Welcome and thank you for taking the time to glance here : )

For the next couple of months, AS:MM will be including an extra link in its advert, bringing you directly to this topic. AS:MM is keen to know your thoughts and ideas about the website--most importantly what you feel could be done to improve it and all you have to do is reply to this topic.

Does the site have something missing? Is there enough content? Is there too much? Is it intimidating (if so, why?), is there something game-related that stops you from saying, 'yeah, okay, I'll give this one a shot.' We're interested in your opinion.

We're very interested.

Comments can be as short or as long as you like, you can look at as much or as little of the site as possible but we ask one thing:

Keep it Constructive.

This doesn't mean only say nice things. We're happy to hear what you think we should keep but we are most interested in what you'd like to see changed / altered / added to. Also why. However, for those who aren't clear on the term constructive, it means offering alternatives and suggestions to put us on the right track. That way it doesn't become a random praise/bashing thread!

To do this, there is no form. We don't need your name, we don't need your contact details--this is completely anonymous if you want it to be (which is where I encourage members to sign out and respond if they want to). You can even tell me to provide a form, if you need it!

To all guests and members, thank you for taking the time to at least read this!

To start off, your board is a little intimidating due to the fact that there is SO much to read. Granted, I haven't read all of it, but when an RPG has a whole lot of required reading, it makes me feel like it's got too many past events for me to possibly keep up with. I'm sure it's not as complicated as it looks, but appearances are everything, and this might be driving some potential applicants away.

I miss AE's site. I really, really do. Why? Because to me, if you have a lot of info like this, it's easier to organize, and its easier for us to find and read. Now, I know that editing content both there AND the threads on your board can be a total pain the ass, so if you're not willing to do an external site (which is totally understandable), can you at least make it obvious which threads we're actually required to read? ( I'm skimming the rules and the FAQ, and I don't see this list anywhere. ) I'm pretty sure, by the forum's description, that you'd need to read everything sorted under "About," but this goes back to the whole "intimidation" thing .. SO MUCH INFO. People are lazy sometimes, and some of them might be mistaken to think that they're required to read all the extra lore, too (although, you probably recommend it or something). I know, I know, you'd probably much rather have members who are more willing to read all of it (and I am, in healthy increments -- lol, I wouldn't read it all in one take, or else the screen would burn out my eyeballs), but it's the hard truth -- some decent players are just too lazy to read all of this. However, do NOT cut down the amount of information you have on here, no matter HOW many people complain. If it's there, I'm pretty sure it's there for a reason, so .. don't feel bad about lots of info. >_> Seriously. AE is one of those older, more well-known boards, anyway, so many, many props to you. Just .. make it a little more newcomer friendly, yus?

You know how white text means the rule, faq, whatever has been updated? White = not a good text color on this skin! Make it red or something, so we can read it, because I have to select the entire block of text just to read it propertly.

The new header is nice, but your skin is kind of boring. Not bad, just .. needs some sprucing. Personally, I think if you just vary up the colors a bit, like in the link colors or the forum headers or something, it'll look a lot better.



I like the fact that you allow this here, because I "grew up on" roleplaying over AIM. I did this for a few years before even realizing that board RPGs like this existed, and nowadays I roleplay in both places, so being able to do both here is quite comforting. :] Sometimes I just like to skip the whole board interface and go straight into IMs, but if I were to join, I would make sure most of my play happens here, like you want it to.

Oh, btw. FAQ. THANK YOU. thankyouthankyou, I'd be confused without it. o_O

Character Roster. Again, thank you.

( And oh, um. In the middle of this review I mention that it's hard to figure out what threads I should read, but I just read the plot and .. well, yeah. Lol. But I thought I'd leave it in there to let you know I was still confused until I found out that a mention of what-to-read can be found in the plot post. Who woulda thunk it'd be in there? I figured it'd be under FAQ. Maybe you could add that in there? )

Other than that, it looks like a great place to RP. :]! Now that I've gotten off my lazy arse and actually bothered to look over some of the stuff here, I might actually join.

