Well being a creature of habit ... I like things just the way they are ...
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| Big Changes! - http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=3870 |
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| Author: | CyberShadow [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
OK. I am seriously considering making some big changes to my site, and I would like some comments from you guys. The catalyst for this is the fact that while these forums are the highlight, with Warp Rift being a strong feature, I do feel that the actual site, and particularly the Gothic side, is not doing so well. So, potential changes are: Split the site - I am loath to do this, I would rather not. I like a single site covering both games, and I think that other changes (explained below) will compensate for any problems of having both games here. However, if it seems that this is a really great idea, then I would consider it. Change the address - Yes, I am fully aware that this is the equivalent to web suicide. However, www.epic40k.co.uk does not mention Gothic at all, and it does not even cover the new version of Epic. It also does not allow me to open up the site to other games, if I decide to do this later. So, moving the whole lot to a new domain might be a refreshing change. But, does anyone have any suggestions? Something that covers both games, with biasing towards one of them... Navigation - Basically, a front screen with better navigation, and which splits the site down the middle for the two games. This way, all of the Gothic and Epic content is kept together, making it easier for players to find it for the one game. So, comments? This will be a difficult time, but should lead to a more organised, more focussed, and more popular site. Thanks. |
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| Author: | Justiniel [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Hmmmm, sounds like one hell of a job. 1) split the site- no, I agree with your reasoning 2)Change address- I'm not sure that this will achieve anything, most, having found the site bookmark/favourites it, as long as search engines can pick up references to Gothic/armaggedon. 3)splitting down the middle- good, for 2 games, however it could make it more difficult to add other games. Well, that's my tuppenny worth, not all that constructive, I'm afraid |
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| Author: | CyberShadow [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Thanks for your comments. It is one hell of a job, and one which would progress slowly. 1 - Glad I am not alone with this. 2 - The trouble is that the URL is out of date. And, Gothic players simply dont rate the site just because it is an 'Epic site with Gothic stuff'. Besides, I want .net URL! 3 - Perhaps I was less than clear. The site would actually be split into three parts: Gothic, Epic and Other (including these forums, any other games, and so on. I may reorganise these boards to split the Epic and Gothic content, but they will remain a single set of boards.) |
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| Author: | MaksimSmelchak [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 12:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
I like keeping the current site as Epic and making a new BFG site. Shalom, Maksim-Smelchak. |
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| Author: | CyberShadow [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
That is an option, but it then leaves me with two sites to look after. And, what happens to the forums, the Players Index and other sections that encompass both games. Also, I want to explore the link between the games more in the future... |
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| Author: | Legion 4 [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Well being a creature of habit ... I like things just the way they are ...
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| Author: | Jimbo [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:02 pm ] | ||
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - | ||
Last year I changed my URL from www.felixent. f9.co.uk to www.ifelix.co.uk However I kept both sites running with the old site saying This site now has a new URL, www.ifelix.co.uk, please update your bookmarks and links. Thank You After 12 months the traffic reports for August look like this www.felixent. f9.co.uk Visits 20,302 Hits 624,763 www.ifelix.co.uk Visits 23,684 Hits 1,247,547 The old site still gets as many visits as the new site even though it has not been updated. The reason for this is that the felixent.f9 address is on lots of webpages as links, embedded throughout Google (and other search engines) and other stuff. It is only in the last few months that the new site has actually had more visits than the old one (and that is more down to http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech than anything else. My recommendation Keep the epic40k.co.uk address and make it a epic only website. Start a new Gothic website. Having said that: And, Gothic players simply dont rate the site just because it is an 'Epic site with Gothic stuff'. | |||
| Author: | the_fifth_horseman [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Navigation - Basically, a front screen with better navigation, and which splits the site down the middle for the two games. This way, all of the Gothic and Epic content is kept together, making it easier for players to find it for the one game. | |
| Author: | dafrca [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
OK, Maybe I am just so ignorant but how is "spliting the site" more work then "Navagation Change that splits the site down the middle"? It seems to me we have a symantic issue more then anything. The bottom line is you are trying to cover two different games with two different groups of people. Yes, I know there is some cross over, but I am interested in 15mm SciFi and Food, but I would not want to see a single site try and cover it all. One of your stated issues was that the Gothic side was not doing well. I would not give up the Epic name at this point, you have too many people who know it and go to it. But if you want to "grow" the gothic side then you need to use a gothic name to allow people to find it. That means a Gothic site witha gothic name and a gothic interest/content level. When it comes to how the big boys do it, they have found the public does not like nor want to use a "single portal". ABC, ABC Family, Disney, The Disney Channel, and other Disney owned BUs like ESPN tried a Portal. They all found it hurt their "face time". Now they each have a "home page" and you enter a site targeted at only that one business entity. OK, I feel like I am rambling so I will stop. Bottom line is, if you want the Gothic to grow you have to give it it's own cage. dafrca |
