Bard's Guild (contains recommended logos!)

Talk about whatever topic you'd like, RPG related or not. (But please discuss things related to our software in the Tools section, below.)

Moderators: dorpond, trevor, Azhrei

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Bard's Guild (contains recommended logos!)

Post by RPTroll »

mock up for new RPTools site

This post is meant to provoke discussion and agreement as to the proper direction to take for RPTools marketing efforts. It contains ideas for putting a better face on RPTools. Some are complete others require input and help. The goal is to increase RPTools exposure and drive more potential users to RPTools.net.

Social Media:
Social Media is the key to a successful Internet marketing campaign. RPTools users, by definition, exist on the net and the tools are well situated for the wired gaming community. Social networking has the ability to feed upon itself generating buzz going far beyond the actual work required to produce content. To that end I propose making use of the following social networks:
  • Facebook: There is a new page on Facebook titled RPTools. We’ll place announcements, screenshots, videos, and interesting links there.
  • Twitter: The 140 character micro blogger is the powerhouse in the social networking arena. Currently I looks through the forum posts each day and tweet those that others might find interesting. If you run across something RPToolee you’d like me to tweet let me know. You can tweet it yourself with a @RPTools and it will show up in our feed.
  • YouTube: Invaluable for covering complex concepts in a short amount of time. Brad’s videos are great. We’ll want to add more, shorter videos for marketing. Send your videos to bard (at) rptools (dot) net if you want them included (or send me a link so I cna download them myself.
  • Flickr Photo Gallery by Yahoo: Photo galleries help increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO) back to the referencing site. Basically we get a lot of free links increasing the likelihood of someone finding RPTools the more photos we post to Flickr. Currently someone has RPTools as a Yahoo account. If this is you, let me know if you’re willing to let go of it.
  • Podcasts via iTunes: We’ll begin a podcast at some point in the future after several other things are put into place. Let me know if you’re willing to help.

Marketing Content:
We need to create a set of marketing content available to folks willing to spread the word about RPTools. This is spread by the social media, word-of-mouth, and RPTools events (like conventions). I propose the development of the following marketing content:
  • Screencasts via YouTube
  • A short marketing brief to whet gamer and content producers’ appetite.
  • Powerpoint presentations and whitepapers posted to Scribd.com, HubPages.com, Slideshare.com pointing back to RPTools.net
  • The Google Docs MapTool Documentation produced as a PDF available for download via RPTools.net and the sites above.
  • A RPTools Affiliate Badge graphic for web sites that support RPTools including (hopefully) venders who produce maps in MapTool format.
Website Redesign:
I undertook this task with a friend of mine. We need graphics designers to pitch in and help. You can find the mockup site at http://rptroll.com/rptools. I can use any of the fonts at http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fontface.

The current site is fairly static with fairly outdated information and hasn’t changed in a long time. The new site uses WordPress. My goal is to make it more interactive and dynamic by adding some of the following elements:
  • Marketing Content (see above)
  • Gallery of rotating images showing MapTool functionality
  • Blog space for the Bard’s Guild members and Staff. Each could get their own blog to discuss whatever game/tech related information they desire.
  • Social media display
  • Announcements
  • Screen Shots of Active Games (post 1.4 web view)


Other Ideas:
Contests - run contests for scenario, framework, and map creation. Winners get swag.
Affiliate Programs - these are a great way to bring people in. I recommend becoming a vendor affiliate as well to make some money to provide gaming swag to contest winners.
‘Sell’ MapTool - Sell MapTool for free on vendor sites. That puts us in direct competition with the pay-for products on their home turf.


I NEED YOUR HELP!

Please let me know If you want to be a member of the Bard’s Guild. We need
  • GM’s willing to run games both at conventions and online. We’ll provide technical support and help organize the adventures.
  • Graphic Artists to help with the web site and provide affiliate logos
  • Bloggers to help in the RPTools blogging network feed into RPTools.net
  • Tweeters to help your followers find @RPTools

Thanks to those that have already volunteered. I’ve already received artwork from Bhoritz for the new Bard’s Guild logo.

I look forward to working with you,
Keith
Logo4.png
Logo4.png (193.24 KiB) Viewed 5637 times
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
wolph42
Winter Wolph
Posts: 9999
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:40 am
Location: Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by wolph42 »

Nice list! A couple of remarks:
- I ve created a list of features a while ago wit the intention to get it on the web page. Currently it resides in the wiki. It's something I find in other vt sites
- you might want to sent an email to the yahoo account.
- have you secured gmail already? Which makes me wonder cause I remember creating an rp account on gmail for the xls sheets I put on the forum.

I thinkthere's more so I'll update this post if I think of something

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

I did send an email to the yahoo email address. Thus far Iv'e gotten no reply. I'll check out the wiki.
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
CoveredInFish
Demigod
Posts: 3104
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:37 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by CoveredInFish »

The mock up already looks really promising. This is coming along nicely.

No time yet for a in-depth look though.

Keep up the good work!

User avatar
torstan
Great Wyrm
Posts: 1887
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:50 am
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by torstan »

Pretty site. The black's a little heavy and I'd steer away from the old-world fonts as there's always been a move to keep maptool agnostic between fantasy/modern/sci-fi. Love the video integration and the running servers list is fun!

