"The Update Bulletin." Issue One

Yes, it’s the press again.

No, it’s not yellow.

Yes, it’s about the admins.

To start with, a bit of background or how I ended up in this situation. In general, those comrades who criticized The Gamer's Truth were indeed wrong. Because it has fulfilled its main task more than completely. Namely, they came after me =)

To put it simply, we admins have finally been driven to the edge. And now, although formally I am still a miserable little person ordinary user, informally it sounds like “Public Relations Manager for the site.”

As you can understand, everything written below is only semi-official information. That is, mostly, these are plans based on the principle of “clans will be in September,” so the dates and some events may change.

Update: Big and Very Significant

The reason for the lack of minor updates and new spells turned out to be quite simple. All of this is being developed not for our site but for… its new, improved version. A redesign awaits us, a restructuring of critical points of the role system, adding sections “files,” “patches,” “walkthroughs,” creating game hosting, an online store and so on and so forth. Some details a bit below.

The question about the new design “When?” has a rather vague answer. The thing is, this update was supposed to be released already, but the amount of work turned out to be greater than anticipated. “The main part is ready, only final debugging remains.” The next “preliminary deadlines” - “June-July”; perhaps we will have to temporarily cut a couple of spells or something minor for further development.

“That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”

By the way, although my main task at the moment is to convey all necessary information to users, the opposite is also somewhat true.

The first small step in this direction was the problem with server time that I love so much. From now on, the site once again lives by Moscow time, not some mysterious time of its own. The delay was approximately one minute and forty seconds.

A minor thing, of course, but I want to remain optimistic and hope that at least the most important problems will be resolved “where they need to be” a bit faster.

Avada Kedavra for gamers

All magic has been revamped and is planned to be presented in the form of cards a la BattleForge. What’s wrong with the old system? It simply doesn’t fit. There are about 50 spells affecting users, and the total number - quite a “modest” one hundred just approved. However, they will be introduced gradually - currently, only about a third of this number is ready for deployment. The rest are either being completed or are “in the long box.”

For example, I can name three spells: “Disorientation,” “Eraser” and “Wall Up.” We already know about disorientation from Armen’s presentation, while the other two spells are more interesting.

“Eraser” (not to be confused with LaCTuK) - it’s an analogue of an eraser in graphic editors. You move the mouse - the site gets erased. With careful use, the site won’t be completely erased, but it will definitely be amusing. For example, you could write somewhere a well-known three-letter foul word. Or “admins are crabs.” However, only the enchanted will see this... But the admins won’t ban you for it... maybe ;)

But we have already been subtly hinted…

“Wall Up” is also an interesting thing. Bricks fall from the top of the screen at the enchanted, ultimately sealing him in. To the question “What’s to stop me from clearing cookies?” the unexpected answer was given: “It won’t help - several layers of protection.” That is, only system restoration or the end of the counter will help. I seriously doubt that this is possible - truly on the edge of fantasy, but time - and the symposium “Sofcase&Whitesunset Company,” of course - will sort everything out in due course.

*looking somewhere towards the Girls Only clan* Urgently inject DeadlyMoon with a tranquilizer! Urgently, before she breaks everything with joy! Oh, it’s too late already...

This is how it looks, yes. As you can see, there is also a hammer here. It was just recently updated (today, hee-hee) and allows breaking blocks, resulting in holes appearing in the wall. But if you hit carelessly - the wall will crumble, and a new one will appear in its place...

The only problem that this spell cannot resolve completely: it doesn’t work well in Chrome. That is, it doesn’t work at all. It’s because of such problems that we’re forced to endure delays in updates - spreading forces to implement them in the current version is irrational, and releasing a new one is held back by such nuisances.

Yes, there is a certain probability that we will indeed see some spells very soon (really soon, not like usual =)) even in the old version. They, of course, won’t be made as cards, but trying them out in practice wouldn’t hurt.

Feng Shui and other Eastern trinkets

By the end of this month, four spells are planned to be introduced on the same “test” rights: “waterfall,” “fire,” “air” and “earth.”

Casting “Earth” - posts will have to be dug up. “Fire”? Posts will slowly smolder, becoming darker. If you didn’t read it - alas (the smoldering speed is calculated based on the post length). “Waterfall”? Well, your cursor will gain the property of repelling the water that will flow from above! What to oppose to “Air,” where the text will scatter - has not been thought of yet.

When clans?

To the question “Why did you mess up the clans, you ghouls?” programmers pretend that they are not involved at all and roll their eyes at the portrait of Armen hanging above the door.

And indeed, if you strain your memory and recall who was so persistently announcing the imminent exit of clans - it will indeed be Armen. Who once in August crashed into the editorial office, climbed onto a stool, took out his favorite whip, and pronounced a solemn speech “About the tasty and useful clans,” ending it with the words: “Work, niggers!”

After the tenth strike of the whip, the programmers finally agreed, “Yes, we need to do it, yes…” However, clans monstrously did not fit into the “Megaplan.” Redesign needs to be completed, spells that are full of bugs need to be fixed, and there’s also Armen whose mind went off the rails – he urgently says to develop spells for clans, a system for clans, a chat for clans...

As a result, clans were made in a “hasty” style and in an emergency mode - during short breaks in the development of the main project. Although, Armen deserves credit - this is one of the few evident failures in his position (but you also need to be able to elegantly decorate reality in interviews and on TV!)

