Reducing the number of site skins

[Fuzzbucket]

I switched to using the Blackout theme last year after having previously used the default theme.

 

I'd say while there's nothing wrong with the default theme, I think it fits the website well and if Blackout was removed I'd switch back to the default theme without hesitation, I prefer the Blackout theme because it's simple and clean looking and it's not too dark (I think) compared to the Portal2 (dark) theme and it's also not to bright or gaudy like some of the other themes on the list.

 

In terms of minimising the list of themes, if it were up to me I'd suggest keeping the default, Portal2 (dark) and Blackout themes, as I think these three options would give a good balance of light and dark themes.

Many of us would like the old default skin back as an option. The new one has caused problems for a number of people, and while these are somewhat better now, it is beautiful - but still too busy for my tastes.

 

Have you actually seen the new one ?

Edited April 6, 2015 by fuzzbucket

[Red2111]

Well, I use Portal Light because I can still see the dragons at the bottom of my scroll when I go to sort or breed . The regular skin goes black and you have to guess

so I would be more than slightly peeved if it was to disappear. Other than that I care not.

 

ditto on this.

[Xorath]

I only use the Portals, Default skin and sometimes blackout. So I'm completely fine without others.

[Flint]

Have you actually seen the new one ?

I checked the new Default skin out the other day along with all the other skins, and while I do like the background image that new Default uses, and it'd almost certainly be the theme I'd switch to if Blackout went away, for now I prefer and will keep using the Blackout theme.

[Tigerkralle]

I really hope Blackout will stay. I like it how ic can see the details around the Dragons like the snowflakes around the Frostbites.

[Gsea]

I switch between default and the first Portal skin, but I couldn't care less about Portal - I just like the skin because of the dark blue/black background, blue/white text, and the font, as well as the overall layout of everything (spacing and whatnot). The portal background itself is of no interest to me. I just like the colors & fonts, it's very nice and clean.

 

I would be 100% on board with getting rid of some of the more obscure skins, like St. Patricks Day, 1960s etc.. and instead, being able to choose from dark, light, and other simple skins, or having the option to customize our skin with some very basic options - you'd get to choose the font (sans or serif, pretty much) and a color scheme.

[Fuzzbucket]

I switch between default and the first Portal skin, but I couldn't care less about Portal - I just like the skin because of the dark blue/black background, blue/white text, and the font, as well as the overall layout of everything (spacing and whatnot). The portal background itself is of no interest to me. I just like the colors & fonts, it's very nice and clean.

 

I would be 100% on board with getting rid of some of the more obscure skins, like St. Patricks Day, 1960s etc.. and instead, being able to choose from dark, light, and other simple skins, or having the option to customize our skin with some very basic options - you'd get to choose the font (sans or serif, pretty much) and a color scheme.

If St Patrick's were to go, we need another one that simple. At the moment that and the 1960s (which I loathe) are the only ones that works for some of us - including me.

[CNR4806]

I would be 100% on board with getting rid of some of the more obscure skins, like St. Patricks Day, 1960s etc.. and instead, being able to choose from dark, light, and other simple skins, or having the option to customize our skin with some very basic options - you'd get to choose the font (sans or serif, pretty much) and a color scheme.

1960's and St. Patrick's? Obscure?

 

You got to be kidding me, especially after the new default prompted mass migration to these exact two skins.

[Fuzzbucket]

1960's and St. Patrick's? Obscure?

 

You got to be kidding me, especially after the new default prompted mass migration to these exact two skins.

Yes indeed. I like the look of St P, though I can see it isn't very DRAGON - but unless I used 1960s - which I really hate the look of - I am stuck with it; I daren't switch in case that's the moment TJ decides to disable the choice of St P for anyone not using it (see where he said just disabling and not updating would be the way he would go about removing a skin.)

 

Until we have a TOTALLY VANILLA skin for those who really do have trouble with the new one, St P (and 1960s, for those who prefer that one) must stay, or many players will effectively be hugely disadvantaged.

[TJ09]

You got to be kidding me, especially after the new default prompted mass migration to these exact two skins.

Sorry to say, but the percentage of people on non-default skins has decreased since the new default; there was no "mass migration" to speak of.

