Jan 30,2006
A very DragonFable Monday to you!
First, I would like to formerly introduce our new artist/animator, Cysero. He has been helping Drakath and Twillyus for a good while now here in Tampa and was the one who animated the Gorillaphant, Sneevil, and Seed Spitter. His first project was creating Undead Assault with Zhoom and myself. Along side Oishii, Safiria and Arklen that makes up the current DragonFable team. This weekend, Oishii completed the Necromantress NPC, Zhoom is currently visiting in Nepal, Arklen is animating three new monsters, and this week in addition to creating the DragonFable "newbie zone" I am being forced to meet with lawyers and scary business and technical people about the DragonFable live launch. Something about making sure we have our paperwork and enough servers ready BEFORE the launch (Minor details I say!). Even though only Guardians can play in the Beta -- LOTS of non-Guardians have signed up for DragonFable. 271,141 accounts have been created as of the time of this post. So if they all signed up and cannot play -- how many people will sign up when they can? We better make this game really good. *gulps*. Or, *chuckles* we can just try to make it so bad that it ends up being good anyways. Oishii is going to kill me for doing the silly things I am doing with her really cool looking characters. Forums Topic: Which male NPC(s) would your character be friends with: Galanoth, Artix, Warlic, Drakonnan, Rhubarb, Sage Uldor, or Blackhawke. Also, which Moglin would you side with most? Twilly and Zorbak (They are both technically Male for the record). Battle on!

Jan 27,2006
Before the Beginning.....
DragonFable takes place three to five years before Yulgar created a little Inn. This was a time way before the Dragon Wars, before the evil of Drakonnan, and when no one knew what a Carnax was. In these days, Ancient Guardian Towers stood proudly, keeping order across the land. Which makes us wonder... because in AdventureQuest, there is only one Guardian Tower... and it was built after the Inn was... so... what happened to the others?

Jan 25,2006
Back... from the Dead!
It is hard to believe 5 days have already passed. I was nearly hallucinating with fever as I pressed the button to upload the last file on Friday. Sore throat, stomach problems, headache, fever, and the chills.... that is when I knew it. Yup, the undead were coming for me. I got them so mad from all the "Undead" Wars in AdventureQuest and that mini-game "Undead Assault" that they clearly launched a preemptive strike against me before we can fight the undead in DragonFable. So there I was, armed only with my thermometer and a black blanket... and the battle raged on! Can you say... the best fever dreams of all time? Almost made me sad I started feeling better on Tuesday. But let that be a warning to all of the undead! Next time I get sick... I am coming back after you! Including the one wearing my Japanese style lamp on your head. Prepare yourself to be smote with the the fiery holy vengeance of my divine retribution!!! I need to lay down for a bit. Will be back working on DragonFable tomorrow.

Jan 20,2006
DragonFable Phase II: Has Begun!
Great work everyone! The server is back online and Phase II of DragonFable has officially started. Please help us by posting bugs and errors in the message forums.

What to Test:

  • Monster Arena to the North: Three new monsters!
  • Random Forest to the Left: it is simple and big!
  • Shop: Buy and Sell Weapons and Armor
  • Fire Cave: Has one Temporary Item... is it working better?

Important Notes:

  • Sneevils snuck into your home to steal boxes... due to some unexplained chain of events, all of your Silver and Gems are missing *gasp* BUT you have been given 50 Gold to buy things with!
  • Random Drops are disabled. If it is alright, we can do the first test of permanent item rewards from the Fire Cave next week.

Jan 20,2006
Phase II: Sit back and enjoy the train wreck!
Zhoom took the server offline and is now backing up your characters. The big engine upgrade for Beta: Phase II has begun! Cysero, Oishii, and myself are hastily working to make sure there is at least something to play when the new engine goes live (The new engine broke all of the old files). I REALLY want you to try out buying and selling items, fighting the seed spitter, sneevil, and gorillaphant and finding your way out of the random forest. Because if those things work we are ready to start building real content for DragonFable. Safiria said that she would make delicious strawberry smoothies if we were successful -- and that is all the incentive I need! Check in every once in a while, I will keep you updated on our progress.

