Jmurph's BYOND Realms

Myth has been down a while and no updates because real life has me tied up. Work is pretty insane right now. We just received word of our interim CEO after our old one was suspended. Our organization is having some severe financial difficulties, is in the middle of employee contract negotiations, and attorneys have been leaving the office like rats on a sinking ship so the work is piling up. Fun times! On the upside, I have gotten out to boat or play paintball almost every weekend and have been seeing a new girl (I love how I am almost 30 and still call them girls...). So I haven't really missed messing with my ugly code :-)

Play this game. Now!
http://www.kongregate.com/games/garin/ monsters-den-book-of-dread

The Myth test server was down briefly as the host machine apparently stopped responding. According to the e-mail from slicehost, they are looking into it and will be monitoring the host machine for any further issues. Hopefully, none will emerge!

Now that the major bugs seem to be squashed, I will be turning back to development. Here are areas that are slated for immediate work:

Help files- Currently help files are minimal and need expansion. Anyone who would like to help is welcome to submit help file entries in xml. The format is simple:

< help name="HELP KEYWORD(s)" desc="HELP INFO HERE">
</help>

Skill development- Currently skills cannot be advanced or trained. The model I have in mind is that characters acquire points simply by existing. These points may be spent to develop skills. Skills that are used are easier to develop than those that are not. Additionally, training with someone knowledgeable in the area speeds development. However, development slows as a skill becomes more advanced and as overall skill totals advance imposing a soft cap. Attributes will work similarly to skills.

Stamina- Currently fatigue is not implemented. Fatigue will make resting and eating/drinking more useful.

Craft Support- A number of items to facilitate crafting need to be more widely available. Patterns will now be carried by guildmasters, not general shopkeepers. Eventually, guilds will be more active and limit access to patterns based on reputation.

Further down the road:
Reputation- Both a general and faction specific rating.
Morale- High morale results in greater effectiveness. Lower morale results in reduced performance and a likelihood of fleeing from combat. Things that increase morale: good music, being well fed and rested, inspirational leaders, etc. Things that decrease morale: hunger, pain, fatigue, particularly frightening opponents (undead, supernatural, etc.).

Also, always looking for new areas. No particular format is necessary, but the following template is basically how rooms are stored:

type = /room
name = "Temple of Light"
desc = "A large atrium opens up around you. The air is tinged with the odor of incense. Above is a large domed ceiling and small alcoves line the walls. At one end of the atrium a stone altar rises, stained glass windows behind it. Stone benches rest on the stone pavers before it. Opposite the altar is the entry way to the temple, a large arched portal with massive oaken doors ringed in wrought iron."
sector = 0
luminosity = 1
flags = 2
south = 2

Anyone who would like more information on building should just drop me a note.

Fixed: OOC now displays properly.
Fixed: Blood can no longer be picked up.
Fixed: Doors should now work properly (open, close, lock, unlock).
Fixed: Priest should now heal injured mobs and be unkillable.
Changed: New players now start in the Academy, which should provide a useful introduction to the MUD. Players who wish to try it out should head south from Temple Lane.
Changed: Zealot's Assassination quest now gives a reward.

It seems like the number of bugs is down to almost nothing. Hopefully they are all almost ironed out so I can get to adding new stuff.