Forum Skins

[creb]

We ever going to get more forum skins? I can't be the only one who's grown tired of the same 1980s PC white or vbbulletin default blue or old animesuki blue?



Is it really that much work to introduce more color variety, at the very least?

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by creb

We ever going to get more forum skins? I can't be the only one who's grown tired of the same 1980s PC white or vbbulletin default blue or old animesuki blue?



Is it really that much work to introduce more color variety, at the very least?

You got some suggestions in mind?

If you ask me.... it'll be good in pink... or baby blue... Black would make this a game forum...

[relentlessflame]

One problem with adding more skins is that it makes it that much harder to pick background colours/gradients that will look nice during banner contests, because the same banners should look nice on all the skins.

That aside, I am thinking that we will wait until the vBulletin upgrade to do skin work, but I think that will still take a while (we haven't had/taken the time to work on upgrading all the plugins yet).

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

One problem with adding more skins is that it makes it that much harder to pick background colours/gradients that will look nice during banner contests, because the same banners should look nice on all the skins.

That aside, I am thinking that we will wait until the vBulletin upgrade to do skin work, but I think that will still take a while (we haven't had/taken the time to work on upgrading all the plugins yet).

But don't deny that pink is cute!!!!

[Kyouka]

wut are we really getting pink skins? ill be soo in that

[RRW]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

One problem with adding more skins is that it makes it that much harder to pick background colours/gradients that will look nice during banner contests, because the same banners should look nice on all the skins.

That aside, I am thinking that we will wait until the vBulletin upgrade to do skin work, but I think that will still take a while (we haven't had/taken the time to work on upgrading all the plugins yet).

if i can suggest i wonder if you can have 4 color. one for each season. then make banner competition for each season.

this is fitting for seasonal anime IMO.

[creb]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

One problem with adding more skins is that it makes it that much harder to pick background colours/gradients that will look nice during banner contests, because the same banners should look nice on all the skins.

That aside, I am thinking that we will wait until the vBulletin upgrade to do skin work, but I think that will still take a while (we haven't had/taken the time to work on upgrading all the plugins yet).

Fair enough, except I'm staring at the forum right now, and the banner is all black/blue, and completely separate from the rest of the forum, so I'm not sure how it matters. I guess, I'm wondering why the banner area can't just be kept one (or however many) color so as to keep making banners from being a headache, while the rest of the forum gets a wide variety of colors to choose from.

The pale/puke/off-white color is like what they paint public schools and old hospitals. I've always assumed that was due to our government (in the US) being cheap, and at some time in the foggy past, buying out those ugly colors at a rock bottom price, and then it just stuck over all these years, but the economics behind paint colors shouldn't matter for a website, so I'm puzzled as to the allure of the puke white for the forum.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by creb

Fair enough, except I'm staring at the forum right now, and the banner is all black/blue, and completely separate from the rest of the forum, so I'm not sure how it matters.

It does still blend, actually. The blue colour from the banner gradient ties to the colour of all the links in the top bar (also blue), so it's an accent colour. And trust me, there are a lot of colours that look way worse than this, but in this particular case the gradient was chosen after a user vote.

Originally Posted by creb

The pale/puke/off-white color is like what they paint public schools and old hospitals. I've always assumed that was due to our government (in the US) being cheap, and at some time in the foggy past, buying out those ugly colors at a rock bottom price, and then it just stuck over all these years, but the economics behind paint colors shouldn't matter for a website, so I'm puzzled as to the allure of the puke white for the forum.

It's just a netural colour scheme that means that whatever kinds of avatars or signatures people have won't really clash. It may be generic, but most people won't find it offensive. It's easy to read.


If you don't like the beige theme, you can always switch to the blue theme. For now those are the two primary choices we offer.

Originally Posted by RRW

if i can suggest i wonder if you can have 4 color. one for each season. then make banner competition for each season.

this is fitting for seasonal anime IMO.

The problem is that then you'd have to switch everyone's theme with the seasons... and I'm sure a lot of people would not like that.

[RRW]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

The problem is that then you'd have to switch everyone's theme with the seasons... and I'm sure a lot of people would not like that.

is an option. everyone dont have too change the cover every season. but having 4 theme for each season is fitting with anime theme

[creb]

I've recently discovered extensions/addons in browsers like Chrome, that allow you to set (to some extent), the CSS tags for a website.

