*** Post Your IDEAS to IMPROVE the FORUM. ***

[Aardvark Bellay]

First of all, thanks for pointing that out. And second, while it's very much an improvement, it's still no substitute for a proper light mode

You see the VIC 3 1.3 dev diary page you had mentioned now in blue , right ?
Else you would have "Use Game Hubs" selected as well in Preferences, which makes it dark red, while Paradoc Classic without the "Use Game Hubs" option activated is a far lighter blue, which should be better readable and not cause you as much eyestrain.

 

[MachopPower69]

I recently had my second ban end today and I had no way to check what the ban message was except for the "You are banned for breaking the rules" message. When the ban was lifted, I checked the ban reason and it was posted a month ago. When I was banned, I couldn't access the reason because notifications and messages are blocked, so I discovered the reason a month after my ban.

My suggestion is to be clearer on the reason of bans instead of the generic message. I had to wait for a month to finally discover the cause and it kept me guessing for so long (Basically I was too critical on a comment which got me banned). The best way is to send an email to the bannee (If that is a word) letting them know of the ban and what the moderators said about the ban.

 

[Nerdfish]

Could we add an option to prohibit people from your ignore list to post in threads you start ?
If I think someone is not providing constructive criticism, and is just being a nuisance, it would be nice to be able to block them from responding. They can still downvote if they cared.

 

[jonjowett]

Could we add an option to prohibit people from your ignore list to post in threads you start ?
If I think someone is not providing constructive criticism, and is just being a nuisance, it would be nice to be able to block them from responding. They can still downvote if they cared.

This might have unintended consequences. For example, the CK2 and EU4 Q&A threads have tens of thousands of posts each, but were started by ordinary forum members.

 

[SirBlackAxe]

• Give Stellaris staff, especially QA and devs, the forum permissions needed to flag threads in the Bug Report and Suggestions section as Implemented.
• Rename the 'Implemented' tab in the Bug Reports section 'Resolved'.
• Rename the 'Your Suggestions' tab in the Bug Reports section 'Your Reports'.
• Provide some game-related icons for posts, possibly via the Smilies button. Like a similar selection to what's available as a reaction on the official Discord.
  • Getting the icon template from the official wiki to work on the forums would be even better, but I'm not sure how feasible that is.
• Fix the 'All of the above' response option to the 'What expansions do you have installed?' question on the Stellaris bug report form. Currently, selecting it causes it to leave the answer blank.
• Add the following missing options to the 'What expansions do you have installed?' question on the Stellaris bug report form:
  • Overlord
  • First Contact
  • Plantoids
  • Humanoids
  • Necroids
  • Toxoids
• Allow post formatting when creating a bug report, particularly lists, tables, and text colors.

 

[Nerdfish]

This might have unintended consequences. For example, the CK2 and EU4 Q&A threads have tens of thousands of posts each, but were started by ordinary forum members.

This problem exist now because nothing prevent ordinary members from deleting their own threads.
If devs / mods wants they can take ownership of a thread, technically they own the forums after all.

 

[jonjowett]

This problem exist now because nothing prevent ordinary members from deleting their own threads.
If devs / mods wants they can take ownership of a thread, technically they own the forums after all.

I don't think this is correct. I checked on a thread I started, and there's no option to delete the thread. I can edit the title, and that's it - I can't delete the thread, and I can't delete the first post.

 

[Nerdfish]

I don't think this is correct. I checked on a thread I started, and there's no option to delete the thread. I can edit the title, and that's it - I can't delete the thread, and I can't delete the first post.

That is curious, unlike how most forums work. Very well, Mods should still be able to take ownership of threads through, so it shouldn't be that big an issue.

 

[jonjowett]

That is curious, unlike how most forums work. Very well, Mods should still be able to take ownership of threads through, so it shouldn't be that big an issue.

Unfortunately, this puts us back in the situation where, if your original suggestion is implemented, then there's a sneaky way for ordinary users to lock other ordinary users out of important community threads.

Do you have a realistic proposal to work around this problem? Because, if not, I don't think it's a good idea. (NB: I'm assuming that asking mods, who are mostly unpaid volunteers, to take active ownership of every popular thread is unrealistic.)

