Hi Everyone!

I am still alive and it warms my heart to see this place still going after so many years. All of you are a credit to yourselves and it's you guys that keep this game and the ideas you can explore with it alive. Since 2004 (that's 7 years now... hey, perhaps we'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary in not too long?!) members of this site have come and gone, forums have been lost and a bunch of other unpleasantness has befallen us but that's only a small percentage of our history. Throughout everything the focus has never been lost, shows are still being created and the people here continue to show the world what kind of magic can be created with your imagination and a tool to put it into a medium other people can see. For centuries that has been fireworks. The obvious pioneer would be Disney, bringing magical displays to children and adults of all ages for years - but fireworks also play a fundamental part in celebrating our new years and other events around the globe.

Pyrotechnics excite everyone and who knew that a game that's nearly a decade old could provide a similar sense of enjoyment through the creation of firework displays. Music, sets, fire, colour - it's all there. People will continue to innovate.

As we expanded our horizon from RCT we saw a host of other tools that allowed us to do what we do best and it is good to see these are still around.

No one knows what the future holds but I hope we can continue on at whatever pace we like (we don't need to become the biggest forum on the 'net). I hold high hopes for us though as our history is so rich we will always have that to tap into for inspiration and for getting creative fires sparking again. If that wasn't enough, the bright future ahead of us will surely lend us anything we need.

We're not the biggest, guys, but damnit we are the best. Nothing has stopped us before and nothing will stop us moving forward. As time relentlessly presses on; we will meet it head on and continue to show the world what we can do. Times change, the tools change and everybody grows up - but we will thrive on whatever resources we have and make our own future. Nothing is set in stone and the destiny of this place is in all of our hands. The excitement around the initial release of RCT was something to behold and once we tapped into the firework aspect of the game, the floodgates opened.

I think that kind of excitement will come again. It may not be the same and we may all be a little older but there is always something out there ready to spring and trap us in its glory. Something that makes your imagination run wild, something that makes you tingle with all the possibilities you can do with it. Something that makes you happy.

In the spirit of moving on as we head into the end of 2011 and onto 2012, I have made two small steps that I hope will be the beginning of improving this place for everyone.

Relaxing of Admissions System

This system has been loved by some and hated by others. It was born in a time when we were inches from perishing in the fires of inactivity as so many others have. It was born in a time when immaturity was rampant and my small team simply could not cope with the waves of childishness that swept the forum. Kids will be kids and we recognised that the majority of our demographic were very young and some will always be mature than the others.

However I think there was a flaw with this.

Good natured people with good intentions could come to the forum and see the red warnings, the several messages that re-enforced the fact you would get nothing without effort. That would turn some people away. It may have turned someone away that would've joined and gone on to create the best show we've ever seen. Who knows?

In light of this I think changes had to be made. As we move forward, people move on. Childishness is removed by experience and age.

So therefore:

• Posts will no longer be invisible when posting. Pending Members are free to post as Full Members are. Rules against spam and whatnot remain the same.
  
• The gallery, chat and blogs are now open for Pending Members.
  
• Pending Members may now customise their profiles, use Facebook and Twitter and send emails to other members.
  
• Members will no longer be promoted on the basis of posts. They will be promoted based on their conduct and the way they treat others.
  
• Although already made available, it is worth mentioning that Pending Members have over 90 fireworks available to them without the need to post or be promoted.

Promotions will become more streamlined and I will talk to my staff about how we can get as many good people efficiently promoted as possible.

Reduction in Premium Subscription Prices

The subscription system was offline for a long time due to a problem, but I have fixed it now and reduced the prices as well.

The monthly subscription fee of $15.00 will remain the same but the yearly subscription has been slashed from $99 to $50 and the lifetime subscription cost is now $99; a one off payment that lasts you a lifetime.

People are struggling with money these days as the world continues to reel from economic problems, but I believe $99 for a lifetime of fireworks is a good deal - especially when more are added all the time.

2012

I am glad to see my staff still working diligently. I hope to get back into the swing of things and attend to matters that need my attention in the next few weeks. Discussions will be had about our future and of our progress so far. We will talk about where we want to go, whether we need new staff or existing members need promotion, whether we are giving the community what she needs and not what she wants.

I will be trying to take a more active role in affairs again.

I would like to thank Claudio, Brandon, Jay and Mike (n7) for continuing to show hows it's done. You folks rock and I love ya.

Thank you vPyro!

...what's next?!