Man, this is fun!

Hehehe... new web page for an Unreal Tournament clan. It is fun working on something like this!

**WARNING** pages aren't even remotely optimized yet.... 230-280K each



Latest build - without "background screen" -- menu @ right has text, but links not live yet.


A lot of peeps thought this earlier version was TOO much graphics (is there such a thing....)

Earlier version

I need ideas about how to identify and simplify nav--I thought about chiseling the label for each popup menu in the stone by each weapon...

uh.. not to rain on your parade.. but those are awful.. its way to childish.. the only remotely cool thing is the member/roster/team area.. and the effects are mostly canned eyecandy fx.. the lightning, chrome, etc.. and the background on the earlier version is also pretty bad.. it looks like a badly pixelated image..

if they like it then thats all that matters..

Snore

Snore once again stole the words out of my mouth...:p:D

Yeah fella, it's bloody awful. Try learning how to make web sites first. Then learn how to use Photoshop without all the Eye Candy crap. Eye Candy (and other similar filters) is the last tool you learn how to use.

This is the best place to go for learning how to make web sites. Read the articles and coders forum.

http://www.alistapart.com/

Yeah, I will have to agree with everyone else... But also its WAY to hard to navigate, I had to keep scrolling up and down to actually see the buttons, it shouldn't be that difficult to navigate around your website... Just make it ALOT more simple... I just don't like it AT ALL... sorry :(

FINALLY....something! Thanx for the negative feedback Cup! See you specifically told me you don't like having to scroll to nav! Btw...what resolution is your screen at? The target size (when finalized) was going to be 1024x768. This site is for gamers who have big monitors and bigger bandwidth. All information will be helpful!

Guys! Please....

Your negative feedback isn't pissing me off. The concept is out there...I'm a newbie.... I knew as soon as I put a site up with 'plug-in' filters used on it I'd get flamed! But you're kidding yourself if you think you're helping me (well, tre gave me an awesome resource site, tnx). I don't post here to have my ego stroked, I post here to LEARN something. Tell me whatever you think...just try to include something specific and helpful!

Man... You guys are being really harsh on poor ol' Malibu. He did a pretty damn good job of keeping his cool though. I think I would have been offended if you posted stuff like that about my site. I probably would have banned your asses.

Now. Onto the site.

First of all, I think it's a really creative design, and though it has some technical, and logic problems, I think it's very unique, and I've never seen a site quite like it.

You've said that the site will be for your gaming clan, and that you know they all have big monitors, computers, and net connections. So there is no point in mentioning how huge the page is, because you know that already. I just hope you realize that when you make the next amazon.com, you won't use the same site concept!

The graphics.....

Like I said, creative, and it certainly looks like you are in the game. That said, why is the chrome title of the site just floating up there? If you are going to go with a 'real world' appearance to your site, stick with it, and make a pole or something holding that chrome text up there.

The lightning is way too dark, and has no glow to it. Remember, it's glowing, electric, bite-your-ass lightning! Not a tree!

The handrails are a bit choppy. Perhaps blur it a little, and smooth out those jaggies.

The rest is ok considering the look you are going for. Not much else you can do about it.

When you finish coding the page, see if you can make it so the little white dotted lines don't appear around the image that is clicked. I know there is a way to do that, I just don't remember the code.

You told me you were going to recode the whole page, so hopefully it will be a little faster then. I had a slight lag sometimes when I was moving the mouse around to get the different nav items to pop up.

I think that's pretty much all of my suggestions. I would have a lot more to say if you were making a business site or something, but since that is a specialized site to a specialized group of people, then I think it will be ok.

Overall I think you are on the right track, for just starting out. You are being creative, and even trying things you haven't seen before. Instead of following a bunch of tutorials and 'canned' looks, you've just come up with something on your own. And even though it has some problems, at least it's an original idea. As you learn the tools and more theory about web design, I think your creative mind will be a real advantage.

(no offense to people that learned by following tutorials. That's how I learned too)

Make the page smaller vertically, so you can see the entire platform at once, and I would suggest losing the lightening and adding a curved grid in the background, so it looks like an actual wall. This will give you a background to put the sign deker was talking about. It might pooch the loadtime of the page though...
I believe Phong has a tutorial about curving wireframes

it's awkard to navigate, graphics heavy, and not really visually appealing (that's a nice way to say ugly).

it doesn't 'look' like a website. is that a good thing or a bad thing? i have no idea.

i have never seen anything like this (and there's probably a reason why)

being an unreal tournament clan site, it has a short shelf life and is only meant to be seen by a few people so its not really a big deal what goes on here.

but, if you start to design for a larger audience, i suggest you study up on interface design and the basics of building for the web.

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one more thing: i've played that game and the visuals are really stunning. you should try to capture that feeling (the colors, the detailed worlds/interiors). also, i think the lightning looks really cheesey (and since when is lightning the color of butterscotch pudding?)

Wow guys...thanks for taking the time for feedback.

Charm, you're right, it doesn't look like a webpage--not sposed ta! Think outside the box!

You guys are right on the money with your advice--I'll take it all to heart. I admit I took the easy way out with the lightning (heat lightning?). I was afraid if I used a complete scenic background the size would go off the charts (may already have). I'll play with it some more--I like your idea about the grid Czak, maybe have it glowing. I'll put the banner on some kind of metal plate and either hang it or build a tower-frame-work thingy, Deker!

Keep 'em comin'!