TW Centre has had a re-vamp - The Org needs one too

[MSB]

TW Centre has revamped (to my dismay). The Org needs to follow with another re-vamp and soon. TW Centre is the larger community and why - because it has a flashy web-site, a flashy forum (now anyway) and is in date. It is awful. My least favorite site on the net is starting to compete with my favorite.

The Org needs to join in and soon before it loses it's community to that unfriendly place. The Org desperately need:

• A new M2TW forum skin instead of us being forced to use "The Guild" to show our appreciation of M2TW.
• A new official web-site revamp (seen as nobody seems interested in my unofficial one)
• The promotion of mods to bring more hosted mods in.
• The re-vamp of the whole forum with more organization, more news and a new newsletter.
• The restyling of the post icons: The ones we have now look out-dated.

The Org needs to compete with the other TW sites on the net. And soon should it want to survive into 2007.

[Kagemusha]

The Org is not simply about flashy outlook. I think many of us are here becouse of the unique and friendly atmosphere,which you cant create by changing the look of things.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

You mean you like this:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[MSB]

The Org is not simply about flashy outlook. I think many of us are here becouse of the unique and friendly atmosphere,which you cant create by changing the look of things.

Yes, but (most) people join for the flashy feel and style. I don't think many actually look at how friendly the forum is before they sign up.

[MSB]

Actually I was just looking at the forums when I mentioned the re-vamp. I looked at the main page a few weeks ago and it was all flashy then. The Org needs to follow suit, reorganize and make itself better than that TWC could ever be..

[naut]

Hmmm, I understand what your saying.

Is there a way to make a modern, and yet friendly look?

4

[naut]

New icons, definitely.

Not to flame or bash, but our forum set-up is much more homely than theirs.

EDIT: And we actually outstrip them in number (and quality) of posts and number (and quality) of threads

5

[caravel]

TW Centre has revamped (to my dismay).

Why to your "dismay". If they want to revamp it, let them get on with it. They're not exactly a "competitor" as such anyway.

The Org needs to follow with another re-vamp and soon. TW Centre is the larger community and why - because it has a flashy web-site, a flashy forum (now anyway) and is in date. It is awful. My least favorite site on the net is starting to compete with my favorite.

I disagree. The .org does not need to chase around after another website trying to compete with it. This is not a game of "keeping up with the jones'" and this is not a forum for the under 10s.

The Org needs to join in and soon before it loses it's community to that unfriendly place.

It's a forum it's going to be unfriendly. The .com is unfriendly as well, but who cares. I don't post at either so they don't interest me. We're not going to lose our community to them, we'll simply offload all of the appalling little spammers and trolls that we don't want here anyway. If they go there for the "eye candy" and to mix with their peers, all the better for us over here. The .org is different to other forums because it's much more hospitable place.

The Org desperately need:

• A new M2TW forum skin instead of us being forced to use "The Guild" to show our appreciation of M2TW.
• A new official web-site revamp (seen as nobody seems interested in my unofficial one)
• The promotion of mods to bring more hosted mods in.
• The re-vamp of the whole forum with more organization, more news and a new newsletter.
• The restyling of the post icons: The ones we have now look out-dated.

There's one I do agree with. Let's sort out the modding forums and give the modders as much help as we can give them. Also it should be better organised and easier to find what you're looking for in there.

The Org needs to compete with the other TW sites on the net. And soon should it want to survive into 2007.

The .org will survive into 2007 and beyond that. If you're worried about the quiet spell don't be. Take a trip over to .com that's hardly buzzing either. A lot of members are busy playing M2TW, so that's why they're not on here posting about lances being held 2 degrees off, or <Unit Name> being a fantasy unit. Give it a few weeks and they'll be back.

Yes, a website revamp would be a good thing, but not for the reasons you've stated. It has to be revamped for a purpose not simply to outdo someone else's site.

[Andres]

What's the fuzz about?

I prefer the Org. I like the friendly and funny atmosphere and I love the RTW and MTW skin of the forums. If they would change it in a flashy, fancy site, I wouldn't even notice because I'd stick to the good ol' RTW or MTW skin.

Other people might prefer the TW Center, wether for the different atmosphere or the flashy website.

Others are member of both fansites, and enjoy them both equally.

Since when is there a competition between TW fan sites?

Do we need a competition between Tw fansites ? Does it matter if for instance the TWCenter has 150 people viewing and the Org only 100 ? Who cares?

We can co-exist peacefully, can't we?

As long as we are all happy.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Hey, how about while we're at it we illegally host some TV programs too?

[MSB]

Is there a way to make a modern, and yet friendly look?

Yes. You make sort of "mini-dialog boxes" on the page's background. You gradient the box's bar in two similar warm(ish) colours and separate a header using a similar bar. You also have a navigation bar down the side that make's the site very easy to navigate. All together the site looks smooth and clean with out looking too un-friendly and industrial.

