Longer than expected Maintenance, sorry about that.

So the sites been down for almost a week and we are still not all the way done but we have some big updates that we want to get out and the rest we can sort of slip in on you as we go!

First off! We have a new theme!

• As per our post asking how you wanted us to do this, the theme will now match your system settings. If you use a dark mode theme on your system the site will automatically be in dark mode for you and same for light mode. No more having to change and no more Morrigan neglecting fixing minor theme issues on the light theme that she never uses. All changes will go to both themes from now on.
• Create has been re-titled and reduced to the primary things that you want to submit in the header bar including a directory listing, topic and code in the codex. Other things will still be able to be created however just no longer available through the quick create menu!
• Navigation has been significantly reduced/moved to smarter locations. While still being overhauled we are trying to make things easier to use by reducing how much is thrown at you constantly. We hope the smarter/fewer links will help you better navigate the site even as we transition into getting more of it modified. Please let us know if its helpful or any suggestions in a response here.

Second off! We have did a full clean of our directories with tons of updates to how we are going to manage them (more information on directory pages will come soon)!

Some of these updates include how we're going to handle what we consider "sub listings" such as character wanted ads, affiliate and staff searches.

So Directory stuff!

• We removed Twitter, Tumblr Facebook, Date Opened, Fandom/Original and Wanted Ads fields in the directory. They were either not used, not really worth having another field to fill out or misused. As such we have just taken them out of the equation. Fewer fields means faster submissions anyways!!
• We have extended short descriptions!! It's now up to a paragraph long (500 characters) however there is extended restrictions on this field that you will see in some of the adjustments to our acceptance protocols.
• We have integrated Character Wanted Ads, Staff Searches and Affiliate requests into the RPG Directory.
  • While these items still exist separate of the main listing and can be searched as normal the creation button and listings will primarily be found in the Directory itself. This is to centralize where you manage what is connected to your database. It will also help with making sure duplicates aren't made in other databases.
  • These listings have been removed from the main forum page but placed in the directory listing template so as people browse listings they can find out if you are looking for affiliates, characters or staff right on your listing.
  • Combining the character wanted ads will hopefully encourage you to encourage your members to come post their searches so that they can show off what they are looking for in your listing to show how active and excited they are!!
  •     We will no longer be checking the activity of these listings unless we are purging your listing due to severe inactivity or your site being offline. This means if your main listing is active, so are all of your sub listings.
• Changed Canon/Premade list to just say "Canon List" they mean the same thing but they have different contexts in different roleplay settings so we decided on 1 name for it instead of two.
• We are going to start denying listings that list their software in any listing template (short description, and title are the ones we are talking about here). On the Initiative we are adamant that all softwares have their merit and allowing users to advocate specific softwares in a listing template shows a bias that we don't support. We believe all forms of RPing is sacred in their own way, the medium shouldn't be what sways your decision. As such, we have previously just actively removed this content from listings, moving forward we will just not accept listings that have this sort of verbiage in these fields. Editing them after the fact will have your listing deleted.
• Listing names and information has some wonky stuff. During our transition there was a hiccup that required us to restore some information. This restore has affected sites descriptions and some site titles. Please review your listing and update where needed.

Thirdly! Things still in the works:

• Small tweaks of things that we noticed didn't quite convert the way we like in the theme.
• We are looking for a way to allow you to add staff to your listing so that they can also edit your listing to make your life easier. More than one person can edit? More than one person can bump it.
• We are still working on the bump mechanic so you don't have to fully edit (don't forget to donate if you want it sooner rather than later).
• When you click on one of the new search links it auto-fills the site field.
• New click to filter option instead of the form that we have now.
• More navigation overhaul, we are really trying to reduce on confusion and make everything a lot simpler to access with more centralized locations for everything. If you have a suggestion please feel free.

Lastly! We still want the Initiative to be a place you enjoy coming to! We know that the last year has been really hard on everyone! Its been a nightmare for us too! We know things have been hard! If you have suggestions please let us know.

For the time being, however, we are back burning any of our potential projects including staff reviews, creative directory and more things that we want to just let you know we still have a passion for just not the time.

We are still looking for staff members that fit into our fold. We've had some attempts but not well fits. We are an eclectic and opinionated bunch! We want people that are willing to contribute and expand our group while not getting eaten alive by our existing dynamic! We need and want people that are passionate and willing to push us back a little while still willing to learn and grow with us.

We are excited to move forward into a new year and excited that its already almost over... right?