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| Author: | Jimbo [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
I agree |
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| Author: | primarch [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Hi! I agree with Dafrca, give BFG its own site. Primarch |
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| Author: | iblisdrax [ Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
It doesn't matter to me, as long as I get to keep rambling on in these forums!! my 2cents, iblisdrax |
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| Author: | CyberShadow [ Sun Sep 19, 2004 12:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Thanks to you all for taking the time to comment on this. It has thrown up a number of points and helped me to get things semi-organised in my mind. To deal with a few of the issues raised: Jimbo: I am afraid that, yes, it is true that currently my site is seen as an Epic site with Gothic content. I have been worried about the lack of exposure in the Gothic community for a while, so I canvassed a few respected members of the Gothic Yahoo group and the above comment is a direct quote from an email. The fact is, there are a number of sites out there, and if people can choose which to visit before looking at the content, then they will steer away from a site with Epic in the URL. In fact, the same person said that he actually likes the content of the site, but that it still 'felt' like an Epic site. Now, I realise that the simple URL will never be the whole blame, and I also realise that actual content beyond the Warp Rift magazine has been a bit thin for both games recently, but still I do think that this is a problem. I also realise that changing away from epic40k.co.uk is kind of internet suicide. However, to be honest I am less worried about the loss of hits, as long as most of the regular community moves with the new URL (if it happens). I think that I could take the site onwards to bigger and better things if it was not left with a URL that does not shout anything at all about Battlefleet Gothic, and which appears to cover the remants of a previous edition of the other game!  I realise that the URL epic40k.co.uk is now well established, but I do kind of kid myself that a few well-placed announcement and 80% of links will be updated... My plan would either be to move the entire site to a new URL almost overnight, and have a single page at the old address pointing to the new site. Any changes could then be made gradually. Or, to simple slowly take down the old site and reconstruct it at the new URL, and so make the changeover really quite slow, and give people time to move over and get used to the idea. And yes, having a .net URL really is a draw for me. I know, I am so sad! dafrca: On the surface, you are correct. A single site covering both games should not be less work than two individual sites. However, it may be that one month I have a load of updates for Epic and none for Gothic, and another month the reverse. This translates as two updates for a single site, and this make the site appear more active and alive, which can be very important. That being said, one of the main reasons for starting the site in the first place was to explore the interaction between the two games. Now, this has not been covered much at all yet, mostly due to me not getting around to it. However, I would like to set up joint campaigns, interactions and other crossovers. I think that this would give my site something that other sites simply dont have, and that can only be a good thing. If I do split the site in two, I run the risk of both halves being just something that can be found elsewhere on the web. And finally, if I split the site into two, where do things like these forums, the Players Index and other joint articles go? I understand that it is risky to try to be seen as a site for two games, but starting with a new site would also allow me to sort out my navigation better. For example, I would split most of the content into Gothic or Epic, and then the Gothic stuff would be found at mysite.net/gothic/ The fact is that there is considerable crossover potential between the games, and this was obvious even before EA allowed the use of Gothic ships as support. While I love the idea of having two, internationally recognised web sites (hmmm..  ), I dont want to lack what I think that this site already provides, a place for players of both games to hang out. There are a fair number of players of both games out there.Please dont feel that anything has been decided here, and please all continue to discuss this, it is very useful for me. One more thing to say. Whatever changes happen, these board will go through minimum changes. This community is a peak of the site, and to change it radically would be to ignore the time that you guys put in. There may well be minor changes. For example, it is reasonably likely that at some point in the future I will change the order of these boards, putting all of the Epic boards into the same forum/place, and all of the Gothic ones together, rather than organising them by 'wargaming', 'painting', etc. But, at the end of the day, visitors to these forums should not be put out much at all. Thanks, and keep you comments coming. |
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| Author: | iblisdrax [ Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
I think that the Gothic/Epic connection is somewhat stronger than the Epic/40k connection...or am I just biased against 40k? my 2cents, iblisdrax |
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| Author: | wargame_insomniac [ Sun Sep 19, 2004 5:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Big Changes! - |
Possibly biased!! I got into both Epic & BFg solely because I used to play 40k. However Epic & BFG have long been my joint favourite games, albeit ones that I get to play less often than I would like. I am currently trying to get some LOTR figures painted but after that I wasnt to get back to both Epic & BFG. I have always loved the idea of linked Epic/BFG campaigns, and any plans to set up the site in a way that promotes closer interaction between the 2 game systemes can only be good. I like the idea of having 1 site that covers both games. But I am just please someone is tring to promote both games- thanks CS. Cheers James |
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