Ultra simple/direct design possible?

[Foehammer]

Hi all,

I'm looking at which forum/bb software will best suit my needs.  I'm looking to provide a place for a question-&-answer message board, designed for kids (users of children's games) whom have technical difficulties with the games or installing them.  It is therefore essential that the interface is dead simple and easy and ok for young and non-technical people to use.  It isn't looking to support a community, and users will probably only visit the site once or twice - they need to easily see what questions have already been asked/answered, and have big clear button to "Ask a new question" - or something like that.

A fairly good example of the kinda thing I would like to build is here:

hxxp:activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/activision.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=rgWfRIei&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD03NDUyJnBfcHJvZHM9JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li= [nonactive]

I've installed the simple machines software, but generally there is way too many features and I want to turn almost all of them off.  For what I need there would be no registration, no 'hot topics', no stats, maybe even no names/dates listed by each post, probably only one board at first, and I'd like the first line of each posting (from the main/only board) to be previewed on the main page.   Is this sort of simple and direct approach possible, or does the flexibility of the layout/themes not extend that far?

Possibly 'forum software' isn't appropriate to my needs - if I'm barking up the wrong tree please point me to where I should be looking.

many thanks,

Mark

[bloc]

Its certainly possible. "wikistyle" theme goes some way towards that approach.

[m3talc0re]

I don't think the theme has so much do with it as much as the options he choses. Make sure to enable quick replies for everyone and it'd probably be easier for you to enable the option for Guests to make posts so your users wont have to register if they're only going to be visiting once or twice. As far as the theme goes, that's really your own personal preference, that and what kind of site you have, how it looks, etc...

[bloc]

Options only get you so far. Stripping things in the templates will be necessary to accomplish this kind of site, where you don't need all the extra information SMF normally presents.

[m3talc0re]

Actually, now that I think about it, why not use a contact support form? Couldn't get any more basic than that.