What is Release 4?
Release 4 is the upcoming version of BittyBay; Release 4 will be BittyBay's first market release, and as such, will transform and expand upon almost all aspects of the current game. This blog is designed to keep you up-to-date with the progress that is being made on Release 4, as well as provide you with exclusive sneak peeks to keep you motivated whilst patiently waiting. We thank you for your support during this crucial development period.
MOAR! Spire, Mystiko, Trent 3/3/10 Wow - where to start!
So much has happened this month in terms of progress that we don't know where to begin in telling you. In the last blog, we talked about avatars and chat being next in line, and we are glad to inform you that both have been completed.
We now have several avatars added to the R4 client, with more being added every day. What's great about our new system is that we can update each avatar and add more avatars externally, which has proven to be a great improvement in content management. So, the avatar system works and has been finished, but what else? Well, instead of going all the way into your settings to change your avatar, you can now do it directly from your chat bar. Once you switch avatars, there is a nifty little animation and sound effect that takes place, which makes transitioning to a new avatar a cool display - I'm sure all your friends will be jealous when you explode into a wolf... I mean, what!?
"WHAT ELSE?! GIVE ME MOARRR!" We hear you say. Right, well, the updates don't stop here! We now have brand new name tags, user profiles, and speech bubbles, and all of this is ready to go! In Release 3, speech bubble colors are dependent on which avatar you have, but now
YOU can pick how you want to be represented. However, we have divided colors into 2 sections - one for those who have membership, and one for those that don't, so now there are even more incentives to become a member! But wait, there's more! Yes,
MOAR! Tired of the same old emoticons? Tire no more, because they've all been updated! We have added new emotes, and also gestures, which is something you haven't seen before in BittyBay. Gestures will be another way to express yourself and will allow you to display an animated emoticon above your avatar, whether it be a rotating heart or a stormy cloud, there will be plenty to choose from!
MOAR? No more, I think you guys are about to explode with excitement already, so let us wrap it up with what's next on the chopping block! At the moment, we have a test room where we play with all the new features, but it's about time we got some proper rooms in place. Next up is to add Theodore's home (The Hollow), and the area outside his home (Sleepy Grove). These rooms are just... amazing! It is some of our best work yet, and we can't wait for you to delve into the vibrant new world of BittyBay. After these 2 rooms are added, we will be working on adding more public rooms, such as The Burrow (which will be redesigned), as well as the updated Bunny Botanic. This will also be a good time to add the navigator and other room functions, so stay tuned to the next blog!
We are not sure how much time we will have this month, but as usual, we will try to get as much done as possible. Thank you all for your support, and keep your eyes open for those
SPECIAL rare tickets that will be coming out soon. Trust me, you would
NOT want to
NOT have one. Did that make sense? You get the idea...
See you next time!
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The Power of Four Spire, Mystiko, Trent 01/02/10 
It's that time again - time for another blog!
We have been working very hard this past month to make as much progress as possible, and the work has paid off! We have finally managed to create a multi-user room with fully functioning pathfinding, and guess what? No lag! Mystiko and Trent have ensured that only the latest and best coding technologies have been used to program the server-side pathfinding and client tweening, and it all works like a charm. We even went one step further and loaded the Release 4 client with over 1500 fake users, all constantly moving, just to be sure that lag was bearable - and it is! There were absolutely no issues with lag, so that's just one of the things that we are very happy about.
The next step in the development process is to add avatar support and chat functionality. The good thing about Release 4 is that we will be able to load everything externally, thus making changes and additions to the game easier than ever before. This means that we will have new items and avatars constantly being released to keep you all entertained. Speaking of avatars, we have also managed to redesign the lion avatar! Here is a preview (Like the above wasn't enough!):
What do you think? Do you love it as much as we do? All avatars will be touched up for Release 4; as the world of BittyBay evolves, the animals must evolve with it! Everything will look and function a lot smoother, from mini games to items and avatars, we are taking everything to the next level! At the moment, everything is on the right track, and we hope to continue with steady progress up until the release. So, until next time, take a look at our updated progress below, and be sure to leave your comments!
Thanks for all your support and feedback!
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Year's End Spire, Mystiko, Trent 30/12/09 Hey guys!
What a hectic year it has been! Although we haven't had a lot of time to work on Release 4 throughout the year, we are finally getting things into gear, and this month's blog is proof of that (I guess you could say, the proof is in the pudding! Speaking of pudding, we hope you had a great Christmas and that Santa left you some nice presents under your tree).
This month, we have made some great progress on the design of 2 new public rooms, as well as finished the server-side coding of pathfinding and collision detection. Did we mention that you will no longer have to suffer the pain of having an elephant's behind planted onto your face? That's right, there will be no more standing on top of each other on the same square, except in high-traffic areas such as doorways, etc. Client-wise, things have been finalized and neatened up, ready for the implementation of multi-user functions.
As mentioned in the previous blog, we will now have a lot more time to dedicate towards Release 4. We believe that 2010 is going to be our year, so stick around and watch it all unfold! For those of you that missed our last Release 4 preview, here it is again:
Also, don't forget to follow BittyBay on Twitter! Check out our
BittyBay Twitter page for exclusive Release 4 updates, news, competitions, and more. We hope you have a fanastic New Year's and wish you all the best in 2010!
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Love December Spire, Mystiko, Trent 10/11/09 Our fellow BBers!
We are taking some time out to give you all a short update on all the behind-the-scenes happenings relating to Release 4! We have some great news for you all! Firstly, both Spire and Mystiko have finished their studies, and you know what that means, right? It means that a lot more time will be available to work on Release 4!