 

[Nerdfish]

Unfortunately, this puts us back in the situation where, if your original suggestion is implemented, then there's a sneaky way for ordinary users to lock other ordinary users out of important community threads.

Do you have a realistic proposal to work around this problem? Because, if not, I don't think it's a good idea. (NB: I'm assuming that asking mods, who are mostly unpaid volunteers, to take active ownership of every popular thread is unrealistic.)

How realistic: How about restrict it to idea / suggestion forums ?

 

[jonjowett]

How realistic: How about restrict it to idea / suggestion forums ?

That seems a lot less likely to cause problems, because there aren't usually long-running threads on those forums. And you could probably safely broaden it to bug report forums as well.

On the other hand, I think it's worth noting that your revised proposal is now extremely narrow (only affecting a tiny minority of posts), ie. medium effort but very low impact, ie. likely to languish at the bottom of an ideas list for years/decades.

On the other other hand, I'm just an ordinary forum user, not a Pdx staff member or mod, so everything I say should be taken with a large grain of salt ;-p

 

[InvisibleBison]

Could we add an option to prohibit people from your ignore list to post in threads you start ?
If I think someone is not providing constructive criticism, and is just being a nuisance, it would be nice to be able to block them from responding. They can still downvote if they cared.

What would be the point of this? If someone's on your ignore list, you can't see what they post, so their posting in threads you start wouldn't affect you. All this would do would be to impede conversations between people who aren't on each other's ignore lists.

 

[elektrizikekswerk]

In response to this thread initiated by @:nordmann9 I would suggest to have "default" flag-avatars for every contempory nation. I'm not sure on how to handle the can of worms in regards to not or only partially recognized countries and territories, though. So maybe this issue already buries that idea again...

Anyways, the reason of that suggestion is simple:
1. In former times having a game registered by Steam and the accounts connected also granted access to various sections of the forum and the avatars connected to the game.
2. Since some time it is possible to have a legal license of many Paradox games without any Steam account
3. No other platfrom offers an API for verifying "ownership"
4. Thus the access restrictions were lifted so that anyone could access the respective forum sections
5. The default list of available avatars is rather restricted, even if people legitimately own the games in question, albeit outside of Steam.

I see these options:
1. Create some avatar default list that includes all existing nations. This has the issues mentioned above.
2. Make all game avatars available for everyone
2.a Exclude games that are Steam exclusive so that these avatars may only be accessed if verified by Steam
3. Make all game avatars available for everyone except the most recent ones for any game series so that these can only be accessed by the current means (connecting to Steam)
3.a Exclude games that are Steam exclusive so that these avatars may only be accessed if verified by Steam

I guess in terms of effort and possible backlash option 2 would be the best option, albeit personally I'd prefer option 1.

 

[Phibs]

In response to this thread initiated by @:nordmann9 I would suggest to have "default" flag-avatars for every contempory nation. I'm not sure on how to handle the can of worms in regards to not or only partially recognized countries and territories, though. So maybe this issue already buries that idea again...

Anyways, the reason of that suggestion is simple:
1. In former times having a game registered by Steam and the accounts connected also granted access to various sections of the forum and the avatars connected to the game.
2. Since some time it is possible to have a legal license of many Paradox games without any Steam account
3. No other platfrom offers an API for verifying "ownership"
4. Thus the access restrictions were lifted so that anyone could access the respective forum sections
5. The default list of available avatars is rather restricted, even if people legitimately own the games in question, albeit outside of Steam.

I see these options:
1. Create some avatar default list that includes all existing nations. This has the issues mentioned above.
2. Make all game avatars available for everyone
2.a Exclude games that are Steam exclusive so that these avatars may only be accessed if verified by Steam
3. Make all game avatars available for everyone except the most recent ones for any game series so that these can only be accessed by the current means (connecting to Steam)
3.a Exclude games that are Steam exclusive so that these avatars may only be accessed if verified by Steam

I guess in terms of effort and possible backlash option 2 would be the best option, albeit personally I'd prefer option 1.

