Very important announcement

[unixmad]

This message is put there for your comments before releasing to all graal players.


Classic and Player Worlds
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* Classic server and Player Worlds servers will be free for all players that have registered Graal Classic. All limitations on player worlds and Classic servers will be cancelled - no more ghost mode!

* The registration of Graal Classic will be a lifetime registration - pay once and play as much as you want.

* There will be a special introductory price for the current player base that will be around $15.

* All players that have already paid once for graal2001 will be automatically registered.

Players that have not registered Graal will be in trial mode. This mode is made to test out the game before registering; it’s not done to play weeks without registering Graal.

Limitation in trial mode will be:
=====================

*Trial mode character will not be saved on the server; this means that when you leave the server, you lose what you have done.

* Trial mode players will not be able to send messages from the player list but they will be able to answer messages from registered players, it will still be possible to speak from the game window. (No more newbie masses!)

*Trial mode players will not broadcast client side information’s to other players, meaning that cheating in trial mode will not be possible. Sorry guys, live with it. ^_~

We will experiment with a new way to register Graal by phone that will not require a credit card; Graal subscription will be billed directly on your phone bill.

For players that cannot afford $15, you will be able to buy a ticket to play a week as a registered player. The price will be around $1, details to follow.

Accounts not registered by June 1st, 2002 will be scrapped, so get that PayPal account opened now!

Future plans for Graal Classic include:
==========================

* Space on our server to store your levels, Remote Control will be used to control files for players.
* A system of skins to customize your Graal tiles and Client graphics.
* A voice system that will allow peoples to communicate by voice


About Graal2001 and Graal2002:
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Graal2001 and Graal2002 will stay on a monthly subscription rate, probably at the same price.

Graal 2001 will be renamed. Your ideas on that will be welcome, we want something that will show new players that Graal 2001 is a big game Park - the first idea was to name it Graal Game Park, but I’m sure you can come up with something better!

About the features:
==============

* A new version of Graal2001 will be released soon with new features, new characters, new server side fighting that will make combat more realistic, a big underground maze with dungeons and monsters, and a betting system for mini games that will make competition more interesting.

About Graal2002
============

We plan to find a new name for it - your ideas are welcome.

We heard that you want a more role-playing and realistic world – well this is it.

Our plans for Graal2002 are huge and are planned to be finished in 6 months, but the keys part of the game will be mostly ready for the alpha testing:

* The new landscape engine that looks more 3D
* We have redrawn all the graphics to look more realistic
* Completely new characters
* Role-playing system, including skills, complete fighting systems, armor and weapons
* Lot of new jobs that will be linked to skills for success or failure, and more involved than rapid button pushing.
* Complex dungeon system with monsters, traps, and treasures.
* Kingdom system with castle invasions, town ruling, and a shopkeeper system for player to rent shops and do jobs protected by castle and guards
* New pets that will follow players and help them
* And more…

The alpha testing is planed for May 1st, 2002. All actual Graal2001 subscribers will be able to play and follow the development of the game with daily information updates from us.

[albus777]

i got confused, does this mean you might have to pay for graal classic?

[Domini]

incredible.

great job unixmad.

[freddyfox]

Either this is the greatest thing to happen to graal ever, or I'm on drugs.

I'd vote for the first option.

[Domini]

Originally posted by albus777
i got confused, does this mean you might have to pay for graal classic?

you have to pay a one time fee ($15) to play. or you get the trial mode restrictions unixmad outlined.

[Sparkplug]

WOW

I hope this helps graal
Sounds great tho.

[Nastazio]

Let me get this straight, Graal is going completely Pay to Play? Oh, and good job on getting most of your english right

[albus777]

i like this
maybe graal is saved....

[ZanderX]

unixmad:

I agree with everything you've done! Great ideas and great choices to make! The free playerworlds idea is genius, I approve, I approve!

I think Trial Mode is much better than Ghost Mode! It'll allow people to experience the game a LOT better now.

I think that Graal 2001 should have some sort of playful name, maybe "Graal : The Adventure". :P A harken to old times!

As far as Graal 2002 goes...I can't think of any names, but I think EVERYTHING you've said here is a serious stroke of genius. You have my congratulations!

[Ghost Pirate]

Graal2001 = The Playbox or Graamuzement (Graal Amuzement!)

Graal2002 = Kingdoms of Graal or Kingdom Islands

Also about Graal2002 being completed in 6 months

Does this mean we must wait that long till we can really play it?

