ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2796
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

There were things that I said earlier--little promises and predictions along the way. You probably didn't think much of them, but know this: If I say it shall come to pass, then you need only have patience! A lot of patience, sure, but don't worry--we will get to everything eventually.

CaravelNet Value Explosion

June is the last month we're going to bundle the free one-year CaravelNet subscription with purchases of DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold. It has been our plan to begin offering it separately when we felt there was enough value to warrant it. And we got to that point unexpectedly fast thanks largely to Matt Schikore's rapid addition of CaravelNet features this year.

Originally we were going to release just one new hold for our CaravelNet-exclusive content, but we will instead release two. The Summer 2005 Smitemaster's Selection will contain King Dugan's Dungeon II as planned, but also Decisions, Decisions, a clever one-level hold by Neil Frederick (or "Oneiromancer" on the forum). Neil has been terribly impatient to release this hold because he's afraid others will get the same unique ideas he had and use them first. Both holds will feature new high-quality puzzles and voice-acted dialogue.

June would be an excellent month to pick up a copy of DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, because you can still get CaravelNet for free. In July, we will introduce CaravelNet subscriptions at $12/year. So it's like getting the whole package for 37% off right now.

Micro-Conspiracies

Ever wanted to start your own conspiracy, but figured you didn't have the resources to pull it off? How about getting together privately with a collection of henchmen and authoring a hold? If you have a CaravelNet subscription, a new feature is available to you: It is now possible to upload a hold you are working on for private beta-testing, and it will only be made available to people you select. Plus you get a private message board for all your secret machinations.

Details

Deadly Music of Death - Volume One

We've released an audio CD with music from DROD: Architects' Edition and DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold. Why? Because strapping a computer to your back on bicycle trips is dangerous.

Order info
Behind the scenes talk

Room Mosaic

Daniel Blochinger has given us a grid of tiny squares, each one depicting a single locale in the Great Beneath. Ah! But some of the squares are fakes! No doubt the well-traveled among us will know at a glance which rooms truly exist. Sound interesting? It's not too late to get in on this contest.

Contest Details

Beethro's First Job

Matthew O'Leary's creative writing contest was an amazing success! We had twenty stories about Beethro's early days of smiting. Goldenlion picked up first prize, with Agaricus5 and Trick just behind. For a taste of fanfic from the world of the Eighth, check out the contest entries.

Stories and contest results

Undercurrents

Did you know that you could be playing DROD on a Mac right now? ...well, and running into a few minor technical problems along the way but that is part of the adventure. We still need testers for Weston Markham's OS X port of DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold.

Details

Not to be outdone, Jamie Jones has undertaken a similar project to port DROD to FreeBSD. You know, FreeBSD... the other Unixey thing that you don't have to pay for. Any FreeBSD people out there, Jamie needs you for testing.

Details

Patron of the SubTerrans

Pieter Simoons and his cult of crazy SubTerra fans are firmly entrenched on our forum. And so begins a golden age of mutual backscratching among the DRODiacs and SubTerrans. This classic game has just been released as freeware for the first time! If you like games like Boulder Dash or Chip's Challenge, then I highly recommend it.

http://www.drod.net/forum/viewboard.php?BoardID=17

Topic Picks for June

So you might be camped safely on the edge of DROD society, but if you were really down in it, this is some of what you'd see. I'm talking about the CaravelNet forum. It's a great place!

How Difficult is JtRH?
People want to know in objective terms, how hard is this frigging game? Vote in the poll and weigh in with your opinion.
http://www.drod.net/forum/viewtopic.php?TopicID=6625

King MeckMeck's Dungeon, Blast Castle, The Palace of Puzzles, Rassa Palace, H I J K, Unfortunate Architect Compilation, Pelcho's Puzzles, Confusing Hold, MetDROiD AE, Penthouse
The holds are released onto CaravelNet at a frightening pace. These user-created level collections have become newly available since the last newsletter. You can play them, rate them, discuss them. Hey! Did I mention it is now possible to give author's karma points to reward them for a job well done?
http://www.drod.net/forum/viewboard.php?BoardID=11

Other Good Puzzle Games
This ancient and ever-growing topic is quite useful for locating something new to play. And when you find that new game, I hope you'll come back to the Electronic Games board and talk about it!
http://www.drod.net/forum/viewtopic.php?TopicID=188&page=8#66824

The Prize Box
This seems currently to be the liveliest of our many forum games. Run by DROD veteran, Chris Marks, the Prize Box is a series of mini-contests. When you win, you get a square on the board and can eventually win a prize, or maybe not. It's like Bingo on a grand scale.
http://www.drod.net/forum/viewtopic.php?TopicID=5524

Any Musicians?
Can you play something besides the radio? Then you must announce it.
http://www.drod.net/forum/viewtopic.php?TopicID=6402

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

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[Last edited by ErikH2000 at 10-05-2005 02:48 AM]

Oneiromancer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2936
Registered: 03-29-2003
IP: Logged

ErikH2000 wrote:
but also Decisions, Decisions, a clever one-level hold by Neil Frederick (or "Oneiromancer" on the forum). Neil has been terribly impatient to release this hold because he's afraid others will get the same unique ideas he had and use them first.

