8BitMMO news & patch notes

54 joined for the meetup! Screenshots here. Thanks to all who joined, was fun to see so many familiar faces and catch up. Also: DracoClaus is visiting for Bitmas!

10 years ago, 8BitMMO launched on Steam Early Access. Let's do a quick meetup to celebrate and get people achievements like the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by. Some previous event recaps here. (Event will run about half an hour, not sure why Steam rounds up to 1.5hrs) ((Bonus note -- This is the 10 year steam anniversary, but 8BitMMO as a whole (in a very early form) actually started development on 12/1/01 12:30 pm. 8BitMMO is old enough to drink.))

Quick meet for anyone who needs the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by. Some previous event recaps here. (Event will run about half an hour, not sure why Steam rounds up to 1.5hrs)

There is now (finally, lol) a streamlined application process for applying to join the private 8bitmmo discord server.

Quick meet for anyone who needs the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by. Some previous event recaps here. (Event will run about half an hour, for some reason Steam wants to "round up" to an hour and a half? lol) If you're a long time player, towards the end of this meetup is a good time to ask me for an invite to the private discord.

Quick meet for anyone who needs the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by. Previous meetup recaps: June 2020 Nov 2019 {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/5197866/4a54b9794b0c3be27bf2b5af7a8a45cb7afc4e1f.jpg (Event will run about half an hour, for some reason Steam wants to "round up" to an hour and a half? lol) If you're a long time player, towards the end of this meetup is a good time to ask me for an invite to the private discord.

Quick meet for anyone who needs the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by. Last time we did the achievement meetup (six months ago), a bunch of people showed up: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/5197866/4a54b9794b0c3be27bf2b5af7a8a45cb7afc4e1f.jpg Afterwards, I will be doing the Dragon Audit Q&A Event.

Quick meet for anyone who needs the 'Be the Developer' achievement. I'll be online at this time at Primary server's social club (linked from root). If you can't make it, feel free to idle in that room and you should get it automatically once I swing by.

I'm working on a new game! If you enjoyed the comedy in my past games like 8BitMMO, March of Industry, and Spaceship Crashed, I think you'll enjoy Dragon Audit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-sG2o7Q0-4 A battle accountant storms the castle to rescue a princess, but accidentally rescues an overly friendly dragoness instead. It's a humorous adventure story in the vein of point & click classics, told with an anime inspired 3D visual style and modern controller-friendly input. In a world teeming with magic and danger, a city of accountants exists which has sequestered itself behind high walls and generally unacceptable accounting principles. A battle accountant there, George, is assigned the unenviable task of leaving the safety of the city in order to storm a nearby castle, slay the dragon, rescue the princess, and (most importantly) rescue the unpaid tax revenue. Meanwhile, Ayraw (the dragon), is tired of knights showing up to slay her, and is a bit jealous no one ever wants to rescue her. So she concocts a plan to trick George into rescuing her instead of rescuing the princess. Hijinks ensue as the two team up, the unlikely duo slowly growing closer through their shared adventure. Wishlist it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/594380/Dragon_Audit/ Discord: https://dragonaudit.com/discord Head over to the website to follow development: https://dragonaudit.com/

A little more than a year ago, we launched on Steam Early Access. I'm excited to now transition to full release! Based on user feedback, I've added during that time:

• Music from chiptune legends Danimal Cannon, Zef, PROTODOME, and Honin Myo Audio
• Many new buildables, including household goods and many new kinds of blocks
• Laser Turrets
• New weapons, like the Hammer or Laser Rifle
• Achievements & Trading Cards
• The Oven, to allow for transforming items into other items
• New user interface, including improved inventory, quest window, and build tools that more clearly indicate what build mode you're in
• Localization into Japanese, German, and Spanish
• Performance enhancements
• An all new megamap to handle the massive size of the world -- a player-built space now larger than the combined landmass of the United Kingdom.
• Pocket Universes, your own private universe to build in without having to find a spot on one of the main maps
• Pocket Townstones to allow players to start a town with only gold
• Containers - store objects in a box with various permission levels
• Seasonal events, like CalcMMO or the Easter Egg Hunt
• Mac & Linux builds
• Transponders, a whole new PvE/PvP game mode that rewards smart base building. Can you survive the attack?
• And many other smaller updates

