March 2021 Site Update

[Nevermind]

March 2021
Site Update
​

After a little break to ease into the new year, we're back and ready to bug you with questions! (Hopefully not too much bugging, but y'know, sometimes we all need a little poke. Take that however you will.)

We've been lucky enough to have seen a big growth in userbase over the last few months. Firstly, WELCOME to all of our new members who've joined us and lended their stellar writing skills to the collective roleplaying pool. We're extremely excited to have you and can't wait to see what you do.

Secondly, with this new influx of users, we're eager to know what you would like to see in regards to events and activities for Umbra. In the past, we've tried a variety of different things in order to give you all some extra oomph to your day. Everything from writing contests, forum games, and site-wide roleplays to Discord game nights, a Book Club, etc. These activities have all received middling-to-zero participation. Whether that is because we weren't big enough to drum up excitement, or we weren't hitting on what you guys really want to do, we want to know so we can better tailor site experiences to you.

If you have a few free minutes, it would be exceptionally helpful if you'd fill out this survey and let us know what kinds of events would garner your excitement. What do you like to do site-wise when you aren't roleplaying? What kinds of rewards would encourage you to hop in? Or, if you're the kind of writer who comes for the roleplay and only the roleplay, please let us know that, too! We want to hear from everyone so we can better understand what our memberbase is interested in.

Click here to take the anonymous survey.

After you fill out the survey, why not check out our Monthly Writing Prompt? @Merra puts these together every month if you're looking for a little writing inspiration.

Feel free to post any extra thoughts you may have to this thread. We're eager to hear from you!

Have some pancakes!

xoxo,
Nev

 

[Nevermind]

@Member @Moderator @Administrator

Hey everyone! Hope the first few months of 2021 have been treating you well. We have a couple questions we'd love to ask, so please check out the update above and let us know what's on your mind!

Also, I feel like tossing out some medals. If you're interested in any of the medals from our catalogue, post here and let me know!

 

[RosK]

As a new user on this site who hasn't done much of anything yet I'll say this. I didn't join to play party games, for movie nights, or writing events / challenges. What I joined was for roleplay and I see this sort of push for engagement on so many forums and I think you may be setting your focus in the wrong direction.

As a new user what I would like to see is utility. Nothing engages me more than RP specific tools that make the act of RPing more engaging, visually fun, and easier. I am more engaged with sites that make my RPing experience better over forced socialization; roleplay is my socialization, roleplay is why we're here.

I understand that unfortuantely much of what I am about to suggestion takes MONEY, cold hard cash, so I don't expect this stuff to happen . . . but for the sake of ideas how about these:

Not sure if linking to other sites is okay, but this very, very completely and utterly DEAD AF site (RIP) has one of my all time favorite setups for roleplay. It supurisingly is so useful and 10 years later I still gush over this and wish it was something RP sites would do.

Individual Worlds this is an old af rp of mine on the site, but what is important is the whole tabbed system. The roleplays world is contained in this lovely tabbed layout . . . I have only seen 2 sites do this (wtfrpg and roleplaygateway) and I watched RPN try to attempt this and failed.

This THIS, THIS is what I want. This would engage me and I would likely be insanely loyal to this site if you gave me a tabbed world. Think about it the profiles built in, the threads build in, the extra built in. THIS is the best thing for roleplays. ORGANIZATION!!!! HOLY SHIT ORGANIZTION!!!! No more linking threads and banners and trying to track all your shit . . . IT IS ALL IN ONE PLACE AT A SINGLE GLANCE YOU CAN SEE AND FIND EVERYTHING!

I apperciate social activities but they aren't what keeps my engagement up. I didn't join this site to play party games I'm here to roleplay. If you give me roleplay related tools I will engage, hands down, you cater to RPing in a way I can't get anywhere else I'll stay . . . right now your forum gives me what hundreds of other forums give me, I can get this forum experience ANYWHERE . . . I can't get beautiful tools anywhere.

PEACE! XD <3

 

[Nevermind]

As a new user on this site who hasn't done much of anything yet I'll say this. I didn't join to play party games, for movie nights, or writing events / challenges. What I joined was for roleplay and I see this sort of push for engagement on so many forums and I think you may be setting your focus in the wrong direction.

As a new user what I would like to see is utility. Nothing engages me more than RP specific tools that make the act of RPing more engaging, visually fun, and easier. I am more engaged with sites that make my RPing experience better over forced socialization; roleplay is my socialization, roleplay is why we're here.

I understand that unfortuantely much of what I am about to suggestion takes MONEY, cold hard cash, so I don't expect this stuff to happen . . . but for the sake of ideas how about these:

Not sure if linking to other sites is okay, but this very, very completely and utterly DEAD AF site (RIP) has one of my all time favorite setups for roleplay. It supurisingly is so useful and 10 years later I still gush over this and wish it was something RP sites would do.

Individual Worlds this is an old af rp of mine on the site, but what is important is the whole tabbed system. The roleplays world is contained in this lovely tabbed layout . . . I have only seen 2 sites do this (wtfrpg and roleplaygateway) and I watched RPN try to attempt this and failed.

This THIS, THIS is what I want. This would engage me and I would likely be insanely loyal to this site if you gave me a tabbed world. Think about it the profiles built in, the threads build in, the extra built in. THIS is the best thing for roleplays. ORGANIZATION!!!! HOLY SHIT ORGANIZTION!!!! No more linking threads and banners and trying to track all your shit . . . IT IS ALL IN ONE PLACE AT A SINGLE GLANCE YOU CAN SEE AND FIND EVERYTHING!

