Atmosphir Live! 12.21.09

Atmosphir Live! has been a highlight of the community for quiet some time. Run by Off-Topic moderator Marcod, Atmosphir Live! is a live stream of various levels being played in-game. The levels chosen are requested in the weeks before the web show is done.

Recently there was quite a bit of hype surrounding one of Atmosphir’s favorite web shows. Announced by Marcod on the official thread, there would be a surprise in the next airing. Members of the community, anxious to see what this new surprise would be, tuned in tonight.

The show itself was the same as always. During the preshow, Marcod attempted to navigate The Death Tunnels, one of Atmosphir’s best known series, much to the delight of the viewers. The next two hours were spent playing through requests made throughout the week. Viewers were able to chat through the Live Chat positioned next to stream, provided by Ustream.

At the end of the night, the long-awaited surprise was unveiled. As some might have guessed, it was indeed a screenshot featuring the upcoming Project Stratosphir.

Above: Project Stratosphir screenshot released during Atmosphir Live!

This new screenshot, provided by Head Moderator Adz, features one of Atmosphir’s most popular enemies, the Crab. Notice the other features of the screenshot, especially the lighting effects that have been added to the game.

If you missed the airing, don’t worry; you can watch the video on Ustream by clicking here.

Open Forum – Should Design Challenge Votes Be Weighted?

Design challenges have been a huge part of Atmosphir since the very beginning. They bring a spark of competition into the game, and give designers a chance to defend their title. When Atmosphir was new, Dave himself picked the winners of these challenges. As things have grown busier however, Adz has become responsible for counting the votes.

Between Adz and Dave, a system has been created which determines the weight of each vote submitted. As you know, when submitting votes, you are asked to present your 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place choices. Each of these positions is with a certain number of “points,” which determine the final winner.

What some may not be aware of is the fact that some users have more influence over the votes than others do. Although exact statistics are not known, the basic system still exists. Regular users and Editorial Staff votes are worth the standard values. Moderator votes carry extra weight, while Minor Studios Staff carry the largest amount of influence.

Today’s open forum is discussing this system. Should some users have more voting power than others do? As you have read above, Editorial Staff votes are comparable to a standard user’s. Does this seem fitting, considering it is their job to find the best levels? Should Moderators have more power, when it is not their job to work directly with the game? And should Minor Studios, despite their position of power, carry the greatest influence? Those are today’s Open Forum questions.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how a respectful debate works, here are some guidelines:

-Respect the opinions of other people. The point of a debate is to argue a point. Arguing, however, does not mean disrespecting others. Be courteous of what others have said. Acknowledge their points respectfully, but feel free to fight against it as well. Any comments which are deemed disrespectful will be deleted without notice.

-Defend your points. One-line sentences will not help your cause in a debate. Support your argument with solid facts and/or well-thought-out opinions. While you don’t need to write a novel, make your arguments full of information. Use quotes from previous arguments to effectively display what you are fighting.

-Use good grammar and spelling. Whether we notice it or not, we are more likely to take an argument seriously if it is structured well. To ensure your argument reads well, take a moment to proofread it. An alternate option would be to check for spelling and grammar mistakes in a word processor, such as Microsoft Word. At the very least, the forums do have a Spell Check tool. If this forum becomes too violent, unproductive, or heated, it will be locked. Please stay on-topic, and most importantly, have fun!

The debate can be found here.

As a side note, thank you for making the last open forum a huge success. There were many great discussions being held, some more heated than others. Thank you for keeping it at a respectful level of intensity, and please do the same for this one!

New Screenshot Released: Co-Op Gameplay

Above: The latest Project Stratosphir screenshot.

Earlier today, Adz dropped yet another screenshot into the community, sparking plenty of new conversations. As pictured above, this screenshot features a pink-haired player standing amidst many floating islands. It has also been pointed out that the skybox featured may be a new addition.

For the first time, Dave (OkaySamurai) has spoken about one of these screenshots. In a quote earlier today, he said:

“A little extra detail: That is taken from a prototype co-op level I made. You and a friend have to help each other by triggering moving platforms, standing on each other's heads, shooting bombs across floating islands to open up areas, etc. Pretty fun level, I've played through it with both Martin and April.” –OkaySamurai

With a little background, this screenshot takes on many new meanings. Now we understand it to feature one of the first co-op maps. In addition to that, it mentions some of the co-op gameplay aspects, namely moving platforms, standing on one another, and firing bombs to open up new areas for other players. It seems as if these are only a few aspects of co-op that are made possible with the new engine.

The official post releasing this screenshot can be found here.

Teamwork will definitely be taken to a new level with the new update. It is uncertain how the system for Co-Op will work, but as Dave said, it is sure to be fun for everyone.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Holidays!

New Video: Ten New Features You Might Not Know About

Today, OkaySamurai (Dave) released a video showcasing Project Stratosphir once again. This time, the focus was on content we as the community may not have been aware of. The title, Ten New Features You Might Not Know About, does everything the name implies: ten unique and fairly minor features are pointed out to us. These ten features are…

1) Flags wave in the wind, and the direction they point is the direction the character faces when spawning. This information was released by Adz earlier in the week. This means that, when spawning, the player will begin facing the direction the flag is pointing. In the current version of the game, there was a set direction you would face, which could be hard to determine.

2) You can select stuff by clicking it, no matter what floor you’re on (and double clicking brings up properties). This is an interesting new feature which allows you to select hazards, props, etc. anywhere on the map, without moving floors. As said, double clicking some props will bring up a new window to adjust properties for that particular piece.

Above: New information props allow you to display dialogue boxes.

3) Info stickers allow you to create mini dialogue boxes to give hints or tell a story. Large information circles are the new props for the new update. Making contact with any of them will display a previously-set dialogue box. These could be used for tutorials, give hints, or form a plot.

4) 3D Copy and Paste lets you create large levels in a matter of minutes. Showcased earlier in the year, the 3D Copy and Paste will be a valuable tool for all designers. Currently, we are limited to a single plane when copy and pasting. With this, we will be able to make cubic sections, allowing for more elaborate copying and pasting.

5) Lasers are a new rapid-fire ranged weapon for players to use (as long as you include ammo in your level). While not old news by any means, this video gives us the first demonstration of how lasers operate. As displayed, lasers are long-range weapons which are seemingly useful for shooting far-off enemies with accuracy.

6) If you don’t have a weapon equipped, you can still fight. In the current version of the game, players without a hand-held weapon were forced to jump on enemies as a main form of attack. With the new engine, these players without weapons will be able to fight using their fists.

7) New ragdoll physics lead to some pretty cool deaths. Currently, deaths take place in one spot, and are a repeated action. With the new physics engine, each death will be unique. Limbs will move differently, and bodies can go flying. Essentially, this is meant to be similar to how a human body would act in the situation.

8) Bombable blocks now have health and respawn values. In the current game, bombable blocks are destroyed after one hit with a bomb, and they never respawn. With the new engine, bombable blocks may take multiple hits, and might even return after a set amount of time.

9) Spawn lists allow you to have multiple enemies pop out of a single spot. This new feature is seemingly unexplored in the past. Put simply, it appears that you can set the game to spawn a variety of enemies in a single spot. In the current game, only one enemy may be spawned at any given space.

Above: Fine-tuned block placements allows you to create interesting structures.

10) More fine-tuned block placement lets you create some pretty crazy stuff. Probably the most amusing part of the video, the fine-tuned block placement opens an infinite number of possibilities. In the video, a giant sculpture was created using various blocks and props. It will be interesting to see how designers use this ability.

Needless to say, this video has caused quite a bit of discussion in the community. While Stratosphir might have been released today, we’ll have to accept the facts and eagerly await January 12.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!

