Periodic Update

Over the last month or so, we've been hitting game development really hard. There's been a lot less focus on web presence and advertising, and a lot more focus on 'what makes the game fun' and how to make the game the best it can be. Some highlights of this process are:

- addition of 'credit' code, which allows for in-game microtransactions

- 'trade' code, which allows secure transactions

- a 'freak' multiplier for turn undead

- skill changes and updates, part of a global skill system restructuring

- initial conversions of class code, to allow for easy addition of more classes in the future

For a full list of the mortal changes, see the Alter Aeon Changelog. Keep in mind that there's at least as many builder and admin level changes as there are visible mortal changes!

There's also been a great deal of cleanup and reorganization of the immortal building tools, to help us get more areas up and running quicker. This was brought on in part by a couple of areas which had problems not detected by the automated area checkers. This should help a lot when we get ready to pull over another round of bport builders to the main port.

Regarding advertising, I've temporarily turned most of it off, and the newbie/login numbers do appear to reflect that. One of the reasons I shut it down was to see the net effect; another was difficulty justifying the money for such a low increase in player base. Advertising works best on a market that would use the dclient; but the dclient isn't good enough yet to convince people to play. I really need to get another client release out and get it polished up.