New theme: "Century"

[RussianSuffering]

It looks quite cool. Though the extra adds you get in the region screen are really annoying.

[Pure Thought]

...
[*]Nation flag shown in sidebar
[*]Wide-format RMB on region page
...

I'm basically pretty "easy" with the new design, subject to the ideas other people already have expressed about toning down the look of the banner and so on. The two things above however, I have some doubts about.

The Nation flag in the sidebar is unnecessary, surely? It looks too cluttered to me.

The RMB. Considering how often RMB's are full of short, choppy banter rather than concentrated reasoning, I think this is going to be ugly, with that big white gap on the right, more often than it's going to be functional. The current 2 column arrangement still accommodates paragraphs of discourse when it happens, and then when conversation returns to a more terse style it's not as ugly as the new arrangement seems. Even for those times when you're reading text written in paragraphs, it's easier on the eyes if the line-lengths are shorter. That's why newspapers have columns.

One other point: that login thing, top right. Any chance it could turn into the logout thing when we're logged in already?

Otherwise, it looks like it'll be interesting to use. And it's a nice touch that we'll be able to go retro if we want. Thanks.

[EDIT] I just discovered that you already answered my query about the width of the RMB when you replied to Mayor For Life. The idea of putting the time elapsed under the nation's name would be a pretty good compromise.

As for your observation that the forums are very wide, that's one of the reasons I don't use the forums as much as I might like. I'm not getting younger, my eyesight isn't getting any better, and very wide lines slow down my reading too much.

[Tsrill]

I like the new design in general, however, I'm not a fan of the new format of the RMB. I think the old columnar approach made it easier to quickly scan the RMB for new messages, and also allows for an easier mental ad-filtering on feeder RMBs. Ads are generally longer (or, in the rare case of a real debate/discussion, much shorter) than conversation posts, and tend to have more links and general mark-up. In the new layout these features are less distinguishing due to the extra mark-up of the post headers, and thus less easy to quickly dismiss the ads while reading the RMB.

[Primum Mobile]

I do like the idea of a website facelift, but the banner just looks unusually cheesy.

[Wopruthien]

I'm not a big fan... but when I use a search engine and use google cache on the regions to look at the world factbook entry or residents of a region, the ad pretty much covers half the screen.

Is there anything that can be done?

[Neo-Erusea]

I really like the new look. Can't say I like the new RMB too much but everything else seems pretty good.

[Vocenae]

The top banner is far too large, it should be scaled down to the size of the current banner.

Remove the ad that sits between the regional happenings logs. All ads should be at the bottom of any webpage, or have them be in the empty grey space below the Latest Threads area and alongside the RMB.

Keep the Regional MEssage Board the way it is now. The new version is just needlessly clunky looking and has too much whitespace. Out of the three, I think this is the one I have to say I hate the most because of the large size of the text boxes and the large amount of bordered whitespace. The borders are also far too thick, thin lines should suffice, I don't want the RMB to start looking like another dumb Facebook knockoff.

[CommiesUnited]

I like it, but I would like to see effort put into more substantive changes.

[Johz]

1. New banner graphic
2. Login link in banner (replacing sidebar login box)
3. No more top banner ad
4. Larger banner & sidebar
5. Nation flag shown in sidebar
6. Wide-format RMB on region page
7. Wide-format telegrams page
8. Ads on Regional Happenings, Issues list, and Issues pages
9. No more "Novels by Max Barry" ad on nation home pages
10. Different page footer

