Hapori Tohu Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 The BZPower front page has remained unchanged for a number of years, and we on the staff are well aware it's in need for an update. While we work on an overhaul, we thought we could ease the wait by making some small tweaks in the meantime. As you can no doubt see, (hopefully) all of the outdated and broken links have been removed, and we've made links to BZPower's presence on various social media sites more prevalent. Let us know what you think in the Talkback, and thanks for your patience while we plan and work on something even cooler! (Which, before you ask, will be done when it's done, and not a moment sooner.) View the full article 8 Quote News Forums Q&A
Pohatu: Uniter of Stone Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Wow! It looks so modern, yet still has the good ol' BZP feel to it! I wonder if there will be a new Quicknav for new Bionicle... Quote I HATE SCORPIOS ~Pohatu Master of Stone, 2015
~X-Clone~ Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Looking good so far. BZP has had the same front page since before I joined, so I can't wait to see the final product. 1 Quote
Art Vandelay Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) While I would have loved to see some of the modules like the Member Spotlight be fixed rather than removed, (I realize that's more trouble than it's worth) it's really awesome to see you guys making these updates! It's brought some new life into the front page, and it was much needed. Can't wait for the overhaul! Edited September 27, 2014 by XONAR Quote
TheSkeletonMan939 Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 About time. It's embarrassing how long the right side of the page was just dead links. 4 Quote
Torran Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Cleaner already! Looking forward to the final product, it's as good a time as ever to update. Quote flickr - Brickshelf
SkullKid Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I like it so far, just don't get rid of the scroll-down that gets us to the forums. Or at least provide another link. -SK Quote
Shadow Destroyer Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Can't wait to see what the finished product looks like! Hopefully we get some other big changes! Quote Thank you to the Dark Beings Banner and Avatar Shop for the banner! Brickshelf Gallery BZPRPG Profiles
Ektris Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Not too keen on how disproportionately large the Twitter and YouTube buttons are. The Twitter feed's a good idea, though. Overall it's a good start. ~|ET|~ Quote E-T... Phone home. "He walks among us, but he is not one of us."
CHTrilogy Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Hopefully not too much will change. Quote ~ CHTrilogy
emily Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) I know that BZP has long become obsolete as a BIONICLE reference base (BS01 surpassed it years ago), but it still feels really weird to see the Reference section reduced to a single box with three links. It's always been BZPower: BIONICLE News, Reference, and Discussion, if only in name. The times, they are a-changin'. In any case, change is good and I'm glad to see the front page is beginning to reflect the modern BZP community more accurately. Edited September 27, 2014 by Pereki Quote believe victims. its actually not that hard, and youd look kind of bad if you were to, say, side with an abuser because theyre your friend
Portalfig Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I am super pleased with this, yes. Good job! Quote
Toa Smoke Monster Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I like what's been done so far. The Twitter feed is a neat idea, as while as putting the various media site buttons on the top of the page. I look forward to seeing what you guys will continue to change as it happens. Quote Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story.
Reznas Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 This is so awesome! Can't wait to see what the front page will look like further on! -Rez Quote
Cambion Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 [applauds] about time this happened. i'm really looking forward to seeing the full redesign. the transitional stuff looks alright; there's a few things that are kinda weirdly placed, but otherwise it's nice. Quote
Kayru Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I'm certainly glad there are a lot more changes in store, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. Quote
Observance Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 IMO you should put the buttons under that "Community" tab. The bright red sticks out too much on the blue header. Quote
Pohatu: Uniter of Stone Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I just realized that clicking on "News" and "Discussion" on the main title/banner actually linked you to places. (Why is there no facepalm smiley?) Quote I HATE SCORPIOS ~Pohatu Master of Stone, 2015
Space: Ocean of Awe Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) The little changes aren't much agreeing with the mobile browser, and the red YouTube button is rather jarring against the cool blue header, but I trust this is only one faulty step towards a better front page? I'm probably going to get super nostalgic about the old front page though. I hope you guys outdo yourselves in the design and layout to come up with the best blend of new and old, and a prime balance of aesthetic vs functionality. Looking forward to this future event. =) Edited September 27, 2014 by Space: Ocean of Awe Quote "Baby, in the final analyses, love is power. That's where the power's at." TumblrTwitterWattpad
Lyichir Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 One thing that just occurred to me—with this transitional design, have the old front page's known vulnerabilities been patched? The extra activity due to the Bionicle announcement has been great for BZP's recovery, but another hack attempt could potentially take a lot of the wind out of BZP's sails. 3 Quote Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence Aanchir's and Meiko's brother
Rooster Nui Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 It's a good start changing the frontpage a bit as a new era of Bionicle is coming and with that, BZPower is slowly getting updated, I Like that. Funny, me and my brother were discussing last night how the front page looks pretty much the same since the old days when he was active in the forums. Quote
