Flight Rising Discussion

Hello everyone, thank you for your feedback about the gene error updates. -------------------------------------- [size=5][b]Paisley & Blend[/b][/size] [list] [*]Based on the time taken for a consistency change to go in, [b]Auraboa Fern/Paisley[b] will be reverted. [*][b]Sandsurge Blend[/b] will also be adjusted to have the crest returned to the prior colors. The blend and fade changes were mainly to address the smooth vs abrupt transitions in the gradient. We were trying to match one of the original templates to have gradient lengths smoother with less chunky edges. The head crests were erroneously adjusted as the templates were effectively made from scratch a second time. The smoother body and large back frill transitions will be preserved, but the complete change in color to the head crest is going to be changed back. [*]The other listed gene and eye type fixes in the last gene error thread (Auraboa) are going to be implemented, but as three months have passed, we have removed some of the larger consistency reports external to the breed itself.[/list] [b]On a personal note, I want to acknowledge that the gene being listed as an error since December, but taking [i]three months[/i] to go through is not great. I am truly sorry that the correction did not go in swiftly, especially on something that was not an obvious error and many enjoyed.[/b] -------------------------------------------- [size=5][b]Upcoming Changes to How Gene Errors are Handled[/b][/size] Completing the existing breed-specific gene error threads are something we have been working towards for a while now. As an art team, we need to have the ability to make both technical and consistency changes with our genes. Though we do check our templates and saved-out images, many issues do not come to light until hundreds of eyes are there to see the images in their millions of combinations. Equally, players need and deserve to not have their dragons radically altered [i]months after release[/i] for things that aren't bugs, cleanup, or technical errors. Gene consistency is something that needs a shorter, clearly communicated time limit, after which players can be assured that their dragons will not change. [b]Addressing the gene reporting system:[/b] [list] [*]The error turn-around on genes is a true pain point. We've been working towards getting the outstanding error threads caught up and closed out. [*]The intent to move to a [b]universal modern and ancient error thread[/b] for catch-alls on older templates. These universal catch-all threads will have no time limit, and will be for technical errors only.[/list] [info]We define technical errors as things such as: pattern bleed, pixellation, halo effects, inconsistencies within the [i]same[/i] breed, color swatch errors, genes being uploaded in place of other genes, misaligned templates, missing artwork, gaps, missing pixels along a seam, missing line art, stray pixels, patterns that bleed outside the silouette, etc. [/info] [list][*]New genes, gene expansions, and breed releases will receive a corresponding sticky thread in bugs to receive reports so that any major changes can go in soon after release. We will refer to these as [b]New-Gene Focus Threads.[/b] These temporary, after-release threads would be the ones where both technical and consistency differences could be addressed within a time limit.[/list] [info]We define consistency/style differences as differences between the gene itself on different breeds that make the gene look different. Sometimes this is intentional, sometimes it's an oversight. If a style difference is brought up, we will confirm it as working as intended, or report it as an error and complete the change within a 45-day time limit.[/info] [list][*]These New Gene Focus Threads would have a [b]45-day time limit[/b] and will close after this duration. After this occurs, any further errors will need to go to the universal threads, and will have to fall under the technical error category to be addressed. [b]No further consistency-specific changes will be made after the focus-thread is closed.[/b] Having a clearly-communicated deadline will allow players a timeline when they can feel confident that their dragons will not radically change, while allowing us an established window during which we can make alterations to our artwork.[/list] ---------------------------------------- [size=5][b]Coming VERY Soon:[/b][/size] [LIST=1] [*]Auraboa Paisley, Fern, and Sandsurge Blend (crests) will be reverting tonight. [*]The remaining listed issues in the Auraboa gene thread will be corrected and implemented. [*]When the [b]Auraboa gene error thread[/b] is finished, we'll be closing it out. [*]After the Auraboa thread is finished, the promised [b]Undertide gene expansion[/b] will release as our next content update. It will be paired with our first New Gene Focus Thread and will have a 45 day window. This thread will be exclusively for the Undertide genes that were just released and nothing else. [*]We will update the status box with the UT focus thread launch, 15 days left warning, and close-out announcement for additional player visibility. [*]The [b]Universal Modern and Ancient[/b] threads for past releases that have [i]technical issues[/i] will go up at the end of February. Because non-breed-specific reporting has been unavailable for some time, we fully expect that these are going to be hit hard. Fixes for these will go in as we are able to make time for it. These threads are long-term threads, and do not operate under a time-limit. [/LIST] ---------------------------------------- We want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we decided how to address this delayed and controversial gene fix. We hope that with our new systems in place, we can more swiftly address gene errors and provide clearer communication to our players. We all love dragons, and want them to look their very best!