Hey all, today we're going live with the beta of a new iteration of MTGS!
Let me start by saying that this is a beta, we are mostly looking for feedback and nothing you see is set in stone. We are doing a public beta to get the opinion of the community before anything happens. There's a lot of stuff to take in, so rather than go on at length, I've highlighted just a couple of the new features below. This beta should last for about a week, and we really want your feedback, so whenever you find something that doesn't work the way it should or that you think is missing or could be improved, please post in the Feedback subforum and let us know! Best of all, for helping us make this site the best that it can be, we'll be hosting a giveaway for helpful feedback! Simply try out the site and let us know your thoughts in the Feedback subforum and you'll be entered into a pool to get actual prizes.
We've got some sweet new features for you to check out:
First, we have our own card database now. It has a detailed price tracker based off TCG-Player and provides some great extra functionality. You're now able to see at a glance from the search results page whether a card's value is trending up or down, and we have some options that don't appear anywhere else. Ever wanted to search for cards that refer to themselves in their oracle text (very useful for searching for value creatures for EDH for example)? You can do that. Even better, your searches can even find cards of sets that we've only partially spoiled! This won't immediately be a replacement for magiccards.info — we're still making tweaks and adding features (this is the beta after all), so let us know what you think!
Speaking of the spoiler, there's new stuff to check out there too. We now have the ability to have multiple active spoilers! Want to follow M14 and Modern Masters with just the MTGS spoilers? We've got you covered. And, as I hinted at above, every spoiler is automatically integrated into our database. That means that the second we know about a card, it will be showing up on your searches when looking for the next sweet thing to include in your decks. We also now have mouse-over card image displays on spoiler cards so that you can easier see exactly what you're talking about.
Additionally, the PM system has gotten an overhaul. You'll notice that PM discussions are much easier to follow now. The discussion is laid out similar to a thread, so you no longer need to worry about the mega-quote nests that used to build up from necessity.
The forums themselves have some cool changes too. You'll notice that you can at a glance see who the most recent poster in the thread was by avatar. We've also streamlined the posting process to work entirely from the quick-reply. You can add images, preview your post, and do everything without loading a whole new page. There's more stuff than I can go into here, but stuff like the new poll options should continue to give you pleasant surprises throughout the beta.
Market Street has been redesigned from the ground up. We have an entirely new system in place that is just a click away via the Trading Post tab at the top of the page. Check out Galspanic's guide to the new Market Street below for the full details on this.
Hello MTGS Traders!
Welcome to our new and much improved Market Street. All the features that you are used to working with are still there, but we have been working to make things better - easier to use, more intuitive, and harder to get infractions. There are a number of massive changes so it's probably best to just hit them point by point.
1 - When you start your Sales/Trade threads they are set up so your rules are text field, your Haves are another, and finally you have a field for Wants. That should help keep things clear and organized. On top of that the Haves and Wants have an easy card look up system so you will avoid typos and create direct links to the card. We have also included "nudges" in these blank fields to read the rules and make sure things are compliant... No excuses, right?
2 - You can no longer bump your Trade/Sales thread by posting. In fact, nobody can bump threads to the top by posting! In your initial post there is a "Bump Button" that you can use instead. It's on a timer so you can't bump more than once every 24 hours so that won't be an issue. If other users post to your thread it won't bump your thread, but neither will YOU replying to their offers. That means that people who wish to conduct business in public will be able to without fear of over-bumping their thread.
3 - Right now we have to manually retire old threads and if you want it back you have to contact us, wait, and have one of the mods resurrect your thread. No More! If your Thread goes inactive after 30 days it will automatically be retired and a PM sent to you. Then you will be able to open it up yourself and go about your business without needing the mods for any of that. You will also only be able to have one thread, so we don't need to worry about people with multiple threads either.
4 - If someone posts to your Trade/Sales thread you will receive a notification. I assume most of us hover over our threads already but it's nice to see a little note up by your PMs to let you know too.
5 - If you have traded with a user it will now show up under their Avatar in their Profile. Why does this matter? It's nice to jog your memory if you don't remember, but also if a user changes their name you will have that visual queue that you have worked with him/her before.
