Forum skin

[Rhynn]

So yeah, obviously there are people who don't like the skin much yet. So I want to try improving it, since I haven't found a way to let the user choose between multiple skins yet, with this forumotion forum. It would've been easy on a normal phpbb board though...

Ayway, please give me all the feedback about the forum skin here. I prefer a well-organized list so I don't have to search every post for a possible bit of feedback I missed. Please make it constructive feedback so it's actually useful, things like "Yeah I don't like it much" are useless and won't improve the skin (or my mood, really xD)

I also invite everyone to keep an eye on this forum, which is where I work on the skin.

Keep in mind it probably WILL take a while for the skin to be completely done. I have a huge to-do list, both for Nyoka and for other things, so I'm quite busy. If anyone who knows css and/or stuff about forum skinning wants to help me with this, let me know so I can give the appropriate permissions on the other forum.

[ChibiKawaii]

It isn't possible for theme switching on Forumotion D:

I personally think the theme is fine, but the icons need switching. The red planet on the homepage is eye catching and should maybe represent unread instead of locked. And maybe a faint (or pastel coloured) planet could represent locked or read?

[Voxezi]

Gah the forum just wiped everything I typed.
On the main page: red for unread, blue for read, yellow for locked.
Purple background should only be at the top around the name, the background should be the faint darkish purple at the edge of the purple background used for the name.
The grey that posts are on should be slightly fainter.

[ignite444]

Rhynn is using the same colors that are on the site FYI, so why change the grey?

[Voxezi]

Eh, I guess for the sake of continuity.

[Calib]

It's a shame that Forumotion is so limited. No custom scripts(?) and now no theme switching? Some of the other forums out there are far more flexible. It might be worth it to look into the alternatives. Anyway, on with the theme!

I honestly love the forum theme. Wherever I go online I tend to make my theme grey/black with "silver" text as it's easier on the eyes. The only change in the colors I'd want to see is for the post backgound grey to be little darker (I like how easy the text edit boxes are to read) and for the links to be a slightly different color, maybe a very pale purple instead of a white. These are mostly nitpicks, though: I wish we could use the same theme in game. I would use it in a heartbeat!

The only other thing I would change are the star colors/shapes for easier understandability. Those familiar with other forums are typically used to the following icon colors:
Blue: normal thread, new posts
Red: Thread very popular! (hot thread, sometimes the fire icon)
Grey or similar to background: normal thread, no new posts
White or grey with different icon: Locked thread

My main issue is that the gas giants are kinda fuzzy, less clean and not as easy on the eyes as ringed planets. Besides, aren't gas giants dying/dead stars? The ringed planets should be used for most posts and the gas giants should be used for either read or locked posts only. The ringed planets can also be any color theoretically, which helps the theme while making things easier to recognize for those who go on forums a bunch.

I would avoid using the yellow as it clashes with the theme, maybe replace it with purple to match and bring out the starry background more?

Blue ringed planet: Normal thread, new posts
Purple ringed planet: Normal thread, no new posts (picks up purple in background)
Red ringed planet or Supernova: Very popular thread!
Gas Giant: locked thread

[Jani]

I really like the theme, I haven't been around for a while. It was a pleasant surprise c:

I've got a quick little suggestion that's easy to fix, though.

I don't like the googlemaps on the Who's Online (never did like how Forumotion adds it), and if you wouldn't mind, could you take it off?

I've done it before on my own forums:

Go to the admin CP, then go to Display.
Then on there go under Templates, and click General.
There should be a 'viewonline_body' down near the bottom, edit it. then remove all the googlemap code.
Then once you hit save you've gotta click the green plus, otherwise it doesn't do anything c:

[Voxezi]

Blue looks too similar to purple, it'd be hard to distinguish in a glance.
Following the above, perhaps rings would denote popular?
Ringed Red: Popular unread
Ringed Blue: Popular read
Red: Unread
Blue: Read.
Etc.

Edit: just read jani's post.
Yes, I'd definitely like that feature removed, please.

[Calib]

Blue looks too similar to purple, it'd be hard to distinguish in a glance.

Actually, the purple used in the footer is different enough that there shouldn't be a problem. Here's a test swatch of colors based on the blue planet icon (I used the eyedropper tool for highlight, midtone and shadows) and the background purple. I made the swatch small to mimic the fact the icons are small. The background is clear for a more accurate test.

Yes, the colors are snitchable if anyone wants. I don't mind sharing.

[Voxezi]

Is that for the main page view or for individual threads?