As of right now, Mystiko is soaking up the sun in some tropical destination on his annual holiday, having a much-needed break after completing his intensive pilot's training course (Who says Lions can't fly?). He will be back in late November, and Trent and Spire have their metal prongs dipped in hot coal, ready to sear his backside into Release 4 oblivion once he gets back! That's right, December will be the month of progress, and now there are no excuses!
Meanwhile, at the Lion's Den, Trent is hoarding and adding to his massive pile of witch's hats, hazard tape, road blocks, and those pesky "if" and "else" statements, that seem to always be trying to squirm their way out his grasp - one even hit Spire straight in the eye, which doesn't help his ever-growing stock of pixels! At the other end of the cave, Spire is whipping those pixels into shape, herding them into position and soaking them in color, in hopes of creating the perfect piece of art. All this work isn't easy, but it's imperative that it be done in time for December, so that when Mystiko is back, he can combine it all together and finally piece together the Release 4 puzzle.
So, to wrap things up, December is when the development of Release 4
really kicks off. What has been done up until this point is great, but it's nothing when compared to what can be accomplished with time on our side, and now that we have it, we are going to knock your socks off! Expect to see a significant increase in the development graph by the time the next blog is posted!
Thank you for sticking around and supporting us through these difficult times. We know that the waiting sucks, but it will be worth it in the end! Keep visiting BittyBay, and keep giving us your feedback on what YOU want to see in Release 4. You can leave your comments via the link below!
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Long Time, No See! Spire, Mystiko, Trent 13/08/09 Hey guys!
"What took you so long!?" I bet that's what you're all thinking, right? Well, we apologize for the delay, but we have a perfectly legitimate explanation! We've just been so busy that we haven't found the time to post up an article; the second reason is that we didn't want to update the blog by a meager percentage as we don't want you to think that progress isn't being made. Au contraire!
In actual fact, we have made quite a bit of progress from the last time we've updated! You will be pleased to know that we have completely finished the messenger, which has taken a lot of time to perfect. We've decided to be generous and provide a little teaser, so we hope you enjoy that. I have also finished and confirmed the design of the new navigator and shopping catalogue, as well as finalized the improved Bunny Botanic.
On top of that, we have upgraded our security with better encryption so that silly script bunnies have an even harder time trying to disrupt the Kingdom with their antics. Mystiko and Trent have also been making sure that the coding is absolutely perfect; all measures are being taken to minimize possible attributors of lag.
In addition, and in order to portray a more accurate depiction of our current progress, we have changed the way we will be displaying progress percentages from now on.
Client Features vs. Client Core The Client Features percentage of each developer shows how much has been done on things like in-game elements, games, activities, etc. The Client Core percentages show how much has been done on the essential components such as path-finding, speech, and interfaces.
With that said, here are the percentages so far!
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Full Steam Ahead! Spire, Trent, Mystiko 10/06/09 Hey BBers!
We would like to start by apologizing for the lack of updates you have received (or not received, if you will). We have had a rough couple of weeks with tertiary studies taking up most of our time. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel! The period of heavy studying, assignments, and exams is now over, so we’re ready to get back to work. Full steam ahead!
The progress we have made in these last couple of weeks is not as much as it could’ve been if the circumstances were different. However, the percentages have moved up, which is always a good sign! Here’s a quick run-down of what each developer has accomplished in this time:
Spire (18.5% - ^ 1.5%) I have finalized the design for the Release 4 website and have worked alongside our web development department to start coding the new website. I have also supplied graphics that were overlooked for the new messenger.
Trent (14% - ^ 2%) Trent has started work on the coding for public rooms, chatting, and settings. He has also worked alongside Mystiko to help get the messenger working.
Mystiko (12% - ^ 2%) Mystiko has implemented part of the messenger and has got it to work successfully in the new AS3 language. The messenger is not completely functional yet, but it’s getting there! Also, as a side note, congratulations to Mystiko for passing his big exam!
So, without further ado, here is the progress chart for this week!
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Passing By Spire, Trent, Mystiko 20/05/09 Hey guys!
Wow, the time has just flown by! We apologize for not updating the blog last week, but things were pretty hectic here at HQ. Anyway, here is the update for where we're currently standing with progress. We've added even more features and gameplay since last week, so it's increased the overall workload (but will be worth the wait!)
Trent has been coding the new messenger this week and is basically ready to sync with Mystiko in order to get the interface talking with the server and working properly.
Mystiko has been preparing the messenger by slicing all the images (over 100 in total!), so that's kept him busy for a while. He's informed me that he refuses to update his percentage until he finishes up the messenger with Trent.
I (Spire), have been working on some top secret graphics which will make BittyBay more exciting (*coughitinvolvesthebearcough*). I've also started designing graphics for a new mini-game, plus have nearly complete the updated Botanic - can't wait for you to see everything we've been working on!
Overall, progress is steady and everything is going according to plan. We get more and more excited every day! Here's the chart for this week:
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Status Quo Spire, Trent, Mystiko 05/05/09 Hello BittyBay!
Welcome to another weekly development blog. This week, it will be a little different – something you’re not used to seeing yet.
The whole purpose of establishing this blog was to be able to convey our progress to you on a weekly basis. The past few weeks we have been talking about the plans and ideas that will be going into Release 4, but nothing has been mentioned about our current progress.
