Nuke site media

[gajop]

I propose we remove all Media from the site.
Most of it is old, no one updates it anymore, video links are dead and the UI for previewing images is outdated.
Additionally the process of uploading multimedia is far too complicated for 2017, and the need for manual maintenance is probably why it hasn't received any updates recently.

I think we would be much better off with letting games present their own multimedia on their wiki pages and on their sites. Most of the games already do it and they are doing it well.

[abma]

i agree, its not really nice. A link when reasonable to games is a good replacement?!

https://springrts.com/wiki/Games

[zwzsg]

Whenever I stumble into a new game website, checking the screenshot or media page is the first thing I do, since image usually convey much more information about what is the game than any text would.

So having a media page is nice.

I'd say don't nuke until you have a better replacement (framework and content), but then I feel like I'm the resident ranting grandpa of Spring, always complaining about how things were better before and would you please stop touching it.

[Forboding Angel]

Well, screenshots of what the engine can do isn't a terrible thing, but screenshots of code aren't terribly appetizing, so you end up with media from games.

Perhaps a 30 - 60 second video explaining what spring can do would be a better choice?

[gajop]

i agree, its not really nice. A link when reasonable to games is a good replacement?!

The existing links to Games (in the top bar and "See the games" on the front page) is enough.

Whenever I stumble into a new game website, checking the screenshot or media page is the first thing I do, since image usually convey much more information about what is the game than any text would.

Spring is an engine, not a game.
Other engines (https://unity3d.com/ , https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog tend to not have media pages but rather links to (game) showcases. You have to also keep in mind that even if they had these pages, that's only possible because they have teams dedicated to just PR/advertising, which is something we don't.

I'd say don't nuke until you have a better replacement (framework and content), but then I feel like I'm the resident ranting grandpa of Spring, always complaining about how things were better before and would you please stop touching it.

What is wrong with simply having https://springrts.com/wiki/Games ? Once people go there they will see a lot of game images which usually leads to more media. KP's page is a good example.

[zwzsg]

What I gathered from https://www.unrealengine.com/what-is-unreal-engine-4 is that we should put large animated image as the background ...

Also, Spring is nowhere the significance of these engine. Our close cousins, http://glest.org and https://play0ad.com do have gallery or media pages.

[gajop]

Those are games, Spring is an engine. This is a very important distinction, that we would do best to emphasize.

[abma]

media.php is gone: the link was changed to https://springrts.com/wiki/Media which is a redirect to games.

thoughts? does it make sense or should "Media" be a dedicated page with some info about beeing an engine?

[Forboding Angel]

I think instead of media, it should have a features page, explaining what is possible and in very basic language, how those things can be accomplished.

Spring is unique in the fact that with very little effort you can have a rudimentary game up and running within a day or less that is, in a general sense, fully functional.

[abma]

I think instead of media, it should have a features page, explaining what is possible and in very basic language, how those things can be accomplished.

thats basicly here: https://springrts.com/wiki/About#Features

[gajop]

Wow, that was fast, nice job. I think just having nothing is the best choice for now.

We could maybe have a landing/intro page for Spring, but I haven't put any thought into how to design it.
My suggestion is to consider modifying the current front page (Learn more, Download and play, See the games) to better present the two main parts of Spring: "Play" and "Develop". Anyway, I'll excuse myself from that as there are more competent web designers here.

[Forboding Angel]

I think instead of media, it should have a features page, explaining what is possible and in very basic language, how those things can be accomplished.

thats basicly here: https://springrts.com/wiki/About#Features

... No. Just. No.

https://unity3d.com/unity

https://madewith.unity.com/

I've said a million times before that the site is a major point holding back things, but without a proper site framework (such as wordpress), nothing will ever change. Literally 99% of design firms use wordpress as a basis, and there are very good reasons for that.

You guys have forced us to try to duct tape this site together using css and stray bits of javascript. At some point we get better or die out. You have multiple talented web developers here in this community, many of us would jump at the chance to spend untold hours making this site godly, but instead, we are told that we don't know what is actually needed, and if we get any rope at all, it is just enough to make us feel like we can make a difference while you engine devs strangle us with it.

[AF]

TBH something built with Jekyll would probably suffice, or the Node static site generator, WP might be handy but who cba maintaining that