Closing Announcement

Warrior Cats of the Forest will close on its tenth anniversary, January 16th, 2019. This has been an incredibly difficult decision for me to make, but it is not one I have made in haste. As I have grown older, it has become more and more difficult to balance the demands of maintaining this website alongside my offline responsibilities and as we crept through our eighth and ninth anniversaries, I began to look toward the tenth anniversary as a natural close, a time when I could gracefully step away from my role as a website owner. The closer we came to this point, the more certain I have become. I have truly enjoyed my time as the owner of Warrior Cats of the Forest, but I cannot continue to meet the website’s demands on my time and am ready to begin a new chapter of my life. It is my hope that now that this decision is public, we can devote the next month not just to settling any unresolved plots and saying our farewells, but to giving this roleplay the send-off that it deserves after so many years.

I could never have anticipated what this website has become. Warrior Cats of the Forest began as a whim of two ten year olds, a new way of entertaining ourselves that, doubtlessly, we expected to grow tired of in short time. Even so, the website withstood its first uncertain steps and soon grew to include a wider group of friends and before long, much to our surprise, strangers began to join! The website had nearly tripled in size when I took up the mantle of sole owner in 2011 and still, it continued to grow far beyond what I ever expected. As our member count multiplied, we added new features that solidified the world and our plots grew ever more ambitious. Clans rose and fell, wars were started and resolved, some cats came together to protect their ideals and others betrayed those closest to them, the clans endured blizzards, floods, wildfire, plagues. Out of character, we established a flourishing community with both beloved traditions and a constant eye toward improvement. I am continuously astounded by and grateful for the talented group of writers and artists who chose to spend their time on what still feels to me as a silly website about talking cats.

Running this roleplay has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Warrior Cats of the Forest has been a source of stability and comfort through the transitions of growing up, a place I always knew I could turn to no matter how scary my life could feel. I have learned so much through this roleplay, from basic administrative and technical skills to leadership and community building. I’ve come to appreciate responsibility and dedication, the importance of seeing things through even when times are difficult, and the weight of following through on commitments. However, all of that pales in comparison to friendships and fond memories I share with all of you. I will truly cherish the time I spent here for the rest of my life and am so lucky to have been able to call this website home for the past ten years.

In preparation for the close I am going to wrap up all of my ongoing projects and give all of the pages a final scrubbing. This is a large undertaking, so if you have free time and would like to help, please let me know and I can set you to work proofreading pages, updating the ancestry project, or doing a number of other tasks that might arise. Otherwise, the website will run as usual; I will continue to update the pages every Friday and the rules will be continue to be enforced.

My WCF email (warriorcatsoftheforests@gmail.com) will remain open after the website has closed and members will be able to view old content, as the current website, the former website, and the Discord server will remain accessible indefinitely. The current website will remain accessible under the URL “warriorcatsoftheforest.com” until December 2020, at which point it can be accessed from the secondary url “warriorcatsforest.wixsite.com/warriorcatsforest.” The former website can be accessed through “warriorcatsoftheforests.webs.com.” Finally, the discord chat will remain in place and one invite link will remain active (https://discord.gg/x6wcQcR). However, I will go through each of these places and change their settings such that members cannot continue to post on them.

Finally, I would like move an annual tradition forward a little bit and honor each of you for your unique contributions to this roleplay. Warrior Cats of the Forest is so lucky to have such a devoted and talented community and I am so grateful to each of you.

Moderators, I say this every year, and every year I mean it from the bottom of my heart: I could not run this website without your help. I am so grateful for all of the work you do to help me keep this place running and maintain a positive atmosphere for all of our members.

Kamira, I have always admired your earnestness. From day one, you jumped straight in and have been an invaluable source of new ideas and enthusiasm since then. It takes a lot of courage to always speak your mind and hold fast to your ideas and I know those traits will carry you far in life.