Thanks for being part of the community! I couldn't have done it without you :)

A little more than a year ago, we launched on Steam Early Access. I'm excited to now transition to full release! Based on user feedback, I've added during that time:

• Music from chiptune legends Danimal Cannon, Zef, PROTODOME, and Honin Myo Audio
• Many new buildables, including household goods and many new kinds of blocks
• Laser Turrets
• New weapons, like the Hammer or Laser Rifle
• Achievements & Trading Cards
• The Oven, to allow for transforming items into other items
• New user interface, including improved inventory, quest window, and build tools that more clearly indicate what build mode you're in
• Localization into Japanese, German, and Spanish
• Performance enhancements
• An all new megamap to handle the massive size of the world -- a player-built space now larger than the combined landmass of the United Kingdom.
• Pocket Universes, your own private universe to build in without having to find a spot on one of the main maps
• Pocket Townstones to allow players to start a town with only gold
• Containers - store objects in a box with various permission levels
• Seasonal events, like CalcMMO or the Easter Egg Hunt
• Mac & Linux builds
• Transponders, a whole new PvE/PvP game mode that rewards smart base building. Can you survive the attack?
• And many other smaller updates

Thanks for being part of the community! I couldn't have done it without you :)

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/transponders-howto.png After months of development and testing, the Transponder system is now available to all players to try on Primary server! Transponders let you build & defend a base from an invading horde of monsters (and other players). You'll receive gold & EXP for participating in a match, and an even larger amount if you win the match. To get started, build a base layout in your pocket that protects the transponder. Note mobs WILL destroy blocks when the transponder is activated! More advanced construction blocks will have higher defensive HP, so plan accordingly. The attacking force scales to your character's level, so it should be a challenge regardless of if you're a new player or an old one. Once you're happy with your pocket fortress, use the Transponder to summon an invading force. If you want to fight against another player, you can ask them to use the new CombatPad in root at the same time. At the end of the match, all participants will be given gold & exp based on how the match goes. If you want to instantly rebuild any lost blocks, type /restorelist

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/transponders-howto.png After months of development and testing, the Transponder system is now available to all players to try on Primary server! Transponders let you build & defend a base from an invading horde of monsters (and other players). You'll receive gold & EXP for participating in a match, and an even larger amount if you win the match. To get started, build a base layout in your pocket that protects the transponder. Note mobs WILL destroy blocks when the transponder is activated! More advanced construction blocks will have higher defensive HP, so plan accordingly. The attacking force scales to your character's level, so it should be a challenge regardless of if you're a new player or an old one. Once you're happy with your pocket fortress, use the Transponder to summon an invading force. If you want to fight against another player, you can ask them to use the new CombatPad in root at the same time. At the end of the match, all participants will be given gold & exp based on how the match goes. If you want to instantly rebuild any lost blocks, type /restorelist

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_8505_s-600x399.jpg I'm very honored that we were selected to win 'Best Technological Game' at Sense of Wonder Night 2014 at Tokyo Game Show. Check out photos and video of the trip.

8BitMMO 2014 MEGA-SALE/FUNDRAISER!

http://8bitmmo.net/mega/2k.png 8BitMMO is an awesome indie construction sandbox game, but it's not free to develop and run. That's why every year we do a fundraiser / sale to help raise money for servers and development. Support development and get great rewards. In addition to the usual gold & platinum you get from purchases, there are some great rewards -- including at least 25% bonus gold+plat (possibly up to 100% if we hit our goal).Other rewards include early access to The Transponder, Seconary Pocket Universe, 2k Blocks, and even your very own custom block. Please consider supporting development and server hosting! Thank you :)

New Blocks

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/newblocks.png

Localization Support

You can now play the game in English, Japanese (needs improvement, we're working on it! ;)), or Goggles Translate Mode (for fun). Or even translate the game to your own language if you like: Details...

