Here's a 'short' update on what to expect for Hazordhu II's upcoming update to version 5.4.

Map Saving and Loading Reprogram
As more things were built during 5.3 we realized the map saving and loading system was reaching its limits. This reprogram will allow for changes to the map without having to wipe the map and will have no limits to how much it can hold. It should also allow the map to be saved during its regular intervals without lagging the server.

Orc Race
The Orc race will be a subscriber-only race that will be from the old mainland from previous versions. Among other things, they will enjoy a hardier body, allowing them to take more damage, and dish out more damage in battle. Orcs will be cold-blooded, meaning they'll respond to varied temperatures differently than Humans do, making them especially susceptible to the cold. There will be certain items that the Orcs wont be able to craft, such as items requiring Hazium (Plate armor, Runestones), to give a balance to the RP.

AI Updates
The AI Update will include things such as NPC shopkeepers, and some more interactive NPC's such as guards for the newbie areas to protect against the other race, as well as an NPC who will tell you various stories, myths, and legends as a way of adding to the RP and educating new players on the history of the world.

Generalized Interaction
The Generalized interaction will serve to make it easier for new players to adapt to the control system for Hazordhu II by removing a lot of the unnecessary key combinations involved in using some of the items. Our goal for this system is to limit as much as possible to Clicking, Right Clicking, and Click & Drag.

Locks and Keys
Locks will be used on chests, carts, boats, and other things. When a user smiths a lock, they will automatically create a key that fits in that lock. Keys will be able to be cut by a blacksmith by making a mould of said key using clay, and then smelting the key itself using the mould.

Coin Stamping
Coin stamping will allow people and guilds to give coins special stamps. This stamping feature will expand on the currency system of the game, and we plan on making it apply specifically to the guild shops when those are implemented (for 5.4.1 or 5.4.2).

Inventory Changes
The inventory changes will give all items a weight value, rather than having them all apply as 1 item in your inventory. For example, you will be able to carry either 15 boards, or 40 nails, as boards would weigh more than the nails.

Day/Night/Lighting System
This system may or may not be added simply because of the questionable efficiency of the system on a map as vast as Hazordhus. If it is added, players will be able to create various items to provide light such as torches and lanterns, as well as posts to put these on to attach them to walls or have them as a freestanding light-source for roads.

Family/Aging System
The Family and Aging system has been taken from 5.3 and put into the list for 5.4 due to the ammount of work we want to put in to the system. It will involve players dying of old age, then taking on the personae of their children, assuming they have any. Should someone not have a child, they will make a new character.

Combat Changes
This will give all armour, weapons, and clothing various attributes that will determine how effective certain weapons are against certain armours. All weapons will also have a special feature usable by subscribers only, which will allow for them to do some pretty neat things during battle.

Interface Changes
After having several members of BYONDs Development Community come in and have a look at the game and give me suggestions, I've decided to overhaul the interface.

The new interface will present new players with nothing more than their Health and Stamina bars, chat output, action log, and their inventory. There will also be a few quick-help buttons that can be pressed, to give a refresh on details of certain interface elements. These buttons will be able to be turned off, should a player choose so.

Crafting skills and inventories, and other actions will be done via a single button called 'My Character' which will bring up a new window.

A New Tutorial
One of the major things that I've been told is lacking from Hazordhu II is a tutorial and a good looking starting area. This update will include both.

Upon character creation, players will be shown a window called the "Beginners Utility for Expertise" or the BUX (which is a common animal in Hazordhu) for short. The BUX will guide them through the basics of the game, explaining the interface, game rules, and basic systems behind the game. It will also guide players to various NPC's around the all-new starting town of Newlands, who will go into details regarding the various actions available to be performed in the game.

Should players not wish to undergo this tutorial, it is able to be skipped, and speaking to an NPC in Newlands at any time will initiate the tutorial from the beginning.



And last but not least, we will of course be fixing all the bugs that have slipped through the cracks.


Edit: I will have some screenshots posted of development progress as soon as possible.