EpicDuel PVP Game Design Notes

Probably the most glaring feature missing from EpicDuel since it's launch has been quests.  Players are told through forum posts and bits of NPC chat that they're in some kind of war on some planet called Delta V or something like that.  Well, soon that will all change as we work toward dynamic quest system that allows players to have fun within EpicDuel's PvP gameplay while driving the storyline forward. 

Quests:

Launching quests today proved impossible as there simple was not enough time to complete the system and properly test it.  We're still pushing hard to get this feature in-game soon, and hopefully we'll have it 100% ready for a St. Patrick's Day release!

New Weapons:

While the quest system is still up in the air, one thing we can be sure of is this week will see the delivery of a nice fat pile 'o weapons!  Many of these credit-only beauties will be available from the merchant just outside of the Bazaar!

Charfade has produced some wild new weapons for this release with a focus on mid-ranged weapons to help out our newer players.  Leveling up is a daunting task that's made even more difficult by a simple lack of knowledge about the locations of the best weapons.  Some players may even become frustrated and quit just because they don't know where to find a better weapon, a weapon that could literally be a few clicks away.  Our goal was the create a new shop that caters to leveling players as they advance through the ranks.

Security Improvements!

We're continuing our effort to secure EpicDuel from hackers and exploiters by rewriting and patching a ton of code!  Titan is working very hard to make the game same and secure, but in the meantime we ask you to do your part by reporting hackers to the Lawman!

Bugs:

• Fixed a bug that awarded 2 daily badges for a Faction in certain conditions.
• Fixed a Faction page bug that could hang the browser.
• Added security to block name-spoofing.

EpicDuel 2.0:

You may be wondering why we haven't been delivering any "wham bang" updates lately.  Where are 2v1 battles?  Where are tournaments?  Where are quests?  I demand an explanation!  Well, settle down champ, the answer is actually pretty complicated.

EpicDuel was our first major project, and as with any first venture in anything, there were mistakes, or rather, things we would have done differently if we had more experience.  Now, there are over 100k lines of code that are in dire need of an overhaul that we've put off for too long.  In order to move forward and deliver those promised features, Titan has taken upon himself wade through the game's code and update it all to a new standard, essentially an EpicDuel Engine 2.0.

This process is not easy or expedient, but it will make EpicDuel faster, more secure, and, of course, more fun for all players.  We are planning to replace the engine in phases with each release until the entire engine is completely new, shiny 2.0.  This gradual process will take roughly a month to complete.

This update, after tremendous amounts of labor and intense bug testing you should notice...nothing!  That's right!  For this first phase of EpicDuel 2.0, if everything was done correctly, the game should appear exactly the same as before.  That means we didn't break anything, which is a triumph in and of itself.   Each subsequent update will hopefully be just as transparent.

Because such massive changes to the Engine are taking place, we badly need your help for this release helping us squish any remaining bugs.  Literally every line of code was altered and there aren't enough hours in a day to test every possible scenario.  If you identify any bugs, big or small, please post them in the bug's section of the AE forums!

St. Patrick's Day:

Next Thursday is going to be a Massive release with a capital M.  New St. Patrick's Day gear, quests, styles, faction flags, an open Bazaar, and an improved engine all in the same day!  Since we're celebrating a new holiday season, all the Heartbreaker weapons will be returning to the ether where all seasonal rares go, including Azrael's Bane.  This means that you'll have until Thursday at the release time to grab the last of the Heartbreakers before they're replaced by the new seasonal gear.