Wyngro

The Wyngro community as it is has unfortunately needed to shut down due to lack of support, time and resources. I can no longer maintain the community's many manual mechanics on my own, so I am making steps to back away from the community aspect of Wyngro and open it as more of a playground for any artist to explore and use. I guess you could almost think of it as more things opening up, in a way? Here's what it's going to look like:

• Anyone may now join as a member automatically

• Anyone may create as many Custom Wynglings for free using the Custom Wyngling Maker here: https://www.wyngro.com/custom-wyngling-maker

• Anyone may upload wyngling applications and Grow-Up Applications to the corresponding folders with no approval needed.

• Anyone may use the upgrade pages to grow and add upgrades. It will simply be a true honor system and not moderated at all. This is for people who still want the challenge of growing and earning upgrades.

• Feel free to make unofficial NPC wyngrew as you'd like, use them in art and stories and what have you.

• NPCs and other wyngrew created from this point forward will never be "officially approved",  in the very unlikely chance Wyngro mechanics ever make a return, but you may do whatever you like with them otherwise. Draw, create,  develop, and upload to the group  as you'd like.

• Anyone may join as a member of the Discord. All channels will be visible no matter your status. (I'll try to integrate the new Linked Roles for DeviantArt once that rolls out too) Basically, no more need to make a wyngling, post it, wait, get approved, go register, wait, etc. Just join the server and start sharing. I'll implement this later when I'm feeling better.

• Sheriff's Office in the Discord server will remain open, but please only use it if people in the server are causing trouble in the chats, or if you'd like personalized, private help. (See below for more use of Sheriff's Office)

• Anything officially posted in the Wyngrew gallery here will officially remain yours: https://www.deviantart.com/wyngrew/gallery

• We will still transfer ownership if people would like to give designs they own to other people. Simply Open a ticket in #sheriffs_offiice and fill out the gifting form. This is going to be done in my own free time, so please be patient with this process.

• Travel Mechanic is closed. Feel free to display your wyngrew anywhere in the world, at any time.

• Magic Mechanic is closed. Feel free to draw your wyngro using any magic you see fit for their character.

• The Cranny mechanic is closed. Feel free to have your wyngro live there if desired, and use the lore to your liking.

• Obituary is now closed. Feel free to kill off your characters how you see fit.

• All breedings are now closed.

• All shop items currently in possession will remain in possession, even though their functions have been removed. In the rare chance mechanics ever return, your inventory will remain. I apologize dearly for anyone who purchased items they were never able to use, as this situation breaks my heart. Unfortunately some things are out of my control, and this was my absolute last resort.

• All officially approved wyngrew can be tracked here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10-CEVViRrLGAaJ4w-JM8_LeUxIpdQ2HfN-RBVHNUFdY/edit?usp=sharing

• All official eggs can be tracked here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qKTom3Rv-j1F6T-CTyjB403kPDK7eSbKegVkvIvWGBQ/edit#gid=1170438857

If I missed anything, feel free to ask in the Discord server. I'll answer as best I can.

Why is Wyngro closing?
You can read my sad sob life story here if you want as to why: https://www.deviantart.com/wyngrew/journal/Important-Announcement-942810389

Otherwise, I hope you have fun designing any characters, pets or other drawings, and I hope you share them in the server. Who knows, maybe I will get inspired to draw more of mine too some day. ♥

And for those of you continuing to harass/stalk me, please stop making fake accounts to trigger me. It does not solve anything. I'm happy to speak to anyone who is genuinely wanting to talk, but this bullshit is why I'm fucking done.

I've come to a very emotional decision to shut Wyngro down. 

I started Wyngro as a passion project because I wanted to see this concept exist and I had ideas that I wanted to put into place. It was the encouragement, excitement and support of the people following this project that kept me going for so long. Like most artists, I have a lot of anxieties and diagnosis type shit that prevented me from working long hours at a regular job (I was basically dirt poor making minimum wage). In 2017, I was humbled and floored that I could make a living and actually save money for the first time in my life by doing what I loved. It was tireless work. I never stopped. From the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep, for 7 years, I was working on Wyngro. But it was worth it, because I was making something that was helping artists to grow and learn, while being able to support myself and fund future projects to make Wyngro even better. It was a dream.

I am not a perfect person. I don't believe anyone is good or bad. They have flaws. So do I. As some might know very well, I have a very sharp personality, not often compatible with the more sensitive, timid artist types around me. I am also a bit of a slow-bloomer in terms of keeping up with the times and overall maturity. I guess the point I'm trying to make is: I've not always seen eye-to-eye with the people in Wyngro. While I have always done my best to clearly communicate with people and treat them with kindness, it's a two-way-street that too many times has not been compromised. There are several situations where I know I could have been less stubborn about a situation, or wished I had more foresight on how I handled a situation, but foresight is always 20/20, and I'm nearsighted as fuck.

