Web Development

[FreakTrap]

I was un sure where else to post this, and figured this would be the best place...

I have been watyching the development of the PlaneShift Community, for quite a long time, and have knoticed one thing sence nearly the begining... the Exact same website, and the un complete intro...

I just was wondering if you would like it if i were to finish the previous intro or to create a new one, as well as convert the entire site into a flash page.

If i were to do it, i could be able to edit the flash at any time to add new sections, and would be able to incorperate the current layout into the designe as well.

I would probaly be able to incorperate actionscripts to allow the flash to open txt files or whatever format you prefer, to read from files to allow you to easly update the news sections at any time.

I would be extreamly intrested in embarking upon this project, and am eager to help in the production of what has the potential to become one of the best MMORPG\'s online.....


              Please Contact me at FreakTrap@aol.com

[Xordan]

The best way to ask is to go onto the public dev channel and ask there.

irc.freenode.net
#planeshift

I\'m sure a dev will respond here, but if not, you know where to go.

[acraig]

Originally posted by FreakTrap
I was un sure where else to post this, and figured this would be the best place...

I have been watyching the development of the PlaneShift Community, for quite a long time, and have knoticed one thing sence nearly the begining... the Exact same website, and the un complete intro...

I just was wondering if you would like it if i were to finish the previous intro or to create a new one, as well as convert the entire site into a flash page.

Doing/finishing the intro would be great.  I would not support an entire flash site though. I would rather stick with basic html/php.

[hook]

noooooooooo! noooooo flashy pages!!! \'

intro\'s ok, but doing whole pages in flash is just whack! ...[sarcasm]while we\'re at it, why not completely in SVG ...ooho, ooooh, or activex!?![/sarcasm]

[idiotdea]

Originally posted by FreakTrap
as well as convert the entire site into a flash page.

I\'ll stop visiting the website at exactly that moment!

[sekhmet]

Flash site would be bad for low end pc\'s, don\'t do it.
But it would sure be nice to see the webpage get completed.

[Uyaem]

The problem is: You have to know what belongs on the pages. Once you have the content, making the pages is not the problem.

So if an \"outsider\" was to complete the website, he must either be provided with the texts or be able to get informed on what to put on the pages by those \"in charge\" of the content.

To the Flash-opposition: I\'m not the biggest fan of Flash either, but hey - here\'s someone offering his help, who is willing to contribute in the way he thinks fit. Why people seem to try scare him off with posts basically saying \"Flash, baaaaaaaaad - let be or me mad\" is beyond me. If the content is provided via database or text-files, a hybrid solution might be possible with just little more effort, so both Flash-freaks and Flash-haters can get their way - just some things to think about.

I know no flash at all, but both html and php well enough to be of help. If any help on the webpage itself is at all wanted, I\'m volunteering as well. Just say so. (@FreakTrap: Not trying to compete with you btw. )

[FreakTrap]

ive done some emssing with flahs, and i could make the nav and stiff in flahs, but the content area could eb sotred in HTML docs, rhater than txt, the txt would take forever, and be un efficent, but if you dont like the flash idea, i coudl mess arround and make a new set of buttons for the layout...  the Yellow Link\'s jsut dont look all that great, or mabey jsut a flash navbar... im jsut makeing som suggesitons, and af for the intro is someone could contact me with the original FLA file, i could finish it in a short time....


sorry for the spelling im really in a rush right now to get somehtign finished, and an idea for a nav bar.......

[FreakTrap]

http://host.deluxnetwork.com/tman/www/freaktrap/nav.html

i havent linked it all yet, but i did fic the issue with the border just dieing off, and this is about the same width as the old banner\'s table-cell width...
use the html page(it autosizes the swf), but the swf is here..
http://host.deluxnetwork.com/tman/www/freaktrap/nav.swf

linkings done...... someone leave some feedback?

[discochimp]

no offence. but, the origional html menu looks better, the yellow stands out. your buttons don\'t really have any coherency with the background they sit upon, they look more like buttons for a tech site.

you could try and play with the theme a little more.  which is fantasy. one of the good things about flash is the ability to import other media into it. such as jpg\'s .png\'s and gif\'s. you don\'t have to do everything in vector format. experiment in photoshop with createing an actual \"interface\" and not just some buttons stuck onto the interface that already exists.

when your thinking about changeing an html website to a flash website you have to keep in mind that there has to be a bonified reason for doing it.

