[pompon-chan]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place.
I can't seem to find a feedback where you actually make feedback posts, feel free to move this to where it really belongs, but since it is on the topic of trisphee talk I thought it was sort of related.

I popped in after being MIA for quite awhile, and I guess something just didn't keep me interested at that time. Coming back to the site, I have to wonder what are the plans for the site. I see items being put out and some body mods, assuming everyone is trying to keep up with gaia's standards. Aside from that the websites layout hasn't been touched, colors are the same and it seems to function like the old coding. Are you guys planning on upgrading and updating your features?

What are some features that you plan on adding to keep up with the competitive and "shiny" new avatar websites? And what is holding you back right now, or rather what are the challenges your facing in order to move forward in your journey.

I'm genuinely interested in what's happening behind the scenes and what precautions it takes to keep an older website interesting for the folks.

[littl3chocobo]

there is a whole buttload of stuff actually XD not just modding bases, there is going to be a new avi editor, an item search function, and more updates for proper hardware AND software compaibility

we also have a new shop and baseless options and the events are a bit more interactive than they used to be XD

[Tohopekaliga]

I post "Dev Diary" threads on Saturdays. Not every Saturday (There won't be one this weekend), but I try to do it when I can.



I am currently working on a new Avatar Editor, with a more streamlined experience, improved searching capabilities, and saving options. My current estimate is that it will be released in January.

Along with the Avatar Editor, there will also be a proper item gallery to allow easier browsing through items that aren't available in the shops currently.


Coda is working on a new rather major game feature for the site, which we'll talk about when that's closer to release.



The primary issue that Trisphee faces is...well. Money. Donations and advertising do provide enough money to cover server costs, and a bit extra for occasional commissioning of things, but we can't afford "real" employees like Gaia and some other sites can manage.

We have a few rather dedicated staffies that make things because they love to do it. Unfortunately, a web designer is not among us. I design things as I need to, but I'm not very good at it, so I hesitate to redo the whole site design. I make incremental changes as I get to them, but that is not an especially flashy thing to do.

The biggest design changes I've done were the front page, the shops, and axing the characters in the header, and aside from the header, that was because I built new features, so a newer design was required.

[littl3chocobo]

hey toho, my fiance actually says there is not much else to do design-wise XD it's fairly efficient and stable and anything else is visual fluff (granted he likes simple and streamlined like i do)

[Tohopekaliga]

True enough. It's not necessarily a bad thing that we don't really change the site design much. But general design on the web shifts over time, and people will often look at things that haven't changed, or look like "current" from 10 years ago as being "bad" or "dead," no matter what the actual state is.


There are improvements I want to make to the forum layout, but there's only so much I can do at a time...It's down my list a ways.

[littl3chocobo]

this is fair, i get that XD

[pompon-chan]

Originally Posted by Tohopekaliga

Those updates sound pretty nice, I'm sure the transparency in what's happening behind the scenes helps with the users.

A lot of websites really do struggle because of the lack of a good dev by their side. But it's nice to hear that your still trying to move things along on your own. That sort of dedication is definitely inspiring to see.

I'm sure a game will be a major bonus and help spike up the activity, since most forums these days do get boring quickly and a fun game by it's side helps boost the traffic.

I was browsing through the shops and noticed that the consistency in the art styles varies a bit item to item. What style are you going for these days? Is it supposed to be a softer shading style like gaia has or a more detailed, rough around the edges look?

Originally Posted by littl3chocobo

While I do agree that having a functional website isn't bad at all. The overall aesthetics are very important to attracting new users. There are a lot of things that jump out at you as outdated through out the website and while they aren't a deal breaker it would be something to improve upon. Web design is moving forward at a very high speed these days, they are always coming up with new innovative designs and while you don't have to be "hip" or up to date as everything is, keeping things moderately moving forward will show the public that you are trying to keep up with the times. As Toho mentioned, having a site look the same for the past 10 years will give you the impression that nothing is getting done, even if it's a small thing like a change of a banner or some colors and icons will spark up a conversation and excitement.

But in overall, it's nice to hear how you guys are trying to improve everything.

