Website designers...?

[Fortune Zero]

This might not be the place for it, since I'm looking for less of a discussion and more of an answer. I just don't know where else to ask, to be totally honest.

Is anybody here into website design/coding? Or does anyone here know any websites that take requests? I'm wanting to set up a Shin Megami Tensei: Persona-related website, but... I'm HTML incompetent, not that great with Photoshop, and I don't know any places that do that sort of free web template anymore. All the old anime/videogame site layout places I used to frequent stopped updating a long time ago. Can anyone help me, or am I totally fucked?

[Nique]

A blog is a possible way to go, but if you want to purchase space and host your own, I can make pretty simple sites.

[Fortune Zero]

Yeah, I've already got a deal with Awardspace hosting my webcomic; I think I get discounts on future domains or something along those lines. I'm wanting to set up something along the lines of a fullscale roleplay, so a blog really wouldn't cut it... and I don't want to host it all on a forum because that looks kinda tacky. I could probably Photoshop up a base layout or whatever, my main problem is the actual HTML. Me and code don't get along real well, though I don't have any issues with updating/modifying. I just can't code up a website from scratch.

[Vault Of Thrones]

I'd say your best bet is to learn at least basic html, a good website for that is htmlgoodies.com. Once you've gotten the simple stuff I'd just find a wysiwyg editor and learn about table layouts.

[bluestarultor]

HTML isn't too bad, really. Most of it is like the BBCode tags you use every day in forum posts, only with "<>" instead of "[]" around the stuff.

That said, I do know HTML pretty well and would be happy to offer advice at least, but most of my knowledge is in business-type sites. I also might be able to whip you up some JavaScript if you need it, since I just finished up a class for that, and if you decide to do a bit of C# ASP, I can also offer help there.

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to whip the entire thing up for you due to other projects and obligations, but I would, as I said, be happy to offer advice where it applied. Honestly, I'd have no idea how to handle anything but the layout portions and some sort of submission system, provided you had a database to hold the info. I'd say a forum would be the best way I know of to handle an RP, honestly, but I'm nowhere near equipped to build one from scratch.

[Corel]

For a website that is going to have any form on input from the user/output from your website you're going to have to use a Server Scripting Language such as PHP, Python, the CGI framework or ASP.net (yuck!) with conjunction with a back end database to store your info in.

I wouldn't worry making the HTML itself very complicated, as CSS makes websites pretty. HTML is a very simple language to grasp; for starting information this site is a good place to begin to look at stuff.

Just by quick googling here are some templates; it may help to get your head around that HTML doesn't make the website pretty; the CSS does. If you can find in your browser to disable style sheets, do so and look how black and white everything is! I wouldn't advise going about using more advanced templates, as you might confuse yourself and that's never a good start!

If you want a basic HTML page created, let me know and I will whip one up for you. Feel free to drop me a PM also if you're wanting a problem solved or something quick made. (I cannot promise I will have time to fully see it through, however!)

Or reading Bluestarultor's post you could upload a design that you want, and we can hack away at making master pages or stuff for yourself! I'd make you a proper website...if you paid me.

If you want to cheat you can steal anybodies HTML code you want, just go View -> Page Source and it's all there! What you won't be able to see is the code behind the scenes that manipulates the data, but the HTML is free to take!