White Masquerade
QuirkyAngel's Red Oni
Tutorial Theme Selection
Hello all. So with this new update, RpNation has undergone a massive shift from the way it was before; stylistically as well as functionally. However, life goes on. Time moves on and things change. The only thing you can do is adapt, start over, refresh, and build something new from there. I am in the process of doing that and feel compelled to make a guide/tutorial on things I find. It may end up just being this one, there may be more, but without further ado, here are my honest comments and navigation of the site's 3 themes. Hopefully through this, you'll be able to make your browsing here more centered on you and get that sense of comfort back. These here will be my personal opinions and in no way, shape, or form, thought to be the truth. Interpret them how you want.
How Do You Switch Themes?
Very simple. Navigate to the bottom of RpN and click Theme, with the black arrow next to it. That will bring up three: RpN Default, RpN Dark (Night Lyfe), RpN Color Me. Click which theme you'd like and that's it! Default, will have it in the middle, but Dark and Color-Me, will have it on the left.
- RpN Default
RpN Default will be the first style I'll review and it is the most like the RpN before the site update. The logo I believe is in the same exact place, the notification suite is in that upper-right hand corner, and the color palette is reminiscent of the old days :$ . The grey background, blue header bars, and white space to hold the content is nostalgic. This exemplifies what the old site was: simplistic and easy to navigate. If anything other than RPNation's old look seriously turns you off, then this is the theme for you.Maybe Not So Positives
The theme looks a little empty. Discombobulated. However you want to call it. It looks a little patchy and thrown together. Everything is lined up straight and neat, but looking at the layout as a whole, you feel there are a few outlines or boxes to separate the content, missing. This I will admit though, is a good reach to duplicate what was there before. This theme is surely getting there, but not quite there yet. The original RpN was simplistic AND stylized. This theme is JUST simplistic. It's missing that organized, finishing touch, seen in the themes that follow. That really would be the way best to say it, summing up RpN Default. It has the workings a great replica of the original RpN, but needs a little more structure to tie it all together.
Final Thoughts
It's a very good attempt at bringing back the old RpN feel. Most things look the same and are set in the same exact place. Kudos to whomever made it. However, there's still that extra styling missing to truly pay homage to the old RpN.
- RpN Dark (AKA Night Lyfe)
The second style to be reviewed is the most ambitious out of the three. Loading into it, you can see that this layout has the most quality, being the one most worked on. It leads me believe that this layout is the one most users were intended to move into and use. Unlike RpN Default, the Night Lyfe is crisp and stylistically complete. You really feel everything there is complete just looking at it. I can't say enough about it in the positive category. I like it. It is not the old RpN, but functionally, the Night Lyfe is perfect. Forum information is easy to read, it's organized nicely, statuses are beautifully handled, and the navigation buttons are well-made/fantastic.Maybe Not So Positives
Not many things I can pick out here, though one of them is heavy. I'll start with the notification bar. It's really, really awkward being in the midst of the theme's picture. The positioning is out of place, but it won't kill you unless you're one of those people who need everything in their correct place. Now the second is a much bigger issue, at least in my opinion. It's the concept of the Night Lyfe style. Functionally it's great! Though using it...it doesn't feel like you're on RpN. How you feel about that will either make or break this theme for you. Personally, the reason I chose RpN was because of its cute Blue/White theme and simplistic layout. Night Lyfe delivers something entirely different. It does not show the site logo at all, but does give a choice between pictures up top that add to the Dark, Ethereal, feel. It works. Very well. Yet, it feels like you're signing into another website. Which is not good or bad. Depends completely on you.
Final Thoughts
It's a good move at doing something new. Some people will like it, some people won't. It's a complete makeover of RpN; not one I'm personally keen of. However, if you don't mind not getting that RpN feel and want a layout that works great, pick this one. Browsing it, it feels like quite a few other RP sites I've visited. Whether that's a plus or minus, I don't know. If the RpN Default was stylized like the Night Lyfe theme with its signature colors and logo, I believe that would be the PERFECT theme to get with. It would give that nice, modern, functional look, while keeping true to the RpN brand (I'm so sorry for using the word brand :/ ). All in all, VERY NICE THEME!
- RpN Color Me!
The third and final theme I'll review is the one I'm currently using now. Color Me. Now I like this one for a few reasons. The layout is not so bad and doesn't look as empty as RpN Default. It has a similar style to RpN Default but isn't as over-done as Night Lyfe. Color Me is low-key and simple, while being modern and very neat. The added bonus here is it lets you change three levels of colors: Content Background and pattern. For content I have Strawberry. Background is Slate. Pattern blank. It makes something nice I can look at and browse through without feeling overwhelmed or thinking I have so much sh*t to click through. It's certainly what I like using best; at least for now.Maybe Not So Positives
The text and topics in this layout are really small. Maybe they are the same size as in other layouts, but for some reason, you can see it more in this one. It'd be a better theme if they were sized bigger. A workaround for this if it becomes and issue, is to magnify your browser a few %. You can do this by pressing Ctrl and +, or doing it yourself through your browser's settings. Another small problem with the theme, is that it occasionally resets the colors you choose, so don't be surprised if you have Blackurrant but end up seeing Strawberry later on. It's a tiny glitch. Just reset your colors whenever that happens.
Final Thoughts
The notification bar being on the left instead of right is a change, but nice, since it leaves the search bar in the top right. After a few minutes you get used to it. After an hour, you start to look at it funny. After a day, then week, it starts to make sense. Overall, I love this theme. Changing the colors to match what's easy on the eyes is wonderful and it comes with the "completeness" of Night Lyfe, while keeping the "simplicity" of RpN Default. It's a match made in heaven. If I had to pick, I would set this as the default. Branching from the old RpN set-up, Color-Me looks like the next best step to something more modern. It's still missing the logo, but in this theme, you don't really care; the layout somehow makes this great. There's a special cherry on top, a final piece it lacks, but after much searching, I can't quite figure out what that'd be. If you have an idea, feel free to comment below.
Ending Thoughts
They're all good in their own way, but I like Color-Me by far. If you agree with my opinions & assessments, then I believe that would be the theme for you. This is open for interpretation, comments, expounding, disagreements, and clarification, so feel free to post your thoughts. Hope you enjoyed this one.
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3 Autobee. Took your advice and worked at it. I am really happy with the results. I thank you for the advice.