[Cinnamin Draconna]

For the most part the 'new' default skin is very good. Unfortunately, the big downer with the new default is the beautiful art piece by Nakase and the way it's coded to move so as to not lose any part of the image. That movement is a big NO WAY IN HELL AM I LEAVING THAT IN PLACE.

 

So I did the only thing that kept me from getting sick to my stomach. I saved the art and now use it as my computer wallpaper.. and used adblock to block the image on the actual DC pages. Without the art I have a nice solid black background, no movement and everything looks and works just fine. I hate having to adblock such lovely artwork, but I don't like a game giving me nausea.. especially one that I spend so much time on.

[Keolah]

I use the Portal skin because I prefer having a dark background. I dislike having background images, however, and dislike even the background image there. I don't like seeing images trying to be being text and other images. It makes things look messy and difficult to read. And the new default image... yeah, the image moving is disorienting and the scroll is light for me to want to use. Also, it bothers me to have skins that use only a small amount of the horizontal space and leave huge empty borders on either side.

[aangs-sister]

I use the regular portal theme. I used the default for a while when the update to it was released, but I went back to the portal. While I love the new background for the regular I find many of the sprites are better seen against a dark background.

If there was a darker 'nighttime' version of the default, or one that used a dark stone instead of parchment that would be really nice but it would probably be more time/effort then it's worth.

[Gsea]

If St Patrick's were to go, we need another one that simple. At the moment that and the 1960s (which I loathe) are the only ones that works for some of us - including me.

 

I agree entirely. Simple skins are definitely necessary - they just don't have to be mint green with shamrocks, or have a furnished wood background.

 

1960's and St. Patrick's? Obscure?

 

You got to be kidding me, especially after the new default prompted mass migration to these exact two skins.

 

Sorry, I only just became aware that the new default is causing issues with some people. It was always my understanding (as TJ has now confirmed, it seems) that these two skins were rarely used (same with the Dinos). The only non-default skin that still seems to be pretty popular, according to my observation, is the portal skin.

 

I do agree that simple skins are a must. But they'd be more appealing if they...had mass appeal. Simple colors. No holiday/dinosaur/decade themes.

[Fuzzbucket]

For the most part the 'new' default skin is very good. Unfortunately, the big downer with the new default is the beautiful art piece by Nakase and the way it's coded to move so as to not lose any part of the image. That movement is a big NO WAY IN HELL AM I LEAVING THAT IN PLACE.

 

So I did the only thing that kept me from getting sick to my stomach. I saved the art and now use it as my computer wallpaper.. and used adblock to block the image on the actual DC pages. Without the art I have a nice solid black background, no movement and everything looks and works just fine. I hate having to adblock such lovely artwork, but I don't like a game giving me nausea.. especially one that I spend so much time on.

That's exactly what I did - EXCEPT - it still loads horribly etc when I am set to default - which is why I switched to St P.

 

My desktop is beautiful. And I THINK - from looking at my granddaughter on her lappie (who doesn't mind as she only hunts in the AP, to "save those eggs no-one else cares about" - she's a bit softhearted... she also buys broken toys in charity shops...) ANYWAY - it doesn't seem to move any more - it just doesn't show those eggs at the bottom. But still when I am set to the default on MY PC - it lags worse than St P.

[Sapphire Ryu]

I'm an avid fan of St. Patrick's Day. I have tried all the others... St. P is by far my favorite and the only one I really enjoy. The design simplicity is great, I love the green theme, and the only other one like it (1960's) makes me dizzy. The rest of the skins are a bit too complex for my preferences.

 

Maybe you could merge the Portal 2 and P2 Light themes into one theme that has the best qualities of both, and remove 1960's and just have a color palette option for St. P instead? Not like a new St. P skin for each color, but just a color picker in Account Settings for if you use St. P.

[auroshen]

I use 1960's, because it's most like the old default and loads quickly. Portal is just too visually complicated for me, I like St Patty's as well and the new default is too slow for me although the art is great.

[_Sin_]

Oh, and someone asked the most likely skins to be removed: Dino Cave has an order of magnitude fewer users than the non-default skins, which have an order of magnitude fewer people than the default, so that's looking like it's going away. Blackout is the next least-used, so that's at risk as well.

