Patch Notes

[Omni]

I've updated a lot of the moves examples with "Bad" versions to better illuminate the differences between unapprovable and approvable moves. Some of the old double standards like "oh you don't have to describe this M16!" are gone, because we pretty much always ask for that stuff these days. It's just Greg gets tired and lazy when he writes examples so he tries to cut corners, but these examples aim to put the same level of detail in as I would ask of a new joiner. Otherwise it's just ... more confusing.

[Omni]

The Coruscant Information topic has been updated with details of the Imperial Palace.


[anchor=ImperialPalace]The Imperial Palace[/anchor]
At the very heart of Coruscant stands the Imperial Palace, a symbolic watchtower that stretches into the sky. Made of adamantium and Omni-knows-what other materials, it is invulnerable to outside attack and can only be accessed from an elevator at the very bottom. This elevator is guarded directly by a group of twelve marines with special power suits that remove the need for either sleep, rest, or outside influence. They guard the tower every hour, every minute, every day. If one should ever die, they will be replaced by a new guard, usually summoned or modified by the Emperor himself to be exactly alike in every way, unless they die of their own failing, in which case the new marine shall contain no traces of the old.

Accessing the elevator requires the DNA of the two Shieldbearers, who are unmarked and known only to the twelve marines themselves. This is the only known way to access the elevator and ascend to the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor resides. Few enter, few leave.

[Omni]

I've updated the default theme to Revolution Light, but these themes are still in testing. There are bugs and colours not showing up correctly, expect changes.

[Omni]

Slight shuffle on the staff team: Tartaros has left, and Ezrihel has joined the sprites!

[Alex]

The Information Thread for the Endless Dunes has been updated: http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=20

Changes In a Nut-Shell:

-Carrefore, long since a footnote, has been noted as having grown and expanded over the last few years. It's much like Costa del Sol may have been five or six years ago.
-Ganondorf's old base has been remained and given a new description
-Nippur was added with a description and recent accounts, to commemorate its role in the vivid history of the Dunes.
-The Lost 'Civilization' and the Dark Tower were added, mostly to reinforce the notion that there are things further out there in the Dunes beyond the remains of previous faction wars, and to provide additional story for the Star Quest and Void Quest.

Other verses will receive similar treatment/updates/'modernization' down the road. Bear with me and thank you for you time and words.

[Alex]

The Info thread for the Pale Moors has been updated - http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=21

-Modified the general description part at the top to remove some older information (skeletons in Darkshire)
-Modified 'Current Status'
-Removed the Black Order base from the Subzones
-Added a note about Illidan's forays to Poenari

[Alex]

Minor changes to the Frozen Fields Info Thread - http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=22

Added Subzone 'Roof of the World' to describe the mountain range mentioned in the Void quest and give a proper 'home land/home region' for Sapphiron and the blue dragons.

...that's about it... <_<

[Alex]

I've returned the beloved 'Red text' to the shoutbox.

For those of you who are new or joined since we switch forum software, there used to be a disclaimer at the top of the shoutbox to remind people that it's intended for discussion, jovial banter of random stuff, and use of all those ridiculous smilies (in moderation).

We have the Help Desk for a reason. Please let my staffers enjoy the shoutbox just like everyone else.

Thanks, Omniverse.

[Alex]

From the Current Bounties / Storyteller PSA - http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=49

I added the following bolded sentence. Includes a link to the Fight Rules (specifically the section on How to Initiate fights.

You could use standard investigation skills, or tracking, to find individuals. Additionally, if you perform "jobs" for regional powers, or for information brokers, you might get somewhere there as well. Of course, this was will take much longer than having a Vita Compass. For more detailed and nuanced guidelines, read - http://omniverse-rpg.com/fights.php#Initiating_Fights

[Alex]

No one probably noticed this, but I spent a few days working through the entire Help Desk forum. The following is the compiled report that I shared with the staff over this process:

I tagged threads as either a question, an update, or a typo (title change, thread deletion, general typos, pestering request to approve a pending thread, log errors, etc).

I merged many stand-alone threads into an exist 'mega' version. Like 'Name Change', 'Reactive Me', and typo threads from before we made the switch to user-initiated edits.

