The Dev Demo Report is back! This article is written by the testers and is about the latest Loradon 3.0 demo released privately. Be sure to check it out at the bottom of the newsletter!
From the Programmer
Written by Invisible
Not really programming related, but I recently installed Bugzilla for tracking Loradon 3.0 bugs. I highly recommend it to anyone that needs a bug tracking system. It was easy to install, and their IRC channel was friendly and helpful.
As for the system itself, it takes a little getting used to, but works well once you figure out where everything is. One issue that had us puzzled is that there was no immediately noticeable way of getting a complete bug list. After a bit of trial and error, I found that the search system is actually what you are supposed to use for this. If you make an advanced search and leave it at the default values, it will display a list of all bugs that have not yet been fixed/assigned.
I also added the Twitter widget to this blog's header.
Community Spotlight
Written by pifreak
SAO has had a server update to make it easier to moderate. This fairly simple update included moderator commands to mute people, compare IP addresses between characters, send a server message, and also a fun command has been added for everyone to use, the /me. Everyone can use it and it sends a roleplaying style message in purple text. "/me dances" becomes:
*pifreak dances*
Moderators now talk in a gold colored text and a server message is in yellow. HAL, the IRCBot linked with SAO, talks through the server command so it does not have to have it's own nametag. This way, new players aren't confused why it says "HAL" or why different names show up. HAL has also been made invisible so that new players aren't asking "who is HAL and why is he in the ground?!"
Old
HAL: InvisibleMan: Hello
HAL: Ace: Hi everyone
New
[Admin]InvisibleMan: hello
[Mod]Ace: Hi everyone
Dev Demo Report
Written by Roarman
It has been a few weeks since the latest demo report. Many small things have happened since then, and because of this, many small bugs have been found. If you were wondering why progress has been hovering around 62% for awhile it is because most of these small things have not been put on the page. As with all enormous lists of small things, once brought together they are bound to take up time. Due to the amount of bugs that are found, as in any game, Invis has decided to use a website for us to better track them. This has made it easier for us to keep everything in one spot and not lose any information in conversation.
Onto actual gameplay! Finding equipment has become more exciting. A feature I can't talk too much about, but it will make trading of items more common and player interaction increase. The character page has been redone into a wonderful display of talent from both the programmer and the artist. Mobs speed has been changed so that you can use strategy and skill to dodge and move around as some class' are intended to do. This has brought more intense fighting to the game and it is great to practice for pvp, although you are only dealing with a numb npc. These changes have brought better gameplay to 3.0 and I am looking forward to the legendary melee system.
