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21:51, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Force Thread to End of List Option.

Posted by Evil Empryss
Gaffer
member, 772 posts
Ocoee FL
Over 35 yrs RPGing
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 04:23
  • msg #2

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1

I like this very much, especially for threads that are finished, but I want to keep handy, like Character Creation guidelines.
Alexei Yaruk-Mundhenk
member, 1210 posts
Ad Majorem
Dea Gloriam
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 04:30
  • msg #3

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

Indeed. +1 (Million)
Denalor
member, 54 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 07:38
  • msg #4

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1
Oh YES !

My rules threads take almost the full first page. You always end up on first page whenever you update anything or post anything, so I always have to switch to second page manually. This would allow me to put all those rules threads on the second page and keep the action always readily available on first page.
I'm doing quite a lot of "bumping" to keep it reasonably oderly
Sotalia
member, 176 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 14:14
  • msg #5

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1

Keeping the active threads front and center is critical to a game.  While I don't have a lot of stickied threads in my game, I have been in some that used them heavily and moving them out of the way would have improved the experience.
Waxahachie
member, 97 posts
The horn that wakes
the sleepers
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 15:47
  • msg #6

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

This would be very useful.

+1
adrasteia1
member, 1025 posts
Even a small star
shines in the darkness
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 18:43
  • msg #7

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1

Absolutely yes.
borderline_dnd
member, 227 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 19:48
  • msg #8

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

How will the GMs handle complaints when the players in their games cannot see something important at the 1st page of the game? Please have a solution other than "go to page 12" of this game
airellian
member, 149 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 19:53
  • msg #9

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

Why not have the stickied threads in its own section, still displayed on the first page, which can be hideable. Click on a button, and the stickied section is hidden. Click on the button again, and it comes back up.
Evil Empryss
member, 404 posts
There, their, and they're
are NOT the same!!!
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:04
  • msg #10

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

My suggestion isn't for threads used all the time, but ones still important enough to keep track of, so not being on the first page is not a concern. And if they're on the last page, then "go to the last page to find the special thread you're looking for" is still easier than telling your player "dig through 12 pages of threads to try to locate the information you want, and good luck".  It's even harder for a GM to find buried threads since we see threads from ALL the groups, making things even more cluttered.
Waxahachie
member, 99 posts
The horn that wakes
the sleepers
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:04
  • msg #11

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

borderline_dnd:
How will the GMs handle complaints when the players in their games cannot see something important at the 1st page of the game? Please have a solution other than "go to page 12" of this game


How will GMs handle complaints? I suppose that's up to the individual GM. Some GMs handle complaints like a boss, others let their players walk all over them, and others still chart a middle course. It's up to you how you handle complaints from players.
PushBarToOpen
member, 759 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:41
  • msg #12

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

If it isn;t important enough to Hve on the Top but you still need to find it from time to time to time why not just have a stickied thread which is just links to all those threads?
prophacyks
member, 10 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:47
  • msg #13

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

-1

If I am understanding correctly, it is to have two options for stickied threads. Have an option to put at the top or at the bottom or last page or whatever. The whole point of the Sticky is to have it at the top stuck there, because the threads are important for the players to see especially if they are updated.

I am sure there are work arounds if you want specific threads at the end of the page. Wouldn't the bump option work for something like this, if you update one of the threads you would want to have at the end. It would take some work, but you could bump every thread you want forward to move the thread you updated back to the end.

Perhaps it is because I don't have any reason for it in my game, but I don't see the point of this if there is a work around for it.
Evil Empryss
member, 405 posts
There, their, and they're
are NOT the same!!!
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:47
  • msg #14

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

Because that would be more work to maintain and would mix in "GM only" thread links with "Stuff for Players" links.

Just being able to shove them to the end with a tag like the "Notice" tag is really very neat and simple and doesn't require a lot of cross-referencing.
Gaffer
member, 774 posts
Ocoee FL
Over 35 yrs RPGing
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:49
  • msg #15

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

In reply to prophacyks (msg # 13):

Because the work around is simply INSANE?
prophacyks
member, 11 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:52
  • msg #16

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

I just don't understand where having the notice tag on it makes it any different from a normal thread other then it being at the top.

But if it is only an issue for a small group, then I would think would just be better off doing it yourself as you could get it the way you want it. I know there are things that take me a lot of work to get gone, and it might be nice if there was one click type thing I could do. But in the end it is more for my own preference then a bigger site issue. But that is just my opinion.
This message was last edited by the user at 20:53, Mon 25 Feb 2013.
Waxahachie
member, 100 posts
The horn that wakes
the sleepers
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:55
  • msg #17

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

In reply to prophacyks (msg # 16):

You should try GMing a game on RPOL, then maybe you'd understand some of these concerns.
Evil Empryss
member, 406 posts
There, their, and they're
are NOT the same!!!
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 20:59
  • msg #18

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

prophacyks:
I am sure there are work arounds if you want specific threads at the end of the page. Wouldn't the bump option work for something like this, if you update one of the threads you would want to have at the end. It would take some work, but you could bump every thread you want forward to move the thread you updated back to the end.

