Someone Please Update the Main Page!

[OliverWKim]

There's been a good discussion going on about the state of the main page of the Org (see it here), and the general consensus has been that it really, really needs a serious revamp. Though I personally have little experience with PHP, MySQL, RoR, etc., I'm confident that there are talented individuals within the Org community with these languages tucked firmly beneath their belts. In short: someone please update the main page!!

[Tran]

If Gahzette can be revived, then I believe the same can be done with the main page of Totalwar.org.

[FactionHeir]

Does anyone actually ever go to the mainpage? The only time I noticed there even was one was when I did some PBM uploads.
I think when I first moved to ORG, i directly linked to the forum, not the mainpage even :D

[Martok]

I visit it about once a week, just to check for news and updates (if nothing else).

Anyway, I support revamping the Org's front page as well. I agree it's long past due for an update.

[Makanyane]

I posted in other thread but might as well re-iterate it here, I agree the front page could do with make-over. For style as well as content, and to get more useful info in the first viewable chunk of the page before you have to start scrolling down.

Main concern is really for people finding site for first time, putting 'total war modding' or similar into google will take you to main-page not forums and I don't think the main-page gives as good an impression of the site as the forums - so you could be losing peoples interest before they ever get as far as the forum...

(umm, sorry, can't volunteer can only just about handle normal html)

[The Spartan (Returns)]

sometimes i go to the forums via front page for fun.

[CountArach]

sometimes i go to the forums via front page for fun.

You must have a sad, sad life.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

well hey sometimes i forget to go to favorites, to jump in the forums.

[Csargo]

I used to visit the front page when coming to the Org, but that was a long long time ago.

[Tran]

I looked again at the main/front page and it seems the news is updated once or twice every month with the latest update in 14 April 2007 about The Fourth Age: Total War – Forth Eorlingas v1.9.

I don't even know what's that, the main page could definitely get a lot of improvements and updates, the problem seems to be the lack of staff... just my thought

[sapi]

The other problem is the lack of content to report on

Unless we want to go mod-mad, there's not really much TW-orientated content to post...

[Tran]

Hmm...let me think

**thinks hard**

- patch controversy
- gahzette anouncement
- game's enhancer/mini fix
- camel
- what else...?

[sapi]

Well, some of those raise the question of whether you are looking for news, or opinionated stories...

[Shahed]

There's a lot going on in the community to post on. The front page has been the same basic design since Shogun, with some changes. We need to keep developing this site, that's my opinion. I think the people who posted in the other thread, and actually it's been an ongoing discussion for years now, have a valid point. The site and forum need more maintenance. This is certain. The staff are doing a great job but since always quality staff is what we need more of. It's understandable that we don't want to dilute the quality of the staff by just adding anyone but there are many people here who could make great staff members. People who are impartial to all but one thing: the game and their desire to do this as a hobby.

Staying the same way as always is just not going to hack it eventually you have to change.

I don't like to mention TWC, because it was a splinter of people who essentially were new to the whole deal but now that forum is on average more active than this one. I would say the quality of the posts here is much better and the members are more mature in general. But I would alsosay that I can find answers quicker there than here. In the end this will mean something, and I know this is a symptom.

I was against totalwars.net being formed, a few years ago, and declined invitations to join their team because I felt the community would be splintered. I've come to realise that there is no preventing that, and the only thing we can do is to be the best place to discuss the game.

Another point I'd like to mention is that there could be a lot more stickies, there are a lot of threads that need to be insta-visible. You should'nt have to search for them. The other day I found a brilliant guide on Priests/Imams which was somewhere back in the pages. I think we should give a little more space and be more lenient towards the occasional disorganisation in a sub forum. I don't mean disrespect, I don't tolerate that. I mean simply to make sure that people who come here looking for tips should find them easily.

I hope that this post has conveyed my opinion in a positive and constructive manner. You guys are doing a great job !

[sapi]

Okay then.

I can't/won't report on mods (just not something I enjoy doing), but otherwise, what would you guys be looking to have on the front page?

NB: I'm 'technically' competent at web design, but lack artistic taste and wouldn't be able to deal with the CMS, so redesigning the front page is out of the question for me (although I would definitely agree that it needs it)

[naut]

We've had a number of these threads, and all-in-all it seems nobody can be bothered to update the front page (). Maybe a contest would be the best way to stimulate enthusiasm.

From other thread.

[Mithrandir]

Okay then.

I can't/won't report on mods (just not something I enjoy doing), but otherwise, what would you guys be looking to have on the front page?

NB: I'm 'technically' competent at web design, but lack artistic taste and wouldn't be able to deal with the CMS, so redesigning the front page is out of the question for me (although I would definitely agree that it needs it)

The CMS is merely a few lines of include PHP .

camels

[sapi]

The CMS is merely a few lines of include PHP

Quiet, you - I'm running out of excuses here

[Tamur]

Wait a minute... CMS can be more than include directives?

Sorry, that was unhelpful. I think as long as the Org exists we'll have this debate because of the very scary permissions problem. I personally would be worried about giving webroot access on my own site to most good friends, let alone giving root access on an 18.000 member board to complete strangers, no matter how well-meaning they are. And as anyone can tell you, developing anything more than a static page without server access is almost always a waste of time.

If the site's front page is redeveloped, it will likely need to be a site admin that does it.

[edyzmedieval]

We can always ask AdminTest for that, Tamur.

[sapi]

Updated with medieval 2 1.2 patch release news.

I'll try to keep it up to date with information on things that I think are important/know about.

*gently nudges Tosa to tell me how to get an avatar working for posts there

[Shahed]

Good job sapi !