December 29, 2015

End of 2015 Server Rewrite Update

AQWorlds is Evolving Before Your Eyes!

We've made a lot of changes to AQWorlds over the lcouple years, and gained MANY new players! That's great, because it means there are tons of new heroes for you to quest with, battle with, and talk to... but also puts our servers under a great deal of strain. 

To make AQW the BEST game it can be, we need to take the time to FIX the current issues. So... how do we DO that? WE REBUILD AQW'S SERVERS!

Phase 1: Rebuilding the Current Game (90% Complete)

We had hoped to finish Phase 1 of the Server Rewrite back in September, but as we've said before, a project like this is *not* one that should be rushed. We want to take our time and do it right -- plus Yorumi is making some modifications in the backend that should make it easier for our designers to do more fun things faster once the rewrite is finished.

Though we are taking our time to ensure that all the changes are solid and done well, we don't want to drag our feet! I just got the latest update in from Yorumi, and am really excited to share it with you all!

Phase 1 progress so far:

• Maps 
• PvP 
• Monster AI 
• Combat 
• Inventory 
• Enhancements 
• Stats 
• Chat 
• Quests are very close 

Phase 1 still to finish:

• Shops - 80% done
• Guilds - 95% done
• Houses - 80% done
• Crafting - 80% done
• Parties - 95% done

Each of the above is VERY close to being done, and the additional coding help has been a HUGE boost for Yorumi!

We do still need to finish some existing in-game commands like /goto. The bulleted points above are probably 2 weeks of work and testing. The commands are a bigger project, but the rewrite coders know exactly what's needed and how to do it.

We are currently in pre-live testing for this last round of additions. This is what's going to take the longest part. We're estimating about 4-6 weeks for the remaining testing and bug-fixing. (You do NOT want to see what happens when you /goto your friend and land smack dab in the middle of a frogzard O_O)

Stat changes Design Notes Post

Monster AI Design Notes Post

Combat Design Notes Post

What Comes Next? Phase 2!

If Phase 1 of the server rewrite is porting the game over to the new servers, Phase 2 is where we're planning to make the changes you have all been asking for. 

We cannot start adding in Phase 2 functionality until after Phase 1 is complete, but once it is, we can start working on things like:

• friends list syncing 
• bank item previews 
• the buyback shop
• better PVP and guilds functionality 
• adding rank 10 passives to new classes 
• cross-server/world chat 
• better anti-bot and reporting functionality and more. 

Remember, we will still be releasing EVERY Friday! AQWorlds isn't going ANYWHERE... but to keep the game running as smoothly as it should, we need to make these changes. In the long run, this will make AQW even MORE fun to play! 

Server Rewrite Progress Chart

So that we all have a clear idea of where the server rewrite progress is at, we'll use server rewrite version numbering (SRV) and phases.

Phase 1: Porting the existing game over to proprietary server software (that we built ourselves. This is what Oversoul currently runs on).

Phase 2: Updating core game functionality on AQW 2.0. 

• SRV 0 - research begins
• SRV 0.01 - server architecture meeting with Zhoom
• SRV 0.02 - staff-only test of new combat system
• SRV 0.5 - member-only PTR test of different systems -- we are here
• SRV 0.6 - member-only test of full working Alpha stage on PTR test server
• SRV 0.7 - testing final feature ports before all-player live test on PTR
• SRV 0.8 - all-player live-test on PTR 
• SRV 0.9 - final round of bug-fixing based on player feedback
• SRV 1.0 - full launch of Server Rewrite, Phase 1

Why We Need the Server Rewrite

We have a good deal of control over the game, but currently we are using server software whose base we did not build ourselves (though we created all of our server-based game functionality)... and that means there are some things we cannot change.

This is one of the main causes of the random bugs some of you are reporting. It's also one of the reasons some bugs (like desynced friends/guild lists) have not been fixed and why some features (like the better botting detection, all-new class skills, and finished Guild cities) have not been released.

If you want to get a sneak preview of what's coming in the server rewrite or help us test on the PTR server, you can help support AQW's continuing development by upgrading your account. We make our games for and with you, which is why you should also tell us what you'd like to see next in our Suggestions board!

Keep an eye on the Design Notes for future progress updates, then give us your feedback on the Artix.com Design Notes post!