GarageGames Website Changes: March
by Jacob Fike · 04/07/2009 (5:31 pm) · 56 comments
You may have noticed a few changes today. Here is a comprehensive list of what changed over the course of March (and this first week of April). As always, please give us your feedback.
New Features
- RSS Feeds! - Yes, RSS feeds are back! You will find them right here
- jQuery - Our javascript library is now jQuery instead of Prototype/Scriptaculous, so hopefully you will notice some speed improvements and this also will pave the way for some fancy new features (like the mini-profiles described below).
- Mini-profiles - Clicking a user's name on the forums or on a blog will drop down a small profile tooltip with some handy information and links in it.
- Page header improvements - You can now quickly view your profile and change your settings from any page with the dropdown menu that appears when you hover over the My Account link. The Cart link now shows how many items are in your cart. Also, be sure to checkout the Games dropdown menu.
- Checkout process - Fill out billing and shipping information (when needed) on the same page, simplifying the checkout process.
- Activity Feed - Now we show a recent activity feed on each user's profile so you can more easily see what people have been up to instead of searching through all blogs or threads separately.
- Engine screenshots - Screenshots for engines now have comments, letting you know what game the screenshot is from.
- Code in blogs/threads - You should now notice a spiffy new look for code blocks in threads and blogs/resources with syntax highlighting. You can specify the code syntax in the code tag by using [code=X where X is cpp (for C++), c#, php, python, java, js, sql, or xml. If it is not specified it will default to C++ syntax highlighting.
Bug fixes
- Fixed whitespace issues and wordwrap issues in code blocks
- Fixed lots of display issues in Opera
- Posting and editing blogs and threads should be faster now
- Better messaging when trying to purchase a product that requires owning another product
About the author
As the CTO of Avalon Labs LLC, I am responsible for the technology behind Fellowstream, our team-based to-do list.
#2
this is totally awesome.
is someone working on a markup for torquescript ?
is that something that could be community-sourced ?
c++ is pretty close to torquescript, but there are usually a few differences.
04/07/2009 (5:39 pm)
> You can specify the code syntax in the code tag by using [code=X where X is cpp (for C++), c#, php, python, java, js, sql, or xml.this is totally awesome.
is someone working on a markup for torquescript ?
is that something that could be community-sourced ?
c++ is pretty close to torquescript, but there are usually a few differences.
#3
04/07/2009 (5:45 pm)
I thought I saw a while ago that there was some means added for seeing unread/read threads in the forums. If it's there I'm not seeing it. 
#4
04/07/2009 (5:54 pm)
Drew, if you go to the Forum tab, there is a "View All Unread" in the upper right corner that should get you what you need. 
#5
04/07/2009 (5:54 pm)
Awesome update guys, I love it!!!! 
#6
- Usernames don't appear next to posts in the 'mini profile' box,
- Blog pages don't seem to end.. Ever. The scrollbar just gets smaller and smaller as you scroll.. Scrolling infinitely into nothingness..
Otherwise, it all sounds good :D
04/07/2009 (6:03 pm)
Awesome, but I'd like to report a couple of immediately noticable bugs (in IE6):- Usernames don't appear next to posts in the 'mini profile' box,
- Blog pages don't seem to end.. Ever. The scrollbar just gets smaller and smaller as you scroll.. Scrolling infinitely into nothingness..
Otherwise, it all sounds good :D
#7
04/07/2009 (6:07 pm)
Awesome updates! Well done GG team! 
#8
04/07/2009 (6:26 pm)
I actually want to post code solely to see it all snazzy in the code block now :) 
#9
Edit: another comment (if I have more I'll head to the thread ;)
I think the green bar to the left of code shouldn't extend up into the 'view plain'/'print' area. Increases the required attention just a bit when copying code out of the block.
It's really, really awesome to see changes on the site so frequently, especially when they help everyone out!
04/07/2009 (6:31 pm)
if( plan.author $= "Jacob Fike" )
echo("Sweet!");
//TODO: the Community picture bar takes up a ton of space.
