Reformat SFGHQ?

[nightofgrim]

I was thinking some things need some improvement, just little things that annoy me about the main site.

Just an opinion and nothing more!

1. All file names should be named, not numbered like G0000000143.zip

This is just annoying because if you want to stay organized you have to remember to rename the download every time, and if you do forget, you have to open the zip and do some exploring

2. Add comment posting to every download

Then we don't have to wait for someone to write a review and email it, and wait for an update.

3. Implement standards for submitting a file

For example, don't include an exe for tutorials or background zips; the only thing it does is increase the file size.

Don't include unneeded extension for compatibility reasons (even the pop ups to give credit! everyone gets the point, if needed, place a simple blank frame with txt or a read me!)

4. Add a WIKI!

5. If possible, a method for guests to upload files them self, with a screenshot and description.

For filtering out bad files, implement a flagging system or dump files with a really low score

what do you guys think?

[VectorSatyr]

4. Add a WIKI!

I stopped reading after that.

[DimensionWarped]

On the bright side, he seems to be someone who uses the site regularly yet doesn't use the boards. It proves that lurkers still exist on SFGHQ!

[ila]

Okay another revolutionary comes to the boards. Anyway what great suggestions. In fact other people with post counts under 5 have also done this. Concerning them...

1) You know I find the naming system kind of annoying too, but it keeps the backend of the site clean and pretty.

2) You're only sensible idea to be honest. Yes it is a good idea.

3) Yeah we already do this, but sometimes it just doesn't work. I'm betting that ALOT of the offending libraries are the ones that were made BEFORE things were changed. And it is a hassle to find the problems and change them. Are you up for it?

4) Someone suggested it, but what would be the point?

5) Thats what the forums are for.

And just for the record you have the wrong bloody forum.

[Serephim]

I havent used the main site in AGES, but i did notice that the filenames are unorginized.

I just miss the huge array of sprites we had way back when. (with the characters in the gold rings and stuff. Gooooooooodd Timmmmmeeessss...)

[Andrew]

A wiki is a splendid idea! What would we put on it? Nothing. That's what. It'll be a waste of interspace. Don't say member profiles either, it's quite simply put, a ____ing stupid idea.

I noticed MFGG has a comment system and it works well. Nice idea.

3: 90% of the files on the site were submitted in the 5-6 years SFGHQ was around when the current system didn't exist.

1: The backend of the site requires the naming of the files like this. Sucks if you don't like it.

[BlazeHedgehog]

I have to admit, having numbers instead of filenames is kind of... odd.

[ila]

Well usually after extracting the file you get a nice normal filename.

[nightofgrim]

Here is what would go on a wiki:

-Programing logic

*flow charts

*game math

*like common equations related to sonic fan games

-Real tutorials

-Open source engines?

there are plenty of possibilities

I understand the naming system is the "backend," obviously that would have to change too.

the point of guest uploads would solve the poor updating, a form isn't good enough to host files till it is... links become dead far too offten.

On the bright side, he seems to be someone who uses the site regularly yet doesn't use the boards. It proves that lurkers still exist on SFGHQ!

I have been around before there was a forum, when the site was black with i think stars in the background... and most of the files were hosted on another site that looked very similar.

[Zal]

The files don't change name, just the zip files. o_O

Not really seeing the problem.

[DimensionWarped]

We could have a latest content sidebar type thingy and we could create an uploader and have a crew that just gives uploaded content a quick once over to see if it doesn't have any viruses or other malignant programming. That would help with the slowness of content. On the other hand, maybe just getting more content would help with that?

[ila]

How bout just focusing on other bloody things first? You know, like SAGE prep and stuff and quit worrying about the main site.

And Wikis are NOT designed to teach you fangaming, they are made to hold information. That is all. Wiki's are documents that inform, NOT instruction manuals for a fangame. That is what the other users around here are for, use them to learn to make your fangame. Not some static document.

And stop using the term "real tutorial" the purpose of those tutorials is to give you an idea of how to do things, not walk you through them, but to show you that something is possible and to help you figure out your own techniques.

And yes the bloody upload feature thingy has been talked about AGAIN AND AGAIN! However emulationzone doesn't necessarily allow that kind of thing. What you can do though is go to #srb2, talk to an op and figure out how to use the amazing PUBLIC BLOODY FTP SERVER! Upload files there, post links in forum. Hell you don't even need that, you can use one of the many file hosting sites that exist on the internet! Yes those do exist, and you don't need bloody SFGHQ to host something for you just because you're too bloody lazy to upload it and post a simple topic!

[nightofgrim]

And Wikis are NOT designed to teach you fangaming, they are made to hold information. That is all. Wiki's are documents that inform, NOT instruction manuals for a fangame

they are free editable sites, there are plenty of wikis designed to teach out there. Its just the idea of anyone being able to edit! It doesn't even have to be nammed wiki or have wiki typed anywhere on it

just calm down a little, if you dont like what's going on, dont participate, remember, its just an opinion

[ila]

I know what a bloody Wiki is, do you?

Yeah the same bloody opinion that occurs every couple months when someone decides to start a revolution. In the wrong forum I might add.

Anyway as said before, the Wiki isn't the greatest idea in the world. In fact its a pain in the butt to maintain. These days fangaming is so vast that it cannot be summed up by some static little webpage. Also there is a forum that goes with the main site (Talk about backwards, isn't it?)

[MrKsoft]

Enough with the Wiki thing. I think what we need to do is get back all the old content from the good times. I have loads of stuff, some still zipped, and I could upload them somewhere to be added back to the site.

[ila]

Something about people being asked to do that not doing that. I have no clue where the old ____ is now. I assume it is probably lost so the only thing to do is to a) do what you said, or quit dwelling on the old stuff and rerip it if we need it that badly. Besides most of the old sprite libraries were rather unorganized anyway. Something along the lines of one of grim's more sensible posts about popup boxes and what not.

