Warrior Cat Forum - Looking for Critique

[Storm]

awarriorstory.proboards.com/

I am working hard to get this RP forum up and running! Today I did start advertising so we can get some members and character creation going. Basically, I want a super harsh critique so I can improve it in any way possible. 

[Storm]

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[ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴜᴘɪᴅ]

hi Storm! i've been on wc rps since 2013, ran my own for two years, currently mod on one, and have made many themes for wc rps, so i should be able to give you some advice. as requested, i will make sure this critique is super harsh.

first impressions

i'll be blunt here, the default theme is very underwhelming. the banner is basic, the welcome text doesn't fit in the allocated spot, the title bars all have the default texture/font, and the colour scheme is very boring. what you need is something snappy, something that grabs a viewer's attention. at the moment, well it looks incomplete. nothing ties in together nicely, making it a bit of a mess.

site aesthetic

alongside what i said in the last category, the site doesn't have much of an aesthetic. everything about the site, everything the user sees, needs to convey the mood, vibe, and tone that you are trying to convey. currently it says to me: bland and above all, new. members might not want to join a forum that looks brand new and a work in progress. what you need is a dank colour scheme, and a consistent aesthetic across the entire forum. i have a ton of ideas that could improve the current theme, so if you'd like me to help shoot me a pm.

structure

it seems to follow the basic wc rp structure with a couple of extra boards, yet these extra boards aren't out of place or anything. i don't have much to say about the structure, for it makes sense and the boards are all named accordingly. good job. the only thing i would change is the 'welcome center' which is usually found on ooc boards, but it doesn't matter too much.

information provided

it's great that you have a whole thread for explaining how your account per character rule works, something i don't see often. although i would recommend placing that rule in the main rule section as well, since some guests will only scan the first rules thread before deciding whether they are interested or not. the aging thread is quite unclear in parts, i can understand the message but it's not phrased very well and may be confusing to someone with little knowledge on wc rps, so i would recommend rephrasing some of it. the app template seems fine, although asking for a minimum of five traits in each category might be a bit much, especially since you haven't provided a traits list to take from. i usually stick to 3 minimum.

lore

first of all, the lore seems non-existant. you should probably have a main thread in the site rules section about the lore and general information. there doesn't seem to be any threads about what each clan is like, where they live, their strengths and weaknesses, their history, and other general sit lore. is this located in an au? is it in the same universe as the books? how were the clans created? what are the clan dynamics? this information is very important in attracting new users, for they need to see this information and be inspired.

overall

it definitely has potential, and once you sort out the general look of the site i think you'll be right on track to having a great forum! if you need any help with making a theme, shoot me a pm i'm currently available for theme requests and would love to help out. hope my critique wasn't too harsh!

[Storm]

Thank you so much for the critique.

first impressions
I agree that the theme could be better. The welcome text was screwed up because of a plugin, so it should be fixed now.

site aesthetic
I would definitely love to work with you on the theme and color scheme.

structure
The Welcome Center is at the top of the site so that new members will see it and introduce themselves. I'll probably keep it there.

information
The aging and ceremony rules are now reworded. I might even simplify them a bit more, or have a thread explaining all of the rankings for those unfamiliar with the books. Personally, I don't think it's very hard to come up with five positive and five negative personality traits. It requires you to think deeply about your character.

lore
Lol, I knew someone was gonna bring this up. I've already been working on it in a separate document, just haven't posted it yet. At the moment I'm on vacation, so I'll post them as soon as I have time to sit down and finish it up.

overall
Thank you so much! You brought a lot of things to my attention that I can hopefully get fixed.

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