Great job, Panda-face!

- Bri [ silent cacophony @ RPG-D ]

You know, one of my worst habits is assuming people can read my mind. Isn't that awful? I think you're right. I need to find a more clear way of marking out the threads that are must-reads in order to write an application, then leave the rest as excess for 'extra credit' so to speak. I have a pretty good idea of what's necessary, so that'll make the job easier!

I was unhappy with the headers, and wanted to sort out the forum colours a bit more, which now I know is a good idea. Maybe some texture to make it less...droll. The idea was to make it clinical and clean but there is, perhaps, a fine line between clean and dull.

Link colours actually drove me batty. While the CSS allows me to define an infinite number of links, it's completely over-written by the link colour definition in the admin panel, which you have to do, otherwise it all comes out black. So annoying. I tried red initially...perhaps I'll try it again, to see.

I also can't believe I left in the white. Silly Panda. Changed it to something I won't have to worry about next time I change skins. Italics have many uses, which will do in the meantime until I can work out how to create a custom piece of BB code for something more prominent.

Thank you so much for our input and for pointing out my goober-mistakes! Hugely appreciated

Well, found the link in your sig. But anyways, here's my suggestions (since that's what you want right? )

Anyways. My thoughts:

1) Way to many front page forums, it's a lot to scroll through. Can you have subforums? If so, I'd recommend putting all of the Wizarding World, in the Wizarding World category (For the two Alleys anyways).

2) Basically everything brii stated, I mean sure, it's good stuff, but there's a lot of it. Maybe just on simple required read that includes both plot and FAQs that isn't so much but gets its point across?

But yeah, just my two cents hope any of that helps and makes sense. I'm not into HP RPs, but I do like to help out and make suggestions for them.

Afraid not! PHPBB does not come equipped with sub-forums. The only down side, but I think I'm kind of used to it : ).

I have been umming and erring about cutting away the ones not used. I don't think there have been any posts in Knockturn Alley, and it might do just as well as a single forum under the Diagon Alley heading.

Other than that, it's something we can't get around without creating very general forums, unfortunately.

Thank you for your input and this weekend I'll look into sorting out the 'must read' material!

Edit: Oh quote code! Why will you not go dark grey like I want you to? -mutters- -climbs back into the Admin Panel and bangs around-

This site needs more Dortold, plain and simple. I need to get off my lazy and actually commit to a good RP like this.

It's sometimes really hard to differentiate between one post and another. They tend to run into each other because there is no bar between them. When I first read this thread, for example, I thought, at first, that brii's post was part of the original post. Maybe a slightly darker colour can be added between posts. I think there was something like that in the first layout.

Other than that, I loves it here, and think the new layout is purdy.

I don't know if this is the place to state so....I was just browsing through RPGs who had advertised on ours (to check if their advertisement board is guest-friendly) and so I landed on an advertisement of your site...
... and I have to say I LOVE---your---plot! (so much, as you can see, that when I saw you wanted feedback, I immediately had to find a place where i could say it, sorry if this is the wrong place). Very original. Wonderful idea having the wizards fleeing from the muggles. Kudos to that!

And I'm liking the blood-splattered graphics as well. All the best for your site =)

Cheers,
Kyp

Why thank you! I wanted to be gruesome this time : D the last layout was all very cute, if only a little creepy.

As for the division...I know there's a way...I just can't remember how. I'll have to poke around in the CSS!

I don't know much about this RP, haven't browsed it much, but I get that it has a dark sort of theme, which is something I'm usually all about. The thing is, I also think a dark theme can be a dangerous line to tread. Upon browsing here, your banner immediately turned me off. I think it's teetered past edgy and right into offensive. I don't mean to be rude with all of this, I just thought I ought to point out that going that far might turn off potential new RPers.

I'm also not a prude, but the banner's hands down tasteless. Consider the people who've had problems with needles; it's not something people really want to be thinking about. It's all well and good to have an RP that's open to characters with dark issues and drug problems, but to flaunt it on a banner...?