P.S. Look at the header on this page and then look at the homepage. Did you like how Galanoth is breaking out of the header on the homepage?
P.S.S. "Madness... madness... it is going to blow! The database cannot handle any more Capt'n"
P.S.S.S. SLG writes, "I am very happy to see the actual Beta going out there... this feels much more like a work in progress then Phase 1... shows a lot more potential.. but also lets them see how far there is to go" - SLG

Jan 19,2006
A Great Day!
Today is chop full of good news. Arklen, who has been bringing AQ monsters to life with us for the last two years was accepted into the Rochester Institute of Technology for a special animation program! He was one of the 52 chosen out of 850+ applicants for this program. Way to go Arklen! Second, the Zorbak and Twilly Plush Toys have finally arrived (as you may have noticed in yesterdays post). This victory was the result of a two and a half year trial of persistance which will be told... right down to the details of embriodering Zorbak's scar... very soon on the AQ forums. Finally, Warlic's beloved (who does not have an online name that I am aware of) finished knitting me a skull sweater! Apparently I have to go visit them in Boston to get it though. Moving forward with more good news (That was a very optimistic statement)... here is the Phase II Schedule:

Tuesday's Testing: Disaster
Thursday's Testing: No where near ready!
Friday's Release: We are going to release stuff anyways!

We pulled a classic programming mistake -- we broke more things than we fixed or added. So, as I write this, we need to re-create literally everything you saw in Phase I in order to release just a few Phase II test things tomorrow. We have... *checks watch* A solid 28 hours or so.... no problem... right? *coughs* Sleep is for the weak! *coughs* We will take the servers offline around noon EST tomorrow, and applying the changes to the database and game files will probably take 6 or 7 hours. Cross your fingers for us. When it comes back up this will be ready for testing:

Phase II: Testing Items

  • Fire Cave - Now Drops a few different item rewards!
  • Random Forest Test - get lost in the woods... then find you way back out!
  • Monster Testing Arena - Battle a Sneevil, Gorillaphant, and a Seed Spitter
  • A Shop - Buy some sample Weapons and Armor. (Note: These items will most likely be deleted later in the testing)

Jan 18,2006
By the Great Dragons..... The Zorbak and Twilly Dolls have finally arrived!
Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, Zorbak and Twilly Plush Toysfinally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally...............................

Available now through Jinx Gear

I will tell you the full tale of the plush toys as soon as we come up for air from Dragonfable. I still cannot believe they exactly exist... history in the making. Battle on!

Jan 14,2006
Phase II Release Schedule
We finalized the plan early, so I can share this with you now! Here is the plan:

What will be released:

  • A working Shop where you can buy/sell items
  • A new random, repeatable quest
  • Three new monsters
  • Massive behind-the-scenes bug fixes
  • Permanent Quest rewards
  • You will be able to delete characters
  • Health and Mana Potions
  • New Temporary Items (Some random ones)
  • Important Note: Phase II is in many ways a lot like the original release of AdventureQuest. Which means we will be able to begin adding more monsters, quests, areas, shops, npcs on the fly once it is working.

Schedule:

  • Tuesday: Staff Testing
  • Wednesday: Bug Fixing
  • Thursday: Staff Testing Round 2
  • Friday morning: Servers go offline to get the upgrades
  • Friday evening: Phase II Guardian Release!

Jan 13,2006
Gorillaphant
Stalking the jungles and plains this mighty beast can maul, gore, and stampede through even the bravest adventurers. Gorillaphants love peanuts... which may make one of these hulking brutes as tame as a kitten. Just do not let any small critters near their feet -- mice and Moglins scare them into a frenzy of huge flying feet! Expect to see this monster along with five other new monsters in Phase II. Remember... a Gorillaphant never forgets!

In other news... game developers should never be given sticks and told to hit each other. That is all I am going to say. This coming Monday: We are releasing the Phase II launch schedule!

Jan 12,2006
Martial Arts
Tonight at 8:30pm I am taking the local DragonFable Team to train in Arnis (aka Kali, Eskrima, Stick fighting) with me tonight. Safiria, Zhoom, Cysero (New DF Artist who has made 256 weapons thus far), and Sumit (New coder who is building the administrative tools) have all eagerly decided they wanted to beat each other sensless with sticks. Do not worry, I will not let them get hurt... but just in case, check back here tomorrow for what promises to be the most embarrasing stories of the year! In related news, I am very happy to share with you that I am now on a quest to earn my 4th Degree Black Belt. As you may already know, I have been training since I was very young and have moved through Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Hipkido, Kickboxing and for last few years, Krav Maga. I do not drink nor smoke, nor use drugs and have never used real-life violence to solve a problem. I love the martial arts and I believe training under a good Master Instructor can benefit us in all areas of our life (Just like all good sports with a coach including Football, Baseball, Horse Riding and many more). I am two years away from my 4th Degree test and you may be surprised as what I have to do to earn it. In addition to the things you are thinking, completing DragonFable and many other real life goals are required for me to pass. Yes... you heard that correctly: I have to complete DragonFable to get my Black Belt. This test will require me to complete major accomplishments with my martial arts skills, personal life, business, and family. There are also a lot of really strange and cool sounding trips involved. When I am done with the goal setting portion, I would very much like to share it with you. I would appriciate it very much if you can help me stay on track (There is a lot to be said for positive pressure) and perhaps you might want to create your own set of goals and we can help each other. Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens when the DF Team goes stick fighting!

