Do you have any objections against using http://bugs.openmpt.org/view_all_bug_page.php ? You can filter all issues by category (f.e. "Feature Request"), Status and you can also specify a custom search string, if you want to look for a particular issue. That's exactly the idea behind an issue tracker.
I don't think an additional note to use the search before posting is really necessary, afterall we didn't have any dupes so far. Smart people do that without reading a FAQ first. 8)

True, as i do. And no, i'm still discovering new capabilities in IT's front page, and just found the filter and search links, so i don't mind using the View All feature. But the fact that it's not immediately intuitive may need some tweaking. Interface should be simple and presumptive that a user is here for a reason and knows exactly what he needs to do, and is just looking for the right link word/icon to click on.
Right now, it's not a problem. But when we get to 500 Feature Requests a few years down the road, many of them rehashed (even by me), that's when you'll wish there was more organization. It's good now, while traffic and volume is light, but as you and other continue to make MPT better, it will only attract more and more users, who don't know how things have progressed.

Just thinking ahead. As i was writing my FR for Sample handling, i sat and wondered for a minute if i'd already made the request here.
For now, we're fine, but eventually you'll say to yourself that i was right...;D

Well, I guess I could set the default frontpage to the view_all_bug_page.php so it's more promiment. I'll see if I can somehow configure Mantis to display a custom page as well, but not today...

I've added a new front page. Let me know if I should add any more hints / etc. to the welcome text.

Looks good. This should definitely help new users. I would wish for only one more thing: when you click on the "search" hyperlink in the headers, this takes the user to the filter page and the list of issues. For me (at least for a-while) i didn't see all the benefits of the search page, and what to do with it.
Perhaps a link to a help HTML or a header note which says something like, "Click on any category heading to specify the type of issue you're looking for," and maybe a note about how to use the search filter field. It's easy but it's not intuitive just looking at it.

Otherwise, it's a step up to a friendlier Issue Tracker!

<blockquote>Perhaps a link to a help HTML or a header note which says something like</blockquote>

Like now?

When i click on your new "search" hyperlink on the Main Page, i'm taken to what i think is the "View Issues" page. The top of the page shows what i have come to find out are filters. This is what's not so obvious and this is where a help header or link should be...

Mantis sadly doesn't really have a proper user manual (this doesn't suffice, I guess: http://manual.mantisbt.org/manual.page.descriptions.view.bugs.page.php)... If you want to write up a helpful text (for me it's all very obvious so I'm probably not the best version to write it), feel free to do so and I can stick it on the page.

All right. How about this:

The next section is the filter list, and below that you can look at all the issues. By default every issue that's been reported is shown. Click on any category header (the underlined words in the fields below) to open a popup menu or field where you can specify what issues will be shown with that attribute. Then click on the "Apply Filter" button to reduce the list according to your search. The more filters you specify, the smaller the list of shown issues.

If you want to search for bugs or Feature Requests (FRs), enter the keywords in the "Search" field at the bottom of this filter box. All the words are ANDed, so the more keywords you enter, the more specific the filter will be.

Clicking on "Advanced Filters" will show all filter items in lists rather than popup menus.

And of course, edit or correct this text where you see fit....

How about this?

Okay i'd say it's complete. I don't see how you can make it easier to use. Consider my original concern resolved, unless you want to leave it open as a "Suggestion Box" type of issue.