Things Take Longer Than Expected
This month's newsletter is a document composed in the midst of turmoil. I have been incredibly busy this month. Several of the interesting things discussed in the previous newsletter are still a few days from completion, which of course, forces my hand with regards to the coming this month section.
Nevertheless, much progress has been made. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, the roadmap for FutureRP focuses strongly on the improvement of game-play through the cumulative addition of map content, new items and more quests.
Part of this wider objective is to create a stable, scalable platform upon which to add that content. Because of this, I am working hard to remove redundant features, whilst reinforcing and ensuring the consistency of the core features.
Buzzwords aside, here's the plan in more depth:
Travelling Between Destinations
Until last week, travelling was done solely via the "Space Shuttle Network". It was an intricate web of shuttle routes, with schedules and ETAs. It was, by any stretch of the imagination, ingenious. It could have been great under different circumstances, but in FutureRP, it was bad news.
Players found themselves waiting up to 1 hour for their shuttle, and having nothing to do until they reached their destination. Some players had no idea how to use them at all.
After listening to suggestions, this was entirely removed. Now, we have something so much better. Something which fits into the genre of the game more fully. The shuttle network still exists, but it takes seconds, rather than minutes, to reach your destination. What's more, there is no waiting time! There are no individual shuttles either.
Instead, you merely select from a list of available destinations, where you are sent to a page that acts like an interstitial (redirecting you after you have arrived). It is so much simpler! The feedback has been incredibly positive. There are further benefits, too.
The shuttle network is now implemented through a generic system, programmed to facilitate player travel in more than just a shuttle. It supports teleportation, flight, sailing, driving, and anything else that springs to mind. This opens up many more possibilities, but the key thing is that it's very simple to use and consistent.
Guild Territories
Guilds have been a useful feature, but they have always been somewhat lacking. To combat this and make guild membership more fulfilling, a new feature has been created called Territorial Control. It's all very simple to understand...
A large number of structures are scattered around the FutureRP galaxy, each with a benefit from ownership. For example, owning the "Gateway to the 5th dimension" gives your guild control of who passes through it. Some territories may be private lakes for fishing, shops with merchants which can be coerced into selling guild vault items, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Now, in order to take possession of a territory, you have to raid it. If you win, you will steal it from it's previous owner. It's the property of your guild until another challenges you to battle!
The full list of your captured territories is shown on your guild's profile page, for all to see.
Raiding Upgrades
In addition to the above, guild raiding in general will be receiving an overhaul. Instead of clicking "Join" on a page, you will be able to travel to the site of the raid, as part of the raiding party. By standing next to a monster (or territory), you are considered available for the raid.
Your guild leaders may start the raid at any time (without a limit). If your freshly defeated enemy has dropped treasure, it will be shown on the map - protected - for you to collect on your guild's behalf. Don't worry - guild leaders can choose the members which they trust to collect the treasure.
That's All For Now
That's all for this month. There's plenty of other interesting stuff in the works, but I'd prefer to explain them separately and in more detail at a later date, rather than cramming everything into this edition. Good luck in the coming month and stay tuned for the next newsletter, which will have promo codes for another project of mine - I'm keeping under wraps for now though;)
Hopefully, I'll also be able to write that I've finished all of the things you've been reading about for months!
In the news
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25
Saturday
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Vote For The Best Comic!
Submissions to the comic competition for April 2009 have been collected and it's time to vote!
Which one do you think deserves a Point prize? Post your vote here. |
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19
Sunday
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Shuttle System Simplified!
Finally, your calls have been answered. I have replaced the entire shuttle network with something more efficient, fast and primitive.
The old shuttle system was excellent, with it's fancy UI and it the way it let you walk around the shuttles. In reality, it was a hindrance. Enjoy the new one! If you notice any problems or want to suggest something, post in the forum;) |
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Coming this month
Planet "Echo 4" upgrade
Add the new quests and merchant.
Territorial Control
Allows guilds to capture parts of the map!
View Progress Raiding Upgrade
Massive upgrades to the raiding system.
View Progress Finish Planned Content
Install the Item Sets and locations remaining incomplete.
Special Abilities
Replaces old skill system.
View Progress New Chat Room
A superior chat room, with support for multiple rooms.
Most Exp Gained
1. Master Hero
5,774,082 exp
2. Mobius
3,740,071 exp
3. smokingjack
2,821,124 exp
4. syberwurx
2,778,516 exp
5. Jackkdanialz
2,663,633 exp
Strongest Guilds
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Monthly Comic Strip
Nobody knows what this comic means, but it recieved the most votes, so here it is. Don't look at it for too long, though - experts have noted that it deducts 10 IQ points per minute of viewing.
This comic strip won our monthly artwork competition, with a Point prize and inclusion in the monthly newsletter. To see the runners up, click here. If you are interested in submitting your own comic strip to the competition, please read this thread.
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Copyright © 2009 FutureRP