FOSS gamedev and creative worlds

Posted: **Thu Mar 13, 2014 19:40**

After using PunBB as our forum software for a while we have found it lacking in some needed features. Therefore, we are exploring other forum software. One of them that we are considering is phpBB.
We have set up a test forum at [url]phpbb.minetest.net[/url]. This has all users and topics transferred, although the transfer is a bit old now.

If all goes well, we plan to switch to phpBB soon.
If you have a question about the switch, or find a serious issue with switching to phpBB; then please mention in in a reply.

Note: Please don't complain that you don't like the template/style/theme. A Minetest themed one is in progress. (Here's a mockup)

Posted: **Thu Mar 13, 2014 20:23**

I think this was a wise move.

Posted: **Thu Mar 13, 2014 20:25**

These are the things I don't like:
- I don't like the general look of the threads and the posts. Everything seems too close together and there is not a very clear division between the posts. The posters info is on the right rather than the left which i am not too ken on. Hope this can be changed with the new theme.
- No spoilers.
- There is no visual editor for BBcode. I rather like the graphical buttons when making a post and don't like the text based ones.
- Also the images are not scaled down. It takes ages for this page to load with all the massive images which are not scaled down or anything.

Other than that I think it is alright. Just update the theme and install a few modifications such as spoiler to make it better.

Posted: **Thu Mar 13, 2014 20:55**

CraigyDavi wrote:These are the things I don't like: [...] Other than that I think it is alright. Just update the theme and install a few modifications such as spoiler to make it better.

Most of these issues are style issues, which the new theme should fix.
There actually are spoilers. They aren't as pretty as the ones on the current forum, but the HTML replacement is configurable in the administration panel, so that can be easily fixed. (Example)
The post editor has text buttons rather than image buttons, but it's easier to understand "quote=" than an icon, IMO. And this can be probably be changed by a style anyway.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 00:15**

Both the software and the mock up look very good. Can't wait for the official shift =D

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 00:29**

I miss the narrower threads, tbh. Maybe I'm just not to fullwidth forums, but I definitely prefer tall & narrow.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 01:37**

phpBB is pretty awesome. I like it.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 03:44**

ak399g wrote:I miss the narrower threads, tbh. Maybe I'm just not to fullwidth forums, but I definitely prefer tall & narrow.

The Minetest themed style has the narrow threads, like the current style. :-)
I like it like it is now. Not full width, but not very thin either.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 05:10**

Agreed, many other forums i use are phpBB so all for the change. Atleast simple features like uploading files ect will make life easier rather then using file sharing sites as the 'middle' man.

Sometimes i cant even be bothered uploading content to file share then links on the current site. With phpBB you can just attach the files directly from your PC and add to the post.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 06:01**

I've been using phpBB for 6 years (as a user, not as administrator) and it never let me down.
The mockup is good to, but lack cubic-style background... or may be a render of MT landscape will do... or maybe having background with caves in a "vertical cut"...
I like the one e have atm too.

Also new themes should be highlighted like they're now. Only "icon indication" is a bad Idea.

As for file uploading: please, be sure to increase the maximum size of attachments and let users upload different kind of archives. Mods are usually @ git, true, but there are cases when attaching a tar.gz of 8 Mb in size is a better option.

Also some rules regarding multiaccount and such would be nice, 'cause right now that's neither prohibited nor permitted.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 07:19**

what about to the links to other forum threads (for example a mod thread with a link of a depend mod)

so you have do redirect to the thread with the new forum software (?)

what happens if the mod has a new release (editing the first post > a newer version of this mod)
does this redirect to the new release on the new forum?

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:13**

rubberduck wrote:what about to the links to other forum threads (for example a mod thread with a link of a depend mod)
so you have do redirect to the thread with the new forum software (?)

We'll either set up redirects or we will make sure the links stay the same

rubberduck wrote:what happens if the mod has a new release (editing the first post > a newer version of this mod)
does this redirect to the new release on the new forum?

??????

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:31**

IF this style (with the dirt-background) gets transferred to phpBB, also all user data, posts, without any fail,
then I would accept the change.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 21:13**

Looks okay. It might be a bit hard to change for myself personally, but it's for the best if we go ahead with it.