But let’s return to the main question: “When?” Unfortunately, although a significant bet is being placed on clans, they are almost at the end of the queue - already after redesign, reworking the blog top, improving the viceroy apparatus... If everything goes according to plan (though ours rarely coincides with reality - after all, we are pioneers, no one has experience), then they will be able to tackle them only in late this year or even early next year. Although, small updates will still occur.

About GB

The answer was quite brief: yes, they are indeed considered competitors (as if it could be otherwise). But relatively soon for certain reasons we will become even more competitive, believe me.

What exactly are the reasons? Let it be a surprise - there has to be some intrigue left?...

The Magistrum Phenomenon

Do you remember Armen’s presentation at the First Gaming? Do you remember how you rolled on the floor, banged your head against the wall in hysteria, and even all your neighbors came to ask why, in fact, you were laughing so loudly? And perhaps you even remember how you tried to explain why the phrase “Oh, and this is Magistrum, he writes interesting posts” is funny?

How can you “not remember”? You must remember the phrase itself, right? In any case, such a phrase was there and it does not correspond to reality.

The problem is that the copy-paster at the top of the ranking is well known. The opinion about Magistrum in the editorial office is generally unanimous: “he copies everything like a robot, indiscriminately.” He cannot be banned - after all, he doesn’t break any rules. So, they are thinking about the problem. There is a certain hope that with the new system this phenomenon can be resolved peacefully - “it will be impossible to survive alone or even in small groups” (only if you are all not masters of the word, of course), and it is also planned to introduce a system where the level will decrease under certain conditions.

But equally unanimously, the words were repeated that “there will be no second Magistrum.”

We will rule the world, mwahaha!

There’s a half-joke: “all the money for website development went into buying the domain.” In reality, the scale is much greater. Even the administrators themselves “casually” mentioned a couple of addresses. Users found such things as well. Indeed, the domains gamer.ac, gamer.ch, gamer.sh... But they didn’t pay much attention. So, the operational data on such domains: 46 pieces. But most of them do not have redirects.

Here they are - the first bells of going international. Of course, these are long-term perspectives, but the domains are already “clogged.” They tactfully keep silent - for security reasons - about the state of such “rich” zones as .com, .net and similar. But there is no sharp denial that they have been purchased. Well, time will tell what cards were still left up their sleeve...

But how will the “capture” take place? It will start with the nearest countries, namely the CIS. Gamer.ua, for example. A portal fully translated into Ukrainian (“Why?!” - “For Western Ukraine”). The “Translator” nomination, if KBNiVT survives to see those days in the same guise, will acquire a new meaning.

Although, if the transition into Ukrainian is still somewhat in question - English, French, and others will sooner or later appear.

Just a little more, and GAMER.ru may become a global brand. Who knows, perhaps someday keychains and T-shirts with the site’s symbols will become a reality?..

Browser Wars

Yes, the very “Browser Game,” which was first reported by Armen, is indeed in development and is already about half done. It cannot be said more precisely - it is being made not by our programmers but by outsiders. Who? I only managed to glean a small hint: “Ukraine.”

Yes, that’s all. Quite a solid conspiracy, huh?

“You broke everything”

A unique case where the administration adheres to the policy “if one reveals cards, then reveal them all at once.” The reason for the decline in user numbers is much more prosaic than a parade of planets, drunken electricians, the economic situation in the universe, or something of that sort. The reason is much more prosaic - the site was hacked on March 3.

As it usually happens, the sleep-deprived angry admin, having risen from the hammock in the server room, went to tackle the problem with a file and some good cursing. Security was urgently tightened, all gaps were closed, “and generally.” In short, the problem, as everyone who knows something about such things and keeps an eye on the situation understood after this information, was that external links were open and the site began to quote everything that moves chaotically.

Of course, the “gentleman’s kit” for restoring the situation was immediately applied, and all methods of increasing the number of users were urgently translated into “first readiness” mode. However, of course, “50 thousand by the end of summer” is now somewhat in doubt.

Comment Crisis

Some users owe their high positions in the ranking to gaming the comment system. 11 pluses - one experience point. A group of only four people can pump up quite a bit of experience.

Of course, plan “A” stood for another complication of gaining experience via comments. But it’s not exactly easy for an honest person to gain experience from them anyway, so the preferred use is “plan B” - within one post you can only plus 3/5/7 (the exact number is not defined) comments. Additional pluses - for energy.

As a result, in theory, throwing pluses at comments will no longer be possible. However, the number of available plus-use space will depend only on how qualitatively you will now be commenting.

The Red Button: Coming Soon to All Stores in the Country!

The spell “Feel like Sliph” “ban for 2 weeks,” available from very high levels (50-100). When used, the target is banned, the attacker’s level is halved. After the term expires, the level does not return, and the victim is marked with a permanent note “was banned by such-and-such.” At the same time, there is a shield tax against this spell, so it is quite possible to miss.

A controversial spell, yet dreams come true - you’ll get to hold the ban hammer!

UPD: the spell will be reviewed. Most likely, experience will still be returned, but not fully/slowly. Full withdrawal is, after all, harsh.

Guess Who?

Somewhere at the beginning of summer (plus/minus) we expect branding of the main page. It’s sad, yes. But in the end, we will have… Blizzard in person! They are currently being persuaded to take part in the “contest of the century.”

But even by itself, without the