It’s been 3 months - which means time for another edition of SLiRP Magazine (click to read).  It’s a bit shorter this time around, but still packed with great stuff!

Anyone interested in helping out with the next edition of SLiRP, coming out March 1st, 2009, please get ahold of us at slirpeditor@bnjrps.com

RPS 2.09 and it’s many added features and usability improvements has been long anticipated, and now it’s here!  For update notes on 2.09.00 (and 2.09.01), please visit the forum under “Update Notes”.  Or you can click here for 2.09.00 update notes and here for 2.09.01 update notes.

The 2.09 iteration of the RPS has two additional planned updates …

2.09.02 is planned for the first week of December and will include “stun damage”, as well as enhanced functionality for poisons and traps.

2.09.03 is planned for “before 2009″ and will include a wide variety of Supernatural abilities, including things such as “nocturnal”, “fire breath”, “healing aura”, and others.

Thank you everyone for making RPS so much fun to develop and helping us to grow with your positive feedback, helpful suggestions, and accurate bug reports.  This system is really a community effort - that’s what makes it so awesome.

The following notecard has been sent out in-world:

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Hey everyone!  While we initially wanted to roll out the new system with the SL fix to ranged weapons, Linden Labs has had to postpone their update until Nov. 24/25.  This change puts us in an awkward position: if we roll out now, and they make additional changes, we may end up with unforeseen setbacks.  Therefore, we have decided to postpone our roll-out until SL updates their system.  This postponement gives us an extra week to work with their update and eliminate any potential challenges.

We apologize for any inconvenience, but this will allow us to provide a better, more stable system for all of you.

Please remember to check http://www.bnjrps.com for the latest news, updates, and discussions from BNJ regarding the system we all use.

Thank you,

Kenn Nilsson
& the BNJ Team

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We want to add here that we are going to take this extra week that Linden Lab has provided us through their … inefficiency … to introduce the meter to small ‘beta groups’ and help build a base of persons who are familiar with 2.09.00 prior to the public release the day after Linden Lab finishes their 1.25 Server Version roll-out (check LL’s schedule here).  Having these small groups familiar with the 2.09.00 changes will give the wider player-base a larger help-base to go to if they have any questions during release.

In the past week we’ve managed to get the RPS 2.09.00 weapon-kit and magic-kit updates complete, as well as integrating weapons with the new dice-system advances added into version 2.09.00.  Our progress with this new meter is coming along very well, we’re very excited to show it to all of you come November 15th.  Please check often for notices about the changes and updates coming!

BNJ has also tenatively opened a CafePress shop where we’re selling a limited selection of RPS-oriented gear.  If people like it, we’ll add more.  If people don’t, it’ll likely disappear.  The prices are about as low as we can make them without having our own production shop … CafePress requires a certain base-price on each item.  If you guys and gals like the gear, let us know - even if you don’t buy it.  And if you wanna see a certain type of item available, let us know as well - we’ll see what we can do.  I mean hey, right in time for the holidays - and you know that friend who has everything doesn’t have this stuff (’cause we just released it).

First, let me proudly announce several new role-play areas now up with RPS:

Bastion City - A post-modern dystopia role play nestled in a small valley community deep in the heart of America. Built on the premise of survival of the fittest, Bastion residents are encouraged to solve problems and rebuild their tattered society.

St. Morley’s High School - A German-run high school role play area.

Caerwyn Phyrrus - A celtic medieval role play area (a world separate from the world of Ambrea)

We are also adding a new Star Wars region (in addition to Jashan, which should open soon) on Sunday.  Keep posted for additional details.

Now…what many of you medieval role-players have been waiting for eagerly - an update to magic.  A good initial rundown of the way magic has changed (and subsequent short discussion) can be found on the BNJRPS Forum here.  Many new features and additions will be posted on the Forum before they are released into the world, so if you want to be ahead of the curve - always check it!

Some quick notes about magic:  No more dual-schools; spell-strength is based purely on skill, not spell-level; both ‘Magic’ and ‘Medical’ have spell-school lines that can be learned; addition of a new spell school; customization of spell-names.

You should start seeing a much greater selection of available spells and casting items (we know that only a couple developers have bothered to release spells under the current system) from a wide range of developers very soon.  If you’d like to make spells yourself and have the skill with building and with particles, we have 2 additional slots open for magic-developers.

The next issue of SLiRP Magazine is due out December 1st.  If you want to place any classified ads (free for subscribers) or quarter/half/full page ads, now’s the time to start getting those submissions in to us.  Our first issue was a resounding success - this next issue will hopefully be even better!

Thanks for playing - enjoy your RP!