[DefCynodont119]

Wow, well. . .

Here's this anyway.   SEE ATTACHMENT



Hey Axem, do you think something like this is good? or a combo of mine and yours could be made?

Yours Is better though. 


[attachment deleted by admin]

[Phantom Hoover]

I think these layouts are a big step forward but I'm a bit bemused at how they put TCs right at the top before FSO itself, which honestly seems like it'd confuse a new user as to what exactly we're offering.

[Phantom Hoover]

Battuta's camapign guide (which is obnoxiously hard to find) is very engagingly written and I think is the kind of style a front-page intro should aim for; Ryan's blurb is a bit too dry IMO.

[mjn.mixael]

OK, I like something like DefCynodont119's better and here's why. They GET IT NOW stuff is the content. It's front, center, right in the middle. That's what the front page should be. The news/about/screenshots should be on a second page. With the exception of some really pretty screenshots used something like the Elite Dangerous page. They are there.. but only secondary to the BUY IT NOW and LEARN MORE buttons. That's really good entry design.


Want the game? Click here. Not sure yet? Click here.

[Axem]

A sticky thread is obnoxiously hard to find?

Battuta's masterpost is a masterwork, but I fear something of that length and depth would be intimidating to someone who just found the site.

(Also I'd totally put the FSO installer stuff above TCs)

[Phantom Hoover]

I had to check three or four different boards before I found which one it was stickied in.

I just tried to find it again, having done so less than 15 minutes ago, and had to check three.

To be clear I'm not saying that it should be put on the front page, it's not appropriate as a general introduction to FSO, I'm saying that its style is enthusiastic and fun to read and we should have the same sort of writing on our front-page intro.

[DefCynodont119]

EDIT:

(Also I'd totally put the FSO installer stuff above TCs)

Yes, It's nagging me now that I see It

Battuta's camapign guide (which is obnoxiously hard to find) is very engagingly written and I think is the kind of style a front-page intro should aim for; Ryan's blurb is a bit too dry IMO.

yes.



SO MANY NINJA'S! 

So what are the best aspects of the two designs shown?

If you were to mix mine and Axem's, how would you take the best from both? and beyond that, what's still missing?



I like Axem's more now that I look at It, but hole "separation of TCs and Mods" from the showcase that mine has is still nice. how about a version of my "parallelogram" thing that scrolls like Axem's? (and has the "buy now" and " get the installer" links there? or not?

+ what MJn.mixael typed

[Axem]

PH: Gotcha, I too think something more breezy and more laid back would be good.

Something maybe like...?

Hard Light Productions is home to one of the most enthusiastic modding communities on the internet. We strive to keep FreeSpace 2, a space sim released all the way back in 1999, alive and active with an upgraded game engine, new beautiful assets, and countless stories that take place both in and out the FreeSpace universe. Whether you are new to FreeSpace or not, HLP is sure to have something that will catch your eye.

[DefCynodont119]

PH: Gotcha, I too think something more breezy and more laid back would be good.

Something maybe like...?

Hard Light Productions is home to one of the most enthusiastic modding communities on the internet. We strive to keep FreeSpace 2, a space sim released all the way back in 1999, alive and active with an upgraded game engine, new beautiful assets, and countless stories that take place both in and out the FreeSpace universe. Whether you are new to FreeSpace or not, HLP is sure to have something that will catch your eye.

I like this a lot!

[mjn.mixael]

OK, my biggest thing with Axem's is too much text. No one cares what we say... they want to SEE what our game is about!

EDIT: To clarify.. we already have the forums, newsletters, wiki and all these things to TALK about why Freespace is cool. The front should be not that. It should be pretty pictures and download links!

[Axem]

Hey, in my defense I just copy pasted MP-Ryan's text. I think if we could just distill what HLP is, what we do and what we have to offer to 2 short paragraphs and let screenshots do the rest, we might be on our way to something real nice.

Do we want something where everything is just like right there as someone opens up the page, or would making it long and scrolly like the Elite site be okay?

[mjn.mixael]

If you insist on text... not long and scrolly

EDIT: Unless it can make sure it keeps the first view mostly (some text) pictures and links... and then if you scroll down is the text.

[Axem]

Hmm?

Hmm?

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[DefCynodont119]

Top one is a good starting point, but the showcases for TCs and for FS mods should be separate, and download links to them as well.

It's the whole "Here's what you can get for free now, vs Here's what you can get once you have FS2" thing that I was trying to convey.


Everything else on the top one is great.

+1 on the MediaVP fade thing.

[MP-Ryan]

Like the new layout, don't care about tweaking the wording, but one other suggestion:. Three tabs.

About Us can be the default, with a fun snappy description.  News should be furthest to the right. In the middle you need a Getting Started section.

The most obnoxious part about HLP and FreeSpace modding for someone totally new to the game is how nothing is concisely explained on how to get started with simple step-by-step instructions.  I don't care if you use mine, but for the love of all that's holy out a list of steps on the front page to get someone who has never bought or played FS2 up and running with FSOpen and the MediaVPs.

I can re-write something tomorrow if necessary.

[karajorma]

OK, I like something like DefCynodont119's better and here's why. They GET IT NOW stuff is the content. It's front, center, right in the middle. That's what the front page should be. The news/about/screenshots should be on a second page. With the exception of some really pretty screenshots used something like the Elite Dangerous page. They are there.. but only secondary to the BUY IT NOW and LEARN MORE buttons. That's really good entry design.


Want the game? Click here. Not sure yet? Click here.

I couldn't agree with this more. We really need to push the fact that there are games available for free, right now on the front page. For those who didn't click on my link, I'm posting a picture of the Team Fortress 2 page. Axem's mock-ups are good but lack the in-your-face simplicity of that image.


Here's what I suggest we do. Make an image similar to the Team Fortress one. An image with a recognisable battlestar, B5 and stuff from our other TCs. Include text that shouts they are free to play. That image links to all the TCs and let's new people see all the completely free games we have. That's something that will become more important when TCs like FotG come out. Most people who are interested in that, will never have played FS2. Same as we got BSG fans for Diaspora.

Below that but visible when you first open the page without scrolling is a big image showcasing the difference SCP makes. So get an ugly screenshot of Freespace 2 retail and then a big graphic saying "Already got Freespace 2? We take this (ugly) to this (SCP beauty)." Make that image link to the installer / getting started page or tab.

Below that, have "Loved Freespace 2 and want more?" With a campaign showcase below it. Have that also link to the installer.


Only after that should we start doing any explanation of what HLP is. But that should be punctuated with gorgeous pictures of all the mods and TCs we have in the same way as the Elite dangerous page is.

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[AdmiralRalwood]

I agree that it's important that FS2 itself (and therefore the MediaVPs) need to be front-and-center, because FS2 is ultimately the reason all (or at the very least most) of us are here in the first place. However, it's also important that the free standalones also be given prominent placement because, unlike the MediaVPs, they don't require someone who's never heard of FreeSpace to spend any money to try it out for themselves.

In that vein, how hard would it be to make an FSO package out of the FS2 demo and put that front-and-center? That's what the guy who ported the FS2 engine to the OpenPandora did.

[Bryan See]

And what about making full use of HTML5 and CSS3 features? I wanted to see it more dynamic than ever.

[X3N0-Life-Form]

And what about making full use of HTML5 and CSS3 features? I wanted to see it more dynamic than ever.

To do what ? Do you have something in mind with those features that would enhance the page ?

[Mongoose]

Bryan, consider this a preemptive warning: do not derail this thread with questions about technical minutiae that have little to nothing to do with the general topic.