MHWiki:Current events/Archive/2010/July

Archive for updates taken place in July of 2010 in Reverse Chronological Order.
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Zugzwang's Tower Sneak Peek and Feedback

30 July 2010

For the past several weeks, Jacob has been busy preparing the artwork for the launch of Zugzwang's Tower. By popular demand, we're releasing a teaser of what's to come.

We've also noticed the community's frustration in the lack of areas for players ranked above Knight. Zugzwang's Tower was initially designed for Heroes; not quite complex enough to challenge higher ranks. However, as the area became finalized and early play-testing began, it turned out to be more challenging than we thought!

Due to the abundant feedback asking for higher ranked areas, combined with how this new area turned out during play-testing, we have decided it is best suited with the title requirement of Lord/Lady.

We still want to add an additional Hero area to the game; an alternative to the Jungle of Dread approach. But unfortunately it won't be this one.

This change of plan brings about a couple questions for the community:

• How do you feel about releasing teasers like this more often?
• How much detail about new areas should we release ahead of time?
• Should details released ahead of time be set in stone, or should content still in development be open to the suggestions of the community?

We welcome your input, and any other feedback, via the forums or by contacting support.

And finally, here's a sneak peek at some of the artwork for Zugzwang's Tower!

[1]

-- Dave Vanderburg

Updated Camp Page

27 July 2010

We've given our Camp Page a new look! We've also incorporated a few improvements to the Camp Page based on feedback we've received. Under the 'Friends Online' tab, each section of friends has been limited to 18, with a "see more" link appearing should you have more than 18 friends in that location. Additionally, the "Live Stream" tab is now labeled as "Status Updates".

[2]
The hunt timer has moved to beside the Camp button and should have a wood grain background behind it. If you do not see the wood grain background, please clear your browser's cache and refresh the page.

The 'Give to Friends' page has been disabled for the past few days while we were working on correcting a problem that was occasionally causing supplies to be sent to the wrong friend. We've isolated the problem to Internet Explorer, and are still testing a work-around to correct the problem. In the meantime, we recommend you either use a different browser to send supplies, or search for your friend via the hunting group page, then click "Give Supplies" next to that friend. A warning message has been added to the supply transfer page.

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Also in this update:

• We fixed an error in the journal that appears when a hunter reaches the title of Grandmaster. The entry incorrectly stated that the hunter had now gained access to the Great Gnarled Tree.
• Scavenger Mice were a little reluctant to drop scrap metal in the Forbidden Grove. They've stocked up on more metal and should now drop it more frequently.
• The appropriate mouse group tab is now displayed by default based on your current location.
• You can now also use the hunting group page to search friend by location.

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What we're currently working on:

• SUPER|brie+ raffles
• Luck Larry Industries' Insta-Horn-in-a-Can!

What we're working on next:

• Global mouse statistics (total caught by all hunters, etc)
• New layout for the mice page
• Mouse badges and achievements
• Trap effectiveness bar
• Zugzwang's Tower, a new location for Heroes
• Investigating off-site discussion boards

-- Dave Vanderburg

FB Credit Donation Resolution

22 July 2010

Hey everyone!

As you already know, we have had issues with FB credits once we re-instated it in MouseHunt V3. There are a chunk of users who have donated through FB credits that did not receive what they donated for before we implemented the fix which has corrected the issue for all future donations.

Thousands of support requests have come through and we have developed an automated process that is going through and completing these donations that did not end up getting processed.

By the end of today, anyone who had any donations through FB credits that did take their credits but not award them properly should have everything sorted out.

Due to the mass amounts of support tickets generated by this we will unfortunately not be able to respond personally to every ticket so we made this announcement to inform you that it will be getting corrected.

Once your outstanding donation gets completed you will see a journal entry to notify you that it indeed went through!

Our most sincere apologies for the delay's and frustrations caused by this.

Thank you for your patience and support!
Happy hunting,

-- Franco D'Auria

Facebook Credit Problems Resolved

21 July 2010

We have resolved a problem causing some Facebook Credits donations to not complete properly, resulting in SUPER|brie+ not being added to players' inventories.

If you have recently donated via Facebook Credits and have not received your SUPER|brie+ please click the Donation Support link at the bottom of the page. In the notes section please state the approximate date and time of your donation. If you do not know your order ID, please enter "none".

We ask for your patience in waiting upon a response as we are currently receiving an increased number of support mails.

Sorry for any confusion and good luck in the hunt!

-- Dave Vanderburg

Problems with Facebook Credits

21 July 2010

Hey hunters!

We have recently noticed some players' donations using Facebook Credits not resulting in SUPER|brie+ being added to their inventory. We're looking into why these donations do not always go through.

If you have recently used Facebook Credits and did not receive any SUPER|brie+ please use the Donation Support link at the bottom of the game. If you do not know your order ID, please enter "n/a" or "none".

