If they're using any kind of content management system, the 3-column layout is standard. It takes a bit of hacking at most CMS templates to come up with anything other than a 3-column layout (as that's usually the default), and it appears that they don't want to spend time recreating the wheel.

It's hard to do this kind of web site any other way and still have it usable and navigable.

I don't fault uo.com for the layout, but their sense of spacing is bizarre. At 1600x1024 (my current resolution), the scroller banner at the top takes up at least 1/3 of the top of the page. I can only imagine how huge it looks on lower rez settings. It takes up almost the entire length of the left-hand navigation, and that just looks weird.

Things are out of proportion. That's what bugs me about it. I generally like the overall look and graphics.

I wish they'd stick to either warm or cool in the color choices though. The outside content is all black/silver while the inside is all reds/browns/beiges. The contrast is distracting.

Seems to be designed (width wise) for 1024X768, the banner fits the whole page at that res, although it takes up neary half the page alone at that resolution

At 800X600, you have to scroll right to see the rest of the banner, heh

My laptop is on 1280x768. I've got a lot of empty black space on the right.

I think it looks good. I wonder if they're gonna be updating the rest of the pages to have the same colours.

Some of the text is hard to read. Red on black is fine if the text is of a reasonable size but then they switch it and it taxes the eyes after a while.

It's good to hear from you you Meiko

Vepl

I think the look is more appropriate for the game and gaming community. The old site needed to be updated so badly content wise, I almost wished that was fixed first, despite my love for pretty graphics.

I notice also it is mostly the same old site and the template has not been applied to all the links so obviously it will need a major overhaul in the next few weeks to meet expectations.

Honestly, I am just glad to see uo pushing towards the future, instead of disappearing into the fog.

It's decent, but they need to fix some stuff. Mainly for me is the UO guilds stuff, I like to "scope" out opposing forces and it's hard when that part of the site feature is broken.

Aye, irritating having the UO Guild pages down. Can still open up your guild pages and whatnot, but gotta know member names and stuff.

I quite like it, even if it is a little too dark for its own good. The current UO site is just old, tatty and broken in my opinion.

seems broken, i'm trying to find guilds on the atlantic server and it isn't display them.