That’s why, from now on, each weekly post will contain progress information via percentage totals from each key development area: graphics, client, and server. The closer these totals are to 100%, the closer we will be to releasing the new version of BittyBay.
Now, without further ado, let’s discuss this week’s progress! As you probably know, Release 4 is going to be HUGE, and the same applies for our workload. While the graph below may startle you at first, you have to remember that these percentages include every single little image and piece of code that will go into building Release 4. So for example, even though the percentage may be 10%, that’s still a heck of a lot of work!
We hope that you do not become disheartened by these progress updates. In fact, they will be very useful for development, as it will keep us moving on track, whilst also providing motivation for success. It will also give us all a sense of pride when each week boasts a higher score, thus rendering us one step closer to release.
Okay, so now that we’ve got all that important stuff out of the way, let’s enjoy the percentages for this week:
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Spring Cleaning Trent, Spire, Mystiko 29/04/09 We would like to take a quick break to share some of the great things that we have been cooking up for all of you! To kick it all off, we will start with a little snippet about our brand new rooms.
New Territories and More! So, as you may or may not have been expecting, Release 4 will offer many new styles of rooms in order for you to create the perfect haven you have always longed for. Our new territories will be in many sizes ranging from very small, for those who like to be cozy, to larger rooms for the animal that just can’t have enough stuff. Along with various sizes, you will also see different styles of rooms (multi-level) for you to explore and customize to your imagination's delight!
Have you ever wanted to build your own tree fort or maybe even a rocky mountain? Not only will there be brand new stackable items, but there will be many other items which will enable you to do things that you have never been able to do on BittyBay before, such as teleportation (as we mentioned in a previous blog), items that take up more than one tile, and items that feature mini-games.
Public Rooms Galore It is our great pleasure to bring you many new public rooms that you can explore, 'till your legs can't take it anymore! Each of these rooms will have its own purpose, just like how the Burrow has the “Gold Fever” game.
A new and very useful room will be the “Town Square.” This room will be a great meeting place for users to get together to chat, work on quests, or even receive help from NPCs (mighty helpful for the new users in town!). Another public room, of many, is the Lion’s Den. What is it you ask? The Lion's Den will be the centre for all BittyBay events and opened to the public when not in use. So it's not just for us lions, but for everyone to share together. You can stand on the grand stage in the Lion’s Den, and feel like the king of the world (or at least BittyBay)!
We hope that you are excited about just the few public rooms that have been shared in this post. Starting next week, we will inform you of our current progress, and bring you along on our journey in development thus far. Stay tuned for our progress report next week and thank you for reading!
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Voir le Menu Spire, Mystiko, Trent, 14/04/09 In Release 4, one of our primary aims is to create an intuitive interface; what this means is that the user won’t have to think about what to click to complete a task. For example, the current menu is very hard to locate, since it’s a small yellow button in the bottom left-hand side of the screen. How many users would miss this, do you think? The answer is many! Due to the fact that our interface isn’t user-friendly, we are faced with the daunting reality that most new users are never able to find their way around the Kingdom.
New Design The menu interface has been completely redesigned in Release 4! The menu is now located at the top of the client window, while the chat bar is located at the bottom. The menu area, when not being used, animates partially out of view, leaving only the “sign out” button visible – this will maximize the window area to allow for more play room. If at any time you need to use the menu again, all you have to do is hover your mouse over the partially retreated menu, and it will slide back out.
The new design is very modern and sleek. The menu itself has a shiny green finish to illustrate the fact that we are environmentally conscious, and the buttons are gold with icons to show what the buttons do (Green and gold; coincidence much? Go Aussies!). The chat bar is also green, and it will stay on the screen at all times, except for when you are relaxing at the new bay view.
New Features The new menu has a few added features which are not available in the current version, and some features that have changed. Let’s examine the changes:
Shopping Catalogue 
Out go the markets, in comes the catalogue! Although we are sad to see the markets go, the new catalogue will be a much more efficient way to buy items. You will be able to access the catalogue from the menu at any time and from any room, thus maximizing your buying power. It was a hassle going back-and-forth from the markets, so the catalogue will be much easier and quicker to use. However, just because we are introducing the catalogue, doesn’t mean we are getting rid of shops altogether. There are still going to be shops in certain public rooms, and even in hidden areas! The items in these shops will not be available in the catalogue.
The Events System Events are about to get a whole lot more interesting! There will be a special button on the menu that will only be visible to you during special events. When you click this button, it will open up an interface that we will use to get your feedback with. You will be able to vote in live polls, as well as submit data through to us via this interface, making it a perfect tool for trivia, quests, and the like.
What’s best about this though, is that we won’t have to be in the same room for events anymore! This is good because it will decrease lag, and you will have the freedom to move around whilst participating! You’ll just have to experience it to understand what we’re talking about!
There is also a space on the menu bar for special announcements. If there is something happening in the Kingdom, staff can activate this blank space on the menu bar to show a small announcement - it will let you know what’s going on in the Kingdom! Usually it’ll be something you won’t want to miss out on. I can’t wait to use that one! ;)
Membership You know how you have to go through the settings to get to membership options? Well, now we have a button on the menu solely dedicated to membership! Once you click this button, an interface will open up that will display all the benefits of being a member, as well as options to buy/upgrade your membership, and the details for your current subscription (How many days remaining, how many have elapsed, and all that other good stuff!).
Changing Avatars We have a new way to change avatars! On the chat bar, there is an area which shows what avatar you are currently wearing. If you click it, a box will pop up with all of your avatars. To switch, all you have to do is pick a new one from the box. It’s that simple!
