Devlog [11.15.23]

Sindonic - Nov 15th 2023 07:30

NEWS

Hello, Sprouts!

Before we dive into our thrilling update, we wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude and share some exciting news. Our recent event was a resounding success; it was the smoothest event we've ever managed. We needed minimal staff to host it, and we received excellent feedback. All items have been banked as of this update. Below, we have provided a list of all loot awarded as a checklist for users if we made any banking errors.

List of all Event Prizes
Day 3 - x250 GC
Day 4 - x1 Petition -Dough'nut A-Void
Day 7 - x10 Splice Fruit
Day 10 - x1 Edible - Bella Berry Boo
Day 11 - x1 Love Voucher
Day 12 - x1 2023 Participation Critter
Day 12 - x5 Event Tickets
Day 14 - x10 Cosmetic - Ability Fruit
Day 14 - x1 Beanian Swol - Elemental
Day 15 - x10 Cosmetic - Hollow Fruit
Day 16 - x1 Love Petal
Day 16 - x1 Selenian Swol - Mystical
Day 17 - x1 Selenian Swol - Blessed
Day 18 - x500 Gold Coins
Day 21 - x5 Coin Familiar
Day 23 - x10 Event Tickets
Day 23 - x1 Beanian Swol - Charmed
Day 25 - x300 Gold Coins
Day 26 - Collectible of Choice
Day 26 - x1 Stamp - Void Stamp
Day 27 - x10 Cosmentic - Fool Fruit
Day 28 - x1 Caprian Swol - Cursed
Day 29 - x10 Status Berry Voucher
Day 30 - x100 Gold Coins
Day 30 - x10 Cosmentic - Star Fruit
Day 30 - x10 Companion Tamer Fruit
Day 30 - x1 Fluffian Swol - Buffed
Day 31 - x10 Orm Fruit
Day 31 - x5 Griffolk Theme Biscuit
Day 31 - x10 Companion Tamer Fruit
Day 31 - x10 Status Berry Voucher
Day 31 - x1 Hurdle or Bonus Trophy
Day 31 - x1 Affinity Point

Winning House Prize
Congratulations to Harmony House for winning the event with the highest points! A Harmony House-themed collectible will be created for players to celebrate this achievement. This exclusive item will be available for purchase or trade during the break from December 4th to January 4th. Please note that these collectibles will be banked for use upon our return.

Event
This event served as a significant test for us, and it went so well that we're thrilled to confirm our plans to repeat similar events. This will likely be the last fully manual event we run. We've already been investing in infrastructure improvements and automation to make this type of event even better in the future. We appreciate your enthusiasm and support and will update you as we progress.
 
Now, let's jump into the main update. We've achieved a lot this year and are well on our way to clearing our backlog. This substantial update introduces new features, so read it through. We aim to complete our backlog by the end of the year and end all manual approvals in 2024. Thank you for your continued support, as we could not have reached these milestones without you.
 
Break (Dec 1-Jan 4th)
We'll be on a scheduled break from December 1, 2023, to January 4, 2024. While games remain open for participation, other services will be offline or slowed down. The Weekly Games will reward you with x4 weeks of loot for a single art submission during this period. We'll bank these entries for your use when we return on January 4.
 
Backlog (Current)
The backlog page is on track to be fully cleared by 2024, except for game automation, which requires some adjustments before implementation. We'll provide more details on this shortly. Once the backlog is complete, we'll unveil a new set of development projects we plan to undertake in 2024-2025. We'll provide a more comprehensive update on these projects closer to the new year.
 
However, we'd like to mention some projects to give our users a glimpse of what's coming and help them understand our direction. Some projects removed from the backlog will be reintroduced as they represent new features and assets. Additionally, we're excited to announce our goal of completing Settlements for Capria and Fluffia during 2024, along with necessary map updates and completing the Orm and Novinaut Griffolk Page.
 
Achievements (Future)
One of these new projects we are developing is achievements. We intend to tie a lot of our activities behind it. Achievements are not only outstanding for completionists, but they are a foundation we need to continue gamifying Griffia. With this in mind, we have decided on our current activities and how they will run.

All documentation, such as scrolls, diplomas, and tokens, are turning into achievements and will be visible in their separate area of the masterlist and user profiles. This particular area is different from the inventory since these "items" will no longer be considered items at all. This resolves a lot of feedback we have had about inventory bloat while also improving the sense of progress.
 
