Layout discussion

Brf · Site Admin

You know.... I just noticed with this DustyGreen Style.... It doesnt tell you if you have any private messages. You have to go to your Inbox to see

Brf · Site Admin

OK. I made a copy of Dusty Green and called it CastleDoom....

So far I have Lightened up the outside background color and made the button pictures more readable....

Now I need suggestions as to what to do with the colors.... I can proly modify the images to change the colors.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Either I'm getting used to it or it is a bit more readable now.

You might experiment with the color in those hazy boxes below the dusty green logo and see if a blood color looks good. Might be interesting as an experiment.

How does it look to remove the dusty green logo and add the castle?

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Skip the last....

I switched to "CastleDoom" and see your changes.

Looks good.

Only the castle left to go, imo.

When you pull that off then reset the default skin.

Brf · Site Admin

Well.... I am not sure where to put the castle.... Right now, the top images are skinny and stretchable, except for the middle couple inches. Stretch and squish your IExplore on the sides and you will see what I mean. The Window effect is kind of cool right now... I thought about putting the castle behind the windows and maybe changing the window shape.... but you have to remember they will stretch or shrink from side-to-side.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Window effect?

Uhmmm, see my new thread.

Brf · Site Admin

Yeah. Right underneath where it says "CASTLE DOOM" at the top, there are two bent rectangular windows with a grey swirly pattern behind them. If you change the width of your Internet Explorer, those windows stretch, while the picture behind them remains stationary.

Also, right now this CastleDoom style has white text on a black background, which I am having a hard time readingt while I am typing..... I was thinking of switching it to Black text on some other color light background.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Oh, I know about those two windows.

Looks like smoke frozen in time to me.

Do the swirls move for you?

Brf · Site Admin

No. The swirls dont move... it is a fixed picture. The windows will change size though if you stretch your Explorer window. Do you want to keep the windows and replace the swirls? We could proly put the castle back behind.... or put something else back there and put the castle somewhere in the foreground.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Nothing wrong with the swirls, imo, but getting that castle somewhere up top is a must. If you have to mess with the windows to get the castle in then so be it. The swirl windows are nice, but secondary in importance to the castle.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Now that's what I call a header!

Excellent work, Brf. Wink

Brf · Site Admin

Thanks.... Now we need to decide if we want to change the colors any...

CooJoe · Knight of the Realm

That's a nice header, the Tropico coat of arms adds a nice touch, too.

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

I'd say not much.

The Castle Doom wording could a little less "arterial" in color. Laughing

And the old banana tree/rifle sign might look interesting in muted or sillouette instead of bright color.

But keep the old versions handy in case it looks too drab.

In any case, I'd say that basic board layout is our next agenda.

Now I'm really hoping the membership starts voicing their desires.

And let's not forget cool names for the categories and boards.

The first suggestion put out was on estio's board.

Franky recommended using "Galt's Gulch" in our debate area.

And I do like it. But for the others, perhaps thematic names would be better.

It is representing the old fort of mine at CT.

I still remember all the jollies we had putting up Barka-Loungers on the ramparts and destroying hapless rebels.

So get in the spirit of things folks, and put in your suggestions for board types and names. I'll make sure that every novel idea get a modest post count reward. That said, I owe Franky a 25 point bonus to his post count just to start things off.

Of course I still have to learn how to get into the member profiles, as well as set up rank counts. Laughing

Rank names are also a source for suggestions too.

NOTE: at present, we don't even have a mod board set up. So behave! On the flip side, you will get to see the plans as they really unfold. No smoke-filled back room for a while.

PS: Nibby, it's time to really get those plans for a ~ladies area~ out on "paper" here. I'd like to get that rolling fast. The ladies are already here and ready to post.

Brf · Site Admin

Currently you cannot edit a user's post count, but there is a simple MOD to allow it. I will install the MOD this evening and see how it works. What kind of ranks will we be using? There is a set of rank images that came with this Style, but they are pretty boring....

What color do you want your CASTLE DOOM label? Grey or brown or white or what?

I will see if I can make the Tropico coat-of-arms somewhat transparent or something

Brf · Site Admin

Cool. The mod is in. I bumped up Franky's post count by 25 as a test.

NibbyCat · Knight Lord

I'm tired, way too tired to think. Can it wait till Sunday?

On the coat of arms, the upper right is too muted, it feels like how "inactive" windows are a muted color, while active windows are brighter. I'm tired, does this make sense, though?

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

KJ's post slipped between mine and yours, Brf.

I was refering to your comment of "Now we need to decide if we want to change the colors any...", when I said "not much" in my next post. With KJ's post, it looks like a made a derogatory comment. The current base colors aren't bad, actually. Easy to read now and has that "grim" aspect as well.

Brf · Site Admin

JuntaJoe · Site Admin

Ok, have some fun with it.

Just don't forget to save the original copy. Wink