Or will we beable to play a preview May 1st or play the beta phase of Graal2002 and keep playing till the release?

[xanatos2003]

this sounds amazing but what about players that have multiple accounts like i have 5 i have alot of friends with alot. but besides that this rocks!


NPC SERVER
what will happen to the p2p worlds with NPC server?
Will all worlds have p2p advantages such as multi dir Gain's
Can all worlds use graal2001 graphics now??
Will all worlds have npc servers?
and what about Tile sets?

As for names what about

g2k1 is Maple Ridge? a nice park name, it sounds frendly and nice
g2k2 is Heron?? it sounds kinda kool?

[P-a-W-n]

Wow, I really like this. Good job unix

[DeathChill]

Don't personally like the total p2p idea but I don't make the decisions~For the players who don't pay, they can still chat and everything?har har that's good because most people only chat ;x

[albus777]

well if you CAN do this over phone...and for only 15 bucks..thats pretty nice

[__XxRazorxX__]

This is Great Unimaxid!!

[freddyfox]

Graal 2002 needs a spiffy name, like "Graal: The Kingdom Isles."

[__XxRazorxX__]

hmm G2k1 should be called Graal the Adventure? lol sounds stupid but i like it

[Saga2001]

That souds good. *can't wait*

[xanatos2003]

Well, give us the number i wana call right now am so exited yay *jumps for joy* this was a very bold move you guys have made and i hope it turns out to be a good thing not a bad. because most of the people who dont have a p2p account are ones with mom/dads who dont trust the whole idea of money though online. am sure if it was in the store 95% of the people without a p2p account would buy it in game format. i know this wouldnt work with all the new vertions comming out am just saying. thats why i just got a p2p account near x-mas of last year.

To the 5% of you who are to cheap to pay $15 and would complain if you could its $15! that will last you for ever! and theres always new things you people will spend $75 on a game but not $15 on one that changes and gets better every day with more options then any game you just buy in the store grr to all of you!!!!! lol

OMG, NO!! boozy just pointed out a very good point to me, all player worlds will fall to the comming of Graal2230, Oasis, Murasamune, and Faheria. if its one single payment for all. PLEASE AM BAGGING YOU PUT THEM ALL ON THE MONTHLY PAY LIKE G2K1 AND G2K2 PLEASE TO GOD! all other worlds would fall!!!!! i know the world am Owner of has amazing levels and an extreamly good map but its no were good enough to compeat with thoughs worlds please!

[TrueHeaT]

wow! this is totally brilliant. I couldn't have thought of a better system for it all. I love the options like "* Space on our server to store your levels, Remote Control will be used to control files for players.
* A system of skins to customize your Graal tiles and Client graphics.
* A voice system that will allow peoples to communicate by voice" too!

!

[Tyhm]

I proofread it. ;

Apparently Classic's gonna get to do all the G2K1 stuff, you gotta love a lifetime subscription, nearest I can tell all you guys get registered for free...
* All players that have already paid once for graal2001 will be automatically registered.
...so yeah, no ghost mode ever, that's nice...

I'm, ironically, partial to Antagos names for the servers.
Classic=Graal: The Adventure
G2K1=Graal: The Bomy Moon
so G2K2 would be like
Graal: Eight Kingdoms

[trunkssj5x]

I LOVE the Phone Idea,i'll be able to upgrade again without any problems!
You've done it once again Unix,Thought of a cost-effective way to bring better things to graal!
Although this will mean a BIG decrease in players

[Faheria_GP4]

This is either a really cool/great idea
or a really great idea to get people to spend their money on p2p accounts
Will 2k1 staff stay?

[DeathChill]

Originally posted by Tyhm
I proofread it. ;

Apparently Classic's gonna get to do all the G2K1 stuff, you gotta love a lifetime subscription, nearest I can tell all you guys get registered for free...
* All players that have already paid once for graal2001 will be automatically registered.
...so yeah, no ghost mode ever, that's nice...

I'm, ironically, partial to Antagos names for the servers.
Classic=Graal: The Adventure
G2K1=Graal: The Bomy Moon
so G2K2 would be like
Graal: Eight Kingdoms

If Classic gets p2p stuff than I love the idea <3

[Faheria_GP4]

Wait call in? Where would we be calling? Germany? France? hehehe lol thats looooooooong distance.

[albus777]

i want to call and upgrade my account too
this will most likely get a whole lot more people with p2p accounts. the new features are great too!

