New Website Feedback

Aruseus493

Front Page

News Section - Would be helpful for people looking for something like the list of new licenses, changes, catch-ups, and so on. The old site has a kind of blurb but that's never been particularly fleshed out either. There's a "News" link at the bottom of the website which goes to a blog but that should perhaps be a bit more prominent at the top of the site.
Our Latest Titles - Would be nice if it was a slide bar which shows like all the titles from the "latest license batch" instead of just the latest 5.
User Page - Just straight up doesn't work for me currently.

Titles

No Search - Seems like there's no longer a straight search option. This would be helpful for finding titles that get merged like Banner of the Stars which is located within Crest of the Stars or Arifureta SS inside of Arifureta.
Sorting - There should be more sort options like Alphabetical (A-Z & Z-A). There's also no Newest vs Oldest as the default is just stuck on Newest.
By Publisher - Would be nice to have the ability to filter/sort by Japanese Publisher. If you need help finding all the info, I have it here. ;)
Publication Status - A bit confusing to have Complete Only, and then Complete & On Hiatus. This should be extrapolated a bit more. I'd recommend Ongoing, Complete, Caught Up, Stalled (for when caught up and no future volumes announced. Can also work for all those potentially cancelled series so they stop being misrepresentated as complete)
Remember Location - When backing out from a Series Page, the website doesn't remember the location in the list you were last at. It just drops you near the top.

Series Pages

Retailers - There's a Physicals Legend and marking that says Check Stores. Would be nice for this to be expanded to perhaps show all the retailers you can buy physical from. Like clicking the thing will create a pull-down with the list of Physical Retailers. This could also be used for the Digital Tab with the release date on it.
Tags - Should be clickable to find other series with similar tags. This also includes stuff like Author, Illustrator, Translator, Editors.
Publishers - Would like to see the Japanese Publisher as a tag. And maybe the label too as another tag.
Mass-Buy - Would be nice to be able to quickly buy all the volumes of something from the Series Page. Perhaps tie in the Buy button itself into the Redeem Credit page or create a checking system for clicking through all the volumes quickly and bulk purchasing. This would help encourage me to spend all the credits I bought just for Rokujouma.
Public Version Numbers - Each volume should have a listing somewhere as to what version the Epub is. This should also be tied into the "Follow" system. If a new version of something like Arifureta 10 is uploaded, everyone with volume 10 or that follows the series should get a message/notification that there's a new version available. Would be nice to be able to see immediately what version it is as well.
Publication Status - The Publication Status of the series should be listed on the series page whether it be Ongoing, Completed, Cancelled, or Stalled. Perhaps actionable like a tag too.
Alternative Titles - The new series pages include the official English title and Japanese title. It would be nice if the Romaji and Shorthand titles were included. For example I can search Bakarina on the old site and the appropriate series appears. I assume it's cause of the hashtag listing. But it would be nice if Romaji and Shorthands were just default for series somewhere.
BEATLESS - So there are Premium Credit Redemption Links on the BEATLESS page. I shamelessly clicked volume 1 and spent the credit. The book appears in "My Library" on the old site but clicking download brought me to an error page indicating it isn't uploaded yet. This is easily fixed if the Premium DRM-Free Ebook were to be uploaded. :3

Volume Pages

Not sure if Volume Pages will continue to be a thing. If so, then some of my previous requests on series pages should be applied to Volume Pages too.

Physical Listings - Should be indicated somewhere that there's a Physical Listing, list of retailers to buy physical from, and the release date of the physical version.
Version Numbers - Same as before. A version number to indicate what version the Epub is so people can update their Ebooks for stuff like typos or issues like missing Premium Content.
Premium Content Listing - Rather than digging into the forum for the list, what each volume's Premium Content is should be listed on each volume's specific page.
Shortlinks - Would appreciate there be Shortlinks for volume specific pages to save on character count when sharing volume links to other sites. (I constantly have to use a link shortening service when preparing links on reddit cause of how bloated they tend to be and character counts.)