That's the bulk of it on the user side of things. You will also notice that we have some new security measures in place that should help cut down on the number of people who shouldn't be hanging out in there. So, get in there and try it out... see what there is to see and let us know what we need to fix. I imagine that a lot people are pretty content with the way it is now, but after working with these changes for the last few months I am pretty excited about what we have going on here.
-Galspanic
Remember, the purpose of the beta is that we get as much feedback as possible. We need to know everything that isn't working, and everything that could be better. We want to make this the best forum experience it can be, so every little bit helps.
And with that, I think it's best to let you all dive in.
Just got to say, you've definitely earned distinction as an MTGS hero
Quote from Stardust »
Because he's the hero MTGS deserves, and the one it needs right now. So we'll global him. Because he can take it. Because he's not just our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. An expired rascal.
Quote from LuckNorris »
ExpiredRascals you sir are a god-like hero.
Quote from Lanxal »
ER is a masterful god who cannot be beaten in any endeavour.
Also TheEndIsNear seems to be taken.
Which means I'm not interested.
In a less dicky note. If we have our own card database, would it be possible to keep user settings? MagicCards.Info says they do, but I've not found a consistent way to never show unhinged/ungled cards. At worse, I think I'd rather them be disabled by default rather than enabled as I assume most players do not play with them. (Most players than spend time on a magic board I mean)
Note that Curse ID is different from MTGS username - you can still keep your MTGS username. For example, my Curse ID is the not-even-remotely-awkward SeneMTGSalvation, but my username is still Sene. By the way, your Curse ID will be created when you log on, it's not a lengthy process. Just log on, then choose your Curse ID, then choose whether you want to keep your old username or make a new one. And you're set!
Note that Curse ID is different from MTGS username - you can still keep your MTGS username. For example, my Curse ID is the not-even-remotely-awkward SeneMTGSalvation, but my username is still Sene.
I believe its for security reasons. This makes it a lot harder for someone to try to hijack your account because they dont know what you log in as. On the flip side, I dont think I would announce my Curse ID due to that Sene lol. But I could be wrong, there might be another reason.
I know that a lot of online games do this to make it harder to steal accounts.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
I believe its for security reasons. This makes it a lot harder for someone to try to hijack your account because they dont know what you log in as. On the flip side, I dont think I would announce my Curse ID due to that Sene lol. But I could be wrong, there might be another reason.
I know that a lot of online games do this to make it harder to steal accounts.
If you happen to be like me and you already have a curse account you will find the option to set your nickname by default to your MTGS name for this forum.
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
I believe its for security reasons. This makes it a lot harder for someone to try to hijack your account because they dont know what you log in as. On the flip side, I dont think I would announce my Curse ID due to that Sene lol. But I could be wrong, there might be another reason.
I know that a lot of online games do this to make it harder to steal accounts.
It would seem more likely that Curse is excited to add several thousand new users to its customer database.
For some reason it's not loading for me. I can't even see the feedback subforum there to say anything. I'm on Safari 6.0.4 on OS X 10.8.3 if that helps.
Please please tell me the layout and design isn't set in stone or that it will be customisable as that is currently at least to me unbearably ugly.
Great to see rollover card tag popups finally implemented after far far too long though.
There is a reason its a Beta. If you dislike something please give feedback and thorough suggestions on what you would like changed. I cant guarantee that anything will change but if nobody gives any feedback then its a lot less likely to change.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
We all understand that changing things is annoying. We have all gotten used to things here but there is a lot of potential for improvements if we can get the feedback. This is a great opportunity to get requests in and get things streamed out the way we would like them. But I share your sentiment on things changing. Change is difficult.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
my concern would be as it was when Curse first took this place over- Will the site tags change? This site is one of the few sites not blocked by my workplace web proxy.
I just clicked the beta link and it is indeed blocked. I imagine you'll lose quite a few more forum goers than just me, if the tags can't be fixed to mirror whatever this site uses to evade web proxies searching for 'games' or 'forums'.
After over 8 years of vBulletin and this exact layout, who wouldn't be resistant to change? I know I am. But this has the potential to be amazing for MTGS, so if we just do what we can to get everything right in the Beta, it's going to be something we can all get used to.
Quote from Cha Cha »
my concern would be as it was when Curse first took this place over- Will the site tags change? This site is one of the few sites not blocked by my workplace web proxy.