Speech Color, Private Chat, Sound Settings 
At the moment, each avatar has its own speech bubble color. In Release 4, you will be able to choose which color you want to represent you! Members will have an exclusive selection to choose from, while non-paying members will be able to use the standard colors only.
In addition, you will be able to set how far your speech travels directly from the chat bar, so you won’t have to go into your settings to adjust it anymore. Simply choose a number from the drop down box, and it will limit your speech to travel across that many tiles. Cool! This also applies to sound. There is a button on the chat bar that toggles sound, so you can drone out any annoying animals quickly and easily!
Feedback Overall, the new menu is a major improvement when compared to the current one. It is easy to use, looks good, and has the features you expect to see and more. What do you think about what we’ve shared with you today? Are you impressed or disappointed? Do you like the features? Do you think we should add something that hasn’t been mentioned? Let us know by posting your thoughts using the link below.
Thanks for reading!
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The Wishing Well Mystiko, Spire, Trent, 05/04/09 Silence please! Huddle closer; those at the front please make room for those at the back… Now that we have your attention, we thought that this week we would tell you about one of the brand new features of BittyBay Release 4. The so-called Wishing Well!
The Wishing Well itself is exactly what it says it is; a Well containing delights within, situated within one of the brand new Release 4 public rooms. Users can think of the Well much like a communal inventory, with items deposited (and sometimes appearing randomly) within.
Wait a second… We drop our items into the Wishing Well? Indeed. Any user can choose to drop an item (or multiple items) into the Well whenever they so wish. The reward for doing so is XP, which in turn allows users to unlock a greater level of game-play within Release 4.
What happens to the items once dropped? Any items that are dropped will eventually appear inside the Wishing Well for others to see and pickup themselves.
Pickup? Completely free items?! This is the exact purpose of the Wishing Well. Any user is welcome to stop by the Well and take any single item they wish, once every 24hrs. This is an easy way for those without items to furnish their territories.
Will the Well always be filled with items? Not necessarily. The Well itself is fed by users depositing items. If demand for items exceeds the supply, the Well will remain empty until another user deposits items. Of course, like all aspects of BittyBay, we do add a little magic to our in-game features. The water supply connected to the Well itself is known to flow through the gold-rich soils of the Burrow, so don’t be surprised to see random rarities appear throughout the day!
Won’t this feature be abused by people? The Well has been designed to prevent abuse as far as possible. For this reason, there are some simple and effective guidelines in place, which aim to prevent ‘cheating’ the Well.
- Any items dropped within the Well cannot be picked back up by their original depositor.
- Users who drop items will be rewarded with XP, but this will be capped at a daily limit.
- Users can only take 1 item from the well per 24hrs. The 24hr limitation is a ‘rolling’ time limit, thus does not reset at midnight.
- All items dropped within the Well are held for a random period of time by the server, before appearing within the Well. This can vary from a minute to several hours. This is to prevent users with multiple accounts from unfairly reclaiming their dropped items.
Is the Well easy to find? Perhaps. Perhaps not. We do like teasing…
That’s all for this weeks offering. Until next time, remember to leave your thoughts, comments and feedback at the official forum thread!
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To Infinity, and Beyond! Trent, Spire, Mystiko, 29/03/09 All of us could write for literally pages on the numerous features that you guys are anticipating in our next release. However, that would just bore you, so we’ve decided to bring these features to you one post at a time. This week, I will be bringing you the astonishing features of teleportation, user commands, room owner controls, and more!
Teleportation - Abra kadabra! Up until now, teleportation has not been something BittyBay has supported. In Release 4, that is all going to change! The function of teleporting is simple, but very handy. You can now expect to see “teleporters” in users’ territories. These teleporters will take you from room to room, and will allow you to stay connected directly to your best of friends, whilst also enabling you to link your rooms together. Imagine the possibilities!
User Commands - Since when? We are creating numerous commands for you, as our user, to perform whenever desired. Just a few of them are listed below:
Ignore Feature – Remember that annoying user that you just couldn’t get away from? Well now we have a solution - you can ignore any user with the click of a shiny button! By “ignoring” a user, it will render an “ø” over his/her avatar signifying that you will not receive their obnoxious messages. Talk to the hand, girlfriend!
Current Users – This command is almost self-explanatory. Basically, you will be able to pop open a list of all the current users in the room you are visiting. This is not only useful if you are trying to find a long-lost friend, but you can also easily add users to your friends list by clicking a “+” next to their name. On the flip side, if a user is bothering you, simply click the “ø” to ignore him/her.
Instant Profile – Now, this sounds simple, but we have found that “shift + click” is not a preferred way of viewing a user’s profile. So, to counter this issue, we have implemented a new way of accessing another player’s profile. All you have to do is double-click the user in question, and POOF! Their profile will magically appear in front of your eyes, like an invisible lion making his sudden entrance.
Room Owner Controls - I’ve got the power! Okay, so let’s be real. Kicking users from your room is about the only fun you’ll be having at this point when it comes to commanding your territories. Having said that, let’s shift our focus across the horizon to see what’s in store for all you territory-dwellers in Release 4.
Banning – Oh dear, who’s been a naughty bunny? We all know the situation, right? A user comes into your abode acting all high and mighty, spitting out verbal abuse at every corner, contaminating your royal stools like it’s nobody’s business... Well, enough is enough! We now grant you with the power to ban these wrong-doers from your territory, once and for all!