Stratosphir – Screenshot and Release Date

To begin, Adz has released yet another new screenshot within the past week, once again featuring gameplay with the new engine. However, this new shot does not showcase a new feature. Rather, it seems to simply be a display of a level itself.

Above: The latest Stratosphir screenshot.

Along with this treat, Adz also announced a new gameplay feature that is being added, due to much demand. In the new version of the game, players will begin the level facing the direction the flag is starting. A small tidbit of information, yet still a well-received one.

At long last, Dave (OkaySamurai) has announced an official release date. Due to unexpected issues with the new system, launch will not take place in December, as previously hoped. Rather, the new, official date will be Tuesday, January 12, 2010. The team has expressed their apologies for the delay, but believe it is absolutely necessary for the good of the game. Dave made a statement concerning the delay earlier today:

“Right now everything dealing with atmos, the player's club, and marketplace is still a work in progress - the process has taken longer than we originally estimated. While other things are more or less working decently enough for people to access, there are dozens of issues that we're still working on.” –OkaySamurai

You can read his full report here.

So while Stratosphir might not be the early Christmas present the community was hoping for, we can all rest easy knowing that the game will only be better with time. Until then, we’ll have to continue with the current version of the game. If you have any unfinished levels, here is your time to finish them!

That’s all for today, everyone. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!

Atmosphir in December

For the world, the month of December is filled with festivities. The shops are busy, the streets are crowed, and time is spent with friends and family. As a community, the people of Atmosphir are coming together not only for Stratosphir, but also for a time of unity as we approach the festive holidays.

Plans are being made for a Holiday Chat in #Atmosphir. Currently, the date is set for Saturday, December 12, for a 24-hour marathon of festive spirit. Please remember to practice proper IRC behavior at this party. Full details can be found here. And don’t worry, Landoralpha has promised everyone eggnog.

Several “Christmas Wishlists” have appeared in the Off-Topic forum, only reminding us of what is yet to come. Feel free to express your festive spirit on the forum, whether it be on your own topic or someone else’s. Remember to be responsible with your posts!

Look for several holiday-themed conversations and activities as the month goes on. To those of you who are traveling early, travel safely! And for those of us who are huddled up at home in front of our computer screens, be sure to spend some time with your families as well!

Happy holidays everyone, and thanks for reading!

Arcade09 Results Announced!

For the past few days, the center of activity has been Adz. His thread for posting Stratosphir screenshots has nearly reached 400 within a matter of days. As a major source of information, many people have turned to him recently. Today, Adz takes the spotlight again, but from behind-the-scenes. In a news post today, the winners of Arcade09 were announced. To those of you who do not know, Adz is responsible for counting the votes submitted for each competition.

So here they are, the results of Arcade09, the last pre-Stratosphir design challenge…

#10: Operation Nemesis by DuffyZeEmu

#9: Evolution of Speed Zone 3 by AragornII

#8: Crystal Caves by EyeOfSauron

#7: Beach Break by Amethyst

#6: Muka Sniper by Boberto

#5: Sonic Speed by Newah

#4: Virtuality: Aeriel Azure by Memphiston

#3: The Diamond Ruins by Saunby

#2: Evolution of Speed – Zone Two by Frodo

#1: Insert Witty and Attractive Title here by Bender

Bender’s intriguing title certainly paid off in this competition, as it claimed him first place in this challenge. Congratulations to all of the winners! As usual, 3rd place wins 250 Atmos, 2nd wins 500, and 1st wins 1000. But as some will remember, there was also a Play Challenge associated with Arcade09. Daimon won a total of 750 Atmos for his placings in The Diamond Ruins and Evolution of Speed – Zone Two, as well as Cheezyboom for winning 1000 Atmos in Insert Witty and Attractive Title. Congratulations to them as well!

With Stratosphir growing ever-closer, and the final design challenge before launch done, anticipation only grows. The time is coming soon.

As a bonus, Adz included a video listing the Top 25 levels. It can be seen here, along with the other results: http://atmosphir.com/news/2009/12/arcade09-results/

That’s all for today, thanks for reading!

Adz Releases Multiple Laser Screenshots

It seems that, for the time, all activity has halted, aside from the Stratosphir screenshots topic posted by Adz. Over the past few days, he has posted several screenshots letting the anxious community get a brief glimpse of Stratosphir.

First two screenshots were released, comparing the display of the current version of Atmosphir to Stratosphir’s advanced graphics. The second screenshot came to us yesterday through the Atmosphirian, displaying a multiplayer battlefield screenshot as a reward for completing the Time Trial Tower Dash play challenge.

Above: The Atmosphirian-exclusive multiplayer screenshot.

Since then, two new screenshots have been posted. The first of these two was rewarded for correctly guessing the purpose of the glowing spheres in the multiplayer screenshot. As it turns out, these were laser ammo spheres, which allow you to use your laser gun.

Above: A close-up shot of the laser ammo powerups.

The screenshot rewarded shows a close-up of the laser ammo powerups. In addition, there are several other things to notice. First, the music and globe powerups shown to the right and left of the ammo. Next, you may notice that the player is not wearing a shirt. Finally, to the community’s amusement, the “Skybox =)” and “Skybox =(“ images on the left-hand column.

Above: The laser gun, firing a pink beam.

For good behavior, Adz decided to release yet another laser screenshot later this evening. This time we see the pink laser ammo in action, apparently firing a beam. Notice the over-the-shoulder view of the game.

Fueled by Adz, the hype for Stratosphir grows even larger as the undefined release date approaches. We can only hope that it will live up to expectations.

That’s it for now, thanks for reading!

Interview with Head Moderator Adz

Today the Atmosphirian has the pleasure to post an interview held with one of Atmosphir’s busiest members, Adz. A few months ago, he was selected as the Player of the Week by the Atmosphirian. He graciously accepted my invitation, and our interview took place on December 2, 2009, through private messages on IRC.

Colinnn: As one of Atmosphir's first members, you've been with the game for quite awhile. What would you say has been the best part of being around the community/game for so long?

Adz: I really have enjoyed seeing the community and the game itself evolve over time. The levels that the community has created have gotten better and better over time, and I really look forward to seeing what people do with Stratosphir.

Colinnn: Last August, you were promoted to Head Moderator. What exactly does this mean? Do you enjoy your new job?

Adz: As Head Moderator, this means that I am able to moderate all sections (obviously), but it also means I am in charge of the other moderators too. In a way, I am in charge of the whole community, and it doesn't come without its stresses and tough decisions. But I really enjoy being able to give something back to both the community and MiSt. I also enjoy being able to speak directly with Dave. :)

Colinnn: The community generally agrees that you never seem to be away from the forums. Do you ever take breaks? What else do you enjoy doing?

Adz: The main reason it appears that I am always on the forums is that I am able to access the forums wherever I go. At work I am able to keep the forums in the background, and at home, I have both my computers and consoles next to each other. I particularly enjoy playing games on my PS3 (I only tend to use my Xbox or Wii if there is a good console exclusive game). I am currently playing the MAG beta, an awesome FPS like C.O.D Modern Warfare, only with 256 players on one map. Absolutely stunning to play. I also spend a fair amount of time with my wonderful girlfriend, who currently is away at Oxford University, but comes back this Saturday :D

Colinnn: As the community knows, Stratosphir is right around the corner. How do you feel about the upcoming release?

Adz: Stratosphir completely overshadows any other Atmosphir update in terms of features. The amount of things possible with these features is astounding. Whenever I think about what is possible, I always find myself coming up with new ideas. For example: imagine a running track of stone columns on their side. With the free rotate tool, they could be positioned in any way you want! Thanks to the long wait for the release of Stratosphir, the amount of anticipation for this is amazing; I can't wait to see how the community reacts when it comes out. That, and to see if MiSt's servers can withstand everyone flooding onto the site at once ;)

Colinnn: As head moderator, you have a great responsibility that many people admire. What would you say to members of the community that want to play a greater role in the community?