Skyy, thank you so much for your steadfastness. You’ve been a rock of unwavering support these past few months and I don’t know what I would have done without your help. Whether I need help with an administrative chore or pushing through a plot point, I really appreciate being able to rely on you.

Storm, you always manage to bring a smile to my face. Thank you so much for your seemingly endless stock of warmth and cheer and your commitment to seeing things through the right way. You’re a talented writer and a capable moderator and the website is lucky to have you.

Of course, this community would be nothing without its roleplayers. I am so honored that you have chosen to spend some of your free time with us and am continuously astounded by what compassionate, hard working, and talented people you are.

Amanda, you are so sweet! I haven’t gotten to know you as well as I would like, but from what I have seen so far, you’re a wonderful writer and have a great sense of humor.

Ashfeather, your characters are beautifully consistent but never seem to read as stagnant or boring. Their development is natural and above all else, feels true to who they are.

Astryl, I always look forward to receiving your messages. You’re such a creative roleplayer and clearly put a lot of thought and effort into shaping your posts. Your art is amazing and never fail to surprise me with their beautiful composition and line quality.

Cherry, your characters have so much fire to them. Their personalities are unique and flashy without being over-the-top. They cause drama but not melodrama-- just the sort of thing that makes plots work.

EmmyTheWerewolf, you are such a talented writer! Your posts are always a perfect length for the given scene and have so much character; I frequently go out of my way to read them over and am always blown away by what I find.

Flicker, I had so much fun roleplaying with you earlier this fall. Your characters have a lot of personality and just seem to have a little spark to them that feels so real and lively. It’s always a blast and I hope we can roleplay together more in the future.

Greenka, I am so impressed by how heartily you’ve thrown yourself into the roleplay, especially knowing that English isn’t your native language. It takes courage to take initiative in a scene, especially as a new member, and you’ve never seemed reserved or nervous to go ahead. It’s a great skill to have and I’m sure it’ll carry you far.

Jar of Snow, welcome to the site! I hope that we have a chance to roleplay again together soon, your characters feel very realistic. In particular, I am very impressed with your dialogue, which comes across as very natural to me.

Jun, I haven’t gotten a great chance to get to know you yet, but what I have seen so far suggests that you are a very skilled character designer. Your character descriptions seem to have just enough detail to make a clear picture of who the cat is, but not so much that it delves into unnecessary detail.

Kaiser’s Flock, I so admire your confidence. You say what you’re thinking and write what’s true to your characters, no matter what. That doggedness and strength of purpose is going to carry you far and is the kind of thing that so many of us can only try to live up to, while you seem to do it so easily.

Leopardcloud, I always enjoy chatting with you! You’re so sweet and have such a quirky sense of humor that never fails to make me laugh. Thank you for being such a consistent part of the website over these past few months, I’ve always enjoyed our conversations.

Opalfur, I adore your understated, elegant style of roleplaying. It’s so effective at getting across your characters’ personalities without forcing them into the forefront of any given scene. It’s a skill that takes some people years to develop with roleplaying and one I’m not certain I even have a hold of, it’s so impressive that you’ve mastered it!

Orbit, I’m so glad to have you back on the website! You’re such a chill, laid back person and a joy to be around. I love chatting with your and roleplaying together; your characters are all very unique but never fail to be just plain fun.

Ori (decafdodo), you are such a skilled artist! Your style is so elegant, with clean lines and an understated shading style that suits your color palettes perfectly.

Python, I love your character designs. They always feel so authentic to me, particularly as they age. They’re understated and written with so much grace and wisdom, I’m always blown away by how well you carry them through plots without anything feeling forced or sudden.

Renn, I haven’t gotten a good change to get to know you yet, but from what I’ve been able to see of your character descriptions, it seems like you have a great grip on characters’ personalities: they seem very well thought out and realistic.

River, I don’t even know where to begin. You’ve grown so much these past few years. When you began you were eager and talented, but you’ve become so mature and hard-working, always ready to put the work into improving your own writing and, when you were a moderator, the website itself. I always valued your perspective and hope that we have a chance to roleplay together again.