Imho it's a bloated mess already and will continue to grow more so.
It should be done away with to be replace with a selection of avatars independent of games owned whether this be a default list or some type of customization.
Of the options you listed, I'd say this most closely resembles a vote for #1.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

Imho it's a bloated mess already and will continue to grow more so.
It should be done away with to be replace with a selection of avatars independent of games owned whether this be a default list or some type of customization.
Of the options you listed, I'd say this most closely resembles a vote for #1.

I disagree as i'm sure this will only lead to a reduction of available avatars, rather than more or the existing variety coupled with default flags.
I don't see how it's a bloated mess, just because every game has it's own variants of countries in different eras with different styles and frames,
unless if you thought of the issue with non-Steam games that have no way to be verified on the forum.

Likely the best option would be to make all avatars available .
I'm pretty sure even game hoarders on this forum don't buy games only to get the forum avatar, so i don't see it being a great incentive to buy
a game or at least not in relevant numbers, so in turn a limitation has no big point from the companies view

Contrary to that the avatars of not owned games can actually rather tease and create interest for it and the more those avatars are used..

Option 3 would be an alternative, but as mentioned above i don't believe a forum avatar serves much as an incentive to buy
nor for the customer to feel 'rewarded' afterwards. Subjective opinion of mine of course. Could be an interestsing question for the marketing guys
in surveys. No idea if Paradox had asked that before.

So i suppose im going with elektrizikekswerks option 2.
The Oprah option.

 

[Phibs]

I disgaree as i'm sure this will only lead to a reduction of available avatars, rather than more or the existing variety coupled with default flags.
I don't see how it's a bloated mess, just because every game has it's own variants of countries in different eras with different styles and frames,
unless if you thought of the issue with non-Steam games that have no way to be verified on the forum.

We do indeed disagree.

Reduction of avatars looks like a feature from my end.
The loading of the avatar selection is rather glitchy/slow already and then there's the list barely fitting on one page which will continue to grow longer.

For instance, the CK3 avatars. Those could be cut without anything of value being lost. Flag redundancy.
Personally, I don't see the upside of having the same flag multiple times (maybe with a different border or alignment).

Different strokes.

 

[Aardvark Bellay]

We do indeed disagree.

Ah.
Always good when there is no additonal misunderstanding to disagreeing.

The loading of the avatar selection is rather glitchy/slow already and then there's the list barely fitting on one page which will continue to grow longer.

More a technical issue on the forum software and UI design.

 

[Phibs]

More a technical issue on the forum software and UI design.

In some ways. Although they just switched to it so it's unlikely to be resolved by another switch.

Take a gander at this, for instance:

I had to zoom out to 33% to even fit the March of the Eagles avatars on one page. That's one game. A minor one from years back.
You need the images to be a certain size in the selection menu to even make a choice. If anything they're kinda on the small side already.
Don't reckon this is something to be rectified purely on the UI level.

 

[Brynjar]

Please let me get rid of the green Onetrust cookie button covering the box for typing forum posts on android phones:

I can accept or reject the cookies as many times as I want, the button just won't go away.

Also, please let us make partial quotes of dev diaries without having to quote the entire dev diary, then remove all the part that are irrelevant to the question/comment. The "new" dev diary format is straight up a big downgrade from the old forum post dev diaries from a forum user point of view.

 

[jonjowett]

Also, please let us make partial quotes of dev diaries without having to quote the entire dev diary, then remove all the part that are irrelevant to the question/comment. The "new" dev diary format is straight up a big downgrade from the old forum post dev diaries from a forum user point of view.

AFAIK, you can make partial quotes by editing the raw bbcode (via the "[]" button in the top right). At least, this seems to be possible on PC (see below), but maybe it's blocked in whatever editing method you normally use (which seems to be some kind of mobile client)?

Spoiler: example

Hello everyone! I’m Kuba, Release Engineer & Interim QA Coordinator here at Paradox Tinto and today I’d like to talk about some known issues and our plan for upcoming weeks.

INSERTED ARBITRARY TEXT, AND DELETED THE MIDDLE OF THE POST

We will be monitoring all the bug reports and social media for other issues as well to ensure that our focus is on the bugs that are annoying our community the most. While I cannot promise any particular fix at this point, we will attempt to prioritize and fix as many as we can.

This also means that we won't be posting new development diaries soon, but we will keep the communication open to keep you all informed of our intentions and plans.