Adz: My advice would be to contribute in any way possible, whether it is making signatures (as I did) or commenting on levels, Writing reviews or just helping answer questions in the support board. As long as you are making a good impact and being noticed by community members, not just the moderators, then not only are you playing a greater role in the community, but also have a greater chance of being selected to join the Moderators and/or Editorial Staff.

Colinnn: Thanks for your time, Adz. Do you have any last words for the community?

Adz: I would like to say thank you to the community for being so great generally. And as a treat for getting 20 people on Colinnn's level, enjoy this screenshot: http://i50.tinypic.com/24uxdds.jpg

Above: The latest Stratosphir screenshot.

The Atmosphirian is a news source written for the community, and as such, it is important to involve the people of this community. We have to hold many more interviews with various Atmosphir players and designers in the future.

Because this is a community effort, we value your feedback. If you wish to contact us to offer your opinions on an article, ask a question or just about anything else, feel free to tweet us at @atmosphirian or email us at theatmosphirian@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

New Winter Design, Another Screenshot Coming, Moderator Applications Come To An End

If you are viewing the website through the homepage, it is likely that you have noticed the new winter-themed layout. This month, our header is made using Giantfishy’s level, Mountain Hopping [Winter2009]. Want to tell the Atmosphirian what you think? Send a message to us on Twitter (@Atmosphirian) and let us know!

Several people have asked which level was used for the fall-themed banner. The answer is The Tree of Autumn by Colinnn.

head moderator Adz is once again taunting the community with yet another Stratosphir screenshot. However, no one has seen it yet. As opposed to last time, Adz will be forcing the community to earn this screenshot through a play challenge. This time, the challenge is for twenty people to complete Time Trial Tower Dash [Mini09]. The challenge began with nine people already on the leaderboards, leaving only eleven more spaces to fill. Look forward to a new screenshot once the challenge has been fulfilled.

The applications for moderator positions in the community come to a close tonight. In an undisclosed method, the new additions to the moderator team will be selected from these applications. Moderator Bigdrip681 has stated that his best estimate is that a decision will be reached in roughly a week, although this is by no means official. Until then, all that can be done is to wait patiently for the results.

That’s all for tonight everyone, thanks for reading!

New Stratosphir Screenshots Cause Commotion

With the upcoming release of Project Stratosphir this month, the feeling of anxiety in the community has only heightened in the past few days. With a few groundbreaking screenshots posted, it doesn’t look like this hype will be dying anytime soon.

Marcod’s discovery in a recent jumpstart.

The first screenshot posted was in reply to the Atmosphirian Open Forum, by Marcod. In it, he has labeled several points of interest. First is a bar which is labeled “LV” which is presumed to stand for “Level.” This implies a possible leveling system which has been implemented into Atmosphir somehow. Next is a small blue circle labeled “VS.” It can be assumed that this refers to some kind of versus score. On the right side, there is a label which says “Tokens Collected.” At this time, we have no idea what this could mean. Below that is “XP Level,” which is most likely related to the “LV” point referenced before.

The next screenshots posted were from Adz, comparing Stratosphir to the current version of Atmosphir. These images can be seen here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=11152.0

The difference between each screenshot is evident almost immediately. To most obvious difference is the addition of shaders, which add a new level of depth to the display. Colors seems to be much more vibrant, which is shockingly beautiful. Gems now have an added glowing effect, making them stand out more in a level. Torches now have much more realistic flames, as well as serving as a noticeable source of light. After observing the textures on each block, you will see that detail has been increased significantly as well.

To say the least, these images are causing a large amount of conversation in the community. Each user is offering their own opinions and thoughts on the new screenshots, which makes for an interesting read. With the first day of December already here, the commotion is coming to a climax as we await Stratosphir’s launch sometime this month.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading!

Open Forum Announcement, Win A Google Wave Invite, Misc Announcements

To begin, the Atmosphirian would like to thank the community for their amazing activity in the open forum. It appears that this was a huge success, and we would love to continue to run this segment from now on. In order to do this effectively, we’d like to get your opinion on how often you’d like this to happen. At any given time, we would only like to have one open forum at a time. Would you like this to be weekly? Every other week? Every month? If you have an opinion, please tell us VIA Twitter at @atmosphirian.

To expand on our Twitter page, the Atmosphirian is proud to announce their first contest. Entry is easy; simply follow @atmosphirian on Twitter. That’s it. Next Sunday (December 6, 2009), we will draw three names from all of our followers to win a free Google Wave Invite. As with any contest, there must be rules.

1) No multiple accounts.

2) If the winner already has a Google Wave Invite, the prize may be transferred to someone else of their choosing.

3) Winners will be expected to provide the Atmosphirian with a valid Gmail account by December 12, 2009. Multiple prizes will not be awarded due to typos caused by the winner(s).

Good luck to all of you.

In other news, a clarification has been made regarding the launch of Project Stratosphir. Some community members have believed that the launch will be December 1st. Dave (OkaySamurai) stepped in on Wednesday to clarify. The current plan is to have Stratosphir online by the end of the month, although this is only a probable hope. In actuality, in the case of some serious event, this date could be pushed into next year. For now, however, it has been said that the expected release date will be “early December.” The official announcement can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10978.0

In other news, Arcade09 voting has officially closed. The results are being counted, and you can expect the results to appear in the following weeks. It has not been determined if the results will be announced in a Jumpstart or through a news announcement.

The deadline is fast-approaching for Moderator Applications. If you have not applied yet, and would like to, be sure to act now. The official announcement can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10933.0

That about wraps things up for today, everyone. Thanks for reading!

Open Forum – Should Atmosphir Adopt RPG Elements?

Atmosphir is meant to be a tool for people to design their own games. Various different types of games are welcomed, with new features such as racing and FPS-elements coming in the future. Yet one type of game that has been under some debate for quite awhile is the RPG genre.

An RPG (Role-Playing Game) is “a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.” (Wikipedia). Supports of this type of genre in Atmosphir support having a leveling system in-game, where you earn points based on your actions in Atmosphir. Some users will rise in the ranks while others fall. Those who are against this idea support a level playing field. No user is better than others in official rankings, only in the eyes of the community.

So what do you think? The Atmosphirian presents this as their first-ever Open Forum question: Do you believe Atmosphir should adopt RPG-elements?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how a respectful debate works, here are some guidelines:

-Respect the opinions of other people. The point of a debate is to argue a point. Arguing, however, does not mean disrespecting others. Be courteous of what others have said. Acknowledge their points respectfully, but feel free to fight against it as well. Any comments which are deemed disrespectful will be deleted without notice.

-Defend your points. One-line sentences will not help your cause in a debate. Support your argument with solid facts and/or well-thought-out opinions. While you don’t need to write a novel, make your arguments full of information. Use quotes from previous arguments to effectively display what you are fighting.

-Use good grammar and spelling. Whether we notice it or not, we are more likely to take an argument seriously if it is structured well. To ensure your argument reads well, take a moment to proofread it. An alternate option would be to check for spelling and grammar mistakes in a word processor, such as Microsoft Word. At the very least, the forums do have a Spell Check tool.

If this forum becomes too violent, unproductive, or heated, it will be locked. Please stay on-topic, and most importantly, have fun!

The forum can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=11048.0

Moderator News, Arcade09 Voting, New Quick Look

To begin, the Atmosphirian would like to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving, or Happy Turkeylurkey Day as it has been named on the forums. Safe travels to anyone who is traveling, and have a great time!

There have been a few changes in the placement of moderators in the community. Long-time moderator Landorindustries has stepped down from his position in the Atmosphir board due to personal reasons. Therefore, former Support moderator Wowfunhappy has taken his place. Due to a lack of leadership in the competition section, former Ideas moderator Colinnn has taken over as moderator there. Please support these changes, and give them as much support as possible as they get situated.

