Posted by Kim on December 31, 2015, 8:33am
The theme of 2015 for me was upgrading and maturing the site to reflect the lessons we've learned in our 5+ years of existence. And boy, I worked my tuckus off trying to meet that goal. Here's some highlights of what was accomplished:- Many tweaks have been made to the small-screen version of the site to make checking the RPR from your phone ever more convenient (Not that this is ever entirely done)
- Live chat via PMs was implemented, and unlocked by our intrepid membership during Epic Week.
- The available gender-options for players was expanded beyond male/female/other, to better reflect the diversity of our community.
- We created an adults only looking for RP forum to help people who are most comfortable playing with people 18+ for whatever reason.
- The search feature has been dramatically improved.
- Our email system has been made less spammy and dramatically more likely to get where it's going
- I completely rewrote the news system, which has made it easier to keep you up to date on the goings on on the site. This year has seen more news updates than any other!
- The Find RP search tool was combined with the Looking For RP Forums, and a whole slew of related improvements were made for both.
- We added categorization and organization of characters, making people to play with easier to find and making life easier for those of you with lots of characters on your account!
- Moderation tools for groups were dramatically expanded, including an automatic swear filter and the ability for group mods to edit posts.
- Character gallery widgets were reworked to allow for having more than one gallery per character, uploading multiple images at a time, more beautiful and organized thumbnails, and more!
- The introduction of Moa, our first named NPC, who travels in and out of the RPR bringing us strange imported goods from other lands.
- The friend system for both users and characters was completely rebuilt to allow for better management on all fronts.
And that's just major updates, to say nothing of hundreds of little tweaks and improvements made all over the site!We also had some amazing community events, such as...
- An epic plotline for our fifth anniversary, that brought the site together over puzzles, brain teasers, goblin combat, a boss battle, and even a pixel art RPG!
- The introduction of monthly office hours, where I make myself available to chat with members in real time about their ideas, concerns and questions.
- Our biggest Trick Or Treat the forums ever!
- Our biggest Festival of Being Excellent To Each Other ever!
- More new members than any previous year!
There was just one single updates-related goal that I had for the year that I didn't manage to complete, and that was overhauling all 200 of our character templates to work better, look better, and be compatible with mobile. Never fear, though, it looks like this feat will still be accomplished by early 2016.
When I compare the site today to the site of one year ago, it feels like night and day to me. Although some of the changes were subtle, often they solved problems or annoyances that some of you had been putting up with for years. The site is more modern, robust, flexible, and hey, more active! than ever before. Which is good, because I've got some big plans for 2016...
What about you? How did 2015 turn out? Did you have any notable RPs or accomplish any personal goals? Let us know in the comments!
Comments
You guys have had such incredible years! Thank you so much for sharing, you are making my heart happy.
Oh dang. Really, I missed a number of events this year and fortunately still, I was able to catch on the fun!
Year 2015, I made some new friends that are very dear to me. Quite an emotional year if you ask me. Resolved a few problems I was stuck with, and I was finally able to better express my thoughts and opinions (of course, without hurting anyone). I think I can convey my love and care for those precious to me without contemplating now. I believe I grew to be even more mature this year.
As for productivity, I did draw a lot less. Though I guess it's a little sacrifice to improve my writing(and extend gaming hours).
All in all, I'm pretty excited this year! Please be nice to me, 2016. Hopefully I'll be more active here to participate in community events with everyone!
Cheers to our accomplishments, and may we reach even more achievements!
Year 2015, I made some new friends that are very dear to me. Quite an emotional year if you ask me. Resolved a few problems I was stuck with, and I was finally able to better express my thoughts and opinions (of course, without hurting anyone). I think I can convey my love and care for those precious to me without contemplating now. I believe I grew to be even more mature this year.
As for productivity, I did draw a lot less. Though I guess it's a little sacrifice to improve my writing
All in all, I'm pretty excited this year! Please be nice to me, 2016. Hopefully I'll be more active here to participate in community events with everyone!
Cheers to our accomplishments, and may we reach even more achievements!
I've generally found the upgrades this year absolutely amazing and I can't wait for the template update soon!! I think my favorite was the email upgrade though, I had disabled them for so long and the new setup is so beautiful it's a joy to use.
As for my year, it's been massive progress forward in almost every aspect of my life! Got some of the best news in the last couple of months of the year about my future and I'm going strong into 2016. Learned lots of new knitting techniques and constructions and hope to spread more joy with my hobby!
Best of all was probably that I got to spend 2015 Christmas and New Year's Eve with my parents. Around this time 2014 I was bedridden for several weeks (couldn't even go to the bathroom) and it was a horrible way to go through the holidays. This year felt doubly amazing cause I had the freedom to walk around and go see everyone.
It was awesome!
Happy New Year everyone!
As for my year, it's been massive progress forward in almost every aspect of my life! Got some of the best news in the last couple of months of the year about my future and I'm going strong into 2016. Learned lots of new knitting techniques and constructions and hope to spread more joy with my hobby!
Best of all was probably that I got to spend 2015 Christmas and New Year's Eve with my parents. Around this time 2014 I was bedridden for several weeks (couldn't even go to the bathroom) and it was a horrible way to go through the holidays. This year felt doubly amazing cause I had the freedom to walk around and go see everyone.
It was awesome!Happy New Year everyone!
sweet
My, look at the time.
2015 saw me finally moving out, on, and up (sorta), with a return to my native state of Texas. It also saw the moving on and up of my parents.
So all in all, this year has been eventful!
