GamersHideOut
- Thread starter Raymond
- Start date
Appearance (First Impressions):(marked out of 20) 8 / 20
No lie, the banner HAS to be changed. If it weren't for the homepage, i would've never considered scrolling down below the banner. GHO can mean anything, and without gaming pictures, or any kind of reference to gaming at all; it's easily passible for hardcore gamers.
The skin, not the best choice either, looks like the default skin, or something very similar. You may have an alternate skin, but i'm just gfrading the default, which is the first all "guests" will see first.
Layout: (marked out of 20) 9 / 20
As far as the entire "genre" secion goes ... the only real actice board there is "shooters", and the only active "shooter" is CoD: WaW . The genre section, believe me, is entirely unecessary, at the moment. Just make a general gaming board for all, or, make sub-boards using all the genres, from the main page, so the board will include all genre's topics and posts on the main page. instaed of a bunch of 0 posts, it'll have ALL the genre's post on the main page, and make it look more active, then, they'll click that board, and see all the genre's listed on the next page.
Your "General" & "off-Topic" sections should be combined, and all at the bottom, where off-topic already is. you want your forum news, intros, and such, up top ... then go directly to gaming, since that is why people are going to show up.
Number Of Members: (marked out of 10) 5 / 10
40 is a good start, so a 5 is a fair score, and alot of those members still stick around, which shows your forum has something for them and their gaming needs. It doesn't hurt to try post exchanges with other forums, in your case, find other gaming forum Admins here with post exchange topics, so you both can post in each other's gaming sections, and not the "spam" boards ... which will plague you in some lazy member's post exchanges.
And, luckily, you both continue an exchange, since you and the other share a common forum.
Number Of Posts (Spam or Otherwise): (marked out of 10) 3 / 10
After 40 members, it shouldn't be hard to past 1,000 post by now. Being the Admin, as well as having 2 co-admins, it's your responsibilty to get the forum to life, in ALL sections. Just because your forum is a gaming forum for gamers, doesn't make it the most popular and active. Its up to staff, the creators, to get the forum off the ground, and just making sections and hoping members will join and get things started for you, won't happen.
Just get a few topics started, you have to have some knowledge on the wii, and PSP. Those forums are dead. They just need a litle "pick me up" to get th ball rolling, and more discussions will arise.
Moderation:(marked out of 10) 9 / 10
One of the strongest poijnts in your forum. You have a very huge active moderation team, and good to see them active on a daily basis. Only thing, with that many numbers in staff, it would seem at leats one of them could get topics started across the forum. Even if they're not fluent with the board section's theme, jiust get something started, and other members will gte involved once those first few topics are up.
Activity:(marked out of 20) 17 / 20
with onbly 40 registered members, and around 50% of them still active, just today from what i seen, is a ood sign of things to come. Just be sure you, as the admin, and a gmer yourself, finds good topics and discussions to bring up for the community to get involved. Don't just stay in one gaming topic because it's the most popular for the time being ... and, yes, i'm talking about CoD: world at war
Spelling and Grammar(marked out of 10) 7 / 10
Though, not much with grammar spelling errors, it's just the way some boards are almost repetitive in their titles, especially with the "news" and "upcoming" game boards. Find clever, and catchy ways, relating to those systems to show an extra creative side from the basic board descriptions already present.
Suggestions(Not Marked)
Your two main changes should be to work on your ofrum's appearance, all around. The banner needs to be game related, and grab the guests/members attention. You only get one shot with guests, if they visit, and don't like what they see the first visit, they'll move on, and most likely never return.
Next, get active in all your boards. You made them, so you should have something to say in each of them. Get you staff more involved as well. As i said, surely they have a broad knowlege on gaming systems, even if they don't own or like them, there's always something that couls spark interests and get other members involved. Your communities activity all across the forum, is what generates new members to join.
If only a few boards are active, most likelt they won't join, seeing as only certain games/systems are getting much more attnetion that maybe what they're interested in.
Remember, you created this forum, and you control every bit of it, and have to get things going more progressly. Justr like starting a business, you have to lead by example ... show the community you're involved in alll portions of th eforum, respond to any comments they reply with, anfd it'll generate so much more.
Just because it's a gaming forum, doesn't mean everyone's gonna jump onb the wagon, it has to grab their attention, and mqake them to want to get involved.
Overall Mark (Out Of 100): 58 / 100
You do have a great start, and don't mind the score, they're just numbers. And sometimes newer forums can take harder hits from a low number in members and posts. Just work on getting mnore involved the entire forum; it goes along way. Members just don't like to be the first to start a Board's discussion, show them the way, and they'll most likely follow.
~hcfwesker~
No lie, the banner HAS to be changed. If it weren't for the homepage, i would've never considered scrolling down below the banner. GHO can mean anything, and without gaming pictures, or any kind of reference to gaming at all; it's easily passible for hardcore gamers.
The skin, not the best choice either, looks like the default skin, or something very similar. You may have an alternate skin, but i'm just gfrading the default, which is the first all "guests" will see first.