For the first time in months, moderator applications have opened up. These applications are open to anyone in the community. From the applicants, the current moderator team will choose roughly five to join their ranks. Submissions are due by December 5th. The official post, with a link to the submission form, can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10933.0

Voting for Arcade09, the last design challenge before the launch of Project Stratosphir, has been opened. Votes are due by November 27, which can be submitted to Atmosphirvote. Remember to vote for the levels you feel are the best-fitting for the current challenge. Good luck to everyone! Don’t forget that there is a play challenge in effect as well! The official post can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10925.0

A new Stratosphir Quick Look has been released, featuring a new level named Linden’s Peak. This level, created entirely with the new engine, showcases many of the new features of the game, including scaling/rotation, new bomb-able blocks, moving platforms, and more! Be sure to check it out for yourself here: http://atmosphir.com/news/2009/11/quick-look-lindens-peak/

Well everyone, that’s it for today. Once again, safe travels and thanks for reading!

Announcement: In Light of Recent Events, New Editorial Staff

Within the community, things have begun to change. Many would refer to this time as the dark days of Atmosphir. Within the past weeks, two moderators have left the community, new rules have been established, and tensions are growing.

Long-time moderator Munchy365 has been stripped of his titles and demoted to a standard member of the community. In addition, he has received a temporary ban. When this was brought to light, many began to ask why. For a time, the moderators of the community remained silent. Stories began to originate from Munchy himself, who kept in contact with several members of the community. On November 15, 2009, head moderator Adz made a statement which explained the events of the following day.

In short, Munchy was banned for leaking information to Daisukii, another member of the community, who has since been banned. This information was meant to be kept safely stored in the Moderators section of the forums, where only moderators and Minor Studios staff may enter. Of course, there is much more to the story than that. For more information, please read the full story here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10662.0

Another member of our community, PizzaBoy, has made the decision to leave Atmosphir for the time being. In a message to the community under an alternate account, PB said this: “The combined stress of several real life events combined with stress from recent events here are becoming difficult for me to handle. Deleting my account was a decision I made to attempt to relieve some of this stress. I may return later this year or early next year depending on how things go. If the state of things in my head does not improve, I may not return. I do not expect to remain a moderator if/when I return. I apologize for any trouble I have caused with this.”

The community, although sad to see him go, must respect PizzaBoy’s decision, and understand that he has done this for a reason.

A full announcement regarding these two events can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=10662.0

Dave has also made the decision that office tours will no longer be offered when visiting Minor Studios in San Francisco. Although this is sad news, he has promised that he is more than willing to meet with players for a cup of coffee or lunch if they happen to be in the area.

Despite these sad events, there have been good events as well. Today, Swordsman761 and DuffyZeEmu joined the Atmosphir Editorial Team, the committee responsible for choosing the Level of the Day on the Atmosphir news page. The team welcomes the newcomers, and promises that readers should be expecting great things in the future. Excitement for the next update, also known as Project Stratosphir, also continues to mount as December draws closer.

Stay with us, Atmosphirians. Great things are coming.

Community Events: RAM Finale, New Atmosphir Logo, Website Changes, New Art Assets

With Project Stratosphir approaching quickly, the community is in a flurry of activity as final preparations are made Discussions are being held everywhere, plans are being made, and everyone is acting as if Christmas is tomorrow. Here’s a brief summary of what to look out for these days…

-Random Atmosphir Moments Finale. Kaiserg, long-time member of the Atmosphir community and Creative moderator, will be ending season two of his famous Random Atmosphir Moments (RAM) series this Friday, November 13. Keep an eye on his YouTube Channel, IslandNetwork, for the release at the end of the week. If you aren’t familiar with the series, take a moment to check out one of Atmosphir’s earliest machinima series. Kaiserg has also given the Atmosphirian exclusive rights to say that the third season of Random Atmosphir Moments will begin on New Year’s Day.

-New Atmosphir Logo. As some of you may have noticed, the new logo for Atmosphir has been released. As pointed out by Boberto in a topic on the forums, the new logo has several minor changes made to it.

(Left: Old Logo, Right: New Logo)

There are only two real changes that can be seen here. First, the shape of the flag has been altered to be more pointed, as opposed to the older rectangle. The new ladder is straight, as opposed to the older version, which had a different edge. Dave has stated that the glow effect on the new logo will not be seen everywhere.

-Website changes. While much of this is old news, the new aspects of the Atmosphir website are hot discussion topics. The most noticeable change is the new “Beta Signup Waiting List” button that has been added to the front page. Anyone who has tried to access the beta website will notice that it has been taken down. You will still be prompted to enter your beta sign up information, but no page will load when you are done. It is still possible to download Atmosphir, however. If you need to do so, please contact any moderator on the forums, and they will be able to help you. Have your beta login and password ready in case you will be asked for it.

(The New Beta Sign Up Waiting List Graphic)

-Art Assets. Dave (OkaySamurai) announced that the art assets for Project Stratosphir have been released, and can be downloaded here: http://atmosphir.com/extra/artassets1.zip. These graphics will be used to design the new website, but may also be used for any purpose you see fit, so long as they are not commercial purposes. Some of these graphics are already being used around the site.

The events discussed above are only the beginnings for what is to come. As we anxiously await the release of Project Stratosphir, take some time to participate in community events. If nothing else, be sure to take a chance to join the Atmosphir IRC channel, #atmosphir, for a chance to chat with the rest of the community.

Thank you to everyone for reading!

New Stratosphir Footage

On November 6th, as promised, a new Quick Look was released, showcasing some of Statosphir’s new tricks. Unlike other footage, this was completely unedited, totaling six minutes of content. Here’s a summary of what happened and what we saw:

-Improved graphics. Although this has been known for awhile, many people were amazed at how much the graphics and overall appearance of the game has been improved.

-A new level made with Project Stratosphir. The basic concept of the video was watching Dave play through a level made with the new tools. This showcased some of the new features, including tile rotation, scaling, and gravity flips.

-Multiple uses for blocks. A few of the blocks offered in the game already have been modified to work with the new features. For example, the wooden floor found in the Adventure Set now serves as a ladder when put on its side, and a scaled stone door has many places where the player can climb.

-On-The-Go Customization. Although we have heard of this and seen some of it in action, on-the-go character customization was showcased. Accessible from the pause menu, you may change what your character is wearing in the middle of a game. You may also take your icon screenshot from the same menu. When you are done, your character will display a short animation of them looking at their new clothes.

-Gravity switches. Quite possibly one of the most anticipated features in the new update, we were finally able to see gravity changes in action. Activated by touching floating orbs with arrows, changing the gravity will cause the level to flip a certain direction (based on the arrow), causing you and any enemies to fall with it.

-Combat. Throughout the video, the player fights several enemies. The combat system has been greatly improved, with new fighting movements and enemy responses. When a flying skull was destroyed, a large distortion effect took place around the explosion. We were also able to see the new bomb cannon being used. A crosshair mode has been added, allowing you to see where you are aiming the cannon.

All in all, this was an amazing Quick Look. With Stratosphir set for launch in December, the community is only growing more anxious.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Platforms 1.11.09, Arcade09 Announced, Atmosphiric

November 1^st has been a busy day for Atmosphir. Early in the morning, the newest Platforms episode launched, totaling 64 minutes of discussion between Dave and Martin. Later in the day, Arcade09 was announced as the November design challenge.

Going in chronological order, the Platforms episode was filled with information. This was an mp3 recording of Dave and Martin discussing Stratosphir progress, answering your questions from Twitter, and discussing their gaming habits. The most important piece of information given regarded Stratosphir’s launch. Expected release date is early December, though a solid date has not been put into place. All of the features that will go with the launch have been implemented. Now Minor Studios is working on polishing up everything and weeding out the bugs.