Calendar

Physicals - Would like to see Physical releases listed.
Ebooks - There's a "Digital Books Only" tab but it's a bit buggy (Probably already reported) in that it currently lists all the new licenses today despite none of them having a true Ebook release release. In addition, I'd say to change the Release Type selections from Digital Books Only to Ebook Release and Part Release. Would be a bit more clear.
Follows - There's a weird inconsistency with Follows. Are your Followed series recorded as something like a specific tag to each title, or just the series title. For example, I'm "Following" Arifureta. When I selected Show Followed Titles Only, Arifureta Zero showed up desite not being in my "Follows." These are considered two separate licenses and even J-NC keeps them as separate series pages. So the only way I think Zero showed up is that Follows are recorded as something like a shorthand which Followd Titles Only uses something like a filter or search for anything that's "followed" which can result in similar titles being grouped in. (Although I doubt you'll come across this much overall.)

My Library

Not sure if this is supposed to be accessible since clicking User just brings me to a previously mentioned error page. But my old request for the My Library Page was for there to be more advanced sorting like "Sort by Newest Release" to be able to quickly go to the downloads for new volume releases. Or "Sort by Newest Purchases" to get to your latest purchases.

I'll do another big feedback drop when there's more accessible pages to the beta~

Kalessin

I love the fact that you can filter the calendar on epubs to get all of the pre-pub stuff out of the way. Filtering out the manga is good too.

That being said, for some reason, the calendar is showing the new license announcements on the top as if the epubs for them were coming out on July 4th. So, that should probably be fixed.

Nosgoroth

Some quick notes that might or might not be useful:

Beta page has no document title.
Dark Mode should load automatically based on OS-level preferences using media query prefers-color-scheme: dark or, if you want to keep the button for users without an OS that supports that, autodetect the user preference with js when the value isn't set using matchMedia. See here.
In the home page, maybe put a "See more" button to the Titles page after each section, filtered by the appropriate query.
Titles page lacks a text filter.
Titles page lacks sort options.
Titles search results being clickable all over makes me nervous. I'd rather a button with a clear-cut action like "See more" or something.
User page gives me a "regular" badge, which I suppose should be "premium". Also, for regular members, just say "member".

_08

@Aruseus493 said in Beta Website Feedback:

Are your Followed series recorded as something like a specific tag to each title, or just the series title.

Follows are basically list of (unique) serie ids. Series, volumes, parts, purchases, part text and some other things are properly linked with ids as usually done in relational databases but events are not really linked to anything and you can only guess their relations based on URLs or titles (events are all those records you see in "coming soon" and "schedule" sections you see on the main site). I wouldn't expect it to be fixed soon. It's somewhat easy can improve guessing but the proper solution is explicitly linking events to other entities which involves more of backend work.

Not sure if this is supposed to be accessible since clicking User just brings me to a previously mentioned error page.

Serie We Don't Talk About strikes again.

crowdcontrol

@chocolatkey
Also like to see features like, most popular downloads, most popular rated series etc
Sometimes I like to know what other ppl are buying and reading so I could also go buy/read it
This feature is not in the old webpage

hopebestman

Most of the translators are working on more than one series. For example, Quof works on AoaB and LDM. So when i was checking AoaB's page, i can see Quof as a translator, it would be nice if when i click Quof's name, it would send me his series. So i can check this translator works on these series.

Its not important thing but time to time im checking when i start reading a new series. For example, literally yesterday i checked Realist Hero's translator but i couldnt find a way in JNC so i had to google it.

Also, in old version of the site, in right side we can see which part will release. And even we can see the countdown. That was nice. I couldnt find that option, if there is please someone let me know. So i can edit this request.

