Messages

Welcome back, timelord! Good to have you with us again.

Hey Hero Mages fans!

The latest game from D20Studios, Summoners Fate, is the spiritual successor to Hero Mages. Help us in bringing this game to live by supporting our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1181148431/summoners-fate-fast-and-fun-tactical-rpg-ccg-adven?ref=ax73kh

The project ends on November 17th at 10AM MT, so please support us today!

Amazon review rejected the last update; hence, the versions are out of sync. Hoping to correct in the next release.

Good news! Apple approved the release update. Amazon and BN will still need a separate review. Trying to coordinate them all to launch same date and remove the mis-match versioning.

SUCCESS!!!

So, as it turns out, the server code was actually not causing the problem.

The issue was in the database limits for the "rating" column. I was using a tinyint instead of a smallint. The maximum range of a tinyint is +/- 128. The issue with this game was that when WorldChamp was eliminated, he lost 192 FFA rating points. This caused the database to silently fail as this value was out of the database range.

Because of this, WorldChamp's game status was never recorded, and from the server perspective, this game never got its stats recorded. Therefore, it would keep resetting flag for "not seen game ending" which is why it says "Awaiting Destiny".

Finally, because worldchamp's game record score wasn't captured, everytime the game ended, it tried to update all the records, which is why you saw WorldChamp at -9000 or so FFA points, while others were up positive in the thousands.

To fix, I did the following:
1) Increased size of rating to smallint so this won't happen again
2) I reviewed database backup for 11/14 and used this to determine that this game record had been opened and recorded 54 times!
3) I manually corrected the data by subtracting the points difference for this game times 53 (so everyone effectively only got credited once, the proper and fair amount)
4) I checked to see if anyone else had negative rating scores, and fortunately, it appears this incident was isolated to this one game.

I believe I know what is causing this. For some reason, I commented out a return line in the record game method in the server code. It looks like I may have done this to fix a prior bug where game stats were not being recorded at all.

It would help to have one of you available for a live test so we can check whether my intended fix resolves the problem (this way I can also run tracers to verify the pattern I believe is causing this).

Let me know if I could get your support and when you'd be available.

Dear Community,

I have implemented a fix that shall appear in v1.8.8. The fix resolves the issue by adding an additional command that's stored to the game log to prevent exploit. When you choose to sprint and expend your attack, this decision and your resulting sprint roll will be stored to server and restored on game load.

The fix has been submitted to Apple and is pending a review. I will keep the community updated on status. Apple reviews may range 1-2 weeks.

~Ross

https://heromages.com/forums/index.php?topic=755.0

[Sprint Exploit:]

Dear Hero Mages Community,

First, I'd like to take a moment to sincerely thank the players of our community for your continued interest and enjoyment of Hero Mages. Your passion and excitement are sacred to me as a personal measure of success for the time and effort I have invested in the creation of this game.

Now then, I'm long overdue for an update - so let's have it:

1) Sprint Exploit: I hear loud and clear the concerns regarding the sprint movement exploit in async gameplay. I will commit to a fix. The effort will not be easy; this will require a client and server update across all platforms to resolve. First party client updates (particularly Apple and Amazon) will require some enhancements to code base and a review process. I'll suggest a 6-8 week timeframe to resolve the issue and get updated across platforms.

2) Hero Mages Elite: I'd like to introduce a new community membership group called "Hero Mages Elite". My intent here is to recognize players of the community who have gone above and beyond to invest in this game and community, whether it be ridiculous hours of game play, forum suggestions, on boarding new users, or otherwise serving as a real champion for Hero Mages.

What does Hero Mages Elite membership entail?

* Membership recognizes outstanding contributions to our game and community with leadership opportunities and special private access to development activities
* Membership provides access to "Elite Member - Only" private forum access
* Membership is by nomination or request and approved by me or designated HM moderator

Why now?

With more of my time devoted to raising my two children and providing for my family, my available time to invest in Hero Mages has become limited. I believe strongly in this game, this community, and our future. By tapping the minds of those most invested in the game and community, new ideas and new leaders have the highest potential to emerge and make a difference.

How do I apply?

Email me direct at ross@d20studios.com subject line "Hero Mages Elite" and answer these three questions in the body 1) What is your Hero Mages community/player name? 2) What has been your favorite Hero Mages experience? 3) Why do you want to become an elite member?

Hi cyoungmi,

Glad you are enjoying the game! The dungeon crawl feature is still something I dream about delivering, but for various reasons, is not something as simple as a feature release I can announce at this time. Not the most exciting answer (I know) but I have confidence that when such a time comes, my next announcement will go far to meet the expectations you and so many of our community here have shared.

Feel welcome to hit me up over email if you have additional questions ross@d20studios.com

Hi everyone! Android 5.0.1 is now available for Nexus and it appears this system update resolves the issue so you can enjoy Hero Mages once more.

Hi folks,

It looks like Google has a fix coming for Nexus devices that should resolve the AIR problem: https://www.droid-life.com/2014/12/02/android-5-0-1-headed-to-aosp-as-build-lrx22c/

For those new to the thread, there was an issue (on Google's part) with the latest Android 5 update where apps built using Adobe AIR certificates were being erased from devices and unable to be installed. Adobe and Google partnered, and the solve will come in the form of an OS patch from Google.

Stay tuned!

Campaign is among the top requested features - and something I would love to deliver.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Please keep these requests alive. I haven't given up on Hero Mages, despite the lack of updates. Lot work under the hood needed before I get to a place where I'm ready to share.

Here is a post from Adobe with more info and workarounds: https://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2014/11/adobe-air-and-android-5-0.html

So unfortunately the fix I did today will not resolve the problem for users who have already installed the app. See this thread for more info...its a Google Play and Adobe certificate issue on Nexus devices: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1636480

There is a workaround to get app working detailed on this thread. I'll keep you all posted on progress.