Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3407
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

Like many of you, we here at the Hold Administration are very excited about all the new Toys that The Second Sky brings to us. I am already starting to get some devious ideas involving Big Sticks, Decoy Potions, and a long backlog of Scripted Elements that haven't been possible until now. And we all look forward to seeing what the ever-bountiful DROD Community puts together to show the Development Team How It's Done.

However!

Like any new release, DROD 5.0: The Second Sky is not without its problems, as a cursory glance at the Bugs Board will demonstrate to the Curious. Certain Elements do not interact with others As They Should, and their behavior may very likely change slightly in future Patches, potentially erasing the Brilliant Published Work of the hasty Architect. Others present New and Interesting Challenges for the Hold Administration Process. The Scripted Element scene remains in flux. And there is always the Deadly Temptation to rush to publish a hold with New Toys without a period of Good and Proper Testing.

Therefore!

For the Benefit of the Community, your Esteemed Hold Administrators are imposing a Temporary Moratorium on the publication of Holds until we have a better idea of the Present State of the Code. We note that the posting of Holds to the Architecture Forum is distinct and separate from their Official Submission and Publication, and absolutely encourage the active development of Holds in the interest of maintaining the enthusiasm characteristic to our Strong and Thriving Architectural Community.

Finally!

We expect this Temporary Moratorium to be worthy of its name, in that a hold started now and given the time for Good and Proper Testing is unlikely to languish for an extended period. We do, however, suggest that experienced and budding Architects keep half an eye on the Bugs Board in the event that the New and Exciting Interaction upon which their favorite Room is based may be removed in an upcoming Patch!

Happy Building!

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mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5058
Registered: 02-04-2003
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Ah, a Deadly Moratorium of Death. Great idea

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 460
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Oh my Gob, I wet myself laughing that hard. I would give you a rank point if I had mod points. Another joke like that that made me laugh so hard was in "The Forbidden Underpass", where Beethro says [joke spoilers]

My reaction to that room:

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Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

The spitemaster
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 354
Registered: 06-09-2005
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I would think that holds that are already in progress in drod 4 would not have this halt. But maybe the HA's just need a holiday.

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Last night upon a stair
I met a man that wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish that man would stay away

Doom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3226
Registered: 07-05-2004
IP: Logged

There are no 4.0 compatible holds in the queue though, so that's not a concern.

And yes, I think most of us want to play through TSS first Get a proper introduction to the new features and all that.

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 460
Registered: 03-08-2014
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If you play some holds (I E my TSS tutorial), or perhaps read through the docs, you could also learn faster if you wish.

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Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

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[Last edited by azb at 06-28-2014 01:38 AM]

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3407
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

I see no reason not to continue promoting holds in DROD 4.0 or earlier. But yes, the queue may move rather more slowly than it has lately.

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bwross
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 376
Registered: 04-17-2005
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azb wrote:
If you play some holds (I E my TSS tutorial), or perhaps read through the docs, you could also learn faster if you wish.

Faster, yes... but he said he wanted proper. And right now is the time when DROD is a large inductive puzzle. Lots of new elements to experiment with to figure out the rules. Things will return to being mostly deductive again soon enough. But right now, lots of people are going to be looking at documented rules as spoilers.

azb
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 460
Registered: 03-08-2014
IP: Logged

Okay, I was just suggesting easier methods in case anyone found TSS too hard. Sorry for sounding impatient.

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Please feel free to test the ultimate arena: King Azb's Arena today!

bwross
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 376
Registered: 04-17-2005
IP: Logged

Oh, that's certainly fine... there are people that don't want to play the induction game, and would rather tackle TSS with deduction from a full understanding of the rules, so early tutorial holds are a good service for them.

Dischorran
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3407
Registered: 09-10-2005
IP: Logged

Good news, everybody!

With the recent Patches properly in circulation, your Gracious Local HA Team has reopened the HAQ for the business of Approving Holds.

Accordingly!

All Enthusiastic Architects should keep in mind the local Common Sense Rules for Facilitating Approval and Preserving Comity. Salient points include, but do not limit themselves to:

--The time for Good and Proper Testing of one's Amazing Hold is before submission, not after.

--DROD 5 remains subject to change. Does that Really Cool Interaction that your room or entire hold relies on have an entry on the Bugs Board? Then it's probably going to change. Sometimes the room can be fixed. Sometimes it can't, and needs to be removed. Either way, it's a Royal Headache for everyone. So check the Bugs Board, and maybe save the rooms with Very Weird Interactions for a later hold with a more mature DROD 5 engine just in case.

--Scripting is particularly prone to change. It's Complicated and Stuff, and is Ground Zero for all the Unforeseeable Cool and Weird Things that some of us do to put DROD through its paces.

--As a convenient side effect of Good and Proper Testing, a hold having undergone such will have recorded demos available for every room. The Architect can "Export All Demos" to a single file and upload that in the Hold Submission Process to greatly speed the Hold's Transcendence to the Holds Board.

--Not all Holds need to Transcend to the Holds Board to be appreciated. Is it a demo, or one-note joke, or primarily intended to be used via the editor? Perhaps the Architecture forum is more appropriate.

--Your Gracious Local HA Team is a volunteer force, in many cases soon to start a new academic year. Patience is Appreciated, especially with the Large and/or Difficult Holds that so many of us enjoy making and playing.

Happy Building! We look forward to seeing the Amazing Work of the Enthusiastic DROD Community!

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