BU hosted forums (?)

Post by **R.Flagg** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:54 pm

IMO, it's past time for Chaos to move to more current forum software, and the most obvious and 'do-able' choice seems to be BU hosted forums.

No offence to our current host intended, quite the opposite actually. Many thanks are in order for hosting them for so long.

However, these forums we use now simply do not offer some features that are pretty standard these days, features I use all the time on pretty much every other forum I frequent. (most notably: an 'ignore' list, and an option not to view avatars and sig images, etc)

Naturally this would have no effect on the mod itself whatsoever.

I'm actually less of a fan of BU than I used to be, for various reasons, but this mod is currently hosted there, and they do in fact offer more up-to-date forum software.

(as an aside, we could also use the move as a chance/inspiration to simplify. I realize that not everyone sees all - some sections are 'hidden' dev sections - but we have approx 25 various sections on these forums, and could probably get by with approx 3 sections)

Comments? Would anybody really care? Shouldn't affect anything, you would simply need to update your bookmark (if you use one).

TKATK · Post by **TKATK** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:38 pm

i for one kinda like this forum

serves its purpose well and isnt too cluttered

Mick · Post by **Mick** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:56 pm

Wouldn't really affect me, as you say it'd just be a change of bookmark.

Post by **Tim** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 12:34 pm

As long as it doesn't get too stuffed up. I like the current theme (even though it aint too chaotic...)

And as long as data remains the same (topics, forums) and there would be no another registration.

Iceboy · Post by **Iceboy** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 2:34 pm

Wouldn't mind it at all.

I'm a regular BuF'er and there's a bunch of other good mods there with forums, so I would be all for having everything in one place.

But that's just me, it's really up to the mod team to decide where to go.

MassChAoS · Post by **MassChAoS** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:51 pm

Moving would be re-reg for those who are not already members and loss of current topics (but really this could be left read-only as an archive).

A minor issue is that the CDM forum would not exist any more. Its not really used, so it might as well not exist if we move. BU is a unreal-engine only site.

Moving is just a matter of saying "Please" to the nice BU admins.

Romulus777 · Post by **Romulus777** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:00 pm

I'd be happy to sign up to BU

jeditobe1 · Post by **jeditobe1** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:52 am

One thing about this forums that ill toss out is that maybe there is a phpbb update out there for some of the features desired.

My main gripe with the BU forums or other forums of that nature is that you go from having a "come here for a place devoted to chaos" forum to just a "one mod of many" forum. To be truthful, i saw the forums down at the bottom of the BU forum list, but unless i had a specific reason to go there, i never went into any of them.

LoQtUS · Post by **LoQtUS** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:09 am

IMO that would make no sence at all. We have a perfectly good forum that we are using now, and as long as the current provider has no problem hosting it for us why not stay where we are at.

I really dont think that we are here to ignore people. Keep in mind, this is just my openion.

jb · Post by jb » Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:44 pm

I dont think there is any reason to move. Not matter where we go you can not make everyone happy....and since this forum works, no sense changing..

Post by **R.Flagg** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 5:07 pm

Ok, but by that logic, there's not much reason to ever do improvements/upgrades anywhere at anytime. Because they wouldn't please everyone. So while it's true, that you can never please everyone, that's not really a reason to stand in the way of progress.

Software programs are updated all the time, and most folks accept that. Chat programs, games, browsers..., it's pretty standard. And that's all we're talking about. Forum software in general has seen many improvements since these were put in place.

And I think it's safe to say that those who think that these forums work just fine, will also feel the other ones work just fine. So no harm there. Those folks would still be able to use the forums in the same old way they do today, nothing would be lost.

However, many other forum users like to see more advanced features than these old forums offer. (after all, that's why all those other features exist on most other forums nowadays)

So anyway, just to continue the discussion, it seems to me that by moving to newer software, we can make more people happy than by staying. Folks who don't want to use more advanced features still wouldn't have to use them, but those who do want more advanced features would have them available.

Still sounds like a winning proposition to me.

jb · Post by jb » Sun Oct 09, 2005 5:32 pm

R.Flagg wrote:So while it's true, that you can never please everyone, that's not really a reason to stand in the way of progress.

Thats true and I never said we should not update the forums, just that we should not move them.

And I think it's safe to say that those who think that these forums work just fine, will also feel the other ones work just fine. So no harm there. Those folks would still be able to use the forums in the same old way they do today, nothing would be lost.

Its not a question about weather or not we could use them or not. Its a bigger question of why to move them? Jedi's right as we get lost in the suffle of all the other mods here..we would not be unquie.

So anyway, just to continue the discussion, it seems to me that by moving to newer software, we can make more people happy than by staying.

More people happy? I am not seeing that at all. I see you and a few others. I am also see me and a few others that don't want to move.

Moves based on making a few people happy are wrong..espsically something as our forum as thats been the heart/soul of chaos for a long time. These forums is the ideas are communicated, we talk about work, talk to the fans, ect. These things should be discussed amongs the team first, then perhaps brought up for public discusion...

Post by **R.Flagg** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 6:08 pm

Jb wrote:Jedi's right as we get lost in the suffle of all the other mods here..we would not be unquie.

Just to clear up this misconception, here is a link to the JB forums, as an example:

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/forumdis ... orumid=379

Notice that it is a direct link to JB forums, there is no "getting lost in the shuffle".

That is the type of link you would get on the Chaos web site, and the type of link you could put in your favorites/bookmarks. Pretty much the same as we have right now. Your link/bookmark would point you directly to the Chaos forums, and not to some huge list.

Its not a question about weather or not we could use them or not. Its a bigger question of why to move them?

As I mentioned, it's because more current software, with more bells and whistles, is and has been available for some time now. The same reason we all update our copy of UT2004, our browsers, our chat progams..., etc.

More people happy? I am not seeing that at all. I see you and a few others. I am also see me and a few others that don't want to move.

Moves based on making a few people happy are wrong..

Well, as I like to remind us from time to time, those who post on these (or any mod/game) forums do not represent all of the fans. It is incorrect to assume that the opinions posted on forums are the only opinions out there. I contend for example, that we have Far more players, than we do have forum posters, and always have. Same deal with other mods, and games like UT200x.

I think a better way to analyze the point you wish to make, is to perhaps compare various game and mod sites, and see what types of forum software is the most popular. That would probably give a much more accurate picture than one thread here.

... espsically something as our forum as thats been the heart/soul of chaos for a long time. These forums is the ideas are communicated, we talk about work, talk to the fans, ect

And that would not change.

genman · Post by **genman** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:06 pm

quote="R.Flagg"]Just to clear up this misconception, here is a link to the JB forums, as an example:

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/forumdis ... orumid=379

Well, as I like to remind us from time to time, those who post on these (or any mod/game) forums do not represent all of the fans. It is incorrect to assume that the opinions posted on forums are the only opinions out there. I contend for example, that we have Far more players, than we do have forum posters, and always have. Same deal with other mods, and games like UT200x.

Actually the direct link to the BU forums is this http://forums.beyondunreal.com/index.php

I believe this is what Jedi and jb were talking about, note the community section.

As for the (more player than forum posters) goes I'll debate you on that one, I'm on the Official Chaos Server every night and rarely do I see anyone join in. Now if you’re saying more peeps are playing the mod off line then you may be correct, I sure hope thats not the case.

Romulus777 · Post by **Romulus777** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:58 pm

or we could keep this fourm AND move to BU