1. I like. It is quite cool, more modern. Very... exciting? Big, bold, that sort of thing. On my browser (Chrome, Windows XP, screen resolution 1024x768 pic) it seems slightly too big, especially the size of the globe, but that's acceptable.
2. Very useful, especially for changing puppets. It's a bit hidden, what with the white on light grey, but very useful. A good change.
3. Top Banner ad? Which one was that?
4. Larger banner, see (1), and it also applies to the sidebar. However, I'm already getting used to it. I reckon I could grow to like it.
5. Meh. Nice feature, but I can usually remember what I look like. I suppose it's a more ready identification as to which puppet someone is using.
6. Now this I found slightly irritating. It felt to me almost too much like the World Census Report box or something. It looks pretty, but matching nations to comments and stuff, it's just irritating. I like the look of it, though, it is quite clean. Just it would be improved if nations and their flags were directly next to their comments. Also, the box does not spread the entire width of my page (Specs above, pic).
7. Contrary to the RMB, I actually really liked this for my telegrams. I think it is because there are still two columns (a tickbox column and a message column) but the layout is simplified. This is a very welcome improvement.
8. I'm not completely sure where these ads are meant to be? Perhaps I've got an ad-blocker add-on on my browser, but I don't think so.
9. I liked the 'Novels by Max Barry' thing. It didn't so much encourage me to buy his books, but encourage me to borrow them from the library. Was much money made from this? (I assume not...)
10. Which I very much like. Could it be put somewhere more prominent? I don't know...

This all hasn't been checked on my phone, which is what I usually go on NS on, so I'll do that at some point tomorrow and tell you what happens then. Hopefully this rambling junk is useful in someway to you.

[[violet]]

However, I just checked with a puppet of mine, and it DOES NOT have that problem.

Is it perhaps only for nations with populations above 500M, i.e. who get the "Want to contribute an Issue?" message?

Seems to be Windows 7 only, which is annoying, because I don't have a copy of that lying around. I'll have to hunt one down.

Edit: And Vista. Which I also don't have.

[Pythria]

However, I just checked with a puppet of mine, and it DOES NOT have that problem.

Is it perhaps only for nations with populations above 500M, i.e. who get the "Want to contribute an Issue?" message?

Seems to be Windows 7 only, which is annoying, because I don't have a copy of that lying around. I'll have to hunt one down.

All my nations had it, and the 'vacation mode' and 'contribute an issue' notices had no impact. The only one that didn't get it was my WA nation. As I said earlier, I'm using Vista.

[[violet]]

I've updated the OP with:

Update 2 (01-Dec-10): Major feedback thus far! I'll incorporate this into the next revision of the theme:

• Top banner is too large and/or bold
• Top-right LOGIN box is too hard to see.
• Top-right LOGIN should change to LOGOUT when you're logged in (some debate on this, though; puppets-switchers like it the way it is)
• Sidebar LOGIN link should produce a floating login box right there
• New-look RMB (aka Civil Headquarters on Region pages) generally not popular, but could be reworked into something less wide, e.g. two-column layout similar to forum. Ditto TG page (I think... not much talk about that).
• Large ads not popular, although no real consensus on whether larger ads on some pages are better than smaller ads on all of them. I'm leaving them alone for now, though, as we won't be able to tell which are cost-effective until a wider trial.

[Maryginia]

The one thing i don't like is the ad next to the Regional Happenings.

[Sedgistan]

• Top-right LOGIN should change to LOGOUT when you're logged in (some debate on this, though; puppets-switchers like it the way it is)

I don't see that change as being a good idea. The Century theme still has the 'logout' link in the same place that the classic theme does - it'd make more sense to give people an extra option (the top-right link as 'login') than to have two places to logout.

[Johz]

Top-right LOGIN should change to LOGOUT when you're logged in (some debate on this, though; puppets-switchers like it the way it is)

Why can't we have the best of both worlds and make it into a logout/login button that performs both actions when logged in?

As for the new look telegram system, I like it, despite not liking the new RMBs.

EDIT: and as for the way it works on the phone, it's fantastic (ie just as on a normal browser) when viewed with the nokia browser on the Nokia 5230. Which suggests it will be the same for most nokia browsers.

EDIT2: Except for when I just tried to click on the (top right) login button. I'm not sure if it's my own failure for not being able to click on so small a button or if the script doesn't work on my phone, but I just get re-directed to the home page.

[Mousebumples]

However, I just checked with a puppet of mine, and it DOES NOT have that problem.

Is it perhaps only for nations with populations above 500M, i.e. who get the "Want to contribute an Issue?" message?