Once achievements are ready, all documentation, such as scrolls, diplomas, and tokens, will be automatically converted for you into the new system.

Achievements will be divided into categories, and one of these categories is explicitly designed for old players who participated in previous Griffia content. These achievements will offer a nostalgic trip down memory lane and serve as a way for long-time players to reminisce about their journey within the Griffia community. While these achievements may not be attainable for new players, they will hold a special place in the hearts of those who have been part of Griffia's history. These will not even be visible to new players unless they participated in them.
 
Because of achievements, we will open another window to claim missing Participation Critters through errors with proof. This option will be made available once achievements are completed, and we will provide more details then. Stay tuned for further updates!

Trial Automation and Changes (Nov 15th)
We have exciting news: all Trials are automated on-site, and all temporarily closed trials are now re-open. Thank you so much for your patience while we have worked on this super-important infrastructure. We cannot wait for users and mods to experience this streamlined process.

Sidekick Changes (Nov 15th)
Due to how our infrastructure is, we had to make significant changes in how Sidekick items function and are acquired. In the past, many Sidekicks came with a piece of gear (Bangles/Bracelets); these Sidekicks and gear have been combined into one item. New players must "activate" their gear to turn it into a functional Sidekick in the Eather Forge. It's worth noting that all existing Magic Familiars and Eather Beasts are already activated, so these adjustments primarily impact new players.
 
To address the challenge of allowing players to pick multiple familiars (Eather Beasts, Magic Familiars, Elemental Totems), we have introduced a new item container: sidekick eggs! When opened, these eggs "hatch" and offer players a choice to select one Sidekick from the new container. It's important to note that users cannot choose the same sidekick twice, and the class will verify if their Griffian has the required status unlocked to complete the class again.

Magic Fams (Nov 15th - 2024)
Drawing Magic Familiars in approval art is no longer required for any automatic approval, whether for a game, trial, or class. Instead, ensure that the familiar is active on the masterlist, and you can mark a checkbox on the submission form – that's all you need to do! Don't forget to check the ones you've unlocked to receive their gifts. Magic Familiars must be drawn in our current manually approved games until 2024. (Crafty Corner, Style Prompt, and Progress Game.)

Due to the completion of the Magic Familiar automation process, the Magic Familiar Coin will no longer serve as a currency for purchasing Familiar Gifts in 2024. Instead, it will be transformed into a collectible. To facilitate the collection of these coins, they have been added to each Magic Familiar shop. Users can exchange their Magic Familiar gifts for these coins through the shop. These will be removed in the new year so get them while you can!

Tokens Automation and Changes (Nov 15th)
Great news! Tokens are now automated on the site, streamlining the approval process with a few changes. Tokens are now approved as bundles, so you must complete the entire bundle to submit it. We've also adjusted specific Tokens and items in the loot table to accommodate our changes to Uber Fertilizer and Uber Time Water.

- Enlightened token has been changed because unlocking all statuses will be its own future achievement.
- Enviromentalist time activity token now requires the advanced farming diploma/ribbon to complete.

Please note that users who have already completed portions of tokens will need to resubmit tokens they have already had approved if a token you are missing is contained in a bundle. Don't worry; these duplicates won't affect anything, as they'll be corrected once tokens are converted into achievements. Additionally, Open Species are no longer eligible to participate in tokens. It is easier not to include Open Species than code exceptions to make their participation fair. However, all older open species created before this update will receive an achievement indicating they could once participate in tokens, separating them from all open species made after the update.

Written Submissions (Leaving Soon)
We've decided to discontinue accepting writing entries for Trials based on feedback and some technical reasons. Our focus is on automating and introducing new features, diverting resources from low-activity, manually approved tasks. While this may disappoint some, we're open to revisiting this feature once more urgent matters are addressed. We know this is sudden and was not mentioned, but it didn't work into our plans as we had hoped.

Patreon (Leaving 2024)
We've removed Patreon from our footer, which will be discontinued at the beginning of 2024 due to time management. However, we're working on an alternative method for users to gain the discord patreon role by supporting the site or the owners through subs and premiums. All these features will be bundled into a single role. We sincerely thank you for the support you've shown us through our Patreon over the years.

