Powers, bodies, and mutations have been needing to be redone for awhile now. The same goes for the currency system, as these go hand in hand. Until we know which platform we are choosing, nothing is set in stone in the long run with this. Nonetheless, changes need to happen with both systems.

At the moment, currency is hyper inflated. This may be due to post templates providing extra gems. In some cases, this hyperinflation may even provide an unfair advantage, such as one character having all the powers. We want to rework the site currency and correct the scale of pricing so that the shop is fair to everyone (gems that have been acquired through donations will not be removed), along with potentially setting a limit on how many powers are allowed per character. Not only this, but changing, adding, and editing powers so they cannot be overpowering. This is something we want to discuss as a community before proceeding, so please put your general thoughts here.

For example, questions that could be answered are:
a) Any power changes/limitations to be added?
b) Any new powers?
c) Any powers to be removed?
d) Mutation limitations?
e) New body types?
f) How to handle currency hyperinflation?
etc...

We will be updating our 'Guides' tab with the platform change. We would like to hear what guides need to be updated and need to be added. If you have specific ideas, please comment below.

Since we are raising the age limit, we would also like to introduce a list of topics that require a trigger warning, along with banned topics. Previously, we ran under 13+ regulations, but since our new age limit is in a weird in-between spot, we'd like to flesh out specifics to make things easier for everyone. If you'd like to suggest topics to require a trigger warning or be banned completely, please contribute to this thread.

So far, the list is compromised of:

Beasts of Beyond has ran on Simple Machines Forums (SMF) 2.0 for almost six years now. Our users have gotten used to the platform and found it is comfortable. Even so, SMF has upgraded to 2.1 and is in the process of creating 3.0. The last update to 2.0 was in 2021, leaving us behind by two years, and potentially more if we do not upgrade. While I would love to stick with SMF, I have been running into issues with upgrading to 2.1.

Three of our key modifications are out of date and cannot run on 2.1 without changes. Those being post templates, BBCode template coding, and subaccounts. I have managed to get BBCode template coding working, but the ability to save post templates and switch between accounts is something I will have to commission. After consulting some coders, the estimate for work is around $850 and it would take several months to finish. This does not include the other fees I have to take to keep the site hosted.

We can try to fundraise to stick to a familiar platform and upgrade our modifications accordingly. It may take some time, but I do believe we could do it. That said, there are other options.

Another option would be switching platforms. There are multiple options, but I have greatly considered MyBB and Xenforo as possible additions. MyBB is free, while Xenforo is paid forum software and is significantly pricier than what we are dealing with now (especially if not self-hosted). To make things simpler and easier to read, I will include a table pointing out the difference between each platform below.

Our final option is to stick with 2.0 and pray that things will get updated eventually... Truthfully, I do not see this happening though. The modifications mentioned have been abandoned and not updated within years. It is highly unlikely that something will come to replace it, especially so quickly. I worry that sticking with 2.0 will cause us to lose out on modern technology and, in the end, be more trouble than it's worth. While I love SMF, I cannot help but prioritize what is best for us.

To see our options, please check out the table below.
I would like to hear your in-depth thoughts about each option, not just a vote. This is a big decision that will effect our site's future.

Personally, I am conflicted. SMF's community has always been welcoming and has gladly assisted us with our many issues, but we are being held back from upgrading (due to cost and time). If we upgrade to 2.1 without fundraising, we can always just login between accounts or use post templates to signify what character we are roleplaying... That is not my favorite idea though.

On the other hand, MyBB is a free platform that includes a lot of the features that we already have. It does lack an up-to-date shop feature and that is a big part of our site too. This platform also has slightly working modifications to have post templates work, but it's not exactly ideal. That is why it's listed as 'somewhat.'

Xenforo is a paid platform. This can be fundraised, but I can also shoulder the costs myself. We would be losing posting templates with this platform.

Overall, I want to stick with what we know, but at what cost? This is WHY I want your input.

Hello BoBCats!

We want to discuss the possibility of raising Beasts of Beyond's age limit.

After some discussion between staff, we noticed a large portion (if not all) of our userbase are over the age of eighteen. Due to this, we feel that there is a strict maturity (and age) difference between our current rules. While staff agrees that we are not an eighteen plus website, due to our rules on sexual activities, we are suited for an older audience. Hence, as a crew, we decided on sixteen as a middle ground. This would be an easy change for us, given the current audience, but we just wanted to confirm before doing so.

Does anyone have any questions? Pros/cons? Any ideas along the way? Please let us know your thoughts, along with voting in the above poll. It will help us determine whether or not we will go through with this decision.

Regards,
Orion

Continuation from here.

As many of you can see, the Warriors board has taken a hit in activity over time. This is due to my inactivity and the inability to start the Warriors boards properly. I will take the blame for this completely. A lot has been going on in my life, which I may get into a different time, and I have not been able to attend to my BoB tasks lately. BoB is definitely a priority of mine, but life has come first lately due a multitude of things, and I dearly apologize for that. As a result, the Warriors board came to a staggering halt and has not seen any posts since late August.

With this in mind, I would like to discuss the possibility of putting effort back into these boards. While this may a fun addition to BoB, I want to mention a few points. Warriors, as shown already, is not the priority of the site. It's merely an addition. Along with this, continuing the Warriors boards may spread our activity throughout the site thin, rather than strictly focusing on the general animal roleplay boards. So, what do we do? Do we continue or drop it, potentially in favor of perhaps doing it in the future when things are more active?

Following this thread and #warriors-discussion on Discord.

Afternoon! Today I asked on Discord whether members would like for a staff decision on groups or if they would like to vote for groups. The answer was simple: voting! My recommendation is to vote for one canon anti-clan and one pro-clan. This is so the groups are diverse in characters to start off with and then can branch out within time, deciding their own fate. <3