Will you guys ever update phpBB?

[The Reformed American Republic]

It is no secret that you guys are using a very outdated piece of phpBB software from around 2009 and I'm just curious if you guys ever plan to update it. phpBB4 is in the works already and there are several bugs that you have (such as with global announcements, lack of mobile support, etc.) that has been fixed in later phpBB3 versions. I'm not trying to be pushy, I'm just curious, as I'm aware that integrating it with the game isn't easy. I know this has probably been asked before but I cannot find what I'm looking for with the search system.

[Gandoor]

It's been said by the NS staff, as recently as 2018, that they know that they'll have to upgrade the forums at some point, but it's not anything they're in a rush to do because it would literally require weeks of downtime for the forums to make sure that everything works the same in the new version as it does in the utter hodgepodge that the current version of phpBB is with all the hacks and modifications they've done to it.

[[violet]]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

Unfortunately phpBB 3.2 makes some critical changes to its plug-in architecture that means we can't upgrade without losing essential functionality.

I cannot find what I'm looking for with the search system.

Search isn't actually part of phpBB; it's provided by a separate service. What is your search issue?

[Ghost Land]

I know I'm not a mod or admin, but let me just say that the software on this forum is the easiest to navigate and most aesthetically pleasing software I've used, and I've posted on phpBB, VBulletin, and SMF forums. The fact that this has been tweaked so much to integrate with the game itself is even more impressive. Plus, this current forum has sufficed for over 10 years now and there don't seem to be any imminent problems; I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Jar Wattinree]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

I look forward to when this happens.

[Gandoor]

I know I'm not a mod or admin, but let me just say that the software on this forum is the easiest to navigate and most aesthetically pleasing software I've used, and I've posted on phpBB, VBulletin, and SMF forums. The fact that this has been tweaked so much to integrate with the game itself is even more impressive. Plus, this current forum has sufficed for over 10 years now and there don't seem to be any imminent problems; I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

[Ghost Land]

I know I'm not a mod or admin, but let me just say that the software on this forum is the easiest to navigate and most aesthetically pleasing software I've used, and I've posted on phpBB, VBulletin, and SMF forums. The fact that this has been tweaked so much to integrate with the game itself is even more impressive. Plus, this current forum has sufficed for over 10 years now and there don't seem to be any imminent problems; I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

That's a good point; I wouldn't have known considering I always access NationStates from my computer. I also thought you had me on ignore.

[Gandoor]

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

That's a good point; I wouldn't have known considering I always access NationStates from my computer. I also thought you had me on ignore.

I got over that a good few weeks ago, but that's irrelevant to the topic of the thread here.

[[violet]]

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

And no Like buttons! We used to be all, "Hey, we're not Facebook," but it's a pretty big omission nowadays.

[Nevertopia]

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

And no Like buttons! We used to be all, "Hey, we're not Facebook," but it's a pretty big omission nowadays.

thank you for your sacrifice.

[Comfed]

I'd say the fact that there's no goddamn mobile version of the forums is a pretty big problem tbh.

Are the forums useable on mobile devices? Yeah, but useable doesn't mean 'it's a good experience', ya dig?

And no Like buttons! We used to be all, "Hey, we're not Facebook," but it's a pretty big omission nowadays.

To be honest, I think that’s a good thing. We aren’t Facebook. (We also have a readable TOS and Privacy Policy)

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

Could you give some details about what this could look like? I like the current forums.

[The New California Republic]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

So the forumside/gameside wall will disappear?

I'm scared.

[Merni]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

So the forumside/gameside wall will disappear?

I'm scared.

I would guess it's more that the interface itself would look the same and the formatting tags would be unified (and maybe you could quote RMB posts in the forums and vice versa), not that the distinction in content would disappear.

[The New California Republic]

So the forumside/gameside wall will disappear?

I'm scared.

I would guess it's more that the interface itself would look the same and the formatting tags would be unified (and maybe you could quote RMB posts in the forums and vice versa), not that the distinction in content would disappear.