Volitak_Boxor Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 It's nice to see the front page being updated, and I like that the top banner and central news section are still the same, at least for now. They may be old, but I like the way they look, and they work consistently, unlike most of the now-gone links. The Twitter feed where the Amazon box used to be seems like a good, modern improvement, but I'm wondering if anyone ever even used the Amazon box. I always thought it looked a bit out of place. Also, I was surprised to see the set database link gone. Admittedly, the set database wasn't that great, compared to what's on, say, Bricklink, but I always thought the combiner database was nice (Actually, if the combiner database could be updated with functioning links to all the combiners' instructions, that could be a really useful feature that I haven't seen anywhere else online. Of course, I realize that that's rock-bottom priority). I found the link on the sidebar on the page with the list of product reviews, though, so I'm glad I can still get to that database somehow. Anyway, I can't wait to see what the front page looks like once all the updates are completed. Here's to the possible return of Hot Topics! 1 Quote ^ Often lurking, occasionally writing about sets on BS01. L This link is a bit old, but there's still some good info about combiners there.
Planetperson Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Glad to hear it. Please consider moving the social media scripts to the bottom of the HTML document so the content has a chance to render first, or else the page layout readjusts itself unpleasantly when loading. This will give the impression of a faster loading time. Please also consider using something besides nested tables and spacer gifs for the news feed, since this is 2014 after all. 2 Quote July 2009 Comic Scans | MNOLG Soundtrack Official Greg Discussion Weekly Digest | My Lego Network
Demeb Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Good start so far; it's nice to see the dead links and panes (finally) removed. I'm also in favor of the twitter feed - I don't use twitter myself, but it is nice to be able to see what you guys actually post there. At this point, I think the red google/social media buttons stand out a bit harshly against the blue background, but I'll wait to see the final product before (completely) making my judgement. Quote A server busy message is just BZP's way of reminding you to do your homework. "There's no point in getting angry with Bohrok, it would be like you getting angry with your toaster." -Greg It's pronounced "Dem-e-b."
believe victims Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Unsure about the buttons just kinda slapped onto the upper banner, but then again this is just a transitional form so i'll take it. I hope for better integration in the redesign, though. Quote
Tea-rex Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Good work so far!Can't wait to see what else you have in store for us. May I make a very tiny suggestion though?Seeing as how spherus magna is now whole again, could you change the online/offline indicator & all those other things to the galaxy formation that is now relevant?(Basically instead of a big circle with two smaller circles, one whole circle with the galaxy wispy parts next to each-otehr). 1 Quote BZPRPG profiles / Corpus Rahkshi Profiles / Matoran un Panzar profiles
Vorahk1Panrahk2 Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) Unsure about the buttons just kinda slapped onto the upper banner, but then again this is just a transitional form so i'll take it. I hope for better integration in the redesign, though. I agree with this. They look okay in full screen, but in a smaller window they look like they're just floating there. Definitely not very attractive. But, as it's a transitional stage, I'll keep complaining to a minimum, and I'm sure things will look much better when all is said and done. I just hope it's not too different from what it was before. Edited September 27, 2014 by Vorahk1Panrahk2 Quote BZPRPG Profiles
Ballom Nom Nom Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 May I make a very tiny suggestion though? Seeing as how spherus magna is now whole again, could you change the online/offline indicator & all those other things to the galaxy formation that is now relevant? (Basically instead of a big circle with two smaller circles, one whole circle with the galaxy wispy parts next to each-other).Given that the online/offline logo is based on the classic UDD logo of Bionicle, I don't see how this is relevant at all; it should remain the same. Anyway, these are some good changes, although I've noticed that on Safari for iOS the two halves of the front page banner don't line up properly, probably because the social media buttons can't fit on a single row. ~B~ Quote
specsowl Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 I am excited for this update! It was definitely a long time coming so I look forward to how the front page will look. Also, member spotlights are important, so I do hope that you restore them in the updated version! Quote
TNTOS Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Nice to see you guys are working on it. I think the current design is kind of clunky and unwieldy, but as others have said, it's only transitional, so I'm not going to complain just yet. -TNTOS- Quote "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore RooseveltA Writerly BlogThe Tasty Library of Sugary Goodness(My Little BIONICLE: Friendship is Explosive Completed 01/05/14){The Shika Trilogy Omnibus Completed 03/31/14) (Review Topic)(In the End Completed 09/01/14) (Review Topic)The Biological Chronicle: (2001) (2002) (2003) (2004) (2005) (2006) (2007) (2008) (2009) (2010)
Liopleurodon Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Some of the buttons at the top seem a little cluttered, but I'm glad the dead links are gone. Quote
Pomegranate Posted September 27, 2014 Posted September 27, 2014 Oooohhh, that is lovely A little bit of tidying up with the social media buttons and the side widgets and it would really look incredible. Thanks for showing y'all care and are on top of it! ^^ Quote .