I apperciate social activities but they aren't what keeps my engagement up. I didn't join this site to play party games I'm here to roleplay. If you give me roleplay related tools I will engage, hands down, you cater to RPing in a way I can't get anywhere else I'll stay . . . right now your forum gives me what hundreds of other forums give me, I can get this forum experience ANYWHERE . . . I can't get beautiful tools anywhere.

PEACE! XD <3

Click to shrink...

Your opinion is valued, and the input is appreciated. It is difficult to cater to everyone, and we've received feedback ranging everywhere from, "You should do more activities, I am bored when there isn't extra going on" to "I do not care, I'm only here for the RP."

Both are completely valid, but it tends to leave us in a bit of limbo we are currently attempting to remedy. I'd like to think that somewhere there is a healthy balance where we can cater to both people who like activities, and others like yourself who would rather focus on their own writing.

Your suggestion is an interesting one. As I am not a programmer, I've attempted to work within the confines of our forum software to provide different areas for people to work in. While I do not know if it is possible to do what you suggest without completely throwing out the site format and starting over from scratch, it does give me pause and the opportunity to consider how we might freshen things up to give people more options when it comes to their own stories.

Thank you for your input, it is very refreshing to see someone offer up some thoughts to get our own gears turning!

 

[Dao Ma]

PANCAKES!!!
my dream has come true~

 

[Lady Mothra]

I wouldn't mind seeing other events, I'm not sure what kind honestly. But for the most part I'm happy here and so is my hubby. We Pretty much only write with each other so we are content with everything here pretty much. I can't think of anything to add honestly.

 

[Calamity]

Can we pick? >.>

 

[Nevermind]

Can we pick? >.>

Click to shrink...

If you are asking for medals, yes. You pick a couple you like and I will award them to you.

 

[Calamity]

If you are asking for medals, yes. You pick a couple you like and I will award them to you.

Click to shrink...

Paragone

Samurai

 

[Lady Mothra]

Can I please get the Kukri medal for my hubby lord Zilla and the adorable Froggo medal for myself? Please and thank you.

 

[Rebornfan320]

The Conjurer

The Romantic

[medals please]

With the new influx of users coming, I hope it can drum up interest for everyone. I do like the writing contests and forum games to me. Book Club is awesome as a whole.
Discord is still popular with people, though it baffles me what is wrong there.
When I'm not roleplaying, I am generally gaming or watching videos. I think rewards that encourage participation, inclusion and the feeling of reward for hard work [if not understood, I am speaking in game terms so I apologize]

 

[Atrocitus]

Mmmm, nothing like the good old smell of alloys straight out of the forge. If we're still feeling generous with medals, I would like Renegade and "what the f***, my guy?" I will totally make a valuable post to this site at some later point in time lmao

 

[RosK]

Could I have these medals! XD

• Bi Pride
• Pan Pride
• Taurus
• Fuel the Fab

 

[Lord Zilla]

I would like to request two medals for my friend and new member @Lord Defender. May he please have the Khukri and the Samurai medals. We go way back in RP and the frontlines of retail hell

I would be remiss if I don't at least request the Wolf School medal for my wonderful wife @Lady Mothra in return to those which she has gifted to me as well.

 

[Atrocitus]

Now, it is time for my epic contribution. Here it is: I am a HUGE fan of interconnected stories woven into a larger web, making up parts of what I like to call the "canon". The most famous example most people think of is Homestuck. (Not that we have to do anything of that scale, but I think it would be really compelling to create a similar system where everybody can contribute different aspects of the story. Obviously there would be "tales" which are just indepedently written stories creating the "universe" the story would take place in, and cooperative roleplays between multiple people who would select a certain/characters to use within the established world. Not saying this would work, but if it got off the ground I think it would be pretty epic.

 

[Nevermind]

Now, it is time for my epic contribution. Here it is: I am a HUGE fan of interconnected stories woven into a larger web, making up parts of what I like to call the "canon". The most famous example most people think of is Homestuck. (Not that we have to do anything of that scale, but I think it would be really compelling to create a similar system where everybody can contribute different aspects of the story. Obviously there would be "tales" which are just indepedently written stories creating the "universe" the story would take place in, and cooperative roleplays between multiple people who would select a certain/characters to use within the established world. Not saying this would work, but if it got off the ground I think it would be pretty epic.

Click to shrink...

While I'm also a huge fan of interconnected stories, that isn't really what Umbra is about. Umbra is a platform created to house stories and help roleplayers find other roleplayers. We never set out to be a website with a canon or overarching story. There are hundreds of roleplaying sites who do this and do it well, each with their own unique and compelling canon. I appreciate all the work the owners and staff of said sites have put in to create their rich worlds, but I have zero desire to emulate it.

That said, if individual Umbra members wish to create their own world and involve other members and multiple roleplays, I'm all for it. You all have the power to use this platform as you wish to create the stories you want to create. I would even be willing to set up a system to dedicate specific forums for these larger worlds and accomodate these stories--a roleplaying site within a roleplaying site, essentially. I'd be happy to discuss this with any members who are serious about the idea and willing to put in the work to keep it going, but it isn't something I or Umbra staff is going to take lead on (unless the staff member was the one setting up their own world and canon).