Forum Restructure

Stealing @Roary's idea here, as he hasn't posted it yet, and I'm interested to see what the community input is.

This is the idea.

Spoiler: Current Structure

Community
Runescape Markets
Other Game Markets
Other Markets
Market Tools
Runescape
Other Games Discussion
Off Topic
Guides & Support Center
Security Program Center
Graphics
Anti-Scam
Archives

The proposed restructure would look something along the lines of this

Spoiler: Proposed Structure

Community
-News
-Comm Gen
-Donor Lounge
-Suggestions
(ETC)
Runescape
-Runescape Discussion
--RS3
--RS 07
--RS Misc
(etc)
-Runescape Markets
--Runescape Gold
--Runescape Items/Names
--Runescape 3 Accounts
--Runescape 07 accounts
(etc)
League of Legends
-League Discussion
-League Market
Counter-Strike Global Offensive
-CS Discussion
-CS Market
(etc etc etc)

The structures within the spoilers are just quick write-ups, to get a feel for the idea. From here, games/forums can be moved up/down the ladder as popularity dictates, and/or removed/added as seen fit.

Any input or feedback on this idea would be greatly appreciated, and I'm sure when Roary has the time, he'll end up either castrating me for stealing his thunder, and/or submitting his own proposal/spin on it.

I feel this ultimately could end up cleaning up and organizing the index view quite a bit, while at the same time equally spreading the light among the varying games/sections.

Thoughts?

 

I don't mind this, but perhaps keep markets on top of discussions.

Rs Market -blah blah blah,
Rs Discussions - Blah Blah Blah

Entrepreneur Forum in Off Topic / Off Topic Cleanup
a bit more input on the offtopic section ^

 

Wouldn't this increase pageload times? and extend the forum homepage by at least double/triple its length? not sure i'd like it.

 

I like the idea looks good support

 

looks good, Support

 

Sounds like shit tbh. Why completely change a good thing that everyone has gotten used to? Xenforo was a reach as is and worked out well, but this is changing locations of everything on the homepage, i'd rather die.

 

R.I.P. Gun Is God - 2016


I believe the restructure would be an excellent way of improving the website's quality. The next thing you guys need to come up with is alternate color themes!

 

http://i.imgur.com/FgzPfMs.jpg

It'll look like this, bad bad bad

 

We're not adding any more forums, just rearranging what we already have.

Currently our sections are ordered by market & discussion, I propose they are caregorised instead by game.

What we have is like

Runescape market
- x
- y
-z
Other games market
- league
-overwatch
- Pokemon
- etc
Other markets
- x
- y
- z
Market tools
Runescape discussion
- x
- y
- z
Other games discussion
- x
- y
- z

Instead we'd have

Market tools
Runescape
- discussion
- market 1
- market 2
- etc

League of legends
- discussion
- market 1
- market 2
- etc


This

• Makes it easier naviggated by new members. They find their game they're interested in, everything is there.
• We can then have a better sectional mod system like runescape mod, league mod, pokemon mod. Like wtf is "other games mod".
• We can shift game sections up and down the homepage depending on popularity as we please

In all, it brings a lot of advantages. And yea, @n4n0 you're a noob

 

Markets should always be above the discussion forums. We emphasize the black market and that's what the average user is looking for.

 

Not a fan of moving the market forum below the discussion section. Vast majority of users use the market, keep it towards the top

 

It will all be better/fully explained when I've drawn up the proposal fully

 

I'm not a huge fan, likely because I didn't think of it but I guess it wouldn't be bad.

I think this would be a larger change than our last market redesign but it could work.

What is the scope of this? We haven't really tried combining the market and aspects of the community before that I recall.

 

@n4n0 I'd like to suggest a "slight" modification to the OP and I suggest we put the graphics section and marketplace above the following:

Guides & Support Center
Security Program Center


Reasoning is it should help the graphics market and discussion a bit, and graphics has far more appeal to a more diverse base then the security center does and the guides & support center does.

Thoughts?


Also: Market should always be kept above discussions in my opinion aswell.

 

After querying @Roary on his proposals, I'd like more info on what is happening with the community section.


Also s/o to the Scottsman having all the brains up in SL

 

Our discussion sections are literally one subsection within each game section, they don't hide or detract from the market sections whatsoever. Whereas hiding the discussion under the market sections does detract from discussion, and discussion is what gets us Google hits, not bump, bump, bump.

 

PB tried to adjust their forum layout and I don't think I've ever seen so many people upset. Sometimes I think it's better to stick with the things people have grown used to.

 

Probably keep it the same; I've made suggestions for restructuring in the past and in the end it didn't get anywhere because enough people hate change and unless you have actual analysis linked with the change it's useless.

 

I think its a good idea. The discussion areas needs to be more prominent and also it shouldve always been grouped by game imo. I think the best way to make this work is to make each game section collapsable so that way if you dont want to see it or dont play that game then you dont have to scroll past it every time.

I feel the discussion area is what matters when it comes to SEO and it shouldnt hurt to have it above the market because if someone is here to just buy and sell and not talk then trust me, theyll find the market section.

 

You can already collapse certain sections, I know I do.

I thought it'd be easier having discussion below market, but upon hearing Roarys input it makes sense. Whether people will actively participate in discussion if it is on top, is a whole different story. I don't mind change in the restructure; and we need to spice it up. Also I can tell it will annoy a lot of people having to maneuver differently around the site compared to what it is now. The thought of it does annoy me too, but a little difference in trying to garner attention to each specific discussion area wont hurt. And it makes a lot of sense to group game with discussions.

Hopefully this time have Market Tools near the top as well. Anything to make it easier for newcomers to ensure minimum scams happening and better understanding of the site.