Blog

Over the past 6-7 weeks, we've spent most of our time developing second level cleric and magic-user spells, so that the game can support third, fourth and fifth level heroes (the first three campaign modules were written for first and second level heroes only). Not only are spells like Hold Person, Knock, Mirror Image and Spiritual Hammer now available within the BrowserQuests™ platform, but associated potions, scrolls, rings and wands have been developed and added to the RPG as well. Note that a few spells were somewhat changed to make them more appropriate to the BrowserQuests™ system (the first level cleric spell "Purify Food and Water" was changed to "Summon Food and Water" and the second level cleric spell "Silence 15' Radius" was changed to "Silence Spellcaster" for example). 

Since the release of our beta version in August, we've had about 100 new players try the game, several of whom were kind enough to provide feedback through our online questionnaire, Discord channel and even just direct email. Based on that feedback, we've revised the game's UI (user interface) in the hopes of providing an easier, more streamlined and entertaining experience!

Our initial BETA version of BrowserQuests™ is now LIVE and available at http://beta.browserquests.com. While the beta version looks almost identical to the current BrowserQuests™ website, it is in fact a completely separate instance and hence will require a new registration (so players will need to go through the registration process again). Note that sometime this fall we do plan to migrate the beta version over to the original browserquests.com domain, at which point all registrations with the original site will be lost.

Firstly, a few new user design modifications have been implemented into the BrowserQuests™ platform. These updates include a new presentation for all party heroes (showcasing their graphic avatars better) and a more efficient menu option details selection process (if you click CAST SPELL for example, the game automatically selects the first available spellcaster, limiting the amount of clicking that needs to be done). A few other subtle changes have been incorporated into the player interface as well.

As promised, the second BrowserQuests™ module "To Watch It All Burn" has been rebuilt from the game's original content (first provided back in late 2016) and is now available for play! 

In development for over three months, a brand new origin-story module "Coming of Age" has been uploaded to the BrowserQuests™ server and is now ready for play! Because the story takes place BEFORE the original story developed back in 2016--and to integrate a wide variety of new updates and features into the game engine as well--the entire server has also been reset; previous players can still log in as before, but all past play is gone in favor of the new module and new experience.

Over three months in development, a brand new "Coming of Age" BrowserQuests™ module is coming, scheduled for official release on March 15, 2020. The new module consists of two new quests--both of which take place within the player character's home village of Tabin--and is the first new collection of quests added to the BrowserQuests™ system in over three years.

Introducing party management to BrowserQuests!™ Until now, when new players would begin the game they would be randomly assigned a hero, and once additional heroes were recruited into the adventuring party they were there for good--there was no way to "un-hire" them so a different hero could be recruited instead.

After nearly two months of re-design and development, an all-new user interface has been implemented into the BrowserQuests™ system! Gone is the extremely clunky and time-consuming grouping of command menus that once was displayed below the GameMaster (GM) prose. Instead, an easier-to-use collection of command-based buttons and dropdowns now appears within a right column of the interface, options that are typically context-dependent and simplified so that most responses to the game require just a single click or dropdown selection (more involved options--such as casting a spell on a particular target--utilize a quick modal window instead). The new approach is much faster and more intuitive and should significantly enhance the overall player experience!

After receiving a variety of comments and feedback regarding the alpha release of BrowserQuests back in June, one critical issue has been identified--the way commands are presented and utilized within the system must be improved! Indeed, the clunky and time-consuming way that the command system works seems to really compromise a positive player experience with the game and is therefore the very next mechanism to be addressed and improved.