3/16/2005
If you get your location out of sync (usually by using backspace to leave stores instead of links), your location will
be reset when you log out and back in.
Also, the 're-send confirmation' script is fixed.
2/8/2005
More security enhancements added. Contact me if anyone sees any problems.
Scoots
2/8/2005
This message added to the bottom of every page:
Note: Tampering or altering OneBigVillage websites, data, or databases without previous consent is a crime, and will be handled appropriately.
I'm fully logging all access to our sites now, and will not tolerate hacking.
2/7/2005
We apparently still have a security hole, and some insecure little foo-foo boy is playing with our
data (he's compensating for something). I moved too many parts of the game back into play too fast.
I've restored the database, and the game is back online.
S
2/1/2005
More fixes (mostly incorrect location-hack errors). Also
fixed jailing a few days ago...
logging off would reset your status to active/current.
Now jailed pets stay jailed until release.
Reset coming soon. Just a few more things to work out - I don't want to do any more after this one.
1/26/2005
Too many fixes to list.
Coming soon: trading, craftsman, advanced techniques.
1/22/2005
Cheats
People are cheating and taking advantage sof exploits, in a couple various ways, still, so there will be add'l resets coming, possibly Monday or Tuesday. Resets
will continue until I'm confident people are no longer able to cheat. Just FYI.
I probably will not remove items, unless there are more than 10 or 20 of them.
1/19/2005
Had to handle some other work stuff today, no VP updates.
Calling for graphics! I'd like to re-work the character and monster graphics into 16x16 or 32x32 sprites... as well as the remaining "world" graphics. Human characters, both male, female, and young/old, are welcome, possibly with interachangable hair/face/clothing styles.
This would help fit more content into each map screen. We'd also need graphics re-worked and scaled down. Think "Ragnorak" online-style, or semi-disorted-anime-style.
DHTML capabilities has come a long ways in the last few years, there are some neat trick we could do to improve graphics and the interface quite a bit.
If anyone is interested, mail a couple samples to me, at scott@ripside.com.
1/18/2005
Welcome back people! More stuff is functional again... clans, fighting with mobs, treasure from mobs, using items, stores, inventory, much more.
1/17/2005
Return of the ???
Scoots (me) woke up in a wierd mood, and decided to do some OBV cleanup work. VP is being restored to
life, page by page, after fixing all the security holes. Its taking quite an effort,
so please be patient.
Work works?
3/23/02
Virtopia never looked so real!
I've released beta version 1040 of Virtopia 2 3D. This version adds a lot of graphic enhancements, optimizations, and improved networking code. The server has been upgraded too, and has been running much better today.
If you haven't checked it out our beta test, all you need is the Java 2 plugin, and Java3D, and we have direct links to those installs on the site.
If you're having problems getting the game installed, hit the official VP2 forums and ask for help!
3/17/02
What are you doing here? Our testing of Virtopia 2 3D: Legends is online! Download and install a few files, and join your friends in a true 3D gaming environment, with the entire world of Virtopia to explore.
12/6/01
The recent problems and error messages are fixed for the moment. I've recently started running several scripts to backup and maintain the database, and one of them was causing an error.
12/4/01
The introduction of the backstory to Virtopia is online! Check it out on the new VP2 site. This background story will play a major role in upcoming gameplay!
VP2 is officially in full-blown development and we'll be taking beta testing applications soon. DO NOT EMAIL me about it. It'll be first-come, first-serve when the signup for is ready. Probably next week.
Check out the official VP2 Website for a few details.
11/27/01
Attention Virtual Pet webmasters! You can now add your site to the official Fan Site list!
11/26/01
Thanks, Guys
Big props to my peeps (errr, did I really just say that?), over that the Virtopia Realm, for putting together a great Virtopia web site, with news, and some nice VP2 celebration animations--very cool =D
I'd love to see them maintain a list of all the VP/Virtopia websites out there for us to check out...
