Spotlight Contest voting has started! In the future, the staff will not be announcing this, because it will already be in the news, but because there was no previous week's contest, we're giving everyone a heads up!
After extensive polling and discussion, the RNG Name Reroller is now out. This is a rare item that can reroll an adopt's RNG name, similar to the Name Flip Stone but it is completely random. There is an indicator icon on profiles of adopts who have had their RNG names rerolled.
We understand this item has been a heated subject of disagreemnt amongst both players and staff. With this update, I want to remind everyone that we're in closed beta and there are two possible outcomes for this item:
1. It will enhance the game for some players. Nothing will change for others because of the rarity of the item, and the indicators (those who don't like this item can look out for the indicator icon).
2. It will devalue the name system and dehance the game. In this scenario, the update will be rolled back (the item will be removed, and all adopts that it was used on will have their names reverted).
Reasons this item is being added:
- Users who feel trapped by adopts being forced to keep an old name is an unsettling experience if you've had this happen in real life. Though we try to prevent this with the [remoldname] code, this item would provide a more permanent alternative.
- 4dopt is in early access and this naming system (as far as we know) has never been done on other sites. We want to make sure to test this out while the site is still young, so we don't have to keep coming back to 'should RNG names be rerollable' years down the line. If this doesn't work, we'll know exactly why and can deny fiture suggestions for it.
Thank you all for the feedback! We will keep an eye on this.
There are a few more notable creator updates today:
Recolor items: The recolor items have been given the new find item selection UI. This UI is still being tested and may need more tweaks. It will be necessary as the site grows to prevent lag (the old dropdowns have been replaced due to this).
Item/Species Notifications: There is a new system in place to allow creators to notify players of updates related to their species and items. This feature can be found currently in the Release panel. You can send a notification once every 3 days at most (to prevent spam). This should be used for things that may affect or interest players such as layer fixes, new colors, settings changes, and other types of announcements!
These notifications will only go to players who have the species/item. Also, players can turn these off in their notification settings.
Notes: The news and notifications system still need work. We know it's a bit messy right now, so we're still working on making these systems a bit more organized and lessy spammy. More updates to come later!
Just to everyone knows, the Apply for Artist link has been moved to the Plaza (bottom section) and is only visible to non artists. So if you are bringing friends to the site, be aware this is no longer in the sidebar.
Some updates have been made to the art panel and crediting. We are working towards enhancing ability for creators to collaborate using the crediting feature.
Easy access to contributor species - The 'my species' page will now list species that you have art credit for at the bottom of the page, with a link to that species' art panel. This will make it easy for non-creators to find the species they are helping out with.
Improved error messages - If you cannot view a species you were credited on, make sure to sign the license agreement. License agreements must be signed before the art panel can be accessed by contributors. The error message for this has been updated with this information.
Creator-only crediting - Contributors can no longer add credit, the ability to add credit to a species is strictly meant for just the creator. This will make it safer for creators to add contributors without the risk of having their species hijacked.
Further restrictions - There are now THREE levels of permissions on art panel access for contributors. This is also being added to give creators the ability to collaborate with less risk. The default permission is NO ART CP ACCESS, so make sure to edit this in the future if you want other artists to have access to your art panel.
No Art CP - This is the default option and will prevent contributors from accessing your species completely. This is meant to be used when you intend to upload their artwork on their behalf. All artwork that is not yours must STILL be credited to the respective artist, and the license agreement MUST be signed by them to adhere to the 4dopt Terms of Service. Do NOT use your own credit if you did not draw the artwork yourself, and do NOT attempt to sign a license agreement on behalf of another artist—this will result in an account ban.
Upload Only - as it sounds, grants only permission for contributors to view and upload files. No replacing, editing, deleting, adding new file names, or accessing the species mascot. This is the default setting and the safest way to allow others to add artwork
Full Access - This option gives contributors full access to your art panel, sans the ability to add/edit/remove credit!
All current credit has been given Full Access permission (even though No ART CP is the default) to minimize changes to older accounts, since this is how the site used to function! The heavier restrictions options are new.
Please post bugs in the bug report forum, and thank you all for your feedback!