Sherwood Fantasy Forums

Gene Enrody wrote:August 10, 2007
Very busy, but very good time.

I've been working like a mad man through June, July and August and honestly haven't had time to update this diary. I'm off to Aruba today for a holiday, but here's an update before I go.

1. The new multi-user game server software is fully up and operational. The MMUS (MaidMarian Multi-user Server) has performed beyond my expectations and the performance and stability has been outstanding thanks to help from my friend. (He knows who he is.) This software provides the foundation for future growth and will impact game features in the coming months. I've also had to add a seventh server to keep up with traffic.

2. New features have appeared in Sherwood over the last few months. This includes a new system for building interconnected buildings and bridges. The grass huts in Haunted Palm and tree houses in Frost Bite are examples of this and are in direct response to the many requests I've been getting around buildings and towns.

3. A new Sherwood NPC type has been added. Right now the Castle Guard by the bridge in Sherwood Castle is the only example in the game, however more of this type will appear in the future for storytelling elements. The Castle Guard is there to answer frequently asked questions and help new players.

4. Work is underway on new textures for all avatars and monsters in Sherwood. I don't have an exact timeline for release, but this should provide a nice visual upgrade to the characters and overall improvement to the look of the game.

5. I'm about 85% through a new game or virtual hangout as a successor to Marian's World. Although Marian's World was the first multiplayer game I developed for the site, it still attracts over 600 simultaneous players during peak times. Not bad for an old game with limited feature set and backwards visuals by my current standards. I decided to take some of the ideas from the original game and bring it to a whole new level. The new games features much more sophisticated avatar customization (yes, there are male avatars), music features, emoticons, a shiny new roadster to drive around and a few other surprises. I've been working seven days a week on this game and it's almost done. Expect to see it in September. I'll keep the game's name a secret for now and not to worry, the original Marian's World will remain on the site after the release. I know how you get attached to my older stuff and then yell at me when I try to upgrade

6. It was a good time for press and publicity with blog entries from games industry insiders like The Escapist, The Forge, Wired Game Life, FreeToPlay.biz, Raph Koster, Lost Garden and a bunch of others. The article that started it all off was a Showcase and Case Study that Adobe did on Maid Marian Entertainment. Adobe is the company that makes Photoshop, Flash, Shockwave etc. Here's the link.

7. I also spoke at the Vancouver International Game Conference and nextMEDIA 2007 in Banff, Alberta. Here's a video webcast of my nextMedia panel presentation on Interactive Games and Social Networks. (OMG, you finally going to see what I look like I'm not the host, rather the balding red head with the beard- - don't be too harsh.)