The RPS Feedback Thread

Sarfrin 2021-01-27 00:46:34 UTC #1571

I’ve found 4 levels deep on Graham’s post and it looks OK on my mobile. I can see issues with it getting deeper than that but not many comments sections get that nested and the 8 levels you posted must be very rare.

Sarfrin 2021-01-27 00:48:51 UTC #1572

On mobile tap the menu top right and it’s the first option.

BillButNotBen 2021-01-27 04:20:50 UTC #1573

While I’m throwing out ideas, it’d be cool if there was some kind of highlighting/styling for specific content types to make them stand out.

You have the pink icon and pink “Feature” for features. How about an icon for the Podcast, plus using different ones for ‘reviews’, ‘hardware’, ‘bestest best’ etc…
Using the same pink icon for all of those categories makes it kinda meaningless.

Specifically for the podcast, I’d give the surrounding div a slightly different background color to make it stand out as a unique thing.

You don’t want to go overboard with icons, as they wouldn’t stand out then and it’d become a bit of a mess. But ones for the categories above would be a good idea imho.

If there are regular columns like The Mechanic or The Limit Break then maybe they could have their own reserved spot somewhere in the layout.

Also, just as an idea for the future, which I don’t know if the platform would support, if I’m signed in then you should theoretically be able to tell which articles are new since my last visit, and either highlight those slightly or fade out the older ones slightly. That way, scrolling down the front page, it’d be easy to pick out new articles in the different sections.

BillButNotBen 2021-01-27 04:31:18 UTC #1574

As something to work on, I kind of like having the ‘latest articles’ bit at the bottom of each individual page, but for news post pages you do tend to get the same articles duplicated. (in the ‘more news’ section and the ‘latest articles’ section)

This doesn’t seem to be such an issue for other types of page, as the feature pages have ‘more features’ and ‘latest articles’ which don’t have so much overlap.

Hanimalle 2021-01-27 09:22:36 UTC #1575

Finally, I have been waiting for this for so long. No, I’m not talking about the new website but rather the fact that this gives me a good reason to add a poll.

I love the new design, don’t change anything about it !
I like the new design though it could use some improvements.
I dislike the new design.
I dislike change and/or new things.

0 voters

Show results

TheRed 2021-01-27 11:40:56 UTC #1576

I have to say I find it hard to see this as an improvement. I expect to see newest content at the top of the page, unequivocally. To me, it’s baffling that this isn’t a fundamental. There is also too much duplication of content. It just overcomplicates things. I am not against change, but as it is so far, I don’t find this an improvment at all as a user.

Eleven 2021-01-27 12:33:26 UTC #1577

I’m locked out of the main site because I have way too many email addresses, and I can’t remember which one I used. I had a fair bit of time left on the Supporter subscription too.

Sarfrin, how did you manage to use the new account page to find your email address?

Sarfrin 2021-01-27 12:35:02 UTC #1578

It tells you if you try to create a new account with an email address that already has an account.

alms 2021-01-27 13:35:41 UTC #1579

I have no strong feelings, the new design however certainly doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

Always be cursed Apple, and retina searing, battery-draining white backgrounds.

Seriously

Viscount 2021-01-27 13:49:25 UTC #1580

Given the /latest page is still there I’m not too fussed about the front page.

When a site makes a change like this it’s rarely because the content creators want to have a nice new look. It’s usually because of things like a) the backend is going to fall over soon so we need to migrate to something else or b) the powers that be need to align the look and brand with their other sites or c) something to do with adverts.

The main issue right now is the speed of the site - super slow at best, and sometimes crashing completely with that Gamer Network logo popping up.

BillButNotBen 2021-01-27 13:51:55 UTC #1581

I’m pro the new design, but having just had a quick look at Eurogamer (which I never visit), it does look very similar. (I mean, I assume because it is using the exact same code).
As such, my worry would be that it doesn’t really differentiate itself from other sites on the network…

A background color change would be one way to do that, but another might be to make the ‘snippets’ longer for some of the front page content so that it basically keeps the new layout, but still retains a bit more of a blog vibe.
Not sure if that would work or not, but it might be worth a try, especially for the top section. (Which I’d shorten a bit and give a title of “Recommended Reading” or something along those lines. )

Not had a chance to try it on mobile, but on desktop if I shrink the width it doesn’t seem to be responsive at all. I can’t believe that’s true, so maybe it’s using some weird method to determine screen size?
I’ll try it on mobile when I get a chance.

Skalpadda 2021-01-27 14:54:07 UTC #1582

Layout seems fine to me. I’ve usually gone straight to the Features or Reviews tags these days (which is where 90% of the content I like is anyway) but I’m going to give the front page a chance for a while.

It does load very slowly. Hopefully that can be fixed soon.

And I’d still love a dark mode of some kind if that’s at all possible.

alms 2021-01-27 15:42:09 UTC #1583

I believe there are several non-GN gaming sites that championed a similar row-based pagination format.

The discussion had already popped up with the previous re-design as RPS had retained what was an essentially vertical, or column-based lay-out instead, which was felt to be a little passe by some. (IIRC)

TheRed 2021-01-27 16:00:28 UTC #1584

Yep, even on reflection, I hate that the very ftop section isn’t simply all recent articles in chronological order. That should be first, with broken down categories and highlights before it. Really dislike this aspect of new layout.

Naramsin 2021-01-27 20:47:27 UTC #1585

Why there is such decline in WIT and previews? Looking at RPS, one would think that PC gaming is indeed dying. Like, last couple of months I actually browse Steam to search for new games, something I never did as RPS always gave me feed of games to put on my whishlist.

When PC Gamer has beaten you on discoveries and not AAA stuff it doesn’t look good.

TheRed 2021-01-27 21:59:07 UTC #1586

Got to say I can’t help but think the new ownership has led to a decline in WITs. There are so many things to review, but they seem relatively few. I’d always considered it a core of the site. I know that I am increasingly old and perhaps not a KEY DEMOGRAPHIC moving forwards into the age of young STREAMERS and E-CELEBS getting each other shot over imagined slights, DANCE EMOTES, SKINS and MERCH in online football/shooting games… so it’s irrelevant if I couldn’t give a monkeys about that bizarre world - but reviews, surely, should still be pretty key? They used to be a real way in to interesting and unheralded games, too, and that seems to be far less the case now.

alms 2021-01-27 22:04:37 UTC #1587

That answer always sounds oddly reminiscent of the message the gaming industry used to give, when they kept saying certain games could not be made anymore.

TheRed 2021-01-27 22:08:32 UTC #1588

Which answer are you referring to…?

Skalpadda 2021-01-27 22:40:26 UTC #1589

@Naramsin @TheRed

This is vaguely recalled stuff I’m sure I’ve seen Graham say in comments threads, so take with a pinch of salt, but:

I think in the last year it’s mainly been a matter of money being tight and needing to focus on what keeps the lights on, which apparently is more guides and hardware stuff that brings in search engine traffic rather than reviews and traditional RPS musings about games. I recall seeing Graham say (somewhere) that he really wants to do more creative stuff this year if money allows, so let’s hope that happens.

The reviews aren’t called WITs anymore, and some things that aren’t labeled as reviews still kind of are reviews. I have no idea why that is, but there’s more stuff than is obvious if you’re just scrolling through.

somini 2021-01-27 23:36:59 UTC #1590

Ah, sounds like the site redesign broke the RSS feeds.

Other than that, it sounds good to me, perhaps a bit cleaner than usual.