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Mad Poster
#76 Old 15th May 2013 at 10:04 PM
I was trying to adjust my colour scheme a few days before all of this hooplah happened, from blue to green for a monitor I was testing the colours for (I pull up a few websites that I know the schemes for and test those out as extra assurance), and I accidentally stumbled across the Bootstrap stuff. I panicked but luckily somebody must've noticed and reverted me, or maybe my frantic refreshing did something. I was just about to back out of the private VPN that I share with a few people in my IRC room and test it normally, but luckily everything went back to normal until the changeover yesterday.

These were my notes yesterday that I took during the theme switchover:

- My browser (Chrome, latest version) slowed down immensely. Pages on here took 10+ minutes to load. Usually they load instantly (keep in mind that my main computer is in storage, as we're moving, and I'm running off a late-2000's model). This may have just been you guys, but a few sites have changed over recently too and I've experienced the same slowdown because they're more image-heavy than ever. A lot of Sims 3 blogs/downloads sites do the same thing by having MASSIVE text and images so that you can stand ten feet away and still read it.

- The blue on blue was hard to read and the theme switchover only worked for Calm Storm which wasn't much better. I like the current contrast of black or white on blue.

- There's too much empty space and nothing feels organised anymore. Also, I've noticed that the layout only really "works" on 16:9 or 16:10 displays. 4:3 was way too crowded and sometimes didn't even work at all.

- Pages often didn't load right and were all scrambled. The site also looked different between Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.

- I really liked the new profile pages but they didn't take up the entire screen and again, felt like empty space. They were the best things out of the bunch, really.

- Downloading was confusing as hell. I didn't get into that much, however, just that you didn't know where to settle your eyes, and that the pages were too long now.

- In the normal theme that we've always had, the sections are all in little boxes and that's easier on the eyes than a bunch of text in one gigantic box.

- Please keep the downloads section like it is right now (or the layout that I use at least) as an option! I like having a list layout of things and not a grid, it's less in-your-face.

- Please also try to keep forums the same. These are the easiest and quickest boards to use out of any that I frequent because they're 99% text, nothing too fancy or flashy. It's really easy to find out where everything is.

- Reduce the size of the text for titles. It's perfect how it is on the old version.

In summation, yes, it looks sleek and modern, but it needs colour scheme, scaling, and organisational changes. It also should rely less on images, and be compatible with slower and older computers. I think that there should be an option to keep the site as it is right now, but not a limited-time-offer. It would be best to just keep a single-theme-version of the old site, especially because a lot of us run on older systems. I tend to switch between really old computers and my new one just for the hell of it (I like me some Windows 98) and I know many people who still haven't switched over from Windows XP.


Angie/DS | Baby Sterling - 24/2/2014
This account is mostly used by my sons to download CC now, if you see me active, it's probably just them!
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#77 Old 15th May 2013 at 10:23 PM
Well I am a lady of a certain age, and if anyone was going to find the change an issue surely an older bird like myself would have been the first one to get on my bitch box for a rant.

However, I found the new site design cleaner, fresher and it ran with no issues on Firefox and on my iPad via Safari. I found no loading issues either. I stayed with the default colour version of the the site and didnt experiment with the alternatives as I wanted to see it in the raw, as it were. I concur that I found less scrolling rather than more, and found and downloaded several game mods yesterday for a new build I'm planning with no problems whatsoever. I checked out my profile and my personal creations page and I thought they looked amazing - amazing to the point that I am considering updating them all and offering some new builds for consideration.

To Delphy and team - you did an incredible job initiating the new site and frankly I wish you all the best of luck and 100% sapport and encouragement to take the leap into The New on a permanent basis.

Yours sincerely
A lady of a certain age who games.
Lab Assistant
#78 Old 15th May 2013 at 10:30 PM Last edited by ChiK_HeinekeN : 15th May 2013 at 10:43 PM. Reason: Adding something
Quote: Originally posted by Legislacerator
If you want to browse the site with Bootstrap enabled and have it working, you have to browse from this url: https://www.modthesims.info/?styleid=40
Otherwise just going to modthesims.com will only work with the classic theme.


