• Developers Diary •


Sherwood Classic and our 16th Anniversary

Adobe finally pulled the trigger on January 12th to disable flash content in all modern browsers. This, of course, includes the browser version of Sherwood Dungeon. Most players have either moved on to the downloadable version of Sherwood or are playing the mobile version on Android. There is still a large group of players that prefer the user interface of the browser version and it was the only place to access the Clan Room design tools. For this reason, I've added a "Sherwood Classic" button to the Guest login screen. This will let players access the same user interface as the browser version and preserves a bit of Sherwood history at the same time.

"Sherwood Classic" and "Sherwood Temple" does have history that relates back to very early Shockwave versions of the game. I think that's far enough in the past now and I couldn't think of a better label than "Sherwood Classic".

It was Sherwood Dungeon�s 16th anniversary this this summer, a huge milestone and one that you made possible. Sherwood is born from an independent spirit and it's truly unique among online worlds. Hopefully this means that as a Sherwood player, you feel you're a part of something special. Viral and grassroots, we�ve defied the odds and survived on word of mouth and dedicated players. I would like to thank all the players who have supported this game over the years from the bottom of my heart. Here's to 16 years of indie goodness!

Thanks,
Gene

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Sherwood Beta 3, Flash and the Future

Today we are releasing Sherwood Dungeon Beta 3. This release comes with a host of new features, improvements and performance enhancements. Most importantly Sherwood Beta 3 is now a stand-alone application that you download and install, no longer requiring a web browser.

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Why a stand-alone app?
Adobe announced that Flash is being retired at the end of 2020. Although this end-of-life date is still over a year away, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox have revealed plans to gradually retire Flash in their browsers. This summer Flash will start becoming increasing difficult to use, with Google Chrome set to block Flash by default with their July 31th update.

We�ve been planning for this eventuality for two years, creating a new multi-platform codebase that can be used to bring Sherwood to a variety of platforms starting with Windows and MacOS but eventually to also include Android, iOS and Steam.

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New Features
Improvements in Beta 3 include new visual effects, overlays for damage and XP earned, a block indicator, a mini-map and a complete overhaul of the user interface. Pets and XP level now affect your power rating. You earn a power bonus against MOBs for every pet you own, even if they are not summoned. Sherwood's PvP is unaffected by these changes.

Gem Store
Premium items, like Pets, XP Doublers and Inventory Bags are now bought with Gems - a new currency available for purchase in the Gem Store. We've also introduced premium Hero and Beast Chests that reward a random pet for two months on each opening. Winning duplicates from these Chests rank-up your pet's star-rating, adding two more months of access and increasing your power rating.

As this is a new beta, expect bugs. I�m hoping to get most issues sorted before the browsers start the process of retiring Flash, so please let me know of issues.

Thanks,
Gene

Click Here to install Sherwood Beta 3 for free.

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"The dream of MaidMarian.com is to create an online escape into Sherwood Forest bringing together an online community of like-minded players. I hope to push the envelope both through technology and visually so this 'experiment' continues to represent the state of the art and revolutionizes the way massively multiplayer games are delivered. The unique independent nature of this project allows a more open development process so you can participate in it's growth through your feedback. The Developer's Diary is where I keep you up to date on the changes and the challenges I'm facing. Feel free to contact me with suggestions and encouragement by email."

Gene Endrody
[email protected]