I just clicked the beta link and it is indeed blocked. I imagine you'll lose quite a few more forum goers than me, if the tags can't be fixed to mirror whatever this site uses to evade web proxies searching for 'games' or 'forums'.
This is a pretty huge concern. I've heard this from a lot of people by now. The Curse techs have been notified, and I hope there will be a solution for this.
My biggest problem is that I can't view it at work; my work filters it. I generally view MTGS during the day while I am at work, and it will prevent me from being as involved as I am right now. Same with the card database, blocked. Is this the direction we're going to be going then?
As nice as the new TP is, my main issue is the fact that it's not related to the current one, and that's going to cause a big divide between users of the current and the new one.
Also, way too much screen not being used, especially in widescreen. This looks even worse when you get the side by side H/W in TP. The expand is nice, but theres no in between.
Also, how exactly do we use the same name? I logged in with an older Curse Account, then I'm given the option to change my nickname, but when I do, it says this name is already taken.
First, we have our own card database now. It has a detailed price tracker based off TCG-Player and provides some great extra functionality. You're now able to see at a glance from the search results page whether a card's value is trending up or down, and we have some options that don't appear anywhere else. Ever wanted to search for cards that refer to themselves in their oracle text (very useful for searching for value creatures for EDH for example)? You can do that.
So what you are saying pretty much is that this beta is eventually going to be the replacement for this old forum and you are pretty sure they won't be able to fix the tags?
My main thing so far is that it takes a significantly increased length of time to scroll down to the forums I visit most - Clans, Mafia and Custom Cards, because a) it lags a bit more, something I'd have to test with time, and b) there is a lot more space not being used which naturally increases the length of the page.
It's certainly slower now, but that's because it's still just a beta. It won't be like that when it has fully launched.
We've also requested the option to collapse/hide certain forums and sections to customize your forum index (like we have on vBulletin).
Actually Sene in it's current state it's a deal breaker and I'd cut my losses and go read/participate in another site.
I'm not being resistant to change , I just honestly expected much much better from a curse backed site. I'm actually surprised it was even released in that state as a beta.
In its current state? Yes, totally agreed. But the finished product is something else - let's talk then, huh?
Belgareth - Please understand that this is a beta and we are coming to the community to recieve feedback on it. Its very early in the beta so please rather than just saying you dont like it try to come up with positive ways to make it better. We came to the community to try to broaden the feedback we recieve on it, not to have it dismissed entirely. That is not the way to see changes for the better.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
Let me start by saying that this is a beta, we are mostly looking for feedback and nothing you see is set in stone. We are doing a public beta to get the opinion of the community before anything happens. There's a lot of stuff to take in, so rather than go on at length, I've highlighted just a couple of the new features below. This beta should last for about a week, and we really want your feedback, so whenever you find something that doesn't work the way it should or that you think is missing or could be improved, please post in the Feedback subforum and let us know! Best of all, for helping us make this site the best that it can be, we'll be hosting a giveaway for helpful feedback! Simply try out the site and let us know your thoughts in the Feedback subforum and you'll be entered into a pool to get actual prizes.
We've got some sweet new features for you to check out:
First, we have our own card database now. It has a detailed price tracker based off TCG-Player and provides some great extra functionality. You're now able to see at a glance from the search results page whether a card's value is trending up or down, and we have some options that don't appear anywhere else. Ever wanted to search for cards that refer to themselves in their oracle text (very useful for searching for value creatures for EDH for example)? You can do that. Even better, your searches can even find cards of sets that we've only partially spoiled! This won't immediately be a replacement for magiccards.info — we're still making tweaks and adding features (this is the beta after all), so let us know what you think!
Speaking of the spoiler, there's new stuff to check out there too. We now have the ability to have multiple active spoilers! Want to follow M14 and Modern Masters with just the MTGS spoilers? We've got you covered. And, as I hinted at above, every spoiler is automatically integrated into our database. That means that the second we know about a card, it will be showing up on your searches when looking for the next sweet thing to include in your decks. We also now have mouse-over card image displays on spoiler cards so that you can easier see exactly what you're talking about.
Additionally, the PM system has gotten an overhaul. You'll notice that PM discussions are much easier to follow now. The discussion is laid out similar to a thread, so you no longer need to worry about the mega-quote nests that used to build up from necessity.