VP2 Announcement
Great news! The sequel to VP is on the way, and might be in beta testing phase in the next week or two. This is not the 3D game, "Arena", but a new version of the browser-based game, with new security enhancements and more!
- Monsters that heal, migrate, age, and live their life whether you're there or not.
- Species will have resistance against certain forms of attacks.
- New attack types!
- New species!
- A complete world--no boundaries.
- A more complex "looting" system, where monsters may have multiple items.
- Non Player Characters that will interact with you and give you hints, and possibly help you fight.
- Houses!
- Limits on carried inventory.
- A new way to exchange items or quest prizes via email.
- More realistic levelling and aging.
- Quicker character enhancements via member points. More to come on that later.
- Secure play.
- New monsters!
- New Places!
- Did I mention houses?
- A Player Killer option (PK's can only attack other PK's).
- Safe, secure Guardian Council meeting place and enhanced guardian powers.
- Much, much more.
11/15/01
The "Username in use" or "email in use" error has really been fixed.
11/14/01
The "must enter valid username" signup problem has been fixed.
10/20/01
Cyber Terrorism?
Have to wonder if people like being referred to as terrorists these days.
A few players have been banned from the server and their accounts deleted for tampering with the game.
Please do not let me find you poking around, doing things you shouldn't.
These sites help to support my family--anyone trying to do harm to this game needs to be slapped and have their heads examined. It's FREE, people. Appreciate it. If it continues I'll start reporting IP addresses to authorities.
10/18/01
As of 9:10PM CST Scoots is in game.
10/17/01
Scoots is in game again, as "Scoots", as of 1:42pm CST.
10/16/01
I was on the server briefly this afternoon, and promptly jailed 4 times. A guardian lost their priviledges. Guardians please, be sure who're jailing before you act.
VP updates coming soon!
8/28/2001
The site is back up , but play at your own risk. Until a newer, secure version of the game can be released, we can't promise that people won't use cheats to affect other player's accounts.
6/14/2001
Wonder why Virtual Petz isn't being updated? Check out the image at THIS LINK to see why...
5/16/2001
We still haven't moved yet--it should be today.
Virtopia 2 In Development!
Virtual Petz 2(to be known as Virtopia 2) is now in development. This will be an all-new system, and will require a small download to your PC, as well as a brief installation procedure. We may merge the download and install process into a simple automatic browser-based install, but either way, we'll make it as simple as possible.
The new game will most likely be real-time (no screen refreshes), potentially feature sound effects and player/monster animation, as well as a secure, almost cheat-proof system. (If cheating does happen, we'll know immediately).
That's all I can say now, so look for more news over the next few weeks--I'm expecting about 6-7 weeks before it's release.
And yes, V2 will be free, but in order to keep it that way, there will likely be a simple free offer (for example, a mailing list) that you'll need to sign up for from one of our sponsors. That will activate your account for a period of time (let's say 30 days). From time to time, to keep the account active, we'll have you do someting similar. A quick 30 seconds of our users' time will keep the game free forever!
5/13/2001
Virtopia Moving!
Make sure you're using the url below to get to Virtual Petz--we're relocating our servers and the old IP/Port address will no longer work!
http://petz.pokemonvillage.com
On a side, note, we will not be charging for Virtual Petz. We are looking into other means of sponshorship, which might require you to sign up for a mailing list, or some sort of free service in order to get a new character, or maybe to get new items. At this point we're just trying to cover the expenses of keeping the game running.
We're also considering selling T-Shirts. If you'd be interested, let us know on the message boards! Also, let us know if $18-$20 would be too much for a shirt! The price would most like be around that unless we sold pretty big quantities.
4/10/2001
Virtopia not Free?
I'd like to get everybody's feedback on an idea--our recent promotion went poorly, many, many people cheated on the fragment quest, and our sponsors weren't pleased with the results.
