Administration Newsletter 08/08/24

[Admin]

As you can probably see, the forum has gone through a rather significant overhaul and has received not only a visual update but undergone complete backstage revisions from the ground up. Every page has clear-cut links to content, making things hopefully easier to find whether you are a newcomer looking for somewhere to start, or a current member trying to find something that was shown once and then lost to the abyss of other posts. The height chart has been updated, along with several maps. Things have been tidied and brought up to current events in terms of plots.

To be expected with something of this magnitude, there will be links that lead nowhere, or the occasional missed typo. We have worked really hard to make sure everything is seamless, however, we are still only human and there may be mistakes. If you see something that doesn't seem right and is out of place, or even some wayward bit of contradictory information that makes no sense? Please reach out to us. We are also open to new ideas, and are always around to listen to concerns that you may have about the new layout. We wanted to make it as easy to navigate for everyone, even those that've been here several years now.

Getting Started has been structured for new players, and as such its information is aimed toward helping users quickly get a grasp on our setting and how they may fit in. Suggestions for this area should keep this in mind, and not include things relevant for current members.

User Resources are for those who have been accepted and are seeking out additional pages that were unfortunately buried away and lost over time. These include maps and the Bulletin Board - which we will go into further below!

Graphics!
Most images on the forum have been refined and uploaded to a server that does not slowly compress them over time. Many of the ones hosted here had gotten a little… crunchy… throughout the years, and it was really starting to show. When you see them side by side it is honestly quite jarring. It's a small thing in the grand scheme of things, though it does add to the overall look of the website, and we hope you like them!

HERE is an example showing the difference in quality, and as much as we love Flatline looking a little crispy, the fresher look suits him a little better.

Home Page:
We now have two new trackers at the top of the Home Page, one of which shows the most recent post made, while the other shows how many users are online at any given moment. It's another little thing, but it's nice to see such information without needing to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. (Fun fact: The yellow icons down there are all custom and new as well!)

Thread Descriptions:
Now when making a thread, there is an option field below where you can share a little information about it. An example of this is 'Into Darkness', which on surface layers doesn't say much on just what is going on in the thread. However, this second field can have a small blurb such as 'Infiltrating the Nemesis' just to give folks an idea of what it's about. We look forward to seeing this used, so long as it remains relevant to the thread and not OOC!

Bulletin Board & Storyline
This has been requested by a couple of folks, and while it is something we tried in the past? We are giving it another shot. This area is for people who are struggling to find ideas, or want to host or run their own plot. These can range from simply needing to find someone for a thread, or a group for a small adventure. All we ask for bigger plots is you check with an Admin first.

The Storyline is a quick way to keep track of all the major plots and the threads involved, such as the fall of the Nemesis or Knock Out's capture. Should you feel something has been missed, reach out to Zercon to have it added. Please note this is for plots that affect the board as a whole.

Larger Avatars:
While mentioned in a previous Newsletter, we felt it was worth mentioning again that the forum is set up to handle avatars larger than the traditional 150x150. You just need to upload the image to an outside host, such as Imgur, and link it accordingly. Do not use the Proboards' upload feature or it will distort the image. Avatars using this method can be 150x200px, which makes all the difference!

Note on Custom Profile Fields:
In tidying up user fields, the Frame Type and gender dropdowns under Profile > Edit Profile > Personal have been updated and now reordered so it makes a little more sense. We removed a couple of older options that haven't been in use for years, and added a few more that are more inclusive. In doing this, it may have inadvertently swapped some user's choices, if not deleted them outright. Make sure to double-check your characters. Bumblebee isn't a Femme Seeker, for example!

Advertising:
We are starting it.

For years we have let users trickle in as they found us, or were recommended by another. Our process of seeking out fresh faces had been regretfully put on the backburner, and we strive to rectify that going forward. With this change, we hope there will be a rise of new individuals, and as such we strongly encourage users to consider poking their heads into the C-Box every so often, just to say hello to folks who may be lurking! As always, you are more than free to tell your friends about us as well!

