Okey Dokey, looks like we have a bit of an argument brewing here. I'll just add my opinion (This is the moment you've all been waiting for. The edge of your seat stuff this is.)
FOR RPG SOURCE* The old palace was very hard to understand and I struggled finding most files. (I had to ask Kamau where the hell I was going to find resources)
* This place doesn't have adverts
* The layout is only basic at the moment so it could easily be improved.
* You need to keepthe name RPG Source as your hosting by the Source people thingies. I'm okish with that.
AGAINST RPG SOURCE* RPG Palace is a much nicer name to me and you can stick to a nice looking theme for the layout that way (Desert style persian palace look, stone, murals etc. Looks a lot nicer that way)
* RPG Source is already taken apparently
* The layout SO FAR leaves a lot to be desired. Lets see, it looks unproffesional to me (I don't know if professional sites are supposed to look plain and empty but if they are then web design must be a pretty nutsty job)
* The site reminds me of one of those "About me" sites made by the most random people who don't have the slightest idea about the internet. If I was searching through the net for RM2K stuff and noticed RPG Source, I wouldn't bother looking around because to me it looks like one of those amateur RM2K sites which fail in the first week.
* There seems to be a lot less things on the site (I mean things you would be able to find out about). On RPG Palace there is:
Polls
Quizzes
Mailing List Guestbook
Staff
Interviews
Affiliates
Links
News
Petitions
Online Stores
RM2K projects
RM2K resources
etc.
So much stuff.
On RPG Source there is a lot less. (I'm not sure if you are going to add all this stuff to RPG Source, if you are ignore this point)
* The colour scheme isn't very nice.
* The picture next to RPG Source (not the one everyone is mentioning, I like that) isn't very good. It's very small and unclear.
MY OPINIONI've seen both RPG Source and the new RPG Town and I think they could do with themes or at least nicer colour schemes. For example, if the GamingSource guy is kind enough to let you keep the name RPG Palace (be kind enough
) you could make RPG Palace look like a palacey layout and RPG Town a persiany style city layout. It might be a good idea to mix RPG Arena (Or devscape as it's known now) as part of the site (Also see if you can stick to the colour scheme. Klapster seems friendly with the Webmasters - Kamau, MPaul and prolly PaulC I would have thought so he probably would happily mix the sites together
and this way the site will probably be visited fairly frequently.
I do think the new site looks pretty abysmal (sorry Pauly) and could be made to look a lot more professional. At the moment the site just doesn't look worth visiting.
Personally what makes me think sites are worth visiting is the first impressions from the layout. The main reason I visit one of these RM2K related sites is for resources or projects (but I only bother with the really recommended games) and when I see a site which I think has a shoddy layout, I instantly think that there will be shoddy gfx/projects. Therefore I don't give the places a chance.
I think Nuno's site is a good site and it does get a fair few visitors. I know for a fact that loads of brazilians used to visit his portuguese site (Because of it's language) so I have a feeling that it's Nuno' type of layout which makes an RM2K site look worthwhile.
GAMING SOURCE - The website not the RPGtownieThat site looks professional.
Unfortunatly I still hate the colour scheme on that aswell.
To make a custom menu in rm2k look nice, I try to add flowers/wood (or any type of texture)/grass and so on to make it look nice - It really does work. It's very similar to a website really and I'd think they look so much prettier with just extras like that in. (Trust me, those little extras always make it look like you've put the work in and all it takes is a few computer gfx tricks.
)
I'll just repeat that themed layouts on sites always look better to me. It's just MY preference though, I don't know what others think.
Flash buttons and other funky effects can even make the site look better. At the moment it just looks so basic.
I suggest a nice Persian Palace layout overlooking the city. Walled menu down the side or murals maybe. You can always use programs for mosaic effects aswell.
A nice palace picture for the background. Wood effects would also be nice and at the bottom of the site a screenshot of a persian/desert style village or town from RM2K to remind people it's an RM2K related site.
With all this just should end up with a nice yellowish colour scheme with maybe green on it for plantlife around the edges.
That's a nice colour scheme.