Layout: (marked out of 20) 9 / 20
As far as the entire "genre" secion goes ... the only real actice board there is "shooters", and the only active "shooter" is CoD: WaW . The genre section, believe me, is entirely unecessary, at the moment. Just make a general gaming board for all, or, make sub-boards using all the genres, from the main page, so the board will include all genre's topics and posts on the main page. instaed of a bunch of 0 posts, it'll have ALL the genre's post on the main page, and make it look more active, then, they'll click that board, and see all the genre's listed on the next page.
Your "General" & "off-Topic" sections should be combined, and all at the bottom, where off-topic already is. you want your forum news, intros, and such, up top ... then go directly to gaming, since that is why people are going to show up.
Number Of Members: (marked out of 10) 5 / 10
40 is a good start, so a 5 is a fair score, and alot of those members still stick around, which shows your forum has something for them and their gaming needs. It doesn't hurt to try post exchanges with other forums, in your case, find other gaming forum Admins here with post exchange topics, so you both can post in each other's gaming sections, and not the "spam" boards ... which will plague you in some lazy member's post exchanges.
And, luckily, you both continue an exchange, since you and the other share a common forum.
Number Of Posts (Spam or Otherwise): (marked out of 10) 3 / 10
After 40 members, it shouldn't be hard to past 1,000 post by now. Being the Admin, as well as having 2 co-admins, it's your responsibilty to get the forum to life, in ALL sections. Just because your forum is a gaming forum for gamers, doesn't make it the most popular and active. Its up to staff, the creators, to get the forum off the ground, and just making sections and hoping members will join and get things started for you, won't happen.
Just get a few topics started, you have to have some knowledge on the wii, and PSP. Those forums are dead. They just need a litle "pick me up" to get th ball rolling, and more discussions will arise.
Moderation:(marked out of 10) 9 / 10
One of the strongest poijnts in your forum. You have a very huge active moderation team, and good to see them active on a daily basis. Only thing, with that many numbers in staff, it would seem at leats one of them could get topics started across the forum. Even if they're not fluent with the board section's theme, jiust get something started, and other members will gte involved once those first few topics are up.
Activity:(marked out of 20) 17 / 20
with onbly 40 registered members, and around 50% of them still active, just today from what i seen, is a ood sign of things to come. Just be sure you, as the admin, and a gmer yourself, finds good topics and discussions to bring up for the community to get involved. Don't just stay in one gaming topic because it's the most popular for the time being ... and, yes, i'm talking about CoD: world at war
Spelling and Grammar(marked out of 10) 7 / 10
Though, not much with grammar spelling errors, it's just the way some boards are almost repetitive in their titles, especially with the "news" and "upcoming" game boards. Find clever, and catchy ways, relating to those systems to show an extra creative side from the basic board descriptions already present.
Suggestions(Not Marked)
Your two main changes should be to work on your ofrum's appearance, all around. The banner needs to be game related, and grab the guests/members attention. You only get one shot with guests, if they visit, and don't like what they see the first visit, they'll move on, and most likely never return.
Next, get active in all your boards. You made them, so you should have something to say in each of them. Get you staff more involved as well. As i said, surely they have a broad knowlege on gaming systems, even if they don't own or like them, there's always something that couls spark interests and get other members involved. Your communities activity all across the forum, is what generates new members to join.
If only a few boards are active, most likelt they won't join, seeing as only certain games/systems are getting much more attnetion that maybe what they're interested in.
Remember, you created this forum, and you control every bit of it, and have to get things going more progressly. Justr like starting a business, you have to lead by example ... show the community you're involved in alll portions of th eforum, respond to any comments they reply with, anfd it'll generate so much more.
Just because it's a gaming forum, doesn't mean everyone's gonna jump onb the wagon, it has to grab their attention, and mqake them to want to get involved.
Overall Mark (Out Of 100): 58 / 100
You do have a great start, and don't mind the score, they're just numbers. And sometimes newer forums can take harder hits from a low number in members and posts. Just work on getting mnore involved the entire forum; it goes along way. Members just don't like to be the first to start a Board's discussion, show them the way, and they'll most likely follow.
~hcfwesker~
Thanks for the review however, We plan to add more to the forums but everyone so far likes it. And we wanted to go basic but not too basic. If you get my drift. Every here and there when a game comes out we will add it to the background ect... As for the logo we are planning on making a better one sooner. Also the main webpage is getting changed for easier access for all users.
I did like the home page, but i only start my reviews from the forum's community homepage.
I wasn't being harsh, it's just hard to review a newer forum, while being fair to older forums with the grading scale.
I'm known to randomnly join gaming/wii forums, and getting the wii sections going. when i get some spare time this weekend, i'll try and join and get some thing going there for you.
I wasn't being harsh, it's just hard to review a newer forum, while being fair to older forums with the grading scale.
I'm known to randomnly join gaming/wii forums, and getting the wii sections going. when i get some spare time this weekend, i'll try and join and get some thing going there for you.
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