Kalisto 8 was launched in 2006 and ended its run in 2013 – making it the second-longest run (behind the current Kalisto 10). Just like its predecessor, Kalisto 7, this version was built primarily in Photoshop. Using the sliced portions in conjunction with in-line frames featuring the slices’ imagery as the background, Kalisto 8 was a work of art as much as a website. One major advantage of being built this way was that I was able to create various themes for the site and swap them on the fly by simply saving the Photoshop file (with the same slice-set) over the the previous one. I would just swap CSS files in instances where a different text formatting (usually just a color swap) was required. A collection of Kalisto 8 templates is below.
While I did employ CSS to a degree, each of Kalisto 8’s pages was statically coded. While it did (and still does) look great in desktop browsers, the proliferation of internet-capable mobile devices often saw Kalisto 8’s non-responsive design butchered when displayed. Designed for a time when 1024×768 was the most common desktop resolution, it would have to be zoomed on today’s 1080p and 4K displays. Also, if an internal page was linked, it would load without the rest of the site – creating an awkward experience. As the internet and my life changed, Kalisto 8’s antiquated coding method was left behind. I certainly did not have the time to update its coding to current standards while maintaining this look, so I had to switch to a CMS-based back-end for Kalisto 9. Kalisto 8 was definitely my favorite version, but I had to say goodbye…
Below is a gallery of all the themes I created for Kalisto 8. Most of the themes are from Ragnarok Online with a few He-Man and Love Hina ones tossed in. The Crusader_M (Above) theme was by far the most-used and the one active when Kalisto 8 was replaced.
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