Take a deep breath, soak it in, and start browsing the new NG! We tried really hard to avoid making any of the changes too drastic, so you should be able to find everything where you're accustomed to finding it.
We've rebuilt Newgrounds from the ground up. Every page has been coded from scratch and is now 100% valid html - even the forums! On the back-end, just about everything has been rebuilt from scratch. Some of these changes aren't noticeable to the user, but they play a large role in our plans moving forward. You WILL hopefully notice the site running faster - this is not only a result of the CSS and back-end programming, but also upgrades and changes to the server hardware and software configuration.
We've finally introduced USER PAGES! Check out tomfulp.newgrounds.com for an example. Everyone now has their own page with username.newgrounds.com as the address. This page showcases your contributions to the site and offers a space to share your thoughts and news with the world!
Here's a quick tour of some of the things you should notice:
FRONT PAGE, LEFT SIDE
1) The site news is summarized in the upper left of the page, now visible to people who didn't scroll down or browse the forums in the past. P-Bot's post and the latest staff news are mirrored at the bottom of the page.
2) Bytesize has returned! If you see a movie you like, click on it and you will be sent to the artist's user page! If you like the music, there's a button for that as well. Submissions will be added over time and other musicians will be showcased. If you think the window is obnoxious, simply click the STOP button and it will save the OFF status for the next time you visit. Right now we default to ON because we want everyone to see it. :)
3) The Latest Submissions list has been expanded and now includes blue and green highlights under the best new submissions!
4) We've done away with the old "affiliate" system and now EVERYONE who contributes Flash and music has the opporunity to post news via the Artist News box! Like the main site news, users will have to click through to read the entire piece on the artist's user page.
FRONT PAGE, RIGHT SIDE
1) We've split movies and games into two boxes. Movies are on top because games tend to get more traffic regardless of where we show them. We are currently giving movies more space because the movie submissions outnumber the game submissions by more than 2:1.
2) The featured music and featured series and collections spaces have been expanded!
FLASH PORTAL
1) The main listing now includes icon previews when you scroll over submissions.
2) The view page features a new format for viewing submissions. We think it enhances the theatrical experience of viewing submissions, but if you don't like it, there is a link to open the traditional pop-up window.
3) Writing reviews, voting and adding submissions to your favorites lists are now all implemented with AJAX, meaning you can do it without leaving the page. This should result in a more pleasant experience; we expect more people to do all three. :)
AUDIO PORTAL
1) A-Bot has been brought to life on the Audio Portal front page! Not only will A-Bot auto-play songs from the weekly top five, he will do it with a real-time audio visualization! If you don't like the auto-play feature, click the "Stop Music" button and A-Bot will remember your status next time you visit the page.
2) All songs now have their own pages and audio visualizations! This takes the Audio Portal to a whole new level, where songs are easier to link to and listening is more fun. The new audio player allows you to skip to any point in the song, or loop it. Click the visualization to access a menu and choose different visualizations, or set the visualization transition timer and song volume.
3) You can now add songs and musicians to your favorites!!!
GAMES & TOONS
1) The Games and Toons sections both feature a weekly top five at the top of the page.
2) Both also include a "Hot Off the Front Page" box, showcasing submissions that were recently on the front page.
COLLECTIONS & SERIES
1) There is now a list of new collections and new series at the top of each page, respectively.
2) Individual collection and series pages now include an UPDATES box, featuring the latest additions to the page.
FORUMS
1) The new level icons are now in full effect! This seems to be the only feature most people cared about. We now have 60 levels and we've ditched the user-generated curve, so you won't LOSE levels when you're inactive. Go check out your new level and ACCEPT YOUR FATE.
2) You will need to upload a new forum sig. The recommended size is 599 wide by 50 tall and it must currently be a static image.
Beyond all these changes, there are lots of subtle little things you will find as you browse the site. Stuff like the expansive downloads section and the completely over-the-top staff page. Heck, a lucky few might even stumble across some easter eggs!
And NO, it's not all here. After pushing the launch date back numerous times, we decided that launching after Comic-Con wouldn't be an option. As a result, you WILL stumble across a few dead links and features that haven't been fully implemented yet... You will notice some gray links on your account options page, but we decided none of it was important enough to warrant further delays.
If you find a major mistake on the site, PM Bob about it and he'll serve as our filter for what issues arise.
Respond to this thread with your feedback and be sure to thank Ross and James for the tireless programming they have been doing for months now! Also thank Bob for the tireless CSS, Stamper for the beautiful design, Mike for the amazing audio visualizer, JohnnyUtah and MindChamber for the art pieces sprinkled across the new layout and Tim for setting up the new servers and hosting configuration!
