DDT Website Update — A Major Step Forward
Over the past few days, we have been working extensively on DDT-Clan.com. What started with several smaller improvements has developed into a much broader update to both the public website and our internal DDT systems.
The goal is simple: to make the website a proper home for Dream Death Team again — combining our history, current squad, community, game server and competitive statistics in one place.
A lot has changed, so here is an overview of what is new.
A New Direction for DDT-Clan.com
The overall website has received numerous visual and structural improvements.
We have worked on creating a much more consistent DDT identity throughout the website, with our familiar dark design combined with red accents. Several older or less useful elements have been removed or redesigned, while important sections have been given more space and prominence.
The website should now feel less like a collection of separate pages and more like one connected DDT platform.
This also includes improvements to page widths, spacing, navigation, readability and mobile behaviour.
Completely Reworked Team & Roster Page
One of the biggest changes is the Team page.
Instead of simply displaying a list of names, we are developing this into a proper interactive DDT roster.
Members are organised according to their position within the clan, including:
- Clan Leadership
- Captains
- Server Management
- Match Players
- Academy Members
- Inactive Members
- Hall of Fame
The system is completely manageable through WordPress, meaning members, ranks and statuses can be added or changed without having to rebuild the page manually.
Importantly, these are DDT roster roles, not WordPress user roles. A player does not need a website account to be included.
Personalised Member Cards & Signatures
The personalised DDT signatures used within our community are now being incorporated into the website.
Member cards can contain their own signature artwork and information, making every player entry more personal and recognisable.
Instead of everyone being represented by an identical generic profile card, the roster can now reflect the identity individual members have built within DDT.
Interactive Member Dossiers
Member profiles have also been expanded into DDT Member Dossiers.
Opening a dossier provides additional information about a member without having to leave the Team page.
Depending on the information available, a dossier can include details such as rank, country, status, member since, playstyle, preferred weapon and other personal or DDT-related information.
Navigation has also been added directly inside the dossiers. Visitors can use Previous / Next or the left and right arrow keys to browse through members without repeatedly closing the profile window.
Where applicable, a dossier can also link directly to that player’s DDT statistics.
Hall of Fame & DDT Legacy
The Hall of Fame is being treated differently from the active roster.
Former members who played an important part in DDT’s history can receive historical information such as their DDT era, former role and a dedicated DDT Legacy description.
This allows us to document why somebody belongs in the Hall of Fame instead of simply displaying an old nickname.
It is an important part of our longer-term goal of preserving more than two decades of DDT history.
Roster Data Expanded
A large part of the current squad has now been added to the new roster system, including country information and known clan positions.
Existing profiles are protected when roster information is updated, meaning manually added signatures, biographies and dossier information are not simply overwritten when new general roster data is imported.
This gives us a solid foundation that can gradually be expanded with more detailed information for individual members.
DDT Internals — Visual & Performance Improvements
Our separate DDT Internals environment has also received attention.
The interface has been brought closer to the visual identity of the main website. The older yellow accents have largely been replaced with DDT red, while deliberately keeping important text white or light grey so that readability is not sacrificed for styling.
Several interface elements have also been cleaned up and unnecessary visual clutter has been reduced.
A direct route back to the main DDT website has also been incorporated, making the public website and Internals environment feel more connected.
Statistics Improvements
The DDT statistics environment has received several layout and usability improvements.
Pages such as Ranks have been adjusted to make better use of the available screen width, while spacing and presentation throughout the statistics pages have been refined.
Problems related to switching statistics periods, including the Monthly view, have also been addressed.
The objective is to keep the amount of statistical information we already collect while making it considerably easier to browse and understand.
Server Status — More Than Just a Widget
The game server status section has also been redesigned.
Rather than being a small third-party-looking element on the page, it has been adapted to fit the wider DDT design and available page width.
One particularly useful addition is the connection between the server and our statistics system: recognised DDT player names displayed in the server status can link directly to their player statistics.
That creates a direct connection between who is currently playing and their history within DDT Internals.
Discord Widget Removed
We also reviewed which widgets actually provide value.
The old Discord widget primarily showed who was online but offered very little useful interaction beyond that. It also created an inconsistent layout whenever the game server widget became taller due to active players.
Because Discord is already prominently represented elsewhere on the website, the widget has been removed.
The result is a cleaner layout without losing anything important.
New DDT Media Hub
Another major addition is the DDT Media Hub.
This section gives us a dedicated place to highlight community content from platforms such as YouTube and Twitch while keeping everything visually integrated with the website.
YouTube content now provides proper information about what visitors are about to watch rather than presenting an unexplained thumbnail. Video titles and presentation have been improved, and the overall component has been designed to work alongside other community elements such as the shoutbox.
This gives us room to feature match footage, old DDT videos, community streams, highlights and other media in the future.
Shoutbox Redesign
The Shoutbox has also been redesigned to fit the modern DDT website.
Rather than replacing the existing system and losing previous messages, the work has focused on improving the presentation around the existing shoutbox functionality.
It now fits much better alongside the other community-driven parts of the website and follows the same dark/red DDT visual language.
DDT History & Legacy
Work has continued on the historical side of the website as well.
DDT has existed since 2004, and a major objective of the current website project is to make sure that history is not lost.
The Legacy/History experience is being developed to showcase former members, important periods and people who helped shape the clan over the years.
Combined with the new Hall of Fame dossiers, this gives us a way to gradually build a proper archive rather than relying solely on memories scattered across old websites, screenshots and conversations.
More Community-Driven, Less Static
The most important change is not one individual feature.
We are gradually changing DDT-Clan.com from a relatively static clan website into a community-driven DDT platform.
The main website, roster, member signatures, player dossiers, game server, statistics, Internals, Media Hub, Shoutbox, Hall of Fame and clan history are increasingly connected instead of functioning as completely separate pieces.
There is still plenty we can add and improve, but the foundation is now considerably stronger.
And we are not finished yet.
Dream Death Team — since 2004.
The history remains. The community continues.