Thank you

Quote: Originally posted by Delphy
You know, you're right - theres no point in those downloads that don't have active files anymore even showing up on the site...

... And, as somebody else pointed out, the staff are volunteers and nobody has the role to go through some 80k downloads figuring out which ones are broken and which aren't.


Is there anything or a way for us "normal people" (not staff) can do to help?

Live your life to d fullest! B happy!!
Inventor
#79 Old 15th May 2013 at 10:42 PM
Thank you for converting the site back (at least for a while). I was more than shocked yesterday, not because I don't like changes but because there was so many things that weren't improvements. Instead some pages looked more confusing. An idea when you want to redesign and modernize something is to take it through small stages, so that people will get used to the new changes without getting a headache. Like Facebook for instance, they don't change much in every update, but even that is often enough to make people react. Usually people get used to the new updates after a little while, but it's also important not to make the changes so big that people don't mind keeping up. Users are the whole reason a website exists
Scholar
#80 Old 15th May 2013 at 10:44 PM
I'm running now Bootstrap Style and there are some glitches but keep improving the new layout and colour scheme Delphy I am happy the bootstrap forum layout and is it now similar like the old MTS forum layout. Not like yesterday...
I am happy with it and it's my own decision. The others can stick with the old layout because that's their own decision.

Sim Renders
www.ansettanimation.com

Ansett Animation Studios is a subsidiary of RomerJon17 Productions © 2019 - 2020
Scholar
#81 Old 16th May 2013 at 12:22 AM
AAHH! Why is the Bootstap Cerulean theme gone? That was my jam, my fav, the best. And now its M.I.A. *sobs*
Forum Resident
#82 Old 16th May 2013 at 2:16 AM
I love new theme, I have called for shiny, visual change of MTS for a while. I'm happy to hear I will get it again soon.
Test Subject
#83 Old 16th May 2013 at 9:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by katalina522
That's a problem in general, though, due to the rise of glossy screens & to computers using lots of blue hues that resemble daylight. You can get third-party apps to make your screen more night-viewing-friendly. (I personally use f.lux)


In my case it's a lot more than that. Medical condition and some of the medication I have to take makes it even worse. I actually have to wear sunglasses rain or shine. I can't knock on my neighbors door without sunglasses due to his door frame being recently painted a bright white.
Forum Resident
#84 Old 16th May 2013 at 1:43 PM
I think the new theme looks great! There's much space for improvement though!
In the dropdown menu you could use the logos of the games instead of plain text (Sims 1 Discussion,Sims 2 Discussion etc).
Just a thought
Also you could add some vertical lines in some places just like I draw in that screen:



Overall , it's nice to see that MTS is finally getting an update!

Check my tumblr:
http://eliasctifler.tumblr.com/
:)
Theorist
#85 Old 16th May 2013 at 4:47 PM
Awww... what happened to the new shiny? I'm back to the old format? Hmm... I hope we get the new look back soon

Life is short, insecurity is a waste of time. ~Diane Von Furstenburg
You don't get out of life alive. ~Jimmy the Hand

♥ Receptacle Refugee ♥
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#86 Old 16th May 2013 at 4:51 PM
The new shiny is behind the link in the first post.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Instructor
#87 Old 16th May 2013 at 7:45 PM
The bootstrap version is also back to the old theme it seems like, plus the downloads aren't showing up.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#88 Old 16th May 2013 at 8:08 PM
The bootstrap server is still working as bootstrap, but do bear in mind that clicking a www.modthesims link, for example in a post, will boot you back out of it.

What do you see instead of downloads?

