New Skin

[Bolty]

Please put your comments on this new skin here. Note:

1) The images have not been changed from forum default, and are ugly.
2) Smileys also have not been changed from default, and you will see the problem with them.
3) This skin is temporary. When the main site is overhauled, this forum will be too, in order to match.

-Bolty

[Roland]

Please put your comments on this new skin here.  Note:

1) The images have not been changed from forum default, and are ugly.
2) Smileys also have not been changed from default, and you will see the problem with them.
3) This skin is temporary.  When the main site is overhauled, this forum will be too, in order to match.

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58890[/snapback][/right]

I'm blind. :P

The smileys don't fit, that is true. The white borders are a nuisance, but nothing major. The skin / color scheme overall aren't horrible, although they could stand a good deal of work.

But... Bolty... My God, what were you thinking when you put the colors in? Bright neon yellow on a white background for the links? It's giving me eye-strain. Literally. I almost got an instant migraine WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF POSTING / READING! I post something, and all of a sudden there's this freaky new color scheme and I can't see any of the links!

My g/f did find it amusing, however, when I fell backward from the screen screaming "I'm blind!". ;)

[Bolty]

I'm blind. :P
But... Bolty... My God, what were you thinking when you put the colors in? Bright neon yellow on a white background for the links? It's giving me eye-strain.
[right][snapback]58893[/snapback][/right]

I'm trying to find a place where you'd encounter "bright neon yellow on a white background," but I can't. Can you be more specific?

Remember, I suck royally at skinning. This is why it's taken so long. Last time I skinned, I had help from someone who was an actual artistic decorator/designer in RL, but said person is not available now, and this is the result.

-Bolty

[Refrigerator]

Please put your comments on this new skin here.  Note:

1) The images have not been changed from forum default, and are ugly.
2) Smileys also have not been changed from default, and you will see the problem with them.
3) This skin is temporary.  When the main site is overhauled, this forum will be too, in order to match.

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58890[/snapback][/right]

Whoa, that was weird...

I was surfing the forum when the skin changed. Between one click and another, things were different... and they weren't even completely finished skinning on some pages too!

Funkay stuff happenin :lol:

But, still, this is WAY much better than the previous one. Thank you so much.
:D

EDIT: The borders are still blue and white n'such too. Do you mean you'll change that when the main site gets an overhaul, or what...? Also, this light blue for the posting box is... neat.

[Minionman]

This skin is actually kind of cool in its own wierd way. It would be easier on the eyes to get rid of the brighter blues and other colors.

[vor_lord]

I'm trying to find a place where you'd encounter "bright neon yellow on a white background," but I can't.  Can you be more specific?

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58898[/snapback][/right]

At the bottom where it shows the outline of the thread--the highlighted links are yellow (not sure I'd describe it as "neon" though--isn't neon pink :)), the background off-white.

And now I see the problem you mentioned with the smileys.

But I like it--it makes me think "lurkerlounge" as I have for 3 1/2 years, instead of "What the... did I mistype again?" despite a few minor details.

[Bolty]

At the bottom where it shows the outline of the thread--the highlighted links are yellow (not sure I'd describe it as "neon" though--isn't neon pink :)), the background off-white.
[right][snapback]58903[/snapback][/right]

Ah ha! Outline view! Thanks. Nailed it.

-Bolty

[Yrrek]

This skin is actually kind of cool in its own wierd way. It would be easier on the eyes to get rid of the brighter blues and other colors.
[right][snapback]58900[/snapback][/right]

I agree with Minionman about the blue. Tone those down a bit. The maroons/browns could be blended a bit better. They were good on the old layout, if you still have that color scheme. Hope this helps!

Great work by the way! This is much easier on my eyes, that's for sure! :)

[DeeBye]

I had gotten used to the blue-on-white format. This one looks ugly, but then again I've never liked white text on a black background.

Please please please fix smilies :( :( :(

[Bolty]

Some icons are loaded. As you can see, IPB 2.0 has more icons than 1.1 used to have, so there are some icons I don't have "orange" versions of.

Also, a couple of you pointed out problems with the blue - is it that the blue is too bright for some of the bars?

-Bolty

[Refrigerator]

Some icons are loaded.  As you can see, IPB 2.0 has more icons than 1.1 used to have, so there are some icons I don't have "orange" versions of.

Also, a couple of you pointed out problems with the blue - is it that the blue is too bright for some of the bars?

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58916[/snapback][/right]

Well, the blue in the bar right below posts is definitely too bright, but if you were referring to the blue in the replying mode thinger...

I sort of like the white on browns colour scheme. It's nice-looking, but mostly, it's familiar. I'm just not used to the light blue-on-purple/blue/grey that is currently on. I think it would look better with browns. :)

I *think* the others were talking about the slightly random bright blue bars and borders though.

EDIT: And, the top title bar is wicked-awesome. I really like it.:D

[DeeBye]

Some icons are loaded.  As you can see, IPB 2.0 has more icons than 1.1 used to have, so there are some icons I don't have "orange" versions of.

Also, a couple of you pointed out problems with the blue - is it that the blue is too bright for some of the bars?

