The Raven Cross Website

[Chikt]

So since Leoren was talking about making the Raven Cross website all gritty and dark like it used to be, I decided to go about doing some renovations. I've always had trouble with websites being too "loud", but I think I avoided it pretty well this time around by not having the background blood red. I'm actually really happy with it.

You can check it out HERE (http://theravencross.guildportal.com/), since my screen is super wide and makes for bad website screenshots.

[Rethius]

Looks good. Very fitting choice of colors and all.

I like the recruitment poster.

[Chikt]

Looks good. Very fitting choice of colors and all.

I like the recruitment poster.

The recruitment poster I made WAAAY back. Even have a print of it for sale up on my deviantArt!

[Aurara]

Wow T_T makes me wanna re-roll horde....almost!

[Taknar]

LOL You also deleted half the forums! Well done! (on design and forum deletion xD )

I think that same style should be applied to the RC social group. And then we should start using both the website and the social group.

[Yatokth]

Logo kicks ASS.

I can READ the dark red text, but I still think it looks a little unprofessional... Never been partial to dark text on websites.

[Leoren]

I love it.

That said, a compromise for Yatokth's sake might be to experiment with changing the text to a brighter colour, I was thinking what would look particularly good is the same shade of yellow (?) as seen in the poster on the front page.

[Yatokth]

It's not like it burns my eyes or anything, it just irritates me a bit. The yellow is an interesting idea, but it couldn't be too garish or it'd look worse. Dio's got the right idea keeping it simple, but it could be done.

EDIT: Double checked the poster, that really just looks like rusted gold. It's almost be a ochre color.

[Leiwar]

Awesome website!

[Irontoe]

Yeah, the dark red text is a bit difficult to read.

[Vaaldis]

Why not flip the colors around? Make the text the bright red you used for links and the 'tables' I guess, and then make the links and tables the darker red.
All in all it looks pretty damn badass.

[Yatokth]

^ That's what I was originally thinking but now that I think about it, Leo's idea sounds even better if the color could be precise - it ties the poster in with the rest of the site.

[Swerto]

RAAAAAAAAAGH

Black backgrounds are so 1999.

[Chikt]

Changed the text as suggested!


RAAAAAAAAAGH

Black backgrounds are so 1999.

That's funny coming from a cliche emo kid.

[Vaaldis]

Hm.... HMMMMMMMMM..
I love it. The gold is not such a bright color, so I stopped caring about the bright red.

[Yatokth]

Oh that yellow looks TEN times better. Fantastic. I'd use the brighter red for the links now that you've lightened up the main text as well - great stuff.

[Irontoe]

Oh that yellow looks TEN times better. Fantastic. I'd use the brighter red for the links now that you've lightened up the main text as well - great stuff.

This.

[Swerto]

Seriously though, solid color backgrounds get boring fast, especially when most of the tables have no backgrounds. It seems like the website is just one solid color with text.

[Chikt]

Oh that yellow looks TEN times better. Fantastic. I'd use the brighter red for the links now that you've lightened up the main text as well - great stuff.

I was JUST working on that. It's such a bitch working with web only color. The next step up on brightness from that red is so saturated. I think I've found a good medium, but it's difficult to tell visited hyperlinks from unvisited. Not that that's a massive problem, mind you.


Seriously though, solid color backgrounds get boring fast, especially when most of the tables have no backgrounds. It seems like the website is just one solid color with text.

It's... not a solid color. It's actually a repeating background. You need to turn up your screen brightness.

[Skallagar]

I dig it. Much as I enjoy the black and red combo, red text does get annoying. I don't know what swerto is talking about, I got no problem with the background. Just makes the important part...you know, the text and pictures and stuff...more prominent.

[Yatokth]

The actual tables have a slightly different shade of gray if I turn my brightness all the way up - but everything looks washed out that way, I'd lighten the table backgrounds up to maybe the next notch.

[Swerto]

Maybe a charcoal for the tables, and a dark gray for the background.

[Yatokth]

Maybe a charcoal for the tables, and a dark gray for the background.

I disagree, the black is a main color of our guild.

If you make the tables too light, the yellow text would look horrible. I'd want to see what the next lighter gray looks like on the tables, but the way it is now isn't bad at all.