We're in the process of upgrading our support tools to better look up these transactions. In the meantime, we have temporarily disabled Facebook Credits. Thanks for your patience while we get these tools built so we can better help those who have had a problem.

Sorry for any confusion, we're working to have the problem resolved as soon as possible.

-- Dave Vanderburg

MH Toolbar

18 July 2010

Hello fellow MouseHunters,

As some of you may or may not know, the toolbar has been made available for download and is circulating through the boards. We will be doing an official release of the toolbar very shortly with a supported link available through the MouseHunt HUD with its own page containing detailed installation instructions and further information about it.

For those who currently have it installed, here are some "ReadMe's" regarding the MouseHunt Toolbar:

Supported Browsers:

Currently the MouseHunt Toolbar is only supported on stable versions of:

• Internet Explorer 7+
• FireFox 2+
• Safari 5 on Mac

Unfortunately the Conduit company, which is the platform/foundation of the MH toolbar, currently does not support the Chrome browser. However, it is a browser they are looking into supporting in the near future.

Technical Issues:

If you are experiencing any technical issues (ie: stats not loading, broken images, not receiving SP)

You can try performing the following to solve these issues:

1.) Clear your cache

• Internet Explorer Instructions
• Fire Fox Instructions
• Safari Instructions

2.) Refresh your toolbar

Instructions: looking at the toolbar from the left hand side you'll see the MouseHunt logo. Next to the MouseHunt logo there is small down shaped arrow. Click on the small down shaped arrow and a drop down box/window will appear. From there, click on "Refresh Toolbar".

10 SuperBrie+ reward for installation:

Once you install the toolbar, you need to log in from the toolbar and do at least one hunt with it to register that you are indeed using the toolbar and have completed the installation of it. This "should" take approximately 30 minutes max but it has been taking longer to sync up with some users. If you have not received the bonus within 48 hours you may contact support.

*** There will be a journal entry added to your journal once the SuperBrie+ is awarded to you through the toolbar. ***

Bugs: We are currently looking into all reported bugs from the MH boards. In addition, we are looking into a better solution for users receiving their 10 SuperBrie+ reward in a shorter time span.

Other notes:

• You currently do not get SB+ from doing searches.
• You can only get the 10 SB+ reward once. If you uninstall it and re-install it again you will not be rewarded again.

-- Franco D'Auria

Cherry Mouse in the Calm Clearing

15 July 2010

To celebrate our partnership with Cherry Credits and the launch of MouseHunt Cherry Credit Cards in South-East Asia, a new Cherry Mouse has been added to the Calm Clearing in Whisker Woods!

The Cherry Mouse is attracted to the sweet smell of Cherry Cheese, which can be made by potions collected in the Calm Clearing. Cherry Cheese will not only attract the Cherry Mouse but also attract some of the stronger, more valuable mice in the clearing. Make sure your trap is up for the challenge!

We have also optimized the new hunt timer to fix a problem that was causing it to run quickly, making the horn to appear early. The timer should now be accurate on low-end computers as well.

Based on player feedback, we have made the live stream on the camp page only load when the tab is clicked on to view it. The stream will also "unload" when the trap setup or friends tab is clicked. This should make the camp page less strenuous on non-broadband users.

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Also in this update:

- We corrected a bug preventing hunters from crafting the S.S. Huntington II if they had more than 1 Ship Blueprint in their inventory.

- The SUPER|brie+ Gift Basket now provides the Lucky Golden Shield to the opener of the basket for one month.

- Shield lengths have been added to the descriptions of SUPER|brie+ packages in the donate pop-up.

- Various typos in traps/mice have been corrected.

-- Dave Vanderburg

Next Hunt Timer and Camp Page Changes

13 July 2010

Hello MouseHunters! As you have most likely noticed a "next hunt" timer has been added to the heads up display. The timer is accurate to the minute, and is intended to promote healthy competition between your hunting party members by tracking who is the first to sound the horn and score the extra bonus points.

Some extra features have also been added to the camp page to help hunters check which members of their hunting party are online in their location, as well as allowing them to communicate with friends more easily. Seeing where all your friends are at a glance, should prove to be an easy way to decide where the best place to hunt may be. Since the look of these tabs has yet to be polished, we'll be adjusting the look and layout of the new tabs based on player feedback.

We knew the transition from MH v2 to "Longtail" would be a bit of a bumpy ride. With the help of the MouseHunt Community, we've been keeping a close eye on any small problems, trying to spot areas where Glitchpaw Mice may be causing trouble. We've managed to catch the majority of Glitchpaws, and now we need your help to capture the few that remain. We've scattered Glitchpaw Mice around the Kingdom, and they have unique drops in each area they inhabit. Occasionally, they may also require a special hunting strategy. Good luck tracking them down. They're out for a limited time only!

