This has also been suggested but was dropped. I can't remember the specific reason why, but I believe it was due to proportional formatting issue. Meaning the community doesn't deserve much space because it makes up only a small percentage of the overall memberbase.
Just looks like an ad to me. it might look less like one if you took the button in your third image and put it where the screenshot of the forum is in the fourth one. but make the button larger
They could at least put in that zone the highlights of the forums, such as important news/sticky/global posts, or latest 5 posts. But then again, it is their decision.
Meaning the community doesn't deserve much space because it makes up only a small percentage of the overall memberbase.
I don't really think that way. I don't have much experience to talk facts, but from what I've seen in my two days being here, community is one of the reasons people remain on AG. I mean, there are also other gaming sites that don't have a forum and, yeah, you simply get bored by just playing and playing and not doing something else.
Forgot to mention and sorry for double posting - I think that the term "banner" is quite not proper for this suggestion and it may induce some people in error, like it did to me. But the idea is quite awesome.
I support this! :> I think I mentioned it before, but since the vast majority of people on the site only come here to play the games, you can add a little sub-text about finding game help/discussing game problems in the Forums. I see many people asking questions about game specs, strategies, suggestions on the game comments, but there's usually no discussion or help (unless Disqus is going to be more widely implemented), or any replies might not get noticed by askers, since it's just one big free flowing comment pile. If we can get a common place for them to find help or discuss, i.e. the Forums, we can also hope it might increase activity as a side benefit.
It may boost forum morale... I don't know if I can get behind the idea though... putting the forum button huge kinda makes the QUEST button blend in more.
Putting it on the front page is not a bad idea... but maybe not the part with the screen shot... maybe just Forum on bold....
I like the idea of having the forum button be an artistic centerpiece on the main page. I feel that it is currently to small. Since people use these forums so much, the forum button should reflect that. Heck, the only reason I joined AG was for the forums and interaction. The games are just a nice extra for me really.
I still think a link to the forums should be provided somewhere closer to the games themselves and game comments. To me that sounds like the most effective method of gaining community awareness.