I'll stick around and see what the winter event brings. I'm a big fan of christmas event items. = u =

[Moonshadow]

I always say: If it ain't broke don't fix it!
I'm happy here, maybe I please easily, but I'm here more for the friendships and interaction and for me everything else is just a bonus!

[Gallagher]

Well, having things not be broken is great, but that doesn't mean they can't be improved.

I personally feel like sometimes it doesn't seem like we're getting much done, and I actually see behind the scenes things, so I can definitely see why some users would have concerns. But honestly, the way we're doing things now focusing on only one or two major things at a time, it's a lot better for making sure what we do change is working as well as possible. That is, as bug-free as we can get it without a ton of people around to break things in unexpected ways, and as fair and balanced as possible. A lot, and I mean A LOT, of sites have this big issue where they try and do too many exciting awesome things at once to keep interest at MAXIMUM LEVELS ALL THE TIME!!! And... that just ends up with a lot of half-baked features that are never as good as they had the potential to be.

I'm quite excited for the changes to our avatar editor, and the introduction of item tagging. As a hardcore outfit builder -flips hair- I'm of the opinion that no other feature on the entire site is as important, or says more about us, than the editor. It's, well, the cornerstone of everything we do! And these updates are long overdue.

Also, Gaia's editor and inventory and clipping and unisexing and color options are all bad and they should feel bed.

[Salone]

Well call me an old fogey but I happen to like the traditional color layout. It's simplistic without looking simple. I understand people have different tastes though, and a 'leave it how it is' attitude can give the wrong impression about the direction of the site. Don't think you have too much to worry about however! If any colours should be changed around here, it's that choice you made for text.

[Coda]

I actually am mulling over a new website design. I've got a general visual language already worked out, and the way I'll be piecing things together should make a big difference for mobile users. (The new front page is influenced by the new design, but it's built to stay true to the old one.) But in the grand scheme of things it's less important than a LOT of other things I need to do for the site, so I haven't spent any time on it lately and it's not currently on the list of priorities at all. It's definitely not going to happen before summer 2017 because that's how long our current list of stuff is going to take.

[Moonshadow]

I am still of the opinion and Gallagher stated that too many bells and whistles, done poorly, is not a great idea either. I prefer slow progress because I prefer that things be done right, and for the ultimate good of the site, that is kinda what I meant. Ernya did so many "dazzling" things, it was one after another, after another, that finally Prezok couldn't keep the site running anymore. So I prefer things not be "fixed" if they aren't broken. I think the progress on this site will be for the betterment of the site, not to dazzle us with brilliance! But that is just my humble opinion.

I am thrilled with the avi editor, saving avis is #1 for me, so this change I am thrilled about.

[Vee]

Hopefully to keep running because I love this place. ;>

[Moonshadow]

@Vee me too! This is the best one out there, and with the avi editor, I will be here and very happy.

[Potironette]

Bells and whistles... I think that the scroll-y banners and whatever happened to the front page made it look a lot better. The shop looks less old, though I've already forgotten how it looked previously.

I'm glad that the site looks simple enough so it's pretty clear that the focus is the forums and not the games/other tabs--one of the reasons I can stay with Trisphee for so long is because of how easy it is to view all the forum sections, and how not-broken-apart each section looks.

It's also pretty easy to view things as a guest (though it gets confusing when the games are clicked on and attempted).

...I like the colors, but it does look old, but then I find stuff like fancy colors and backgrounds kind of annoying @~@

[pompon-chan]

Sorry, I think I was misunderstood, I wasn't saying that the site should look a certain way nor how change should come quickly and not well thought out. The discussion was mostly regarding what change was being made or in plans and the fact that always striving to improve things should be a common factor between all sites.

I definitely agree that if changes and features are to be made, you should wait and make sure they work and fix all the bugs, etc, before jumping to the next thing.

It's definitely only my opinion, as I have not been apart of this community for a significant amount of time. I'm only stating my point of view as I've returned after 2-3 years to take a look at the state of the website.

That being said, from what seems to be the common opinion. " Don't fix what isn't broken"

My question then is, since you've come to enjoy this website and the state it's in. Why do you think others might be hesitant to stay or join?