Misc. Multiple suggestion to make New UI better!

[ElementaryLewis]

The New UI cause lots of climaxes from the community. While it was a good attempt making the change into a more modern and friendly mobile website, the new UI doesn't bring much improvement than we were expected.

So, here is the multiple suggestion to make the New UI better than the old one. The list is separated into three parts:
- Design Rework
- Add New Feature
- Restore Old Feature
Let's go

Design Rework

• Change the dark background into grey background.

The contrast between text and background is bad for eyesight. No one have complained how difficult is reading on the old UI because the contrast there was good enough. I think even on the phone, it is harder to read, especially if we are outside. Sunlight easily reflects on our phone and make it more difficult to read without hurting our retinal.

• Reduce spacing between... everything.

One of the most complaints is the "wasted space" around all. Game header too large, too big marge between mods, too much padding, etc... On an average 16:9 Full HD (which is the majority of monitor used), we have to scroll down the whole screen to see at least 8 mods. This is difficult for looking to mods and pictures and took much effort of it.
To make it comfortable:
- Hide game header when browsing any library.
- Reduce padding and margin to minimum 0.5rem and maximum 1.5rem.
- Hide some "space-y" to reduce vertical space.
- On Trending mods: reduce the grid from two rows to one rows. With almost no or smaller padding/margin.
- On mod list: reduce title, increase short description to 5 lines, reduce padding to 0.2rem, smaller buttons, row-gap as 1rem...
- On mod page: reduce top/bottom padding to 1rem of description. Hide "Tags this mod" and "About this mod" header. Remove top/bottom padding and bottom margin. Correctly inline the virus scan.
I suggest you have a look at this Stylus sheet for reference.

• Replace the title mod font into something stylish but minimal.

The font is not that bad, honestly, it suits well for the title. But using a font comfortable to read and a bit stylish easily capture our curiosity (not like Comic Sans). 
So it is better to put a font that looks cool but not too much, something close to "Condensed" font, for example.

• Move the "Popular Collection" between "Mods" and "Media".

Collections is a good idea for an easy mods installation, but not everyone are looking to it when they browse Nexus. What they want is Mods, that's all. Much like we navigate on YouTube, and we got recent Videos before "Short" for example.

• The gradient background stays at top.

The automatic gradient around the mod page actually hurt our eyes because of bad contrast, just like I explain above on "Change the dark background into grey background". And that's because it is static on the root body when we scroll. Plus, gradient isn't discreet.
It is best this gradient background stay at top, so the "colour" is left and right of the header, and always there.

• Move the time button in More Mods next to the other buttons

This will make it easier for the users to change the range time and see it.

• Show the actual date of "Published" and "Updated", instead of how long ago.

Games has some history version. We modder know when the version was released, such like I know The Witcher 3 4.04 version was released in 19th July 2023.
That's why showing the actual date instead of how long ago greatly helps to tell if the mod is recent, up to date, or not.

• Create "Theme" for each game page.

I'll explain below in "Hire Game Manager" why it is important to treat the game page as "community". But making so each game page have their unique "Theme" like the link have different colour, this feels like unique and appropriate to the game. We do like Skyrim page has some fantasy ambience, Red Dead Redemption has western ambiance, or Cyberpunk has science-fiction ambiance.

• Add "Light Mode".

Hear me out. Yes there are benefit using Dark Mode, but so Light Mode do. It is confortable for reading and working during day. Some people have bad eyesight that having light mode actually help them. Study have proven why both are beneficial but depend on the person.
It was probably the most request about the old UI. It still does for this new UI.

 

Add New Feature

• Reactions, heart or like buttons, on the mod comment page

A suggestion from this post. This allows to add reaction on comments/post, not just "forum". That way people won't have to write "Agreed" or "Thank you" and wasting space in the Post section. It also makes highlight on important Post.

• Allow the possibility to delete "Download History".

A suggestion from this post. We download a lot of mods. We came after months or years and try something new. Or we're testing a mod and deciding not using it.
This will allow removing the flag "Update available" visible on the mods while we don't use it any more, or to start over and download those mods again.

• When prompt "Enter" for Search, make "Mods" category the default one for search.

The change to the Quick Search is great, really. History search and showing the result from all content. But I have to remind Nexus is a website about... Mods. We're here for lookings Mods, not "Pictures".
So much like typing on Google we always got website link, typing THEN Enter on the Search should be Mods by default for everyone. And if we want "Pictures", then we change to "Pictures" like we go to Google Images.

• Replace the default "Endorsement" to "Last Updated" order.

