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!