Realm Latest News

15 May 2000 - 4:21 PM 15 May 2000 - 9:32 PM

26 May 2000 - 10:45 AM 31 May 2000 - 02:10 PM

15 May 2000 - 4:21 PM
Sorry for the lack of updates. I realize the need for more regular postings, however my schedule is very tight. I know, it's a lame excuse. I'll do better.

I know many of you are wondering when the test server will be available again. It will be at least 2 weeks before it is ready again. We're finalizing the design of the new game system and will resume implementation by the end of this week. We should have several of the classes available when the test server goes back up. I'll let you know more as I can.

Development for 3.x is coming along. Currently my focus is fixing fatal errors in the client software. Several bugs have gone unfixed for a while. As I finish the bug-fixing I will turn my attention to getting a 3.x test server up and running. The purpose of this test server is to help test some of the game balance issues that exist within the system. We will be formulating some fixes for the most common issues within the 3.x product. I'm also going to try and create some new spells, items and dungeons for 3.x in the near/medium future.

New 4.x development is progressing as well. We've brought on a new programmer (Ron Roth) who is working on the new user interface. The new user interface will be Windows based, but drawn using Skinning (i.e. Winamp) so that the controls can have a unique look. Bryan is still working on the fundamental client-side improvements. CS is keeping Doug quite busy tweaking and improving the CS tools. I am completing the RPG design spec and will begin implementation within the next two weeks. Our artists have been working on new interface artwork and town/dungeon improvements. It's looking quite nice.

I know that there has been a lot of speculation as to what the overall goal of our development is. Our development is targetted at two main goals (running in parallel). Our first goal is to maintain and enhance the existing product within the framework that already exists. Our second goal is to seriously revamp the client to make it more accessible (i.e. easier to use), visually pleasing and more competitive in gameplay. This second goal is causing some strife among the community because the overall future of the existing characters is at stake. We're still answering these questions for ourselves, so it's difficult to provide a crystal-clear picture to all of you. I do know this... 3.x characters will not transfer unchanged to 4.x. We're still trying to find a reasonable way to preserve as much as possible between the versions. We certainly are not aiming to distance you from the game because of incompatibilities between major versions. The exact nature of the conversion between the two versions is to be determined. At the minimum, your character names will be preserved. Sadly, that's all I know at this time. We will continue to improve the existing 3.x version as we can.

steve
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15 May 2000 - 9:32 PM
Our development priorities for the next few months have been finalized. In preparation for a significant marketing effort for The Realm, the focus of short-term development will be to revamp the user interface of the 3.x client. The purpose of this redesign is to eliminate the barriers to entry that the current user interface presents to new customers. Our overall goal of producing version 4.x has not been interrupted by this, although the timeline for implementing and testing new gameplay has been delayed. Essentially, the user interface improvements planned for 4.x are being developed at an accelerated pace and will be integrated into 3.x first.

What's so good about this new user interface? Well, for starters, it's going to look much better. This improved look stems from the use of 16-bit graphics instead of the limiting interface color palette that we are currently using. Beyond simple asthetic appeal, the intuitiveness and functionality will be improved. We will be adopting a more Windows-friendly interface design so that anyone who is used to working with the Windows desktop will feel right at home in The Realm. Again, the goal is to significantly lessen the learning curve for a new user.

We will be adding significant improvements to all areas of the user interface. While we will still keep the slash command interface for compatibility, all functionality will be mouse accessible. Inventory management will be made much more powerful, allowing for Windows Explorer style navigation and drag & drop capability. Private communications (i.e. /t, /gt) will be simplified through the use of an ICQ-style implementation. There are many other improvements that will also be implemented, although listing them all here would make for an excessively long post.

We will be utilizing the ActiveSkin ActiveX plugin while implementing the new interface. This plugin allows for runtime replacement of interface graphics and will empower users to create their own custom skins. Visit www.softshape.com and look at the ActiveSkin information to see the capabilities of this system.

This new user interface will make The Realm even more accessible to those that would find our existing design less-than-intuitive. This, coupled with a large influx of new users, bodes extremely well for the future of The Realm.

We will keep you all informed as things unfold...

steve
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26 May 2000 - 10:45 AM

Hello there!

Not too much to say here, but I thought I'd post where things sit at this moment.

1. The new UI is coming together. We have a UI shell program where we are testing the concepts and technical issues with our new design. The ActiveSkin system is working quite well for us, and the new interface is looking slick. Once I get the interface out of the test shell and into the game, I'll post some screen shots.

2. Bryan is coming to the end of his interpreter changes. Well, at least the first pass of them. He's currently testing his changes with our QA group to work out any remaining issues. Good job, Bryan!

3. Doug is still is the third circle of CS tool nightmare land. Will he ever get out?

4. Our artist is spending all of his time working on the new interface art. I believe that he's working on the new character selection and creation screens.

That's where things stand as of now. I'll post again in a few days. Everyone have a great holiday weekend!

steve

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31 May 2000 - 02:10 PM

All:

As you may have already noticed, there is a 3.x Test Server available when you play the game. This server is where we will be testing all of our game balance changes for the existing 3.x product.

As it sits right now, the test server and main server are identical. We're looking to make sure that our multi-server infrastructure is sound before we open up our marketing campaign for 3.x. In the future, we will be making game balance changes to improve the feel of 3.x.

The multi-server system will be utilized to scale the game to handle a much larger number of users. As the existing servers become full, we will open up more servers. These new servers will be completely independent of one another. Names are not saved. Your account is shared across them, however. We will be updating the message boards in the near future to identify which server a poster belongs to. So, your character name will show up as "Stephen (Main Server)" instead of just "Stephen".

The 3.x test server is not 4.x. 4.x will continue to be tested on the 4.x alpha server as the need arises.

Thanks!

steve

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