I think this really just all comes down to the forums. I mean how would you feel any different on a single day dedicated to teaching oppose to something always available to you all the time. You may feel like a noob posting it but anyone looking at it does not feel the same. We only look at is as "what is this best way we can help this user." And the only ever reason we would ever not reply to your topic is if we miss it. Other wise then that we would always reply or direct someone to it that could.
I feel a new forum software. This is only, however if IPS 4.0 is still using clunky, fat, useless code. Has anyone realized the scroll lag and load time of XPG especially on rather long pages? It's due to IPB and it's tendency to include useless code. IPB is good for small communities but once you start getting a lot of members, topics, posts, forums, etc. it just becomes so slow and messy. I honestly think that XPG would be MUCH better running XenForo (it's a LOT smoother) or possibly even a custom software, but I doubt that will happen any time soon. Since I'm assuming that B meant getting IPB 4.0 when he said software update, I guess we will just have to hope that IPS has gotten their act together with it, so that XPG will become responsive and sleek once more. So to sum things up. My suggestion: Switch to XenForo, if IPB 4.0 is still slow and clunky.
Replying to post above ^^ I think the colors don't really show as much. Because if your staff it's secondary and if your a member its secondary. Only way is that if a admin deems you worthy of actually being in the group itself, not too sure on that though. I think the colors are basic for what you can see on the bottom of the site. They also offer something special to earn on the site. I think XPG would be very boring if all there was, was staff groups and team xpg. Plus the big user base we have, it fits it swell.
I just think that all these colours' only purpose is making people feel special. I think they're pointless honestly, but that's my opinion and is not presented as fact.
I don't necessarily think that having a color on your name would make you special? The sole purpose of it is to differ everyone. Say you need help from staff.. How would you know who to contact if we all looked the same color? Obviously you could go to the moderating team page and figure that out yourself but really, how many people know that? And also this offers a perk to gold members to finally have a shining color, in which they paid for. And maybe people do want to feel special? That's okay on there part, there buying Gold. And if someone wanted a color to just feel special in a higher up group, I don't think that a admin would appoint it to them. There is many, many, many more reasons as to why colors serve a good purpose oppose to just, feeling cool or "special." But these are the main things I can name right now.
I think the issue i have with it is that everyone is trying to be different or stand out, so much so that gold is just too common now. You can have the different staff badges, but make them all the same colour besides the retired/admin/founder. I can at least agree with the gold thing, but the point is the site is being oversaturated with all the different groups and colours and member types. I think if they cut down the amount of colours then they can make gold feel more special instead of a colour out of a dozen.
How about a live channel page with the numbers saying how many channels is live so members host, lobby's tuts, how to, or just an xpg gaming night so you can watch this way you get more peps on site asking Questions or just helping you out on the game. Send from space...
Maybe adding an Ebook/PDF Section would be cool or even Custom user groups where gold members can start clans on XPG with custom username styles. None that resemble staff username colors of course I was also thinking it would be cool to be able to view who else is viewing the same thread as you at the bottom of the page To have a Custom User Group you should have to make a badge for your own group though... Just a thought
something i have seen a lot just lately is people making a account to just do a topic in the game sharing forums you should make it so you have to have so many posts/ a Seton amount of rep before your aloud to make a topic in them forums and make it so they have to post proof of the games/DLC they have by screen shoting it from xbox.com and get the service mods to verify it to cut down the scamming/ low post/untrusted members of xpg making the topics saying i go first as of scammers
I have so many ideas but it would take me several hours to make a whole list with the badge/award designs and requirements to earn the badges/awards
