Big things are happening here at Swagnilla Ice! I have been working hard to streamline how we interact and make the website more engaging for my subscribers and members with these updates. Whether you are a long-time supporter or just diving into the content, here is the breakdown of what is changing.

The New Points Race

I am rolling out a new points system, and it is all about the competition. These points are strictly for a seasonal race, giving you a chance to climb the leaderboard throughout the year. Please note that points are reset every January 1st, so you have until the end of the year to rack up as many as possible. These points are purely for the fun of the race and will not unlock additional perks or rewards in the future. These points are separate from the new Discussions area points, which show your reputation there. You can earn points by watching videos (starting with this week’s posts), commenting, logging in (once per day), registering (one-time bonus), visiting the site when logged in, and making purchases via the shop. To keep it fair, all staff and myself will not be eligible for this competition. Who will be #1 at the end of the year?

Updates to Discord Server Enhancements

The Discord server is getting a major renovation, specifically for our Knight members. To ensure a higher-quality experience for those supporting the site, I have reduced it to mostly Knight-only channels.

• Voice channels for bi-weekly voice chats with me (once we are at a stable five Knights), and for you to chat with each other when I’m not there.
• Live Streams: Hit a stable ten Knights, and I’ll be live-streaming exclusively to the Discord server every week!

If you have not already claimed your role on the server, make sure your account is synced so you do not miss out on these new benefits.

Introducing the Jetonomy-Powered Discussions Area

I am excited to announce that the new Discussions area is officially live, powered by Jetonomy. This will be the new hub for deeper conversations about content, Creative Engineering, and everything else happening on the blog.

This interface provides a much cleaner, more organized way to share your thoughts compared to the standard comment sections and replaces what I had on the Discord server. Head over to the Discussions page now to start your first thread and meet other members of the community. The Knights also get exclusive forums for their own topics.

If you are looking for a spot to buy, sell, or trade your physical hardware or games, you can know do so via The Marketplace in the Discussions area. You must apply to become a participant there before you will be allowed to post, so I strongly advise you to introduce yourself to the community first and maybe see what others are saying before you apply. Once you become a participant, please read the pinned post before you make your first one.

Thank you all for being part of this journey. These updates are all about making the community more connected. If you are not a Knight member yet and want to jump into these new perks, you can check out the options over on the shop.

What are you most excited to see in the new Discussions area?