Opticraft Community

Discussion forum => Legacy => Archives => Suggestions => Topic started by: omaroo2 on February 12, 2012, 09:55:18 pm

Title: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 12, 2012, 09:55:18 pm
So i've been exploring other server's sites and they actually look cool, they have awesome site designs and other cool options
I am not advertising but I want to show optic an example:
http://www.minetown.net/  (Admins can remove the link)
So I bet you guys liked their design, if opti can work on a better and completely new site it would be pretty awesome.
Because sometimes when we are in the top server list we have to improve step by step so let the first step be a completely new site with awesome design and cool options that will encourage more visitors to the site means more donations for optic.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: TheRealFamous on February 12, 2012, 10:04:48 pm
Yea, I`ve been thinking about this for a long time. So I totally agreed with a new design, But its not my choice of course.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 12, 2012, 10:06:32 pm
Yea, I`ve been thinking about this for a long time. So I totally agreed with a new design, But its not my choice of course.
It's not our choice in general but it is a suggestion :)
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: DJAlphaWolf on February 12, 2012, 10:11:56 pm
lol of course minetown. That server looks awesome ;D.

Of course ours is better. Currently we only have a forums, which is good since we can all communicate through it. I suggest we make a general "shiny" site in which we show everything that is cool about our server. We could post server news there as well as have tabs like ranks (explains all ranks),forums (the site we have now but accessible through the tab), features, and more. Considering Opticraft is now an SMP server as well and the amount of popularity and players we have achieved, it makes sense to make a nice site explaining who we are and why we are awesome  :P
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: EliteDelta on February 12, 2012, 10:17:01 pm
I like the site just how it is. Changing it could get confusing.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: morten2ela on February 12, 2012, 10:17:49 pm
I know we got to the planning level of this before, I think the main developer left the community.
If anyone of you know web-design, speak up!:)

^ Unofficial statement, may or may not be correct. ^
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Xeadin on February 12, 2012, 10:18:28 pm
To be fair, I like how the website currently is. It's fairly easy to use and understand

Enjin (or at least I am assuming that is what Minetown is using) seems a bit confusing and not so user-friendly-- at least, that is what I've experienced so far with it
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: DJAlphaWolf on February 12, 2012, 10:22:46 pm
To be fair, I like how the website currently is. It's fairly easy to use and understand

Enjin (or at least I am assuming that is what Minetown is using) seems a bit confusing and not so user-friendly-- at least, that is what I've experienced so far with it
Perhaps..I just feel that a big server like us should have more than just a forums site. However, i wouldn't be disappointed if we didnt change. This is, after all, an opinion on someone's suggestion :P
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: clawstrider on February 12, 2012, 10:23:41 pm
I know we got to the planning level of this before, I think the main developer left the community.
If anyone of you know web-design, speak up!:)

^ Unofficial statement, may or may not be correct. ^

I do remember that Ram designed a website for us, but that dissapeared...
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 12, 2012, 10:28:32 pm
Opti can contact the developer of minetown for a new site?
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Raichor on February 12, 2012, 10:40:05 pm
To be fair, I like how the website currently is. It's fairly easy to use and understand

Enjin (or at least I am assuming that is what Minetown is using) seems a bit confusing and not so user-friendly-- at least, that is what I've experienced so far with it
Actually i find enjiin very user freindly and good to use. A lot of smp servers use it and it is actually quite nice.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Dagony(Nima_ilz) on February 12, 2012, 11:29:23 pm
Its easy to change the style of this forum i you know to craft a Firefox persona you can also make template's its easy

Why don't post a few
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Exox615 on February 12, 2012, 11:33:25 pm
I just like plain and simple
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: DJAlphaWolf on February 12, 2012, 11:35:52 pm
why don't we make a server wide poll either on this thread or on the front page of the site? that way we can know what people think.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: cschurz on February 13, 2012, 12:39:01 am
A new website is on the list of things to do, but not very high on the list, i'm sure.

Minetown is a horribly designed website. Most websites using the Enjin platform (including Minetown, Lostcraft, etc) are horrible. The pretty colors and flood of useless information sure make them seem cool, but they really are not. When every server website looks like Enjin, things become very stale.

I don't think a new SMF theme alone will cut it, but I don't think a complete overhaul is necessary either.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Your_Mine on February 13, 2012, 12:49:25 am
IMO, this site is suiting our purposes just fine.
But if we have our sights on huge growth, as Opti's new player cap seems to suggest, I agree that a new website might be in order.  However, the overriding theme must be ease of use, so that guests can figure it out very easily.  The site that omar showed is far too busy-looking for me.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Mr_Mr_Mr on February 13, 2012, 01:12:20 am
I do not want this site to change, it is perfect the way it is.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: That1Gie on February 13, 2012, 02:40:44 am
I agree with Mr_Mr_Mr.  Changing the site to look "cooler" would most likely end up getting too complicated and less user friendly.  Although that site looked visually pleasing, it was also overwhelming with cluttered information stacked on top of one another.  Besides, we have all the communications necessary whether it be forums, mumble, or even in-game if you have to, all sorted out into a simple, clean, easy to use format.  Also, one can not simple whip up a new website, it takes a lot of time, planning, and coding.

