Updates and Improvements

Website Updates Infomation

Game Performance Boost Update

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Game Performance Boost

This game performance boost, it will be for a major speed up to Major Command Risk! Our Database is way too large. It takes far too long for the game engine to search for all the relevant information each time a player takes their turn. This slowness in data retrieval is what causes such problems like the “zero-troop” bug, missing troops, maps not loading, and a lot of the other issues that has plagued MC for the last year.

Risk Game Performance Boost

Our plan is to archive all the data that is not needed for immediate access by the game engine. The old game data is still available for the game engine to access whenever needed, but it won’t be part of the main database, thereby reducing the time for the game engine to find the really important information, like information relating to current active games. This archival could reduce the database size by over 50%, and hopefully eliminate the conditions that cause all these errors to occur. So lots of work is approaching to complete the upcoming game performance boost.

Will the Game Performance Boost fix the “zero troop bug”?

Let me be clear. The “zero troop bug” is not actually a bug. It is not a simple line of code that needs to be fixed. It is a result of other issues like the database size. Reducing the database size won’t “fix” the “zero-troop bug”, but it will create a condition where that particular bug is far less likely to occur. Hopefully never again. It will also minimize or eliminate other poor performance issues as well.

This is not the end. It is a major fix moving forward, but it is still only a patch up job. The goal is to create a structure where these issues will simply not exist. We are currently working on two projects. First is to repair the current game site, and second is to create a new, better, updated, and more functional one.

As with every update, there is a chance of fixing one thing, and breaking another. Hopefully, the fallout will be minimal this time. This database contains EVERYTHING ever done by anyone on MC. And we don’t want to mess it up. So be patient, and WISH US LUCK !! 🙂

Sheriff

Website Update – August, 2014

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First Monthly Website Update

Major Command Risk Website Update

The first monthly website update for major Command Risk. We would like to give you a bit of insight as to what has been done so far behind the scenes, and what is being planned for the next month. Most of you can see the front-end things like Tournaments and stuff, but this is an update on what you don’t see. Our first month, July, was filled with a lot of administrative tasks pertaining to the website, as well as a long overdue housekeeping of it’s files.

Marcos our developer has a full-time job and has only been able to work for us on weekends. However, starting in mid-September, Marcos will be done with his contractual obligations giving him the ability to focus on Major Command full time. We look forward to that day!

This is by no means a complete list, but rather a general update of behind-the-scenes activity.

July website update

– administrative tasks relating to the transfer of site and domain ownership
– administrative tasks regarding site and server security
– backing up of database and server files
– creating a wiki file of site functionality
– identifying and documenting the mostly undocumented source code
– setting up a virtual environment to implement fixes and features.
– commissioning a new map
– increased vigilance with multi-accounts and fake users

Now that most the boring, yet necessary tasks are done, in August we hope to start seeing some changes, albeit slowly since Marcos still has other commitments until September. Nonetheless, this is a brief outlook at next month’s plan. Subject to change of course! 😉

August – another website update

– additional database maintenance and archival
– resolve 0-troop bug
– resolve ‘processing’ error
– resolve medals not being awarded issue
– continued vigilance with multi-accounts and fake users
– release a new map
– and….?

More to follow as things develop! Now go and start playing your favorite Risk games.
Major Command Risk Sheriff Sheriff.

Bug Fixes: Stuck Game and 0-Troop

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Major Command Risk Bug Fixes

Major Command Risk Bug Fixes

It looks like we have the two most detrimental bugs under our proverbial thumb.  Marcos, our resident developer has identified the issues and we will be implementing few bug fixes within the next 24 hours.

The first of the few planned bug fixes will be for the “stuck game” bug, where a player will eliminate all others, but the game won’t end.  Instead, displaying “jump to next” rather than “game over”.  These games remain permanently stuck.

The second of the few upcoming bug fixes will be for the 0-troop bug, where a region will have no troops on it, preventing the game from finishing.

We are making these bug fixes directly to the production server as there is still work to be done on the dev server.  This is important. If you encounter these two bugs going forward, please post the issue and game in this forum thread of the bugs forum.