The forums themselves have some cool changes too. You'll notice that you can at a glance see who the most recent poster in the thread was by avatar. We've also streamlined the posting process to work entirely from the quick-reply. You can add images, preview your post, and do everything without loading a whole new page. There's more stuff than I can go into here, but stuff like the new poll options should continue to give you pleasant surprises throughout the beta.
Market Street has been redesigned from the ground up. We have an entirely new system in place that is just a click away via the Trading Post tab at the top of the page. Check out Galspanic's guide to the new Market Street below for the full details on this.
Remember, the purpose of the beta is that we get as much feedback as possible. We need to know everything that isn't working, and everything that could be better. We want to make this the best forum experience it can be, so every little bit helps.
And with that, I think it's best to let you all dive in.
Thanks everyone!
Click here to go to the beta!
Body Count: GRRRUUUUUUUUUUU
إن سرقت إسرق جمل
Level 1 Judge
My Cube for use with 6th ed. Rules
It requires me to log in with a Curse ID.
Which I don't have.
Also TheEndIsNear seems to be taken.
Which means I'm not interested.
In a less dicky note. If we have our own card database, would it be possible to keep user settings? MagicCards.Info says they do, but I've not found a consistent way to never show unhinged/ungled cards. At worse, I think I'd rather them be disabled by default rather than enabled as I assume most players do not play with them. (Most players than spend time on a magic board I mean)
I believe its for security reasons. This makes it a lot harder for someone to try to hijack your account because they dont know what you log in as. On the flip side, I dont think I would announce my Curse ID due to that Sene lol. But I could be wrong, there might be another reason.
I know that a lot of online games do this to make it harder to steal accounts.
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[Modern] Allies
You actually log on using your email
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[Modern] Allies
It would seem more likely that Curse is excited to add several thousand new users to its customer database.
There is a reason its a Beta. If you dislike something please give feedback and thorough suggestions on what you would like changed. I cant guarantee that anything will change but if nobody gives any feedback then its a lot less likely to change.
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[Modern] Allies
We all understand that changing things is annoying. We have all gotten used to things here but there is a lot of potential for improvements if we can get the feedback. This is a great opportunity to get requests in and get things streamed out the way we would like them. But I share your sentiment on things changing. Change is difficult.
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[Modern] Allies
I just clicked the beta link and it is indeed blocked. I imagine you'll lose quite a few more forum goers than just me, if the tags can't be fixed to mirror whatever this site uses to evade web proxies searching for 'games' or 'forums'.
:symu::symr::symw::symb::symg: Dream Halls :symu::symr::symw::symb::symg:
:symu::symw: U/W/x Landstill (now Miracles) :symu::symw:
:symu::symu: Merfolk :symu::symu:
contact me!
This is a pretty huge concern. I've heard this from a lot of people by now. The Curse techs have been notified, and I hope there will be a solution for this.
This.
Although customization would reduce that.
Indeed. If I could access the feedback subforum, I would write an essay.
Hopefully they can find a workaround, but I'm not hopeful.
I don't wanna have to remember a third because I can't figure out why the first two don't work on here.
You only have to remember your email.
Also, way too much screen not being used, especially in widescreen. This looks even worse when you get the side by side H/W in TP. The expand is nice, but theres no in between.
Also, how exactly do we use the same name? I logged in with an older Curse Account, then I'm given the option to change my nickname, but when I do, it says this name is already taken.
You can already do that on magiccards.info.
Practice for Khans of Tarkir Limited:
Draft: (#1) (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)
Dismaying.
Well I guess i'll enjoy it while it lasts
:symu::symr::symw::symb::symg: Dream Halls :symu::symr::symw::symb::symg:
:symu::symw: U/W/x Landstill (now Miracles) :symu::symw:
:symu::symu: Merfolk :symu::symu:
contact me!
It's certainly slower now, but that's because it's still just a beta. It won't be like that when it has fully launched.
We've also requested the option to collapse/hide certain forums and sections to customize your forum index (like we have on vBulletin).
Good call on the space though.
In its current state? Yes, totally agreed. But the finished product is something else - let's talk then, huh?
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[Modern] Allies