[TSS_Ty]

Given the nature of some of SFGHQ's members (or rather ex-members), a WIKI would be asking for trouble. They work for some audiences, but I don't think it would work for here.

I still think the main site would greatly benefit from an overhaul, but it's a massive job and I'm not sure if it's really plausible. A shame really, because there's a lot of talent here.

[Smidge204]

Just to explain my reasoning for the numbered files:

The old file names told you virtually nothing about their contents anyway. And for the most part was literally dozens of files in dozens of folders creating some odd filing system, with static HTML pages that cross-linked everywhere. This wasn't so bad except once it got just so big it became very "top heavy" and difficult to work with.

The solution I used was to assign a prefix to each file and then a 8 digit serial number. This number matches one in the SQL database where the rest of the file information is stored.

Games

Sprites

Backgrounds

Tutorials

Sounds (Audio)

Templates & Engines

Software (Programs)

Reviews

The only ambiguity is screenshots/thumbnails, which also have a P prefix, but you can still tell them apart from software downloads because one is always an image file (gif, jpg, png) and the other is always a ZIP file.

Now you can tell what the file is (Game, Sprite, etc) just by looking at it.

The 8 digit number keys to the database's ID column. This way, I don't have to store a seperate column for the 'real' file name and path - I can generate it on the fly:

$filename = $prefix . substr("00000000".$id, -8) . ".zip";[/PHP]
This also eliminates conflicting file names, since every ID is guaranteed to be unique, every file name is also guaranteed to be unique.
Again, the exception is screenshots and thumbnails. Those actually have a 7 digit serial and a single digit sequence number. For example: PXXXXXXXY.gif
XXXXXXX = Serial/ID number
Y = Sequence number (0 for first screenshot, 1 for second, 2 for third and 3 for fourth)
All screenshots are of the same file type, so I only have to store that once in the database. Options are GIF, JPG and PNG.
...and that's how the system works. This makes adding new content easy since at no point do you have to know what the file name or its location are ahead of time - just enter the info to the database, which automatically assigns the ID number, then rename the file and upload to the (section)/content/ and (section)/shots/ folders. Done!
------------------
Now as for comments... I did consider this when I was rewriting the site, but if you have seen any of the reviews people write (which were NOT approved - you only see the decent ones), you will probably understand why I didn't go through with it. It would require active moderating.
=Smidge=

[USC]

We could have a latest content sidebar type thingy and we could create an uploader and have a crew that just gives uploaded content a quick once over to see if it doesn't have any viruses or other malignant programming. That would help with the slowness of content. On the other hand, maybe just getting more content would help with that?

Haha...eh, it's a bit of both. We haven't gotten too many sprite/background files recently (although that's starting to pick up). But, I've been slacking off a bit on reviewing as well; I'm trying to pick it up, though, so hopefully soon there will be more updates.

[MystHedgehog]

And yes the bloody upload feature thingy has been talked about AGAIN AND AGAIN! However emulationzone doesn't necessarily allow that kind of thing. What you can do though is go to #srb2, talk to an op and figure out how to use the amazing PUBLIC BLOODY FTP SERVER! Upload files there, post links in forum. Hell you don't even need that, you can use one of the many file hosting sites that exist on the internet! Yes those do exist, and you don't need bloody SFGHQ to host something for you just because you're too bloody lazy to upload it and post a simple topic!

Absolutely, the site was never supposed to act as a dump for people's content, there's plenty of places that offer that kind of service. SFGHQ serves more as a library of content for sonic fan gamers that anyone can check and take stuff from without having to sort through hundreds of sprites and tutorials that just aren't necessary or up to par with some of the other stuff avaliable. If everybody was allowed to upload content at will, the amount of content avaliable would ramp up yes, but the overall quality of the content avaliable? Not so much.

As for the comment section, I'm with Ty and Smidge. Things would get messy. As it is, you can be sure that what reviews are up are actually worth reading. It might seem like we're sacrificing some freedom, but with the kind of people this community sometimes gets (not an attack at anyone currently on the forums, you know what I'm talking about), I believe it's worth it. Plus you can always post whatever you want to share with the community on these forums.

[SupaChao]

Adding a Wiki, is adding a failure. The site may have small problems, but nothing to go about saying how the site needs to be "reformatted" at all.

[Glaber]

I actualy believe that one of the old ways of sorting the sprites and BGs was more effective thant the current version. Each game had a page for it's rips and each charactor was in their own section. I would show you what I mean but somebody decided they didn't want SFGHQ archived by the internet archive and see the older and better orgnised version of SFGHQ.

Even MFGG and Mystic Forest Zone are better orignized than this place (not to mention more active too.)

[USC]

...Um, what? I'm really sorry if I'm misunderstanding you, but it seems like the filters do the same thing now. You know, you want a Sonic sprite from Sonic & Knuckles, specifically in .gam format. You make your choice, click the button, and it's there.

I've seen both the older SFGHQ and MFZ, and I can't really say they're much better. To each his own, though.

[Smidge204]

You do know about the search filters, right? You can search by game, character, platform and format. How is that not more organized than having to link the same file with static HTML from multiple pages?

If you go through the Author Index, you can even browse the site by author.

=Smidge=

[Glaber]

I liked it better when I could browse the content with an icon or thumbnail of the work on the same page. It would give me an idea of what the zone lib was even if I didn't like the name.

I'm also more graphic orenitented(sp) than Text (reason why I still use TGF over C++ or and version of Basic including Dark.)

It would be nice if there was a thumbnail view for the site as an option. It would also be nice if the site was update more often too. The last update was about 3 month ago again.