Sprint #2 11/5/2012

[MysteryMan]

Dates: 11/5/2012 and end on 11/26/2012

Theme: Improve new user experience

Progress: Track here

Major Tasks:

• Modify website to improve new user experience
• Create landing page for new users that is more in line with industry standards and a little less dated.
• Create an elevator pitch for the game for new users (2 minute session explaining what Alteil is). Use big name voice actor(s) if possible.
• Create video training sessions for new users.
• Create video sessions explaining how to use the new starters.
• Test server needs to be fully online. It should be an exact clone of the entire main network.
• Test new starters on test server. Put starters on live before the sprint is over if they pass testing.
• Test the new expansion on the test server.
• Upgrade bug tracking system
• Continue fixing existing bugs.
• Investigate technical requirements to give out XP in the single player arena for users under level 20.
• Business/legal maintenance
• Continue watching new users in person to see personal reactions of potential players.

Future sprints (not this one) will include the following improvements to new user experience:

• Replace tutorial with story mode that engages the player into the plot directly.
• Fixed starters during level ups for beginners. Users will get all starters eventually but only bit by bit to prevent the feeling of being overwheled. Users will also get cards that enhance the starters as they level up.
• Improved chat system
• (Possible) rewarding lower level players for doing well instead of just outright winning

Next sprint will most likely focus around HTML5, starting with the card list tool.

Retrospective
We talked about things to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. One major item mentioned was to improve the way we handled responses bug reports. We also want to decrease the time between confirmed reportsand giving out rewards.

Hurricane Sandy

• Logress, ThatDave, and others now have power
• Logistics of transit are still shaky but this should not affect Alteil much due to telecommuting.
• While ThatDave's neighbor's house was destroyed, emergency personnel were able to put out the flames before the fire spread.

Last sprint's progress can be seen here

[Peralisc9001]

Didn't the other recent sprint related post talk about more than two player games?

I guess it was too good to be true.
It did seem you were getting ahead of yourselves. Is that why it's removed from this list?

[MysteryMan]

Didn't the other recent sprint related post talk about more than two player games?

I guess it was too good to be true.
It did seem you were getting ahead of yourselves. Is that why it's removed from this list?

It was never in the list for this sprint. I apologize for not being clear on my previous post. It is in the pipeline for new development and we want it to happen sooner rather than later, but not in the next 3 weeks.

If there's enough demand for it we can boost where it exists in the priority stack.

[Peralisc9001]

The title of that thread was misleading then.

[MysteryMan]

The title of that thread was misleading then.

I re-read my post and can see how it can be read like that.

...We are breaking the solution down into two sections. The first is an immediate band-aid, such as youtube videos and better starters. This will help mitigate most of the pain points and is what we are focusing on this sprint...

That was in the middle of the post and easy to miss. I'll be sure to much more clear in the future.

Sorry

As you probably know by now, I really don't like the idea of promising more than can be delivered, so it really sucks that I didn't phrase my original post better. If the post was phrased poorly, it was due to a mistake and not intent.

[Peralisc9001]

When there's a list of updates, I get excited and look through that first, while ignoring the text around. So for me at least the title matters most.

It's partially my fault, since I am awaiting with too much enthusiasm certain kind of updates. I obviously jumped to the conclusion we finally get those (for some of us) HUGE updates.

[InfernityFan]

[*]Fixed starters during level ups for beginners. Users will get all starters eventually but only bit by bit to prevent the feeling of being overwheled. Users will also get cards that enhance the starters as they level up.
[*](Possible) rewarding lower level players for doing well instead of just outright winning[/list]

I like those bits. For the second point though, why only for lower-level players? Make it available for all players

Btw, these sprints you are doing is only from developer POV right? As in your reponsibility, not Logress. So is it safe to assume that things like shop contents, events, and cpc are not included in sprints?

Thanks!

[Callonia]

I think people read too much between the lines.

And under the magnifying glass.

[Peralisc9001]

Continue watching new users in person to see personal reactions of potential players.

I really want to see their face expressions. Maybe you should take a photo once they enter folrart. Should be priceless.

[GonFreeces31]

Just to let you know I am still planning on doing a intro video for you guys. Grad school just keeps getting in the way t.t