Yeah it was more of a joke than anything else, as having better integration of both sides would be helpful in some situations. I'm guessing even for Moderation purposes it'd be easier, as it'd mean that the Mods would be able to have a single unified toolkit. It'd also make reporting problems and issues a lot easier, as currently folk still mistakenly report gameside issues on the Moderation subforum, and I'm betting the same happens vice versa as well, with GHRs filed for forumside issues.

[The Reformed American Republic]

Search isn't actually part of phpBB; it's provided by a separate service. What is your search issue?

I thought this question was asked before and I just couldn't find it. It's not really a problem with the search system, and I probably just didn't type in the right keywords. Thanks, but I don't think there is a technical problem with the search system, and my apologies if my post implied that there was.

[Lord Dominator]

I rather like the lack of like buttons, makes the place feel more dignified or something (also, I compulsively like everything).

[The Reformed American Republic]

I know I'm not a mod or admin, but let me just say that the software on this forum is the easiest to navigate and most aesthetically pleasing software I've used, and I've posted on phpBB, VBulletin, and SMF forums. The fact that this has been tweaked so much to integrate with the game itself is even more impressive. Plus, this current forum has sufficed for over 10 years now and there don't seem to be any imminent problems; I'm a firm believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

More modern versions of phpBB look better, but that's just my personal opinion. In the next few years, we'll see what [Violet]'s new software will bring.

[Jar Wattinree]

I also wouldn't want Like buttons on forums. For the RMB, it's fine, it's supposed to be a more intimate chat whereas the forums are more public.

[Gandoor]

TBH, I use several forums that have like buttons and I've no problem with them. It serves as a better alternative than a bunch of people quoting a post and going like 'OMG!' or 'This!' or whatever.

(Also I kind of hope that the eventual forum upgrade has more advanced ignoring features, I think it'd be cool if you could just ignore certain people's signatures rather than their entire account because some sigs are really obnoxious [while not rule breaking] and I hate that my only options are ignoring the entire user or disabling sigs entirely)

[Smith jones]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

Unfortunately phpBB 3.2 makes some critical changes to its plug-in architecture that means we can't upgrade without losing essential functionality.

I cannot find what I'm looking for with the search system.

Search isn't actually part of phpBB; it's provided by a separate service. What is your search issue?

Hmm, that sounds interesting. But if there was someone under the age of thirteen would they be allowed into it

[The New California Republic]

We have a home-grown replacement that unifies forums and RMBs, but I'm sure it will be a blood-curdling migration, so I'm putting it off as long as I can.

Unfortunately phpBB 3.2 makes some critical changes to its plug-in architecture that means we can't upgrade without losing essential functionality.


Search isn't actually part of phpBB; it's provided by a separate service. What is your search issue?

Hmm, that sounds interesting. But if there was someone under the age of thirteen would they be allowed into it

...what?

[Gandoor]

Hmm, that sounds interesting. But if there was someone under the age of thirteen would they be allowed into it

...what?

[violet] says they have a replacement that will unify the forums and RMBs, so they're asking if this will have any change on the current rules that gameside side (including RMBs) are considered OK for anyone under 13 but the forums are specifically 13 and older only.

[The New California Republic]

...what?

[violet] says they have a replacement that will unify the forums and RMBs, so they're asking if this will have any change on the current rules that gameside side (including RMBs) are considered OK for anyone under 13 but the forums are specifically 13 and older only.

It wasn't clear from what Smith jones said. Well one would assume that in any merger into a single forum that there would be a subforum for gameside matters like RMBs, and a subforum for what is currently covered by the forums, with the former being OK for <13, and the latter for >13. Oh, and a third subforum for technical/moderation matters that would be OK for anyone to use.

[Unibot III]

Like buttons on forums tend to enable players to pile onto "clapbacks," so the conversations just spiral into baiting & hostility. They're fine for lighter conversations like RMBs, but I could see it exacerbating combative threads.

[The New California Republic]

Like buttons on forums tend to enable players to pile onto "clapbacks," so the conversations just spiral into baiting & hostility. They're fine for lighter conversations like RMBs, but I could see it exacerbating combative threads.

Another similar issue would be if someone "liked" a trollpost or flamepost. It'd likely be construed as agreeing with it, and agreeing with trolling etc under the current rules results in a warning. Of course it assumes that the Mods would be able to see who had "liked" a post.