Seasoned Review - Nightforums

Cyber

Cyber

Up-and-Coming Sensation
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Messages
497
Reaction score
37
FP$
234
Site URL: http://nightforums.org/index.php
About: Night forums is not like most forums. We don't charge for upgrades, awards, etc. Instead, you are able to earn our upgrades through activity. Last, we understand that the users make and shape the forum, not the staff.
Date Opened: 9/19/2016
Review Type: Basic
Key Points:
  • First Impressions
  • Spelling, Grammar & Professionalism
Extras:

I request @Gio as the reviewer.
If possible I'd like a chance for users to leave feedback.

Features:

We accept donations, however, you are not required to donate.
Our awards aren't given out like candy.
Our staff team is here for our users not because of our users.
Upgrades only cost activity.

A few pages to include:

http://nightforums.org/upgrade.php

http://nightforums.org/rules.php

http://nightforums.org/thread-11.html (Our Mission)
 
Last edited:
Your Review is In Progress!​

Thank you for requesting feedback. I have tagged your thread, and will finish an official basic review within at most 48 hours. In the meantime, you will receive informal feedback from other reviewers and members at Forum Promotion. Once your official basic review is completed, you will be free to ask questions and receive feedback so long as your website remains open. You will also be able to request a re-review 7 days after this Basic Review is completed.
 
Still needing feedback from the members, if anybody sees anything let me know.
 

Basic Review of Nightforums
http://nightforums.org/index.php
Review by Gio​

first%20impressions.png
First Impressions:
First thing I notice right off the bat is the slider next to the logo at the top. I'm seeing General, Technology, & More being cycled through. I really don't see it serving a purpose, and if anything, it seems to be more of a distraction as I try to browse through the forum. For my first impression of the forum, I'm seeing a lot of red, which while I can understand this is a dark theme, with the overpowering amount of red mixed with the black and gray, it's not really that warm to me. Don't get me wrong, though I'm a light theme person myself, I have seen some pretty good dark themes. If you prefer not to have a light theme, I would suggest then looking at the theme and seeing how you can maintain the darkness of the theme, while making it more attractive looking. One thing I have seen on countless MyBB forum is the huge Forum stats box at the bottom. I'd much rather see that as a sidebar option because it just makes the scroll only a bit longer, but I feel it would get much better visibility at the top on a sidebar which would allow members to be able to find topics they want quicker.

Average


spelling%20grammar%20professionalism.png
Spelling, Grammar & Professionalism:
Since Nightforums just opened, your team consists of just you and another Administrator. That's really all you need right now till activity picks up a bit more, so no need for a Moderator at this point. This next point I am going to bring up is something I always bring up in my reviews if I see it, and for good reason. Right at the footer you have a link that will show me all the Banned users on your forum. While some say it's to show and help other forum admins to know why a member was banned, I personally wouldn't be using it because I feel it can only add unnecessary drama. If you feel that it can contribute to the forum in a positive manner, you can always hide it from guests so that way it doesn't act like a possible deterrent. Finally, after looking through the theme choices, I feel the default MyBB theme is choosable. It just doesn't look right to have it active, and especially if you decide to keep it active with the MyBB logo still being displayed.

Average



Thing you liked best about forum:Active Staff,
Thing you liked least about forum:Lack of a light theme, viewable ban list.


Overall Mark:
3%20stars.png


Your forum is still pretty new, so there isn't much that is standing out right now that makes it pop. I have seen a few forums that remind me of Nightgaming that come and go very easily, and I'd hate to see that this be the case for Nightgaming as well. Your biggest decision right now would be aesthetics with trying to make it appeal more with different colors on a theme, which can greatly affect whether a user will sign up to your forum or not. I wish you the best of luck![/SIZE]​
 
Gio said:

Basic Review of Nightforums
http://nightforums.org/index.php
Review by Gio

first%20impressions.png
First Impressions:
First thing I notice right off the bat is the slider next to the logo at the top. I'm seeing General, Technology, & More being cycled through. I really don't see it serving a purpose, and if anything, it seems to be more of a distraction as I try to browse through the forum. For my first impression of the forum, I'm seeing a lot of red, which while I can understand this is a dark theme, with the overpowering amount of red mixed with the black and gray, it's not really that warm to me. Don't get me wrong, though I'm a light theme person myself, I have seen some pretty good dark themes. If you prefer not to have a light theme, I would suggest then looking at the theme and seeing how you can maintain the darkness of the theme, while making it more attractive looking. One thing I have seen on countless MyBB forum is the huge Forum stats box at the bottom. I'd much rather see that as a sidebar option because it just makes the scroll only a bit longer, but I feel it would get much better visibility at the top on a sidebar which would allow members to be able to find topics they want quicker.

