Moving to MyBB

[Ururu Kyuuei]

So, hopefully at some point in the next few weeks we will be switching forum software to MyBB. The main reason I'm doing this is for some extra functionality that simply isn't available on PHPBB.

For example, the biggest thing that I've wanted for a while is a sub account system. Now, there are account switching systems on PHPBB. However they're not nearly as smooth. I want people to have a single hub account that they can name whatever they want - G0Df1re or whatever - and then have characters as sub accounts. This way there is less confusion about who the hell is who when people switch characters. Subaccounts will be listed on your profile so it's easy to see who is who.

It also makes posting as different characters a whole lot easier. You never actually have to log out of your main account. When you go to make a topic or reply from your primary account, there is a drop-down menu that allows you to make that post from any of your accounts. The resultant OM then goes straight to that account.

This is the main functionality but there's also a lot of other bells and whistles we can look forward to. Up voting posts, comments on profiles, and just being a lot newer and fresher than PHPBB. Xenforo would have been my ideal but you have to pay for the software and to retain updates, and also for most add-ons. That puts real pressure on the site to get income. With MyBB we will never go out-of-date, and mods will always be readily available due to it being probably the most-used free forum software.

Right now I am just in the ideas stage and getting everything working as I'd like on a test forum. With that said with me being at the beginning stage, I'd like to ask you guys if there are any particular features you would like to be added. Alex has already begged me to try and allow for more themes. I personally would like to enable chat box with multiple tabs to allow people to splinter off and have some room to discuss different things. Maybe even private chat tabs for factions if possible. I'd also like to have word/character count be integrated so it can be viewed straight beneath posts. Just a few ideas.

The ability to add people to my own faction subforum would be nice.

A member mentioned something akin to this is chat (and this might be ridiculous and something that can't be done), but it might be fun to have some sort of music player that is queued up with some fun ambient sound tracks.

I'll settle for theme colors other than gray, white, and off-white though =O

As someone who doesn't have chat access or for those who don't prioritize using the mini chat, I like the idea of being able to leave a message for other people to see on someone who happens to click my profile.

Pretty much a "status" if you will. Kind of the way Skype does it o=

Or even an activity list, like what projects you're actively working on. Flag options like:
"I'm working on a post in the void"
Or "I'm trying to think of an idea to apply in the pale Moors"

Could increase member activity and communication, as well as broadcast and promote working together a bit more. To start out you could have general ones and then the general verse it applies to, but perhaps there could be a "note" feature underneath, letting you offer up more detail on the idea, or that you're looking for someone interested to PM you.

One feature that has been requested in the past, and one that I agree should be implemented (if possible), would be an auto-save draft feature. If we had that and a word counter built in, I'd probably go back to doing all my writing on the site itself again.

Self: make name changing and other donation stuff easier!

[04:17:56] Ivan Grossman: First one is like badges next to people's names to denote staff members and member's of the month
[04:18:36] Ivan Grossman: Second one is to have like a "featured thread" on the sidebar or something so that kickass stories/threads are featured for newbies to read and get hyped about.

Yes I support this! Most definitely! Shut up and take my money!