new site layout/design

[Puddles]

I like the new look, but you guys didn't address what I consider to be a serious design problem: It takes 3 steps to get to a review. Step 1 is the title on the home page, step 2 is the in-between-page, and step 3 is the review itself. Compare this to a site like Joystiq, which has only 1 step: Each article, or at least the first few paragraphs, is right on the home page. No clicking necessary. The in-between-page, in particular (see, for example, http://rpgfan.com/news/2009/154.html), makes no sense at all. It's an extra step for no reason.

Otherwise, the site looks great. Keep up the good work!

[Azrael]

I've never minded the in between page.  I don't think it would work if they put any part of the review itself on the main page, it would be way too cluttered.  But the in-between page works for the most part because they'll link to more than one thing depending on how they relate or how many updates were included.  In fact that in between page only appears for the feature updates, not any of the links at the side like the featured reviews/previews and so on.

[Mike]

Well everything is posted essentially as a 'news' update first, in part due to the system we have that we use to update. Keep in mind once a feature gets slotted in the right-hand column, it DOES go right to the article itself.

It IS a good suggestion though, so next time we revise our updating system, I'll make sure we consider that; but again, right now, it's gotta be that way for technical reasons.

[Lazlowe1984]

I like the new look, but you guys didn't address what I consider to be a serious design problem: It takes 3 steps to get to a review. Step 1 is the title on the home page, step 2 is the in-between-page, and step 3 is the review itself. Compare this to a site like Joystiq, which has only 1 step: Each article, or at least the first few paragraphs, is right on the home page. No clicking necessary. The in-between-page, in particular (see, for example, http://rpgfan.com/news/2009/154.html), makes no sense at all. It's an extra step for no reason.

Otherwise, the site looks great. Keep up the good work!

 I think its ok as it is.At least RPGfan doesn't run like Gamedaily which does a Top 10 whatever list and has one part of that on each page.They do that to get hits continually

[Angelo]

My suggestion.  Also, I'd give less vertical space to the major-feature images, and put some padding between them.

Mad props to the 'Fan for changing the layout, esp. given that you did it in a short amount of time.  The horizontal navigation menu definitely works best for a site like this, IMHO.

Secondly, redesigning a site shouldn't be any harder than redesigning a page

God, I wish.  Like was already mentioned, RPGFan has a lot of old static content, and that's a killer.  It took me fully 2 years (longer, if I were honest) to go dynamic with Anime Dream, and a solid 2-3 months of that time was spent doing manual data entry.  I had less than a tenth of the number of pages RPGFan has.  It's a shit-ton of work.

Around last Christmas I spent a month redoing every element in every template AD has with class/id attributes, in preparation for our own layout switch.  It helped a lot -- I won't lie -- but there were still major changes in the structure of some pages.  You can't always change layouts with the flip of a switch.  In fact, I'd wager that very few are able to do that, and that their new layouts are very similar to the old.

[Dyne07]

I've been running into more issues with the nav bar links flooding over. Just thought I'd post it here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/Orijin/snapper1242184466115.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/Orijin/snapper1242184370317.jpg

[Dyne07]

I've been running into more issues with the nav bar links flooding over. Just thought I'd post it here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/Orijin/snapper1242184466115.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/Orijin/snapper1242184370317.jpg

The way the search bar shows up in the second image happens to me in the home page as well. And this happens consistently, despite clearing my cache.

I personally don't mind, but i thought you guys would want to know.

[D-Rider]

Which internet browser are you using?

[HolyKnight]

i do have to say since i've given some time into using the new site design/layout it IS starting to grow on me.  overall i still prefer the old layout/design, however this new version will do just fine.  i've been coming to rpgfan.com since i found the link to the site in the bonus disk of thousand arms (psx) several several SEVERAL years ago.  it'd be interesting to look up the release date of that game to see exactly how long i've been coming here. 

[Ithunn]

I reckon this'll be considered necrobumping, but those ads by Google with the Dating for RPG Players and that busty Blonde ad full of innuendo but totally what Evony isn't about is soooo large. I've blocked the ads, but I dunno if you guys have any care about how the right nav bar is out of wack because of the ads. Dunno if it's fixable, needs fixing, etc but it's something that came to my mind after visiting the homepage a couple of minutes ago.

[Ramza]

but I dunno if you guys have any care about how the right nav bar is out of wack because of the ads. Dunno if it's fixable, needs fixing, etc but it's something that came to my mind after visiting the homepage a couple of minutes ago.

The ads are annoying. I know. Lots and lots of gaming sites have Evony and this Geek2Geek site going right now.

But um...can you take a screenshot? The right hand nav-bar looks fine where I'm sitting...

[Ithunn]

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3900/picture1020243.png

Perhaps it's my browser? It's doing the same thing now. I'd have issues with Adblock previously blocking other ads and still disassociating the nav bar to the top page. I'm thinking that once it's fixed, the lighter colored green bar would stay the same height and width anyway, so it'd appear as if you had empty space to the right or left of the features. I'll give an update anyway.


Update* I don't know which fixed it or not, but I cleared my cookies and I enabled collapse blockable elements under Adblock preferences and the nav bar is somewhat adjusted to the top. It officially looks like this: http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1729/picture1spl.png .  No biggy.

[Ramza]

Right. The bar on the right will always be that same width. We have it written to do that, I think. But the top (square) ad space should've gone away, and it seems you've gotten it to do so.

So, in place of ads, you get blank space where ads would be. Mind you, having the ads there does support the site financially, even though that "Evony" ad is painfully annoying. Just a thought.

[Ithunn]

Obligatory "I clicked on Evony out of curiosity."

I sort of missed the older ads that were located at the top. But money making is money making. I wonder the stats for clicks on Evony's.