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***Brekk*** · 06-02-2023, 04:43 PM

As you can see we have new forums. Colors are a little wonky but I'll work on them. Let me know if you have any issues.

**Calidor** · 06-02-2023, 04:58 PM

This is change. I am scared.

**Calidor** · 06-02-2023, 07:34 PM

By the way that is a really cool banner on the main forum page.

**Agent Orange** · (This post was last modified: 06-03-2023, 12:29 AM by Agent Orange.)

yea well this format sucks...

i certainly wont watse time with this.... why fix what wasnt broken?????

**RELLGAR** · 06-03-2023, 01:47 AM

I don't like it. Maybe it can be tweeked.

**Strongwill** · 06-03-2023, 02:00 AM

Hahahaha.. I like the banner also. And I thought it was hard to use too, but after few minutes its actually quite easy. Smile

***Brekk*** · (This post was last modified: 06-03-2023, 02:06 AM by Brekk.)

It can be tweaked and will be. Agent it was broke it hasnt been able to be upgraded for the past couple years maybe 2016 or earlier. This is a base template the other option was a green and liked that even less. The banner is a combination of a lot of the newer portraits that are coming.
The database wasnt working and has limited options for fixes so it had to be rebuilt from scratch.

**Strongwill** · 06-03-2023, 02:24 AM

I accidently went to that emerald, not liking it

***Maximus Dominus*** · 06-03-2023, 05:50 AM

The feedback posted in this thread, thus far, isn't really very detailed. I'm not a fan of the Emrald theme, either, and the foremost reason why I don't like it is because selecting it as your theme (for those of you who understand what I am talking about) can leave one a little bit miffed about how to change back, or change to a different theme. Small details can yield disproportionate bad experiences.

The new/current theme in use on the Alamaze forum is the RoundoDarko theme. One thing that I like about it is that it has a clean feel to it. I really like that new banner, but the front page (Home or index page) seems to be a modified portal page. Of course, the Default theme also has a portal page option. It just wasn't ever really used, previously. To see it, select the default theme at the bottom, and then copy and paste the following URL into your web browser:

https://kingdomsofarcania.net/forum/portal.php

For those not overly familiar with forum software, the colors and the layout of what you see on your end are generally controlled by two different things - the theme and templates. Both theme and template can be changed or edited. It helps, of course, if one knows what they are doing. Even if you don't know what you're doing, given enough time, you can play around with all kinds of different options and settings, and drastically modify the look of the forum.

So, when you say that you don't like the new look of the forum, remember that it's still the same forum software as was used previously. Is it the colors that you dislike? Is it the layout of the links? Is it something else? Once people get used to a given layout, trying to adjust to a new layout can feel awkward or clumsy or lacking in intuitiveness. Not everyone will like the same thing, whether colors or layouts or plugins or what not.

That said, personally speaking, I'm not a fan of the layout of the Home page/index page. If one likes the categories boxes on the left hand side, you can actually make another column over on the right hand side. That would allow you to off-load some of the links currently packed together on the left hand side. It's really all about what you like the look and feel of, and arriving at a balance. After all, there's lots of different interesting or useful things to link to, but too many can overload your eyes and end up making it more difficult to find what you are looking for. It can sometimes seem to be a never-ending battle - and in a way, I think that it actually is. Changing stuff too frequently can be like grocery stores that constantly move stuff around, resulting in shoppers feeling lost in stores that they've shopped at for years on end.

There are different techniques that can be utilized, in order to try and instill a greater sense of organization. Similar things can be linked together in different boxes. You can also use different colors to visually organize things to make the same amount of links seem easier on site visitors. A lot of it will likely hinge upon good old trial and error. Continuous refinement can move things from a disorganized or disliked state to an organized and more liked state. It just requires time and effort, and a willingness to experiment.

***Maximus Dominus*** · (This post was last modified: 06-03-2023, 07:05 AM by Maximus Dominus.)

One suggestion that I have is that on the left hand side, get rid of this block:

[Image: 1of2.png]

And replace it with one more like this:

[Image: 2of2.png]

And then, place it at the top of the blocks on the left hand side.

The reason would be to better enable forum visitors to immediately identify who else is logged into the forum, while they are there. When forum visitors know for certain that others are logged on while they are, the forum will seem more alive.

By making that block smaller, you free up space for other things - useful things.