Also, i dont like the current version and i didnt like to new beta version of the X Series' main page.
Example; when i go to AoaB's page, for finding lastest release part, i have to spent sometime. For old version, there was an option. I could check on "coming soon" side but in beta i have to search myself and when i go to AoaB's page i have to go down, i have to find lastest book, i have to click the read and more.

PS: The thing with the translator would be nice for all of them. "author, translator, editor etc"

tgquan67

@_08 I guess right now simple string matching is being used, that's why it matches "Arifureta Zero" when you follow "Arifureta".

And by the way at the moment I write this, filtering events on the calendar to only titles that I follow is not working (on latest Firefox 78.0.1 and Firefox for Android beta).

db0ssman

@tgquan67 said in Beta Website Feedback:

@_08 I guess right now simple string matching is being used, that's why it matches "Arifureta Zero" when you follow "Arifureta".

And by the way at the moment I write this, filtering events on the calendar to only titles that I follow is not working (on latest Firefox 78.0.1 and Firefox for Android beta).

I found that the follow button is working for some of the titles, and not for others. For example, the Slayer series and Mapping series will show up but none of the other series will.

hopebestman

@db0ssman same problem. I can only see Marielle as following but not AoaB, LDM, Realist Hero etc.

Raitoiro

I have some complaints but overall I really like how the new site is looking.

Front-page:

It's cool to have JNC properly describes, especially the fact that pre-pubs are only temporary.
The feed showing recently add or upcoming parts on the old site was really useful so it would be good to have it on the new site.

Titles:

As others have said, more options for the filters would be cool, especially the "Followed titles only" filter available for the calendar.
While not that important, a way to set a default filter would be cool.
Being able to follow/unfollow a series directly from the list.
A way to directly go to the last pre-pub from the list could be useful.
But more importantly, It would make navigation a lot easier if the site remembers with which filters were applied and where in the list a user was when they click on a title then go back to the list.

Calendar:

Not a real problems, but It would be cool to have the option to display when older pre-pubs or volumes were published.
Like with the Titles tab it would be useful if we could select a default filter, especially since, in my opinion, having the "Followed title only" be active by default is better than displaying everything by default.

Series:

No real complaint the page looks cool and is easier to use, but maybe creating the new site could be a good time to overall the Tags system.
Right now it's really inconsistent, especially on older series. For example, Brave Chronicles is tagged as "other worlds", Grimgar as "other world", Realist hero as "another world", Mixed bath as "alternate universe", Faraway paladin as nothing and starting with Smartphone just "isekai".

User:

A tab to quickly see which series we are following and manage them would be useful.
A way to track e-pub versions would be really useful.

Other:

While it looks good on PC the site is rather bulky on mobile and hard to use in landscape format on mobile.
Unless JNC is about to announce the great news that more volumes of Secret organization or Ao Onis are about to be published or translate, it a bit disingenuous to write that more volumes are coming.
I don't know how the follow system work right now but having a notification sent by email when a followed series restart translation or has a new volume published would be really useful and has been requested quite a few time on the forum.
Similarly a cart system would be useful.
And finally, for some reason, Grimgar vol 15 image isn't properly displayed on the series page, and as far as I've seen it's the only book with that problem.

Daiz

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stardf29

@hopebestman said in Beta Website Feedback:

Most of the translators are working on more than one series. For example, Quof works on AoaB and LDM. So when i was checking AoaB's page, i can see Quof as a translator, it would be nice if when i click Quof's name, it would send me his series. So i can check this translator works on these series.

Its not important thing but time to time im checking when i start reading a new series. For example, literally yesterday i checked Realist Hero's translator but i couldnt find a way in JNC so i had to google it.

PS: The thing with the translator would be nice for all of them. "author, translator, editor etc"

Just want to say that I also hope this becomes a thing, since it would give the localization team a bit more recognition, which they can definitely use more of. And having a similar feature for authors/illustrators might help readers find other stuff to read if they like a particular author/illustrator (obviously dependent on whether JNC actually has anything else by them).