We hope there are no unintended consequences, but you never know, be on the lookout.

Thank you all for your patience.  We will also work to unstick currently stuck games.

Farmers and Noobs – Risk Game Updates

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Major Command Risk Game Updates

Here’re the new Risk game updates. This video sums it up …

So our latest Risk game updates contained a bunch of new features, but there are a couple big ones that are worth more ink.

We noticed that while we get a steady stream of new users to Major Command Risk, many didn’t stick around.  After some analysis, we found that there were three main factors. 1, Expectations were not set properly. 2, Users didn’t know what it was their turn for RT games. And 3, users would get into games with complex settings and get slaughtered.

So for the first issue, we revamped the new user entry process, provided some helpful videos, and also made sure there were ample places where information could be found.

For the second issue, we have a turn notified that will slide out when it is your turn and you are on the site. Meaning you can join an RT game, go to the forums and this little slidey thing will let you know what its time to get your boots on. It’s not perfect and still in stages of development, but should be a vast improvement. The turns indicator in your dog tag is also real time, meaning you don’t have to refresh the page to update it. We’ve also added a few lines of text in key places to let new users know what’s going on with RT games.

Major Command Risk Game UpdatesFor the third issue, we created theme games. These are games that appear at the top of game results. They might say “New Players Welcome“. They are permanent games and when filled, will automatically respawn to be filled again. They use beginner settings that new players can get their feet wet in. If you are a vet and join of these, be friendly and honorable. In the future we will create theme games for new maps or other settings we want to feature, so keep a lookout.

There are lots of other small tweaks to the system, but those are the major Risk game updates concerning new players.

One final note, all users who were free strategists during beta will be reverted back to grunt in the next 48 hours. We got to pay those hosting bills and hope you continue on with us. The near future is brimming with new maps and features and you certainly want to have some room in your game clip.

Thanks all!

Major Command Risk Open to Public – Play Risk Free

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Play Risk Free at Major Command

Great news to risk game players! You can now play Risk free at Major Command ‘s website. As of now, the training wheels have come off this ol’ vessel of ass-kicking Risk strategic gaming. Not quite out of beta yet.  We are RC1, which is the Release Candidate 1.  If all goes well, we will be 1.0 in two weeks and celebrate with a big party and some fresh new maps.Play risk free

Regardless of RC1 or 1.0, the Major Command you are on now is for all intents and purposes, life and in the wild. The user caps are off, so we will no longer be limited to 1,000 active users.  Feel free to spread the good word or invite your friends.  Expect to see a lot of new faces around as well.  There will be more noobs than ever, so play Risk free, be nice, be friendly, and try not to crush their spirits until at least round 3.

With RC1 comes a bunch of new features as well as the payment system which will allow you to access many of those features.  We think it’s fair and one hell of a good value.  Given that many of you have been upgraded to a strategist for free during the beta, this is how it all shakes out.

  • If you are currently a grunt, then you will need to upgrade to Strategist  or Commander class to access those features.
  • If you are currently Strategist (during beta), then you will be given two weeks more of Strategist class privileges before being demoted to grunt.  Of course is you upgrade to Commander during that period you are all set.

So Just to refresh, this is how the user classes go.

  • Grunt – Free
    • Limited to four active games.
    • CANNOT start real time games (but can join them).
    • CANNOT play risk free more than one real time per 24 hours.
    • CANNOT join official tournaments.
  • Strategist – $10 for 6 months
    • Silver Rank Icons
    • Unlimited games (casual and real time)
    • Can start real time games
    • Can join official tournaments
  • Commander – $20 for 6 months
    • Gold rank icons
    • Unlimited games (casual and real time)
    • Can start real time games
    • Can join official tournaments
    • Can start Fixed Force games
    • Can start 24 players games
    • Can display 36 friends on their user page
    • Can use site-wide skins
    • Can customize their Frontline
    • Can use a full-size user picture
    • Can play Campaign mode (still in development)
    • Can save game settings (still in development)
    • All new features will go to Commanders first

You can now upgrade!

