Episode 101: A Cryptomancer Conversation

Episode 101: A Cryptomancer Conversation

Welcome back to the People's Guild. The bus finds itself on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo as we sit down for our bi-annual catch-up with the one and only @cryptomancer.

We talk conflicts, land, reward cards, "roadmaps" and much, much more.

Enjoy the show!

Land Project Progress and Climate Preferences

Cryptomancer updated the team on the progress of the land project, emphasizing its continued advancement despite Farpatrod's departure and a shift towards a more collaborative approach. The team also celebrated the success of recent conflicts and the naming of a new summer, with Cryptomancer sharing his increased involvement in the project and his current location in Saba, Barnier Island. Lastly, the team engaged in a lively discussion about their personal preferences for climates, with Cryptomancer, Bjangles, and Hepthorn sharing their experiences adjusting to new environments.

Conflict Project Success and Workflow Improvement

Hepthorn and Bjangles held a discussion with Cryptomancer about the success and feedback of their 'conflict' project. Cryptomancer expressed satisfaction with the new automated rollout process, which has significantly improved workflow and eliminated the need for constant inquiries. The team also discussed the process of creating new abilities for their game, with Cryptomancer explaining that it's a multi-stage process involving both the creative and development teams. Cryptomancer reported overall satisfaction with the project's progress, team performance, and dynamics, despite some last-minute challenges. The team is currently preparing cards for the legendary summoners game, with the creative team responsible for artwork and the statistics team led by Tim introducing new abilities for each card.

New Ability Removal Mechanism Discussion

Hepthorn and Cryptomancer discussed the new ability in their game, which removes existing abilities rather than adding new ones. Cryptomancer explained the complexity of the coding required to handle this, as each ability is implemented differently and needs to be removed individually. Bjangles raised concerns about the challenges of testing such a system, particularly given the game's limited development time. The team agreed to continue exploring the nuances of this new mechanism.

New Coding Testing Process and Customization

The team discussed their testing process for new coding, which involves developers attesting to their code in a self-contained sandbox before it undergoes internal testing on four different servers. Once satisfied with the internal testing, the code is moved to a public server for final testing. Hepthorn raised a point about testing new abilities in certain rule sets, to which Cryptomancer confirmed their ability to set specific test cases. Bjangles revealed a proposal to create a customizable environment, similar to a battle pass, which would be accessible to the public. Cryptomancer expressed interest in adding more customization to challenge and practice matches, but also noted concerns about bot abuse.

Expanding Conflicts and Shaping the Future

Bjangles led a discussion about the future of conflicts and their potential expansion beyond the Rebellion. Cryptomancer shared his original vision for conflicts, which included a more complex and strategic gameplay. Cryptomancer also mentioned that this original plan could still be revisited and implemented in the future. The team discussed the possibility of conflicts being used in various areas such as quests, boss fights, and land expansions. The idea of community involvement in shaping the future of the story was also proposed. Lastly, the possibility of expanding the conflict system to older cards was considered.

Lands Project Progress and Future Plans

Cryptomancer reported that the Lands project continues progressing smoothly despite Farpatron's departure. They finished coding prefix titles and are testing before launch, while also working on enabling delegated and rented cards as land workers for the upcoming 'land 1.5' or '1.6' phase. After completing smaller tasks, focus will shift to planning 'land 2.0' with new features requiring consideration for existing grains' storage. Potential rental market changes were discussed, with restrictions likely on rentals for land while allowing plain delegations. The cooldown period for pulling cards off land will remain unchanged. Handling notifications for ending delegations and rentals is under review.

Land Project Progress and Challenges

The team discussed the progress and challenges of the Land project, with Cryptomancer highlighting improvements in management and a new notification system. There was a discussion about the project's advancement since its inception, the team's pace, and the community's mixed feedback. Cryptomancer expressed optimism about the project's future and the team's resilience, despite some negative comments on social media. The team also discussed the need for improved transparency and their social media presence.

Balancing User Gameplay and Land Development

Hepthorn and Cryptomancer discussed the balance between improving user gameplay and developing the game's land. Cryptomancer assured Hepthorn that both aspects remain a primary focus, with land development continuing in parallel to the improved new player experience. The team also shared updates on various ongoing projects, including "Land 2.0", adjustments to the ranked battle system, and new Academy pages. However, due to the tech modernization effort, the guilds and brawls project was currently on hold. Despite this, Cryptomancer expressed continued interest in this aspect of the game and hinted at revisiting it in the future.

Land Expansion Strategies and Concepts

Cryptomancer, Hepthorn, and Bjangles discussed their strategies for managing and expanding their land plots in the upcoming Land Expansion. Cryptomancer revealed his focus on developing his land plots and maintaining his lead over Bjangles in research, while Bjangles shared his success in securing good deals and his focus on resource management. The concept of landsurfing, which had been proposed as an extension of the initial land release, was clarified by Cryptomancer as no longer being planned for implementation due to its complexity and potential conflicts. The team acknowledged the idea's birth and swift demise, marking it as one of the many speculative concepts discussed in town halls.

Reward Cards, Synergies, and Team Strengthening

Bjangles and Cryptomancer discussed the upcoming iteration of the reward cards, with a focus on learning from the mistakes of the previous set and introducing nuanced abilities with subtle synergies. Bjangles expressed a desire to have Dallin featured more prominently in future episodes and to strengthen team death with the addition of exposed monsters. The group also discussed the design philosophy of introducing new abilities to compensate for existing flaws and the potential of involving Tim more in future plans. Hepthorn noted that despite previous setbacks, the team was not giving up, especially with the arrival of the Expos.

Summoners, Cards, and Team Appreciation Discussion

The team discussed the effectiveness of certain summoners and cards in their game, with Bjangles and Cryptomancer sharing their strategies and experiences. They also engaged in a light-hearted conversation about personal pronunciations of card names and reminisced about the Shannara books and an accompanying TV series. Lastly, Cryptomancer shared updates on the land market and the introduction of new prefix title screen, and they discussed the possibility of implementing a "Team Appreciation Day" in the future.

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