Regretfully, it has been some time since our last update. While we may have been quiet, there has been a tremendous amount of work poured into the resurrection of Underlight on a daily basis. I wanted to take a moment and update everyone on the status of the "Clash".
Most know that we have been beta testing a server/client setup that was largely used for the duration of the "Shades of Truth" project. Development of this software remains ongoing, albeit in a somewhat limited fashion.
This brings me to another point that most of you already know. We have never ceased efforts to get the last server and client builds from Lyra (circa 2006) functioning. Recently we have made a few breakthroughs thanks to some very dedicated folks well versed in all things "Lyra". While these breakthroughs have not yet produced a fully operational game, we are closer than ever before and remain hopeful that we will have BIG announcements coming soon.
With this in mind, I want to share our intentions with the community: If and when we get a stable game setup using the old Lyra software we will largely discontinue development of "Shades of Truth" software and work towards a live launch.
What does this mean for our users? In the beginning it will essentially be as if we picked up where Underlight left off in 2006 (Software wise ONLY. This has ZERO impact on any of our in-character plans). The following is a small list of the major features that will be gained and lost in this scenario. Please note that this list likely does not capture every single change, however it does hit the high points.
With the "Lyra" Client/Server software:
- NPC Nightmares will be available.
- Mission Boards will function correctly.
- Server response will improve to reduce/eliminate lag, especially noticeable in combat and highly populated rooms.
- Potential for PMares (player-controlled Nightmares) again. This change will not be immediate, but we will have the general client/server infrastructure for implementation, pending the addition of a billing system or other time-limiting feature so that players don't just create and play PMares full-time. This is a "down-the-road" sort of feature that may be re-introduced once all of the must-have features are working properly.
- Level changes/additions (The Teaching Guild, Basin Stronghold Threshold, Palisade, Chak & Flask, Conclave, etc.),
- Energy system (Energy arts, Nexus storage items, energy conversion pads, etc.),
- Apprentice Halos,
- Added colors (orange, forest, cobalt, flower, coral, rust, etc.),
- Current effect status icons,
- Tooltips,
- Breakthrough chances,
- and others.
As stated, the re-integration of "Shades of Truth" features will not hold us back from setting a launch date if and when we have a stable game. Changes will likely come in later patches and will require ongoing beta testing before release. Obviously, some changes will be easier to implement than others, but we will consider other factors in prioritizing the change list.
Thank you all for your patience. We hope to have more news and updates to post soon!
-Raven
