In reply to Skald (msg # 1):

Skald, I quite like your setup. I’m rubbish on tweaking aesthetics myself, so I really appreciate this.

I just took a few moments to try setting the color scheme of the new site to what I have on the old site. For the most part, I'm really content with what I'm seeing! I'll point out something that I'm not seeing in the color schemery settingses precioussss...

Here's how the old site looks on my computers:
https://i.imgur.com/heZJyHk.jpg?1

Here's how it looks on the responsive site:
https://i.imgur.com/qbyO1MJ.png?1

Here's how it looks collapsed ('background for message details when collapsed'):
https://i.imgur.com/LfAuXP3.jpg?1

Here's how I'd like the non-collapsed look to be:
https://i.imgur.com/vgSOe8h.png?1

When it collapses, I can set the bg color (light green), but when it's expanded, that color goes away and I'm not seeing where I can set it other than the 'main background' setting. Am I missing something or does there need to be an extra background added when in full mode? Has the message details bg gone away on the new site?

I did not like the responsive site at first, but I got used to it very quickly. I have visual difficulties, and the responsive being less cluttered makes it a heck of a lot easier for me. Some of the color combos are still hard to see, but I can manage that with a custom scheme.

I would like it if the message number could be moved to the right near the quote/reply buttons, or colored so it stands out more. If someone's replied to a post but hasn't quoted it, I often like to go back and read the previous. A link to the quoted post would work also.

I mentioned this previously in RPoL Development, but since it is possibly relevant to the topic here:

Could we move the message number up to the same line with the message subject, and place it at the extreme right end of the line over the links for quote|reply|edit|delete?
This message was last edited by the user at 23:07, Wed 28 Aug 2019.

In reply to horus (msg # 8):

I'll second this point here, since we've moved the discussion to this thread. Even if the thread subjects DO go away, I'd also like to have the message number over with the quote/reply/etc.

Maybe especially if the thread subjects go away, because there's something cold and impersonal about starting an RP post with just a number. If the subjects stay in place, having the option to color the number would be an acceptable substitute for moving it.
This message was last edited by the user at 23:15, Wed 28 Aug 2019.

Should the "Preview As" button be available to all players? Seems like that should be for the GM, but maybe I'm missing something.

I'd like to see the "Preview", "Post Message" and Cancel buttons/link be on the left in non-collapsed mode. Seems more efficient to me.

In reply to locojedi (msg # 10):

I believe so.  It was pointed out in the other thread that sometimes players want to send private lines to multiple people, and something as simple as a misplaced (or forgotten) bracket can screw that up.  So the option to check that your private lines are being seen by the right people could be useful to players as well as GMs.

When I am done reading a thread the boxes on the right that say this thread, or post reply or your account on the right are all the way on the top.  If I want to make a roll off of this I have to scroll all the way back up to the top.  Could these boxes, or certain actions scroll down as you scroll through the forum?

In reply to flakeytheleper (msg # 12):

You can hit the 'top' button (right next to 'all', beneath the 'Post a Reply' button at the bottom right) to take you immediately back to the top of the page without scrolling, so that you can access the dieroller/cast list/etc.

I could see the usefulness of having those three action boxes scroll down, but for myself (in the interest of less visual clutter), I actually prefer those three boxes stay anchored to the top precisely so that I can read without seeing them. Not to mention that I'm used to having to go back to the top of the thread to get to those things anyway, and I think the 'top' button is there to make that easier.
This message was last edited by the user at 14:53, Fri 30 Aug 2019.

I really want to try the new layout to get used to it, because I know it'll be inevitable. But I've been using the Dark Purple theme for over a decade now, so my brain associates that color pattern with RPoL. Seeing everything in stark white and pastels just feels jarring. Plus it means I can't read the site at night without burning my poor, aging retinas.

Has someone made a reasonable facsimile of the Dark Purple theme in the new site? I'm not sure which color values to copy where, and there are a lot of new elements to define (or leave alone). Plus, I'd rather not have to try to reinvent the wheel if someone's already figured it out.

I vastly prefer the current (old site) the layout is much more spacious.

The boxes in the 'column' to the right which have "This thread/this forum/your account" really encroach on the available thread space significantly. Perhaps they could be moved to a horizontal bar at the stop or something?

I really hope the old look will be maintained, but I assume this alteration will be inevitable. :(

Madquest, if you go into the custom theme and increase the setting for "Maximum Page Width" to something higher (I use 1600, myself), it'll help give you more thread space. It won't make the boxes to the right any smaller, but you can offset the encroachment by creating more 'area' for everything to the left of them.

In reply to LonePaladin (msg # 14):

If someone's got a good dark theme they want to share (by creating it and then telling me) then I can make it available as the "black" (or whatever it's closest to) theme for everyone.

Won't specifically give you purple but at least it'll be a good dark starting point.


In reply to madquest8 (msg # 15):

I disagree.. mainly because I designed it and removed spacing wherever I could!  The old site was specifically designed to cram everything in the corners out the way.. it was designed when 4x3 ratio 17" and 19" monitors where the norm so the screen size was limited, which is why the text is small and the left-right spacing (padding/margin) is small or none.