Average


spelling%20grammar%20professionalism.png
Spelling, Grammar & Professionalism:
Since Nightforums just opened, your team consists of just you and another Administrator. That's really all you need right now till activity picks up a bit more, so no need for a Moderator at this point. This next point I am going to bring up is something I always bring up in my reviews if I see it, and for good reason. Right at the footer you have a link that will show me all the Banned users on your forum. While some say it's to show and help other forum admins to know why a member was banned, I personally wouldn't be using it because I feel it can only add unnecessary drama. If you feel that it can contribute to the forum in a positive manner, you can always hide it from guests so that way it doesn't act like a possible deterrent. Finally, after looking through the theme choices, I feel the default MyBB theme is choosable. It just doesn't look right to have it active, and especially if you decide to keep it active with the MyBB logo still being displayed.

Average



Thing you liked best about forum:Active Staff,
Thing you liked least about forum:Lack of a light theme, viewable ban list.


Overall Mark:
3%20stars.png


Your forum is still pretty new, so there isn't much that is standing out right now that makes it pop. I have seen a few forums that remind me of Nightgaming that come and go very easily, and I'd hate to see that this be the case for Nightgaming as well. Your biggest decision right now would be aesthetics with trying to make it appeal more with different colors on a theme, which can greatly affect whether a user will sign up to your forum or not. I wish you the best of luck![/SIZE]​
Click to expand...
Ban page removed. Stats will be fixed with ajax side bar stats soon maybe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gio
We have a post-goal plugin developed by a friend of mine and hopefully implementing soon as @Gio suggested, however, it will be held off till tested for mobile compatibility.
 
Cash has been Deducted!​

Thank you for using the Forum Promotion review service. We have deducted 100 FP$ from your account in exchange for conducting a Basic Review. You can request another review in 7 days.

 
Looking for feedback on the theme and new user bars. Feel free to let me know.
 
  • The theme is too dark for me IMO. It really hurts on the eyes for a bit. Sorry to say it, but I do.
  • The members user-bars are too dark, I recommend changing them to a lighter color.
  • I like the the slider at the top, something that is refreshing.
  • I like how the rules has got it's own section at the top, it's usually in the announcements. But it's good.
  • Have you considered using social media to promote your sites? Might be beneficial
  • I like how forum games is in a sub-forum, not the actual forum.
  • 29 posts are decent amount of posts per day.
  • 15 posts per member are good because there posting and it shows the members are singing up because they want to, not there forced too.
Good luck with the site.
 
Packie said:
  • The theme is too dark for me IMO. It really hurts on the eyes for a bit. Sorry to say it, but I do.
  • The members user-bars are too dark, I recommend changing them to a lighter color.
  • I like the the slider at the top, something that is refreshing.
  • I like how the rules has got it's own section at the top, it's usually in the announcements. But it's good.
  • Have you considered using social media to promote your sites? Might be beneficial
  • I like how forum games is in a sub-forum, not the actual forum.
  • 29 posts are decent amount of posts per day.
  • 15 posts per member are good because there posting and it shows the members are singing up because they want to, not there forced too.
Good luck with the site.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you mentioned that because we are working on a color changer that will be different colors. As for the user bars, I'm still deciding what colors. Also, I'm glad you checked the stats because myself and the other staff were just talking about how fast and quick our statistics were improving. Also, we usually let the posts sit in the section until there is enough to "fill" a section if one is made. Just so it's not dead. Also, something I should note is forum games does not go towards stats of course. Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
 
Your Review is In Progress!​

Thank you for requesting feedback. I have tagged your thread, and will finish an official Seasoned Review within at most 96 hours. In the meantime, you will receive informal feedback from other reviewers and members at Forum Promotion. Once your official review is completed, you will be free to ask questions and receive feedback so long as your website remains open. You will also be able to request a re-review 24 days after this Seasoned Review is completed.
 

Seasoned Review of Night Forums
http://nightforums.org/index.php
Review by Grimalkin​

activity.png
Activity Level:
The activity level isn't that bad for a community that isn't quite 2 months old yet. The trick is to keep the activity level going and not letting it die out. One thing you can do is making some posts throughout the community yourself (along with any staff members you may have). If guests see that you are not interested in the community yourself, then they are less likely to show interest in the community. So it is important that you participate in your own community as much as humanly possible and not expect others to do it for you. There are some other things you can do to help that along though. You can do request packages from the Package Team here at FP. While that isn't meant to be the only activity on your forum, it can help give you a boost from time to time. In between requesting a package, you can go to the affiliate and exchange section here on FP and see if anyone wants to do any exchanges with you and your forum. Some people may be willing to do active for active exchanges while others might only have time to do one time exchanges. It depends on how much time each person has on their hands. But even if they can only do a one time exchange, that can always help give your community a boost when it needs one. The whole point of all of this is to not let your forum grow stale and die out on it's activity.