Unfortunately, not everyone will receive access to the new beta at the same time. Right now, it looks as if roughly 100 people will receive invites every day. From what has been said, it sounds as if the current plan is to send each person a unique code that will activate their account for Stratosphir. It has not been determined how these invites will be distributed.

The rest of the podcast was spent answering questions that were asked by the community through Twitter. There were many interesting questions that both Dave and Martin answered. Given the time and amount of content put into this podcast, it would be much more beneficial to you to take the time to listen. There is no video to accompany this, so feel free to listen while you do something else, such as homework, cleaning, or playing Atmosphir.

Arcade09 was also announced as the November design challenge, which will be the first before Stratosphir’s release. This month the focus is on leaderboard-friendly levels. These levels should have simple gameplay techniques, fast-paced, and has a high replay value. Some levels offered as examples are Lunch Break Mayhem by EliteBlackDragon, Muka Carnivale Game by bigdrip681, and Leaderboard Tower by munchy365. You have until the 23^rd to enter a level, so get moving!

Accompanying this design challenge is a play challenge. Whoever has the best scores on the top three levels will receive atmos prizes. These prizes will match those for the design challenge; 1000 for first, 500 for second, and 250 for third. Since you will not know who the winners are until the challenge is over, it is recommended that you play as many levels as you can. As another rule, designers cannot earn points for the challenge on their own level.

Good luck to both designers and players!

Just another note the Atmosphirian would like to add on behalf of Boberto, one of the Atmosphirian’s biggest fans. He has decided to create his own blog, Atmosphiric. Expect these two blogs to partner up in the future for reasons unknown. While the writing style is slightly different than that of the Atmosphirian, both blogs strive for one thing: To bring you, the player/designer, the most up-to-date news in the Atmosphir community. Boberto’s blog can be found here: http://www.ritger.com/blog/

Thanks for reading everyone, and remember to continue to subscribe to our Twitter and YouTube channel!

Halloween09 Results, Final Pre-Stratosphir Design Challenge, YouTube Channel

Happy Halloween from the Atmosphirian! Hope you had a great time!

Yesterday, Dave (OkaySamurai) announced the winners of the second Halloween design challenge, Halloween09. There were many great entries, but as usual, only the top ten were mentioned. As is custom, 3^rd place will win 250 atmos, 2^nd will win 500, and 1^st will win 1000. So here they are, the community-picked winners:

10. Demonic by Daimon

9. Forbidden Fortress by Quigon

8. Castle of Legends by MarcoK

7. The Temple of Xar by Creator7

6. Dry Bone Dungeon by Maxinima

5. Inferno Tower by Boberto

4. Welcome to the House of Fun by DuffyZeEmu

Coming in third was Trinity Castle by JazeGeek. As Dave explained it, “When you first approach Trinity Castle, you find your path blocked by a double-locked door. A little exploring in the outside area takes you to an abandoned well, where you descend to begin finding keys and other secrets that will aid you on your journey. Once inside, you’ll progress through multiple colored tile rooms, many with additional secrets of their own (there’s a clever trick for getting into one that I hadn’t seen used before). A fun adventure with a satisfying ending.”

Next, in second place, was Trick or Treat by Saunby. “This title doesn’t give you much of a choice, but there are actually quite a few treats (in green gem form) scattered around this stonewalled temple. But the tricks are definitely there too…one particular ingenious puzzle has you figuring out how to jump into a hole in the middle of a sea of spikes. Saunby has really stepped up in the world of Atmosphir designers, and it’s nice to see him get recognized for it here,” as Dave said.

And finally, coming in first for the second year in a row was none other than the community’s biggest Tolkein fan, Frodo. His level, Mining Moria, is a revised version of his Halloween08 level, The Mines of Moria. As said by Dave, “It seems pretty fitting that frodo has reclaimed the Halloween design challenge crown for the second year in the row. This followup throws you back into Moria, but now things feel a little more open-ended with lots of treasures and secrets to uncover. I really enjoyed the novel use of ceiling spike traps to create obstacles like midair staircases, and the constant collectables definitely help engage the player and keep them moving forward right to the end.”

Once again, congratulations to the winners, as well as anyone who entered.

The next design challenge will be released in the very near future. One thing to note about this particular upcoming challenge is that it will be the final design challenge before the release of Project Stratosphir. As many pointed out, this means that the time is almost here. These suspicions will be confirmed in the next podcast done by Martin and Dave, as they will supposedly be announcing the official release date, as well as answering questions from the community. Keep an eye on Twitter and the news page for official news regarding the podcast, as well as the next design challenge.

In Atmosphirian news, we’ve created our very own YouTube page! There isn’t much to look at right now, but it will be improved over the next few days. With any luck, the Atmosphirian might start hosting video journals, level walkthroughs, and many other things. Want to tell us what you think of that? Send us a message on Twitter at @atmosphirian! The YouTube Channel can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Atmosphirian - Be sure to subscribe if you want to stay up-to-date with Atmosphir’s leading news source! Don’t forget to follow Atmosphirian on Twitter if you haven’t already!

Once again, Happy Halloween everyone. Thanks for reading!

Halloween09 Voting, Fair Design Challenges, Atmosphirian News

Well everyone, the design period for Halloween09 has come to a close. With a total of 62 entries this time, it will be an interesting competition. Voting begins today and will continue until it is closed in a few days. As usual, send your votes to Atmosphirvote.

After the Small09 and Big09 results were announced, there seemed to be a wave of complaints that the design challenges were biased towards well-known designers, and that lesser-known designers did not receive the credit they deserved. Since then, a large debate has been started concerning the future of design challenge judging. Would you like to add to the debate? Post in this topic and give us your suggestions/criticisms: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=9812.0

However, the system for voting will remain the same for this challenge. However, if you’d like to be fair about voting, the biggest suggestion that can be made is simple: Play as many levels as possible before voting. Try playing levels by lesser-known designers, as well as the “pros.” You may be surprised to find something you like!

And now for a few notes from the Atmosphirian…

The Atmosphirian has been around for several months, yet it hasn’t entirely changed. The banners and colors have remained unchanged since day one. In true seasonal spirit, the scheme of this site has been altered to reflect the season of autumn. If you have any comments on the new design, please feel free to send us a message!

For the time being, it has been decided that the Atmosphirian will no long be doing Level of the Week reviews. I understand that this has not actually happened since mid-August. The reasoning behind this is that I (Colinnn) am a member of the Editorial Staff, and therefore write an article once a week on a level I think is deserving of a mention. If you’re interested in seeing which levels I am impressed by, please refer to www.atmosphir.com/news and look for reviews written by me.

As usual, thanks for sticking with us everyone!

Community Project - ProtOzone

Community projects have always been a big part of Atmosphir, since the very beginning. Users collaborate together to create a finished project that everyone can benefit from in some way. A popular example would be modifications to the game. A group of users get together and divide up some of the common tasks involved with the process; some gather audio, others work on textures, and the rest work on various other steps in the process. Once the process has been completed, the community enjoys the end result, a finely crafted product that the contributors should be proud of.

Anyone who has been around the forums should be familiar with the name Prototype. A common face in the community, he admits that actually playing Atmosphir isn’t a strong point. As he described himself, “When it comes to the actual game, I'm not that skilled of a player. I can play a maximum of intermediate levels. SOMETIMES Advanced. But I would consider myself a creative designer. All of my levels I spend over a week on. But my levels aren't that well known.” While he may not be the most popular person in-game, he’s certainly a trustworthy friend to the community members.

Mid-September, Prototype announced a new community project that would involve anyone who wanted to contribute. Titled “Project Ozone,” he wished to make a movie using Atmosphir’s resources. When I asked him if this would be classified as a “Machinima” project, he said no. When I asked what else would be involved, he replied “Well, that part is a SECRET right now. I can't release that much info until I have posted the actual thread.”

