Posted by Kim on June 27, 2011, 3:56pm
Here's what has happened so far this month:- Yet Another Server Upgrade
- New Feature: Printable Character Sheets
- Will Forum Chat Remain Free For Everyone?
- The Battle Of "Error Undefined"
- Some New Game Icons
Yet Another Server Upgrade
Because we shared our server with other websites, we were getting terrible lag kickback from our neighbors. Worse, one of our neighbors was frequently attacked. Every time they were brought down, they'd bring us with them, or slow us to a painful crawl.
Finally, it happened one too many times. While we were pinned down under enemy fire, I asked our host to help us make an emergency move to our own virtual private server.
This sudden switch of servers caused its own turmoil, and in the ensuing hours of confusion, some of you were unable to get to the site. To make up for any missed time, anyone who had an Epic Account at the time of the move has received 7 extra days of Epicness.
Now that our server is protected from the meddling of noisy neighbors, we can look forward to a future of greater reliability. Perhaps even a future that looks like this...
New Feature: Printable Character SheetsEver wanted to print out one of your characters to take to a tabletop game?
Now it's as easy as choosing the printer icon from your character's management page! This feature will attempt to strip out details that don't play well with printers, or widgets that only make sense online -- while still retaining all the essential information that makes your character unique.
Even if you don't play in Tabletop games, it can make backing up all your hard work a snap.
The Fate Of Forum Chat
Back when this feature was first launched, it came with a warning: It might become a feature that was only offered to Epic members, because it burns bandwidth as fast as Trogdor the Burninator incinerates peasants.Since then, being able to chat in real time has for many of you become an indispensible part of your RP arsenal. And no one wants to see you deprieved of RP!
So, in order to preserve this precious natural resource for everyone, a decision has been made.
The chat will remain free for everyone to use.
To help make sure that keeping the chat free is sustainable, free accounts that use the chat for more than 10 hours in a month will see a reminder about how much fun they have using the chat and how inexpensive it can be to support us. If spending money on games isn't in the cards for you right now, just click right past the prompt. It will only appear once at the start of each chat session, and then not bother you again.
It's not intrusive, the chat will stay open to all, and you get to see a picture of a teensy tiny dragon. Or is it a giant slice of pizza? Either way, everyone wins!
If you are already an Epic Member, please give yourself three hip hip hoorays. Your heroic contributions are what make it possible to keep the chat free to all.
The Battle Of "Error Undefined"
Like a band of marauding orcs, it struck without warning, showing no apparent sense as to how it chose its victims. The number of innocents that were briefly inconvenienced by its terrible visage is perhaps incalculable. For several weeks, I hunted this monstrous bug across the wilds of the RPR, descending deeper and deeper into madness. Sometimes, when the weariness of battle was simply too much for me, our own darth_angelus volunteered to keep watch through the night and warned me of its return by sounding the clarion call of a Bug Report.
While tracking the wily Error Undefined, many of its friends were found and slain, including a bug wherein Internet Explorer refused to show emoticons. I'm on to you, Internet Explorer.
Finally, the source of this error's power was discovered and destroyed. It's been over a week since a sighting of this error in the chat has been reported. All is quiet once more...
Of course, if Error Undefined rears its ugly head once more, DO NOT HESITATE to report it, and I will once again don my +2 Inverted Pot of Bug Hunting! This error should be considered armed and seriously annoying.
Let this be a message to all bugs everywhere: Your days are numbered.
New Game Icons
The fabulous and beautiful Ethelle has created more than half a dozen icons to replace the default chess piece for some of the more popular games that you have been tagging your characters with. What pluck! What initiative!
Thanks Ethelle!
And that's all the June news that's fit to print - So far! Stay tuned for yet more fabulous features.
Comments
I shall do my civic duty and stand guard to place any bugs that may cross my path under citizens arrest with extreme prejudice. Heh.
Wow! This is great! 
I'm also VERY glad that chat is remaining free, even though I'm an Epic Member currently. All my 'premium membership's to websites I'm on are because of contests and the like. I never have spent money on a website, because it's not available for such frugal spending.
Thank you so much Kim, for all your hard work!
Yay for fanart!!
I'm also VERY glad that chat is remaining free, even though I'm an Epic Member currently. All my 'premium membership's to websites I'm on are because of contests and the like. I never have spent money on a website, because it's not available for such frugal spending.
Thank you so much Kim, for all your hard work!
Yay for fanart!!
Error undefined is believed defeated, Lance. Consider yourself fortunate you never had to see its ugly mug!
If you find anything else wrong, a detailed bug report that explains
is always the best way to aid in the battle against bugs.
Consider yourself fortunate you never had to see its ugly mug!If you find anything else wrong, a detailed bug report that explains
- What you were trying to do
- How you were trying to do it
- What actually happened
- Which browser it happened in
is always the best way to aid in the battle against bugs.
I have to echo what darth is saying... real busy month going on. 
Wish there was a way I could assist in the hunt besides reports. Yet these elusive beast has failed to show itself to me. I think it fears the unspoken power I possess.
It's certainly been a busy month here
Minkja
June 28, 2011
12:21am
So glad chat is staying free. x);