MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: The Future of NGC

As many people have noticed through the domain name upon which NGC is currently hosted, over the upcoming months NewGrounds Collabs will be changing into Flash Alliance. Up to this point, whenever this has been mentioned, this upcoming change has been referring to as a revamp of NGC. Even in the staff forum, there has been talk about NGC rising from the ashes like a phoenix.

This is not entirely accurate.

Make no mistake, NGC will die out. In it's place will be something entirely new. Not every member will be happy with the new site and I'm sure we will lose some people in the transition. However the new site will have something unique to offer users, and we are confident this is the best direction to take.

But enough pre-ramble. Let me be the first to introduce you to Flash Alliance!

Please note: the above is not the final version of the logo, but is merely designed to illustrate what the logo may look like.

FLASH ALLIANCE
An Introduction
The new site is being on the same basic principle NGC was founded on: Anyone, regardless of skill level, batting average, or any other arbitrary deciding factor, should have the right to start a collab and let it succeed or fail on it's own merits. Flash Alliance is being built from the ground up to better facilitate flash-based collabs. The new site is conceived, in part, as a safe-haven for animators of all skill levels to develop their talent.

FLASH ALLIANCE
In Progress Site Pages
Flash Alliance Main Page Mock-Up
Flash Alliance Collab Page Mock-Up

FLASH ALLIANCE
Features
Let's take a look at some of what the new site has to offer, shall we?

Collab Pages
Flash Alliance is being built from the ground up to better facilitate flash collabs. As it stands right now, the only places available for collabs are internet forums. As anyone who's ever ran or even participated in a collab for any length of time knows, a forum topic is kinda in-efficient for running a collab.

On a forum, if a Collab Organizer isn't on the ball it's very difficult to keep track of what's going on unless you're following right from the begining. Late joiners have to search through pages of posts just to catch up with who's doing what, who's finished their parts, and where everything currently stands. And heaven help you if you take over a collab from someone else who hasn't had the time or patience to keep everything updated in the first post.

With our Collab Pages, however, all the pertinent information is right on the front page. The collab participants will be listed in a section on the side, with the parts they've agreed to do listed under their names. The most recent posts will be listed right under the Collab Info on the first page, so you're immediately looking at the latest developments.

Collab Organizers will have the option of letting users automatically join and choose parts for their collab or have them apply and be approved first. There will also be other options for customization.

Also, unlike other sites which force you to go through third party sites to upload a .swf or .jpg of your in-progress part, you can upload the .swf directly to Flash Alliance and have it appear under your name. After all, why the heck should you leave the site for something essential for your collab?

Participants will have the ability to specify whether the file is the completed part or simply a preview and the link will be colored in accordance.

This brings us to-

The Ant Hill
Please be advised that this title may change. We're testing it out right now, seeing if it works.

The Ant Hill feature is pretty much a portfolio feature. It allows users to upload small files (10MB or less) such as previous parts or artwork. This is useful for users applying to join a collab and as a tool for lending credibility to Collab Organizers with no track record.

Users will be able to manage their uploaded files in their profile.

We're right now looking into having an area, similar to Newgrounds' Portal, where uploaded images which are not directly connected to current collabs can be viewed and rated. We are also looking into the possibility of having an image chosen every week to be displayed on the front page.

The Cheater's Guide
It's no secret, participating in collabs is a great way to get feedback on your work and improve as an animator. Sometimes, though, you need something more. That's where The Cheater's Guide articles come in. These are articles which give simple guides on everything from simple shading techniques to the secrets of animation from the great masters of the art. Accompanying each article will be cartoonish drawings illustrating each point.

To start, most articles will be written by myself and Tem, but as time goes on, people will have the option of submitting articles for inclusion into the official roster. Those articles which are not successful can still find their place in the Help! forum.

Speaking of which-

The Forums
The community of any given site is formed on the forums, and our site is no exception. Yes, Flash Alliance will still have forums, however there will be far less of them. There's no need for more, frankly, as most of what would be in the forums will be handled through the site itself. Less forums means each forum gets more traffic.

Currently, the planned forums include: Chat, Help!, and Collab Talk.

A Note On Ads
Yes, the new site will have ads. This, unfortunately, is unavoidable. Right now we are paying out of pocket for hosting and as more people use the site, it will get expensive pretty quickly.

Well, that's all from us for now.

Now it's your turn. We want to hear from you. What features do you like, what don't you like, and what features you want.

-NGC Admin Team

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Join the official NGC Returns collab

Interesting stuff, sounds like it's going to be what NGC was meant to be but never really achieved.

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	countevil wrote:
	Interesting stuff, sounds like it's going to be what NGC was meant to be but never really achieved.

Or going beyond what we did achieve. There was a short period of time when we were successful to an extent.

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Join the official NGC Returns collab

Will I be a moderator

what about me

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	EgoWaffles wrote:
	what about me

That's kind of up to you. What about you? What are your expectations of the new site?

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Long live NGC! | NGC Preloader

	DrFuji wrote:
	Will I be a moderator

Mod team will be decided at a later time. Generally, though, the folks who ask in public aren't the ones who get the opportunity.

	EgoWaffles wrote:
	what about me

See above. Stranger things have happened, but you're going to have to earn the right.

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Join the official NGC Returns collab

I like this! You get my stamp!

[APE-ROOVED]

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I have a dr.fuji obsession... Join the club!

My old account sig on NG collabs! Yea I was da BLACK_GAMER

Kinda like this?

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Join the official NGC Returns collab

Kubrick wrote:

	DrFuji wrote:
	Will I be a moderator

Mod team will be decided at a later time. Generally, though, the folks who ask in public aren't the ones who get the opportunity.

	EgoWaffles wrote:
	what about me

See above. Stranger things have happened, but you're going to have to earn the right.

Generally

when fuji and I were mods=golden age of ngc

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	essal wrote:
	when fuji and I were mods=golden age of ngc

implying ngc ever had a golden age
or even an ok age

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The Beauty of Life collab.
JOIN NOW!

Ampyre wrote:

	essal wrote:
	when fuji and I were mods=golden age of ngc

implying ngc ever had a golden age
or even an ok age

oops my bad

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Ampyre wrote:

	essal wrote:
	when fuji and I were mods=golden age of ngc

implying ngc ever had a golden age
or even an ok age

It did, you just weren't there.

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Last edited by countevil on Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:40 am; edited 1 time in total

Kubrick wrote:

	DrFuji wrote:
	Will I be a moderator

Mod team will be decided at a later time. Generally, though, the folks who ask in public aren't the ones who get the opportunity.

So I should ask on msn then?

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I'm kind of a big thing.
パンク　ロッカー

Ampyre wrote:

	essal wrote:
	when fuji and I were mods=golden age of ngc

implying ngc ever had a golden age
or even an ok age

YOU KNOW SHIT ABOUT GOOD OLD NGC

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ngc died with the kk

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	EgoWaffles wrote:
	ngc became the kk

this is but an empty shell

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