Help with a website for a new format.

[Lurker101]

Hi,
for the past few years a player I met on Cockcatrice and I have been putting together a new online only format using standalone sets that aren't reprint only (so no Battle Royale or Modern Masters). These sets never really had much of a format on their own and most were only legal in eternal. The sets include Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires, Homelands, Planechase, Planechase 2012, Conspiracy, Commander, Commander 2013, and Commander 2014, Portal, Portal Second Age, Portal 3 kingdoms, Starter/Starter99 as well as any future stand alone sets like this. We also include all official unique promo cards released by WOTC so Mana Crypt, Windseeker Centaur, Arena, Sewers of Estark, Giant Badger, Nalathani Dragon, 1996 World Champion, Szhefukujin Dragon and Gleemox will be legal in varying degrees. We also took a look at a few of the Un cards and silverbordred promos and we will allow a few them to be played legally as well. Any UN card that have effects that are impossible to emulate online, which is most of them, will be banned. Other Un-cards have special rulings made to make them work. There will be both a banned and restriced list and no rotation (currently in progress). So far games we've played against each other have been a blast. So i have faith in the format and all the unique archetypes available.
       The problem so far has been setting up a decent website on the cheap that could host a forum and have article write ups on decks, cards, and reviews of new releases. Basically I'm asking for advise on where I can host a cheap website for the format. I nor my partner have much experience in this field and I have very little money. It would also help if a judge would be willing to pitch in on some of the rulings and erratas necessary for some of the silver bordered cards as well as help with the B&R list. Any help with a good cheap website developer of quality and any input on B&R and errata would be much appreciated.

Edit: If we can get Astral and the Japanese Dreamcast Set to work those will also be included in the format.

[hashswag]

I'm a bit confused. Are you just wanting to host some text pages and a forum or are you wanting to develop a web-based client (a la mtgo)?

[KrauserKrauser]

Hosting a website is $15/year and $8/month.  You can get it cheaper or find special deals but that should give you a good idea what the base costs will be.  You'll likely have to run Akismet so that will add $5/month otherwise spam robots will annoy you to no end.

You can build a website that meets your needs through Wordpress (what I am familiar with) or any number of other sites (Squarespace, etc.).  Don't worry about hand coding anything, I went down the road once and never again the platforms out there with premade templates and tools are what you want to do.

You can get forums and all sorts of plugins for free or very little cost but you will have to learn a bit of html and maybe some basic css to sand out the rough edges.

To learn how the basic coding you will need you can either go to w3schools or even better sign up for treehouse.

I wish you luck, building a website is a great learning experience.

[Lurker101]

I'm a bit confused. Are you just wanting to host some text pages and a forum or are you wanting to develop a web-based client (a la mtgo)?

We just want to build a website to promote and discuss the format. You would have to play it on cockatrice and a custom .XML would be available for download on the site that would include all the legal cards, even Gleemox, 1996 World Champion, Schijifukujin Dragon and Robot Chicken which are all official WOTC cards but for obvious reasons are not included in the main cards.XML file, along with some of the minor erratas we're making like giving Timmy, Power Gamer a creature type to match Johnny, Combo Player. We're hoping to translate the Dreamcast and Astral cards as accurately as possible but it most certainly would involve errata.
Also thanks for the advice KrauserKrauser.

AddendumJust out of curiosity what do you readers feel about this format? Does it look fun? Does it need improvement?

[hashswag]

I'd be very wary of hosting a cards.xml on your website for legal reasons.

[Lurker101]

I'd be very wary of hosting a cards.xml on your website for legal reasons.

Why? What's the issue with that? It's not for profit and would be necessary for including cards like Gleemox and 1996 World Champion and the dreamcast and Astral cards. I should add I have no real knowledge of how these legal issues work.

[hashswag]

I believe that the problem isn't that it's a set of pictures; it's that it's a set of pictures designed specifically to facilitate patent infringement via cockatrice.

Profit/Not for Profit status doesn't matter, either. Obviously I don't care personally, but if you were making fake cards IRL then it's still affecting WOTC's earning capabilities and they'd prosecute either way.

You might be totally fine hosting an xml file for the card sets for years, but it's best to know the risks before you do it.