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Defenderofgotham |
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Post subject: Defender of Gotham
 Posted: Sep 18, 2004 - 05:29 AM
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Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: 16
Status: Offline
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Hey guys,
Open invitation to check out my newly designed theme by Mars for my Batman related website Defender of Gotham.
http://www.defenderofgotham.net
I absolutely love it! I know, I know, I'm bias!  |
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Ray |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 18, 2004 - 12:54 PM
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Information Hound
Joined: Aug 17, 2004
Posts: 681
Status: Offline
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 Been there and loved it too!!!! Excellent site! Good Luck with it! |
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Defenderofgotham |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 18, 2004 - 07:21 PM
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Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: 16
Status: Offline
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| Thanks Ray |
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xcat |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 19, 2004 - 06:24 AM
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Joined: Aug 23, 2004
Posts: 67
Status: Offline
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| sweet site, fun to visit. |
_________________
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GlueBeard |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 19, 2004 - 05:50 PM
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Pirate Critic
Joined: Aug 18, 2004
Posts: 344
Location: The Isle of GlueBeard
Status: Offline
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I will preface my analysis of your site's new theme by stating up front that I, personally, think that the new theme is head and shoulders above the previous theme that you were using at http://www.defenderofgotham.net.
That said and conceded, I will now proceed with my analysis in detail.
1. In keeping with the traditional and historical way of websites conveying the image and persona of Batman, the new theme relies heavily upon the dark and grim associated with the Dark Knight of Gotham City. The header image conveys the "grim" aspect, and the graphics and colors convey the "dark" aspect. Where "dark" and "grim" are the factors in question, I think that the new theme deserves high marks.
2. The dark colors of the background areas works well, as far as providing a backdrop against which to display the many Batman related images found on your site. The theme does not overpower the content, so to speak, and this is a plus in my book.
3. My single most favorite thing about this theme is the graphic of the city that serves as the background. Peering out over Gotham City as I scroll down the front page, I find myself pausing to look at the buildings that rise off into the distance. The perspective of the site visitor is from somewhere atop one of Gotham's countless skyscrapers, a vantage point that the Dark Knight, himself, could just as easily have, as he stands or crouches high in the darkness above the pedestrians and traffic on Gotham's streets below, perched to wage his never-ending war against crime.
4. The bats, which are predominantly brown or black in color, I give high marks to, as they play upon the image of Batman, and they also add to the aesthetics of the site. On a side note, I prefer the larger bats found in the left and right blocks to the smaller bats found in the center block section.
5. The gray and blue text colors is common to many Batman related web sites, and so while it is in keeping with tradition, it does not render any innovative use of text coloring to add vibrancy to the site. It is standard fare Batman, as far as coloring for text goes, and while perfectly acceptable for any Batman related web site, I just don't think that it helps to distinguish your Batman web site from other Batman websites, where the issue under consideration is the color of text. This should not, of course, be confused with the larger issue of your site as a whole, which I do feel holds a very unique look, compared to most other Batman web sites that I have visited over time.
6. The border work for the left, right, and center blocks is very nicely rendered, and certainly passes the geometric variety test. The border work, in fact, is one of the single best things about the new theme, in my considered opinion.
7. The header graphic I like, although the letters "A" and "M" of DEFENDEROFGOTHAM.NET are almost washed out by the light blue of the background they are presented upon.
8. The bat emblem in the upper right portion of the header I like, though it is paled down at all times, unfortunately, and sort of just sits there. I do like the horizontal line that rolls up it continually, but I feel that this box could have been very useful for showcasing Batman related graphics on a grander scale.
9. I do like the mouseover sound effects of the links at the top left of the page. The white lettering provides good contrast, but I feel that a more colorful font could have been used to make these particular links stand out more.
10. Directly beneath the header graphic is some border work which appears to be control knobs, of some sort. This border work suits the rest of the theme's border work nicely.
11. The bat graphic in the footer, and its accompanying bars that stretch left and right, looks very nice at the bottom of the page.
12. While it isn't really theme related, per se, I think that you generally make good use of colorful Batman related graphics to bring your site's front page to life. It is those graphics, more so than the theme, which, I feel, creates the impression of Batman upon the site visitor, although I certainly think that the new theme has more of a Batman "feel" about it than the theme it replaced.
13. In the forums section, I like some of the icon graphics, though the one for the "forum is lock" item I think just plain sucks.
14. The traditional Batman colors find their way into the forums, as well, though I think that white, rather than gray, would have provided increased legibility and improved contrast. These are especially important where extended reading is to take place, such as in forums.
15. The topic images for the stories in the center block are carried over, I think, from the previous theme. Regardless of whether they are or are not, I think that they look very nice, and add to the aesthetics of the front page.
16. The vibrant blue color of the "New Topic" icon and other icons contrast well against the dark background, and enhance aesthetics while maintaining adherence to traditional Batman colors.
17. While it is not part of the theme, I took a look at your chat feature, anyway. You are using SPChat. While it is a functional chat program, it does nothing, whatsoever, to stretch and extend the Batman theme to your site. I would recommend that you look into FlashChat, which I use on my own site. I think it is a much better chat program, and it also provides you with the means of using your own Batman related graphics as backdrops for the chat rooms. It costs a grand total of $5, and is well worth the expenditure. It can be found at: http://tufat.com
18. The "Main Menu" block lacks originality in the use of names for the various options. Additionally, the Main Menu is overpopulated, and requires a full page to display that single menu.
19. The title bars for the blocks tend to see their text not make a full impact upon the site visitor. The use of bold or larger text here would have been useful in making a visual impact upon the site visitor. Title bars, by their very nature, are something that deserves a higher level of treatment than the average text displayed on a given page. A title bar in effect "announces" that which follows it, or which it encompasses. It should be treated accordingly, save on rare and unusual occasions, which are not present here.
20. The city image graphic that extends into the footer section gives the impression that the footer bar is transparent, where the text in the footer is displayed, and I think that this is a nice aesthetics touch.
In summation, while it is not how I would have sought to convey Batman, it is, nonetheless, a very nice looking theme, one which captures the "dark" aspect associated with Batman very well. I certainly think that the new theme dwarfs the old theme it replaced, as far as looks and feel are concerned. Even still, I think that a number of opportunities to add depth to the site have been missed. Most notably absent in the theme were any real treatment of Batman's nefarious foes and infamous villians, and the technology aspect associated with the Dark Knight was severely underplayed, though the header image and flash effects did help alleviate that to a certain degree. |
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GlueBeard |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 10, 2007 - 10:59 AM
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Pirate Critic
Joined: Aug 18, 2004
Posts: 344
Location: The Isle of GlueBeard
Status: Offline
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| Another site that won't load. Either it's a bad day, or a lot of sites have shut down. |
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mars |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 11, 2007 - 12:45 AM
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Site Admin
Joined: Aug 15, 2004
Posts: 3972
Status: Offline
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