Ok well as you know this was only a temp site to see if we had the support in the future we were to invest into a better site.

Right now we have a very very small following but would a better site encourage more.
In my mind having a proper site with a domain and better designed could encourage more people while allowing us a freedom. Having a site with a forum means we could split it all. We could have just a general forum on motor sport and other stuff and have a separate part for the Sims that we will be following. Most probable Gtr2 and maybe GTR-E depending on how good the game is.

Im hoping this would encourage a better following and make for better racing. Im not looking for the uber guys that can put in a lap 3 seconds faster than you without really trying, but having members is what I want. But not to say 'my site has.... members' I want them to create a great racing league.

What do you all think really? Should we invest in a new site in a hope that we can get members and create this great racing or should we stick where we are?

For my experience having a flashy web site only goes so far. We could have the best web site on the world with great domain name but if no one knows about it then it's worth Diddly Skwat!

Even if we get a following then it's more important that the service we are giving is worth the time they are investing. So, get the server right, get races up regular and without conflict. Worry about the flashy web site after, this site serves well enough for what it needs to atm.

Im glad to get your input Mark. I think your right last night I was looking at options and I want to keep this the main site for the moment but I would like to make it something different. I mean I need to create a site soon to gain experience in that area for my future projects so I saw this as a great opportunity to do that and promote the site.

Really I wanted to get a basic site skin hosted with a small Vbul or other cheaper software forum and then we take off from there with server. I would like to run and Gtr2 Sever and if its any good a GTRe sever.

Mark you race in GTL right? Well if we were to host some GTL events would we get member from people you know that would join us? I mean all I want is to get some good racing going here. Gtr2, GTL or even GTR-E.

I'd love to start at one of them games.

Hi Mike,

First and foremost a website, at least in this context, is a method to part information and communicate with the members. If needs to do this efficiently PLUS needs to make someone to come back often to look if they are more information.

Recently, at least for me, the site has filed on part two. Instead of looking back here daily I've reduced to 2-3 days, and in the gap little or nothing has been added in terms of information. And looking at the number and frequency of posting of members other than me, you and Alex we could have lost them already due to them not considering it worth coming back.

CnB might be willing to invest money for domain names and servers etc but it's asking members to invest something a lot more, their free time. And if they don't think spending their time here is worth it then they'll just go somewhere else, no matter how flashy the web site is. And if current members do not think it is worth their only time then they are very unlikely to recommend CnB to their friends. Bad recommendations make them look bad to their peers.

Yet again Mark I want your opinion more than anyone's as you have experience in this sort of area.
As I see it is as good as this site is if people dont think we are taking it seriously means that they wont come back. I agree that I could be doing alot more in terms on information and to get more members and keep the members keep coming back.

Now Alex is back and we are all here id like to make this site the best it can be I have some money as I have been working recently and I have some money to part buy in a server, however I cant pay via the internet and would have to pay Alex in advance. However Alex has been reluctant to do this. I wont have a PayPal account for another month.

Alex has expressed his Interest in the site but has little funds at this time.
As I see it this site will serve a purpose for a time but in the end I would like to move it on. For me this site is very cluttered and hard to understand from a member and Admin point of view.
I have been searching free and open source software to create sites.

WordPress is one that I have expressed a keen interest in as with some knowledge of how it works and seeing some results of other sites using that software.

http://www.gtplanet.net/

That side is based on a word pad design and is a site me and Alex visit regularly and are members of. However I dont want this site to be the 'new GTPlanet' I want it to be different in a similar way. GTPlanet is easy to use, user friendly and WordPress seems a better tool to edit, create and develop. WordPress is a 'blogging' site and the home page of GTP shows that. However the homepage/portal of this site is very hard to read in my eyes.

http://www.b5media.com/

Another WordPress Site. If I could make skins from this PC I would throw up a few examples and see what you thought but until I get a mac which should be a few months I cant.

There are many similar maybe better sites than WordPress.



Ideas? Thoughts?

I used e107 for the old Sunday Racers site. It's free, open source and plenty of free Themes and Plugins. You can also write your own and there is a Wiki to help. It'll even run PHP in the site Theme too making it an attractive option.

As for gaming server then would IRacing be an option? I've never tried it but it does seem to be picking up a lot of interest in the 'professional' sim racing community. As the individual picks up their own monthly subscription bill then the cost to CnB is zero. The downside atm seems to be the lack of cars compared to GTR2

On the site front, do you think its worth making a new site with an Open source software as a front or homepage and then have it linked to this forum?

and on the Iracing front. I've always been suspicious of these Pay as you Play games. But would it be worth getting Gtr2 and Iracing servers and see what happens?

Well erm about the future pf our own site, how about the future of GTR2 lobby itself...


Germany-based games publisher 10Tacle Studios has hit serious financial troubles and has filed bankruptcy after being unable to attract new investors. Back in March, 10Tacle first announced financial problems, releasing 25 employees.

This news could provide some shock value to the sim racing community because 10Tacle is strongly affiliated with Blimey! Games and their upcoming Ferrari Project game. Blimey! however has reacted, releasing the following statement by Blimey! CEO Ian Bell:

“Despite 10T’s unfortunate and recently announced insolvency, Blimey! Games is in a very strong position. We have recently signed an unannounced major project for a top tier publisher which secures our continued growth and our Ferrari title remains unaffected. Work will continue as normal at our studio.”

While this is good news, it certainly is sad to hear about 10Tacle’s problems. Founded in 2003, the company was the first publisher freshly-founded Simbin Studio’s could attract to publish GTR, their first ever simulation. 10Tacle went on to publish GT Legends and GTR2, making them a known name among sim racers.

After the announcement, the 10Tacle stock dropped by 76% to 0,32€, the stock’s all-time high was 14,95€ back in May 2007.


http://www.virtualr.net/10tacle-studios-file-bankruptcy/