332 Colors

[Kenadian]

As some of you may be aware, I'm getting to the point where the theme for Fragtard.net is close to completion. While I'm sure there will be some issues remaining, I'd like to start at least thinking about additional color palettes for use in themed forums such as 332, ArmA Series, RPG Forum, etc.

I've got a few ideas in mind but would like to know what colors you guys would prefer to represent the 332? There will be some limitations of course because I really do like the visual impact of background images and require them to show through all foreground elements but most ideas can likely be utilized I believe.

The question is, what color scheme best represents 332? Hitech Creations was mostly greens on green which I'm likely going to use for ArmA Series but would that also work for 332? Keep in mind, you're likely to have sky colored background images that may be heavy in blues, whites, greens and greys (possibly reds, oranges and yellows if flames are present) so you will want foreground colors that work with that variety.

It may end up that the best usage is neutral tones but they tend to be a come off a bit depressing if not used properly. Translucent whites and perhaps varying degrees of blues may work but again, I'll leave it up to you all to decide.

Lastly, you want to think about how the colors will affect possible new recruits. 1c Forum is a perfect example of emotion based color coding that is not only uninviting but leads to eye strain and isn't the most professional color pallet available. If used correctly, yellow can convey energy, excitement, etc., however 1c just goes overboard with it.

Even the current version of Fragtard isn't the best usage of color either but unfortunately it was a happy medium between professional/experienced/trusted (blues), and energetic/youthful (orange). Black is a color that can emit both positive and negative energies however it was necessary given the wide range of image backgrounds it was meant to cover.

For some insight into Website Color Theory, see the following links:

http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/a-look-into-color-theory-in-web-design/
http://lawyerist.com/use-color-theory-to-increase-website-conversions/

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Leimboy]

I don't know either, but maybe somthing blueish would be nice? With white text as it is now.
Orange text isn't too good on a blue background so some other color for highlights would be nice too. I've got no clue as to what that should be though...

 

[Kenadian]

Well the other thing to consider is that you could go with white translucents that should work with just about any background color and have dark blue text, black text, or virtually any dark color text for that matter.

I'll adjust some of the current offerings and add them as selectable themes so you guys can choose which you like the best.

 

[Leimboy]

Great! (plus some xtra chars for the limit...)

 

[Kenadian]

lol, I keep meaning to change that limit but I always forget

There has to be a minimum character limit as it helps keep stupid spam down which helps with Search Engine Optimization but the question is, what should the minimum character limit be per post?

 

[Leimboy]

I have no clue. Can we try with 4 or 5 chars? Or is that too few?

 

[Kenadian]

I already changed it to 5

I thought I may as well tackle it as you and I were discussing it, otherwise I'd forget about it for another few months.

 

[Leimboy]

Thanks Duke! That should be good enough for us. If you see a rising problem with spam you just turn it up again

 

[Kenadian]

I don't know either, but maybe somthing blueish would be nice? With white text as it is now.
Orange text isn't too good on a blue background so some other color for highlights would be nice too. I've got no clue as to what that should be though...

So I've tried 3 different color schemes so far and none of them worked with the bf-109 background 332 was using previously. The combinations were based on khaki, green and white and the only one so far that may be showing promise is the green as seen in the ArmA Series Forum. It is not complete by any stretch of the imagination as all the blues and blacks need to disappear but it does give you a good idea of how we can possibly work with backgrounds heavy in green.

I didn't like the white because it was too white and just looked drab and old. I realized early this morning that white would need some level of shading so I may introduce shaded blacks or perhaps a tint and see where that takes me.

Yellows/Khaki just looked absolutely terrible no matter what I did to them. Although they do bring across that "war" feeling, they really come across as drab and uninspirational.

Anyway, I'll keep working on it because I do have a number of color schemes in mind that will work in other forum areas.

As an example, I'll be looking into electric blues, bright purples, reds, and white for the RPG Forum as typically RPG's tend to use a lot of these brighter tones on dark backgrounds.

Ultimately there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 different color combinations that will vary dramatically from one to the next. I'm sure we'll manage to find one that suits the 332 in this process.

 

[Leimboy]

Sounds good Duke. The Arma forum looks very nice and foresty in that color suit, and the background picture is awesome!