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New HBGames: Update Log

New: Resources Manager

The resources manager is for graphical and (eventually) audio resources for use in your games. It's still under development but most of the functionality is now there.

For testing I have trawled the web for all of my old resources and added whatever I could find.


You have the ability to rate, download, and share resources, and to add a license when uploading. Typing the letters of an RPG Maker engine in the RPG Maker verison box automatically adds a disclaimer about that engine's RTP if you are using edits and frankensprites.

New: Forum Rejig

I have removed a LOT of redundant forums, and moved others around, providing a very small Forum space once the Temporary boards are removed. This creates a cozy space where you always know where to go.

New: Footer Images

Because the forums are so small I have made content continue as you scroll downwards, so you will see graphical banners for new games and resources and such.

Sortof New: Games Pages

Games Pages have been recreated in amazing glory!


You can add your own games and download other peoples'. You can add ratings and reviews, view their discussion threads, view games by the same author, view previous versions if applicable, etc.

You can also "watch" games for updates, particularly for early access games.

Sortof New: The New Forums

Obviously the new forums are new. I have migrated us to Xenforo, with all mod cons.


New functionality includes better embedding - paste a Youtube or Imgur link and it will automatically format it for you - and a WYSIWYG editor.

Importantly Xenforo is very modular and functions more like a CMS so it's very powerful for a site like HBGames. We can do a lot with it.
 
Development and Discussion Threads

When you post a game to the games manager, released or not, it will automatically create a thread in the appropriate forum for discussion of it. If your game already had a thread, you can let me know and I will tag that instead.

You can now post "updates" to your games. This automatically adds a post in the respective thread, while also logging it to your Game Page in its Updates section. As an example:


I am still trying to decide how this is shown to the user. At the minute, to keep legacy content visible, it looks like so:

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BBCode Replacements

I have replaced all bbcode from the old forum system. Some have been curtailed, turned inactive, or hidden from view depending on whether they were still relevant to the system. For example background changes have been disabled because of the new stylesheets (and I'm not sure whether to enable that). But the code is there, so as not to break posts, for legacy content.

Please let me know of any broken bbcode around the site now, as it should all be fixed.
 
Transfering Games

I have begun transfering games from the old Completed Games forum to the new games manager. I am assuming permission because this system just replaces the old system, it's just automated rather than generated by the forum and addons. Should you wish your game removed you still have complete access to do so.

I have begun to populate the games pages, here is my progress: http://www.arpgmaker.com/index.php?resources/categories/completed-games.13/
 
Videos

There is now a section of the site specifically for your own YouTube videos, be they gaming or game-making related, and these now generate discussion threads so you can rate, review or discuss any videos posted.
 
Videos is now Videos and Podcasts, to better accomodate the work of BennyCash and Fayte, and others.

The download managers now have a grid layout with larger images and better lain out information.
 
Added a link to latest reviews to the games tab.

Added link to latest post to thread listing, and a link inside threads to take you to the latest post.

Tweaked a few "phrases" about the place.

Deleted twelve forums; if you can't tell what they are then my point is made! No content lost, just moved.

Cleaned up the "forums" menu tab.
 
eZines Manager

I am in the process of adding all of the eZine issues to the content management system - the reason being that this will allow discussion of the issues, ratings, reviews, and reactions, while providing a structured download environment.

Currently 17 issues in.


Please, feel free to "discuss" any of the issues, in fact I encourage it. Taking any feedback whatsoever.
 
eZines

All 26 issues of hbgames the ezine, and seven of Advanced RPG Maker, have now been added to the system, so you can review, rate, discuss and react to your heart's content. And please do - some of the issues are shockingly bad but there are also some real gems in there. They stretch all the way back to 2005 at RMXP.net with Lene and the guys' issues.

Homepage Improvements

Now that the homepage only has six top level forums, I have added other content about the place to still keep it interesting, as more than just the forum directory. So you'll see top rated games at the bottom, banner links to parts of the site, new videos, new games and new resources, for example. This isn't finished though and there is a lot of theming to do now.
 
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Restructuring the Forums

Now that this new home is feeling permanent, I have removed the Temporary category and relegated it's boards to other sections of the site.

We are now left with then the six top level forums we'll be continuing with.

I will be messing around with menu bars and sidebars to keep all content accessible. A lot of discussion has become subsections of the game manager, or the resources manager, so you can see why we don't need so many top level forums.

I appreciate your feedback however!

Forum Games are now under General Discussion, and the test forum still exists for now, under News and Announcements.
 
Featured Content

I have temporarily taken down the top banner links, in favour of something new that I'm just waiting for access to. The new system will be so simple that literally as a staff member you will be able to click a big "feature" button on any thread, resource, video or game, and it will automatically draw images from the content and add it to the slider.

I may, then, set up some members as "content choosers", if that makes sense. You don't need to Moderate anything but will be able to choose content for the slider. Not sure on that idea yet.
 
Featured Content

The slider now sorts things the opposite way around, so that the newest featured post goes first. Means I can keep adding stuff and it will just truncate it off end end, and then all past featured posts are viewable on an external page that I'll link somewhere in a blog format.
 
Support Tweaks

Made it so that the board automatically applies a prefix to resolved support/request topics to make them easier to see on the board listing.

Also, damn, just look how good we've been the past few years:

 
Tags and the Tag Cloud

A new way of navigating the forums is to use the new tag cloud, found below the forum listings.

You can tag any content and it will end up on the cloud. The cloud is a representation of the most used tags on the site. It's a way of, for example, viewing only Horror Games, viewing RPG Maker MV content, etc.

It does however, require users to use tags effectively on their content.

Tag Everything!

Let's have a play around. To add a tag either make a thread, or, add it to an existing bit of content using this button:

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Security

Site is now under HTTPS (yes, I know, about time).

Search

See thread.

Minor Tweaks

Changed some colours here and there such as making profile pages more readible.

Screenshots Gallery?

This is something I am trying to set up; I'm seeking advice from Xenforo on how to draw them from the resource manager as for some reason XFMG isn't set up for that.
 
Minor updoots.

  • Changed links on the eZines so that they track downloads properly
  • Added discussion threads for all eZines so you can talk about them and offer feedback/suggestions
  • Fixed the HTTPS setup to remove some incorrect security warnings (www set up improperly)
  • Used htaccess to force HTTPS usage
  • Proxied images when posted without HTTPS to avoid unnecessary security breaches
 
HTTPS Fixed

Security certificates have now been set up correctly. There was never an actual security issue, it was just that the certs were set up wrong. All should be working now meaning you can access us via www.arpgmaker.com or just arpgmaker.com.

Web Friendly URLs

We now have readable, SEO friendly urls on the forum. As an example:

Before: http://www.arpgmaker.com/threads/80403
After: https://www.arpgmaker.com/resources/inner-sanctum.10/

Much better and much more readable, I'm sure you'll agree.
 
Homepage Changes

I have shifted things around, fixed some bugs, and generally made it a more graphical experience, thanks to things such as the new screenshots manager.

  • Fixed a bug with the width of the forum due to the screenshots widget; everything is contained now
  • Relegated the tag cloud to the bottom of the page as it is useful but not very good to look at
  • Added a sidebar widget for a random screenshot pulled from the manager
  • Added a forum base widget for random inspirational pics, from the media gallery
  • Remade the statistics box to be the same size, but with larger, bolder fonts, utilising Fjalla One, which is definitely my favourite font... Use it any time you would have used Impact to have more... Impact.
  • Newest Games cut down to just four as they do not get posted enough to need more than that
We do have some new space now for me to play around with. I welcome your thoughts.
 

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