Public Channel:
Finally, we're getting with the times - and despite some reservations, we will be opening a couple of channels in the Discord that potential players can join to discuss their applications, talk to current players, or ask questions in an easier setting such as character histories rather than going back and forth via email. This will be experimental to see if it is something that works out for our community, though please keep in mind it won't be a chatroom simply for Transformers fans to speak with like-minded individuals with no intention of joining our forum, as at the end of the day we are an RP site first. Remember, people in there are not guaranteed to stay- in that their applications could be denied, etc, so do not actively plan threads and make assumptions that said character will be accepted. In saying that, though, please remain friendly and awesome- and reach out to an Admin if there are any issues. We have access to a banhammer, and will use it!

Discord Bot:
Soundwave is joining the Discord, in the form of a bot - just to help Admins out with a couple of things behind the scenes and to make things run a little smoother. This is new territory for us as well, so please bear with us as we get it set up, as things will be shuffled around and a bit messy. It'll be worth it, though, in that there will be a variety of new roles that can be pinged, depending on the types of interactions you want to see.

Discord Emojis:
Soundwave is also joining the icon fleet with a couple of new emojis! That being said, if you have any ideas for other emojis that'd suit the vibe and Transformers theme, feel free to poke Ren or Zercon to add them.



Discord Recent Posts:
When someone posts to the forum, they have to rely on the other player noticing it is their turn via the Recent Posts/Threads button (or individual notification settings) - or by being poked directly. We are adding a new channel where players can be @'d if it is their turn, with a link to the thread in question. This not only mentions that you posted so the other player is aware, but also shows others you posted as well so they can keep up with threads they may be interested in reading.

This is optional, as we know some people don't like being pinged - though has been brought up by users as something they'd like to see, so we're going to give it a try!

Do note this channel will be a place to tag posts only, not hold conversations about the most recent reply. Chats regarding plots will need to be done elsewhere, and should a tag not contain a direct link as well? The Soundwave bot will delete it, to leave the channel clean and informative.

Activity Parameters:
A lot of the above are fun changes and features that we hope you're all excited by, however, we do need to take a moment to address the elephant in the room. To put it bluntly, many users are currently not upholding the minimum posting requirements across their characters, and it is starting to become a problem. From marking they will be active in the Roll Call only to not post, marking themselves on hiatus for months on end with no communication to speak of, to not even clicking it at all. We email where applicable, and not much is being done to rectify it.

This is frustrating for players who want to be active, yet cannot as people are not keeping up with threads. Simply making a new thread isn't always an option.

This forum will now run on a system of threes. Three months of failing to meet minimums will result in an email warning or strike where applicable. Three months of hiatus will result in a check-in, and a prolonged hiatus beyond that will result in a warning, especially if there has been no communication. Should a player get three strikes, they will be asked to drop a character. If they only have one character? It will be a removal from the board. We understand real life does come first, and that this forum is simply for fun - however, in saying that, one post every two weeks is more than manageable beyond specialized situations. Again, we don't need to know the ins and outs, though some basic communication is required, either via the Hiatus Channel, or poking Administration directly.

Remember, if you know you cannot meet activity, be sure not to involve your characters in site-wide plots and missions that can hold up other people. It isn't fair on them.

Updated Rules:
As the forum has grown over the years, so too have things evolved in which new obstacles have arisen that originally weren't taken into account. To reflect, the Rules section has not only been shortened to help streamline, but also had some things further clarified and modified to establish things further. Please reacquaint yourselves with these changes, as moving forward we will be following these rules.

New Character Limit:
What's this? One of the longest-standing limitations is being removed? Well… yes, and no. The short answer is that we've come to realize we don't really mind how many characters you want to play (within reason), but the long answer is a little more complicated than that. Everyone is given four character slots so long as they can retain consistent activity with them.

Going forward, if you want additional characters beyond this, you must actively contribute to the community by engaging in and running site plots or mini-plots for an extended period, as well as assisting others if they are struggling to find an RP partner. Users must make a continued, active effort to maintain this standard, and cannot simply stop once they get their 5th - or they will be asked to drop one.

Overall:
These changes have been a long time coming, and have taken a lot of hard work to accomplish, and we hope that you all enjoy the effort that has been put in. The site has been around for well over ten years now, and it's only because of you guys that we keep doing what we do. As we said earlier in the newsletter, if there is anything that ever needs to be brought up as a concern or if you have an idea for the site itself, please feel free to reach out to the Admins at any time.