Here's a compatibility logo that I used for a print product that's maptool compatible:
Maptool Compatibility Logo (PNG)
Maptool Compatibility Logo (PNG)
MaptoolCompatible.png (77.76 KiB) Viewed 5400 times
(A TIFF file is also available with a white background, but it seems that it doesn't attach well here. Send me an email if you want it (I'm guessing most people will want the PNG with the transparent background). -- Az.)
Last edited by Azhrei on Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Updated logo

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

That looks great, torstan! Mind if we put that under vendor resources?
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

A friend of mine, Peddlewin, is helping me with the new site. We need two fonts: one for titles and the other for text. If you graphics guys want to help out please view the site http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fontface and pick a couple that go together.

Thanks,
Keith
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

SoupViking
Kobold
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 7:30 pm

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by SoupViking »

I'm pretty new here, but graphic design is my day job. And I have to agree with torstan about the Blackletter typefaces, but not for the same reasoning. Much of what I see in FontSquirrel so far are for titles. Not meant for bulk text. So I'd suggest staying clear of the nifty fonts for anything that requires a lot of reading.

Torstan has a good point though about choosing a font that is genre generic, or at least doesn't imply only one. If I may make a suggestion, then I would point toward a serif font or something similar for your titles. The nifty stuff can be used here, but I'd cringe if anything script-ish was chosen.

For your bulk text, find something simple and easy to ready, a sans serif font. I wouldn't get crazy here at all. In fact what most people have on their computers is fine: verdana and trebuchet are excellent choices. Microsoft recently commissioned six new fonts for web legibility. Calibri, Candara, and Corbel are three of six, all are sans serif. Any PC with Vista or later installed will have these. MAC's will have them if they have office installed.

If I were to suggest fonts from the site for your titles: Rokkitt, Artifika Medium, Shanti, Kingthings Exeter.

If I were to suggest fonts from the site for your text: Perspective, PT Sans, or Open Sans.

These are all personal preferences.

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

Thanks a lot, SoupViking. Those are very helpful suggestions. Hopefully tomorrow we'll have a font rework.
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
torstan
Great Wyrm
Posts: 1887
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:50 am
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by torstan »

Please do thow it under resources. The more people that sell maptool compatible products and shout about it the better!

User avatar
Natha
Dragon
Posts: 733
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:37 am
Location: Limoges/Guéret, France
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by Natha »

Good job, Troll.
I like the general layout and more "modern" look.
But I agree about the fonts. It should be easier to read.

On another topic : foreign languages. Is there any plan to have translations of the site ?
I created a website in french dedicated to MapTool but i'd rather translate pages from the official site than maintaining my (poorly visible, badly designed) own site.
ImageImageImageImage

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

Thanks, Natha.

I ported the content from the current site over and did the original install and some layout work. My friend Peddlewin redid the layout. My hope is that he can get online today and take a bow. The nice thing about this WP theme is that once we are happy we can simply port it over to rptools.net. It's pretty nifty.

Regarding translation: as you know, I've considered translations before for my blog. When I last investigated WordPress they didn't handle it well. My solution was to do another install for each language so you'd have things like rptools.net/fr rptools.net/de and so on. I'll do some more digging but if we have some willing translators I'm more than happy to do the work needed to support additional languages.
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
Natha
Dragon
Posts: 733
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:37 am
Location: Limoges/Guéret, France
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by Natha »

As you know (having letting you down on your blog translation :? ), I'm a little too busy now but in a couple of months, I'd be happy to help (translating the new site I mean)
ImageImageImageImage

User avatar
RPTroll
TheBard
Posts: 3159
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 pm
Location: Austin, Tx
Contact:

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by RPTroll »

ok, font is updated and we now have a language selection (Thanks Peddlewin). Now I need translators. We'll support every language where we can find someone to help. Currently we have French and German in the drop down. We'll add others as we receive translations.

For those interested in helping with the translation project, please go to http://www.rptroll.com/rptools/, grab a page and translate it. Please start with the Welcome page so we can test this out. You can either post the translation back here so others can review or send it to bard (at) rptools.net.

Thanks!
Keith

Edit: Translation project moved to another forum post http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18941
ImageImage ImageImageImageImage
Support RPTools by shopping
Image
Image

User avatar
peddlewin
Kobold
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:24 am

Re: Bard's Guild

Post by peddlewin »

ok... I need some feedback for the site information architecture and a few images created by our local Graphics guys :)

Here is what I am thinking about for the navigation-
Main Navigation Bar:
MapTool
TokenTool
InitiativeTool
DiceTool or CharacterTool

Top Subnav:
Who We Are
What We Do
FAQ
Our Community
Vendor Resources

HomePage Video Player:
MapTool Intro
TokenTool Intro
InitiativeTool Intro
DiceTool Intro

Sidebar Menu [buttons]:
[Quick Launch The MapTool]
[Download Latest Versions]
[Online Games Currently Running]
[See An Online Gaming Example]
[Come See Our Tutorials]


I'm hoping for the buttons to be graphical rather than just text. I also haven't looked to see if we have videos that match the idea, or if we just need to make up a few more. I REALLY like the idea of screencasting a portion of someone's game that can give a newbie an idea of what the tool can do. Tutorials are great, but a story, laughter and geeks with pixels will sell the product better than anything else we can come up.

Remember, this site is now in Wordpress and the pages are completely mobile, so if we decide we don't like the arrangement, we can move things around every month until we find what fits.

I changed the font to "kingthings exeter", mostly because it was on the fontsquirrel homepage and I saw it first, not because I have any talent in picking these things out (many thanks, SoupViking). We can try the others and see which one fits. I also need people to tell me if the 1 second font rendering of the menu is too annoying. Since the font isn't native, there is a slight delay in your browser.

Post Reply

Return to “General Discussion”