I have a game with 12 pages of threads in it, and another with 9 pages.  I will have to spend over an hour bumping every single thread just to knock the one I want at the end back down in only one game.  And it's not necessarily that these are important for the players to find, but for me as the GM to find.  Again, when I can see every thread from every group, finding something specific becomes a real chore and I don't want to stickie two pages worth of threads at the top of my game.
prophacyks
member, 12 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:04
  • msg #19

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

I Co-GM a game on RPOL I build and maintain and do a whole bunch on the forum itself for the game, I get the concerns. But for me I am only seeing it as a preference, if this is a big issue for everyone on RPOL fine go for it. But I am just stating if it is for a smaller group of people then if there is a work around for it then try using that.

I have been through the insanity route with the game I work on, it is crazy some of the time and santiy I have lost because we wanted to do something specific on it that there was not an easy option to go and do it. Sometimes you have to take time to do something, to get things the way you want.

But my opinion doesn't seem to be popular, so I will shut up now.
PushBarToOpen
member, 760 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:11
  • msg #20

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

In reply to Evil Empryss (msg # 14):

Actually its pritty smple to maintain. Everytime a new thread is created just copy the link for it. Maybe it a little work for it to get set up but it achievesthe exact thing you are looking for... Easy acsess to all threads. This also means that you aren;t looking through the last 1/2pages for it but all within one post. Its a much more eligent way of doing things and allows the bumping system not to be altered with faeture creep.

If you nede to seporate GM and Player have two threads one in group z or just place the Gm links in a PM.
Maidenfine
member, 70 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:29
  • msg #21

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1

I've seen this pop up in here in various forms often enough to see that people find a need for it. Also, my husband pointed out that if you're talking about RTJ information that is really only needed before a person joins your game, but might need to be updated, this would be very useful. You set it to group 0 so it's public and for non-players would be at the top of the page, because it would be all that they had access to. But everyone already in the game shouldn't need it all that often (since they've already submitted their RTJ). In the rare instances when you need to update something (maybe to post that you are or are not currently accepting applications, or maybe there was a need to add certain information to the RTJ due to in-game events, whatever), you don't have to search through the whole game to find it, because it's at the end. But it would be something that you'd so rarely need to do, why keep it at the top?

I can see this as being very useful in large games. Once you get past a couple pages of threads, it can be very difficult to hunt down something specific, especially if you don't have a uniform naming system that might help. I have frequently found myself searching for a specific thread and having to go page by page using ctrl-F just because sometimes words run together when I'm trying to skim for something specific.
Utsukushi
member, 1171 posts
I should really stay out
of this, I know...but...
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:29
  • msg #22

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

I was going to say I could actually see this - there are things you might want to be able to find, but don't always want at the top.  A lot of games have a character creation thread, for instance, which becomes less important as the game goes on -- but then, after two years, when you're bringing in some new players, would be nice to be able to jump right to.

But then I realized, Jase just added in the Filter-by-Group ability which I had a look at on beta and it's quick and simple and looks like it will be available for everybody, not just GM's.

So all you will need to do as of the next update (which would be when this change would happen anyway) is make sure that all of those kinds of threads are in the same Group.  Set, say, Group A for that kind of thing, and when you need to find one of those threads, Filter to Group A.  You can even sort things if you've got that much; Group A for Rules Threads, Group B for Game Information Threads, Group C for Meta Threads, whatever makes sense.
prophacyks
member, 13 posts
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:34
  • msg #23

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

In reply to Utsukushi (msg # 22):

That makes more sense to me in the long run the Filter-by-Group option, most GM's out there could use that. That can make a bunch of different things easier.
Heath
member, 2231 posts
If my opinion changes,
The answer is still 42.
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 21:54
  • msg #24

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

+1

This option was suggested before.  I remember discussing it a year or so ago.  As I recall, there was some systematic difficulty in programming it or something.  But I'll still vote for it again.

I'm not sure the group naming is the best way to go.  I would use this for setting details, maps, and a number of threads for various rule variants.  Not something that you just dump into one Group.

Currently, I just have a notice that links to each type with a hyperlink, but then they pop back up to the front if a I add a new post.  I can "edit" to avoid forcing to the top, but this is not always ideal.
This message was last edited by the user at 21:57, Mon 25 Feb 2013.
Piestar
member, 186 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Mon 25 Feb 2013
at 22:44
  • msg #25

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

In reply to Heath (msg # 24):

+1 as well, for the same reasons as above.
jase
admin, 2949 posts
Cogito, ergo procuro.
Carpe stultus!
Tue 26 Feb 2013
at 00:55

Re: Force Thread to End of List Option

Through a bit of trickery I created the ability to make notices when the request came in for that.  It didn't require any changes to the database through said trickery.

To have the ability to prioritise threads, which is what this and other threads are requesting, requires a database change and quite a bit of change in the way the system parses and displays the threads.  So unfortunately it's not as easy as it seems.

But the bigger problem is new message indicators.  We've just gotten rid of the confusion caused by false new message indicators (from posts in a group you can't see), now you want to introduce a new one -- the latest post is in a thread that's not on the screen you see upon entering the game.

I understand some GMs have a strong compulsion to have everything exactly how they want it, and that's not a bad reason to consider implementing it.  With something like this, however, my main focus must to be how the average user (the ones that don't even view this forum) will perceive the change, and what difficulties it will cause for them.

At this stage there seems to be a major issue with pushing threads off the screen, and before I even start to consider the numerous technical changes involved, I have you have to figure out how to address the bigger problem!  (c;
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