Utopia Blog - July 8th, 2009

[Lydias]

the most recent Blog is posted here, nice and early, just for Luth :)

[Fate1316]

First....

Training, Exploring, Building, and Wizard Training is all going to be on the same page? :S
Would it be possible to create a list of bugs that have been fixed and which ones you are working on?

[Yadda9To5]

I hate to be bitching, but the one thing I was hoping to read in the blog wasn't there. Pretty please give us an estimate time of arrival, and if this is weeks rather than days, I think it'd be good to consider launching one more round of utopia with the old code.

[Stella]

By the look of the screenshots posted last week, it seems like you're still using frames. Is that something temporary or will it actually be changed?
Wouldn't it be nice to leave the frames in the 90's (where they belong) together with the old code? :P

Old bugs: Our aim has been to very-closely replicate the existing functionality of the game. In many cases this includes unwittingly replicating bugs. A few bugs may have disappeared along the way, but in general don’t expect things like Paper bugs to be fixed. In more positive news however, once this code is up and running we’ll be able to kill these bugs off without too much fuss.

Yes, keep the two horses! They are dear friends of mine! I do not know what I would do without Harry and Sally...

But as pointed out by Fate, it would be very nice if the unwanted annoying bugs were identified and fixed.

Integrate IRC: Yeah we’d love to do this right now, but it’s going to have to wait. We are working like crazy to get the re-written game ready for you all. As developers one of our favourite things to do is dream about future features, but the reality is they have to wait until the current job is complete.

Does this mean that jolt is infact planning to start their own IRC server later on (though not timeline is set), or are you still, as mentioned in last weeks blog, thinking about it?
It would be very logical since it's more jolt games then utopia using irc.

[VT2]

Effort.
Honest to god effort.

[Ezzerland]

In regards to jolt hosting an IRC server, I wonder if you have concerned yourself with what may happen regarding our current hosts.

[VT2]

Who cares?
The only reason people are even using stuff like pimp, angel, and IRC is because there are no alternatives.

Once a better one pops up, mass emigration will ensue.

[Luth]

lol thanks Lydias... figures today is the one day i couldn't login early!

>> Old bugs: Our aim has been to very-closely replicate the existing functionality of the game. In many cases this includes unwittingly replicating bugs. A few bugs may have disappeared along the way, but in general don’t expect things like Paper bugs to be fixed. In more positive news however, once this code is up and running we’ll be able to kill these bugs off without too much fuss. <<

*sighs* I thought based on conversations/discussions a while back that this kind of stuff would in fact be cured with the new code?

also don't see any answers to my questions regarding the throne page

not to mention an estimated time frame...

[VT2]

You have to understand, if they get rid of all the quirks that have been in effect since the dawn of time, people will get cranky, and that's something OMAC wants to avoid for once.

[Luth]

quirks are fine, bugs are not. the 2 horse thingie is a quirk, but the paper thingie is the most annoying bug ever. and i know many had hoped that it would be resolved with the new code.

and if they don't fix it, how does that keep people from getting cranky?

[Yadda9To5]

Have you ever enjoyed the pleasures of a war with really equal kingdoms, or with a slacker missing his attacks? Then you want to blame the paper bug.. imagine it's gone :/

[DHaran]

First....

Training, Exploring, Building, and Wizard Training is all going to be on the same page? :S
Would it be possible to create a list of bugs that have been fixed and which ones you are working on?

Fate I believe he means they will be subcategories in an expandable growth menu, the whole idea was to clean pages, not clutter them :P

And about the paper bug, all I have to say is, if it isn't fixed when the new game starts you will have hell to pay from a ton of people. It's known, so identify it and kill it.

And no comment on my awesomely uber-leetness co-monarch suggestion? It was too good to be lost in the garbage of the real suggestions forum, and not one person here didn't support it. So go ahead and write it in will ya? :)

[Stella]

I just wanted to comment some more on the layout of the new game. All thought most old Utopians made it clear they want no changes of the layout or the game, I can't help but to think of the new players we all hope this new source code will attract.
When I started to play this game I found the layout very ugly and all the black extremely annoying and I heard quite a few other new players comment on the same. Now I side with the rest and want to keep it as it is, but still - as charming as most oldies find same old layout on the new core, the game itself should be attractive to new players should it not? If you're not part of the current utopia culture and been around for ages and ages then you may have trouble understanding why the site looks so old fashion.
What are the thoughts from the developers about different themes for the players to choose between?

[VT2]

Black saves your eyes.
White background is like staring into a lightbulb.

[Toadi]

Black background with white font is great.

Light yellow font would be better, but ugly ^^