Thanks for the plug, Erik, and the chance to be the first non-KDD SS submission! Actually, the hold is entitled The Choice. The one and only level is, however, entitled "Decisions, Decisions." I'll reveal what the original hold title was after it is released, because it kind of gives away the "secret"...well, maybe not a "secret," but a "gimmick."

And now I get to be paranoid both that someone else will have the same idea before it's released, and that it will be underwhelming when it does come out. Actually, no, I'm very happy with the hold, I've gotten a very positive response from those who have seen it, and I only wish I were able to deliver more than one level to you guys! But, I only had the idea in mid-April, and there was this minor "dissertation" I had to deal with, so my procrastination only went so far.

Game on,

[Edited by Oneiromancer at Local Time:06-07-2005 at 03:35 AM]

____________________________
"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder." -- Tad Williams

Tscott
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 382
Registered: 02-10-2003
IP: Logged

ErikH2000 wrote:
June would be an excellent month to pick up a copy of DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, because you can still get CaravelNet for free. In July, we will introduce CaravelNet subscriptions at $12/year. So it's like getting the whole package for 37% off right now.

Just so I have this straight, JtRH (full version) will in July just be the full version (all 25 levels) of the hold.

CaravelNet subscriptions will include:
1) Smitemaster Selection Holds (1 or 2 Quarterly)
2) In-game downloads of holds submitted to the holds forum (without it'd be manual)
3) Ability to upload high scores and view demos in-game of beaten rooms.

Am I missing any current features in either? (just in case I wanted to plug this elsewhere )

____________________________
And I can recall our caravel: a little wicker beetle shell with four fine maste and lateen sails,
its bearings on Cair Paravel. O my love, O it was a funny little thing to be the ones to've seen.
-Joanna Newsom "Bridges and Balloons"

MeckMeck GRE
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 594
Registered: 01-03-2005
IP: Logged

4.) You can do betatesting and recruit testers (Well, about the same as the architecture forum, but far away of curious eyes)

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2796
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Tscott wrote:
Just so I have this straight,

Sorry for the way-late reply--didn't realize I had notifications turned off for the "News" board.

Yes, you got it straight. Good job!

-Erik


____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2796
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Okay, now I know what it's like to get modded down and wonder why. I remind myself that I can't be demanding explanations for mod-downs--it goes against the rank point philosophy.

A few things to say though...

1. Again, I'm sorry for missing the original post. I accidentally had e-mail notification turned off for News. It's back on now.
2. I replied on one of my "Dvorak" days. Let me tell you, typing in a new keyboard layout strongly influences one towards brevity. In fact, I hate to say it, but I gave up the Dvorak crusade because there is simply too much typing in my immediate future. Going from 85 WPM to 5 WPM is really harsh. I looked at 4 messages fumble-typed on the forum that day, including the one that got modded down in this topic. These 4 were directed at people volunteering to do something that would help me. Brief replies in this context can easily be seen as impolite or ungrateful. I don't wish to make that impression. Tscott, let me know if you need any other info--I will never turn down a good plug.
3. It seemed to me at the time that TScott and MeckMeck did actually cover all the available features and there was little to add. There is also a CaravelNet-only download area available, but presently it only offers some things which registered users would expect to have. (being purposefully vague here) But basically, TScott and MeckMeck nailed it.

So I apologize to anyone I offended. And I also apologize to the people I let down by giving up on Dvorak.

(Okay, 1st apology--sincere, 2nd--just being silly.)

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)

Tscott
Level: Smiter

Rank Points: 382
Registered: 02-10-2003
IP: Logged

No problem. I understand what it's like to not be able to be everywhere at once. Thanks for the confirmation whenever you could get to it.

(In other words, it wasn't me. I swear... )

____________________________
And I can recall our caravel: a little wicker beetle shell with four fine maste and lateen sails,
its bearings on Cair Paravel. O my love, O it was a funny little thing to be the ones to've seen.
-Joanna Newsom "Bridges and Balloons"

techant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 854
Registered: 06-08-2004
IP: Logged

ErikH2000 wrote:In July, we will introduce CaravelNet subscriptions at $12/year. -Erik

Consider adding the subscription to the prize pile please

____________________________
DROD RPG Released!! You must try it out it is Great!!

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2796
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

techant wrote:

ErikH2000 wrote:In July, we will introduce CaravelNet subscriptions at $12/year. -Erik

Consider adding the subscription to the prize pile please

Good idea. I'll put DMOD up there too.

-Erik

____________________________
The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
dev journals | twitch stream | youtube archive (NSFW)