Support:Temp

Review of 2011

At the start of the year a progress log, with details of all open and completed quests, was added. It has a really nice look and the details are really helpful for players <todo add a stat for quest completion>. An achievement system was implemented, marking milestones which players reach while playing the game. It provided new goals for things to do and encouraged more varied gameplay. The response was really positive, <todo add a stat for use>.

A groups system was introduced, which facilitates small groups of players who embark on an adventure together. Features include shared access for looting corpses, chat channels, and a group GUI for management which also shows the health of group members. <todo add a stat for use>

Stendhal 0.93 features a new convenient behaviour for corpses with automatic raising of corpse windows and closure when empty.

Stendhal 0.93 is also is an Easter release, players can try to find easter Bunny and the eggs he drops, or visit Semos which is decorated.

2011-04-12 13:25:30 PDT by kymara

In June we migrated to a new host for our game and webserver. A lot of background preparation and the asynchronous database communication feature of our engine Marauroa meant that we completed this migration with very little game server downtime. <link to technical writeup>.

Stendhal 0.96 is released, with a focus on improving the experience for players new to the game. We have examined and tweaked quests for new players, now hinting in the Travel log when a quest is not recommended for that player level. A protective wall around the starting city, Semos, helps direct players to quests within the city - and looks good. <todo get stats on new player experience>

An interactive map using Google maps technology is accessible from within the client or http://stendhalgame.org/world/atlas.html?poi=npc, and the Beginners Guide http://stendhalgame.org/wiki/BeginnersGuide can now be launched from the help menu like the Manual and FAQ. Further client side improvements include better placement of tutorial messages, the option to hide heal and poison messages from the chat log.

To read about more of the changes, see screenshots and the full change log please see http://arianne.sourceforge.net/news/stendhal-0-96-welcoming-new-adventurers.html

2011-08-26 01:23:57 PDT by kymara

Stendhal 0.97 features a colour blender for outfit selection, meaning players can colour their clothes and hair to any hue they desire. It makes for some very pretty pictures, see http://arianne.sourceforge.net/news/stendhal-0-97-wear-a-rainbow.html

It is also the Hallowe'en release for the Semos Mine Town Revival Weeks, with some themed re-decoration of maps, games and parties.

For technical changes please see http://arianne.sourceforge.net/game/stendhal.html#changes

2011-10-12 13:22:07 PDT by kymara

Stendhal 0.98 has been released and includes a new interesting feature: day and night. There is even sunrise and sunset and without loss of performance.

Amongst other changes, danger levels are calculated for zones with a visual indicator on the client, and there are some new quests including a fun guess-the-number-of-kills game.

To read about more of the changes, see screenshots and the full change log please see http://arianne.sourceforge.net/news/stendhal-0-98-day-turns-into-night.html

2011-12-02 15:26:27 PST by kymara

release announce for stendhal 1.0 which is ok for strangers?

Stendhal 1.0 is a fun friendly and completely free multiplayer online adventure game with an old school feel. We're happy to announce the first stable release of this open source game at http://stendhalgame.org.

With Java installed, playing is as simple as clicking Play Now on http://stendhalgame.org.

Your character awakes in the house of an experienced guard, start a conversation and he'll teach you how to fight ... but even rats are probably a challenge at first, if you can catch them.

Stepping outside you'll appreciate the beauty of the simple village around you, but once you're strong enough, venture further afield for cities, dungeons, forests, mines, mountains and even tropical islands.

On your way you'll meet over 250 NPCs to chat to, and be tasked with over 100 complex and interesting quests. You may be asked to help protect land or people from danger, feed the hungry, heal the sick, make someone happy, solve a puzzle, play a game or simply lend a hand. You can keep track of your progress using a Travel Log.

Other players will help out and the often filled 'community chest' in the main city is a testament to the friendly groups we have here - though note that PVP is enabled, so if you're nervous, stay in protected areas!

Monsters are the real enemy, as if they are not kept in check, they threaten to plague the cities. You'll meet little crabs and mice right through to terrifying dark archangels and gashadokuro. Some fight with magical forces, so choose your weapons carefully.

As you play your level and stats will improve, and you'll be awarded Achievements for completing quests, visiting places, looting items, killing monsters (and more!). You can compare yourself to your friends and see how close you are to the Hall of Fame on http://stendhalgame.org. It also has stats on every item, creature, npc, quest, and achievement available in the game. There is a neat google maps-based world atlas, too. The website also provides a portal to contribution for new ideas and game development, such as patch submission and source code downloads.