Posted: **Fri Mar 14, 2014 23:52**

phpBB is an older forum software (e.g. it's in it's teens by now). Most of the spammer robots already have figured out how to register and post. You're going to get alot of spammers and some hackings. I'd prefer you kept what you got. No sense changing things if it's working for you.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2014 00:02**

I feel this is a good choice. I believe some will have a hard time adjusting to due to the design, but once you guys can duplicate the look from his forum to the next, I think the transition will be much easier.

Also, if possible, allow the use the option to set the user info on either left or right.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2014 02:39**

ShadowNinja wrote:After using PunBB as our forum software for a while we have found it lacking in some needed features.

I am not sure what the security situation of phpBB is at the moment. I would choose fluxbb because it is simpler and has some nice fixes for problems that phpBB has (redirects etc).

But fluxbb tries be be small and simple, so you would need mods and plugins to extend the funcitonality like you need now with punBB.

To bad that Discourse or fluxbb 2.0 aren't stable at the moment.

I think a feature rich forum software that it stable and modern would be Vanilla. Isn't as modern as Discourse, but easier to host, maintain and has great documentation.

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2014 23:38**

Neon wrote:phpBB is an older forum software (e.g. it's in it's teens by now). Most of the spammer robots already have figured out how to register and post. You're going to get alot of spammers and some hackings.

PunBB is quite old too. We have had our share of spambots on PunBB. We can block these spambots with several methods, such as requiring E-Mail verification and advanced CAPTCHAs. And we can, of course, ban any that get through.

lightonflux wrote:I am not sure what the security situation of phpBB is at the moment. I would choose fluxbb because it is simpler and has some nice fixes for problems that phpBB has (redirects etc).

We have considered FluxBB, however we deemed it unacceptable.
As for phpBB security, phpBB has some security improvements over PunBB, such as stronger salted and hashed passwords. (FluxBB, by the way, doesn't seem to salt passwords at all)
The phpBB project also lists some security features at their features page.

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2014 02:16**

What about SMF?

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:45**

Enke wrote:What about SMF?

NO.

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2014 13:33**

Interesting, but what about the theme? Will it stay like this or will the current one be ported?

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2014 16:47**

webdesigner97 wrote:Interesting, but what about the theme? Will it stay like this or will the current one be ported?

ShadowNinja wrote:Please don't complain that you don't like the template/style/theme. A Minetest themed one is in progress. (Here's a mockup)

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2014 13:52**

I recommend looking at Mybb. I think it tends to be a bit more modern in style than phpbb (and by a bit, I mean by a bit. It's still outdated for what a social network usually offers today).

If you wanted super modern there is discourse, esotalk, and nodebb. I believe only esotalk on this list is written in php though.

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2014 15:42**

The Mockup looks great! Will everything be transferred over there?

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2014 16:00**

Evergreen wrote:The Mockup looks great! Will everything be transferred over there?

Yes

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2014 21:09**

hoodedice wrote:
Enke wrote:What about SMF?

NO.

actually it works well on another forum which is around the same size as this one, it has smileys and more features than phpbb imo

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2014 21:24**

The minetest-classic forum uses FluxBB. It works well and I like it better than PunBB.

Posted: **Wed Mar 26, 2014 15:37**

What about the ability to add tables . Forum posts will look better, I think.
It also, for example, will allow to keep information of mod on left side and the Mod`s logo on the right.

Another simple, but very usefull ability is a align. Why there is no such simple feature?

Is there an ability to do this?(in this forum or in new)

Posted: **Wed Mar 26, 2014 17:17**

No! It looks disgusting, hard to read, crappy beveling everywhere. The forums are good as they are.

Posted: **Wed Mar 26, 2014 17:40**

markveidemanis wrote:No! It looks disgusting, hard to read, crappy beveling everywhere. The forums are good as they are.

Yep it is quite hard to read at the moment. Hope it gets fixed with the new theme.

ShadowNinja wrote:After using PunBB as our forum software for a while we have found it lacking in some needed features.

Just wanted to ask...what features are lacking in PunBB, which phpBB has?

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