So, here it is, the end of March, and … oh, excuse me for just one moment (Conjurus Rotten-Tomato-Deflection-Shield) … and, we are not quite ready for alpha.
We’re truly sorry to make you wait even longer, but we’ve had this horrendous gremlin infestation! At night, for entertainment, they’ve been swapping random lines of code, just to see how long it takes us to figure it out. I just heard a mischievous giggle. It’s been exceedingly inconvenient.
But seriously, we’ve had some rather bad luck these last few weeks. It does feel alarmingly like gremlins are messing with us. For example, the magical gateways we call portalums were in need of an upgrade to make them more flexible and user-friendly. I thought it would take a few days. Instead, because of one subtle bug after another, it’s been 3 weeks. And then there was the bug that caused Val and John to have to re-make some things in the world because the walls and floors didn’t know where they were supposed to be. (Oops!) And, of course, there was the bug that caused the client to go 246 frames per second, so it looked like you were whizzing around the world at 500 miles per hour. That one was quite entertaining, at least.
So, alas, we’re not quite as far along as we expected, but even so, every day, Mage Faire is richer, more magical, more beautiful, and more fun than the day before. Val and John have made some awe-inspiring places where we can run, jump, and play. Sounds and painterly user-interface elements have been added. The initial experience of learning how to move around, chat, and so forth has been put in place in a uniquely fun way. And the portalum upgrade was totally worth it, because they are delightfully mind-bending.
“So, when will alpha be?” you ask. Well, now we’re reluctant to put a date on it. We feel like saying in writing that it would be the end of March was a jynx. The closer we got to our expected alpha date, the more the gremlins came after us.
What we can say is that we honestly thought we could be done by the end of March if things had gone well. There’s not that much more left to do. We have a finite number of tasks on the to-do list, and we will start alpha when they’re done.
“Anything I can do to help?” you ask. Yes! In fact, there are two things you can do. Thanks for asking! (1) You can be patient. We know you’re camped out at the door waiting for us to open. We’ve heard lock picks mentioned. We’ll open as soon as we possibly can. But there’s also another thing you can do: (2) Please beseech the code gods to banish the gremlins from Mage Faire Studios, so that we can have smooth sailing from here on in. Apprecio!
Bad bad Gremlins! 😉 Good luck!
Code gods beseeched.
I just want to thank you guys for all of your hard work on something I am looking forward to so very much! Delays are all a part of the process, I suppose, but better later than never.
Here’s wishing you good luck and quick coding!
*Arranges desktop icons into a pentagram and begins beseeching the code gods in latin learned from Harry Potter*
I will wait till you are ready, don’t hurry, get it right.
Ah, I know the perfect potion. Just have to gather a bit of sloth spit, kangaroo toenails and oak undergarments and I’ll brew some gremlin-be-gone, favorite beverage of the code gods, who I have tea with on Thursdays. I guess I could just mention it then.
I’m fairly sure I still have a shirt that’s covered in sloth spit from the last time I wandered through Folivoria… you’re on your own for the oak undies, though.
I have made comfy little room for the gremlins in my home if they would like a different place to terrorize for a few weeks. I will send them packing once alpha goes live.
I think we’d all rather have a test that has some hope of being playable. I tested a game that pushed much too much content much too fast and there were constant and irritating bugs.
I hope ooloi the Chemist will share the recipe for gremlin-be-gone. Beseeching the code gods! 🙂
Take your time, we’re actually having quite a lovely party outside the gates & making some wonderful friends! If you send the gremlins out here, we will distract them with whiskey!
Been there at Glitch 🙂 We know how that goes! Wish I still had my tools and could cook up a gremlin banisher for you. In the meantime, good luck and gremlins be gone! Always better to get things where you want them than to worry overmuch on the deadlines. Good luck!
We just need a few cans of Code Oil and the gremlins will slide right off. Code Oil is made from extract of coffee and the tears of sysadmins, and you’ll need a bejeweled atomizer to apply it.
And I agree with “would rather wait and have it working well than start quick and crash a lot.”
Gremlin begone it is. You hang in there. We’re having a fun time out here scratching at the door. We’re glad you want to get it right.
Use sticky glue traps! Works great for spiders!
Bad Gremlins..Duct tape its the answer for everything..quite happy to wait no use getting into something that isn’t working properly..good luck.
Don’t throw those gremlins out, though- they make a tasty soup!
Take heart: in the Tarot, Strife is followed by Victory!
(hmmm… I don’t have any proper ritual daggers for banishing, but perhaps I can improvise something with a steak knife… mmm, steak…)
Gremlin-Be-Gone Potion
Place your favorite cauldron on the southeast corner of the stove, flame set to high. Add three buckets of sloth spit. (Yes, it’s one of those pinch of this and handful of that recipes. Touching the ingredients makes the potion better. Trust me.) Add two cups of wine pressed by the feet of aging sexperts. Add a complete set of bloomers from a small oak grove, preferably one haunted by your great-great-grandparent. In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons of kangaroo toenails, a few mouse whiskers and a dash of salt, and add to cauldron.