[Chikt]

I dig it. Much as I enjoy the black and red combo, red text does get annoying. I don't know what swerto is talking about, I got no problem with the background. Just makes the important part...you know, the text and pictures and stuff...more prominent.

Solid backgrounds are better generally. For all intensive purposes, the TNG has a solid background (except for that cool gradient up the top).

I hate overly sharp backgrounds with images. They typically make something look gaudy (http://www.spaceagentsinspace.com/), which is fun to do on purpose. But I typically like to play with solid color (http://diomades.blogspot.com/) since you get a lot more contrast. I think I hit a nice medium this time around. There's detail in the background without it being noisy.


The actual tables have a slightly different shade of gray if I turn my brightness all the way up - but everything looks washed out that way, I'd lighten the table backgrounds up to maybe the next notch.

My monitor, I could actually stand to tone DOWN how bright the tables are for the actual forums. Much brighter than what they are now and they'll make the gold text difficult to read, that's my concern. I'll give it a try though.

[Yatokth]

Solid backgrounds are better generally. For all intensive purposes, the TNG has a solid background (except for that cool gradient up the top).

I hate overly sharp backgrounds with images. They typically make something look gaudy (http://www.spaceagentsinspace.com/), which is fun to do on purpose. But I typically like to play with solid color (http://diomades.blogspot.com/) since you get a lot more contrast. I think I hit a nice medium this time around. There's detail in the background without it being noisy.

Solid BG is the way to go, as long as you make the tables/menus/extra graphics be the focal point. Image-full BGs are INCREDIBLY unprofessional.




My monitor, I could actually stand to tone DOWN how bright the tables are for the actual forums. Much brighter than what they are now and they'll make the gold text difficult to read, that's my concern. I'll give it a try though.

Yeah the forums were my worry as well, which is why I just wanted to see what it looked like to make a decision.

[Swerto]

Some image backgrounds work out well, especially if they are made to tile into eachother like one solid image without borders.

[Chikt]

Yeah the forums were my worry as well, which is why I just wanted to see what it looked like to make a decision.

It's up now.

EDIT: Probably a little TOO bright, trying a bit darker.

[Swerto]

I like it much better with the grayed out tables.

[Leoren]

All in all it looks great!

My only remaining recommendation is changing the icons for "New Topic" and "Mark As Read" so they're not faded into the background colour with the new changes.

I can already imagine confused applicants flooding us with in game tells for guidance on how to join x.x ( more so than usual, mind you ).

Looking good!

[Yatokth]

Yeah that gray really improves it. Great work, Dio!

And Swerto, I've just never seen a good-looking website that used a detailed image as its main BG, tiled or not.

[Skallagar]

Yeah, I dig the bloodied leather parchment tables color thing maybe you know what I mean by all this bu probably not cause I'm tired.

[Leoren]

"AHHH MY EYES!" @ The introduction of white in the background?

[Yatokth]

Must be a bug.

[Chikt]

YOU SEE NOZING.

[Chikt]

Sorry about that. I decided it needed MOAR BLOOD.

[Swerto]

MORE.

[Yatokth]

That's actually a bit much. XD

It looks too 'brushed' to me, like too clumped. Try for a more 'smeared' look, make it have more variety, and not quite so large, and it'd look better.

EDIT: Come to think of it, stick with the spattered look, smearing wouldn't look unified, but it still looks too much like brushed blood and not actual blood.

[Chikt]

That's actually a bit much. XD

It looks too 'brushed' to me, like too clumped. Try for a more 'smeared' look, make it have more variety, and not quite so large, and it'd look better.

EDIT: Come to think of it, stick with the spattered look, smearing wouldn't look unified, but it still looks too much like brushed blood and not actual blood.

I'm playing around with it right now, just seeing what I can do with the sidebar slot.

[Gorvena]

Yo Raven Cross, I'm really happy for you, and Ima let you finish, but Beyonce has the greatest website OF ALL TIME.

[Yatokth]

SWEET JESUS GOD TOO MUCH

[Swerto]

That time of month already?

