forces a prefix onto the thread (seems to be Shooter - might be Other now) only on the forum index page - quite weird, but should be fixed simply.. if i can find the script changes.

As for now, i've sorted the EVE thread and added the MMO prefix. But it shouldn't happen again, unless someone rekindles an old thread :p

Happenned again with the Rock Band thread. Looks like it might be worth adding prefixes to a few pages of the old threads...

Btw, would it be possible to have a widescreen version of the forums/website? Currently you just get big black borders on the site, I dunno if this can be done with stylesheets or something maybe.

[Sideshow]

Black borders are As Designed. I tched when the new design first came online - allocating size by pixel in a style sheet is bad practice.

[Muppet]

Black borders are As Designed. I tched when the new design first came online - allocating size by pixel in a style sheet is bad practice.

I always use pixels lol.. I dont like using percentages with divs for some reason.

[Sid]

allocating size by pixel in a style sheet is bad practice.
Why? For better readability text should usually be in thin columns and this is hard to achieve if fixed width isn't used.

[Sideshow]

Your right, the text should be set a certain number of character wide. That's what em is for (is also why it's the best metric to use). You get to have your legible columns, while also supportng users with screens smaller and larger than the norm. As it is the pause site is terrible on anything less than 1024x768, and does not scale at all well to large resolutions coupled with large font sizes.

[Sid]

Yeah sorry, I do know you're right - ems is a better way of defining sizing but I find doing it that way takes more time when it often isn't a problem. The current pause site fits perfectly on 800x600 (I think) and nobody uses 640x480. I've never seen the site on a 1600x1200+ but I imagine the text is probably about the right size - just loads of background space. I'm not sure how my rounded corned images would work with ems though actually - there's probably a better way of doing that anyway, though.

I'll try to make the new Pause site using ems.

[Sideshow]

Yeah, that's the tricky bit - getting a site looking good while still being scalable. The site might look OK on 800 but the forums do not. Anyways, I think with our demographic it doesn't really matter - I doubt there are any pause members running below 1024, and when I'm running 1600x1050 I always have the window sized to 1024 anyway.

[Muppet]

Indeed. I run 1280x1024 but i never full screen browse. My browsers always at roughly 1024ishx700ish - forums and site seem alright to me - but then, i do use my own text font and size.

.em is probably the way to go for text-sizes - but still, i'd rather use fixed width for columns and stuff. I have no proper reason as to why, just always done it that way.

I guess a seperate stylesheet for ultra high-res could be made..

[GingerPrinz]

I've never seen the site on a 1600x1200+ but I imagine the text is probably about the right size

Yeah the text is the right size. Shame I'm blinda as a bat and have to wheel it to readable quality, but it is deffo displaying correctly.

[Hex]

The site isn't unreadable at high resolutions or anything, I fullscreen browse at 1680x1050 and I can read everything fine, just feel like stretching the width for widescreen res would lead to less time scrolling and would be nicer for high res images that ppl have posted. Just an idea, if it's gonna be hassle don't bother lol

[Sid]

Mark mentioned to me the idea of a dynamic games page for the new Pause site which is automatically generated on what most users vote for.

I was thinking this could be implemented through drop-down menus at the top of the games page where each user can set and adjust their 5 games of choice for LAN. (There would also be the option to add a new game to the drop down menu options).

Any comments?

[Sideshow]

Would need some way to type in a new game name. Autocompletion would help avoid differently spelled duplicates.

[Sid]

Would need some way to type in a new game name. Autocompletion would help avoid differently spelled duplicates.

(There would also be the option to add a new game to the drop down menu options).

:P

Good call on the Auto completion.

[GingerPrinz]

That sounds awesome Sid, good call Gor.

[Sideshow]

I'm trying out a new technique of posting a reply before reading. Seems to work for half the other members...

[Muppet]

I Arrr Testing Ispy (http://pausegaming.com/forum/vaispy.php)!

