Most of you probably know by now that a new FFB version is in testing. I would like to use this blog to give you an update on the current state of development.

- The next version will have the Dirty Tricks card deck available for inducements. I'm adding cards one by one, collecting feedback and bug reports from the testers. Currently I've finished 8 of 13 total. Some are pretty tough to implement properly, though.

- In response to feedback from the testers (card playing isn't noticeable enough) there is now a Card playing animation when using a card in the game (thanks to WhatBall for the graphics)

- From the 2014 wish list: Player Markers are now saved by team - upon starting a new game your players will be marked the same as in the last game

- The next version allows for custom pitches (we've already seen some nice ones from Garion in testing). Christer is currently working on the necessary adjustments for Fumbbl. Special tournament playfields anyone?

- There are a couple of new chat commands in test mode to help the testing team (such as a command to set up a custom pitch, one to change the weather, another to add a certain card to one side)

Plus a lot more technical stuff such as a new way to store replays, drastically reducing database size (making it much easier for Christer to do backups). Changes to the game model and the networking layer. Which basically comes to me shifting around about 50% of the server code. Which in turn means that everything needs to be retested. Thankfully I do have a team for that with some of the toughest rules lawyers around (which usually means more work for me).

I do try to get as many bugs fixed in the new version as I can manage. Especially the more obvious and annoying ones (such as 2x GFI on a TTM, lost of Bomb with HMP bugs and and and ...). Thanks to the reporters and thanks again for the patient testers validating that a bug is indeed fixed (or that I've just managed to introduce a different one in the process)

In the mean time: keep on playing! We're getting ever closer to 2.000.000 finished games. That's absolutely unbelievable. Thank you all! (I check the site statistics in regular intervals, more games DO make me happy, you know?)

PS: I don't have an exact number, but only about 1/4 of these games have been played with FFB using CRP rules. The vast majority have been played with Skijunkies Javabbowl client using LRB4. And ALL of them have been played on Fumbbl :-) Go Fumbbl!!!