If you're reading this, you likely just saw the site change completely and are wondering what in the world is going on! Well, to put it simply, the site has been redesigned and moved to Xenforo. In this post I'll explain a lot of things and hopefully answer some questions you might have regarding what Xenforo is and why the move occurred. So first things first, Xenforo is a forum software created by 2 people, Mike and Kier who were some of the main developers for the vBulletin software. However when the company Internet Brands bought the company Jelsoft (The original owners of vBulletin), they put things into practice the workers didn't like. So, they moved on and created this (arguably) better forum software. It's got lots of awesome features that aren't available in vBulletin, some of which I'll be going over here. Resources As for the first feature I'll go over the Resources section, since it's what I'm personally most excited about as a designer. It's completely fresh, so starting out it may seem empty and useless, but as more themes and things are added it'll be great to keep track of which ones are most popular and which ones were most recently updated. Here is an example of one that has lots of resources added and is well progressed: http://pokemon-online.eu/index.php?resources/ You'll notice the ability to rate resources, the most popular ones, categories, the most active resource authors, etc.. Authors will be able to list compatible PO versions, leave screenshots, and each has it's own section to discuss whatever's needed. Quick Navigation To the right of the breadcrumb you'll find a button that's really useful. I do believe this feature is present in vBulletin, but not as quick and seamless as this one. Give it a click and see what it's all about for yourself. Improved Admin Control Panel Yeah I know, you guys can't see this, but it's a really awesome improvement and really makes it easy on the admins when it comes to managing the site and making it run well. User Overlays If you click on a user's username in various places through the forums, instead of going directly to their page, it loads a quick little modal window with the most important information that you might be looking for in the first place. That way you can grab info without actually having to leave the page. Conversations Another awesome feature, Xenforo has Conversations. The best way I can explain these are like secret threads, where you can invite as many users as you want and discuss things. It replaces the PM system (Since it can be used just like PMs, by only having the conversation with just 1 person). Recent Activity At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here's another great Xenforo feature. This lets you keep up to date with the latest happenings on the forum, seeing the most recent posts and status updates. http://pokemon-online.eu/index.php?recent-activity/ Likes I'm sure we all know what these are, basically a way to show people that you enjoyed something when you don't really have anything to say about it. New Code Tags These are a plugin, not so much a Xenforo feature. But still great. They use the Geshi syntax highlighter to format the code into a more readable section. This means that over 200 languages are supported. Trophies These still need to be worked on to actually be useful as of yet, but a very nice feature nonetheless. Basically you get trophies for doing certain things on the forums. It's a nice way to promote activity and give veteran users something to show off. Post Editor Don't need to do much explaining, since it's already been done here: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/a-new-editor-and-much-much-more.50519/ I can't possibly begin to go over every single feature of Xenforo, so have a look here (Or look elsewhere) if you're interested in what all it can do. :D http://xenforo.com/community/forums/have-you-seen/
Looks really sharp, I like it. But uh...I noticed the 'hide' tag doesn't work. Is there a new tag for this, or??
You can use the [SPOILER.] tag instead of that (btw remove the point when using it.). Also colored user titles, do they work?
Great, I like it. And I like the new post editor because I can actually use the Enter key in posts now!
Cool, thanks Deity! The forums look really clean, just going to have to take some getting used to. I appreciate all the hard work transferring everything. =o
This new forum seems nice. Lots of little nice new features, for example i can finally see how many posts i've made (when mafia is included).
I forgot to say that you did a wonderful job Deity, the forums now look more practical and neat. Thanks!
Is this skin "permanent", or will it be changed / customizable once more resources are added? The resources section reads like it'll be customizable, but I want to be sure. Also, are avatar / signature sizes going to be adjusted / adjustable? Currently they're a bit too small / large(respectively) for my liking. EDIT: Damn, I used a lot of slashes.
Will you be able to track how many likes you have accumulated with your posts like the reputation system present on a lot of VBulletin forums? Part of me is going to miss the straightforward VBulletin format, but it looks absolutely stunning. Great job on it. EDIT: I also noticed something next to my name called Points. Can someone explain what that is?
Wow this is really neat. Amazing job for something done in less than a day! Small question but would gifs be used without getting infracted for using them in your sig?
The forum rules don't allow gif in avatars ir signatures. That's never been a problem with vbulletin, it simply is one of PO's policies.
Interesting, because I once saw this guy's Gif signature which was a busty woman shaking her boobs in slow motion. vBulletin of course.
Really like the change. The theme looks really vibrant and fresh, good job! Quick question, will the resources section also contain scripts?
I can't differentiate between subforums that have new posts in it and subforums that don't, without actually opening them. They all have the same shade of grey. Previously this was very easy, and it's very easy on Smogon, so please look into that.
As for resources, it will be mostly community powered. But staff will likely add new sections to it for other things yes. As for image dimensions, those are reliant on the staff here. ^.^ You can see the amount of likes you've earned in the sidebar when you're viewing the main forums. You get points for each trophy you get for different things. There's a list here: http://pokemon-online.eu/index.php?help/trophies Thank you very much, Jirachier and Crystal Moogle have been really helpful as well, along with the staff that are now fixing up everything left behind. :) If people would like to create scripts and submit them, then I don't see why not. Sure thing, sorry about that. ^.^
I definitely love the trophy system. I believe this is a way to encourage users to post productive things that will help the forums grow. Oh I've also seen this guy whose signature is extremely big, it basically occupies 80% of my screen when Im scrolling down. I think he posted in POWC signups thread.
I like the new design. :) But I noticed that when you click on F.A.Q or Bug Reports, it still links you to the old homepage.
Yeah once we get the URLs fixed up (Hopefully this evening) all the urls will be fixed to these forums, and the old forums will be hidden.
No more Visitor Messages or I just didn't find them? EDIT: Nevermind, I'm blind BTW, I can't make people blind with my user profile anymore :( Also, what about the favicon? It feels weird to have the blank icon on my favorites =(
Sorry about that, I already added a favicon in but it can take up to a couple days to start showing for everyone. :x
Your avatar's file size is too large. Please upload an avatar no bigger than 50 KB. wow, please change it I want to use a gif >( **)>
I don't really like the new fourm layout, it kinda is hard to get used to and the badges don't seem right...