For the last few months, I've been working on a new design for UnSyntax Software, dubbed "Tetra" (the Greek prefix meaning "four"). Today I'm finally publicly releasing that design. It's only 99.5% finished and still needs some work here and there, but overall it's ready to go.

http://unsyntax.alex10819.org

Tetra is a phpbb3 based visual style for phpbb2, combining some of the interesting design elements of phpbb3 (the rounded separate tables, the horizontally flipped "bubble posts", sleeker buttons) with the familiar structure of the phpbb2 core. It's not designed to be a perfect clone of phpBB3 proSilver, but it is a step above the solid blocky redundancy and frustrating nested tables of subSilver.

Sadly, Tetra doesn't work so well with Internet Explorer. The <div> elements don't show up properly sometimes. So, for those of you who DO use IE, I suggest either switching to a better browser or finding a better way to make rounded edges without the use of images.

Oh yeah, the old design is still available for members I know for a fact that some people prefer the old blocky design to the new slightly better and rounder one.

Comments? Suggestions? Flames?

I think it's crashing Firefox (3b5).

/me tries once more
Didn't crash that time, but it crashed twice before I posted (both when I was on that page)..

EDIT: okay, maybe not. It crashed twice more just here on Cemetech, and actually restarting FF seems to have fixed it.

Other than the lack of dithering on the logo and the obvious ripoff of the Cemetech site design () it's very nice. Well done!

There must be some subliminal message to all of this, Keith...
Something like an advert saying, "JOIN UNSYNTAX SOFTWARE AND POSTPOSTPOST!"
It works just fine on Firefox 2 (that's why you don't use betas as your first line of Internet browsing). It's very nice and spiffy, if you asked me. It has many of the visual "gifts" of phpbb3 without having to adjust to its new and annoying mod language. You really should go ahead with your idea and box it up for others to use. People will use it...

One of these days I'll get the logo right
Great minds think alike Kerm
Curses, the Martian catches on too fast.

@JFabi Not a bad idea. I just have to make this cross-browser-compatible, use PROPER XHTML, and look shinier.

@Tari I wouldn't be surprised. Not many browsers like UnSS

What tipped me off was the exact same toolbar links, reordered, and the sidebar just like Cemetech's. Your homepage looks a little strange under Fx3b5 because it doesn't stretch to fullwidth; it just gets scrunched along the left side.

It's what the people wanted, really. I can't count how many times people have come to UnSS from Cemetech and wondered where the heck everything is.
NOTHING ever looks right in anything that isn't Firefox 2.0.0.## .... >.<;;
Call copy-cat all you want Kerm, you know mine is better
Well, I do suppose UnSS's real motto is "So comfy, it's just like home"

Honestly, it looks like crap on my display. Cemetech looks terrible too, but yours is a bit worse.

Here is a SS so you can see why: http://www.kllrnohj.com/images/cemetech/unsyntax_ss.jpg

EDIT: Kerm, cemetech suffers from the same problems - fix in c6 plz

Thanks for the ss. I'll get this fixed as soon as possible. Convenient timing since I'm going to be redesigning/recoding the non-forum pages anyway >.>;;

If you would do 10 seconds of research, you'd see I already did.

Ohhey you did. Except the 'post a reply' page is still broken.

Correct, I didn't finish skinning that yet.

Well, then stop being a lazy bum and finish it!

If you have all this free time, you work on it. Some of us have final exams, you know, like real work.

Not really. C6 expands to take up the entire width (although the header doesn't), which is better, but still not great. The problem with expanding completely and a display that is 1920px wide is that it I almost have to move my head back and forth to read it. I would suggest making a max width of about 1400px or so (but keep it centered).

Fair point, I agree with you on that. I'll add that to the ol' to-do list.

Geez Kerm...it was just sarcasm...next time I will use <sarcasm> tags so it will be more clear. Trust me, I am currently reading a book for Monday...only 250 more pages to go...

another thing Kerm is that you welcome to cemetech box is huge I could understand if that was shown to guests on their first visit but on my screen it takes up most of the home page and I have to scroll to see any of the news and such, I think that should be made smaller and only have the basic info and reserve the rest to the about page.

How about having it at the top for guests, but at the bottom of the page for logged-in users?

That would work though some of that stuff you may want up there its just so huge and space waisting as it is. I would think you could rearrange the info in a way that makes it smaller with out moving it all together but as you can see I can't even see th bottom of the box let alone the most recent news.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/5392/scr9269bb3dx7.jpg

Edit: I would also suggest rounding the bottom corners of the last news item so it fits in with the rest of the page better.