February 2020 Site Update

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Welcome to Umbra Roleplaying!
We are an 18+ multi-genre roleplaying and writing community open to writers of all types.
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Jun 12, 2019
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February 2020
Site Update

Holy guacamole, somehow we've all managed to crawl our way through the first month of a new decade! For some of us, the start of 2020 has been an absolute disaster. For others, a crazy whirlwind of excitement and new beginnings. And for others, it's been middling, but that doesn't mean good things aren't coming around the corner.

Yes, that is my goofy transition into what's been, what's happening, and what's coming along...

Catching you up...

  • Thank you to everyone who participated in our January events! Whether you spent some time testing your skills with @Candi Cosmo's Crossword Puzzle or helping others to achieve their New Year's goals with @ReireitheSmileFaerie's AccountabiliBuddies event, we appreciate all your hard work!

    Candi Cosmo [fa]heart[/fa] Dao Ma [fa]heart[/fa] MajinKirbuu [fa]heart[/fa] Merra
    Rebornfan320 [fa]heart[/fa] ReireitheSmileFaerie [fa]heart[/fa] Somniac [fa]heart[/fa] starfire​

  • We'd also like to take a moment to welcome our new site Assistant @Merra to the team. Merra is an extremely talented artist with a creative eye and an incredibly welcoming demeanor. We think she'll be a wonderful addition to the Umbra team, and we're excited to have her here!

    Feel free to drop by the Art Sharing forum to check out her art thread, Merra's Chamber of Arts. If you ask nicely, Merra may be willing to draw one of your custom characters for you!



What the fuck is happening now?


  • For the chocolatey, gooey, squishy month that is February, we've got a gaggle of events for you to waste your time with! Candi has whipped up another Crossword Puzzle for all those who love good word-related games, Merra will be providing you all with some excellent Writing Prompts to stretch those fingers, and I have some traditional whackadoodle Nev weirdness to keep you all entertained throughout the month.

    Nyco and Candi have also provided us with some delectable medals to reward all you sexy beasts.

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    Check out all the writing, games, and other fun bits in our Event & Challenges forum!

  • Last month we saw a significant dip in site rankings on Top RP Sites. While Nyco and I don't maintain the illusion that we'll be at the top of the list (our current membership size prevents that), we do want to remain on the front page to help attract new members to the site. Voting once per day helps us do that, and only takes a couple of seconds!

    To help encourage everyone to remember to vote, I've decided to host a raffle for all those who vote at least three times throughout the month of February. What do you get if you enter and win the raffle? A CUSTOM SITE THEME, Y'ALL. (See, I told you you'd have the opportunity to get another one!)

    Our previous Custom Theme winner was the glorious @Junnabee. To see what I did there, check out the theme "Bloom" in your site preferences.

    So you want to enter the raffle and get your own theme? Here's how:

    1. Vote for Umbra on Top RP Sites! Send a screen shot of you at the voting page to @Nevermind. Make sure the date and time is visible in your browser so I know you've voted on different dates.

    2. Do this three times. That's it!

    Everyone who sends in three separate screenshots will be entered into the raffle at the end of the month. We will announce the winner in March's site update.

    Good luck!


What can y'all look forward to?


  • Nyco and I have been discussing a few minor add ons and site upgrades to install to spiffy up this already pretty spifftacular place. Throughout the upcoming weeks, you may see some small changes to the site as we add more features to improve your Umbra experience.

    A couple of minor tools have been added to the site this month:

    - Invitation/Referral System - Have a friend you'd like to invite to Umbra? Now you can do it all cool-like with your very own Direct Invitation link! Everyone who signs up for Umbra using your link will be listed under the new "Invitations" tab on your profile. One invitation will get you a shiny "Club Umbra" medal. Five invitations will get you a pretty gold username as an official Umbra Supporter! To see your personal Invitation link, simply click the User Options drop-down menu in the top righthand corner of the page.​
    Once you've receive one (or five) invites, let an administrator know so we can reward you!

    - Self-Delete - We never wish to see anyone go. However, we understand that sometimes life gets in the way and instead of allowing accounts to sit and become sad little ghosts, you have the option of deleting your account on your own terms. To prevent accidental deletion, all users requesting a self-delete will be sent an email confirmation and be given a 24-hour grace period in case you change your mind and would like to stay. The option to self delete your account is located in the User Options drop down menu.​

    Is there anything you'd like to see on the site? Features you think would be helpful or fun? Let us know in this thread if there's something you'd be excited to have on the site. We can't promise to implement every suggestion, but we do look into everything to the best of our ability. With some luck and elbow grease (or just, you know, me bumbling around the server), we can make this site even better.


Nyctibius Nuggets & Candi Contemplations


  • Oh My Fucking God January Sucked Ass
    Hi all. Man, January was a busy month. I feel like things are finally slowing down, but my life has changed so drastically in the last four months that the slowdown almost feels like stagnation. The sense of stagnation evokes a sense of fear, of failure, which leads down a whole other rabbit hole... though perhaps 'rats nest' is a better way to describe it. Headspace is a strange thing to maintain perspective on, and the ability to cling to the right perspective is key when this sort of shit comes like a wrecking ball into your headspace.

    Life is weird and it never stops.

    We've got some big things in the works for you all. Despite the ups and downs of society, mental health, and poorly thought-out housing developments, Umbra continues marching forward. Be excellent to each other.

    - Nyco
  • What a weird ass month January was, amiright? Fuckin' Monday of the year. Sheesh. For me, it was rough. While I did manage to quit one of my jobs, I added school to my plate. The worst of it? I had a really scary medical situation happen. I am simply happy to be over those hurdles and past all of the bs. Let's get onto Tuesday- I mean February.

    This month is going to be kind of hectic for me, but in the best ways. It starts off with a much needed vacation. Unicorn Mom is going to Disneyland. For the first freakin' time. I'm stoked! Anyways, I'm going to be kind of busy from that, and then when I come back, I'm moving to a new apartment. Phew, a handful. But at least it's not Monday...

    ANYWAYS, TO YOU GUYS.​

    Umbra. Kids. My Fellow Rpers. You all are the fucking shit. We had a busy, busy month for January and were kind of quiet- and none of yall complained. You're still here. I'm so happy to see that. And huh? The fuck? ALMOST 400 MEMBERS? When the shit did that happen? Honestly, I remember when we hadn't even hit three digits. Now look at us. Man. Yall rock. Keep sharing this lovely place with more lovely people.

    And let me thank you. All of you. For sticking around with us and being awesome.

    OH, and side note: I am so sorry for those of you who wanted a word search alongside the crossword. I remembered, I promise. I'm just… too busy to make it this month. Please forgive me. Next month, March, I promise I'll have it.

    Kkthxbye.
    Sincerely,
    A somewhat emotional, half dead, and perpetually tired Omnipotent Robot Unicorn.


That's it for now, everyone! Thank you so much for being such an outstanding community; we are grateful each day for all of you who make this website what it is. Here's hoping you have a fantastic February!

xoxo,
Nevermind
 
@Member February update is now live. We have events, a custom theme raffle, and new site features to talk about (and more to come, but that'll be a surprise for now...)!

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments in this thread!