Progress Update

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         Hi All,
        
         

        
        
         Just wanted to give a progress update on where we are on the release cycle.  
        
        
         

        
        
         Things were slightly delayed by ThunderCat's unexpected trip to ER to have his foot stitched back together, having stood heavily on a large china cup whilst chasing a spider.  I do truly wish I was making that up.
        
        
         

        
        
         New Building Releases are In Progress
        
        
         We expect to get the 20 New Buildings (with 25 new technologies) out over the next couple of days.  2 Buildings have already been released and the release pace should pick up from here on in.
        
        
         

        
        
         As we're releasing the required research technology onto live we're also updating the 
         new building list here with the values of what this building actually provides in terms of benefit.
        
        
         

        
        
         Moving Cities is En Route
        
        
         The Exodus technology and the ability to move cities (with penalties) are still scheduled for release shortly.
        
        
         

        
        
         Decoupling Food from the Taxation Slider Is Postponed, possibly Cancelled
        
        
         Whilst doing final testing for balance against real, ingame player cities over the weekend, we've run into some potentially highly exploitable issues that decoupling food would raise.
        
        
         

        
        
         Right now - and for the foreseeable future - decoupling food from the taxation slider is on hold, until we can navigate a way through the exploit this would open up.  
        
        
         

        
        
         At this point I don't want to go into any further details on this possible exploit for fairly obvious reasons; our first task is to ascertain whether it's being used currently (in a much more limited form that would be massively exacerbated by decoupling food).  It may not even be an exploit as the game stands right now - but it's certainly going to become one if we decouple food.
        
        
         

        
        
         At this point we don't know what form a workaround might take - or even if one is possible - but it's a fairly fundamental issue at the heart of it, that's going to require an awful lot more thought.
        
        
         

        
        
         We realise players may have made plans based on this change, however we must also preserve the game's integrity - and it's only fair that we let you know 
         before we release Moving Cities.  It would be worse for you to actually move and 
         then have us decide not to decouple food.
        
        
         

        
        
         So we're sorry about this 
         volte face, but it was unanticipated and - frankly - we're delighted it got identified before release.  After release, it could have been a truly game-breaking disaster.
        
        
         

        
        
         The Rumourmill
        
        
         We've had angry Petitions from players asking us why we've cancelled the moving cities exodus expansion (we haven't, see above).  
        
        
         

        
        
         We've also seen players in Global Chat talking about how excited they are about the release of naval units later this week (naval units are highly unlikely to happen *this year* let alone this week).
        
        
         

        
        
         We've received some quite abusive rants along the lines of "why are you working on 3D buildings when you promised x?" (because 3D-model-makers don't actually write algorithms for Faction AI).
        
        
         

        
        
         So we'd be grateful if players could stick to the facts of what has been announced officially in this forum, with the most recent mention or announcement taking precedence over any earlier incarnations.
        
        
         

        
        
         We love communicating, we love sharing our plans and thoughts with everyone, and we love that you feel so passionate about Illy that you take the time to let us know about the good, the bad and the indifferent (although some of the more sensitive members of the team would meekly request less swearing in Petitions, please!).   Communication between us and you is what makes the game better.  However, it only works if it's based on what's been announced rather than rumour.
        
        
         

        
        
         In short, if we haven't announced something, don't expect it.  If we have announced something, do expect it - unless we announce otherwise.  We know the most usual question is "when", and that the answer "soon" is frustrating.  But it's better all-round than making an artificial deadline and then missing it.
        
        
         

        
        
         Nothing is 100% confirmed until released, and - even after release - is subject to the nerfbat and/or the buffbubble.
        
        
         

        
        
         What's Next
        
        
         After the new buildings are all out there, and exodus (moving cities) has been released, team TC is going to be working on ingame chat functions (private, invite-only, player-run etc) as well as a host of Alliance tidy-ups and social tools (such as friend lists, ingame notepads etc).  Team SC is moving onto new spell schools alongside finishing up the release of Trade v2 (with new trade-specific buildings etc), military quests and faction AI.
        
        
         

        
        
         After those are done, one of us will take crafting, and the other pathfinding (pre-cursor to naval units).
        
        
         

        
        
         Smaller content releases (tournaments, mysteries) and bug fixing etc will continue to occur throughout.
        
        
         

        
        
         When? Soon.
        
        
         

        
        
         Best wishes,
        
        
         

        
        
         SC
         
        

Edited by GM Stormcrow - 19 Sep 2011 at 17:50