Other Systems Pending Automation (Coming 2024)
We're actively working on moving various manual approvals onto the site if they aren't already in place. Until their systems are fully automated, we'll continue to handle them manually. These include:
- Subtype (will be changeable on the masterlist and no longer require mod approval).
- Griffolk and companion themes will be submittable on the masterlist and receive mod approval on-site.
- Soulbonding attachments will occur directly on the masterlist in the relationship tab with the relationship system.
 
Game Reorganization and Retirement (Coming 2024)
In response to feedback, we will merge the manually approved weekly and monthly games into one streamlined weekly game. This new approach will feature additional tasks for the same rewards, simplifying your activities and reducing time commitments. The weekly game will introduce weekly challenges with both GC and item prizes that change regularly.
Additionally, this change means that the games will reset at a fixed time, similar to other automated games like Time Loot, Treasure Hunt, and Love Raffle. While we're actively developing these tasks, we don't have all the details ready yet. We'll provide another update when we have more information to share.
 
As we move forward, please note that we plan to retire Crafty Corner when the year transitions from 2023. This game has been one of our longest-running and most cherished games. We appreciate the incredible journey it has provided over the years and the many creative entries.
 
If you're eager to earn the achievement for playing old Griffia games but haven't had the chance to participate in the current games, we highly recommend getting involved now. This way, you can secure the achievement once it's live.
 
ATR/XTR Changes (Future)
We're in the process of reimagining this game, and while the details aren't finalized, the concept is to continue offering a Griffian for a monthly raffle. The significant change is that you won't need to create art for this game. Instead, your participation in game-related activities will automatically allow you to enter into the raffle for a free Griffian.
 
Minor Game Changes (Coming 2024)
Due to upcoming game changes, we will temporarily stop awarding new Participation Ribbon and the NPC Trophy. These items will be reintroduced with new uses in the future.
 
Major Site Logic Change (Future)
While this change won't directly impact users, it's a significant shift in how the site functions. Currently, in some shops/activities, users can select which Griffian they play as from a dropdown menu, leading to confusion. This confusion arises from users not being accustomed to playing as their characters. In 2024, we'll introduce a new system where you select a character as your main character on your user profile.
 
Under this system, your character selection will persist until you decide to change it. If you only have one character, you'll be automatically set to that one. The new ARPG experience requires playing as a character while you, as the user, serve as the custodian of all characters, responsible for managing GC and items.
 
As a result, Gold Coins and Tickets will no longer be considered "items." Instead, your currency will be securely stored in your user profile's "bank," accessible by any character you own.
 
In conclusion, we're thrilled to introduce these long-requested quality-of-life and infrastructure improvements finally. We hope you share our excitement for 2024. Your support has placed us in an excellent position as we move forward into the new year.


DEV LOG

Addition

- Sidekick Egg Bundle added (choose your reward type containers)
- An error has been added to notify users if their image upload is too large.
- Users can now search CYO and Premium Griffolk on the Masterlist.
- Added additional links to the rules now that more pages are stable for clarity.
- Users can now open containers on characters.
- Activation Boost has been added to the Eather Forge as an upgrade for Magic familiars and Eather Beasts.

Changes
- Improved and clarified the avatar submission rules.
- Token Bundle #5 has been changed from 150 GC and x2 Uber Time Water to 150 GC and x1 Uber Time Water
- Some Token rules have been moved: Added Rule 6.4 (Token Rule) 
- Rule 6.4 Bonus Rules has been Changed to 6.5 Bonus Rules
- The hidden design feature in Dye History has been improved. The user's hidden designs are now only visible in edit mode
- Minor changes to the Dream, Sky, and Space Guardian's official art to repair errors.
- Added missing nostrils to all Gulit official art. 
- Upgrade and Boost icons improved.
- Token - Enchanted Token changed into Allies Token and given a new description.
- Item Requirement has changed in Eather Forge from Eather Bracelets to Scroll - Eather Beasts.
- Unactivated art of Magic familiars and Eather Beasts changed out with the former Bangles and Bracelets art.
- Games Tab has been renamed to Activities

Removal
- All old Gear has been removed (Magic familiar bangles and Eather Beast Bracelets)

Bugs
-Replaced incorrect image asset displaying on Perfaunt Griffolk Page.
- Fixed a time loot text bug. 
- Error when applying Hopper Fruit has been resolved.
- Fixed missing images on various pages.

All Feedback has been read and considered!~