Upheaval, Panic, Crisis, Chocolate

No doubt about it.. this new year has brought some rocky starts to our doorstep, many changes (some welcomed, a few not so much), and a burst of activity that we hope to see continue for quite some time.

We got serious about the economy and have taken steps to balance it before we even crack the pages on the trading and crafts design docs. Some of these changes were met with open arms - and some with open ridicule. Not to be flippant about the condition, folks, but before the economy is balanced, no further modules can be brought in. Period.

We got serious about balancing the game world. A maximum level, formerly a topic that was discussed only in hushed tones and worried looks, was established at 1000. We can now make some definite progress on level coverage, both in terms of experience and in terms of gear.

We got serious about developing a smooth player experience, with particular focus on the entry levels of game play. To this end, we have established a ramped up experience reward for combat, so that the first few levels should fly by, presenting more training hours for the new player to use to develop his (or her!) strategy.

We got serious about societies. Their own economic states begin to take on a more realistic form, and we're still looking at options to fund kingdoms from either taxes or guild hall fees, or both.

It has been our policy not to discuss future developments. We're not going to break with that policy, but we are going to update the Big Picture at a finer grain of detail. To this end, we'll post a few doodads here and in forums where we will welcome player feedback as things develop.