I'm tired, guys. I'm tired of having everything I say or do getting picked apart, getting dissected, analyzed, and taken out of context. I'm tired of people I've never talked to assuming my life and spreading misinformation. I'm tired of getting rocks thrown at me from all sides and not being able to defend myself because if I do, they just use it as ammo. I feel trapped in my own community, scorned and hated and feeling let down about everything and everyone. I used to only have the best perception of people upon meeting them, and the ugliness of the internet is something I'm afraid is turning me into something I don't want to be. People online are cruel when there are no repercussions for their words. So cruel that I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I have received death threats, insults, disgusting accusations that are far from any kind of truth, stretched so thin by a line of people I've never even spoken with before.

Not only is Wyngro bleeding my dry at this point, but it's simply not fun to work on anymore. The hate has outweighed the support 10 to 1, and it's just too hard on my mental health and financial stability to keep my time focused on Wyngro. I already have two jobs outside of Wyngro, so when I come home just to catch up on approvals after a long and mentally exhausting day, that's all I have time for. No more lore, stories, events or new things. My thought process is mostly focused on "What am I going to have to shut down next?" and it's depressing. My artistic motivation is so non-existent now that I barely even doodle anymore. There's just nothing left.

This year I was excited to finally move out of the trash house I'd been living in for years and move on with my life, maybe start a family and just move forward in my own space. Then I lost my creative outlet and my entire income, almost overnight. I had to find work elsewhere, but without any degrees or experience, I'm not qualified for anything above retail work. The struggle between working an outside job after years of doing Wyngro is so hard on my physical and mental energy. I'm not a young and agile 20 year old anymore and as much as I have grown from my shitty autistic teenager self, I still struggle with certain things that do not bother other people. I'm going through a devastating trauma I endured back in June, as well as constant driving PTSD I'm still getting over from a car accident I was involved in. I'm at the age in my life where kids won't be an option much longer, yet I lack the funds to have them. It is a gut-wrenching kind of depression a lot of people around me will not understand, so it's hard to talk about. I'm barely making enough money for rent, therapy is expensive and completely booked… you get the point. Life is hard. It's hard for everyone. But we survive because of the good moments in our lives that help pick us up. From the people that brighten our lives. From the little things we end up proud of.

I am happy that Wyngro was somewhere for people to connect for a long time, and to feel creative, proud of their art, and make cherished friends. I am also sad it had to end in such a way that ended up crushing my spirit and hurting so many others around the community. If I was a result in that hurt, all I can say is that I'm sorry. I have never intentionally tried to cause ill will on another person, but I know it happens anyway. I know there's no magical perfect well-written apology that will make everything better, so all I can simply say is that I am sorry. There's nothing to do now but move forward, and I hope everyone can enjoy the characters they have created through this group. Although Wyngro will not be a community driven outlet anymore, you are more than welcome to draw them, upgrade them, grow them, use the discord bots, create stories, and use the lore that has been provided. It will always exist as a concept to explore and play with, I just cannot dedicate the time, money, and mental energy to maintain the mechanics/community anymore. I hope you understand that.

I am not sure where I will go from here. I unfortunately need to focus on outside work (being able to live), and maybe one day my creative outlet will come back and I can draw again without forcing myself. I want to enjoy art again before I pursue further projects. My mind is always swarming with ideas and stories, but it's very difficult for me to stay motivated (which is why I have so much trouble finishing anything).

If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask in the Wyngro server. I will try to answer when I can. The server will remain open for those to chat in if they'd like, but we'll be closing several channels to condense and clean up things soon. I will also make time to update the website, the group front page, and make a post to explain the details as soon as I can. To the few remaining people who truly still were having fun participating in Wyngro, I'm so sorry I couldn't keep the mechanics open for you. I wish I was in a place where this could just be a fun hobby and time wasn't a factor. But it is, so here we are.

So long, and thanks for drawing with me.

~Nes

Thanks for being patient while we got this announcement out guys! I've been in the middle of a move, sick, and just busy as all hell, so today I finally got to sit down at my desk for the first time in what seems like forever and come up with some fun rewards for all who entered!

Let's take a look at our winners!

All Entries will be earning 1 nova as thanks!

Runner Ups receive their very own Cheeker!

Congrats to the following entries that scored a new official creature! These cheekers may not make the best pets, but you can collect, trade, and draw them to your heart's content!

Winner: SilverWolfEye!

We loved the bright colors, detailed shading, and the overall adorableness of this piece! These cheekers sure want to include Ooky into their little home, so enjoy your new home, little guy!

Thanks again to everyone who participated! I'll try my best to find time for another fun DTA soon! (Maybe for a pet this time?)

