May 29th, 2003

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We have tons of features planned for this game, such as a cool story mode, but believe that their implementation would unnecessarily lenghten the development time. Thus, we are going to release a simpler version of Qyrann Online first; this will allow players to get used to the interface and get a feeling for how the game is played. Then, we will gradually add more and more features. The story mode will not be implemented right away, because we haven't decided how to do it yet. Maybe a few (trusted) gamers will be assigned as Quest Creators to create some crazy quests for the rest of the players. We will see. Until then, hang in there... the game will be up sooner than planned. :O)

March 30th, 2003

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Well, here we go again... another late update. In fact this is our first one this year (which is kind of sad), but here it is. There are few things we need to mention. First of all, the development of the game is going well. As we mentioned in the forums, it seems like the world of Qyrann will be up and running during the summer.

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Second, although development is going fine, the game's artwork is lacking. (This is mainly due to the fact that we all suck at drawing.) Currently we are looking for a good background image for the user interface; this is the one we are using right now: click here for the pic (140 kb).
Contest: If you are a good artist and think you can make a better version of this cityscape, please help us out. You will obviously receive full credit, and we will place a link to your site on ours (provided that you have a homepage).

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People are asking for screenshots (for some reason, a few of you can't find the ones posted previously on this page), so here is the old archive (whoa, two pics!) and a new one depicting the world map feature of Qyrann. Yeah, it's only a couple of pics... but enough to give you guys a flavor of what the game will be like.
- Screenshot 1 (188 kb)
- Screenshot 2 (190 kb)
- World Map (262 kb)

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We now have over 600 people registered to play Qyrann once it's up and running... and we didn't even start advertising the game yet! We will need as many people as possible to see how the servers will handle the high load. Thanks a lot guys!

December 17th, 2002

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Well, we have a forum now. Go and check it out! It is time for the winter break! School is out, so we need to concentrate on the game again. Yeah, we know... this page isn't updated too often. Now that we have the forum up, we will try to be a little more active on this site. In case we don't update this diary before Christmas, we wish you all (to whom it applies) a happy holiday! :O)
Easter egg: For those of you who miss the windmill animation at the top of the page, just click on the mill's wheel (IE users only).

November 4th, 2002

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Don't worry ladies and gentlemen, we are not dead yet... in fact, we are far from it. No updates have been made to this site lately, because we have been wicked busy with schoolwork. The game is looking better and better with each passing day, so you should probably expect an official date for beta testing by the end of the year. The development time is in fact lengthy, but we want to make sure that you guys get to play a polished beta version of Qyrann Online. For us, quality is much more important than how fast we can get the game up and running.

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It's true, Qyrann Online actually appears in a publication! Thanks to the premier issue of Massive Online Gaming, more people can find out about our "little" game. Although our name only appears in a listing, it's still a start! :O)

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If you happen to know anyone who is interested in massively multiplayer games, please tell them about Qyrann Online. We are getting a bunch of sign-ups on a daily basis, but we need more. The more people we have at the start of beta-testing, the better we can test our servers. Thanks for your help!

September 11th, 2002

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We have been working on the adventuring aspect of the game for the past month. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you guys with any screenshots right now. You will just have to wait and see. Anyway, it's coming along nicely. You will be able to do lots of cool stuff on each map tile. We are initially planning on releasing a tiny world map for testing purposes. Then, we will quickly add additional map tiles to it, so that you guys will have a huge battle field to play on.
In progress: A lot more work needs to be done on the world exploration aspect, so we need to work on that a bit longer. Then, it's back to the strategic elements.

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This game is complex, and takes up most of our time. We are still college students, and, unfortunately, school has begun once again. School work will definitely slow down our game development. Right now, we are still uncertain when our game will be publicly playable. Please be patient with us.

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Finally, we have received a lot of registrations! We are glad to see that so many individuals are interested in Qyrann Online. If you like strategic web-based games, you will not be disappointed. Qyrann will keep even the most hardcore online gamer busy. Please tell your friends or other gamers to register as well. The number of registrations simply help us determine how we should set up the initial servers once the game is complete. Thanks for your support!