Your room settings will house all the nifty tools you need to keep your kingdom safe and happy, and this includes the ban feature. Once you ban some misfortunate soul from your room, his/her name will appear on your most-wanted (banned) list. You can choose to leave them there to think long and hard about what they’ve done, or you could give them another chance by removing their name from your black list. Either way, you have total control over who can set foot in your private quarters, and who will have to sit outside in the rain. Be warned though, these powers come with great responsibility, so use them wisely!
Permissions – Yes, you heard correctly! If only I had a penny for every time a user has asked about having the ability to give out “rights”, I would be pretty wealthy right now! Good news for you though, this will be possible in Release 4!
You can now give out room access levels to your friends via your room settings. You will be able to have complete control over who can do what and to what extent. There are going to be “levels” of access that you can delegate, such as the ability to open doors, the ability to kick people from the room, and more. But, what’s special about this feature is that you can pick and choose how many permissions a user can have. So, for example, I want my friend Bob to be able to open the doors in my territory, but I don’t want him to be able to do anything else (like kick my visitors, etc.), so I will give him the access level of “open/close doors.” Does that make sense?
When you give access to different users, there will be a list of the users currently holding access in your territory so that you can easily modify their rights. You may specifically limit the access for each individual user by allowing them to move furniture, kick users, ban users, and/or open gates. The rights for each user can be easily modified at any time via the access list for each of your territories.
You can all expect a much more versatile and easier to use BittyBay. All these commands and more will be implemented for your convenience. I hope that you can rest at ease knowing that you'll be able to control access and rights to your territories much more efficiently.
We always want to hear your feedback and suggestions.
We want you involved! Feel free to leave us any comments you may have on our official forum (see link below).
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You Have Mail Spire, Mystiko, Trent, 19/03/09 
The messenger has always been a popular communication tool within the Kingdom, but it has become the center of much controversy in recent times. Experiencing bugs, glitches, and other nasty deterrents is a common issue when coming in contact with, and using the existing messenger. This will all change, so read on to find out how.
Firstly - like all things with Release 4 - the messenger has received a total makeover. The sleek new design is easier than ever to use, and boasts a few extra features when compared to its younger sibling. Here’s the rundown:
Store Messages Yes! Many users have been requesting that we install this feature for quite some time, and it will be available with the new messenger. You’ll be able to store any messages from your inbox; the message will then be moved to the storage area of your messenger, and you’ll be able to view, delete, or reply to the message at a later date.
Friend List Sorting If you’ve used the messenger in the Kingdom before, you’ll know that finding someone to message quickly can be a hassle if you have a never-ending list of friends. But fear no more, furry friends - your temper shan’t rise again (unless of course you’re dealing with Jellybeans; she knows how to pull your strings!) Your friend list can now be sorted by either showing all online buddies, or by showing them in alphabetical order – how handy!
Mass Messaging Yay, spam! Ha – don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. You will be able to send messages to all of your friends at once, but those who don’t want to receive your frivolous messages (let’s face it Gambit, it’s true) shall have the power to deny them. However, by all means, spam away! After all, spam makes the world go ‘round!
Live Chat Not in the same room as your friend but want to chat in real time? Not a problem! The new Live Chat feature will cater to your needs by providing you with instant messaging capabilities via your messenger. However, if you’re being bombarded with requests to chat live, you can, by all means, disable this feature; after all, you have full control over your BittyBay experience.
Mini Profiles Your friend list houses many, many friends, and, if you’re anything like us, you’ll soon forget who these people are (it’s bad, we know.) But, lucky for us, you can now check each friend’s mini profile which lists their personal message, time at which they were last on, and provides links to their homepage, another website feature (that’s a secret at this point), and other cool little buttons that let you interact with that person.
But wait, there’s more! If you search for a BittyBay user using the search function within your messenger, you’ll be able to see some additional information, such as their current avatar, goal, experience points, and more. It looks like we’ve thought of everything! What can we say? We’re a super-smart bunch of lions. ;)
Mass Delete If you’re a popular little bunny, you’ll soon realize that your messenger inbox and friend request meter fills up pretty quickly. To combat the onslaught of information, we’ve invented a clever little feature that lets you delete the whole lot! Who has got time to go through hundreds of messages and friend requests, right? Like, seriously.
There’s More On top of everything that was mentioned, the new messenger also includes all your standard features, such as message reporting, friend removal, and the rest of it. Sounds pretty good, right! (That’s rhetorical, by the way.) :D
So… that about wraps things up for this week’s post! We’ve taken your feedback on board over these past few months and have developed, what we believe to be, a user-minded communication tool which we hope you will all enjoy using, given its simplistic design and plethora of easily accessible features.
We would love to hear your feedback, so until next week, drop us some comments via the link below.
Thanks for reading!
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Trimming the Fat Mystiko, Spire, Trent, 06/03/09 
BittyBay has packed on the pounds since 2007, and now it's time to go from bloated and stagnant, to sleek and lean. Get ready to say goodbye to the frustration of lag as we trim the underbelly of our beast.
Following on from our last post regarding how our server is now split into modules, we thought it would be a good idea to explain a few of the technical aspects that have been implemented in the new release.
So here it is; the
"who, what, why and how?" guide to BittyBay lag…
Who Some people bang their heads on their desks; others attempt to walk in circles. No, we aren't talking about homework here; its
lag of course - and plenty of it!
What Lag is a term used to describe when an end-user is experiencing slow game-play, delayed feedback, and an all-round interrupted level of play. It can (and is) caused by several factors, which often contribute collectively to grind your gaming client to a halt.
