Post by Lamont on Feb 18, 2016 18:58:54 GMT
As requested! I'll get right into things. I'm only going to mention things that are jarring or could use a second look:
Graphics
◓ Forum Banner - Looks pretty nice and fits with the colors elsewhere on the site. However, I notice you have the forum name linked in the middle-left side of it. It is unnecessary and gives the impression you're not sure how to work with the forum header. You should considering turning the name display off and just letting your banner image do the work.
◓ Background Image - While it is a nice idea you should really look into getting a higher resolution version as the one you're currently using is obviously not meant to be used in the way you have. The tiling is obvious and the image is pixilated making it look a little amateur. I do really like the idea though, and the fade of the theme ads a nice touch when writing up posts.
◓ Rose Icons - I'm not sure what sort of terms are on this premade theme (would have to check with author), but if possible you may want to consider replacing those faint rose icons for the info area. Don't really fit your theme, though do look nice so it isn't a big deal if they can't be changed [as per the terms set by the theme creator].
Design
◓ Board/Thread Highlight - It is ill fitting and makes everything in the board/thread content unreadable. It's like being flashed in the eyes with a flashlight. Board/thread highlights are much better suited being a slight color/luminosity change from the default background color.
◓ Unova Region - If you're not going to be using Unova anytime soon, or even just for specific events, you should considering setting it to 'hidden' until you are using it. Having a category sitting empty and restricted doesn't look to good and is just wasted space on your forum home. You should also remove the 'Do not post here' note in it's title. There are much better ways to control who can and can't post in a category by setting permissions in the category/boards themselves. And if you hide the Unova category until it will be used you should never have a problem with unauthorized posts.
◓ Forum Age - If possible, you should separate out the 'days', 'months', and 'years' from each other so they're easier to read at a glance.
◓ Advertising Area - It's completely up to your own preference, but it tends to be a good idea to have separate boards for First Links & Link Backs in your advertising area.
Content
◓ Forum Name - You can have spaces in your forum name. May want to look at making your forum name properly spaced so it looks more professional in the navigation.
◓ Spelling - It is very important you go through and ensure there are no spelling errors in any of your categories, boards, info centers, and informative documents. I know it's because of your keyboard, but spelling errors are a blemish that could be the deciding factor on whether someone joins or not.
◓ Shout/Chat Box - One of the first things potential new members look at is if the place is active. An active shout box makes for trivial spotting on what the answer to the question is. Make sure to use your chat box regularly to show that there is someone around from day to day. Even if that means talking to yourself; just don't be weird about it.
◓ Important Documents - Such as the Rules, Starter Guides, details regarding the differences from the games or whether you take more after the anime, how threads are run (if you're doing a similar thing to ZZ), and another other things you think new players should know before they start playing on the site should be easily available. At the moment I don't see any, so I assume you just haven't gotten that far yet.
And that's about all I can think of right now due to being at work, and that it doesn't look like you've quite gotten all of your content up just yet. Good luck!
Graphics
◓ Forum Banner - Looks pretty nice and fits with the colors elsewhere on the site. However, I notice you have the forum name linked in the middle-left side of it. It is unnecessary and gives the impression you're not sure how to work with the forum header. You should considering turning the name display off and just letting your banner image do the work.
◓ Background Image - While it is a nice idea you should really look into getting a higher resolution version as the one you're currently using is obviously not meant to be used in the way you have. The tiling is obvious and the image is pixilated making it look a little amateur. I do really like the idea though, and the fade of the theme ads a nice touch when writing up posts.
◓ Rose Icons - I'm not sure what sort of terms are on this premade theme (would have to check with author), but if possible you may want to consider replacing those faint rose icons for the info area. Don't really fit your theme, though do look nice so it isn't a big deal if they can't be changed [as per the terms set by the theme creator].
Design
◓ Board/Thread Highlight - It is ill fitting and makes everything in the board/thread content unreadable. It's like being flashed in the eyes with a flashlight. Board/thread highlights are much better suited being a slight color/luminosity change from the default background color.
◓ Unova Region - If you're not going to be using Unova anytime soon, or even just for specific events, you should considering setting it to 'hidden' until you are using it. Having a category sitting empty and restricted doesn't look to good and is just wasted space on your forum home. You should also remove the 'Do not post here' note in it's title. There are much better ways to control who can and can't post in a category by setting permissions in the category/boards themselves. And if you hide the Unova category until it will be used you should never have a problem with unauthorized posts.
◓ Forum Age - If possible, you should separate out the 'days', 'months', and 'years' from each other so they're easier to read at a glance.
◓ Advertising Area - It's completely up to your own preference, but it tends to be a good idea to have separate boards for First Links & Link Backs in your advertising area.
Content
◓ Forum Name - You can have spaces in your forum name. May want to look at making your forum name properly spaced so it looks more professional in the navigation.
◓ Spelling - It is very important you go through and ensure there are no spelling errors in any of your categories, boards, info centers, and informative documents. I know it's because of your keyboard, but spelling errors are a blemish that could be the deciding factor on whether someone joins or not.
◓ Shout/Chat Box - One of the first things potential new members look at is if the place is active. An active shout box makes for trivial spotting on what the answer to the question is. Make sure to use your chat box regularly to show that there is someone around from day to day. Even if that means talking to yourself; just don't be weird about it.
◓ Important Documents - Such as the Rules, Starter Guides, details regarding the differences from the games or whether you take more after the anime, how threads are run (if you're doing a similar thing to ZZ), and another other things you think new players should know before they start playing on the site should be easily available. At the moment I don't see any, so I assume you just haven't gotten that far yet.
And that's about all I can think of right now due to being at work, and that it doesn't look like you've quite gotten all of your content up just yet. Good luck!
