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The Site

AdowenAdowen
in Common Grounds
Hi players!

I was just interested in hearing what the OOC community thinks about the appearance of the official Lusternia site. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I think compared to the old site, it just looks awful :c I also find it a lot harder to navigate, it looks like a cheap WOW wannabe instead of a fantasy world … I miss the turning gears and the quick-to-access-everything nav bar. I also miss the "Player Information" area, buggy as it was.

The new site has its pros and I don't mean to sound excessively critical – I love the game, I love the constant updates and changes. It would be interesting to know why it was thought such a radically different site structure was necessary.

However, I think the new site layout may be responsible for Lusternia's dramatic loss of regular votes, for two possible reasons. First of all – like I mentioned earlier – the new site made me think I'd come to the wrong site or new management had transformed it into some kind of horrific basher MMPORG. It just looks flashy and desperate to me, with a theme and fonts that seem steampunk or Western rather than fantasy. 

Secondly and most importantly: Where on earth is the "vote" button?! The old site had one side "Play", the other side "Vote" -- simple, effective. The new site has "play" in different shapes and forms all over the place, but I have yet to find a "vote" anywhere. I have the voting page bookmarked, and it's the only way I know how to access it, besides the standard Google search. Without seeing it on the site regularly I do often find myself forgetting about voting, and I doubt players new to Lusternia may even be aware it's out there somewhere. 

Does anyone else have concerns about the new site, or is everyone loving it? Just curious…

Comments

  • EveriineEveriine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA
    I laid out my concerns in posts and in a detailed email to Estarra when the first new site came out (which looked much, much, much worse). While the new new site aesthetically looks better, with a theme that fits Lusternia a little more, the actual mechanics and layout of the site are abysmal.

    Unfortunately, the new site came down from IRE corporate (Aetolia, Lusternia, Achaea, and Imperian all have the exact same site), no matter how bad it is, it can't really be changed. I do have to say, though, that Estarra has done a good job with the slop they were given, but dressing up slop is still slop. There's not much she can do.
    Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"

    Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.

    Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  • AdowenAdowen
    It's a relief to know Estarra is still sane! :D Thank you Estarra for improving the site. Using the Wayback Machine I had a look at the earlier site Everiine mentioned and flat-out face-palmed… So thank you for doing what you can. Things have demonstrated that they could be worse.
  • ZvoltzZvoltz
    @Nocht and I have been working on getting the website up to date and our goal is to turn it into a great resource for current and prospective players alike. However, the framework of the website is part of an IRE template that we aren't able to change at the Lusternia level (which is why we haven't put a nice vote button on the front page).

    If you have suggestions for improvements, we're happy to look into doing them. Alas, when working with the website it is important to know that not everything is customisable.

  • EveriineEveriine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA
    Zvoltz said:
    However, the framework of the website is part of an IRE template that we aren't able to change at the Lusternia level (which is why we haven't put a nice vote button on the front page).
    And that, ladies and gentlemen, is corporate stupidity at work. I find it ridiculous that all IRE games are being forced to rigidly conform to an identical (and frankly subpar) site design in the first place and do not have the authority to fix it.

    But big thank yous to you and Nocht for taking what you were given and making something good of it.
    Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"

    Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.

    Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  • ZvoltzZvoltz
    Everiine said:
    Zvoltz said:
    However, the framework of the website is part of an IRE template that we aren't able to change at the Lusternia level (which is why we haven't put a nice vote button on the front page).
    I find it ridiculous that all IRE games are being forced to rigidly conform to an identical (and frankly subpar) site design in the first place and do not have the authority to fix it.
    IRE actually fixes issues with the template when we ask them too, it's not like they are evil dictators oppressing us. A vote button just isn't something we can jump on the site and do in a couple of minutes.

  • NeosNeos The Subtle Griefer
    Zvoltz said:
    Everiine said:
    Zvoltz said:
    However, the framework of the website is part of an IRE template that we aren't able to change at the Lusternia level (which is why we haven't put a nice vote button on the front page).
    I find it ridiculous that all IRE games are being forced to rigidly conform to an identical (and frankly subpar) site design in the first place and do not have the authority to fix it.
    IRE actually fixes issues with the template when we ask them too, it's not like they are evil dictators oppressing us. A vote button just isn't something we can jump on the site and do in a couple of minutes.
    That's what they want you to tell us.
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    Celina said:
    You can't really same the same, can you?
    Zvoltz said:
    "The Panthron"
  • CyndarinCyndarin used Flamethrower! It was super effective.
    The site, to me, is pretty commercial, but it's a business. If you want the game you play to stay active, grow, and stay competitive within a niche market, it's going to have to go mainstream and commercial to some degree. 

    I actually kind of like it. It's flashy and the old one always looked generic and cheap to me.
    image
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