And it is all about competition. TW Centre is stealing Org members due to it's good looks. The Org needs to become the unofficial home of TW by having a serious re-vamp.

[Andres]

Hey, how about while we're at it we illegally host some TV programs too?

Fine with me, as long as you don't host Big Brother.

Gah! Big Brother.

They should burn the inventors of that program

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

+0

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I don't get it. I looked at the forums and they are ugly too. Maybe I'm just spoiled be the Sword Dojo skin.

Seriously, who thought brown text on a tan background was a good idea. If the guild skin is that bad just use one of the others.


Also, I think your theory is off. The .com forums were always the biggest and it's ezBoard for christ's sake.

[naut]

Yes. You make sort of "mini-dialog boxes" on the page's background. You gradient the dialouge bar in two similar warm(ish) colours and separate a header using a similar bar. You also have a navigation bar down the side that make's the site very easy to navigate. All together the site looks smooth and clean with out looking too un-friendly and industrial.

I see what you mean.

But I agree with AndresTheCunning and Manco Capac. A Re-vamp would be nice, although not necessary.

Note: We sound like WWI Generals discussing "over the top" tactics.

[MSB]

If the guild skin is that bad just use one of the others.

The Guild skin is not bad: It just needs updating to come with the age of M2.

[naut]

The Guild skin is not bad: It just needs updating to come with the age of M2.

You mean there should be two? I guess it would be nice.

[caravel]

I don't get it. I looked at the forums and they are ugly too. Maybe I'm just spoiled be the Sword Dojo skin.

Seriously, who thought brown text on a tan background was a good idea. If the guild skin is that bad just use one of the others.

I think it's ugly as well, and it's slow. It's the same software we have here (Vbulletin). Fair enough, the portal integrates the site and forums, but apart from that there is nothing that spectacular about it. The Sword Dojo skin is based on the standard Vbulletin skin which is easy on the eyes and user friendly.

What some people fail to realise is that those types of highly graphical websites are much heavier on the bandwidth, which is all important.

Also, I think your theory is off. The .com forums were always the biggest and it's ezBoard for christ's sake.

True enough, but I do think alot of their membership is down to support requests.

[MSB]

You mean there should be two?

[naut]

What some people fail to realise is that those types of highly graphical websites are much heavier on the bandwidth, which is all important.

Very True.

[MSB]

Very True.

Yes, but highly graphical websites encourage new members to join. Highly boring websites (like the one the Org has now) encourage people to not join and instead to leave.

And Sasaki Kojiro: could you please put the thumbnail of that image up there. It is making this thread hard to read because I have to scroll right to see it all.

[naut]

I didn't even realise, I went to the forum to register and it said I was already a member. When did I join it?

Oh well, I guess I'll just use it to advertise my new MTW/VI mod.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I just took a look at it, and it's essentially exactly the same as the Guild skin, with a much worse background colour, and a rainy castle banner at the top. I am not impressed.

Plus, our forum mainpage is a lot less bland-the big tick icons and such. And that background colour on TWC really is bad. Bleagh. The Guild skin has been here for at least four years, and at least two iterations of the software. It's fine.

[MSB]

I just took a look at it, and it's essentially exactly the same as the Guild skin, with a much worse background colour, and a rainy castle banner at the top. I am not impressed.

The forums are not the main issue here. In my opinion it is the website. Without the colour TWC's style would be almost perfect for the Org. With my unofficial design I am, however, going to do it completely different.

[naut]

I just took a look at it, and it's essentially exactly the same as the Guild skin, with a much worse background colour, and a rainy castle banner at the top. I am not impressed.

Plus, our forum mainpage is a lot less bland-the big tick icons and such. And that background colour on TWC really is bad. Bleagh.

Yeah, I get what you mean. TWCentre has a very bland homepage

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The forums are not the main issue here.

But that's what you started teh thread about!!!!11one

Gah.

Edit-wait a minute, they've revamped the frontpage as well. Never mind. It's essentially just blank, with that banner at the top. I still don't see what the problem is.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

The forums are not the main issue here. In my opinion it is the website.

Actually I was just looking at the forums when I mentioned the re-vamp.

Make up your mind :p

[MSB]

Make up your mind :p

Ok. Order of how much it needs a re-vamp (worst first):

1. The Org's website
2. The forums (modifications)
3. The forums (layout)
4. The forums (M2TW skin)
5. The forums (post icons)

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The forums (mods)

Are you saying that the staff need a re-vamp?

[Andres]

Are you saying that the staff need a re-vamp?

A new haircut should do

[MSB]

Are you saying that the staff need a re-vamp?

Yes, but no.

I meant modifications