If you’re interested to upgrade your Risk game user status, you could do now. Also worth noting that the payment system is just part of this major release.  The list of everything in this release is long and you can find it here (shortly).

  • 213 fixed bug where it allows user to create games with invalid settings
  • 214 fixed bug where recon tab shows backward status for teammate elimination
  • 215 fixed Bug: can’t edit regions in map admin on dev
  • 216 fixed bug: discharging someone from a clan doesn’t work
  • 217 added ability to move call up reserves box
  • 218 fixed bug: Forum bug: people unable to access clan forums
  • 219 fixed bug: can’t type in user reg field in certain browsers
  • 220 Reduced minimum troop count on clans to 4
  • 221 fixed bug: Mercenary victory screen sucks
  • 222 fixed bug: team mercenary games were not working right
  • 223 fixed bug: game screen doesn’t update with troops if on when game starts
  • 224 fixed bug: long usernames had their profile links messed up in certain places due to truncations
  • 225 fixed bug: Changing color works and persists, but menu doesn’t update
  • 226 fixed bug: Longest losing streak is lying
  • 227 fixed bug: Diplomacy log typo / lie (wrong risk player listed for invalidated truces)
  • 228 Added drop button to tournaments
  • 229 made it so charts only show active risk players
  • 230 Reduce number of people on cdo chart (only show top n)
  • 231 added fixed force
  • 232 Implemented honor score
  • 233 Added recon tab to games page
  • 234 added diplomacy score on Diplo tab
  • 235 added tour of duty ribbons
  • 236 fixed bug: Cant use 800px map background
  • 237 fixed bug: broken truces don’t show right away
  • 238 fixed bug: Email notifications were not being sent
  • 239 fixed bug: tourney round was not incrementing
  • 240 fixed bug: games didn’t load in ff4
  • 241 fixed bug: Victory screen shows up on loser screens if on game time of end
  • 242 fixed bug: bombard a neutral causes troop container to disappear
  • 243 fixed bug: shouldn’t get to keep non-deployed troops
  • 244 fixed bug: mid-turn cash shows wrong troop amount
  • 245 fixed bug: flicker at start of turn
  • 246 made it so clan members not seen as members until they accept invite
  • 247 fixed bug: missed troops not showing up on intel tab
  • 248 made it so popup reserve dialog for mid-turn cash
  • 249 fixed bug: Deployment phase is being skipped in certain scenarios
  • 250 fixed bug: Troop containers don’t show upon load for certain users
  • 251 Allow users to subscribe to diff classes
  • 252 fixed bug where risk players either could not, or had trouble, cashing mid-turn (usually on multiple cashes)
  • 253 fixed bug where you could not deploy deferred troops on teammates regions
  • 254 fixed bugs in frontline editor
  • 255 fixed a bug where deleting a private message with the little “x” button didn’t work
  • 256 made it more intuitive to find sent messages in the message center
  • 257 added ability to delete sent messages in message center
  • 258 added ambassadors tab to admin (not tested or fully working)
  • 259 added frontline theme management to admin (not complete)
  • 260 added ability for users to lookup development cases and their statuses at https://www.majorcommand.com/Help/CaseLookup.php (must know the case#)
  • 261 removed limit on number of active users allowed
  • 262 added gold and onyx rank insignias
  • 263 fixed new map rules for nukes and Africa
  • 264 Fixed bug in recon tab where it would log information about a tournament and refer to it as a game (with an invalid link)
  • 265 fixed bug in recon tab where a users place would show in the form of an ordinal suffix but without the ordinal itself (example: “you came in the place)
  • 266 fixed bug where atomic game and tournament link generation would usually create a bad link or no link at all
  • 267 fixed several javascript exceptions and warnings
  • 268 fixed several flash game client exceptions and warnings
  • 269 recompiled flash game client against latest Adobe API’s
  • 270 added 24 risk player games
  • 271 added 36 person friend list

Oh and I have given a huge Major Command secret handshake of thanks to all the beta tester, bug reporters, map screeners, dev comers, and everyone else who helped out to make this beta a big success!

psst, we still need you guys.  So keep submitting bugs, offering suggestions, and doing the good work that you do.