I'm going to try to keep you all updated on what's happening, before it happens, so you're not completely blown away with any changes that I'm going to make. So, I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain what's coming next.
Scheduler
Right now I'm re-writing the scheduler. Getting schedules input is the most important part of the site, as far as the back-end goes. If I don't know a game exists, then the rankings, standings, maps, and just about everything else will be wrong too. So, right now, that has to be done first.
It won't be much different, as far as the front end goes. All of the same data will still need to be input. The biggest change is that I hope to have it styled to match the boards. I also hope to have it working much better on mobile devices.
Boards/Forums
Once the scheduler is re-written, it will be time to move on to converting the forums over to a different software. For those familiar with the different forum software, we'll be switching over to XenForo (https://xenforo.com/community/).
This will be a very quick process, which I should be able to do in under an hour. I've already converted it a few times on a test server and I don't see any issues so far.
XenForo will be quite a bit different from what we have now. It will look different and work different. It might take a little bit to get familiar with, but I think once everyone figures it out you'll like it much better.
Once the forums are converted is when I'll install the new version of the scheduler. That's also when you'll start to slowly see other parts of the site get updated, and tied into the new site.
Rankings
Once the scheduler and forums are both finished, that's when I'll start working on getting the rankings going. Hopefully by then we'll have most, if not all, of the schedules submitted. This might be a bumpy road for a little while, at least until I get a handle on how everything works, but after that it should be smooth sailing.
Timeline
As far as a timeline for all of this to happen, I really can't say for certain because there are a lot of things that go into it. The amount of time I have to sit around coding, the number of unforeseen problems I run into. There's really just no way to be certain when this will all happen. My goal is by the end of the month, but my hope is by the end of this week. Keep in mind that it's quite possible that I don't reach either of those. It really just depends...
So, there's a little rundown of what to expect in the coming weeks, or months, or however long it takes. If you have any suggestions, questions, concerns, or anything else, feel free to PM me anytime.
Scheduler
Right now I'm re-writing the scheduler. Getting schedules input is the most important part of the site, as far as the back-end goes. If I don't know a game exists, then the rankings, standings, maps, and just about everything else will be wrong too. So, right now, that has to be done first.
It won't be much different, as far as the front end goes. All of the same data will still need to be input. The biggest change is that I hope to have it styled to match the boards. I also hope to have it working much better on mobile devices.
Boards/Forums
Once the scheduler is re-written, it will be time to move on to converting the forums over to a different software. For those familiar with the different forum software, we'll be switching over to XenForo (https://xenforo.com/community/).
This will be a very quick process, which I should be able to do in under an hour. I've already converted it a few times on a test server and I don't see any issues so far.
XenForo will be quite a bit different from what we have now. It will look different and work different. It might take a little bit to get familiar with, but I think once everyone figures it out you'll like it much better.
Once the forums are converted is when I'll install the new version of the scheduler. That's also when you'll start to slowly see other parts of the site get updated, and tied into the new site.
Rankings
Once the scheduler and forums are both finished, that's when I'll start working on getting the rankings going. Hopefully by then we'll have most, if not all, of the schedules submitted. This might be a bumpy road for a little while, at least until I get a handle on how everything works, but after that it should be smooth sailing.
Timeline
As far as a timeline for all of this to happen, I really can't say for certain because there are a lot of things that go into it. The amount of time I have to sit around coding, the number of unforeseen problems I run into. There's really just no way to be certain when this will all happen. My goal is by the end of the month, but my hope is by the end of this week. Keep in mind that it's quite possible that I don't reach either of those. It really just depends...
So, there's a little rundown of what to expect in the coming weeks, or months, or however long it takes. If you have any suggestions, questions, concerns, or anything else, feel free to PM me anytime.