I also purged many, many threads. These either fell under the following category: Orphan threads (a member asking for an update or asking a question and they never received a response for some reason); Broken threads (the switch to mybb didn't port over some posts, leaving threads with seemingly random responses); Out-dated rules (threads discussing rules or in-character game elements that have since been changed, updated, discarded, whatever); Out-dated forum features (members having issues about old features that don't apply to our MyBB board); Fortnights (threads of people complaining about and/or requesting something related to weeklies or fortnights); General Nonsense (some threads were babbling nonsense). I also moved about a half-dozen threads into the Community Stars R&D that were member suggestions or concepts that I wanted easy access to.

The end result was to create a leaner Help Desk archive. I know that we don't often expect members to actually use the damn search feature, but they might and this will make sure their searches are a little more fruitful. Same with you guys, if you ever find yourself using CTRL+F to try and look up some precedent to an issue a member has or the answer to a question that has already been answered. And trust me, I just went through 4 years of questions... members ask the same crap all the time.

---

As part of this whole process of making the Help Desk archive more efficient, as well as to eventually create a 'centralized move catalogue', I went through Move Approval I. We're all aware how the process has changed, and anyone who looked at the thread knew most (not all) of it was out-dated. I went through and purged a lot of posts including Moves that were never finalized and/or scrapped mid-processing, as well as some moves from unexisting characters that were only a sentence or two max (stuff we'd probably laugh at nowadays.

I split apart along segment with a back-and-forth on Power Rings, some remarks about Telekinesis, and another long discussion about poisons and trying to balance those

Then I took the remainder of the thread and merged it with Move Approval II.

---

I manually went through both Quick Questions threads. I removed questions or answers that have since changed (due to our evolving mechanics), but I'm also splicing/splitting out long debates/questions into their own threads and giving them easy to digest titles. The goal is to ultimately trim out all the out-dated stuff, remove the bloat, and be left with smaller threads that are genuinely just answers to short, simple questions. The end result was a 'Quick Questions Archive' that's only 30-some pages and consists entirely of: "Member Question -> Staff Response."

A new Quick Question thread was christened at the conclusion of this.

As I mentioned throughout... the point was to make the Help Desk more helpful and less filled with outdated nonsense and clutter. I think that's been achieved, and as we move forward, we the staff will try to ensure the same standards about making the forum as helpful as possible to members.

[Alex]

For some reason, the option to display where your character is (in the Omniverse) wasn't re-added after we switched the MyBB.

You can set this under the 'Edit Profile' drop-down (Revolution) or User CP -> Edit Options (OmniTheme)

Go set your location now! You'll have to live with an empty space next to the Location: in your postbit until you do so =o

[Alex]

The Rules Index (http://omniverse-rpg.com/rulesindex.php#Rules_Index) has been slightly changed. Rules for NPC use/creation/whatnot have been spliced from 'The Roleplaying Process' and moved to their own page (4a - NPCs - Creating and Using Them'). This was done because, y'know, NPC rules have evolved a lot since the sight started and will, I assure you, continue to do so.

For the record -- There is nothing changed on the standalone NPC rules page.

[Alex]

Overhaul to the Faction System

The following sections have been added to the Rules:

Faction Creation Requirements

As mentioned up above, it is possible for our writers to create their own faction. Will you form a band of blood-thirsty mercenaries? How about a nice little fishing kingdom? Or will create a shadowy organization that prefers to operate behind closed doors and influence events through subterfuge and deceit? While anyone can say they are a faction, there are requirements that any nascent organization must fulfill to receive official 'faction' status.

1. At least 4 PCs must be a part of the group
2. Those four PCs must have met in-character
3. One member (usually but not always ‘the leader’) must own a Base. This base must be established in-character and should have been visited by the other members
4. Faction must be listed in the <Faction Megathread>, which means the faction must have an identity and goals of some sort.
5. It has been at least 2 months since items 1, 2, and 3 have been satisfied.

A faction that has satisfied these conditions shall receive the following (if they desire):

1. If desired, a sub-forum for planning, storing information, and communications
2. Added as an option for the ‘Faction’ postbit field
3. May start to accrue <Faction Recognition>

Faction Recognition

efore you set down this path, you should make sure that your faction has met the initial requirements for Faction Creation.

