Dev blog 13/04/2018 - The User Interface

Dev blog 13/04/2018

Up until now we have not shared much information about the next major release of GmodStore. This development blogs section will aim to change that up a bit. Most of the content creators have already seen the changes I am about to show you, but regular users have not been kept up to date with the current and future state of this website.

Today I will be going over the new interface as well as a few new features you will see in the new version of GmodStore at release. Keep in mind most of the things I go over here are subject to change at any time and may not be final.

Version 3.0 of GmodStore as most of you know it as is a complete rewrite of the current website, and even swaps database engine. But without further ado, here is some information about the new version:

Keep in mind some of the pictures include buttons and features not otherwise visible to regular users, my account has content curator access.

The new index page

The new index page as you can see above is quite different from the one you're used to. This one aims to put the addons in the focus. You can no longer purchase "featured scripts" upgrades and addons are featured by our content curators. There are however specific rules that we will implement to make sure that the same addons don't get featured over and over again for long periods of time. Below there will be a list consisting of addons of interest.

The current listing images for addons will need to be replaced with new ones fitting the correct dimensions. That is why the listing images in the image above look blurry and stretched.

Addon listing

Addon listing now has more options than previously. You can now select addons that have a rating of above a certain threshold, above a certain amount of sales as well as filtering from a max and minimum price. Tags have been replaced with categories that function in much the same way, but are more generalized towards specific things like a specific gamemode.

The header image is temporary, don't pay too much attention to specifics as some things will definitely change before this is released.

The addon view

The main difference here apart from a more streamlined design is that addons will now have more customization which includes changing the background image to any 1920px by 670px image of choice. The image is taken from VCMod and how it could potentially look after the new update. Content curators can now feature a review that will be highlighted on the addon's page.

If you noticed the heart next to the purchase button, then yes, that's right, you will now be able to put addons on your wishlist!

The first thing you might notice is how addons can now split the description into more categories (a max of 5 currently). This is useful for displaying things like "features" in a different tab to split it apart from the main description.

At the bottom of the new addon page you now have reviews and the ability to vote on them to cast your opinion if they were helpful or not. It will also include more options to sort reviews by helpfulness, creation date, and rating.

On the right hand side you may notice the requirements area, this is new and should be the first place to look to figure out if you actually meet the requirements of a specific addon before you purchase it.

The new help pages

The new knowledge base is now split into different categories in a more obvious way than previously, and it lists the most popularly accessed topics as well as easily accessible legal pages to the right hand side.

You can tell from the menu up top that this is the main area to go for any help regarding an addon or our website itself. You will now finally be able to create tickets directly to us instead of emailing us.

Each addon will have their own knowledge base accessible through the tickets area after you've chosen an addon, or through the addon's main listing page.

The new community forum

The new community forum is much more accessible than the current one. Two of the best new features include the ability to see new posts in threads that you have read in a simple list, and the ability to easily see what threads people have recently replied to.

Other interface changes that don't require images

From the new version onwards, a regular user will never need to access the dashboard in order to go about their day on GmodStore. Creation of addons, jobs and eventually freelancers will not be done through the dashboard, and you will only be granted access to the dashboard when you get an accepted addon, or a valid freelancer entry. Job authors and job takers will never need to access this area of the site as everything will be done through your profiles and/or the job page itself.

Settings have been moved out from the dashboard and is accessible in the top left dropdown when you click your avatar, the same goes for notifications and messages.

Throughout the coming weeks and months you will see more dev blogs about the development of GmodStore version 3.0 and more about specific features of the new website.

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