Why Some BittyBay users presently suffer from lag whilst in-game. The reasons for this can be many, so let's first discuss some of the reasons
why our users are lagged up, and then move on to discuss how we plan to combat this within Release 4.
Codebase - The gaming client you use to access BittyBay is coded in Actionscript 2.0, which is a web-based scripting language used within Flash. Flash is getting more efficient at what it does, however, at present, BittyBay is coded in the old Actionscript 2.0 codebase.
Hardware/Software - Flash movies, although embedded within web pages, are effectively downloaded to an end user's computer before being played
locally. This means that each and every user may experience a different level of lag (if any) to the next person, as this can heavily depend on your individual computer setup. Browser type, plugins, flash player version and hardware configuration can all potentially have an effect to how well (or poorly) the game client runs.
Internet connection - Although most users have broadband access, users with slow internet connections may find their game-play is somewhat less instantaneous when compared to other users. BittyBay relies heavily on client-server-client data transfers, the amount of which may exceed your connections capabilities.
Animation/graphics - As anyone who has immersed themselves within BittyBay will realize, we set ourselves apart when it comes to in-game graphics and animation. The amount of animation within our Kingdom, although pleasing to the eye, does contribute greatly to lag. Why? Because our animation can be compared somewhat loosely to little video clips, each playing repeatedly over-and-over again. Now multiply this numerous times, and try moving these little video clips around your screen… Slows everything down, right? Aha… But we do have a solution to this, so keep reading.
Client load vs. Server load - The inner working of the gaming client is a very busy and technical machine. Keeping track of data, encryption, moving animals around the room, controlling sound and items, displaying interfaces and drawing speech bubbles… The list goes on, but put simply, there's a lot to process. So, why not move some of these responsibilities across to the server?
How The question that has been on many peoples minds… Just how do we plan to combat lag in Release 4?! Well, the aforementioned are all fundamental areas which we have addressed, and once again are outlined below:
Codebase - Release 4 is now coded in Actionscript 3.0, and much like the new server, takes a modular approach. We will be able to perform updates to BittyBay without releasing an entirely new client version, so we aim for a greater level of in-game content, and added more frequently. Additionally, the updated codebase is ready to take advantage of any new features within the Flash environment, and overall has been proven to run more efficiently.
Hardware/software - Whilst we can't provide everyone with new PCs, the updated codebase and overall increase in efficiency should help provide leverage to those who have older and/or slower computers.
Internet connection - As discussed in the previous blog post, our packet structure has been redesigned from the ground up. The amount of data passed back and forth between the client and server has been trimmed significantly, and only 'sensitive' packets are encrypted. Those which are needed for quick use will be sent through separate
information processing channels for utilization without delay. This might sound technical, but it's simple in design.
Animation/graphics - This is a topic we have discussed for quite some time. We are presented with several options, from enabling a user to simply 'turn off animation' to 'turning down the level of detail' within the client. Additionally, the majority of animation within the game is now controlled using a central time-based method, as opposed to having the 'video clip' example outlined above.
Client load vs. Server load - For us, this area presents one of the more significant structural changes to BittyBay in its entirety. Whilst the server is now split into modules to reduce its workload, it will now take on responsibilities previously performed within the client. For those who managed to read this somewhat long (and perhaps technical) post, here's a little something you might find interesting… The game-client will no longer perform any path-finding whatsoever, with all such routines offloaded to the new main server. This enables us to do a few things which were previously difficult to do client-side. Firstly, we can ensure that everyone in the room is seeing the same 'picture', and secondly, we can implement character collision. Whilst character collision has never been implemented within BittyBay before, Release 4 will be capable of this feat. To what extent character collision will be implemented is yet to be finalized, and you can be sure that this blog will be the first place to find out!
Wrapping up Congratulations if you managed to read through this post… Yes, it was long, but let's hope you learnt something along the way. Whilst these blog posts are always fun to leak juicy images and pure feature lists with, we also aim to provide some detail into the technical issues/tweaks/fixes that have been implemented within Release 4 to bring you all a greater, slicker and more immersive BittyBay.
So until next week, be sure to visit the forums and post your comments and thoughts!
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Lean, Green, and Mean! Trent, Mystiko, Spire, 26/02/09 We've been slaving away to bring you the exciting new release you all have been waiting for! As we mentioned in previous posts, you will not only be enjoying a new experience through our wild mini-games and adventurous actives, but you may also notice a large difference in the speed at which BittyBay runs. To make everything run smoother and faster, numerous changes must be made to the client and server, so that we can create a better, and more efficient experience for all of you.
What changes are being made to improve efficiency? The biggest change we are making to improve efficiency is through the server. The server is now split up into what is called "modules." Each of these separate modules has their own functions in which they perform to ensure BittyBay is running properly. The three modules of the server include: The login server, logging server, and main server.
What does each of these "modules" do? -Login Server: This "login server," is designed to coincide the website together with the game, so that you will only be required to login once through our new website system. The login server will keep track of your session as you browse through different pages on the website, and play the game. Keeping the login management separate from the main server will significantly decrease the load.
-Logging Server: The function of this is very simple, but yet will be very helpful for you. Not only will this server keep track of each user's activity, but it will also keep you protected from any hacks or harmful attacks by providing our staff with useful information that we can use to keep track of any unusual behavior that may occur.