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_8505_s-600x399.jpg I'm very honored that we were selected to win 'Best Technological Game' at Sense of Wonder Night 2014 at Tokyo Game Show. Check out photos and video of the trip.

8BitMMO 2014 MEGA-SALE/FUNDRAISER!

http://8bitmmo.net/mega/2k.png 8BitMMO is an awesome indie construction sandbox game, but it's not free to develop and run. That's why every year we do a fundraiser / sale to help raise money for servers and development. Support development and get great rewards. In addition to the usual gold & platinum you get from purchases, there are some great rewards -- including at least 25% bonus gold+plat (possibly up to 100% if we hit our goal).Other rewards include early access to The Transponder, Seconary Pocket Universe, 2k Blocks, and even your very own custom block. Please consider supporting development and server hosting! Thank you :)

New Blocks

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/newblocks.png

Localization Support

You can now play the game in English, Japanese (needs improvement, we're working on it! ;)), or Goggles Translate Mode (for fun). Or even translate the game to your own language if you like: Details...

Check out our just released teaser video for the upcoming Town Warfare update!

Check out our just released teaser video for the upcoming Town Warfare update!

Meat

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/meat-600x120.png Raw meat can now be purchased & cooked to taste. Don't leave it on the oven too long or it'll get crispy!

Cardboard Box Technology!

Boxtech is officially out on Primary Server, with not one, but SIX box types to choose from! Containers have been one of the most popular suggestions over the past few years, so I'm very excited to finally have containers available. http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/boxtech-horizontal.png

• Public Box - anyone can put items in or take items out
• Owner Box - only you can put items in or take items out
• Town Box - only town citizens can put items in or take items out (if not placed inside a town, will function as an owner box)

Each box type comes in a small and large size. Small can handle 500 objects, while large can handle 1,000 objects. You can carry boxes with you in your inventory, or even put boxes inside other boxes (because physics :P). The box will only count as a single item towards your inventory or region limit. While near a box, press E to use it. When done, simply press escape to clear all open windows from your screen.

Pocket Townstone (buy it with gold!)

One of the most popular requests ever has been to be able to build a town with gold instead of plat. This is now possible with the Pocket Townstone. It is a limited functionality townstone that can only be placed in your pocket universe. It will not immediately increase the size of your pocket universe like a full townstone does. However, it enables most townstone functionality such as the ability to let other players build in your pocket universe.Just like normal townstones, please note you CANNOT move or delete this item after it has been placed! You can upgrade a pocket townstone to a regular townstone for 10p (/townupgrade). Doing so will cause your pocket universe to be expanded from 2x2 to 3x3.

Checkpoint Pads

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/checkpointpad-LOOP.gif http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/checkpointpad-GET.gif Got a long quest or challenging obstacle course? Place checkpoint pads to let players respawn along the way!

Beginnings of Localization Support

If you speak a foreign language, you can translate the game! Go here for details.

Meat

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/meat-600x120.png Raw meat can now be purchased & cooked to taste. Don't leave it on the oven too long or it'll get crispy!

Cardboard Box Technology!

Boxtech is officially out on Primary Server, with not one, but SIX box types to choose from! Containers have been one of the most popular suggestions over the past few years, so I'm very excited to finally have containers available. http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/boxtech-horizontal.png

• Public Box - anyone can put items in or take items out
• Owner Box - only you can put items in or take items out
• Town Box - only town citizens can put items in or take items out (if not placed inside a town, will function as an owner box)

Each box type comes in a small and large size. Small can handle 500 objects, while large can handle 1,000 objects. You can carry boxes with you in your inventory, or even put boxes inside other boxes (because physics :P). The box will only count as a single item towards your inventory or region limit. While near a box, press E to use it. When done, simply press escape to clear all open windows from your screen.

Pocket Townstone (buy it with gold!)