[Snappledragon]

Originally posted by Faheria_GP4
Wait call in? Where would we be calling? Germany? France? hehehe lol thats looooooooong distance.

DIAL DOWN THE CENTER

[P-a-W-n]

Originally posted by Snappledragon

DIAL DOWN THE CENTER

haha

[trunkssj5x]

Oh..um..and another thing...Will the phone be up before the Trial?I have a lot of friends with non-p2p who would only do it through phone....

[ZeroFXSM]

Will other players be able to access the levels you have online? So people can play them? How will that work exactly

[albus777]

oh yea with levels, would that mean that just about everyone is guarenteed their own or something?
im confused.

[toad1413]

I... I'm speechless.

This is such a major development. It has to have been planned for a while, which may explain the lack of updates coding-wise.

****. I really am speechless. This sound file attests to that.

I have a few questions though.

1) I don't really get the part where you said "Accounts not registered by June 1st, 2002 will be scrapped, so get that PayPal account opened now!". Could you please elaborate a bit?
2) How would you stop people from just making another account to use Trial mode when the one they've been using runs out?
3) The loss the player data in Trial mode may be a bit too annoying, at least for any players to be who are on a dialup modem connection, for they usually disconnect frequently, mine does every 4 hours, and sometimes less.

Thank you if you could answer them.

[Snappledragon]

what about staff accounts?

[Er1c]

Cool, this is a good decision

As for renaming playerworlds, here's my opinion:
Graal Classic -> Graal: The Adventure
Graal 2001 -> Graal: <something about bomys>
Graal 2002 -> Graal: Conquest (when it was legal i used to have a 1.28 server by this name, i think the name would fit in with the atmosphere of 2k2)

As for 6 months before releasing Graal 2002... I think it can be ready WAAAAAYYYYYY before that for testing. IMHO, there are only afew more things that need to be done before it can be opened to players.

[_0AfTeRsHoCk0_]

This is fantastic! Even though these developments might be a bit far off I still can't wait. I really like the idea of customizable tilesets and talking over Graal by voice (this I am really looking forward to, it would help with role-playing as well)

I am a little dissapointed that Graal 2002 won't be totally ready for another 6 months, but if it's coming out on May1st and it's here to stay (even under development) I will wait it out.

Good job Unixmad, you restored a lot of my faith in graal

[Er1c]

Originally posted by toad1413
1) I don't really get the part where you said "Accounts not registered by June 1st, 2002 will be scrapped, so get that PayPal account opened now!". Could you please elaborate a bit?
2) How would you stop people from just making another account to use Trial mode when the one they've been using runs out?
3) The loss the player data in Trial mode may be a bit too annoying, at least for any players to be who are on a dialup modem connection, for they usually disconnect frequently, mine does every 4 hours, and sometimes less.

1) all accounts that don't get updated lose all their attributes (hearts, gralats, swordpower, ect)
2) it doesn't sound like the trial accounts have a time limit, they just can't do anything near what upgraded accounts can do
3) its supposed to be annoying, that's how they will get people to upgrade =P

[_0AfTeRsHoCk0_]

Oh yeah, here are some of my ideas for names
Graal 2001: Graal: The Next generation
Graal 2002: Kingdom Conflicts
(I know Kingdom conflicts sounds kind of dumb but it's all I could think up for now)

[Jin2]

Cool.

[agretsguest]

Hey I got an idea, since everything is going p2p now couldn't you make it so that players can host their own servers again? ones that appear on the actual player list as we are not getting free beacuse it is all pay and only registered accounts can host these servers, it'd be cool if you let us do that Unixmad. as for the not saving on the server, well I dont think many people would be too happy about that and it could cause some arguments....I'll have to trust your descision on that one, or you could make it in options a choice out of ghost mode or not updating your saved stats?

[toad1413]

Originally posted by Er1c

1) all accounts that don't get updated lose all their attributes (hearts, gralats, swordpower, ect)
2) it doesn't sound like the trial accounts have a time limit, they just can't do anything near what upgraded accounts can do
3) its supposed to be annoying, that's how they will get people to upgrade =P

1 and 2, I had them explained to me.

3, on the other hand, let me explain something.

Imagine you are on a dialup modem, like a 56k one. Now, as well as the lag that we usually get, which us modemers can handle, we also have cut off times. Mine's set at 4 hours, although it sometimes does it earlier, and others can be less. Now, think about this. If you had to redo everthing every 4 hours, you too would most likely just say "**** this game", and leave. I know I would.