August 8th, 2002

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Many people requested screenshots; therefore, we decided to post a couple. This way, people get a flavor of what the game will look like. To see a screenshot of the main interface, please click here (188 kb). As you can see, the window is quite "short" at the moment. The advertisement banner (which we will need to keep this game running) and miscellaneous player information will be added to the top soon. This will obviously expand the window's height. Currently, this interface displays perfectly on Internet Exporer 5.0+ for Windows (it looks funny in the Mac version). Since 90%+ of the visitors use this browser version, we are first going to support this browser only. Once this version is complete, we will focus on other browsers/platforms as well. Our goal is to get our game running on most of the popular browsers.

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As you can see, the interface is loaded with transparency effects. If they bother you, you will be able to disable them. We are trying to make Qyrann Online look and play like a game, instead of just a collection of ordinary HTML tables.

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Finally, to see the world map, please click here (262 kb). Players will be scattered across this continent, and will be able to interact with every NPC town. Create trade routes, demolish/rebuild cities, and be part of a constantly evolving storyline.

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Many people are also asking if this game will be free... of course it will be! We are trying to avoid the you-pay-for-what-you-get rule and give you guys a free game with high production values. We love massively multiplayer games, because there is nothing like playing with thousands of individuals. Qyrann Online is our contribution to the genre.

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Well, that's all for now. There is still a lot to be done, so we are definitely not going to start beta-testing this summer. We are not affiliated with any larger corporations, so we are not tied to a deadline. Hopefully, we will be able to get Qyrann Online up and running in a couple of months. Thanks for waiting! :O)

July 4th, 2002

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As you can see, we haven't updated this page for a while now. We apologize for the lack of status updates, but we wanted to focus on the development of the project instead. Our site was not getting hits for months, since it was not listed in any major online game directories. That has changed during the past couple of weeks. We are now listed in several directories and are receiving some quality traffic. So, after months of silence, we decided to add some info regarding our current progress.

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Although we still have a couple of small elements to work on, the strategic aspect of Qyrann is pretty much complete. New features include the building of structures, rune (spell) research and casting, the creation of alliances and airship trade routes, and the ability to send messages to other players. These are standard features for a strategy game; however, we have them fully implemented with the role-playing elements of the game's world map to create a unique gaming experience.
In progress: Advanced rune research and casting still needs to be implemented. We are still contemplating whether or not units should be upgradable. Upgradability will most likely be implemented.

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Heroes are now able to roam around on the world map. When the beta servers will be launched, players will be provided with a small map with around fifty or so map tiles. Once we officially launch the game, we will keep on adding map tiles for players to explore.
In progress: Right now, we only have a few map tiles for testing reasons. We need to create the starting world map for the beta-testing phase.

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You can now contact us with questions. We are going to add a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page soon as well. But first, we need some questions. A discussion board is also planned.

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Finally, we apologize for the lack of game screenshots and information about the storyline. Although most of the story is complete, the interface is still in its early stages of development. We are aiming for a nice interface that will really draw you into the game (as opposed to a simple page with a bunch of text links). Currently, we are optimizing the interface for Internet Explorer, since Microsoft's browser has the most complete CSS library; however, we are doing the best we can to make it look nice on all browsers.

January 29th, 2002

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Qyrann has been in development for a few months now. Although many of the strategic elements are near completion, there is a lot more to work on. The empire building aspect of the game is going to be turn based. We don't want people to spend too much time organizing their cities, mainly because there is just so much to do on the world map.

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Recruiting is now complete!

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Creature breeding is now complete! You might ask, "What is the point of breeding creatures?" The most powerful units in the game will be monsters. Even an army of casters will have trouble with a legion of dragons.
In progress: Your heroes will have to explore the world map and search for creature breeding grounds in order for you to be able to breed them yourself.

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Most of the army management feature is complete. It is now possible to set up defenses, reorganize armies, and combine them in order to make more powerful forces.
In progress: The weapons and shields of your units will also be upgradable. Upgrading your units will often be a cheaper and faster way to prepare for battle than recruiting new ones.

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Most of the battle engine is now working properly.
In progress: Magic has not been implemented into the battle engine yet. Hero bonuses also need to be implemented.