My first quick and dirty attempt was just to make the site a little less off-white (by going more grey ):

td.alt1 {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.page div {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
    color: #ffffff;
}

div a strong {
    color: #ffffff;
}

td.alt2 {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

div.smallfont strong a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

#notifications a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.smallfont div a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

span.time {
    color: #fffcff;
}

td.alt1Active {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

div.smallfont span a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

tr td a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.smallfont {
    color: #ffffff;
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

div.smallfont a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

td.tcat a {
    color: #3b293b;
}

td.sticky {
    background-color: #000000;
}

td.sticky div {
    background-color: #000000;
}

span span span {
    color: #d3e016;
}

li.floatcontainer {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

ol.alt1.block_row.list_no_decoration {
    background-color: #4d4d4d;
}

span.shade {
    color: #ffffff;
}

li.smallfont a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

dt.shade {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.visitor_message_body a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

#signature a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

a.smallfont {
    color: #ffffff;
}

ul.list_no_decoration li a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

dl.list_no_decoration dd a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.alt1.block_row.block_title fieldset legend {
    color: #eeff00;
}

  html {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

td.panelsurround {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

p.note {
    color: #000000;
}

p.repercussions {
    color: #000000;
}

div.action_links strong a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.action_links a {
    color: #ffffff;
}

label.show_avatars_ctrl.shade {
    color: #e1ff00;
}

label.check_all_ctrl.shade {
    color: #e3ff0f;
}

fieldset.fieldset legend {
    color: #000000;
}

td.alt1 span {
    color: #ffffff;
}

div.constrainedsignature {
    border-color: #eeff00;
}

div.controlbar {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

td.vBulletin_editor {
    background-color: #6e6e6e;
}

#vB_Editor_001_smiliebox legend {
    color: #e1ff00;
}

div.smallfont b {
    color: #ff7dcb;
}

pre.alt2 {
    color: #000000;
}

td.thead {
  color: #ffffff;
}

#tag_edit_link {
  background-color: #878787;
}

span.smallfont acronym {
    color: #000000;
}

div span acronym {
    color: #000000;
}

There are, after I started to do this, a lot of sub-pages in this forum, so it's entirely possible I've overlooked some tags, but I think I managed to change most things in a relatively uniform manner across the site. It can also be cleaned up, I'm sure, but it's a first quickie draft.

The biggest issue is that posts created with explicit colors for their font may not appear very well, as those colors are choosen by people assuming the white/off-white background (ie: you reply to this post, then select what you wrote, and change the color to dark grey. Anyone using this CSS would have a difficult time seeing what you had written (without highlight the text)). There aren't too many posts like that, so I haven't found it annoying enough to revert to the off-white color, but you have been warned.

The obvious solution is to skin what you want, but leave the post backgrounds alone, but since they make up the majority of the site (because, you know, it's a forum), and I am vehemently tired of puke white, I can't leave it alone.

When I've got more time on my hands, I will see about a more stylized color scheme. Of course, if you have even the tiniest knowledge of CSS (or open to point and click experimentation), you can make up your own CSS for the site.

And, you know, share with the less creative among us.

I use the Stylebot Extension for Chrome

There are limits to what you can do, as there are elements of the forum that are images, and you can't edit the look of those images, but the process should still allow those of you who want some visual change to the forums an outlet to experiment.

[Haiprbim]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

One problem with adding more skins is that it makes it that much harder to pick background colours/gradients that will look nice during banner contests, because the same banners should look nice on all the skins.

That aside, I am thinking that we will wait until the vBulletin upgrade to do skin work, but I think that will still take a while (we haven't had/taken the time to work on upgrading all the plugins yet).

I would personally suggest a new Theme. (Might create a thread about it myself)

I know what the upper banner looks like (It is amazing) and trust me, a darker grey would fit in good.
That is one of the suggestions for the colour of the skin at least, since this thread is focusing on skins, nothing more specific.

[HasuMasu]

I actually quite like the AnimeSuki Blue.

Variety is definitely welcome, though.

Not that I'd be able to contribute anything either way.