Forums » Suggestions & Development Discussion » Improved Image Uploader?

I first started using this site about four years ago before I rejoined recently, and I'm incredibly surprised that the image upload system is still incredibly outdated. Even in other code-based forums I've used in the past, there's still an option to upload files if you want. It's surprising to me that this isn't an option on RPR, especially when as far as I've seen the forums really aren't code-heavy. The URL system is really inconvenient and I'm really tired of having to make google drive links every time I want to share an image with a buddy.

I get it. I normally just use the legacy uploader, though, because it doesn’t pixelate the image as much, if that helps for now!
I get how it can be annoying, though, because it’s been four years since you joined and such haha

Are you referring to the legacy uploader for profile pictures, or is there a way to upload for posts or messages? Because I haven't seen something like that.

Yeah, that’s only for profile pictures and pictures for your characters. I do very much agree with the image thing, though, because I go through imgur and sometimes it’s a hassle to grab the link. Sorry I may have misunderstood everything!

Something to keep in mind is that RPR is a relatively small site that is built and managed by a single person in addition to her regular job (if I remember right, it's something recent that RPR reached a point where its generally paying for itself, rather than being another cost she has to keep paying into herself). Images take up a ton more storage space than text, too, and that storage space has to be paid for. There's a limit even on how many images can be uploaded in a character profile before payment becomes necessary in order to keep that cost manageable. Even if forum uploads were similarly limited, that would be a massive increase in storage demands (and processing demands, which also has a price tag) for something that would only let users upload several images directly into the forums before they would either have to delete some to make space for new ones or allow the system to simply delete the oldest one for them, whatever that may be. At that rate, people would still have to turn to third-party image hosts (of which there are plenty) once they very quickly reach the limit.

It's not that it's outdated. It's that such a feature has been ignored by necessity because of financial constraints and how minor of an improvement such function would be over the current system.

Thanks for the information! I was wondering why the change hasn't been made. With all this in mind, I think I'll consider paying for a subscription! I really do love how this site is run, so knowing all this I'd like to support how I can... we'll see if that's a reasonable personal expense though, but I have been considering it!

Hurrah! If I remember right, the subscription does come out as the lowest-cost way to maintain an Epic Membership. If that would be too much too frequently, though, you could also go for the membership-granting items as you're able. Even if you end up with more characters than you're technically allowed without the membership (or buying more permanent slots), you can still keep using all of your characters, you just won't be able to edit the profiles of however many of the newest creations you exceeded the limit by.

I admit that I've had an Epic Membership long enough that I'm not always sure what's a perk or not. Mostly, I frequently forget that RPR actually... displays ads to those on free memberships. I do enjoy the perks, though. Plus, if you have an interest in CSS, access to character style customization provides a place to play around with that.

Buying some of the other items in the shop as you're able is another way you can give sporadic support, and some of them grant permanent stuff instead of just temporary. That's how there are people on this site with, like, 50+ or even 100+ characters listed.