phpbb vs smf = smf

[Wyld]

Well, I have a large project ahead of me, and after writing everything down on required features and addons .. phpbb won.  So I regretfully removed the SMF i had played with, and installed phpbb.  Well, the packages I needed to use were either slightly or completely out of date version wise, and the core phpbb kept screwing up the cookie and wouldn't keep me logged into admin panel.  So I swore and reinstalled from a fresh gzip on the server.

Fresh code, fresh db, fresh everything .. same problem.

So, screw it.  I'm going to remove it all right now, install SMF, and port what mods I needed from the phpbb world across to SMF.  I will end up putting a forum up on my site for SMF coders/users as well so I can share what I learn and what code I use .. Once I get the base system installed, I'll update my sig with my new domain name.

So, looks like I'm here for long haul.

* Wyld waves goodbye to phpbb.

[[Unknown]]

Sounds like you, primarily, want membergroup moderation (from what posts I could gather...)?

-[Unknown]

[CapriSkye]

that's good to hear
and if i remember correctly, phpbb 3.0 will be redesigned so old mods and themes will no longer work. if that's correctly, you might as well start coding for smf than phpbb.

[Wyld]

Sounds like you, primarily, want membergroup moderation (from what posts I could gather...)?

-[Unknown]

Actually, there are a heap of things I'm after. So, here's a basic list

• Integrated Auction Application (no payment system, no real life stuff, its just for goods in a game)
• Integrated Image Gallery
• Integrated Blog (nothing special, just has to work for a specific admin-assigned group)
• Integrated Calender
• Integrated Articles (which I might be able to hack into place using a different php page to call content from a hidden forum)
• Group controlled Groups (ie: those in KnightLeaders can add/remove users in KnightMembers)
• Safe HTML (allow users to enter a wider range of HTML directly, but all nasty code (like onLoad, etc) is stripped on entry .. this ties in with the Article system, allowing more control (ie: tables, whatever) on our Articles.
• And of course, One Portal to Bind Them

Those are the core items ... from there, there are a hundred little things to change and alter, little things to expand on .. one thing I was considering was a version control option .. if someone alters a post, it saves the original post in another hidden forum so admins can get a grip on whats happening.

Another idea .. was to do with the forum into articles system.  Use a hidden forum (say, users in the ArticleWriters group get access) so they can draft out articles.  The article is written, and people can comment under it helping build the article.  Once it's done, it can be made Sticky .. which then makes it available for public viewing .. as the additional php page which calls it will only allow the viewing of sticky posts.  Can add a poll which allows people to rate the article.  As for security and access control, its going to have to be simple, because its not using the SMF security model to *display* articles .. as articles will all appear outside the forums - only via the external page.  Oh, and the article shown will be the first post only, the article proper .. any comments will not be shown, nor will anyone be able to make comments directly against it via the article page.  Discussion on articles can be coded into an "Article Discussion" forum ...

The site I need to build is for one of the largest online perminent worlds in the Neverwinter Nights game.  Internode run a module called Drow Wars, which is a *heavily* modified version of the Nordock module (if you know NWN modules), and its just getting bigger and bigger.  I'm one of the Senior DMs there and we're taking the step of making a all-singing all-dancing system for our users. 

Now, I'm sure I've missed out things I am wanting and after .. but that gives you my aims, and what I need to code.  Atleast to start with

[Wyld]

oh couple of other things just entered my head ..

the core html thing i need are tables .. the ability to allow colspan and rowspan, and allowing style commands .. that would cover 95% of what I need really .. allowing style to be defined means i can use a range of preset styles or allow customised table design as needed.

the articles (indeed, any post) would also have the ability to show thumbnails from the gallery, with a click on thumb to show full pic

also, i need to write a few database type frontends to some forums.  Two examples are:

1. Players can submit a "moster skin" to a new character.  A form allowing the user to select a specific monster skin, with checking on what character class/race/etc is allowed for that specific monster .. and a bio/history for it.  It can then be posted as a forum entry, but to a specific standard and prechecked.  Replies to the post will need to be hidden unless you're in the DrowWarsAdmin group (which is not the site admin) ... final approval is given by editing the original post with a thumbs up or thumbs down (usually thumbs up).

2. A private forum for admins, which track entries on users who get warned/temp.banned/perm.banned .. form provides userid, cdkey hash, account name, reason, etc ..  replies will discuss the specific action.  But, need to write it so the original post can be updated .. ie: upgrade from warning to temp.ban and when user is to be allowed back in (calender event maybe) .. notice that user is allowed back in .. upgrade to perm.ban .. etc

There's alot to be done, and its all still rather fluid .. but I'm getting all these down on paper as I go.

[[Unknown]]

Integrated Auction Application (no payment system, no real life stuff, its just for goods in a game)

So, essentially, a shop mod?

Integrated Image Gallery

But not Coppermine?

Integrated Blog (nothing special, just has to work for a specific admin-assigned group)

You can do this with SSI.php quite easily...

Integrated Calender

It may not have recurring events, but it's there.

Integrated Articles (which I might be able to hack into place using a different php page to call content from a hidden forum)

There's lots of ways to do this, you could even write a quick easy mod and parse the bbc.... would take a matter of maybe half an hour to write.

Group controlled Groups (ie: those in KnightLeaders can add/remove users in KnightMembers)

Group moderation, this one is somewhat complicated but it could be done fairly easily.

Safe HTML (allow users to enter a wider range of HTML directly, but all nasty code (like onLoad, etc) is stripped on entry .. this ties in with the Article system, allowing more control (ie: tables, whatever) on our Articles.

There will always be holes.  Always.  But, 1.1 has this for admins only.

And of course, One Portal to Bind Them

There's several portals and CMS's available, and it's easy to write one with SSI.php...

-[Unknown]

[Amacythe]

Welcome back

[OvermindDL1]

Yes, having groups able to control groups, phpBB style, would get me to turn someone back to SMF...

[Trekkie101]

[offtopic]
Didnt I post here? Im sure I did.
[/offtopic]

[OvermindDL1]

[offtopic]Does not seem so.
[/offtopic]