I doubt it. My puppets vary in age - and at least one of them is also an Antiquity nation - i.e. over 15 billion in population.

Would copies of the source code help at all? I wish I could help to find out the cause of the problem ... :-/

[Alevuss]

I find the nation's page to absolutely stunning, and I like the new LOGIN button up in the corner. (Makes it easy to switch between puppets) I must say, though, the wide-format to the RMB and Telegram pages rather overwhelming. I can't say I like that.

I also don't like the locations of the ads on them. I'd rather they be up in the corner, but I suppose the ads' locations have been changed so they can be more noticable for the site they're advertising. That is sort of the point, I guess.

[Tim-Opolis]

"Your nation name" overlaps onto the logo on NS, the Ads are way too intrusive now and the logo up top has become too distracting. It also runs slower now...

3/10

[[violet]]

• Top-right LOGIN should change to LOGOUT when you're logged in (some debate on this, though; puppets-switchers like it the way it is)

I don't see that change as being a good idea. The Century theme still has the 'logout' link in the same place that the classic theme does - it'd make more sense to give people an extra option (the top-right link as 'login') than to have two places to logout.

Yes, I agree, but I think the issue is it's non-intuitive; i.e. people are surprised to see a LOGIN link and it makes them think they're logged out.

Why can't we have the best of both worlds and make it into a logout/login button that performs both actions when logged in?

How do you mean?

Except for when I just tried to click on the (top right) login button. I'm not sure if it's my own failure for not being able to click on so small a button or if the script doesn't work on my phone, but I just get re-directed to the home page.

If you're going to the home page, not the login page, you're probably clicking/tapping the banner instead. I will be making that LOGIN link easier to hit.

Is it perhaps only for nations with populations above 500M, i.e. who get the "Want to contribute an Issue?" message?

I doubt it. My puppets vary in age - and at least one of them is also an Antiquity nation - i.e. over 15 billion in population.

Would copies of the source code help at all? I wish I could help to find out the cause of the problem ... :-/

Thanks, but I have a suspicion as to what's causing it, I just don't want to experiment on the production server. I need to get a copy of Windows for general testing anyway.

"Your nation name" overlaps onto the logo on NS, the Ads are way too intrusive now and the logo up top has become too distracting. It also runs slower now...

Could you expand on this please? I don't understand what you mean by the first point (what overlaps with what?), or what you find slower. Also are you referring to all ads or one/some in particular?

[Tim-Opolis]

What I mean is that the part with your nation name ocassionally overlaps with the NS logo right above it... Sort of like the nation name goes over the logo. And as for slow. It just lags more and takes longer to load in general. and with the ads. Before they were banners on the side and you could sort of ignore them. Now they're like in the middle of the page

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Hi, I'm interested in having a try at redesigning the top banner but I wonder what is the typeface used for the logo? Thanks.

[Unicario]

I love it. Completely fantastic.

I wish I could make it default already.

[Emelinia]

I'm a Graphic Designer and I have to tell you, the new design is AMAZING. But it's not perfect, here are my suggestions:

1. Logo The new size is too big, the current size is fine. And what's wrong with using PNGs for it? PNGs are the standard these days.
2. Rounded corners Add some rounded corners to the login form and the navigation for a Web 2.0 feel.
3. Latest Forum Topics In Google Chrome, there's not enough padding at the bottom. Notice how at the top of each of the forum topics there's more space than the bottom.
4. Telegrams Layout I like how the subject of the telegrams are now on top instead of to the left. I would like to see something similar implemented for the Dossier.

[Genesis Era]

The new theme looks cluttered...

[Copenhagen Metropolis]

- I don't see why the WA logo has to be in the side bar. Not everything on NS has to do with the WA.

- I don't see why ones flag has to be in the side bar. It's already there at your nation's page.

But that's just cosmetics;
- my main concern is the new design of the RMB. It's kind of chaotic, and you need to scroll up and down a lot more than you do now. All in all, the new design simply takes up too much space. The pages get longer then they have to. It's difficult to get a fast and easy overview.