The very problem of this default sort order is that it easily promote old, outdated and overrated mods. Hidden those recent and better mods that deserve much more endorse and appreciation.
Especially on a very active game page, a game being constantly updated, a community that keep making tools, and/or make greater mods today.
When we search on Youtube "MrBeast", we don't get his most viewed video, we get his last published video first. Because Youtube knows recent video brings more view for ads than a video we already see it. This should be the same on Nexus.
It is also prevented new users to accidentally use a broken mod and report it, while the creator is gone or because the mod doesn't support the current game version.
Make it both for Quick Search and normal Search. And if the user wants to see "popular" then they can change into "endorse" or "download", at their own risk.

• Change "Popular Collection" into "Trending Collection" and show its library.

Like I explain above on "Replace the default "Endorsement" to "Last Updated" order." Popular collection also tend to promote old, outdated and overrated mods.
So why not just promote easily newer collection, and if they got enough endorse, they go up to the "Trending" part. And instead of just showing two collection, you show only a row of four recent collection.
Basically like how Mods look. The collections should have: Two trending ; Four recent.
With a button to change into "popular" or other sort if they want.

• Add a "Welcome" section on each game.

Inspired by your concurrent GameBanana, some of the game page has a little "Welcome" that gave link to guides or Discord server, so newcomer learn how to mod or create a mod before they start having a look into mods.
I'm made a guide for The Witcher 3 Next Gen called: Essential Mods List, and we already have an official Discord server of this game (manage by the game studio nonetheless).
This will greatly help people and enjoy browsing the website.

• Hire a Game Manager for each game.

Each game is different. They have their own instruction for modding, and each community contribute so much about it. Promoting only "Vortex" or "Collection" is not enough.
What I suggest is a special role to assign to each person for each game: Game Manager.
They have the abilities to:
- Tag/untag any mod page.
- Edit/Create a specific tag or category for the specific game.
- Edit the "Welcome" part. See Add a "Welcome" section on each game above.
- Edit the theme of the game page.
- Write news about the game.
That person, which will work as benevolat like we contribute on Wikipedia for free, can manage better category list and tag list that suit to the game. And even add "obsolete" if that said mod should be avoided.
And that person participates and reflect the community with news and guides.
I personally want to be a Game Manager for The Witcher 1, 2 and 3, for that reason.

• Add a "Request" section on each game.

Games topic is full of "mod idea" or "request" where no one read those.
Your concurrent Gamebanana on the other hand, allow creating request page next to "Mods", with rewards in price. You could do the same by allowing a user to create "Request" page with a bounty "Donation Point".
Hey, make it as part of Premium. They got a temporal DP and spend only for creating "Request", and if someone made a mod of that, they got this bounty DP.

• Allow modder to download their "Archive" files.

I find odd an "Archive" feature, something that only the mod author have access, cannot be downloaded by the author themselves.
It happens sometimes I need to download an old version for debuging, but I have to move in "old" files in order to download. Please add a button "download" in the archive, and only for the mod authors.

• Allow modder to block user for download their files.

Currently we can block an user for either not commenting on our mod or profile, or to hide their mods.
But sometimes, we also want to block the user for downloading our mods. The reason can be like that person stole the content of the mods without asking permission or was very rude toward the author.
It is a risky feature I ask, so I understand you don't want this.

 

Restore Old Feature

• Restore the "Tracked Content Update"

My top one feature I want back. Tracked Content Update is a button next to "NewUpdatedTrendingPopularSurprise " that allow to see comments on mods we track. I don't meant "Track Centre" (as I got a DM about it). No I meant the feature that replace the Mods library into a list of Comments on tracked mods.
This is VERY useful so we can read feedback, or see if someone needs help, so then we can quickly respond. That was my main reason why I visit Nexus every hours, to see comments.

• Restore the Date range.

I notice you add range for Endorse, Download and File size. Nice features. But one thing is missing and important for Mods: Date.
As I explains in Replace the default "Endorsement" to "Last Updated" order, users knows that popular mods are easily old and outdated, they want to look on more recents mods. They wre gone and went back modding the game again, or they want mods that aren't obsolete. So this Date range is very useful.

• Fix Default sorting option

I already write a feedback about it. But the current option on "Search Preference" doesn't work. It is always sort as "Endorsement" whenever I prompt to search.
Although, I do prefer you take this suggestion: Replace the default "Endorsement" to "Last Updated" order, but if you fix that, then good.

Edited March 25 by ElementaryLewis
Change the idea "Community Manager" to "Game Manager", as the former role already exist.