Faction recognition is both similar to and different from Player Recognition. While Player Recognition grants in-character and out-of-character bonuses, Faction Recognition is just an in-character bonus, in the sense of being a recognized (whether due to being beloved or loathed) organization in the grand scheme of the Omniverse.

• A recognized faction is added to the Information Thread of its home verse (location of the Base).
• A recognized faction is also added to the official 'Faction' listing on the Factions Rule Page

Gaining Faction recognition is a similar process to personal Recognition. To ensure a story qualifies toward faction recognition, you should plan group stories that involve at least 2/3rds of your faction. NPCs do not count, there must be other writers involved. Anything less may not be deemed a 'faction storyline.'

Note: If a faction has been around for longer than 4 months and has a leader who already has personal Recognition or gains it during that period, that faction automatically becomes Recognized due to the fame/renown/status of its leader. The leader's Recognition must be in the same verse where the faction's Base has been built.

Current 'official' factions - Ashen Blades, Thieves Guild, Avengers, Ambrosia
Current recognized factions - Ambrosia

[Alex]

Garrosh Hellscream has been added as a Site NPC. Stayed tuned to hear more from the Storyteller.

The following quests have been added

Vasty Deep
-They Said I was Mad! (Unique)

Camelot
-Bounty Board: Monster Hunter I (Unique, Bounty, High Profile)
-A Fox in the Teahouse (Unique)
-Wine, Ale & Spirits (Unique)
-Water Under the Bridge (Unique)

Coruscant
The Hero This City Needs (Repeatable)
Blood In, Blood Out (Repeatable)

^Most of these quests are from and/or based on ideas shared with my by members. Thank you to Jade, Luci, Kelly, and Amaterasu for performing your civic duty your help!

[Alex]

The Purchase and Deductions Log "HOW TO..." sticky (http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=67) has been updated to include how to list staff-approved OM transfers between two primes.

For OM transfers, both parties must post in their logs accounting for the exchange.

The person giving away OM:
Consumed OM (OM): +X (Transfer to [Prime])

--Make sure to adjust your 'Spent OM' as well.

The person receiving OM:
"Received OM from [Prime],
Total Earned OM (OM): Old OM + X = New OM

A link to staff-member approval for the transfer must be included as well.

Once approved, it's on the primes involved to make these log posts. Staff will gladly adjust the 'receiving' prime's Earned OM after all the proper log posts have been made by both primes. That's on all of you.

[Alex]

"Community Stars" are now displayed next to the forum listing.

A Discord widget has been added next to the forum listing.

Both of these are only for the Revolution themes.

[Alex]

We're working to make Achievements more visible (and, hopefully, more exciting =P)

As part of this, members are now 'awarded' achievements through the boards. Right now, this can be done at -> http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=7579

This upgrade makes it so that every achievement you unlock is automatically added to your User Profile (for perusal). Furthermore, 4 achievements are displayed on your post-bit to give everyone some unique bling. Clicking these postbit 'cheeves' will bring up a list of everyone else who has obtained them.

You can also visit http://omniverse-rpg.com/awards.php to see a list of all the achievements that have been 'board-ified.' This isn't the entire list (because the process of adding them and uploading the icons takes time, which is a resource I have to leverage very carefully due to other stuff), but progress will be steady.

Go an claim your achievements. Anyone who is a member of staff can add them for you

#getcheeves

[Alex]

We now have a mobile-friendly theme that allows you to use the shoutbox and/or read posts while on mobile devices without all the clutter of the desktop themes.

This theme is automatic when you visit the website from mobile device, so just scroll down and click the link if you want to use the full theme while on your phone or tablet or whatever.

I'm still playing around with it, so there might be modifications.

[Alex]

After the Discord Q&A and further conversations with staff and membership, Camelot has receive a 'quality-of-life' update to its Info Thread and to its NPCs.

Furthermore, a 'FAQ' has been added to the Info Thread to provide additional details for those people who really want to dive into the writing experience in Camelot.

All of this information is detailed and may be discussed here: http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=7609

[Alex]

Following a Discord Q/A, the Endless Dunes Info thread has been updated - http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=20

Mostly some cosmetic changes.

An FAQ has been added to the Info thread to provide some additional detail on the verse.