We've got a few things to cover this month. Sorry for the delay, let's get right into it here:

Breeding is now closed

It was a ton of fun seeing everyone have a fun time doing breedings for the last month as our oldest staff member @knux33 retires. We look forward to seeing more egg concepts in #the_nook and people having fun designing their favorites from the egg pile.

Since eggs have been caught up, the #breeding_approvals channel has been renamed to #adoption_approvals, and is now open for Adoption Eggs! (A less strenuous form of breeding that we can keep up with for now)

If you need some catching up on why breeding is closed, what are plans are for it, and any other questions involving it, we encourage you to check the most recent pins in the #adoption_approval channel in Discord.

Adoption Eggs are also planned to get some cool tweaks soon, such as possible subspecies and more! We may hold a poll for feedback on this as well, so stay tuned.

NEW: Eye Scopes can now be used on Adoption Eggs if you desire.
If you have any other feedback on the adoption mechanic at all, feel free to bring anything about it up in the #feedback channel!

A new month-long mechanic: Special Egg Potions!

What is that naughty Ovon doing accepting EGGS for potions now? Well, I wouldn't trust him to take good care of your eggs, but he is offering some of his very best potions for them. So what do you think? Wanna give it a go? Check out our #special_potions channel and read the pins for what kind of upgrades are included and more!

If you're looking for our regular potions, those will be showing up shortly as well! They're all new and shiny, run through Xanderbot, which means the process will be automatic, just like with beeb sales! Check out our recent #polls in Discord to pick a day you'd like to see those run on.

Xanderbot (Custom Discord Bot) Update:

Xanderbot now has a new feature for the /check in function: Nova streak! If you're diligent enough to check in every day for 30 days in a row, you'll earn a nova every time you do! Just a small prize for staying active, so thank you!

New DTA: Ooky, the Cheeker Wyngling!

Remember the cheekers? No? That's okay, because we're bringing them into the spotlight today! Cheekers are a new animal we released with our Creature Catalogue, and they want some attention! Draw a cheeker, the wyngling Ooky, or both for your shot at winning this wild child! Our best entries will score some novas as well, so give it a shot no matter what your skill level is!

Important: Approvals will no longer be open 24/7!

Much like breeding last month, approvals (custom, bred & adult) will also be closing starting next month (October 1st), so if you have plans to make a wyngling through this way, please be sure to do so before this date. Please note that this is NOT permanent, and that we are simply changing the way we do approvals for the foreseeable future.

Rather than being open 24/7, we will instead be designating our approval function to specific times during the months. (For example: Over a specific weekend, etc.)

We want to come up with times when our staff are going to be around to help people and have the time. This will assure no one is waiting for very long to get approved, as well as giving our dev team more freedom to develop new features, events, and lore for our members. Right now, a lot of that team has been keeping up with ongoing mechanics, and with the combination of real-life demands, this has given us not a lot of time to focus on progressing the group. We hope you understand why this decision has been made.

Those wanting to approve their new wynglings from last month: please don't panic. We'll make sure that everyone is all approved who wants to be by the end of this month. If you have an egg that was rolled at the last half of August and didn't have enough time, just ask and we'll gladly help you out. ♥

The plan going forward & some clarity:

I know a lot of people are going to be worried with our two main functions essentially shutting down, but this gives us much needed time to reassess things like our mechanics, lore and just implementing some much needed updates (we want things to be more convenient!). It will also give us more time to look for more people, train them and work on things for new events, prompts, and just giving you things for your characters to participate in.

A lot of people may know that Wyngro used to be my full-time job, but a lot has changed in my life this year, and that is no longer the case. I have a lot of real life commitments, 2 jobs, pets that need caring, and a lot of expenses that need to be covered. For that, I apologize that Wyngro may be a bit slower in terms of content. Real life commitments always come first, but I sincerely love Wyngro and have no intention of shutting it down as long as people are enjoying it. We're currently working on some new events that will involve Xanderbot, and want to keep experimenting with new things that people can have a fun time with. The goal has always been to encourage art through gameplay functions, so keep on being creative with us, and we'll keep giving you cool things to be creative with.

Thanks for your patience on these two DTAs! We're excited to announce the winners!

As thanks for your enthusiasm, we've given everyone who participated a nova! Here are some of our favorite runner ups!

Runeboo: Plucky Plunkin Plucker [WINNER]

We found this entry to be hilariously morbid, but incredibly well polished as well.   What a great perspective! Lovely shaded scene with an "innocent" looking boo peering up at you-- congrats for winning this boo!

"Beau"  [WINNER]

A rather easy choice for Beau-- Ask-Splash-Sparkz's entry has it all! A dreamy wyngling with an adventures spirit, portrayed by an excellent piece of art! The movement in the wyngling, him moving around the beautifully painted scene above, and ALL those little details through the entire image! WOW! (My favorite part is the little belly flop into the water!!) Big congrats on Beau-- you deserve him!

Thank again to all who participated!