//Seems kinda useless too - I agree that you need something
// to break up the tab rows, but I'm never going to click itEdit: another comment (if I have more I'll head to the thread ;)
I think the green bar to the left of code shouldn't extend up into the 'view plain'/'print' area. Increases the required attention just a bit when copying code out of the block.
It's really, really awesome to see changes on the site so frequently, especially when they help everyone out!
#11
04/07/2009 (6:36 pm)
It'd be nice to have markup for HLSL/GLSL too. 
#12
*sigh* I'd been so vigilante for blog updates in the meantime ...
edit: Just been on forums, code snipits are awesome!
FEEDBACK: Font in the forums list (unread) is a bit small. I'm working on 1280x768 and it's a bit hard to see, if I bumped that up to 1680x1050 it'd be impossible.
04/07/2009 (6:40 pm)
RSS feeds return! *sigh* I'd been so vigilante for blog updates in the meantime ...
edit: Just been on forums, code snipits are awesome!
FEEDBACK: Font in the forums list (unread) is a bit small. I'm working on 1280x768 and it's a bit hard to see, if I bumped that up to 1680x1050 it'd be impossible.
#13
Nice job on the website, it's still a bit jarring at times, but it is an improvement over what went before.
04/07/2009 (6:55 pm)
Hehe, I actually get told I write too small, I like small print. If it's bigger than newsprint then it's too big!Nice job on the website, it's still a bit jarring at times, but it is an improvement over what went before.
#14
04/07/2009 (6:57 pm)
Love the Code blocks! Great job!!
#15
Then I need new prescription specs!
... er ... actually I do...
8D
04/07/2009 (7:04 pm)
@ Mr HallThen I need new prescription specs!
... er ... actually I do...
8D
#16
04/07/2009 (7:18 pm)
if (needsGlasses = "Steve YourkshireRifles Acaster") return; echo "MikeRowley needs bifocals";
#17
Some Feedback, as usual (you dont want only the flowers, right?):
* Any chances of getting the timestamp on each line of the "Recent Activity" on the member's profile?
* Also on the "Recent Activity", would be cool that maybe that list show strictly the latest activity, and not the last of each category. For example, in my profile, under Recent Activity the first line(!) is a blog post I made Long time ago.
* The quotes now start with "Quote:" can that be removed?
* Please add the new [ code ] tag to the MarkupLite Reference (and the LIST tag would be cool to have there as well)
* Do you have an emotional attachment to this thing? 
Please! Get ride of it!
---------
Bugs
* The [ li ] tag doesnt work anymore.
Again, very good work!
04/07/2009 (7:23 pm)
Awesome!!! Besides the enumerated, there are also a bunch of minor delightfull details as well. Very good work!Some Feedback, as usual (you dont want only the flowers, right?):
Please! Get ride of it!
---------
Bugs
* The [ li ] tag doesnt work anymore.
Again, very good work!
#18
Good one!
-----
Have to agree with Novack, the site would not be worse if that image vanished. It has given my middle mouse finger (impudus digitis!) a good work-out though scrolling past it. Also it looks much bigger on IE than Firefox.
04/07/2009 (7:43 pm)
@Mike - if you give me a hernia from laughing I will sue!Good one!
-----
Have to agree with Novack, the site would not be worse if that image vanished. It has given my middle mouse finger (impudus digitis!) a good work-out though scrolling past it. Also it looks much bigger on IE than Firefox.
#19
ya, that image = prime space waster...
(I would cut the height, of that useless image, in half and advertise a few items in a horizontal row.. randomly chosen... based in flash using an XML item list or something similar. :P)
04/07/2009 (7:53 pm)
Keep up the stride web team!ya, that image = prime space waster...
(I would cut the height, of that useless image, in half and advertise a few items in a horizontal row.. randomly chosen... based in flash using an XML item list or something similar. :P)
#20
"Community - tips, development, resources" - we know that, that's why we are here. :)
C3PO: "Shutting up, sir"
04/07/2009 (7:57 pm)
How about just keeping the image for the front page?"Community - tips, development, resources" - we know that, that's why we are here. :)
C3PO: "Shutting up, sir"
Torque 3D Owner Afan Olovcic