Personally, what I'd most want here is for every translator/editor/author/etc. to have their own page with not only the JNC series they've worked on but also additional biographical information (moreso for the localization team, and obviously only as much as each individual is willing to share; maybe authors/illustrators can be linked to a Wikipedia page or something) and maybe even other non-JNC things they've worked on. I can understand if that is unfeasible for various reasons, though, so even something as simple as just a listing of other JNC titles they've worked on would be great.

Nosgoroth

@stardf29 I'd like to push for this too, as much of it as is feasible and reasonable.

LegitPancake

@curapica Don’t know if it was your problem, but even after clicking the “read now” link, you have to then click the BIG blue “READ” button, to take you to the reader.

Nico

This is like, literally nowhere near a problem, but I noticed the icon on my User page is using an old forum avatar, and I've been using my current one for like, ever at this point. It had to be my first one, so that must be what's up.

_08

@Nico It's using gravatar.

Daiz

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hopebestman

Also, thats really really far far later thing but it would be nice for recommend section in the main web-site. For example, 1000 people are using JNC, if 600-700 ppl are following LDM and Realist Hero, it would be nice in their section for recommend each other. Following, reading, or some other way but generally recommend section would be nice with using data. Although in forums, we can get recommendation from other users, still getting rec from user data from web-site itself would be nice. But like i said, that would be far far from future wish.

Khaos

@Daiz said in Beta Website Feedback:

Limited filter options: Regarding the current filter options, some of these are limited by design. For example, the reason you can filter by "Heart" but not by "Club" is simply because the vast majority of titles are "Club" titles, so it wouldn't really make for much of a difference to filter by "Club" vs just showing all.

'Heart' has been acquiring titles as much if not more than 'Club' since it's anouncement , but also just as some want to filter for just 'Heart' there are those that wish to filter out 'Heart'.

Similarly for publication status, most titles published by J-Novel Club are Ongoing, which is why filtering by it wouldn't actually, y'know, filter a lot. Complete titles are much fewer in number and also something a customer (especially a new one) could be very interested in. And as for why there's an additional option for "Complete & On Hiatus", I'd like to note that in Japan titles are rarely actually "cancelled" - instead, they are just left in "infinite hiatus". This why there internally JNC doesn't have a "cancelled" status for titles and why I think there is value in filtering by both Complete and On Hiatus - or in other words, Complete and "Complete".

I understand your reasoning but I agree with @Aruseus493 that it is confusing and like their suggested options. I think it should be expanded upon even if it's not as to what Arus suggested.

New Releases: There is already a section at the top for any ebooks you own that have been released in the past two weeks! In the future the plan is to extend this to any new releases or updates that you haven't downloaded yet

With this, can the new release auto expand series 'feature' be taken into consideration for removal, or maybe give the user an option to have it on or off. It seems a little redundant to have both and is unpleasing to the eyes.

MasterLillyclaw

As someone who doesn't want to pick up series that are 'pretty much confirmed indefinite' hiatus, but doesn't mind reading ongoing stories, I'd like to be able to filter specifically ongoing (or ongoing+complete, to exclude hiatus) when looking for titles. If there's a lot added to the filtering system later, it might be nice to have the option to exclude things as well - similar to how AO3 lets you exclude tags - but I don't know how easy that would be to implement so I understand if it didn't happen.

Also, this may be because I'm a relatively new person around here, but I don't know what "Heart" (or "Club", for that matter) designates. I'd assumed J-Novel Heart titles were translator favorites, but I read something on the forum about it being basically a shoujo indicator, so I'm not sure. If there's expansion on the system with searching/filtering tags, it might be nice to explain those unique ones somewhere for the newbies, or just use a more ubiquitous tag like "shoujo" or "translator picks/faves" (or whatever it means lol).

I like the layout of the home screen so far! It's easier to parse through, and summarized nicely.