Lots of recent site news & updates. Feedback appreciated.

Isaac Sauvage

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There's a bunch of news items, and I'll try to make them all brief:

- We've been optimising the forums layout off-and-on for a couple months now. Sometimes combining sections, sometimes nesting forum sections under others. Basically just trying to make the place easier to browse and find things. Expect to see more of this kind of thing in future, and of course, please feel free to suggest improvements.

- The topic of the VPM 16:9 spanned tables came up recently, and the question is-- does anybody still use these? These tables represent an obsolete way of spanning game displays across multiple monitors in VP9, but we're not sure if anybody still needs them. For example, maybe some people out there have cabs set up nicely with 2009's VP9 and have never upgraded? Otherwise, we're thinking about retiring these tables.

- We've added a lot of notices recently. These won't appear except for special circumstances, for example when uploading a resource, asking for maintenance help, or doing an advance search. I'm simply curious if 1) anyone's noticed these, and 2) would you prefer these to be dismissible? Or even 3) have we added too many?

- Along these lines, I also added an FP help notice that suggests tagging various people, such as @TerryRed, @Gimli, @NitroNimbus, @AnonTet and @wild such that someone in need can more quickly & easily get help. If you'd prefer not to have your name listed, please just let me know.

- Ever since the "solutions" system get introduced, I've been looking through various help threads, and identifying solvers. You can see the running tally here. In future, you should be able to click and see a member's list of individual solutions, not just the static tally. This system normally works via a help thread's voting system, with the thread-starter choosing the best solution.

- Members should now be able to log in to the site via Google.

- There's now a "Pinball Nirvana app" that's installable if you wish. You should see a prompt in the URL line, or possibly a notification via smartphone / tablet. Jon added this one, and when I tested it, it simply provided a quicker jump point to the site. So probably not much use for desktop people, but perhaps useful on phone, etc.

- We really appreciate the recent table ratings, especially poor ratings or broken entry reports, as these help us identify problem resources. Big thanks to @hawyer and @vladaymir on that!

- I don't know if anyone noticed, but Jon recently improved the attachment thumbnail quality. Many of the thumbs looked blurry only a few weeks ago, but they should appear much sharper, now.

- I'm sure everyone knows about the "like" system, but I'd like to point out that it's useful for more than just indicating a "strong like" or a particular reaction. It's also super-useful just for letting people know that you've read and acknowledged something without needing to post a reply. So I hereby invite everyone to "like" comments when possible. It's a little thing, but it adds up to better communication for all of us.

- Just something silly, but I went through the site's resources and tagged all the hockey and soccer (futbol) resources I could find. I like tags, as they're a fun way to group things together.

- And finally, finally-- the site could still use some help! Because we're still working to get everything sorted out since the big XenForo move a year ago. The single biggest area of need are resource entries that could use their info improved. Other needs: more media items added (like backglasses & stripped playfields), and more tags added everywhere. Some of this stuff can be done by anyone right now, and some of it would require an added permission. Please let us know if you're interested in helping out with something... likely some area of the site that interests you.

--Ike

Oh, and I also want to welcome and thank @worldofVPX for the great videos, and welcome and thank @ArgCades, @Vpxpinball, @clarkee, and @Spelly88 for contributing to the significant "all in one" discussion. Thanks, folks. :)
 
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@Ike Savage Thank you so much for the honorable mention. I noticed that a lot of tables have high downloads but no ratings,
so I wanted to change that. I also noticed that with ROM files, if the ROM works, I give it 5 stars. It is basically telling users that this ROM
is working and it's okay to download.
 
@Ike Savage
Don't forget GeorgeH, Shiva and Popotte
Aye, George is the default all-around FP help guy, which he agreed to a couple months back.

But thanks for recommending @shiva and @popotte. Hey fellas-- want to appear on the FP help notice? Also, could I list you with any specialties, like I'm doing with Terry & Gimli?
 
I'm by far the least experienced here, but i don't mind helping even when I don't exactly know about something because it is a chance for me to learn as well.

Thank you for mentioning me. I never saw that one coming :)
 
I find this very useful this FP help , thanks for mentioning me. I could help with the construction of the table in general,and with the some standard FP model.
As a code,well, I know something and learned a lot (and I can create a table), but not at the level of popotte, or some other , like gimli, gin, as the code is often mathematical.
As for Bam, I'm constantly evolving, but I also know something.....so I can be useful for those who need it.
 
I find this very useful this FP help , thanks for mentioning me. I could help with the construction of the table in general,and with the some standard FP model...
Cool, thanks! :)
 
I think a lot of people forget the older tables maybe you should pick a few and do a Back in time post might drum up some interest?
 
I think a lot of people forget the older tables maybe you should pick a few and do a Back in time post might drum up some interest?
I love older (classic) tables, yeah!

I've done roundups of these, so far. Working on gathering up @sphere's tables, next.

Have a look?
 
I Took a look and i recon thats a pretty good collection :)
 
I think a lot of people forget the older tables maybe you should pick a few and do a Back in time post might drum up some interest?
What is for you an old table? 40's, 50's, 60's? Or all?
 
