Membership Splash/Introduction pages

[Morrigan 1,826]

So as a perspective member to a site I've seen it all. I've seen one click splash pages that have an image that just says enter to the flashy splash pages of modern web design to simply being directed straight to the forum.

 

As I was going through other sites I was considering what I like to see and what I don't. I certainly don't like very basic splash pages with little visit counters as they are annoying as all heck but I'm not sure how I feel about splashy/flashy ones either. I must admit, it does pull me in when someone has a really pretty front pages with awesome scroll effects and whatnot but I'm not sure that it's the way to go. Basically, in my opinion, the splashy./flashy page is more or less a full page advertisement to give you the highlights to rope you in to join.

 

The one flashy page I can think of is this one:

http://geneticdrift.sketchedskins.com/

 

What do you think? Would it entice you (if you were interested in that genre) or would you think that the admins are trying too hard?

 

For me I think (specifically for the genre) that it's the right move as it gives it an extra layer of that feeling of Sci-Fi and I could see it working for historical sites and vampires and whatnot too. So I mean I can see it and it drew me in but the overall site didn't have what I was looking for.

[Orchid 12]

I've seen this one other time, and it was so poorly done I didn't even get to the actual forums. I have to say, your example is well done, and I have to wonder just how hard it was to code that, and if they out-sourced it.

 

Either way, it's lovely, though it gives me the idea that it's not a Forum game, but like, an MMO, or a video game. The idea is solid behind it, but it just feels almost... too good to be true?

 

Not to mention that there's an info-graphic that is poorly sized and resizes itself, rather than being coded, it's just one big image. If that was redone, via coding, I think it would have impressed me more. I'm not sure how I feel about the site itself, as the 'splash' doesn't quite match up with the actual forum. It's nifty, and it's enough to draw your attention, but there's a lot they could do to fix it. To make it even better.

 

Are they trying too hard? Maybe. I didn't see how many members they actually had, or when they opened. If they're new, brand sparking new, then yes. Trying to hard. If they're stable and established, then no, I like the idea that they do it to capture and hold more attention.

[Death Kitten 200]

I'm not a forum RPer, so if I land on a forum without any explanation in my face, I'd likely get confused, wouldn't know where to go, etc. So some sort of landing/welcome page is probably a good idea, as long as once I've joined, there's a url I can bookmark that'll dump me straight into the forums, ie landing page is the index on the domain, and forums are domain.com/forum or forum.domain.com.

 

As you said Morrigan, it's kinda like an ad for the game. I only skimmed the genetic drift page, and it may be a little bit data overload, but having something that orients the people who wander in gives you a chance of getting them to join in.

[Guest Archaic Cyborg]

I've seen a few recently, and sadly most of them were broken / difficult to navigate, if it would even let me get past the intro page.

 

I don't think they're any more special than the forum's index page, because both offer space for as much or as little content as you want: but I don't know how coding splash pages works, so I assume that splash pages aren't restricted by a jcink skin layout..

 

Personally, I just need to see the game name, the rating, if it's rapid-fire, and if it's fandom or original. One major part of splash pages that turn me away, though, is the image size. 8/10 they're HUGE, and it doesn't offer the viewer anything but more images to scroll past.  A splash page could have a very nice layout with regards to text, logo placement/etc, but like with layout designs for many forum skins: it's all over the place, too many colours, too much or too little contrast. D: Ow.

 

Either way, so long as it isn't loaded with javascript and the image(s) aren't unnecessarily big, I wouldn't mind it.

[CovertSphinx 710]

I've seen a few here and there, usually ones that were basically evolved versions of the pop-up welcome, or the old "prototype" homepages from the original InvisionFree boards. But honestly nothing as involved as what you just showcased.

 

I'm personally not a fan. I want to go directly to the forum and check out the goods. I don't want to play footsie with a giant advertisement. I want to scope the forums themselves and get a feel for the game itself based on what I'm looking for instead.

 

It also strikes me as taking themselves WAY too seriously. For me its a huge turn off when a board looks like it's for/by Elitists.

[iReadYerMind 2]

I think there's a time and a place for these things, as well as a right way to do them. 

My forum has one: http://emeria.jcink.net/index.php

 

I originally used it as a sort of countdown to opening day, with a brief summary of what the forum was about, and when we'd open.  Now that the site's been open about a month, though, it's for a brief summary of the site and a poll for those who have decided not to join.  Nothing gigantic, flashy, or vague, and it has the same two sidebars as the rest of the forum so that new arrivals can see what's been going on in the chat, the navigation, and other info that's provided.

 

The link that you provided, Morrigan, is nice looking - but it sorta turned me away from the site in general, simply because that flashy entrance image didn't really tell me anything about the RP itself. It just showed me some nice art, and mentioned no word count, no app, and cyberpunk.   Personally, I like to see a little more info right up front!  Not necessarily a wall of text, but something to tell me what kind of forum I've landed at.