So all in all, this year has been eventful!
2015 was a pretty good year for me when it comes to my hobbies. I recently took up fitness again to get healthier, made me some new friends which I'm sure will last, became a better DM and just improved overal as a person. It's had its hardships but I can't complain. Let's aim for that Bachelor in 2016 eh?
Now if only I could get started on that book.
Now if only I could get started on that book.
Ah, 2015... My gods.
Finally buckled down and started an apprenticeship/internship with my graphics teacher, art and writing, saw the return of two old friends, art and writing, started a poly relationship I love, MORE art and writing, found this site while getting back into roleplaying in general, so much more art and writing, and finally settled into a personal series project with a proper name.
...Did I mention art and writing? Yeah, lots of that speckled across the whole year, though not as much as I'd like compared to previous years.
Here's hoping 2016 is even more amazing and filled with art, writing, and lots and lots of RP!
Finally buckled down and started an apprenticeship/internship with my graphics teacher, art and writing, saw the return of two old friends, art and writing, started a poly relationship I love, MORE art and writing, found this site while getting back into roleplaying in general, so much more art and writing, and finally settled into a personal series project with a proper name.
...Did I mention art and writing? Yeah, lots of that speckled across the whole year, though not as much as I'd like compared to previous years.
Here's hoping 2016 is even more amazing and filled with art, writing, and lots and lots of RP!
MMMMMM...
2015 has been one hell of a HECTIC year for me, filled with more downs than there were ups. I'm glad that the year is over, and I'm hoping that 2016 will be far better than what 2015 proved to be for me.
My time on RPR has been nothing but smiles from me in the time that I've been registered and on the site. Coming here is a pretty perfect getaway for me, especially with the events of 2015 and what happened. The community that I've grown really close to is so helpful and supportive, that I'm looking so forward to 2016 with the people I've gotten to know here. :')
2015 has been one hell of a HECTIC year for me, filled with more downs than there were ups. I'm glad that the year is over, and I'm hoping that 2016 will be far better than what 2015 proved to be for me.
My time on RPR has been nothing but smiles from me in the time that I've been registered and on the site. Coming here is a pretty perfect getaway for me, especially with the events of 2015 and what happened. The community that I've grown really close to is so helpful and supportive, that I'm looking so forward to 2016 with the people I've gotten to know here. :')
Dedicated my time to an amazing community on Furcadia and watched them grow! Solved some serious issues and gained new friends along the way
Celebrated holidays with a very close friend of mine and got to experience so much more than I ever had before. 1 year out on my own and it's pretty great so far.
Celebrated holidays with a very close friend of mine and got to experience so much more than I ever had before. 1 year out on my own and it's pretty great so far.
Got engaged, finished my novel (first full draft at least, still getting edited by friends), survived.
2015 has been a year to remember, I've had a lot of fun and have made a lot of friends too!!!
Tate
December 31, 2015
9:55am
2015 was a bizarre year for me.
I spent the first half of this year in an apprenticeship with an abusive person. After leaving that, I finally become officially NOT homeless for the first time in five years. Achievement number one and two are leaving and enforcing my boundaries, and finding a home.
I hold the gender addition to RPR as a personal achievement. I understand it probably would have eventually happened without me, but I feel this was one of the few times I felt passionately about something enough, and found such a wonderfully receptive ear, that it was such a personal achievement for me. It made RPR truly feel like home.
I refound some amazing friendships in the last few months, which is... absolutely huge for me.
And...I believe I founded my first setting this year, didn't I?
I also began making plushies this year, with the help of generous donors!
This year.. bizarre and very full! It's left my head spinning.
I spent the first half of this year in an apprenticeship with an abusive person. After leaving that, I finally become officially NOT homeless for the first time in five years. Achievement number one and two are leaving and enforcing my boundaries, and finding a home.
I hold the gender addition to RPR as a personal achievement. I understand it probably would have eventually happened without me, but I feel this was one of the few times I felt passionately about something enough, and found such a wonderfully receptive ear, that it was such a personal achievement for me. It made RPR truly feel like home.
I refound some amazing friendships in the last few months, which is... absolutely huge for me.
And...I believe I founded my first setting this year, didn't I?
I also began making plushies this year, with the help of generous donors!
This year.. bizarre and very full! It's left my head spinning.
@Highjinx - AMAZING! Congrats!
@GamerWoona - Glad to hear it, I think!
@GamerWoona - Glad to hear it, I think!
Did not achieve much, but managed to find this site. While it did not help my with studying, it certainly made me good friends.
rate 10/10
Would lose my social life again
rate 10/10
Would lose my social life again
What a great year RPR had!
As for me, I took a break from RPing, but I accomplished a pretty big personal goal!
Congratulations to RPR, and here is to another (and more) amazing year!
As for me, I took a break from RPing, but I accomplished a pretty big personal goal!
Congratulations to RPR, and here is to another (and more) amazing year!
Libertine
January 13, 2016
11:34pm
My family and I settled down in a new state after my spouse and I both reached the end of our military contracts, we've worked together on readopting civilian lives. I practice art off and on with the eyes and encouragement of a few fantastic individuals. I rekindled old friendships and made a few new ones, I let go of an old grudge, I ended a few plots and struck up a few dozen fresh ones. I found a cozy community on Furc and
draggedled my oldest OC through all new territories.It hasn't all been a basket of roses, but I wouldn't trade the hard times off. I've learned a great deal, and I'm grateful for every individual that's contributed to it all, the "positive" and the "negative".