UESP Forums

Well, I was just thinking, do you guys think UESP should switch to a different, more high tech forum software? Like vBulletin or IPB? Those types of forums have so much more to offer, for example, Rep is something that would encourage people to post more useful things. What do you guys think?

No, just no. Firstly, they're gonna cost the admins. Secondly, they use a lot more data than Phpbb, and this forums tries to keep the page loads small.

And besides, reputation is a gimmick. The layout of IPB is an eye sore. And vB is just clunky.

EDIT: Also, this should've gone in UESP Site section.

No. phbb is far more convenient and appealing to the eye.

Nah, long live phpbb! And UESP's use of it! I took a look a those other types you mentioned and I have to agree with Spiney and say that IPB looks nasty.

IPB is nasty, and vBulletin is a Trixie to moderate. For the size of community we have, this place is just much better suited to the tools that phpBB provides. Hell, even if we were bigger it'd still be better.

Wouldn't changing the software reset the whole site??

From what little I know about MySQL databases, the data they contain could be used on any forum software. But it's probably a pain to port, and we'd get nowhere near enough advantage by doing so.

In my experience, this is the easiest to use. I shouldn't have to use my browser's search function just to find a link back to the forum index.

I say we stick to what we got right now. A new layout might go south.

Also, older computers (like mine) will have a bit more trouble in trying to process the new layouts.

So much phpBB love. <3
Every forum I use is phpBB for a reason.

I understand, you guys love phpBB But I would be happy to donate my vBulletin License with 4.1.3 to the site In case the Mods/Admins change their minds

It's Ratwar's decision. You're the first person ever to dislike phpBB3 here though ;D now if we were using phpBB2 I would be complaining.

With regards to layouts and those who are afraid of eyesores, all that is customizeable so you can have your forums look like another forum type entirely if you bother to dig into the CSS.

I guess I'll just live with it To me it seems that vBulletin communities are closer together than phpBB. But that is just my expirence. Like I said before, I would be happy to donate my license if the need ever arises!

I suppose, but Imagine the possibilities with vB! A shoutbox, TES Games in your postbit, a reputation system. But I can see where you all are coming from with the fact that phpBB has been here this whole time

I've moderated a vBulliten forum once...
Wasn't as easy as the PhpBB one I'm currently moderator...
I can back up both forum software so...

All those things you suggested are the reasons why we use Phpbb.

Really? Having Game icons in your postbit is the reason you dont use vB? Anyway, I hope an Admin sees this, so he can consider, he could put it on a new database, deactivate this one, then active the vb one, and see if it works out okay. But its just a suggestion

No, I meant the Shoutbox and Reputation.

Frivolous and pointless things that just becomes annoyances.

And besides, we already have a section on people's profiles to put what ES games you have.

Btw the poll seems to be broken, it does not allow votes.

On my site we had a whip around and got IPB from the Invision time and then a few years later we changed to Vbulletin (march 2011). Both are good packages but both cost to upgrade after 6months or a year respectively. Invision is more of a real time board and easier to setup from the admin panel, where as vbulletin is not real time, it does timed updates but comes with a lot of cool stuff that makes it better than IPB.

Like apps that can be added to vbulletin to increase its functionality, we added a app that detects spammers and blocks then, a chat box, some stats and other things for example. Plus we have a blog with it, a cms with it a lot of other things but i dont think that side of the software would suit UESP.

To be honest, i think UESP does okay with what it currently uses.

I can't see us changing forum software anytime soon. There's multiple reasons for this, basically money, upgrade time, and a lack of a compelling reason to upgrade.

If we did upgrade, I'd probably move towards IP.Board, simply because I have more experienced with it. The Bethesda forums use it, and it does have some useful moderating features that an unmodded phpBB boards lacks, but there's nothing major.

Well thanks for the reply Ratwar, but I just think that we should move into more recent software, like I said I can understand money is an issue, that is why I would donate my vB license.

IPB is a good real time forum, Vbulletin tends to need massive databases and is not real time in processing things. So you often have to wait 10 minutes for the stats and stuff to update.

I have tried both and I think Vbulletin handles spammers better with its addons, IPB seems defenceless against then some times. But IPB is better for small to medium size sites i would say. Cheaper too. But the support sucks for IPB, for Vbulletin its first class.

PS Ratwar: Vbulletins Admin CP is not as friendly as IPBs and not at feature packed either.