Add news for the big release

2 files changed, 142 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/world/map/.gitignore b/world/map/.gitignore
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--- a/world/map/.gitignore
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 /news.html
 /news.txt
+/news.phpbb.txt
 
 /db/const-debugflag.txt
diff --git a/world/map/news.d/29-rc-one.txt b/world/map/news.d/29-rc-one.txt
new file mode 100644
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+{title:The more things change...}
+{date:2014-04-16}
+{red}Attention Major Release:{/red}
+{ul}
+{li}Mana EOL{/li}
+{li}Server dependencies{/li}
+{li}Script clean-up{/li}
+{li}Magic clean-up{/li}
+{li}Sprite 1.5 - Npcs As Sprites{/li}
+{li}Tilesets{/li}
+{li}Travel / Death / Warps{/li}
+{li}Client-data clean-up{/li}
+{li}Tonori Improvement{/li}
+{li}Graveyard Improvement{/li}
+{/ul}
+
+Mana EOL:
+    With this release, we are finally declaring the
+Mana client obsolete. 90% of players are already
+using ManaPlus.
+
+Server dependencies:
+    The next release of the server code will require
+a newer version of GCC: 4.7 instead of 4.6. This is
+possible because Ubuntu is releasing a new LTS
+so that servers can reasonably be expected to be
+able to upgrade.
+
+    GCC 4.7 will be supported for much longer - a
+year and a half or two years, until the next Debian
+release.
+
+    The next release will also drop the dependency
+on Flex and Bison ... which is more significant for
+making the build system simpler and the surrounding
+code cleaner than for actually being hard to acquire.
+
+Script:
+    TMWA increased the level of debugging for
+script parsing. The script language no longer
+allows default fall throughs or '-' for a
+menu option. It now reports Unused & Duplicate
+labels The menu fix was added to pave the
+development of dynamic menus.
+Simply running your script in the server reports
+all errors in the scripts.
+
+Magic:
+    Magic is now using a new config file format,
+which will simplify build dependencies in future.
+Anybody with local spells will need to manually
+convert them. Although we have some helper
+programs (tmwa-spell-convert and tmwa-sexpr),
+For support of these ask on IRC
+{link:irc://chat.freenode.net/themanaworld}
+
+Sprite 1.5/Npcs As Sprites:
+    Sprite directory naming convention cleaned
+up. If an NPC wasn't animated it was made into
+a player sprite with equipment. Thus anything
+you see most the NPCs wearing will/can be
+wearable player gear. We fixed and added more
+gear than was currently in the main so a bunch
+of new items have been added. Additional attack
+frames add more weapon varieties and NPC
+animations. As since the npcs are a sprite any
+action the player sprite can do the NPC could.
+It allows us to implement a mobile NPC. Most of
+the sprites have dyes now. Including the player
+sprite. This will make adding new races easier.
+
+    Making the NPCs player sprites makes it
+easier to create them as well. If you can edit
+an xml you can create a NPC. This will make it
+quicker to start developing. Custom/Special
+NPCs still exist, (see GY INN), They need to be
+justified as to why they can't be a Doll model.
+
+    Errors in the sprite should now be clearly
+visible as we fixed the error image in the
+client-data. It will draw an ugly error tile.
+
+Tilesets:
+    Naming covention enforced to make dealing
+with sets easier. Unused/old or broken sets
+fixed or removed from repo except the plain
+castle set. The Forrest was removed as it needs
+to be properly cut to make it easier to map with.
+    Tilesets will begin to be collasped into each
+other. As they share a common/similiar theme
+and/or style.
+    We added animated water to some of the maps.
+The tileset will work with all of the maps and
+tilesets in game.
+    We've begun to fill empty spaces in the tilesets
+with a Open/Free marker. These will help us find
+maps with errors.
+
+Travel / Death / Warps:
+    Plain Hitchiker Towels are now part of the
+starting gear. If you lost, sold or don't have a
+towel ask the nearest soul menhir for a replacement.
+All towel colors are  available and each is set
+to a location. Only the plain undyed towel can bind
+to a soul menhir. The towels now have to wait to
+recharge to be used again.
+    Death is no longer travel system. Localized
+graveyards keeps you close to the action. This
+means shorter walks back from  the graveyard and
+illia doesn't reset your savepoint anymore.Using a
+towel, a warp or walking is the only way back to a
+city.
+    Ship Travel does not cost anything anymore. The
+ship now moves between the major docks. The ferry
+schdules are available by the docks so you know where
+it currently is. Once aboard wait for the ship to
+come into the location you want and disembark.
+    Dyrin's sect of wizards "The Travelers" have
+appeared in more locations about the world. speaking
+with 2 members of his sect will allow you to move
+between them, for a price. Members are located
+throughout the world.
+
+Tonori Improvement:
+    Added major art map additions to Tulimshar &
+surrounding areas. Castle, Noble, Beach Cliffs ,
+& etc.
+    Starting area clean-up. Quest now uses bitmasking.
+Sorfina gives you your first towel. Altered NPCs and
+map to make room for Beach Cliffs.
+    The children playing hide & seek have been spread
+out more to encourage exploring the wider areas
+surrounding the city.
+
+Graveyard Improvement:
+    Added major art map additions to the Graveyard &
+surrounding areas. More maps to grind Xp and to offer
+a change of pace. These maps also have 3 new
+mini-bosses for 60+ level characters. The Graveyard
+reset has been removed.
+{author:TMW Team}