[DAve]

I'm trying out a new technique of posting a reply before reading. Seems to work for half the other members...
fuck me. I'm going to have to ignore another gamer. Damn. That's just myself, Sid, pixie and Yega I read now ;)

[Fyndir]

That's just myself, Sid, pixie and Yega I read now ;)

Your death will be both horrifying and slow. >=(

[Muppet]

Aim first, talk later ;)

[GingerPrinz]

Plus Yega has left the society, plus gor and mogwai talk a lot of sense, plus Ru and I make HILARIOUS posts when we've had a few...

[DAve]

Your death will be both horrifying and slow. >=(
The Troll has been Trolled. ;)

Oh, and for those that don't know - my non-serious posts always contain a sly winking smilie - ;)

[Bluepixie]

Having posted about a few new games using the gaming thread, just wanted to say I really like the new "game type field".

Just thinking, might be a good idea to also include "adventure" as well in that list.

And on the same subject, maybe add a new field for platform? Seeing as we are not dedicated to PC only, could be pretty handy. All the usual modern platforms, PC, 360, PS3+2, PSP etc Possibly older platforms too, but that could be a rather large list. Maybe just a "retro" option to cover them? Just a thought. :)

[Sid]

Adventure has been added. Are there any other major genre's I'm missing or do you think the ones we have cover it?

I'll have a look into adding a "format" type selector.

For those of you who are interested, the new thread prefixing system was a solution to try to avoid having a separate sub forum for every genre yet still allow separation and the option of filtering for specific genres.

[Bluepixie]

Adventure has been added.

Cheers! :) I think that covers all bases now. Adding puzzle, survival horror etc as well might get a bit too much.

[Hex]

As well as bold, italic, etc can we get strikethru tagging added to the forums? You can get a simple BBcode mod which enables it. Would be nice if you wish to go back and edit things out of posts (e.g. lists of stuff for sale, comments you have now withdrawn) without actually removing the text.

[LastChanceHotel]

$strikethroughs++

[Sideshow]

Random thought: web interface for the IRC channel?

[Strings]

That's actually a pretty good idea... means any new guys or whatever don't have to worry about configuring shit.

[Muppet]

yeah, i'll slap up CGI:IRC sometime.

[Hex]

Just noticed the clock for the forum (and hence I assume the server clock) is wrong. It's currently 18.33 but my profile page lists my last activity as 19.53 today.

[Sid]

The server clock is an hour and 20 minutes fast. It always seems to do this. I'll try to get Jan to sort it.

[Fyndir]

Were there any large explosions, possibly involving ball bearings and slow motion camera work, near the server recently?

[Muppet]

yeah, i'll slap up CGI:IRC sometime.

http://pausegaming.com/irc/irc.cgi

Dunno if Jans server host allow IRC connections, so my fault if his account gets terminated. But it can be easily styled to match the new pause site.

New site is not far from completion - transport system and payment system are the main things left. After exams and into start of September i'll start coding a tourney system and a bugtracker for randomness cause everything else out there is shite.

[Sideshow]

can we get a link to irc from the front page?

also: make it default teh username to your login name + random number?

[Muppet]

I'm scraping that IRC web client for something Craig showed me the other day. Just haven't got round to doing anything with it yet.

[Sideshow]

scraping or scrapping?

[Muppet]

how about removing :p

[Sideshow]

Mostly for Sid:

Had a look at the new site at work, and on a proper monitor it looks better. I messed around a bit and I do prefer
#container { background-color: #000;}
#login {background-color: #333;}

also tried changing #mainevent hx {background-color: #fff; color: #000;} but I think that makes it stand out too much. Maybe black on red?

[Sid]

Hey Iain, cheers for looking at that. I'm not sure about those colours, though. I agree that I don't think the ones I have are perfect, but I found that changing the #container BG to black added a bit too much contrast and wasn't quite as visually appealing - it did, I admit, make the main boxes stand out more, though. I'm not sure.

[Sideshow]

I tried #111; too, but I couldn't really tell the difference between it and black...