@popotte

personally, anything before DMD displays and points in the billions with, sometimes, convoluted rules.

So, with me assuming my ignorance about pinball history, anything before 1990(ish)?
 
No comment. You know what old for me is and not many folks appreciate those but I could care less. I love them.
 
Aye, George is the default all-around FP help guy, which he agreed to a couple months back.

But thanks for recommending @shiva and @popotte. Hey fellas-- want to appear on the FP help notice? Also, could I list you with any specialties, like I'm doing with Terry & Gimli?
@popotte is the best FP coder among us. You might find a spot where he can help with coding FP tables if there is such a spot and he agrees to do it.
 
@popotte is the best FP coder among us. You might find a spot where he can help with coding FP tables if there is such a spot and he agrees to do it.
I'm not the best coder. Well, a good coder, OK.
In an other hand, I helped since a long time ago (the first were tiltjlp and Patrick...) and without Help Center.
The last was AnonTet. He just post his problem, I read it and I help him.
I always read new posts, so I know if somebody needs help.
But if you want put me on this list, why not.
For me, the best solution is no name but the possibility to subscribe.
And finally, don't put me on this list. I'm not the good Doctor Popotte (open working days 9:00 to 18:00 french time).
 
And I have to thank you once again. Actually, not only you found the problem I still learn on the way. Double win.

I don't expect people to think this is a full time job. We help each other when possible, if possible. If someone takes the lack of response personally on a post, I think that will be on him/her
 
Just to clarify-- being put on the suggested FP help notice isn't really a 'job.' It's simply meant to help people in need find a potential helper.

You should also know that these FP help requests come in infrequently from visitors. You might see one every week or two. Maybe even once a month.

Even then, most visitors don't actually bother reading the notice and/or don't ask someone by name for help.

If a visitor did ask for help by name, the only official thing that would happen is that someone would get an alert. An "alert" is something that gets listed under the bell image, top-right side of the site's menu line.

Bell - Alert - Circle.png

But of course, there's no guarantee that the recipient is around at the time, or has the time to help. The whole thing is really just meant to improve the odds.


Now this... THIS is a real job:

 
Thanks for the announcement Ike!

Most of the changes to the site are made without us posting about them and it's a shame, I'm continually getting sidetracked and appreciate the information that's provided to Users. I'm just in awe with some of the stuff that Ike has manged to do with the Resources and the notices, I like that page notices can be targeted and hope folks read them.

- Members should now be able to log in to the site via Google.
Yes, and folks can also Register with a google account, should we activate any of these other ones?
Facebook, Twitter, GitHub, Linkedin, Microsoft and Yahoo.

I'll start a thread about Pinball Nirvana's new Progressive Web App (PWA), it's a different interface for the site and could be installed with Windows and Chrome but is meant for tablets and android phones. We have a increasing number of users with mobile devices so any feedback is appreciated.

- We really appreciate the recent table ratings, especially poor ratings or broken entry reports, as these help us identify problem resources. Big thanks to @hawyer and @vladaymir on that!
Love the ratings and hope to increase them, folks can also up or down vote on user's ratings if there are more than one. The Media section also handles comments and ratings. Uploads to the media section can be embedded in posts or resources.
- Just something silly, but I went through the site's resources and tagged all the hockey and soccer (futbol) resources I could find. I like tags, as they're a fun way to group things together.
Those tags are neat, like what they can do.

- And finally, finally-- the site could still use some help! Because we're still working to get everything sorted out since the big XenForo move a year ago. The single biggest area of need are resource entries that could use their info improved. Other needs: more media items added (like backglasses & stripped playfields), and more tags added everywhere. Some of this stuff can be done by anyone right now, and some of it would require an added permission. Please let us know if you're interested in helping out with something... likely some area of the site that interests you.
We do need help and could use some Download Managers or whatever you could contribute, couldn't post it better than Ike did.

To be honest any good EM Table floats my boat :)

Me too, think I might have similar tastes as my IRP mate @popotte and many others...
:pinball:
 
I'm not the best coder. Well, a good coder, OK.
In an other hand, I helped since a long time ago (the first were tiltjlp and Patrick...) and without Help Center.
The last was AnonTet. He just post his problem, I read it and I help him.
I always read new posts, so I know if somebody needs help.
But if you want put me on this list, why not.
For me, the best solution is no name but the possibility to subscribe.
And finally, don't put me on this list. I'm not the good Doctor Popotte (open working days 9:00 to 18:00 french time).
OK good coder. ...But you were the only one who could figure out the problem I was having on the "Creature From the Black Lagoon". Of course, that was a while back.
 
Me? Busy busy busy. All my stuff seems to be coming all at once, and just not ready. :(

I will do some reviews. just got in a AtGames Legends gamer pro, that does have pinball buttons (only other one is the tankstick) and if I decided to get ArcadeNet, I may comment on a few games. My new computer is still being worked on, looking at doing videos, and trying to set up my old gaming computer to be a dedicated cabinet system, but no room to put it all because... too much new stuff. Getting a new front end to look at right now as well.
That's just today.
 
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