What you see here is the fourth evolution of VirtualR since 2007 when this site started out as a simple blog to showcase some screenshots. Along the way, the site has changed it appearance twice to keep up with the growing popularity.
27 months ago, I introduced the last design change to VirtualR (the third in total) and even though the old theme served its purpose well enough, some change was long overdue as VirtualR had outgrown the old site design.
The past theme was done by me and I??m not shy to admit that web design is not one of my biggest talents. Now that the site has gotten even bigger, I??ve finally decided to let a pro have a go at it and this is the result!
Apart from being made with valid code and following common standards (which the old theme did not!), the new look comes with a bunch of major advantages:
- Pleasing for the eye and easy to read
- More content showcasing & formatting options that keep popular stories & discussions up and allow me to pack more info like Readme-files into the stories
- A condensended index page that doesn’t show the content in full. While the old layout had the advantage of showing all the content at once, it was slow to load, especially with lots of embedded videos. With the new layout, only the content you want to read is fully loaded, saving up bandwidth and time.
Aside from all the changes, it was important to me that the site retains a familiar look. Personally, I always hate when my favorite sites introduce drastic changes as it always takes a few days to adjust, that’s why I wanted to retain a familiar look and feel to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone.
[head3]New Comment System[/head3]Along with the new layout, I??m also introducing a new comment system. If you??re a frequent commenter on VirtualR you know that the old system had its bugs and quirks and missed some essential features like the ability to edit postings.
This changes now as the new system allows post editing, better moderation features and some other cool community stuff to make discussing on VirtualR more fun and less frustrating! That includes the ability to collapse parts of the discussion you don’t want to follow, comment notifications and plenty of other neat features so have a look around in the comment area!
Like the old system, the new comment interface requires log-in via a social-media account. Those few of you who don’t use any of the popular services can open an account with Diqus, the comment service provider. If you??re a frequent comment writer on blogs & news sites, chances are that you??ve already used Disqus as it is the single most common comment interface on the web.
Of course, none of the old comments have been lost during the switch and old discussions can be picked up right where you left of.
[head3]Welcome-Gifts to Kick Things Off![/head3]To give everyone some incentive to try the new comment system right here on the spot , I have some welcome gifts as Simbin has been nice enough to provide Steam codes for their Retro Pack expansion to give away.
I have three codes for the Retro Pack Expansion (for RACE07 owners) and three codes for the Retro Pack Bundle (including RACE07) to give out to lucky winners. To take part in the draw, please reply to this story and mention whether you want to win the expansion or the bundle, please be fair and don’t take part in the draw if you already own the Retro Pack.
[head3]Bugs & Problems[/head3]Since the new layout has been put together by a professional, the site should look the same on all browsers and operating systems. If you still spot a bug, please report it in the comments.
I??m aware of the following issues, these will be fixed over the weekend:
- Missing search box
I hope you all enjoy the new look of the site as much as I do (and if you don’t, please give it a few days time!). I??m really looking forward to hear what you guys think so leave me some feedback below!