The community still questions what the project is meant to achieve, however. “ProtOzone is meant to entertain people, and to give a sense of accomplishment to the Atmosphir community,” Prototype answered. “If you have worked hard on something, you'll want it to look good. So I, Prototype, strive for perfection. Most of the Atmosphir community is made up of younger users, and most of them don't experience that sense of accomplishment very often.”

On October 5^th, a sad announcement was made, stating that due to lack of participation and interest, Project Ozone was cancelled. After some thought however, the project was revived October 15^th with the promise of a new name and system.

The new name was ProtOzone. The objective remained the same: To tell a story through Atmosphir. Details have not been officially announced as of the time of writing. In a forceful statement addressed to the community through the official ProtOzone topic, “ProtOzone isn't going to be like the last one. I'm NOT turning it in for a book report, it's NOT going to be based on a story that no one cares about, and most importantly, it's NOT going to be engineered where if one person doesn't do their part, it causes the whole project to be on a standstill.”

Also included in the topic was a trailer for the project. With impressive music and clips, this trailer may have restored some faith in the project without revealing much of anything. It felt reassuring to see actual clips with decent quality and impressive titles. ProtOzone will definitely be a project that should catch some eyes as long as it continues to progress with the same assurance this trailer showed us.

When asked, Prototype requested to leave some closing words for the readers: “If you have ANYTHING at all that you would like to submit to ProtOzone, than send it in a PM to the user Prototype. An official thread will be up soon announcing more info.”

Whether you plan to be involved or not, ProtOzone certainly looks promising and has attracted some attention on the forums. The Atmosphirian will be working closely with ProtOzone to keep you updated on any interesting happenings as the project goes on.

Be sure to check out the ProtOzone topic here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=9656.0

The trailer for ProtOzone can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mNXBiDUyGU

Thanks for reading!

Big09 Design Challenge Results

The month of September carried two design challenges with it: Small09 and Big09. Small09 was a challenge to create the best level possible within a 20 x 20 x20 grid space. Big09, on the other hand, was a challenge to create the largest level possible, with a block on floor one and one-hundred. This challenge ended on September 30, 2009, and voting began the next day.

As with every design challenge, the community was given several days to vote for their favorite levels. Anyone who wished to could submit their vote for three levels from each challenge in a single PM to Atmosphirvote, which is managed by Adz. He then counts the votes and sends Dave (Okaysamurai) the results. Since then, we have waited anxiously for the results.

Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule, Dave has not been able to make an official announcement regarding the winners… until now. Through Twitter, he announced that the Small09 winners will be released on Thursday of this week and Big09 on Friday. True to his word, the Big09 results were announced this morning. Although it was not a video, Dave wrote a short summary of each of the ten winners in a single news post on the Atmosphir website. The results were as follows:

10. Old Egypt - Flex

9. Coconut Kingdom – BlazingPlatinum

8. The Incredible Ice-Geysers of Icicleta - signman

7. Run I - eyeofsauron

6. Quicksand Castle - Krakrjakz

5. AtmoTown - Maspaceha

4. Overflow - DuffyZeEmu

Taking third was Titan’s grave by Groud. Earning Level of the Day on October 9, Titan’s Grave is a massive level that’s all about exploring. Hidden throughout the level are numerous treasures that would take a true treasure hunter nearly an hour to find. As Dave said, “Groud continues his winning streak of incredible levels with this massive adventure through a mountain environment. Finding 10,000 points is a daunting task, even though 100-point gems seem to be scattered at every turn. Caves, waterfalls, elevators, and even a flying dragon make this one of the most visually stunning entries we saw. It’s great to progress and higher and deeper through the level to reach seemingly unreachable heights.”

Coming in second was Munchy365’s level, Escape. Don’t let the simple name fool you, Escape is a huge level packed with action and exploration. Dave’s description really sums it up: “Atmosphir meets Mirror’s Edge is the best way I can describe this cityscape level from the always-reliable munchy365. The concept is great: you start by disposing of your “boss” and making a run from the Muka police through ventilation shafts, open windows, rooftops, hallways, and much more. It’s unforgiving, but luckily there’s also a practice version of the level that always illuminates the right path with colors and arrows. A brilliant idea brought to life through stunning design.”

And finally, taking first place was Return to Lush by Colinnn. As Dave described it, “The original was big enough, but this sequel takes what made the first Lush battle so interesting and refines it in many ways. As you jump through a long, winding river, you’ll find caves and secrets tucked away in the surrounding canyon walls - which hold several nice timing-based moving platform puzzles mixed with classic platforming. It’s a lengthy adventure that will require advanced skills and a little luck to beat, let alone place on the leaderboards. Very nicely done.”

Congratulations to the winners. Atmos prizes should be delivered shortly.

Small09 Results, Halloween09 Design Challenge

The month of September carried two design challenges with it: Small09 and Big09. Small09 was a challenge to create the best level possible within a 20 x 20 x20 grid space. Big09, on the other hand, was a challenge to create the largest level possible, with a block on floor one and one-hundred. This challenge ended on September 30, 2009, and voting began the next day.

As with every design challenge, the community was given several days to vote for their favorite levels. Anyone who wished to could submit their vote for three levels from each challenge in a single PM to Atmosphirvote, which is managed by Adz. He then counts the votes and sends Dave (Okaysamurai) the results. Since then, we have waited anxiously for the results.

Unfortunately, due to a busy schedule, Dave has not been able to make an official announcement regarding the winners… until now. Through Twitter, he announced that the Small09 winners will be released on Thursday of this week and Big09 on Friday. True to his word, the Small09 results were announced this morning. Although it was not a video, Dave wrote a short summary of each of the ten winners in a single news post on the Atmosphir website. The results were as follows:

10. The Land of Lost - Wiifanjr

9. Atmosphir Brick – Nate Dog

8. A Small Taste of Atmosphir - Pico

7. Inside A Crate - Robcozzens

6. The Exertion of Authority - Saunby

5. Volcano - Pkdevo

4. Chamber of Courage - MarcoK

Coming in third was Operation DMB: An Experiment in Time and Space by DuffyZeEmu. As Dave described it, “An exceptional floating wooden structure with a well-made nonlinear design. Brown has never looked so good in an Atmosphir level; the wooden Muka blocks and tents are used to great effect in making a diverse landscape. While 500 points and a finish flag is all it takes to secure a win, there are quite a few secrets and hidden things along the way, demanding multiple playthroughs. Every aspiring Atmosphir level designer should play this and take notes. I did.”

In second was Treeleaf Relief by Memphiston. This level received Level of the Day on Wednesday, October 14, 2009, and was given a play challenge; if twenty players could beat this level with a perfect score by midnight, a Quick Look video about Project Stratosphir would be released. Once again true to his word, the Quick Look was released this morning. This level is an interesting climb through a magnificent tree. As you climb higher, the difficulty of the level increases. Although not necessary difficult, you have to take your time if you want a perfect score of 1000.

The winner of Small09 was none other than Sunburst Islands by Boberto. An excellent leaderboard challenge and community favorite, it was no surprise that Boberto once again placed in a design challenge. As Dave said, “A bright level reminiscent of a hot summer day, Sunburst Islands is an impressive coconut collection quest. The level twists, turns, climbs and falls through a number of smartly-designed areas, and a couple of nice secrets (spoiler alert: the boat in the palm tree?) help keep the leaderboards competitive. It’s a good mix of platforming, mini-puzzles, and exploration, making it a worthy winner of Small09. Nice work!”

Congratulations to all of the winners. As usual, first place receives 1000 atmos, 500 for second, and 250 for third.

