Release preparation downtime

Launch preparation update 16 March 2009

The official Runes of Magic launch is closer than ever and a lot of things are still in the pipeline this week. Here's an overview what you have to endure and can look forward to:

Improvement of download bandwidth In anticipation of hundreds and thousands of new users, we are increasing the bandwidth of our patch servers to relieve a number of smaller issues like connectivity issues and slow download speeds.

Server downtime for patching Tomorrow on Tuesday, 17 March 2009, at app. 6am GMT / 7:00h CET, the servers will be taken down for a small patch and update. We reckon that this might take no longer than the usual 3 hours.

Server downtime for launch To prepare the launch properly, we will be taking down the Runes of Magic servers on Wednesday, 18 March 2009, 10am GMT / 11:00h CET.

We will do extensive maintenance and a lot of polishing to the website and the forums as well. So these will be shutting down at the same time and will be back when the servers are online.

We would like to thank all of you for your continued support and hope to see you again when Runes of Magic goes live on Thursday, 19 March 2009! (Oh... and note: There will be no character wipe and you all get a complete TP reset and debt wipe.)

Release Planning - the Details 17 March 2009

Only a few more hours and the big bustle begins. Runes of Magic is going to be finally released!

Everyone at Runewaker and Frogster is excited that after so many months of careful planning, hard work and the occasional surprise everything comes together. The developers are applying a few finishing touches to the Runes of Magic release version, our technicians are buffing up the routers and keep the lines well heated and even our web, graphics and design team is still hammering at keyboards, trying to get rid of that little black frame around the line in that one browser.

So here's the plan: Tomorrow on '''Wednesday, 18 March 2009, at 10am GMT / 11:00h CET we will take down almost everything. The Runes of Magic game servers, the official website and the official forums'''.

Only the patch-server stays online. We want everyone to be able to keep their clients updated so that when we go live on Thursday not everyone tries to download the patch at the same time. Be aware: if everything goes to plan, it might take a while to get through. Good news: there is no need to download a new version of the client!

During the downtime we go through the forums, tiding up a bit - doing our equivalent of spring cleaning - and uncluttering that unwieldy forum structure.

So that's what we have to dom but what about you? You don't really think we'll just let you go on playing like this, do you?

Well, actually we don't let you. You have to wait.

And when the servers come back up on Thursday, 19 March 2009 at exactly 9am GMT / 10:00h CET you do have to redistribute all you TP again, because there's a big TP reset for everyone.

Furthermore we would like to level the playing field between existing players and anybody who joins our huge playerbase on Thursday a bit, and as a huge one-off thank you to all the people who helped us improving Runes of Magic and making the game the best it can be during the Beta Test, we will remove all character's experience and TP debt! (Your characters will still be there - just all their accumulated debt is erased).

Right now there's the Frog-Event running until the servers are shut down tomorrow morning but that's pretty much all there is...

Again the Runes of Magic team across the world would like to thank all of you for the great time in Closed and Open Beta, for the awesome and brilliant feedback we got that helped us improving the game.

Hope you're having fun with the "end-of-Beta" event and hope to see you all again on Thursday!

On behalf of the Frogster and Runewaker