[SilentSkieBlue]

Personally I like the stars at the top and bottom of the thread, and I'd like it if we could keep those.
However, the separators that same are a little annoying, and I think it'd be better if they were a solid color, whether purple, black or white. Or, perhaps, the simpler pattern of the enter text field.
Finally, I think the post background ought to be changed to a darker color, and the text field made solid. The gray isn't dark enough to make reading the white text comfortable and while I do so adore this pattern, it is a little distracting to type on.

[Calib]

Is that for the main page view or for individual threads?

I was suggesting the icon changes for the individual threads (ex: on https://nyoka.forumotion.com/f5-introductions)

Right now all individual threads use the gas giants and the forum front uses the ringed planets. Using the ringed planets for most thread types will let the threads match the main page view better as well as the other things I mentioned already.

Personally I like the stars at the top and bottom of the thread, and I'd like it if we could keep those.
However, the separators that same are a little annoying, and I think it'd be better if they were a solid color, whether purple, black or white. Or, perhaps, the simpler pattern of the enter text field.
Finally, I think the post background ought to be changed to a darker color, and the text field made solid. The gray isn't dark enough to make reading the white text comfortable and while I do so adore this pattern, it is a little distracting to type on.

I don't mind seeing the stars between the posts (like separators) because I feel it gives a little needed color without being overbearing.

I agree with the backgrounds being a little darker, though. Maybe the main post background should match the quote background? To make the quotes stick out, the quote background could be either almost black or use a darker font and have a light border color. I can make color tests of these, too, if anyone wants and can post Hex codes if you like!

[Rhynn]

I can't actually change the separators. Those are just space between the posts which show the background. So those will always take on the colour of the background.

Everything else which has been said... I think I can work on those. Keep the feedback coming!

[Wookieinmashoo]

I would really, really prefer the old skin. The purple color could be changed to something else. The forums do not have to match the site, in fact most forums I have seen do not match the main site.

[ignite444]

I added a poll that will run for 10 tens (the end of the month). This will help decide on what to do with the skin in general.

[ignite444]

I changed the planets around. Yellow is now locked and red is now inactive. Blue remained the same. Any better now? I could switch the red and blue around if you'd like, it might look better that way.

[OneWithTheMoon]

I changed the planets around. Yellow is now locked and red is now inactive. Blue remained the same.

I freaked out when I saw them first. I thought everything was locked for some reason Change it baaaaack! T ^ T

[ignite444]

Well, a couple of people wanted the colors changed around, so that is what I did.

[SilentSkieBlue]

I'd vote for yellow updated, blue inactive, and red locked. While red is more attention-getting than either yellow or blue, it typically carries a negative or "stop" context. The blue would typically be better, being the longest wavelength of light, but on this background it's a little hard to notice. Plus yellow is often associated with a positive feature--consider the smiley faces. The angry and embarrassed ones are red, the happy ones are yellow, and the sad ones are blue.

Red = Upset = Locked
Yellow = Happy = Updated
Blue = Sad = No updates

That's how it works in my head anyways.

[OneWithTheMoon]

I'd vote for yellow updated, blue inactive, and red locked. While red is more attention-getting than either yellow or blue, it typically carries a negative or "stop" context. The blue would typically be better, being the longest wavelength of light, but on this background it's a little hard to notice. Plus yellow is often associated with a positive feature--consider the smiley faces. The angry and embarrassed ones are red, the happy ones are yellow, and the sad ones are blue.

Red = Upset = Locked
Yellow = Happy = Updated
Blue = Sad = No updates

That's how it works in my head anyways.

Ohh, interesting. That makes a lot of sense

[ignite444]

Well, seeing as blue is one of my favorites, I associate it with being updated. But I will mess around with the colors.

Edit: Any better?

[SilentSkieBlue]

It's a little weird being switched around, but I think it's a bit more intuitive. If it doesn't fly for the planets, I think it'd work on the stars, to some degree.

[ignite444]

The stars need to be changed because at this point, it is hard to decipher what is new, old, etc... Oh and, that green star needs to go, green stars don't exist.

[Calib]

Well, seeing as blue is one of my favorites, I associate it with being updated. But I will mess around with the colors.

Edit: Any better?

It's a little better, though there really needs to be more of a color different between "very active" and "new post". There is almost no difference between the two- the shade difference is not enough. Maybe white for "very active" and purple for "sticky"?

An easy way to do things would be to stop using the gas planets for everything and to start using the ringed planets for more than just the main page. This would give much needed differences without having to add extra colors. I'd like to see more of the ringed planets, anyway.

[Drakkon]

I personally prefer to keep the stars as the regular topics, but it's up to Rhynn (iggy? Rebs? xD I don't even know who's in charge of the specific colors for the skin at this point). All that I need is more of a contrast between the "new post" and "no new post" star colors, and I'll be completely fine with the skin.

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