XCFSI stands for Experimental Content Focus Scripted Interface, the name of the AJAX forum project.

Index page:

(Click for full res. This will be centered when it gets coded. Hexagons may become transulcent crystals at some point, but I do like how clean they look right now.)

Content pages:

(Click for full res. This looks a little typical for my tastes, but I like the link placement. The margins may be too think... )

I actually really like the design so far, even if it isn't much so far. Feedback and ideas are more then welcome.

This post was last modified: 07-08-2008 06:39 PM by mwace.

I like the translucent idea, but even if you don't do that, adding some sort of shine to the hexagons might be sweet.

That wins my approval, and a lot of it. I'd like it if the bottom right hex had a different something on it. Those are all things you'd see in fighting games, but there is more to videogames then violence. Maybe a mushroom, or chess piece or something.

Ok, modified index page posted. Top and right hexagons have new sillhouettes, the 'enter' links have been changed to just "LOAD XCFSI", and brief descriptions of AGF and XCFSI have been added, among numerous other changes. I tried changing the }--{ techy stuff into something more }---<  like a futurisitc rifle or something, but I didn't like it and changed it back.

Here was the old pic:


Because intro pages like these are so freeform, they can be made to look extrodinarily cool. I'm concerned now that I won't be able to match this level of design when it comes to the actual content  template.

Oh, and Cory, combat is the pinnacle of gameplay. Coming from a martial artist, expect me to be almost obsessive about warriorship. The top hex is a Macross fighter, there because I think fighter aircraft are the most badass thing man has yet to build and Macross has some of the coolest looking fictional fighters around. The left is a Halo warthog, because 1st person shooters compose a large and important portion of an AGFies's diet. I would have put something from UT3, except Halo has more style. The ninja is the sillhouette of my Assasin in Guild Wars, one game in particular that is played by a lot of the AGF communit, and represents the MMO/RPG end of gameplay (and, of course, fucking awesome martial arts combat .... not that she's even holding the bloody sais right or anything).

This post was last modified: 07-06-2008 07:05 AM by mwace.

Well, I don't believe that combat is the pinnacle of gameplay, but I'll argue that in a new thread, so we don't get off topic. Since there's more to this forum than video games, would it be possible to compromise and replace the ninja with an atom or strand of DNA? Because it's not the best picture anyway. Until you told me it was a ninja, I just thought it was a miscellaneous person.
and where'd the option for the traditional forum go?
and other than what I've brought up, I really have no problems with the index page. I like it quite a bit actually.

Ok, content page finished! Here it is:



I ... like it. I was really worried about how this would come out, and how a centered solid white column would be boring as fuck, but now that I made it I feel that it's not boring and I really like how I put the links in the margins instead of having them in a bar and on top of content. I think it's an effective use of space, and my only concern is that the margins are too thick. I can always reduce the font size of links and slim down the techy stuff after the site is put together. This was surprisingly easy and fast to make and I feel like I can't really add anything more to it without it becoming cluttered.

I might add some metal bits protruding out from the white content area with symmetry to the wings to make it a bit less simple. Like, silvery heat sinks or something...

This post was last modified: 07-08-2008 06:40 PM by mwace.

OOOOH!! I like it a lot! I think I'm going to be very satisfied with the end result.
So, what about the "Help" link and miscellaneous links at the bottom of the page? Are they being left out of the new version?
And I'm not sure you should add "some metal bits protruding out from the white content area." I kinda like the spartan designing. Maybe less is better in this case. A bit of flair would be nice, but I also like it simple and clean. Maybe make another version with flair and give us a vote?

betatesterman makes a good point on the metal bits.  This doesn't really need "flair"; flair just distracts the user from the real reason they're at the site.

For those of you who haven't been reading the staff forum, this has been the latest rendition of of the content template for XCFSI:

http://xcfsi.a-g-f.net/XCFSI_forum_index_2.jpg

It's sharp and lite but hails a lot from the current design and doesn't give the end user's eyeballs a perpetual orgasm of intense but subtle and uninstrusitve awesome. What would people say about a design that tried to be less 3D and more 2D vector art?

Edit: If you're reading this, hit me up on AIM to talk about design ideas.

This post was last modified: 01-10-2009 06:26 AM by mwace.