One of the most popular requests ever has been to be able to build a town with gold instead of plat. This is now possible with the Pocket Townstone. It is a limited functionality townstone that can only be placed in your pocket universe. It will not immediately increase the size of your pocket universe like a full townstone does. However, it enables most townstone functionality such as the ability to let other players build in your pocket universe.Just like normal townstones, please note you CANNOT move or delete this item after it has been placed! You can upgrade a pocket townstone to a regular townstone for 10p (/townupgrade). Doing so will cause your pocket universe to be expanded from 2x2 to 3x3.

Checkpoint Pads

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/checkpointpad-LOOP.gif http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/checkpointpad-GET.gif Got a long quest or challenging obstacle course? Place checkpoint pads to let players respawn along the way!

Beginnings of Localization Support

If you speak a foreign language, you can translate the game! Go here for details.

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/megamap-v3-600x299.png After many months of development, rendering, more development, even more rendering, the new map is finally online! This is the first map update in more than half a year, and as this new map also includes =67, Potato Server, and many Pocket Universes, there's a ton of cool stuff to see!

Steam Founder Pack Sale - 50% off

Get the Steam Founder Packs for 50% off as part of the Steam Summer Sale, ending soon! Limit one pack of each type per player. If you get a pack, don't forget to restart the launcher so your purchase is recognized. It will be credited to the server you played on most recently.

Steam Trading Cards

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/steam-trading-cards-600x503.png Steam Trading Cards are live! Details on how to get them are here.

Oven

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/oven.png Two new items: full grass and the Oven. The Oven has an Oven Secret!

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/megamap-v3-600x299.png After many months of development, rendering, more development, even more rendering, the new map is finally online! This is the first map update in more than half a year, and as this new map also includes =67, Potato Server, and many Pocket Universes, there's a ton of cool stuff to see!

Steam Founder Pack Sale - 50% off

Get the Steam Founder Packs for 50% off as part of the Steam Summer Sale, ending soon! Limit one pack of each type per player. If you get a pack, don't forget to restart the launcher so your purchase is recognized. It will be credited to the server you played on most recently.

Steam Trading Cards

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/steam-trading-cards-600x503.png Steam Trading Cards are live! Details on how to get them are here.

Oven

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/oven.png Two new items: full grass and the Oven. The Oven has an Oven Secret!

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/achievement-smallwin.png I am excited to announce that you can now unlock achievements while you play the game. Check out the full list of achievements here. ALL achievements can be earned by all players, although some can be a bit tricky ;)

Lots of new Household Goods items

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/householdGoods-600x452.png I've just added a bunch of new household goods! Check them out in-game. Also, I changed the way items are placed -- most items smaller than a half block will now attempt to horizontally & vertically center themselves within the tile. Also, when placing signs, they no longer snap away from you when you place them.

Mac & Linux Steam Builds

Steam users can now play the game on Mac & Linux! -- RobbyZ

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/achievement-smallwin.png I am excited to announce that you can now unlock achievements while you play the game. Check out the full list of achievements here. ALL achievements can be earned by all players, although some can be a bit tricky ;)

Lots of new Household Goods items

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/householdGoods-600x452.png I've just added a bunch of new household goods! Check them out in-game. Also, I changed the way items are placed -- most items smaller than a half block will now attempt to horizontally & vertically center themselves within the tile. Also, when placing signs, they no longer snap away from you when you place them.

Mac & Linux Steam Builds

Steam users can now play the game on Mac & Linux! -- RobbyZ

The 100,000 gold Easter Egg Hunt is on! http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/eggsBlog.png Find all four eggs and solve all the riddles to discover the safe password at /tele Easter. The safe contains 100,000 gold, which will be the reward to one skilled player who cracks the puzzle. /tele Easter in-game, and check out the first clue on YouTube.

New Weapon: Hammer

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hammerGIF.gif The Hammer is a strong weapon -- it causes 10 damage in an area of effect around you. However, you have to stand still for 3/4ths of a second before the weapon causes damage -- just enough time to escape if your opponent is quick.

Buy Ammo Separately

Now you can purchase ammo separately from weapons! Details here.