Jan 10,2006
The line up... "Who did it?"
It was content file organization day here at the Artix Entertainment Headquarters. We moved, copied, cleaned and organized hundreds of (possibly a thousand) graphics, sound FX, test files. But who is responsible for this 3-year running file mess?

You can decide for yourself using our brand new "Official" AQ Character height chart. (An um, nay, Yulgar is not 8' tall...) We did not vary the character size too much because in-game there will not be enough distincton. In real life I am Goku's size... but in this Fantasy world, Artix gets to be a whomping 6'. Which I think is a good average height for our male characters (And 5'9" average for Females which is both attractive and deadly). Galanoth and Blackhawke would actually be a great deal larger (7' 5") but we will leave that to the imagination since the art looks really funny when you mismatch the sizes that much. Pae noted that Galanoth's sword is larger than most of the NPCs... which is really funny. On a much shorter note, Moglins are now officially... one foot tall! (Question: How tall would "Three apples be?). Which brings us to the suggested forum topic: If Moglins and Smurfs were dueling pokemon style.... what would happen. Extra points for a Roleplay-style re-enactment (Just keep it PG, we do not want to scar anyone for life... again).

P.S. Check out DropKickMurphy's post about Character Classes on the Forums. That was some serious effort!

Jan 9,2006
First Quest Item Drop!
On our development server yesterday, the very first random item was dropped! It was called "The Oozy Eye Blade" and is now permanently in my character's Inventory (Actually, there are 4 items now... it is sort of addictive getting stuff!) There are going to be 30 inventory spaces to begin with. You can hold any combination of weapons, armor, pets or "other". If all of your bag slots are full and you complete a quest, you will be given the option of quick-selling either A.) The new item you picked up or B.) Another sellable item from your inventory. Quick-selling gives you a much smaller amount of money than selling at the shop (this encourages people to make space before going on item quests) but putting points into Charisma will raise the sell price. In an unrelated note, we had an interesting idea: The Rare Item Hunter Class. This would be a very interesting class... you could only equip items with a high enough rarity rating, and we could always do something completely odd, like have your level based on unlocking secrets and turning in rare items (Exp would not mean as much to you). Have any wild ideas for character classes? Let us know on the message forums!

Jan 5,2006
Sick *gurgle* *cough* *cough*
It must be that time of the year again. Capt. Rhubarb was sick, Safiria was ill, my folks all have the Flu, which means -- it is my turn. *Sneazes* ... *checks tissue* ... Whew... nope, no brains! We should make it so your characters can catch a cold in game every once in a blue moon. They would get a negative % of effectiveness that day -- which can only be cured if your friends take you on an adventure to get Chicken noodle soup. Just a thought. Battle on!

Jan 3,2006
Inventory: Weapons, Armor and Pets!
After months of cautious planning, thinking, changing our minds, going around in circles, changing our minds, going around in circles... did I mention changing our minds? We finally stamped and approved the final inventory database system for DragonFable! Soon, we will have a launch date for the first repeatable quest with a random item reward. Your character will be able to use a wide variety of items. When you bring a guest along, like Artix, Robina or even a friend's character, you will be able to temporarily loan them some of your extra gear to give your party an advantage. (It also gives you a reason to keep a Hunting Bow if you are playing a class that is not allowed to use them). Items have a rarity and value rating from "Pitiful" to "Ultra Epic Insanely Rare". Which brings us to todays Forum topic.... have any good ideas for the verbose rarity rankings? The more the better -- let us know your ideas on the forums.

Rarity Table for Rare Item Hunters : First Draft

  • 00 - Garbage
  • 10 - Embarrasing
  • 20 - Average
  • 30 - Interesting
  • 40 - Good
  • 50 - Rare
  • 60 - Ancient
  • 70 - Epic
  • 80 - Ultra Rare
  • 90 - Legendary
  • 100 - Divine