In other news, the new design challenge for October has been announced. Due to popular demand, Halloween is returning. In 2008, Halloween08 was one of the earliest design challenges. In seasonal spirit, Halloween09 is here. As the name implies, the objective is to make a Halloween-themed level. Other than that, you’re free to do what you want. The deadline is October 23. Good luck to everyone!

Tomorrow, the Big09 design challenge results will be released. Keep reading the Atmosphirian for more information!

107 Days In Review

The last serious update to the Atmosphirian was on August 15^th, discussing the community and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. Since then, many things have happened in the Atmosphir community. Tonight, I will be writing a brief overview of the past 107 days.

But first, I owe you, the community a formal apology. I will not make excuses for not updating the Atmosphirian for the past 107 days. I should have been able to fit in time to write, but I chose not to do so. From now on, I will make a better effort to write as much as possible. Believe me, this blog means as much to me as it means to you. It’s my way of giving back to the community.

First off, the Atlympics that we were following months ago have come to an end. The final round was between Cmmatzat and Drfuzzyness. Both designers entered amazing levels. Cmmatzat entered “Platforming through the Worlds” to match Drfuzzyness’s “The END Machine.” As expected, the final round was to be determined by the community. Unfortunately, we did not do our part in the voting. The final score was 1-0 for Cmmatzat. Although anti-climatic, this did declare Cmmatzat to be the overall winner. Both levels were amazingly well done, and both finalists should be proud to have made it as far as they did. It has not been determined if there will be a second round of the Atlympics at the time of writing. A poll reveals that the majority of the community wants another competition. Keep looking in the Competition section for any possible updates regarding this.

Space09, the last design challenge, has come to an end. As you may recall, the objective was to create a space-themed level in whatever fashion you preferred. There were many great entries, but as with all design challenges, only ten were mentioned and only three won prizes. In order, here are the winners: Flora of Elightiron (JessetheWanderer), Crippled in the Night II (EdacOnag), Mini Station Challenge (TheUltimateYoshi), Space Piracy (Lemon), The Core (Krakrjakz), In Space No One Can Hear You AHHWARGHAHEGAH (Bender), and Journey to the Star Realm (Wowfunhappy). The top three levels were: Escape From the Moon (Robcozzens) in 3^rd, Luminescent Skies (Boberto) in 2nd, and Munchy365’s Exploratorium: The Star Port (by Munchy365). As usual, 3^rd place will receive 250 Atmos, 500 for 2^nd, and 1,000 for first. Congratulations to all the winners, as well as anyone who participated!

Along with the closing of Space09 comes a new design challenge. As a matter of fact, the month of September is a dual design challenge, which essentially means that two challenges are taking place at the same time. Unfortunately, due to the lack of Atmosphirian updates, I haven’t been able to share this information with you until tonight, which happens to be the deadline. Just to review, the two challenges are Small09 and Big09. Your Small09 levels should be contained in a 20 x 20 x 20 space on the grid. Big09 levels should have at least one block on floor one, and at least one on floor 100. In addition, most of the space should be filled. As I said, the deadline for these two challenges was today, and voting will begin tomorrow. Remember to PM your votes to Atmosphirvote within the next few days, and look out for the winners in the next jumpstart!

The community itself has been altered a bit within the past 107 days as well. Some users have left us, while new ones have joined. New groups have been established. Events have come and passed. Overall, it has been a very exciting past few months.

First of all, it was decided that there would be a team of six users who would make up the Editorial Staff. The job of the Editorial Staff is to pick which creations will receive the honor of Level of the Day, as well as write a short review or summary of the level. Applications were open to anyone, and the results were picked by Dave (OkaySamurai) himself. Eventually, the team was announced. The results were: Adz, Boberto, Colinnn, EdacOnag, EliteBlackDragon, and Munchy365. Since chosen, the team has picked every LOTD since, with the exception of a few days that Dave stepped in. For the time being, the team has decided to remain at six members, although this may change in the future.

As time goes on, leadership positions in a community change. Some people leave us, while others take their place. It’s a never-ending cycle. Within the past month, it was decided that some new mods were necessary. Nuinethir stepped down from his position in Off-Topic, while Blunty and Frederik stepped down as well. The remaining moderators voted on who they would like to replace them with. Their decision brought three new moderators into the community: Marcod, Boberto, and Colinnn. Marcod will take over for Nuinethir in Off-Topic, while Colinnn and Boberto take over the Idea Box. Please give them your full support and a bit of patience as they adapt to their new jobs.

Today, acceptance for beta testing Atmosphir is coming to a close. It was announced by Dave that forum registrations have been officially been taken down until a later date. No more beta invites are being sent out. For the most part, there will not be any more newbies for quite some time, possibly until the release of Stratosphir.

Dave is in Buenos Aires this week, working with Martin to finalize plans for Stratosphir. The Minorstudios twitter has been updated with random tidbits of information about their work. Within the next week or so (hopefully), Dave and Martin will be filming a giant Mailbox episode together. Be sure to watch for an incredible amount of information.

Once again, my apologies for the lack of updates. I thank you all for sticking with me, and giving me the support and encouragement needed to open up Microsoft Word and begin to write again. As soon as I am back in the habit, I’m sure updates will come much faster. Until then, I will update when I feel able. So long everyone, and thanks for sticking with us.

The Atmosphirian School Paper

Due to popular request, I've decided to share this piece of writing I've done for English class. Hopefully you enjoy it. The Atmosphirian will be back soon!

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It was called Atmosphir, and it was the newest game to make an appearance online. I was instantly attracted to it because the entire basis of the game was imagination. Anything that allows you to design your own game and share it with the world is fairly rare. Atmosphir had not reached its public release yet, so every day was a new adventure. Between the community and the game, things were changing every day.

Despite these constant changes, the one thing that I noticed that was missing was a reliable, constant news source. There was a weekly newspaper made by a group of members, but the content was lacking and the news was generally outdated by the time it reached our internet browsers. Therefore, I began to take things into my own hands. It was at this point that The Atmosphirian began. One summer evening, I sat down and began to write.

Inspiration for my articles came from New World Notes, a blog about another online game named Second Life. Each article written by Wagner James Au was filled with information about current events or notable aspects of the Second Life community and world. With his writing in mind, I wrote lengthy articles every night, carefully choosing my words to give them a more official tone. After brief reviews, I would publish them to my blog, where they could be read. I would then advertise on the Atmosphir forums in an attempt to attract readers.

At first, word of The Atmosphirian was small. It seemed to me that nobody wanted to take the time to read a page-long report every evening. However, I continued to write reports, reviews, and announcements every day and night because I enjoyed it. I took pride in the effort I put into each and every article. I had no idea where I was going with it, but I was having a lot of fun doing it.

After the first few weeks of writing, I started picking up a few followers. When I talked with some people, they would mention my blog and ask what the next article would be about. People I had never talked to were beginning to recognize me as the exclusive writer for the Atmosphirian. I had never been known for anything before that, so I had no idea what to say sometimes. Usually I thanked them, and the topic dissolved into an unrelated topic.

Early in August, the Creative Director of Atmosphir, Dave Werner, made an announcement that there would be a new Editorial team later in the month. Along with this announcement was an application form. The purpose of the Editorial team was to feature a user-created level every day, and write a short summary of it. The team would be composed of six members who applied and were picked by Mr. Werner himself. I did not see this announcement until later in the day and I looked at it, curious. By the time I got there, a total of six people had stated that I was probably the most likely candidate for the job. After a few days of consideration, I applied.

The announcement came a week later. The six-person editorial team had been decided. Just as everyone had expected and hoped, I had made the team, along with six of the most well-known members of the community. After a brief celebration, we recognized the job we were chosen to do. It wasn’t a difficult task, but it was important.

