Announcements & News

[center][permalink][img]https://flightrising.com/dropbox/updates/devupdate.png[/img][/permalink][/center] In today's brief [b]Dev Update[/b], we wanted to share some of the hard work we've been doing in implementing the first of many much-needed [b]accessibility updates[/b] to [i]Flight Rising[/i]. [center][permalink][b]Click here to read the update.[/b][/permalink][/center] [more] -------------- [size=5][b]Accessibility Updates[/b][/size] Accessibility isn't just a buzzword, it's become a very fundamental principle in game development, and [i]Flight Rising[/i] is no exception. As developers, we have a responsibility to ensure that our wonderful world can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. We've heard the voices of those in our community who have shared their feedback and insights about their experiences on our website, and we're committed to not only listening, but taking meaningful action. This update represents [b]the first of several strides[/b] we'll be taking over the next year to enhance the accessibility of [i]Flight Rising[/i]. We're taking the opportunity, now that the site's code refactor is essentially complete, to break down as many barriers as possible and provide an experience that accommodates our diverse player base. We're happy to say that as of this post, [b]the following updates have already been implemented[/b], and we wanted to summarize that work here so that everyone has a chance to review it: [LIST] [*]The overall [b]site layout[/b] has been made more [b]screen-reader[/b] and [b]keyboard navigation[/b] friendly. You can read further details [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/frd/3255112#post_3255112][b]here[/b][/url]. [LIST][*]Some highlights: [b]Landmarks[/b], keyboard accessible [b]dropdowns[/b], and the ability to jump to [b]main content links[/b].[/LIST] [*]The following [b]pages[/b] have been made more [b]screen-reader[/b] and [b]keyboard navigation[/b] friendly: [LIST][*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/nesting/][b]Nesting Grounds[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/buy-gems][b]Purchase Gems[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/support][b]Support[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/achievements][b]Achievements[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/site/active][b]Who's Online[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/play/fairgrounds][b]Fairgrounds[/b][/url] hub [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/trading/gift][b]Galore's Glorious Gifts[/b][/url] [*]All [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/exchange][b]Grand Exchange[/b][/url] shops [LIST][*](This update was actually kind of fun on our end, because we got to express a little more creativity in writing descriptions the various shopkeepers!)[/LIST] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/gathering][b]Gathering[/b][/url] [*][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/search/forums][b]Forum Search[/b][/url] [*][b]Tutorials[/b] throughout the site[/LIST] [*][b]Alt text[/b] support has been added to the [b][img][/b] tag in our BBcode system. [*]All item icon widgets in forum posts, Gathering, Hoard/Vault, and many other locations now include alt text support for screen reader software. [/LIST] [size=5][b]Larger Efforts in Progress[/b][/size] In addition to the items above, we still have a few coals in the fire for larger accessibility-related initiatives that we wanted to mention again. [size=4][b]Coliseum Camping[/b][/size] Back in January, [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/frd/3204941#post_3204941][b]Undel posted an update about some changes to the Coliseum camping window[/b][/url]. This is still an ongoing project, but it felt pertinent to include it here. The post details the current state of the feature, as well as some target goals we'd like to accomplish as part of these incremental accessibility patches. Thank you for your patience, especially on this item. There is a very delicate balance at play, and we need to move carefully to both safeguard Coliseum against botting (which has an incredibly destabilizing effect on the in-game economy) and providing relief to players who have communicated to us the difficulties they can experience when discerning the dragon image. [size=4][b]Dark Mode[/b][/size] One of the most popular requests we receive is official support for a [b]Dark Mode[/b]. While we haven't begun work on it yet, we wanted to openly recognize the voices behind this suggestion (many of us on the development team want it, too!) and provide a clear answer: [b]this is absolutely something we are planning to implement.[/b] Now that the site refactor project is almost entirely behind us, it makes working on something like this much, much easier. We don't have a lot to share right now, and the project isn't trivial, but it's on our list. [size=5][b]Next on the Roadmap[/b][/size] While subject to change, we are hoping to roll out further accessibility improvements to other areas of the site, targeting a batch [b]every few months or so[/b]. We are balancing our small team, our feature goals, and these necessary updates. Our goal for the next update is shown below. [b]Accessibility Update #2 - TBD Early 2024[/b] [LIST] [*]Clan Profile [*]Page breadcrumb links [*]Predict Morphology [*]Hoard/Vault [*]Messages [*]Game Database [*]Lair & Hibernal Den [*]Auction House [*]Marketplace [*]...and more [/LIST] ------- Thank you for helping us level up [i]Flight Rising[/i], and by lending your voice to make us better. This isn't just about lines of code, it's about really embracing the spirit of inclusivity and adventure. We truly believe everyone deserves a shot at epic stories, thrilling battles, and unforgettable memories in this little dragon game of ours. If something isn't working right or there's a hardstop in gameplay (example: an unlabeled button is preventing your screenreader from identifying the action) due to a lack of accessibility, please feel free to reach out to us through [b][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/support]Contact Us[/url][/b] and let us know. 'Til the next time!