Hitoshura Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Wow, this feels like it was needed more than I thought it would be, and it looks a lot nicer now. Quote profiles
Banana Gunz Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 I like the way BZP looks, but it's refreshing to see some good looking changes. I can see that there's still a bunch to be done, but this looks like a nice beginning. Just one thing: PLEASE don't overhaul the entire website and make everything out of wack and run differently. I've seen some websites do that and it's just annoying. Almost everything works very well once you've gotten used to it. But keep up the good work BZP! 1 Quote tumblr: it's a lovely place to be if you've gone madflickr: mah yummy gross pics mmmPew Pew Pew Pew Pew
TheSkeletonMan939 Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Just one thing: PLEASE don't overhaul the entire website and make everything out of wack and run differently. I've seen some websites do that and it's just annoying. Almost everything works very well once you've gotten used to it. Agreed. Don't try to be "hip" and "cool" and make the homepage super modern-looking and vastly different from what it is now. I'd really like it to remain recognizable. 2 Quote
believe victims Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 I really, really think the dedication to keeping a front page that coughed and hacked its way out of the early 2000s is almost detrimental. 3 Quote
Voltex Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) Just one thing: PLEASE don't overhaul the entire website and make everything out of wack and run differently. I've seen some websites do that and it's just annoying. Almost everything works very well once you've gotten used to it. Agreed. Don't try to be "hip" and "cool" and make the homepage super modern-looking and vastly different from what it is now. I'd really like it to remain recognizable. This is an excellent way to make sure that new fans brand new to the world of Bionicle will decide not to join BZPower (or at least guarantee that far fewer will join than we would like). While older members (myself included) are certainly familiar with the current design of the front page, and I won't deny a certain degree of nostalgia (although it is far, far less than most things), the fact remains that keeping a design from the early 2000s when it has been at least ten years makes the site seem archaic. Sites such as Facebook and Youtube undergo visual redesigns every few years to make sure that they can remain relevant in their designs; while I don't think BZP needs to start redesigning the front page every two years, it does need a visual overhaul. It needs to be brought up to date with the current appearance of the forums, and in a style that is attractive to the general population at present. I am pleased to see changes being implemented; while I feel like giving the social media buttons their own box on the left (right above the link to the forums) would be more visually appealing, they certainly do standout. I really like the Twitter feed on the right hand side. Edited September 28, 2014 by Voltex 3 Quote is this the end?
Planetperson Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Another thing: being that the front page has looked the same for so long now, is it possible that you could include a "classic mode" so that older fans can switch back to a version which looks like the original? I think that would make everyone happy. Quote July 2009 Comic Scans | MNOLG Soundtrack Official Greg Discussion Weekly Digest | My Lego Network
Sumiki Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 I'd really like the new front page (whenever we get it) to reflect the design of the old one while touching up the aesthetics - including the removal of those JPEG artifacts. As it is now, this update is just splendid. 1 Quote avatar by Lady Kopaka
Avohkah Tamer Posted September 28, 2014 Posted September 28, 2014 Can't wait for the full overhaul, although for the purposes of remaining iconic I hope that it keeps most of the basic ideas and image themes of the original. This is transitional, so I won't really complain much about the actual design elements and module boxes right now (except maybe the double space under the Premier Members block, just ergh), but I do hope that the social media buttons will be less... obnoxious in the final design. They're important to have visible, I think, but they really very badly clash in that top section. Regardless of location, though, they just don't fit well with the design. Basically, I'd really like to see the final design incorporate custom social networking buttons, maybe prominently in a grid on a sidebar or something, instead of the stock buttons we see now. ~ (A VTOAHMKEARH) 2 Quote
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