Turn off the flame, let cool, and add 10 pints of whiskey. (No, you may not substitute larger bottles.) Top with conjured blue foam.
This will make sufficient gremlin-be-gone to serve 2-3 code gods. You knew the code gods were hard drinkers, right?
Ooloi, I’ve added your most wonderful potion to my Grimoire.
I’ll donate some whisky and there’s some drunken mice over at the Friendfyre. We can snip a few of their whiskers. Believe me, they will never notice. Aging sexpert wine.. well, you are giving me career ideas for my golden years. 😀
I’m pretty sure I have a chicken around here somewhere that I could sacrifice for you.
(it might be fried chicken, hope that’s okay!)
I’d put a curse on the Gremlins, but sometimes it just attracts the trolls.
I promise to put the lock picks away. Instead I will drink a humbaba as I relax in my sphere waiting for the gates to open.
Humbaba…i miss Glitch 🙁
We’ll try our hardest to keep the gremlins at bay. Thanks for letting us know the latest x
Better to wait for the things you do know to get fixed so that the Alpha testers can come break the things you don’t know. 🙂
Patience is good for the soul.
Gremlins! So inconsiderate of the wannabe alpha testers! :)but consider the code gods beseeched.
I’m doing my “anti-Gremlin” dance for you! And please, though we’re chomping at the bit, don’t feel rushed. Just know, once those doors open, I will be there with my magical bells on! Keep up the good work… can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!!!
Well have a nice glass of wine or a cool beer, sit back all to-gether and laugh because the gremlins just do not like a cool beer or a nice glass of wine (neat or non alchohol ). They will run so fast from the coding all you will see is a fog being blown to the bottom of a garden or into some bunnys portal lol. Thank-you ever so much for the update. Will use patience,Also all the very best.
Not a problem, I want you to be satisfied with the game so far before starting the Alpha. It often takes longer than hoped to start and Gremlins are to be expected (darn them!). I am good with waiting a bit longer as I am certain most of us are. Good luck with banishing these things to the far ends of the universe, may they never return! (Waves wand and pours banishing potion).
No rush guys, take your time and remember to breathe. 😀 *placates the Gremlins with offerings of cake and spiked punch*
All of us waiting out here have the easy bit. I misspoke in another post/another thread when I said I that I lack patience. I may not suffer beggars easily, but I have all the patience in the world for your efforts to bear their magical fruit.
Oooooh, I thought we were already in Alpha and our first task was to test the forum. 😀 Community building, stretching our Mage imaginations and now we are preparing our first group spell to banish pesky gremlins. I’m just a simple mage with lots of O’s but I’d say that’s pretty sweet. We are following in the footsteps of mages of old who had to pass thru a series of tasks to be prepared to enter to another level.
Thanks Devs for the update. Keep working your magic! 😀
Did you feed them after midnight? Did you spill water on them? Those were the only 2 requirements. 😉
You are clearly being punished by the gremlins for your decision to test Macs after PCs!
No, just kidding. It all sounds so much like what’s going on in my life. Gremlins everywhere! Don’t worry, it sounds like we’re all very patient, I will be happy to wait.
Two Swishes, single R tap, elevation to 3 with the cone sphere’s, and a brief shattering of light will bring on the protection shield of harmonious mental clarity of which gremlins naturally flee from……continue your good work, and know your following is here, ready, capable and full of way more than 3 potions of patience! Hugs to you ALL.
Are those the same Gremlins that put all the paperclips together too! 😛
I believe so. They also steal pens and single socks (never matched pairs).
I’ve taken time away from my ever patient thumb twiddling to polish my wand and conjur up a spell to turn all the gremlins into piggies! After that we can just hug pet and nibble them into oblivion. Oh, and Miss Melody, great name chage, I always suspected you were a bit of a temptress, lol.I’m still trying to think how I can make my name into a proper mage name, something to fill the hrs with I suppose. Also Ooola, if Glitch taught us nothing else, it taught us that all Gods are heavy drinkers!
*Walks in a circle in the woods outside the gate speaking softly*
“Within this circle I summon thee
Trees and rocks you must flee
*points at the center of the large now empty circle*
Here a fire for warmth I make
Friends of past and future be
*Walks in a circle in the woods outside the gate speaking softly*
“Within this circle I command thee
Trees and rocks you must flee”
*standing in the center of the now empty circle I spin slowly*
“Tents a plenty you will see
For friends of past and future be”
*points at the center of the encampment*
“Here a fire for all I make
Warmth and love feel free to take”
Fear not Tnara, we will be here when our new home is ready.
excuse the double post. first one should not have gone through. lol
waiting. patiently (well, for a cat like persona anyway ) . =^.^= *joins the party at the gates* . best wishes staff- we’ll be here when you are ready . don’t stress over it. 😉
*stuffs gremlin in microwave* ^_^!