[Beast]

This may have been answered somewhere else, but are there any plans to update the main page to look more modern with the next release of 4.2? I know oftentimes a website can be a determining factor in if I download the game or not (most of that has to do with me having an eye for graphics, plus my experience in web design). I look at it this way: if the site is poor, then the product is typically as unimpressive. Of course, this is not the case with urbanterror at all. Despite that the website is outdated, the game quality is great. I know some projects like http://www.slackware.com/ have the most simple sites yet deliver powerful software. But for the gaming world a website means a lot. I presume with the supposed Passport websystem the urt.net site will get a face lift. My concern is that urbanterror might be losing players if the website doesn't appear professional or established like commercial games. For instance many gaming community sites host their stats and players on their main page. This feature is especially attractive for "professional" type players that look for perks like a nice site.

So basically I am asking is there any plans for site updates and face lifts in the future?

[Majorheretic]

T`beast, on 13 November 2009 - 01:07 PM, said:

my experience in web design

So basically I am asking is there any plans for face lifts in the future?

Well, perhaps you could draft some websites for Frozen Sand to take a squiz at?

[[51] don]

I think when the official website has stats or player rankings, the game is garbage. You see it with all those Korean FPS games. The UrT main page should be professional.

GOOD:
http://www.outofhell.net/

BAD:
http://gunz.ijji.com/

I know which one I find more professional.

Another thing I notice with Flash or Photoshop layout/sliced sites is that they render all fucked up. I was looking at some game's site a while ago, and it literally was 2 side by side frames due to a rendering error. The layout was on the left, the content on the right. The content was completely off screen. I find this rarely happens with simple designs, but almost all flashy (pun intended) designs have at least one distracting error. Whether it's modal windows that don't behave right, or very visible rendering errors, you're bound to find one.


I agree though that the main page needs updating. I think it's time to move past "oh wow UrT doesn't need q3 anymore," because that was 2.5 years ago. Now it's just confusing tbh. The download links need to be more prominent and explained better. It was fine when UrT was a mod and you needed to know more than how to click buttons in an installer, but it's not anymore. Tiny text and discussing precompiled executables and how Vista users need to do something different...nonono. The first thing should say CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (WINDOWS). The next thing should say CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (NON-WINDOWS). Linux users can figure out what they need to do on their own (unless they're on Ubuntu, so maybe make a little tutorial for all the newbies on Ubuntu, which is all of them). Yeah maybe it's important information, but it scares away people who want an easy install, which it will be for 95% of PC users who are on Windows. Most Linux users will be fine without directions, and the newest Mac os probably just has a big shiny button that hides all that annoying installation stuff.


Videos link is dead.
Screenshots are awful and do not show ingame action properly. Unless you don't use a HUD. Also looks like they were taken with AA off. Most people can handle UrT at max AA, so I don't think that's deceptive.
The FAQ also sucks ass and actually has some errors in it. It seems like it was written for 4.0 when people still used Q3 sometimes, and was simply Edit->Replace "4.0" / "4.1" 'd.
All the affiliates links are uber out of date.


I'm sure FS knows this, though. Still I think it'd be more worthy to work on the website than adding more maps nobody will play to 4.2.

One think I would like to see is a development team blog or .plan type thing. NOT on the main page; the main page should only have important updates, not a blog about 4.2. That should be elsewhere, but prominently linked. A .plan would be a nice homage to the Q3/UT era where Carmack and such maintained .plans for people to read.

[satiable]

don, on 12 November 2009 - 10:45 PM, said:

I agree though that the main page needs updating. I think it's time to move past "oh wow UrT doesn't need q3 anymore," because that was 2.5 years ago. Now it's just confusing tbh.

Agreed, especially now that Urban Terror is considered (finally) an official game over at gametracker.

[mitsubishi]

I like your 1st link there, it reminds me that I like simple sites compared to complex - can't be a'ed to read everything just to find something - websites. I don't mean low in content, but simple and effective in operation.

It's clearly the reason google took off in my opinion. It's the first thing I noticed. At the time everyone was yahoo-like "let's link every single s%^t we have ever made on the front page" google went f%^k off, I'll just link the search.

[Vortex (old)]

I also haz some experience in webdesign and graphic design. I had my own little freelance company going up until last summer...Clients have included Maurice Jones-Drew as well as a few other NFL players. I wouldn't mind pitching in, maybe we could collab or something?

[.um H3NRY]

the reason this site ( main page nor here) doesn't have flash is the immense bandwidth it takes after people refreshing and going to new pages.

the top image ( main page) used to be a flash image but it was removed because the bandwidth was almost at its max ( or so i assume due to what was told to us)
i would like to see a nice flash site but its not going to happen due to the bandwidth required i think.

[rfx]

Flash is so awful ... but of course, everyone has a different experience

I also feel that foremost the actual content on the pages should be cleaned up, don summed it up pretty well. It's a completely WTF factor that the downloads on http://www.urbanterror.net/page.php?6 still contain the vulnerable dedicated server files, no matter would security notice on the front is, you'd expect the downloads to be fixed, too.. It almost looks they lost the FTP upload user/pass

[Beast]

Videos link needs to link to urbanteror.net youtube.


Yeah well the stats are ugly on mainpages, but having them within reach on a site. gives new players an appeal. Because newbs want to see how good their ranking is.

This post has been edited by T`beast: 15 November 2009 - 07:17 PM

[profspaz (old)]

The fact that they decided to update the forums but not the website is sad. It's time for a facelift and a new CMS engine. e107 is great but really for clans. They need to update to something more secure and stable like Joomla, or Drupal. I work in CMS and I know how important forum integration is. I hate it when the main site and forum have really different themes, as it throws of the user.

Anyway thats my rant ^.^

Spaz

[Solitary]

I think the best way to incorporate the stats/ranking page would not be on the site, but infact via the client.

Like you have the demos button, add a ranking/stats button.

This post has been edited by Solitary: 16 November 2009 - 04:44 AM

[rfx]

Solitary, on 16 November 2009 - 04:44 AM, said:

I think the best way to incorporate the stats/ranking page would not be on the site, but infact via the client.

I've yet to see a game where this is implemented ... do you know of any?

Actually I find it quite ok to have stats on web pages, easier to send link to others / competition comparing, whatever. See Steam or public xlrstats pages, for example. They're ok with me. However, it still should be opt-in (or only publicly visible when permissions are granted).

[|it| Seven of Nine]

BF2, just to name one

[rfx]

Definitely a valid point, so when the data is there somewhere, let's see what our holy-detain-us-from-work-urt-developer-gods make out of it

[fda| ObScUrE]

rfx, on 16 November 2009 - 01:22 PM, said:

However, it still should be opt-in (or only publicly visible when permissions are granted).

exactly what I was thinking.