[Chikt]

I fucked up the Background code and accidentally made the side bar background the ACTUAL background. XD

It SHOULD be okay now...

[Yatokth]

Still The Period Cross atm.

[Chikt]

Still The Period Cross atm.

Hard reload, hit F5.

[Yatokth]

Not crazy anymore, but that blood spatter is just too wimpy. :P

NOTHING IS EVER GOOD ENOUGH. KEEP SCRUBBING.

[Leoren]

Personally, I was a fan before the side bar. The logo was always great, and I think it's good without drawing focus from it.

[Yatokth]

I like the extra composition element, but it should definitely seep down to the bottom of the site as well (like your original side spatter) or it looks too much like "Here's a banner, and here's the site"

[Chikt]

I was going to do a background that said "SO MUCH BLOOD" but it was too much effort.

[Taknar]

It looks great now. Change anything else, and you'll go crazy.

I actually really really like the background that's on there. Good job Dio!

(now to get blood splatters to stay using Ajax when you click on the screen.... muahaha)

[Chikt]

There we go. I like it like this. It feels like it's directing attention to the RC logo now, and it's all nicely tied together.

[Yatokth]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD stuff

[Swerto]

Perfect. Don't touch it.

[Irontoe]

I think the Raven Cross logo would look better in mauve.

[Yatokth]

I think the Raven Cross logo would look better in mauve.

All those womany colors look alike.

[Swerto]

NO.

PINK.

[Chikt]

I think the Rraven Cross would look better naked.

[Irontoe]

Raven Cr(.Y.)ss?

[Swerto]

Considering the male to female ratio, I doubt that one is quite likely.

[Irontoe]

Considering the male to female ratio, I doubt that one is quite likely.


http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/5756/theyarepreparedbydiomad.png

[Chikt]

Considering the male to female ratio, I doubt that one is quite likely.

What's your point? Who said anything about girls?

[Swerto]

-points at the boobs-

[Yatokth]

-points at the boobs-

Oh good sir, you do not know the depths of bromance to which the Raven Cross plumbs.

[Agnarr]

And then we should start using both the website and the social group.

Bah, websites are not for using!

And I've never been invited to the social group. QQ

[Agnarr]

Speaking of which, who let Trogdor into the guild, what with his one beefy arm?

[Rethius]

Trogdor is the one thing the Raven Cross fear.

[opalexian]

There are no girls in RC, only bromance. TRU FAX.

Also, you cannot currently summon Trogdor ingame which means WE FEAR NOTHING MUAHAHAH!!!

[Rethius]

There are no girls in RC, only bromance. TRU FAX.

Also, you cannot currently summon Trogdor ingame which means WE FEAR NOTHING MUAHAHAH!!!

Your time will come, heathen.

[Swerto]

Well considering all the half dragons running around it's only a matter of time before you run into a dragon-man... who may be just a dragon...

[Szordrin]

God. I hate the Raven Cross for stealing my art thread's glory. Man, fuck those guys.

:P

(dont gkick me D: )

[CytianaMoonarrow]

Dio, srsly, that's awesome designing right there. It's completely in your face and bold. A nice theme.

[Xiphus]

Dio, srsly, that's awesome designing right there. It's completely in your face and bold. A nice theme.

It helps that the Raven Cross have people with talent.

[CytianaMoonarrow]

Someone pass me the ego-popping pin? ;)

[Leoren]

Someone pass me the ego-popping pin? ;)

*Passes one over gladly*

*Sprays Xiphus with water*

Bad, bad!

[Xiphus]

*Passes one over gladly*

*Sprays Xiphus with water*

Bad, bad!

But I wasn't talking about myself!

[opalexian]

Your time will come, heathen.

Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe....

...but we'll prolly kill that too >; 3

Remember: DIO IS ALWAYS GETTING BIGGER AND SPIKIER SHOULDERS. SO WILL THE REST OF THE SHAMAN. THEN WE WILL BE A GIANT SHOULDER-IMPALING WAR MACHINE.

Poor Trogdor doesn't stand a chance. ;.;

[CytianaMoonarrow]

Eheeeheee. *pop*!

Ego pop crits!


There are no girls in RC, only bromance. TRU FAX.

^ Explains many many things.