-Main Server: The main server will be similar to the current game server, but will be completely rewritten in order to be much more efficient. The main server hasn't only eliminated the load by use of the login server, but it will also provide better scalability allowing more users to easily perform simultaneous commands without worry of any delay. We have also drastically shrunken the amount of data sent from the server to the client by completely redoing our packet structure (which is the format in which information is sent from computer to computer). This new packet structure will help remove lag, and allow BittyBay to work much more efficiently.
What does all this mean to me? Basically, we are hoping to see major improvements in our end-user's experience, especially those who suffer from in-game lag. The brand-new server has been completely rewritten and restructured from our last server to make room for what we anticipate to be a much larger community. Rest assured, we are taking many careful steps to ensure that the game is running quick n' speedy!
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User Retention and Support Spire, Mystiko, Trent, 21/02/09 Ever since BittyBay was launched, we have met and surpassed various expectations. However, we have also ignored flaws that have prevented our product from moving forward in the world of massively multiplayer online games. Such flaws include the lack of user retention and adequate player support in the form of help information and tutorials. In light of this, one of the main focus points of Release 4 will be to improve and rectify issues associated with the aforementioned.
How will we keep users coming back? 1. In-game Support System From the moment you enter the Kingdom, you will notice our new in-game support system at work. You will be given a task to complete from the minute you sign in - to meet an NPC at one of our new public locations. The NPC will give you a head start on your BittyBay journey by familiarizing you with the new interface, features, and other concepts of gameplay.
In addition, whenever you enter a new area, handy tips will pop up to let you know about all the interesting things you can do and what you can accomplish in that area. Furthermore, each item you interact with will, if applicable, tell you how to use it and what you can do with it.
So, long-gone will be the questions of "Why am I a rabbit?" or "How do I change my animal?" because our new support system will be aimed at introducing you to the game and giving you all the information you need to set out on your own.
2. Experience Points If you are rewarded for spending time within the Kingdom, it'll keep you coming back, right? If there are always new things to do, places to explore, and rewards to reap for doing so, it would keep users coming back, yes? Well, this is where our new Experience Points feature comes into play.
Before you groan or roll your eyes at the mention of Experience Points, let's first delve a little deeper into this concept. Experience Points will be used as a measure of achievement between players. Everything you do within the Kingdom will add to your experience, such as helping users, finding hidden items and locations, playing games, completing quests, creating territories, and the list goes on. Now you beckon, "What are these Experience Points good for?" Well, as you build upon your Experience Points, you will be able to buy items and avatars that have XP requirements. For example, a green mutant elephant could cost 100B, plus a certain amount of XP to obtain.
Why is user retention and support good for me? More players! More players mean more fun, and that's something we've always needed. How exciting will it be to see hundreds of users online? Good support will help new players get accustomed to the game quickly, which means more players will come back if they understand how everything works. User retention and support is an important factor in any game, and we will be working towards having successful user retention and excellent player support in order to keep the Kingdom active and make it a place you want to visit every day.
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Seek and You Shall Find Mystiko, Spire, Trent, 13/02/09 
Get ready to unleash the budding explorer inside each and every one of you, for this week's article will take a little closer look at our new 'seek and explore' feature within BittyBay.
So, what do you mean by seek and explore? As those who have immersed themselves within our Kingdom will know, BittyBay is as much about community as it is about fun. Whilst we have continued to add small mini-games, such as Gold Fever and Grab-a-Gopher, we have listened and acknowledged our users' requests for something a little more immersive, time-consuming and progressive.
And our solution to this? 'Seek and Explore!' This new aspect of BittyBay will be apparent from the very first minute you are welcomed into Release 4. Whilst BittyBay is not turning into a role-playing game, it will now include NPCs (non-player characters), who assist our users along their journey. From welcoming and accustoming you to the new in-game features, giving you hints and tips, to puzzle-solving and interactive quests.
Hold up! Solving puzzles? 
Ok, we certainly aren't going to be forcing users to solve jig-saw puzzles or decrypt riddles, although
some areas of Release 4 will require a little bit of logic to unlock. This may be from visiting several NPCs, seeking alternate routes, finding hidden passageways, or collecting certain items along the way (perhaps the gold-rich soils of the Burrow contain more than just lost coins?)
Essentially, BittyBay is, and always will remain a community based around creativity and self-expression. Users who wish to participate in these new seek and explore activities will be rewarded, and of course, there will be an ongoing set of targets and achievements that our users can try to obtain. This is further enhanced through our user experience points (XP) system, which is an additional feature of Release 4 (and will be discussed in a later blog post!)
This entire system has been designed to closely tie in with our new website, user profiles and rewards system. Ultimately, we are rewarding you for spending time within our community. The longer you play, the greater the experience...
So pack your bags and get ready for a journey of a lifetime!
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Out of Site, Out of Mind Spire, Mystiko, Trent, 04/02/09 
It's that time again! It's time for another weekly blog to get you up to speed with all of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans. This week, we will be talking about the brand new Release 4 website - how exciting!
We have been paying attention to your feedback on
IcyPlateau.com and noticed that some of you may be having doubts about the new website. Well, we are here to clear the air on this matter. So, why are we getting a new website and how will it improve your experience?
First of all, with Release 4, we are basically refurbishing everything you have seen, and even the things you couldn't see! It's a complete overhaul, and as such, the current website needs to go. It will be replaced with a fresh new design, interactive content, and features that will give you an innovative experience; one that has never been offered before.