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58916[/snapback][/right]

Can the background colour for quoted text be changed to something else? I suggest a medium grey.

Light blue for ANYTHING has to go. The medium to darker blues aren't too bad, but pastels look horrible with the LL colour scheme.

[Count Duckula]

Light blue for ANYTHING has to go.  The medium to darker blues aren't too bad, but pastels look horrible with the LL colour scheme.
[right][snapback]58920[/snapback][/right]

I agree with the GIMP master. The blue has to go. Not just the baby blue, but all the shades.

I like the brown/mauve I'm seeing right here in the posting boxes. But the reply box has this icky cyan color that just won't do.

[LochnarITB]

Please put your comments on this new skin here.
[right][snapback]58890[/snapback][/right]

Eeek! (Is that the kind of comment you were looking for?? :P )

I'm sure you are working hard on the update of the skin and that some things are not finished yet. I don't know if some of the things I have a problem with are things that you intended or if they are simply things that you haven't had a chance to work on. You asked what the problem was with the blues? At least for me, the use of the light blues and white in various border elements and icons makes the appearance very glaring. They tend to scream "this is a border". Using dark and more muted choices pulls the whole thing together. Using black for border lines seems to blend them into the background but the eye/brain actually perceives them as defining the "cells" without distracting from the contents.

I made some quick modifications to the look and posted them under the following links. Grab each one and flip between the old and new and you will see what I mean.

list of forums: old new

a topic: old new

[Roland]

Ah ha!  Outline view!  Thanks.  Nailed it.

-Bolty
[right][snapback]58905[/snapback][/right]

Still more issues in outline view.

1) Your "gold" colored links are all fine and dandy against the current background, but the bright, light yellow "shading" or "highlighting" present after you view a topic (as the background color for said links) is apalling. Once again, like colors blend entirely too well for the human eye to easily distinguish. I'm still getting eye-strain attempting to discern what posts I've read, and what the next post in my mental order was going to be.

Please, choose something DARKER for the background highlighting of topic links in threaded / outline view! It's atrocious to have to squint half an inch from my monitor just to see what post I wanted to click on a moment before.

[[wcip]Angel]

I liked the old pre-upgrade LL-skin.
I liked the temporary blue skin.

This mish-mash of old and new (and white? :blink: ) is upsetting.

I want to thank you for all your hard work, and I hope you manage to find the energy to keep it up. You're definitely going in the right direction.

edit: For laughs, I checked the site with IE instead of my regular Opera-browser, and I noticed a difference:

http://www.home.no/lzp/Llounge.jpg (Yes, those black things are arrow. And no, I will not participate in the designing of a new logo for The Lounge ;))
There are no white lines in the IE-version of the page. These white lines are everywhere. Right now, I'm looking at 2 white lines hamburgering the "Editing a post in New Skin"-text when (surprise surprise) I'm editing my post.

Like this:

[Arnath]

When you're not logged in, the bar that says Welcome Guest and has the log in link is really really close to the same color as the text. Also, while the forums are logging you in, the text in that box is invisible unless you highlight it.

EDIT: I mean that box on the screen where it says that you're logged in and it's transferring you. And same goes for the box when you click logout. You can't see any of the text.

[Bolty]

Gang,

Thanks so much for the comments - I'm going through and nailing each thing as I can find it. There are hundreds of elements to the forum, and I knew I'd miss some on my first pass.

Obviously work on the images still needs to be done. Also, as far as I can see, the background yellowish color that appears over the link to the currently selected message in outline view is HARDCODED! I think the IPB guys missed that. I'll have to dig through the source code and find it, because it is not assigned to any CSS class at all, just a hardcode assignment of color. Ouch.

PLEASE keep the comments coming, especially if I still haven't fixed something that's bothering you. I made another wave of changes just now, so re-check anything you mentioned previously to see if you're satisfied with the new setup.

-Bolty

[LochnarITB]

It's getting better. :) Thanks. Keep up the good work. The only thing I still notice as being a problem is the large white/gray bar at the bottom of each post (where it has the "card" "report" "quote" "reply" buttons). I don't know how anyone else reacts to it but, at least for me, the bright bar draws the eye away from the content of the message and makes it harder to focus on the message. I don't know if changing that would also require changing the color of those buttons, but it might be worth it. Any opinions from other lurkers?

[Yrrek]

It's getting better.  :)  Thanks.  Keep up the good work.  The only thing I still notice as being a problem is the large white/gray bar at the bottom of each post (where it has the "card" "report" "quote" "reply" buttons).  I don't know how anyone else reacts to it but, at least for me, the bright bar draws the eye away from the content of the message and makes it harder to focus on the message.  I don't know if changing that would also require changing the color of those buttons, but it might be worth it.  Any opinions from other lurkers?
[right][snapback]58999[/snapback][/right]

Yes, that blue on those buttons is still a litte obnoxious. I don't really have any suggestions for a better color though. :/ Also the banner at the tops looks empty without the characters in the corners. It is nice seeing the Forum Rules link at the top, now we just need an etiquette link. :) Keep up the good work! :)