Royalfeline, you are such a sweet and genuine person. I always look forward to our out of character conversations and have had a great time roleplaying with you. Your characters feel so real and natural and I am so impressed with your dialogue. I hope we have the chance to roleplay more in the future!

Ryu, I just can’t get enough of your posts! Your characters read as heroic without stepping into stereotypes or cliches, they come across as so earnest and genuine. You strike their tone just perfect and it does so much to make this roleplay feel like warriors.

Saffrongaze, you seem like a sweet, caring person! I’ve enjoyed our little chats in the discord server and hope that we get a chance to roleplay together soon.

Sandrunner, I was so excited when I saw that you’d rejoined! You are such a friendly person and so much fun to talk to and the effort you put into your roleplaying always shines through. You’re a great writer and your characters always feel so real to me, with a great mix of description, dialogue, and action.

Snowy (VulpesVelox), your understated style of roleplaying is always so impressive to me. You can say so much about your characters with so little in terms of length, it’s such an impressive skill and one that you’ve utterly mastered. It’s been a privilege to see your writing mature over time.

SpotTheCat, I really appreciate how you always greet new members with such open arms. Long-term members like you who eagerly roleplay with everyone, no matter how well you know them, are one of the bones of this website. You’re welcoming, friendly, and always such a friendly face to have around the chat.

Tiiery (HornetStrike), I was so excited when I saw your email! You’re such a kind, grounding presence on the website, never getting carried away or someone who I have to keep an eye on for rules following. Beyond that, you’ve always been excellent roleplayer.

Wailingwolves, you’re incredible at shaping realistic characters and then roleplaying them with confidence, staying true to your design while working in the demands of the plot. It’s a difficult mix of flexibility and resolve that you’ve struck a delicate balance between.

Weirdo, you never fail to bring a smile to my face, be it from your just-laughing-till-your-sides-hurt sense of humor to your unapologetic you-ness. I admire your confidence and so appreciate all you do to help maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere on the roleplay and server.

Wishity, I was so excited to see that you wanted to rejoin the roleplay! You’re one of the sweetest people I know and -at the risk of sounding like a little old lady- such a joy to have around the website.

As well, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the amazing members and moderators that have roleplayed and worked on this website. I cannot hope to list you all, so if I have not listed you by name here, please know that I am truly thankful for you and wish you well, wherever life has taken you.

Alienfish, thank you so much for all of the hard work you’ve put into the website. I owe so much to ordinary members like who you have stepped forward and taken initiative on large projects; the website really wouldn’t be the place it is without you.

Eveningrose, thank you for the work you put into this website during your time as a moderator. You were always so eager to help out the new members and one of the most lively roleplayers we’ve had the luck to have on WCF.

Kingfish, you’ve been all in from day one. While we’ve had our ups and downs, I can’t help but admire your confidence and stick-to-it attitude and I’m in debt to your action-packed roleplaying style. So many of our plots would never have gotten off their feet without your help.

Lunardrop, I am always in awe of you commitment and grounding. It’s members like you who keep everyone on their feet, who make the foundation of our great plots and who make the characters that keep the website together, in face of occasional chaos.

Mocking, jeez, I don’t even know where to begin. You are such a compassionate and hard-working person, always willing to do the hard thing. You’re funny, creative, kind, a skilled roleplayer and writer. Thank you so much for the brightness you brought to this website.

Mosspath, thank you so much for your continuing friendship and for all you did to set the early tone of this website. Yewpaw and Mallow live on in the sillier parts of our history page.

Pallet, thank you so much for the months you spent as a moderator. Even beyond that, you were a joy to have on the website: a beautiful artist, a skilled roleplayer, and a member who never seemed to tire of helping others.

Raven, thank you for your seemingly boundless enthusiasm. It’s members like you who really make the website tick and keep everyone engaged, I really appreciate all you did for the plot of this website.