It means that with the larger and wider monitors of today you end up with a lot of text per line in a post, but the site definitely isn't more spacious.

The new site is (whenever possible) designed around the width of the post block.  The right column (and left post information section) is additional to that.

It's not page width - left box - right box = post width.  It's post width + left box + right box = page width.

So if I remove the right navigation you'll end up with a narrower page.

That said the left (post information) column is too wide as it's got to cater for longer character names.  I'm looking at ways that can adapt a bit more so will be trying that.  That will (in most situations) give a wider post width.

Is there a way to save a theme once we've created one, jase, in a way that we can easily go back to it? I'd happily go make a standard-issue black/grey theme (since mine is mostly black and grey anyway), but I hate to lose the settings I've already got. (Or god forbid, have to manually write them all down. <.< )

Can't ya just copypasta them into a post?

Like so:

background:
000000
background image:
background image (external location):
background image, fixed or scroll:
button background (gradient), hover start:
404050
button background (gradient), start:
333340
button background (gradient), end:
333340
button background (gradient), hover end:
404050
button background (plain):
333340
button background (plain), hover:
404050
button text:
3399CC
button text, hover:
CCFFFF
footer background:
505050
footer link background, hover:
444444
footer link border, hover:
000088
form background:
001122
header background:
505050
header link background, hover:
444444
header link border, hover:
000088
horizontal line:
3399CC
links:
3399CC
links, hover:
CCFFFF
message background:
505050
message background, alternative:
484848
message border:
0070B0
message border, alternative:
0070B0
message table header background:
404040
normal text:
FFFFFF
My theme is generally



That was me literally just highlightign and copying the "dark" theme on RPoL 'Classic'.

Sure, but I can't paste them all back IN to get the scheme back when I'm done. :)

Hence the 'easily go back to it' part of my question.

Name and save themes so you can have multiple ones to choose between ?  +1 from me ... and now if we can all join together in a rousing chorus of the old classic 'Feature Creep'.  ;>

I have my custom theme set up now and I'm happy with that, but it'd be nice to have an easy way to test other themes and then restore)

Hi guys,

I will miss the old site layout but so far so good on this site. The font sizes and type, the grid-like layout looks clean and nice. Anyway, here are a few suggestions after using the new site. I admit I didn't read through every single post in this thread and the other threads so I apologise if this has already been address or if there is a workaround that I should be doing on my end.

* * * *

1) What I do miss about from the old site is the headers in the home page. It just makes the design look cleaner in my opinion so that there is less repeated information.

I.e.


versus the current layout.


I just feel like I don't need to see the word GM and posts so many times.

* * * *

2) I wish I could see the usernames of those who RTJed, just like the old site. Right now, all I see is a list of "Access to Game abc" and "Author" instead of the username. I guess it was just more convenient to be able to find the thread conversation with a particular player/user without having to access each thread to find the person I want to talk to (Especially if we haven't started conversing yet)

* * * *

3) There seems to be a lot of information under Thread Details. Perhaps we could have another column to the right where some of the thread details like last post by, or group, could be shifted there?

* * * *

4) Just a minor thing, but I'd love it if the "full stop" beside the name of each game thread, located in the header, isn't a default unless I placed a fullstop in the thread name myself.

Once you've saved the theme then on any page do view source on the page.  You will see near the top some lines regarding stylesheet.  Find the one that says "/lib/themes/user/1234-r.css" where 1234 is your account id.  That's your sheet, download and save.
This message was last edited by the user at 11:22, Sat 31 Aug 2019.

My custom theme might be a good starting point for anyone wanting to develop a truly dark theme.  I don't think it will meet Lone Paladin's needs out of the box, but might save some work.

YAY!  The RPoL Classic dark theme is on the responsive site!  I might switch over to exclusively now.

Could we get the 'Private Messages' option to still be available in the right-hand box still when we're in the Cast List or the Game Map?

It's still there in Game Menu, Character Details, Game Preferences, Scratch Pad, and Die Roller, but disappears when one goes into the Cast List or the Game Map.

Hey gang ... hoping I could get some help from the more computer savvy RPoL'ers out there.

I've set my own theme on the responsive site (cool feature, btw).

Unread posts on the main page are jumping right out, which is perfect as they're supposed to catch the eye.

Within a game, however, they are not.  Each thread looks just like every other thread on the page, even if there are threads with new/unread messages.  Am I missing something?

Is there another category of text I should be adjusting color-wise on the 'Preferences' page?

Are you using a darker color for the thread backgrounds within the game? The icons currently are just black outlines (jase said he would change this, either to full-color or with a lighter set that kicks in on dark backgrounds, he just hasn't yet), so they can be really hard to see if you're using a dark background color for the threads.

I have to run through with my mouse and highlight the threads (my highlight color is slightly brighter than the background), while looking closely to the left of the thread title, to see the icons because my colors are darker, too. If you look close (and presumably aren't using actual black for the background too, I guess) you can see them. Barely.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:06, Sat 31 Aug 2019.

^^ That was it, thank you.