Within a week, our editorials began to appear on the homepage. The Atmosphir Editorial Team was officially in charge. I didn’t expect to sit here and write about the experience when I started the Atmosphirian nearly two months ago. There were times I nearly gave up. But I never did, and it paid off in the end. I went from the new kid on the block to one of the most popular writers in the community. If I’ve learned anything from the experience, it’s that everything starts small. It’s the time and effort we put into things that makes them big.

A Short Note As School Begins

This is just going to be a very short note to everyone tonight. Tomorrow I will begin my junior year at high school. From what I’ve heard, this is a very difficult year. That being said, I am not sure I will be able to write as much as I’d like to, or be involved in the Atmosphir community quite as much. I honestly do not have anything to write about tonight, as I have not been on Atmosphir at all today, and most of yesterday. So I’d like to ask for your patience with me as I enter the next chapter of my life. I will update as much as I can, but it is possible that the length and/or frequency of my articles may suffer. I’m always keeping the Atmosphir community in my thoughts, so don’t worry. I will not be leaving.

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch - #Atmosphir's Entertainment of Choice

Every online community seems to address a common interest that many people share. For example, our forums are based around a common interest on Atmosphir. However, just because a community is based on a single concept does not mean that it is the only interest shared by its users.

Due to a recent surge in popularity, today’s article is about Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. HL2DM is an online first-person shooter game based on the popular Half-Life series and developed by Valve. Players join a server and fight one another on a single map, either on teams or as a free-for-all. Each original map is taken directly from Half-Life 2, although other, player-created maps may be downloaded.

As far as anyone can remember, it was Drfuzzyness who introduced this game to the community. Eventually it caught on within a small group of people. Recently, I created an official thread about the game and how to get it. Since then, we have seen multiple new users download and play.

Today, Drfuzzyness made a breakthrough and discovered the secret to hosting a dedicated server. After hours of trial and error, we finally had a dedicated server. At the time of writing, the IP address for this server is 69.244.181.75:27015 and the password is “indeed.” Directions on how to use this information, as well as any changes, can be found in the official topic. A link will be posted at the bottom of this article.

Another service by Drfuzzyness, we also have a Steam group for Atmosphir, titled “People From The Atmosphir Chat.” Simple and to the point.

Do you have an interest in playing Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and joining the Atmosphir community is a gunfight? If you don’t have the game, there are a few ways to get it. If you have either an ATi Graphics Card or a NVIDIA Graphics Card, you may be eligible to receive the game for free. If not, the game is regularly priced at $5.00 through Steam. It may also come packaged with other games, so keep an eye out. If you have either of those graphics cards, seethe official thread for details.

The official topic is the source for information about Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Atmosphir. There you will find information on how to get the game, how to connect to the server, upcoming events, as well as a directory of players. In the future, we may expand this thread to include Garry’s Mod information. If you wish to be added to the directory, please leave a URL to your steam profile as a reply. Keep checking the discussion you recent news as well.

For those of you who are concerned with ratings, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is Rated M for Intense Violence and Blood. Many of us agree that this seems to be a bit strong for a rating, but the ESRB has the final say here.

Hope to see you all in game!

The official thread can be found here: http://www.atmosphir.com/forum/index.php?topic=7386.0

Atlympics: Round Four is Over

Well everyone, the fourth round of the famous Atlympics has come to an end. As you might recall, there was only one true fight, considering Cmmatzat did not have an opponent. Here’s a recap of the previous round:

Cmmatzat did not have an opponent, but in order to pass, he was required to create a level which could be beaten. He entered Atmosphir Pinball. I gave this level a try, and found it to be an interesting concept. You have virtually no jump power, but more run power. The level has multiple dark owls, which spin rapidly but do not cause damage. Their purpose is to send you flying across the stage. The concept was very creative.

Boberto entered his newest level, Alone. It is a general ascent upwards focusing on moving boxes. It takes precise skill to move the boxes without causing them to fall. It was a well-designed level with a lot of interesting concepts.

Drfuzzyness entered Before the Science Center, a large level designed to be used with his mod, AtmOsphir. This level is rather lengthy, filled with simple puzzles. AtmOsphir adds a mysterious feel to the level.

Obviously, Cmmatzat went on without competition. Between Drfuzzyness and Boberto however, only one may go on. In the end, the judges agreed that it would be Drfuzzyness who would face Cmmatzat in the final round. All three contestants should be proud to make it this far.

Drfuzzyness and Cmmatzat will have two weeks to design their level. After that, the judges and the community will vote for the winner.

Best of luck to both of you!

Roblox and Atmosphir: A Community Affair

For awhile, there has been an unseen war involving Atmosphir. It wasn’t until recently that this fight broke out into the open. Within the last few weeks, a thread was found on the popular building game Roblox’s forums. This thread stated that Atmosphir was rivaling their game and must be destroyed. Of course, we know that neither game will be destroyed. A few of our players joined Roblox and replied to this thread, defending Atmosphir.

Before joining Atmosphir, I was unaware of Roblox. Once the debate broke into the open, I did a little research. Roblox has been around since June 2005 and was designed, developed, and published by the Roblox Corporation. The concept of Roblox is similar to Atmosphir in that it allows you to design landscapes using block-like parts. Unlike Atmosphir, Roblox has an in-game currency, which can be earned by doing various things throughout the game. As I said, I have not had any personal experience with Roblox, and therefore do not have any solid information regarding it.

As Atmosphir began to enter into the Roblox community, the reverse also happened. Soon enough, we began to see Roblox enter the Atmosphir community. However, the types of entry differ. In the Roblox forums, we are not joining their game. Rather, we are attracting attention for Atmosphir. On the other hand, Roblox players are moving into Atmosphir. While players are expected to wait for a beta invite, they are able to communicate on the forums. And they’ve done just that.

With all of the Roblox and Atmosphir interaction happening, some players have reacted to it. There was a recent outbreak of Roblox-related threads on the Off-Topic board within the past two weeks. Off-Topic moderator Nuinethir swiftly put an end to it after the first few threads appeared. Within a few hours, a new topic was posted and stickied. This topic regarded the recent threads. Here is a quote from Nuinethir’s post:

“Having a "competition" between Atmosphir and Roblox is not constructive to either community, and creates what I could call an inter-forum war. Realize that while you think you are helping, you are actually damaging the potential relationships of people you have never met. By doing this, you are actually doing a disservice to Dave/Okaysamurai as well as Minor Studios.

I am drawing a line, right here, right now. There is to be NO negative discussion about Roblox, regardless if you are an Atmosphir native or coming from the Roblox community. I simply will NOT tolerate it. Threads operating in this manner are subject to getting locked. If you feel a topic is spiraling down, DON'T add fuel to the flame and contact a moderator with the thread link in question.”

Obviously things were getting out of hand. Thanks to Nuinethir, things have been stabilized and the community seems to be at peace. To summarize the above quote, please do not say negative things about Roblox, no matter who you are. At the moment, this applies to topics in the forum. Adz, newly appointed head moderator, says that as soon as he has full control over things such as player’s profiles, he will add more to this rule, adding things such as anti-Roblox avatars and signatures to the list. Therefore, if you have anything on your profile that somehow defaces the Roblox name, please change it as soon as possible, for the best of both communities.

We are not a community who puts others down. Embrace the similarities that Roblox has, and maybe we can learn a few things from them, and they can learn things from us. Welcome all Roblox players warmly, and don’t judge them based off of their previous adventures. We all were new at some point, and they deserve the same respect we show everyone else. Show it to them.

In other news, I don’t think I’ll be doing a MOD spotlight this week. There haven’t been any large mods on the forums lately, so I think I’ll give them some time to grow.

The interview with Dave Werner on Landor Industries Live has received some new information. The interview will be conducted at 5 PM (PST) on Tuesday, August 18^th. Be there if you can!

That’s it for today, everyone.