Good


site%20structure.png
Site Structure:
Okay, there are some things I want to go over with the way the forum is laid out. The "Home" section where you have introductions, suggestions and announcements about the forum, that area is fine. You can leave it the way it is. But I think the "General" section can be structured differently than the way you have it. First, I would put "Lounge", "Entertainment" and "Serious Discussion" in one area which could be your General section. Then I would do "Gamer Zone", "Technology" and probably "Tutorials" in one section, that would be your Technology section. Then, I would have "Graphics", "Groups" and "Marketplace" in another section, which would be the "& more" area. Another thing that would help would be to change up the descriptions of each section and add a bit more to them. One of my pet peeves is not being able to find my way around a forum so I want to know exactly what goes where. Plus, if I'm a returning member, I don't want to go looking for a topic that I've posted in the past and find out it's been moved to some place else. I want to know where everything should be up front instead of wondering around looking for it later.

Average


design%20quality.png
Design Quality:
I get that your forum is called "Night Forums" and you have a dark theme that you're using to go along with that idea. Makes total sense. But something that you could add is make the background look like the night sky or something to that effect. I think that would help give off that "feel" on your forum. Another thing is maybe adding another "theme" to your forum for people that prefer a lighter theme. With the lighter theme, you could add an icon of the sun to the banner/header and make it opposite of the current theme you're using.

Average


originality%2016x16.png
Originality:
It's hard to be original when you have a general discussion forum because they are one of the most common. The only thing you can do is try to do something that makes your forum stick out from the crowd and show everyone why your general discussion community is better than the others. Coming up with some type of fun activity or contest that is unique to your forum that you guys can do on a regular basis would be an awesome idea. This is where some serious brainstorming would come in. You might even include your staff in the discussion of this, that would be a great idea. They could always come up with a really good idea or they may even say or do something that would give you a really good idea.

Poor


Thing you liked best about forum: Having a new forum that looks like an active & friendly community.
Thing you liked least about forum: Not the biggest fan of the way the forum is laid out.


Overall Mark:
3.5.png

I think your forum is off to a decent start but I think there are some improvements that you can make that will make your forum even better. As long as you work hard and don't give up, your forum will succeed and go far. I wish you the best of luck!​
 
Grimalkin said:

Seasoned Review of Night Forums
http://nightforums.org/index.php
Review by Grimalkin​

site%20structure.png
Site Structure:
Okay, there are some things I want to go over with the way the forum is laid out. The "Home" section where you have introductions, suggestions and announcements about the forum, that area is fine. You can leave it the way it is. But I think the "General" section can be structured differently than the way you have it. First, I would put "Lounge", "Entertainment" and "Serious Discussion" in one area which could be your General section. Then I would do "Gamer Zone", "Technology" and probably "Tutorials" in one section, that would be your Technology section. Then, I would have "Graphics", "Groups" and "Marketplace" in another section, which would be the "& more" area. Another thing that would help would be to change up the descriptions of each section and add a bit more to them. One of my pet peeves is not being able to find my way around a forum so I want to know exactly what goes where. Plus, if I'm a returning member, I don't want to go looking for a topic that I've posted in the past and find out it's been moved to some place else. I want to know where everything should be up front instead of wondering around looking for it later.

Average


design%20quality.png
Design Quality:
I get that your forum is called "Night Forums" and you have a dark theme that you're using to go along with that idea. Makes total sense. But something that you could add is make the background look like the night sky or something to that effect. I think that would help give off that "feel" on your forum. Another thing is maybe adding another "theme" to your forum for people that prefer a lighter theme. With the lighter theme, you could add an icon of the sun to the banner/header and make it opposite of the current theme you're using.

Average


originality%2016x16.png
Originality:
It's hard to be original when you have a general discussion forum because they are one of the most common. The only thing you can do is try to do something that makes your forum stick out from the crowd and show everyone why your general discussion community is better than the others. Coming up with some type of fun activity or contest that is unique to your forum that you guys can do on a regular basis would be an awesome idea. This is where some serious brainstorming would come in. You might even include your staff in the discussion of this, that would be a great idea. They could always come up with a really good idea or they may even say or do something that would give you a really good idea.
luck!​
Click to expand...

Site Structure: A tabbed menu is on the to-do-list, once added It should look better.

Design Quality: Discussing that soon. 🙂

Originality: Most forums like ours have tons of awards, paid upgrades, or not enough dedication We have a 3 man staff team and 1 developer.

Features:

http://nightforums.org/thread-393.html


Thread tagging (similar to user tagging) has been added. - Use a # with a thread name beside of it to tag it, it'll automatically show up as a search.

New points - http://nightforums.org/newpoints.php

Rock/Paper/Scissors - http://nightforums.org/newpoints.php?action=rps

flip a coin for coins - http://nightforums.org/newpoints.php?action=flipcoin

Self-ban - http://nightforums.org/selfban.php - Night & Supporter only.

Userbar color changer - http://nightforums.org/usercp.php?action=hue

Upgrades automatically given via posts:

http://nightforums.org/upgrade.php

Last but not least Night Forum's mission:

http://nightforums.org/thread-11.html
 
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