Ripple, you are such a talented person. Your roleplaying was engaging and realistic and did so much to set the tone of the roleplay for the time you were with us, and I am certain that your level-headedness and work ethic will carry you through life.

Rising, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the years of work you put into this website. You were my right-hand man for years and without your help, this website would only be a shadow of what it’s achieved. Your honesty and work ethic were invaluable and, even that aside, you’re one of the best writers I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting.

Shadowfang, thank you so much for your humor and perspective. Even if you will probably deny this, you did so much to set the early tone of this website and have, for years, done so much to moderate my more destructive perfectionist tendencies. Thank you for always reminding me not to let the perfect become the enemy of good, and thank you so much for your friendship.

Shadowstorm, thank you for being one of WCF’s most reliable moderators. You are so hardworking and cheerful about your work, no matter how mundane -and I know what a drudge some of the more administrative parts of the website can be- and I really appreciate the work you did in keeping this roleplay afloat.

Silverwind, thank you for keeping us grounded. You were a backbone of this website for so long and I truly valued your conviction and clarity. You were always very helpful and quick to speak up when anything seemed amiss, thank you for always setting us down the right course.

Silverwing, I couldn't ask for a better friend. You’ve stuck by my side through thick and thin for eleven years and whether you’re a five minute drive of a five hour flight away, I know that I can always rely on you for a laugh-until-my-sides hurt joke or a little bit of wisdom to get me through a hard day. While you parted ways from this silly website nearly a decade ago now, this website would never have existed without you.

Snowpath, thank you so much for taking a chance on a new website. You were the first person to join and stay who didn't have a social obligation to do so and I can't thank you enough your patience as we took our first stumbling steps as a new roleplay.

Spicy, thank you for being such a warm, creative person. I appreciate all of the work you put into the website when you were one of our moderators, both in the actual moderator work, and in making the website a more inclusive place for younger or newer members.

Sunken, thank you for the years of effort you put into supporting this website, for being such a critical part of our early plots, and for seeing us through even when it wasn’t easy or convenient. I truly value the commitment you made and our years of friendship that sprang from it.

Swiftfire, while most members may not remember your name, your influence is still felt through both the plot of the roleplay and the tone of the website as a whole. Thank you so much for your warmth and humor.

Twin Devils, I really enjoyed the months you spent on this website. You’re a fun roleplayer, a beautiful artist, and simply such a warm, happy presence on the website. I’m always thrilled when I see your art pop up on my DeviantArt these days.

Waterdrop, I’ve always admired your conviction. When you want to do something, you just go for it, obstacles be… sent to the dark forest? While our paths may have diverged, I will always value the pivotal role you played in the early days of this roleplay and for our years of offline friendship.

Finally, I would like to thank a handful of “behind the scenes” people. While they have not been visible members of this community, their influence is felt throughout and I appreciate all that they have done to support this roleplay over the years.

Democracy, I cannot thank you enough for all of the ways that you’ve bent over backwards these past few years for this silly little website. You’ve always tried to hard to make things easier for me and I truly do appreciate it, from building things for the website itself to simply being the best Friday night roleplay partner a girl could ask for.

Mary Read, thank you so much for your support, both these past few months as the reality of the website’s closing grew closer and in the previous years as this website drew so much of my attention and time away. I am constantly amazed by your empathy and patience and am am so lucky to have someone who is so respectful of my hobbies.

PJ, thank you so much for your insight and perspective, and even more than that, just being a comforting presence in times of crisis and someone I can trust to lean on when things get hard. I know it isn’t always easy for you and sometimes I bring more problems atop an already heaping pile of them, thank you so much for your support.

AngelDog, Edinburgh, and Isa, thank you for your tolerance. I know that neither of my update strategies -that is, turn the brightness on my computer down as far as it will go, which remains akin to staring into the sun, or creeping into the room with our impossible-to-not-slam door- are great. Even beyond that, thank you for your kind words and advice.