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[DarkRider]

In an effort to keep all of our regular users in the know about major changes a staff member will report major site changes here in this thread. If you've discovered a change around site that was not listed here feel free to inquire about it, but please don't let this thread fill up with idle chatter, we want to maintain a clear record for your reference.

[DarkRider]

Just updating here with a couple things we are actively working on and will be bringing to the site:

TESA Media: We're working on bringing TESA Media online, We've got it in place, but needs some reskinning before we can launch it. TESA Media will allow mod authors to upload their trailers and custom music tracks right here on site and embed them throughout the forums! No more hassling with external sites for your media hosting! In addition Voice Actors will be able to host their voice samples and never fear about an external site shutting down

Tracker Upgrade: We recently launched our project tracker, a TESA custom module based on IP Tracker, and the first of its kind to be opened and offered freely to modders for tracking bugs in their modding projects! Today we purchased a tracking alternative and will be upgrading our current tracker to this much more stable and user friendly version. Because our current tracker is based on IP Tracker (which is in beta, known for a lot of inherent bugs and issues) it just can't provide the stability modders need and deserve so look for that upgrade soon!

Modding Contests: We will be hosting a lot of new modding contests in the near future after receiving requests for more challenges like our annual Halloween challenge, we're happy to oblige. We have 3 challenges planned for what remains of 2012, with more to follow so watch the News Stand and TESA blog for those announcements!

[DarkRider]

TESA Chat Room We've brought the old chat room back to TESA, though for those of you who have been with us long enough to remember the old chat room you'll notice it's been updated quite a bit since then! In the early days of TESA we simply didn't have enough traffic to justify a need for a chat room AND a shoutbox. Since the shouty was more pronounced on site and seemingly more popular we kept it. Now, things have changed. We're bringing the chat room back for a few reasons but chief among them is to loosen the chat hold we have to maintain in the shoutbox because it's on our index. We sometimes curb convos that are not painting the site in a flattering way because it's one of the first things our guests see while deciding if they'd like to sign on to this madhouse. We wanted to give our users an alternate outlet for some of those more raucous convos (though please don't read that as free for all, we will still be monitoring rule violations, there are just looser rules in the chat room).

We also wanted to give mod authors a way to be able to collaborate real time with their friends on site, and that can be done in the chat room. During quieter hours, mod authors are free to hog the chat room with their dev chat, start private chats with their friends, Project Leaders can even schedule a meeting during which we will close the chat room to their Team only so they can participate in a scheduled collaboration.

Not everyone can private chat in the chat room, just for security reasons, only users with colored tags or members of the new chat room group can participate in private chats. Do not ask to be added to the chat room group unless you've been here actively longer than 6 months, we need to get to know you before giving you access to private chat.

[DarkRider]

TESA Vent: At long last, we're opening a ventrilo server for the Alliance! using our voice-to-voice server, TESA users will be able to connect like never before. Hosted Projects will receive private channels for live voice team collaborations, TESA regulars can lounge about our ventrilo shouty and talk real time about whatever strikes their fancy! Hook up with your TESA pals and head in game and chat while exploring your favorite game world! the possibilities are endless and we're really excited to be bringing this online very soon, just need to finish the setup!

[DarkRider]

Ads by AdSense: TESA has finally reached the maturity level where it becomes necessary to open the site to external advertising. The various ad elements, like the one on the sidebar, cannot be collapsed like other page elements; that's working as intended. If you don't wish to view ads on TESA, please consider upgrading your membership, the lowest tiered upgrade is Ad-Free, it's only $1 a month and removes all ads from your view while still supporting the site.

[DarkRider]

Housecleaning: Some of our inactive features have been housecleaned out, including the Beta Testing Guild. Guild members will be returned to the general user group, but will retain their awarded medals. Also have removed the Bruma Court and Rikanda RPG games.

Multiplayer Online: We've added an MMO section in preparation for ES Online's release in 2013. We've also opened boards for Star Wars Old Republic and Guild Wars 2. We'll be offering free subforums and vent channels to established clans.

TESA's ESRB Rating Enforcement: We'd like to better quantify our site rating for our users. TESA has an ESRB rating of T for TEEN, or PG-13 for the old hats. Content posted to this site may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, and/or infrequent use of strong language. Up until now we have been policing this a bit stringently, expect to see some relaxing of the rating into an appropriate T level.

Shoutbox Rule Repealed: The shoutbox rules regarding links have changed. You may now link to anywhere except youtube, spam, and things that violate our rating.