CalcMMO

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/calcmmo-boxart.jpg We had a lot of fun on April Fool's day -- I rethemed the whole game to be calculator themed. If you missed it, check out the festivities here.

New Weapon: Laser Rifle

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/laserRifle.png Charge it up and fire... but don't charge too long... ;)

The 100,000 gold Easter Egg Hunt is on! http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/eggsBlog.png Find all four eggs and solve all the riddles to discover the safe password at /tele Easter. The safe contains 100,000 gold, which will be the reward to one skilled player who cracks the puzzle. /tele Easter in-game, and check out the first clue on YouTube.

New Weapon: Hammer

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/hammerGIF.gif The Hammer is a strong weapon -- it causes 10 damage in an area of effect around you. However, you have to stand still for 3/4ths of a second before the weapon causes damage -- just enough time to escape if your opponent is quick.

Buy Ammo Separately

Now you can purchase ammo separately from weapons! Details here.

CalcMMO

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/calcmmo-boxart.jpg We had a lot of fun on April Fool's day -- I rethemed the whole game to be calculator themed. If you missed it, check out the festivities here.

New Weapon: Laser Rifle

http://blog.8bitmmo.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/laserRifle.png Charge it up and fire... but don't charge too long... ;)

Here's a quick summary of the last month's updates:

Easier to Learn Building System

You guys spoke, and I listened -- the building system has been streamlined and is easier to learn. Just click the item in your inventory you want to build with and plop it down in the world. Picking up items is a simple icon in your inventory. It's even possible to drop swords again if you want to.

Laser Turrets

You can now build laser turrets that fire at other players. Great for use as a defensive block to protect your town, or build it in your dungeon to create devious traps.

Check it out in-game today!

Improved Inventory

The inventory has been overhauled -- no more overlapping blocks, and it supports scroll wheel.

Performance Improvements

You should find the new build runs faster than previous builds, especially in areas with many objects. On my laptop in one place particularly full of blocks, my FPS jumped from ~30FPS to about ~55FPS after this change.

Here's a quick summary of the last month's updates: http://htmod.com/gallery3/var/resizes/Newsletter-images/newsletter-cursor.png

Easier to Learn Building System

You guys spoke, and I listened -- the building system has been streamlined and is easier to learn. Just click the item in your inventory you want to build with and plop it down in the world. Picking up items is a simple icon in your inventory. It's even possible to drop swords again if you want to.

http://htmod.com/gallery3/var/resizes/Newsletter-images/turretBlockGIF.gif Laser Turrets

You can now build laser turrets that fire at other players. Great for use as a defensive block to protect your town, or build it in your dungeon to create devious traps. Check it out in-game today!

http://htmod.com/gallery3/var/resizes/Newsletter-images/newsletter-inventory.png?m=1394232328Improved Inventory

The inventory has been overhauled -- no more overlapping blocks, and it supports scroll wheel.

Performance Improvements

You should find the new build runs faster than previous builds, especially in areas with many objects. On my laptop in one place particularly full of blocks, my FPS jumped from ~30FPS to about ~55FPS after this change.

One of the features requested by many players is music. I'm excited to announce that music is now in 8BitMMO! Amazing chiptune artists Danimal Cannon, Zef, PROTODOME, and Honin Myo Audio have agreed to let me use a number of their excellent songs in-game. All told there is now 82 minutes of high quality music included. Select tracks from these albums are included:
The tracks played are dependent on the area you're in: Town areas will play more relaxed songs, Wilderness areas will play adventurous tracks, and PVP/PVE areas will play actionful combat music. And when you level-up, there's a special track for that too! Whenever you're curious about the current song playing, hover over the music information box at the top of the screen: • Skip - skips the currently playing song • Thumbs Up - lets me know you like the currently playing song. Over time, I will be able to see what everyone's favorite songs are and prioritize the playlists accordingly • Visit Artist Website - if you enjoy the song, go to the artist's website to download it! Also, you can now modify music/sfx volume in options. These volume level settings will be saved between sessions.