\"because it\'s flash\" isn\'t a good reason, you have to make it superior and play on flash\'s benefits.

also think about font choice aswell. flash has a tendency to \"blur\" fonts that aren\'t pixel fonts. this basically means that flash is very poor at aliasing.

you can get pixel fonts here: http://www.fontsforflash.com/ but these ones might be a bit too tech for this kinna site but it\'ll give you an idea of what i mean.

[icebr4kr]

I agree, comic sans isn\'t exactly the best web font.

I think further development should be focused on the intro/splash page.
As a web designer we are told not to waste the visitors time with a page that most people skip.
Perhaps if you keep the flash you could have something important there (such as news) for returning visitors.

As for a nav, if you can take advantage of the features of flash and it fits the fantasy theme and general look of the site (which looks good) then go for it.
Otherwise, maybe css can be used to style the nav a little more.
it may be attributes away for a completely new look.

An all flash site is a bad idea unless you provide visitors with an alternative. Then again, you must design for the target audience and since this is a rather demanding game, we might assume that everyone visiting has high-end flash-enabled pcs. Some advantages of html are that it is searchable, indexable, does not require flash,  and is bookmarkable. Flash should be used sparingly.

I would really like to see something valuable on the first page of the site, because returning visitors _really_ get tired of the intro (especially since its uncompleted )

Just my comments (no harm intended). And good luck.

[Crj]

IMHO making a whole page in flash is a bad idea if you have more than this |__| much info to put in. Its harder to navigate, dunno, but i have seen 2 flash pages that i like so far.
Respect dial-up! Not everyone has broad-band!
If you dont like thouse yellow links make a button(pic) that looks better, and i like the current menu better than your ver. IMHO html/php/css is enough.

[FreakTrap]

i changed it,and it looks beter.....
if you want a yellow font, i can do that, but i dont think this looks too bad.....

http://host.deluxnetwork.com/tman/www/freaktrap/nav.html

[SaintNuclear]

I don\'t think the site should have any flash besides the intro.
Why have flash nav? To make the site look better?
Why would the site have to look better? Is it a game that the PS Team are working on, or a website?

I think that the site is great the way it is.
It\'s built to be informative, easy to navigate, and simple. It achieves all these things.

I\'m not saying the site should have plain background, text, and everything, but it shouldn\'t be fancy either.


The navigation looks uninspiring, but why should it be any more than that?


The site might need to be changed a bit for CB, but it should be more or less the same.
The intro, however, would probebly have to be changed completely... Right now it got the same problem that the context of the site got. It tells you about things that PS don\'t have.
When CB is out, I think that the guides, faqs, etc, should talk only about what PS is in CB. Another section could detail about what it\'ll have in the future, but why confuse newbies and make them belive that they can fight?
The intro should be about the present too, with a few notes about the future.

[FreakTrap]

I dont know why evryone is so anti flash...

what is it thet people dislinke so much about flash?? its a great web develoment tool, not jsut for intro;s or layouts,. but for content to be worked into html pages...
you say you dont want to make a \'fancy\' nav bar, why not??

Why have flash nav? To make the site look better?
Why would the site have to look better? Is it a game that the PS Team are working on, or a website?

Exactly why you should have flash... who wants to look at a page that dose nothing? mabey you do, but i know i wouldnt enjoy it.... besides, who said the PS team had to all turn into web developing zombies? they are workign on the game, i jsut made a nav bar and offered a few ideas to promote the community, with a better looking web site. thats why you would want the site to look better, people look at the page after 3 years like i did a few days ago, and seeing that nothing has changed. i allmost left after i saw the in complete intro ( has stayed the same for over a year!) and the exact same layout from 15 million months ago! im just trying to shape up the site, the site is peoples portal to the communit, and how do you expect the community to grow if people think that its the same thing happening as it was 2 months before when they checked in??