Category: Game update

I wanted to give a preview of a few features that I’m planning to have up and running before the week is out:

Net Compression – We’re testing out a method of compressing network traffic that will result in as much as 60% less data required.  This should result in faster region loads.

Instancing – Sometimes Root gets so full, it’s hard to even find the NPCs to talk to.  Instancing will allow each player to explore Root & the tutorial areas by themselves, so they won’t have to deal with fifty other players getting in the way.  One day in the future, I’d like to expand this even further so anyone can create their own instanced dungeons that players can group together to tackle.

Z-Lock Hotkeys – In the next client build, you will be able to cycle Z-axis with ctrl + [ and ctrl + ].  A red background will remind you that you have Z-Axis Lock engaged.

Additional fixes – Fixed issue where you could start typing into the chat bar when you have a rpg dialogue open, and fixed issue where you could get stuck in the void when you had an object next to the void.

Santa Hat Out of Stock – The Santa Hat will be hidden from the shop if you haven’t already bought it.  You can still wear one if you’ve bought one (even after it’s de-listed), so if you wanted one, now’s the time to get it!

Since Net Compression & Instancing are both large changes, we’ll test them out on Potato first for a few days to make sure they’re stable before we update Primary.

EDIT 1/3: These changes (other than Santa Hat, which I forgot to do for now), are now live on the Potato server.  Check them out!

• Changed a lot of the UI colors / button style
• Improved menu dropdown — there was an issue where if you moved mouse diagonally past the menu button, the menu would go away.  Fixed
• Quest reminder window made 90% snazzier
• Not sure about the green color for the level bar, or the blue color for the quest reminder flash on change, but it’s sure harder to miss now.  😉

Check it out in the new build up now!

• Client side sword & gun prediction
• Unbroke /townpvp
• Fixed issue where dying in PVP on =66 map causes you to respawn on =65 map
• You can now dump all your keys in inventory by typing /nukekeys
• Lost your homestone?  Get it back in your inventory with /homestoneretrieve
• Moved /help to help web page
• Town vice mayors & town transfer features are now live on Primary server

Looks like there’s one main bug left to fix on the launcher, which I’m hopeful this update will alleviate — sometimes the server will have a temporary error when connecting to Steam’s servers.  In that case, the launcher will now retry a couple times.  If it does fail, it also does a bit better logging.

You should be updated automatically.  To check if you are running the latest launcher, your log file will say “Local launcher version:7“.  If it indicates a lower number, then right click 8BitMMO in steam -> files -> verify integrity of game cache, which should force an update.

If launching via Steam doesn’t work, try the logger batch file.

Most of the random launcher issues are cleared up now, but I’m still seeing a couple users have trouble with login.  The new launcher v6 includes a bit more debug logging that will hopefully help us pinpoint that.

You should be updated automatically.  To check if you are running the latest launcher, your log file will say “Local launcher version:6“.  If it indicates a lower number, then right click 8BitMMO in steam -> files -> verify integrity of game cache, which should force an update.

If launching via Steam doesn’t work, try the logger batch file.

Potato server has been updated with two new town features:

Town Transfer

You can transfer town ownership to someone else with /towntransfer <player name>.  You will have to run it twice for it to actually take effect — there is no undo, so be very careful!  Once executed, you will lose your mayorship and the target player will gain it.

Vice Mayor

There is also a new town role: the Vice Mayor.  Users with this role have these permissions:

• Add/remove citizens
• Set/clear Official status for a citizen
• All the permissions of a Town Official

A mayor can make a citizen of the town a Vice Mayor by /townvicemayor <player name>.  Removal of Vice Mayor status uses the same command.  Given the permissions the target player will have, use with care!

Testing it out

The new features are running on Potato.  I’ll get them uploaded to Primary as well soon, after they’ve had a chance to prove themselves stable on Potato first.

The launcher will now retry downloading information if its connection times out, up to a maximum of five times.  Previously this manifested as “java.net.SocketTimeoutException: Read timed out”

You should be updated automatically.  To check if you are running the latest launcher, your log file will say “Local launcher version:5“.  If it indicates a lower number, then right click 8BitMMO in steam -> files -> verify integrity of game cache, which should force an update.

If launching via Steam doesn’t work, try the logger batch file.

I just added a Santa Hat!  It will only be available in the shop for the next couple of days, but you’ll be able to wear it now and afterwards.  In case you want to celebrate the holidays in July.

Thanks to everyone who joined me for the photoshop livestream that I forgot to announce or plan to do, but happened anyway and was a lot of fun 🙂

The new build also contains a second possible fix for the infinite reconnect bug.

• Fixed issue where player’s color wasn’t being loaded correctly
• Possible fix for the infinite reload on login bug
• Proper disconnect screen for when server goes away
• Builds now contain extra debugging information
• Mods now have teleport abilities

On some systems, Java is trying to use some sort of broken ipv6 stack, so Launcher v4 uses a command line option to force ipv4.  This may fix some people’s connection errors.

You should be updated automatically.  To check if you are running the latest launcher, your log file will say “Local launcher version:4“.  If it indicates 2 or 3, then right click 8BitMMO in steam -> files -> verify integrity of game cache, which should force an update.

If launching via Steam doesn’t work, try the logger batch file.

Special thanks to Darx for being my test subject!