The main difference with the new website is the login. You will no longer be required to log into the client directly, but through the website itself. Once you login, you will be taken to your very own homepage, which will display all the information you've ever wanted to know about your account. On your homepage, you will find links that will take you to other parts of the website where only members can visit, or where you must be logged in to view them. Such sections include your account transactions (when you've redeemed Bits, what you have purchased, etc), your profile (fully customizable with widgets and different styles to suit your personality), message boards, and a whole lot more! Oh, and once you've logged in, you'll be able to launch the client - it will load automatically using the login details you provided when logging into the website; no further logins required!
Naturally, we want everything to be a big surprise for the first time you enter the new-and-improved Kingdom, so we can't reveal everything! However, you can rest assured that we have your best interests at heart and that all new features have been considered and implemented with you - the user - in mind. So, before you go writing anything off in regards to the new release, remember that we haven't addressed each feature in detail; there may be more to it - you'll just have to wait and experience it for yourself!
That's all for this week; we hope you've enjoyed reading this blog and that some things have been elaborated on as far as the new login goes. Stay tuned for next week, it's bound to be another gossip-inducing revelation!
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Here We Go! Mystiko, Spire, Trent, 28/01/09 
Shh! Come closer… Another week has passed, so it must be time to feast your eyes upon more juicy BittyBay Release 4 information! We're ready, are you?
Let us start from the very beginning. Ok, maybe not the
very beginning, but at least as far back as 2007. What a busy year that was for us all at BittyBay; 3 major releases, and a mind-boggling number of minor releases. 2007 was the year we introduced our product, and it was also the last time a major release was made - and then came 2008.
For us, 2008 came in two quite distinct eras. With Release 3 not long launched, bug fixing and stability took priority, followed closely with building our community and responding to the needs this presented. From the offset, we still retained a list of features that didn't quite make the previous releases, all of which were penned for minor additions to Release 3.
Along came a realisation… 
During the summer of 2008, we began turning our attention to Release 4. Initially brainstorming ideas, but ultimately envisioning a new, brighter, slicker BittyBay. And then came our realisation that it was time to start over.
For us, BittyBay had somewhat outgrown the product it was trying to be. A time came long ago, where the imagination of our community and developers were limited by the physical boundaries of the service we had. We saw huge quantities of registrations, over 37000 accounts in all, but where were these people going?
A key and fundamental part of Release 4 would be ensuring that those who joined our community stayed, which for us meant, providing a more immersive game-play experience.
We have done this using several methods, not all of which shall be revealed just yet. But our new website (yes, new!) plays a key part in Release 4. Gone is the old client login, and in its place is a system built around our website. Logging into the client is now performed through our website, with user profiles listing achievements and collected items, amongst other
very exciting things.
Achievements and collected items? 
Indeed. Whilst BittyBay is not evolving into a role-playing game, Release 4 does contain several strong elements of seek-and-reward type play. To gain a full and feature-rich experience, users will be encouraged to explore, find, collect and unlock. It must be emphasised that this does not in any way limit a user not wishing to participate, but it does provide an on-going challenge for those who do, and the rewards for doing so can be great.
To further enhance the game-play, our client area has now increased by over 30%. You can expect the same level of detail, but with more space to play. This is accompanied with a newly designed menu system, so the 'working' client area has been maximised. Nice huh?!
A quick acknowledgment… Before we draw this weeks post to a close, I would personally like to thank you all for really such a positive and warm response to this blog, and more so, the excitement/enthusiasm for Release 4. Your patience will be worth the wait!
Until next time, check out the official thread for this post over at
IcyPlateau.com! We hope this blog leaves an aftertaste that tingles your imagination. ;)
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A New Beginning Mystiko, 21/01/09 
Psst! Gather round my furry friends, and all those who have yet to take that first step into our immersive, virtual Animal Kingdom.
May I be the first to give you all a very warm welcome to BittyBay 2009, a year that will add new depths to, and bring our Kingdom to a much wider audience! For those who have stuck with us since the beginning or those who joined us along our journey, the inspiration, ideas and positive feedback received from you all has been invaluable. Over the past year, we have collated your thoughts and opinions, and have long begun the process of shaping this wealth of information into the product which will later become BittyBay Release 4.
We believe in change, and that is why you should believe in us. We realize that the current version of BittyBay has limited both us and you, in terms of our end-users creativity, and what we as developers can and can’t add. Each client release has been a continuation of the previous version, with both major and minor additions, but the key flaws to our design have long remained.
Release 4 is as much about the new as it is the old. We have taken a step backwards, re-evaluated both our client and fundamental goals as a company, and produced a clear and concise product specification which we hope will live up to the high expectations each and every one of our users hold.
Our new product, although still referred to as Release 4, is ultimately a brand new system. Now built completely in a modular, dynamic format, our new client has been started from scratch, with a fresh codebase in AS3. What does this mean for our end users? It means more power, less lag, and an up-to-date codebase ready to take advantage of developments within the Flash product line. Release 4 really takes BittyBay several huge leaps forward in terms of logical progression. Virtually all aspects of our current system have been refined or tweaked, and a substantial quantity of new content will be available from launch.
Our users requested a more immersive player experience. That is exactly what we aim to provide. We feel strongly that it is time to share our development process with you all, as we believe those who have invested either time or money in our product deserve to be part of our growth. This blog, the
BittyBay Release 4 Development Blog, will become our new home for Release 4 updates. It is our aim to update this site weekly with the latest developments, sneak peaks, and core information, with all comments and thoughts posted in the relevant threads on our official fansite forum;
IcyPlateau.com.
New client, graphics, interfaces, server! Indeed, we have it all. Stay tuned to this blog, bookmark it if you like, for all the information will be posted here first… Enjoy your stay!
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