[mjn.mixael]

Perhaps we can have it autoplay an empty audio track?

[Phantom Hoover]

will this background video have a sign language interpreter

[jr2]

Umm.  A lot of autoplaying videos (the less atrocious ads) default to volume off, with an inconspicuous mute button if you should choose to listen in.  Thoughts?

[Grizzly]

I honestly prefer it if the background images would simply rotate between the winners of the screenshot contest. No videos.

[Phantom Hoover]

Umm.  A lot of autoplaying videos (the less atrocious ads) default to volume off, with an inconspicuous mute button if you should choose to listen in.  Thoughts?

Sound would be a pointless distraction for a background video.

[Spoon]

Not if its silent sound!

[Scotty]

Vote against autoplay.  That **** is annoying on 3G and limited data.

[mjn.mixael]

Seriously guys.. how about worry about the -design- and not the technicalities? Most well designed sites with video BGs don't play them for mobile configurations automatically. A great example is airbnb.com.

[LaineyBugsDaddy]

Agreed. Design first. Then consider implementation.

[Sandwich]

Tossed this together just before bed. The wording, menus, buttons, etc. will probably need much refining and whatnot, but it's a start. Concentrated more on the content's design than on the surrounding page's design.

[Buff Skeleton]

Layout looks great, and even most of the wording! Only thing that seems kinda silly is the HLP By the Numbers section, seeing how those aren't going to change much any time soon (and the last one is funny considering I'm sure a huge majority of those accounts are long dormant).

[karajorma]

Yeah, that's pretty close to what I imagined when I first posted. You see that and you know that there is stuff to play on that website.

I'd make the "Unleash your inner starfighter pilot" into a gif that switches between all our current games so that it shows off TBP, Diaspora,  WoD, etc too.

[jr2]

I'd make the "Unleash your inner starfighter pilot" into a gif that switches between all our current games so that it shows off TBP, Diaspora,  WoD, etc too.

QFT

But, APNG instead?

EDIT: Oh, and something something you seem to be painting FS2 into a corner by calling it a 'failure'.  Re-phrase to indicate FS2 was never given a chance or uneducated people will be wondering if FS2 is a zombie sent forth to rot their brains. 

[karajorma]

I'd just cut it back to "Some think the space combat genre died last century. Some people think there hasn't been a good modern space sim in years. Not even close."

[niffiwan]

But, APNG instead?

Nah, pretty sure only Firefox supports them at the moment (I guess I haven't checked Safari....)

[jr2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APNG#Support

Yeah, looks like Webkit has it,  Edge doesn't have it, and Chrome needs a 3rd party plugin (support is in development).  5/9 browsers support it, not quite universal yet (probably within months?, but that's just my guessing).

[Sandwich]

Only thing that seems kinda silly is the HLP By the Numbers section, seeing how those aren't going to change much any time soon (and the last one is funny considering I'm sure a huge majority of those accounts are long dormant).

Yeah, there are definitely other numbers we could show - lines of code changed, number of games played (do we have those kinds of stats, SCPeople?), whatever else is appropriate. Just seemed like something fun.

EDIT: Whoops, didn't see the rest of the replies! I had thought that top bit could be either a slideshow (let's save animated gifs for articles or emails or something), or be gone completely in favor of having the wording and button hovering over a background video like what was mentioned before - I really think that would be the most impressive.

[DefCynodont119]

That design looks awesome! I think we should have the "news" things display at very the bottom of your example, Sandwitch. oh, then add the animated background, and It would be perfect!

[Sandwich]

A few small adjustments. Definitely more to do, just don't have the time at the moment.

I kinda want to keep the feel of the line "The thing is, FS2 never died... not even close." If you can come up with a good way to introduce that line, give it context, without referring to FS2 as a failure (perhaps what I did was sufficient?), let me know.

[Grizzly]

I dislike the entire "What is all this" section. I'd remove any focus on space sims dying or FS2 being a failure or anything, and just focus on the celebration of FS2 being kept alive for over 15 years. Opening a webpage with negativity (negativity that is not even warranted considering the state of the space game genre today) is never a good idea. That entire section has a bit of "We're not as bad as people say we are!" which is weird because nobody is saying that to begin with. If there's any game that can make a claim to be "Dead", it's Allegiance. And they aren't.

Instead I'd replace it with... **** it, just ask AuthorTuta, but if you want my geuss:

Before Saint's Row, Volition created Freespace.
In 2001, they released the source code to Freespace 2 to the public.
15 years, a hundred user created campaigns and 7 standalone games later, FS2 Open stands as a bold achievement of what a dedicated community can do.

I'd put the "Buy FS2" in the middle, put "Expand FS2 with FS2Open" on the right, and put the "Get free standalone games" on the left. In general, standalone games should never be considered a "Third Step".

EDITed extensively.