 

The way I'll probably disable them is to remove the ability to select them (without forcing people off of them), and stop making any changes to those skins; so anything new would end up looking out-of-place and potentially unstyled on those layouts.

I hope that St.P. and 1960 stay, not concerned about Dino and Blackout :-)

[dragongrrl]

My vote is for St. Patrick's to stay, along with the default.

 

The Portal skins and Blackout are too modern technology in appearance, 1960s is more like a 1960s doctor office that the psychedelia I would expect, and Dino Cave seems more 1960s than 1960s, but still, it's Dino Cave and not what I expect for the dragons. Too much glowy pastel purples!

 

I love the default, but it has loading issues with its size, and I have been using St. Patrick's because it's green and compatible with the background on my computer.

 

I won't miss Dino Cave or Blackout if they go.

[Syphoneira]

Sorry, I only just became aware that the new default is causing issues with some people. It was always my understanding (as TJ has now confirmed, it seems) that these two skins were rarely used (same with the Dinos). The only non-default skin that still seems to be pretty popular, according to my observation, is the portal skin.

 

I do agree that simple skins are a must. But they'd be more appealing if they...had mass appeal. Simple colors. No holiday/dinosaur/decade themes.

 

 

 

What we had was perfect - I gather it's gone, but would it be hard to recreate it?

 

It was neither too bright nor too dark, it was just a scroll...

 

 

Edit: needz to press harder on the (sometimes randomly) sticky keys...

Edited April 12, 2015 by Syphoneira

[_Sin_]

Sorry, I only just became aware that the new default is causing issues with some people. It was always my understanding (as TJ has now confirmed, it seems) that these two skins were rarely used (same with the Dinos). The only non-default skin that still seems to be pretty popular, according to my observation, is the portal skin.

 

I do agree that simple skins are a must. But they'd be more appealing if they...had mass appeal. Simple colors. No holiday/dinosaur/decade themes.

Do you mind pointing out where TJ confirmed that St. Patrick and 1960 were rarely used? I cannot find that post. Just one saying that the non-default skins (in general) are less used now than they were before.

And I can't find any post about the portal skin being the only one that is popular.

[Obscure_Trash]

Do you mind pointing out where TJ confirmed that St. Patrick and 1960 were rarely used? I cannot find that post. Just one saying that the non-default skins (in general) are less used now than they were before.

And I can't find any post about the portal skin being the only one that is popular.

These are the only posts I could find:

 

https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showt...dpost&p=8696413

 

Oh, and someone asked the most likely skins to be removed: Dino Cave has an order of magnitude fewer users than the non-default skins, which have an order of magnitude fewer people than the default, so that's looking like it's going away. Blackout is the next least-used, so that's at risk as well.

 

https://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showt...dpost&p=8402985

 

The vast majority of the replies don't include people who have attachment to specific skins. There are many people who use a non-default skin and would be upset if their choice of skin were removed, but only because there are specific needs that those skins serve (e.g. dark skin being easier to read, non-default skins to get around the FF background bug). There's no reason those needs have to be fulfilled by those specific designs (especially the FF bug, which seems to be the most oft-cited reason, and is getting fixed in an upcoming version of FF).

 

glamoursea2 did mention that portal is popular according to their observations.

 

I didn't see anything on the St. Patrick's or 1960's skins, though - recently or less recently.

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Default is what I use.

 

It's all I need. Fits DC better than any other skin IMO.

Edited April 13, 2015 by This_Guy_001

[MessengerDragon]

I liked the default, but on occasion I switched to Dino Cave and St. Patrick for a bit of variety. Right now I'm kind of stuck. The pictures on the new skin are pretty, I agree. But I really want something plain. Like the simpleness of the brown background on the old default. 1960s would have been fine, but I don't like the lineage views that have a white background. Right now I'm using blackout, which is the plainest one I could find with a dark background for lineages. However, I still prefer brownish colours to grey.

 

The disappearance of St. Patrick or Dino cave would greatly disappoint me though.

Edited April 13, 2015 by MessengerDragon

[senyi]

Hmm...I'm using Dino Cave right now and I like it.