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Test Subject
#89 Old 16th May 2013 at 11:31 PM
I was a bit shocked by the new layout because it was so sudden. However after poking around a bit I began to like it a lot. It seemed sleeker and loaded a bit faster on my computer.
Banned
#90 Old 17th May 2013 at 12:46 AM
Thanks so much I wasn't too much of a fan of the new thing. I like small changes but MTS looks good as it is, no need to go overboard.
Field Researcher
#91 Old 17th May 2013 at 3:21 AM
Thanks Delphy. I really appreciate how well you take critique, even when we're mean at you. Mad props for a cool response.
Also. HTML5 WOO!
Forum Resident
#92 Old 17th May 2013 at 3:47 AM
Whew, I'm glad I can still access the Bootstrap version. It still needs some polish, but the new MTS definitely does a good job of dragging the site out of 2004.

EDIT: But Delphy better bring back join dates near avatars, or else it will be hard for me to feel superior to everyone for signing up in '06.

"Given enough time, hydrogen starts to wonder where it came from, and where it is going." - Edward R. Harrison
Instructor
#93 Old 17th May 2013 at 1:26 PM
Quote: Originally posted by whiterider
The bootstrap server is still working as bootstrap, but do bear in mind that clicking a www.modthesims link, for example in a post, will boot you back out of it.

What do you see instead of downloads?

Oh I see. I bookmarked the bootstrap site, but I must have clicked on a regular MTS link which must have caused my bookmark to revert back to the old style. Now I clicked the bootstrap link in the OP, but can't find the drop down (drop up?) menu to change the theme and colors back to what I had.

Edit: I now see the disclaimer at the top that this version will change constantly, so probably that's why I can't change the theme right now? Sheesh, all this learnin' is cutting into my sims time!
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#94 Old 17th May 2013 at 2:18 PM
Yeah, we just have one bootstrap version right now - other colour combos will return once the layout is finalised.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Scholar
#95 Old 17th May 2013 at 4:08 PM
I really like the new look for the site and will continue to use it and if I notice any issues will post here.

CC4Sims
Love will humiliate you and hate will cradle you.
Jealousy would be far less torturous if we understood that love is a passion entirely unrelated to our merits.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#96 Old 17th May 2013 at 6:27 PM
Would it be possible to have a "View first unread" button on topic listing level not just after you opened the thread? After all that's what most people are probably wanting to do when they're opening a thread, and it would save an extra click and a little bit of time. Currently there is a "Go to last post" button at listing level, but I am not sure that's very useful as a rule, unless by chance the last post is also first unread

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#97 Old 17th May 2013 at 8:34 PM
ChiK_HeinekeN: About the best you can do to help is to just use the Report button to flag any downloads that are broken. You shouldn't need to flag ones that have missing files since they should already have the banner over the top of them. Thanks!

Christine1178: Please post any issues over in the Bootstrap Feedback forum thats linked at the top of all bootstrap pages. Thanks!

Inge Jones: There is already a "go to new post" functionality which is copied from the old theme. (It's to the left of the thread title).

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#98 Old 17th May 2013 at 9:10 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Delphy
Inge Jones: There is already a "go to new post" functionality which is copied from the old theme. (It's to the left of the thread title).


Yes, but only after you open the thread by clicking on it in the list/index. What I was wondering is if we can actually have it at list/index level, instead of the Go to last post button.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Test Subject
#99 Old 17th May 2013 at 9:56 PM
I did see the new layout, I personally don't mind the change, but it was too bright for me to even try to go change the theme, it gave me an instant migraine and my eyes hurt so much that all I could do was click away from the site, but I did want to comment. I deal with migraines on a daily basis and if a website is too bright, it's basically unusable for me. My suggestion would be to make the default theme not too bright. Even if you made the default theme similar to this current theme, that would be wonderful.

Thank you for all your hard work, guys.
Demon Sheep
retired moderator
#100 Old 17th May 2013 at 10:54 PM
This may be a dumb question, but to Denim and the other migrane sufferers or folks who can't deal with bright screens for medical reasons - there are lots of bright websites out there. Wouldn't it help to just turn down your monitor's brightness/contrast setting?
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