TL;DR
Everything is fine just how it is.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Nick3306 on February 13, 2012, 05:35:08 am
If we are going to modify the site i think it needs to be an all or nothing attempt. Simple machine themes dont really impress me at all, and as dejected stated, all those other sites look like crap, i am baffled as to why so many smp servers use the design.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: DJAlphaWolf on February 13, 2012, 05:52:39 am
If we are going to modify the site i think it needs to be an all or nothing attempt. Simple machine themes dont really impress me at all, and as dejected stated, all those other sites look like crap, i am baffled as to why so many smp servers use the design.
maybe they want to promote crap? lol jk
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: optical on February 13, 2012, 08:00:23 am
I agree with what deject3d, nick and some others have said in here.

That minetown site, and in general most of the Enjin driven sites look trashy. They can be made a whole lot better, that is for sure.

We also do need a big rework of the website, and it is something I'd like to do so soon. Right now I am working on an automated donation system for SMP, and the vote page may get a bit of a usability improvement shortly (I am not developing this). From then, I'd like to take a look at improving our site. Possibilities include SMF 1.X themes, upgrading to SMF 2.X, switching to something like XenForo, IPB or VBulletin, or potentially using another CMS with SMF as the forum.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 13, 2012, 11:39:37 am
I agree with what deject3d, nick and some others have said in here.

That minetown site, and in general most of the Enjin driven sites look trashy. They can be made a whole lot better, that is for sure.

We also do need a big rework of the website, and it is something I'd like to do so soon. Right now I am working on an automated donation system for SMP, and the vote page may get a bit of a usability improvement shortly (I am not developing this). From then, I'd like to take a look at improving our site. Possibilities include SMF 1.X themes, upgrading to SMF 2.X, switching to something like XenForo, IPB or VBulletin, or potentially using another CMS with SMF as the forum.
Awesome :D!
Take your time optic
that will be cool when it's done
it's worth it so I will wait
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: Xeadin on February 14, 2012, 12:41:18 am
I do like the looks of XenForo. Team9000 and another minecraft server (not to be disclosed at this time) uses XenForo or something similar and they do look appealing. Much better than Enjin :P

I think XenForo allows more customization to the web pages to fit one's needs, but I've never experienced with the site builder myself except browsing through (which seems pretty straightforward)

I do think SMF is great and simple, but an upgrade would probably be appropriate.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 14, 2012, 06:02:39 am
I do like the looks of XenForo. Team9000 and another minecraft server (not to be disclosed at this time) uses XenForo or something similar and they do look appealing. Much better than Enjin :P

I like team9000's video in home page :P
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: clawstrider on February 14, 2012, 09:57:20 am
I like team9000's video in home page :P

That is all the admins and the owner dancing. If you haven't realised :P

I was going to suggest Team9000, but as they are our closest rivals, I don't want us getting too close to them, and effectivly becoming the same server.
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 17, 2012, 10:26:30 am
I like team9000's video in home page :P

That is all the admins and the owner dancing. If you haven't realised :P

I was going to suggest Team9000, but as they are our closest rivals, I don't want us getting too close to them, and effectivly becoming the same server.
Nah it is a Japanese music video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn934YH9-rc
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: clawstrider on February 17, 2012, 11:42:42 am
I like team9000's video in home page :P

That is all the admins and the owner dancing. If you haven't realised :P

I was going to suggest Team9000, but as they are our closest rivals, I don't want us getting too close to them, and effectivly becoming the same server.
Nah it is a Japanese music video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn934YH9-rc

And you didn't see the faces of the admins and owners on it?
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: omaroo2 on February 17, 2012, 03:22:02 pm
I like team9000's video in home page :P

That is all the admins and the owner dancing. If you haven't realised :P

I was going to suggest Team9000, but as they are our closest rivals, I don't want us getting too close to them, and effectivly becoming the same server.
Nah it is a Japanese music video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn934YH9-rc

And you didn't see the faces of the admins and owners on it?

Humm a coconut is an admin's face?
:l
A barcode as an admin's face o.o
Title: Re: New site ?
Post by: clawstrider on February 17, 2012, 04:18:39 pm
I like team9000's video in home page :P

That is all the admins and the owner dancing. If you haven't realised :P

I was going to suggest Team9000, but as they are our closest rivals, I don't want us getting too close to them, and effectivly becoming the same server.
Nah it is a Japanese music video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn934YH9-rc

And you didn't see the faces of the admins and owners on it?

Humm a coconut is an admin's face?
:l
A barcode as an admin's face o.o


Casham the coconut, and the barcode is OxyTommy. Don't ask.