Finally, one more new mouse has been added to the Gnawnia region. The Spotted mouse enjoys the fresh air and sunshine of the Meadow, but its love of travel means it can occasionally be "spotted" in other areas as well.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

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Also in this update:

• Title requirement for the King's Gauntlet has been increased to Initiate.
• Larry is no longer speechless in the Windmill, and has a few tips for Apprentice MouseHunters.
• Friends online is now working.
• The journal entry Hunters receive upon changing titles has been revamped to include a list of what new abilities/locations the hunter has gained access to.
• A bug preventing mice from weighing over 12oz has been corrected.
• An error image has been added if a browser plugin/script is preventing the King's Reward code image from being displayed.
• Based on feedback, the max inventory quantity for Ship Blueprints has been reduced to one, as it was in MH v2.
• The Silth mouse was overly weak to tactical traps. It has been changed back to its v2 stats, making a hydro trap the best choice.
• Some minor typos were have been corrected in cheese descriptions.
• Added a "Meet and Greet" board to the forums page.

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What we're working on next:

• Final testing of the Toolbar is underway, so look for it very soon.
• To celebrate our partnership with Cherry Credits and the launch of the new MouseHunt cards, a new Cherry Mouse is coming to Whisker Woods.
• Improving the look of the MH profile tab.
• SUPER|brie+ raffles.
• Improving the look of the new camp page tabs.
• Global mouse stats.
• Mouse group stats (eg: 4/26 caught).
• Trap effectiveness messages/bar.
• Display of individual mouse weaknesses. A few "boss" mice in the game (Silth, Acolyte, Dragon) have slightly different optimal setups than the other mice in their group. We're experimenting with how to best communicate these exceptions.
• Mouse badges and accomplishments
• A brand new story line to introduce two new areas for heros, including Zugzwang's Tower. New traps, mice and two brand new types of gameplay.

-- Dave Vanderburg

King's Gauntlet Tier 8: Eclipse Mouse Released!

9 July 2010

We have made it to the top! The eight and final tier of the King's Gauntlet is now released! The Eclipse mouse awaits hunters who have managed to hunt their way through all the tiers of the gauntlet to acquire the extraordinarily rare Gauntlet Potion Tier 8.

Choose your strategy carefully hunters! The Eclipse is an extremely powerful mouse and only has one notable weakness. Although it is possible to capture the Eclipse using any power type, discovering its true weakness will make for an almost guaranteed catch.

Congratulations to any hunter that has made it this far -- You have proven to be well equipped with a variety of traps and a sense of patience that is vital to any successful hunter. The journey to the top of the King's Gauntlet has been a long one, needing equipment gathered from across the entire map. Capturing an Eclipse is a sign of a seasoned hunter, who has mastered nearly every region within the game.

Once again, a big congratulations to those who have made it this far, and good luck against the mysterious Eclipse Mouse!

-- Dave Vanderburg

King's Gauntlet Tier 7: Dust Mice Now Released!!

7 July 2010

Tier seven mice of the King's Gauntlet are now released! The King will now allow hunters to use their Tier Seven Gauntlet Potions to produce the cheese required to hunt the next tier of mice!

Tier seven mice are extremely valuable! Fiend Mice are 50,000 gold and 72,000 points per catch!

Tier seven now makes the following mice available:

- Fiend Mouse
- Necromancer Mouse

Good luck with Tier Seven! Collect precious tier eight potions and be prepared for this Friday, when the eighth and final tier will be released, where the mysterious (and extraordinarily valuable) Eclipse Mouse awaits!

-- Dave Vanderburg

King's Gauntlet Tier 6: Noble Mice Now Released!

5 July 2010

Tier six mice of the King's Gauntlet are now released! The King will now allow hunters to use their Tier Six Gauntlet Potions to produce the cheese required to hunt the next tier of mice!

Tier six mice are quite valuable! Paladin mice are worth more than 25,000 points while White Mage and Sacred Shrine mice are worth 9,000 gold each!

Tier six now makes the following mice available:

- White Mage Mouse
- Sacred Shrine Mouse
- Paladin Mouse

Good luck with Tier Six! Collect potions and be prepared for Wednesday, when Tier Seven arrives!

-- Dave Vanderburg

King's Gauntlet Tier 5: Magic Mice Now Released!

2 July 2010

Tier five mice of the King's Gauntlet are now released! The King will now allow hunters to use their Tier Five Gauntlet Potions to produce the cheese required to hunt the next tier of mice!

Tier five is where the mice of the Gauntlet begin to garner a greater reward for their capture. Each tier draws hunters closer to the Eclipse Mouse and the 300,000 gold reward for its capture.

Tier five now makes the following mice available:

- Black Mage Mouse
- Terra Mouse
- Ignis Mouse
- Zephyr Mouse
- Aquos Mouse

Good luck with Tier Five! Collect potions this weekend to be prepared for Monday, when Tier Six arrives!

-- Dave Vanderburg