We're considering moving to limited play-time, probably 4 hours a month, for non-paying/trial accounts, and unlimited time for a small fee ($3-$5/month would be likely). This would also mean that we'd be putting a lot more areas into the game, new monsters, items, and more, and possibly a part-time Supreme Guardian to monitor things during peak play hours.
This is not a sure thing--we're just looking for new ways to pay for the server equipment and bandwidth that's eaten up each month.
We'd like your feedback! What would you be willing to pay? Would 4 hours a month be enough if you didn't want to pay? If you did pay, what would you expect to see added to the game? Visit this forum page to post your thoughts.
4/9/2001
The banner-click incentive for Fragments is over--feel free to support our site by clicking on any ad banners, but you will no longer get a free fragment when doing so.
3/23/2001
Rhyne is online, as is the remainder of the new quest. Remember, click on the ad banners to get "Fragments." New items are in, and a new teleporter has been placed somewhere near Tofutti that connects to Rhyne--look for it! Remember, mousing over a teleporter will reveal it's destination.
3/21/2001
Cheating: We're sick of it. We know exactly how many banners have been clicked on, and for some reason the number of items given from that action is about 10 times too high. I ask for the last time for people not to cheat by manually entering or altering URL's to get free items or gain other advantages. I'll be deleting more accounts today as I see the cheating happen. If I have to babysit this game to stop the cheating, I'll shut it down.
3/20/2001
New Quest is under way! While it's not 100% complete, you can begin collecting a new rare item... you'll find them on various monsters in Virtopia, or, you can help support Virtopia and click on the banner ad at the top of any page... one of the new item will be credited to your inventory immediately! Click as often as you want, but you must reload the page between clicks.
More details about the quest will be released later today.
|
The Virtopia Herald All the News that's Virtually Fit to be Print New Mystic Craftsman to Move into Rhyne |
3/11/2001
Several hundred accounts have been removed for innapropriate usernames, pet nicknames, or passwords. We're doing what we can to make Virtopia a "nice" place to be, but some people are intent on ruining the fun for others.
2/8/2001
PLEASE STOP sending requests to be a guardian. I'm so overwhelmed with emails about making this person or that person a guardian, I'm not able to keep up with things that really need attention. If it doesn't stop, I'm going to start jailing anyone who sends me an email asking to be a guardian.
Updates have also been made to try and block unauthorized use of guardian powers.
1/25/2001
Guardians are coming! I have a few people picked, but I'd like everyone to hop on the messageboards and nominate 5 more people. Create a new topic for each nominee, then vote for them by posting a message. I won't read the messages, I'll just count the replies. SPAM WON'T COUNT, and the replies (votes) must be by a registered profile account. If there's too much spam, I'll activate the required registration/logon on the VP boards.
1/23/2001
Somebody is sending email to our members posing as staff, offering information about Arena 3.0 and asking for your current password information. DO NOT give out this information to anyone, ever. Administrators have the ability to look up a password by only the username or pet name. If we ask for a password, it is only to verify a person's identity for changes or fixes that a person may request.
The only email you should ever send a password to is scoots@quakecity.net. Please let us know (at that same address) if you receive any requests for passwords from anyone else, asking you to send information to some other address.
|
The Virtopia Herald All the News that's Virtually Fit to be Print Guardians Weapons Factory Found in Cooperstown We'll have more news as it comes in! New Food Shipments Are In In the last month, the Tofutti and Bayspeak food shortage has been wiping out the population faster than a great grunge. These shipments may not last long, and the dangers that lie in the mountains to the east are still unknown. More brave souls will be risking their lives to make the journey to Rhyne for additional food stores. Watch for signup sheets being distributed soon in both Tofutti and Bayspeak. |
12/27/2000
Referrals are fixed!
12/18/2000
The Virtual Petz site has moved to: http://petz.pokemonvillage.com. PLEASE update your bookmarks!
12/13/2000
You can now use more than one Lifepoint at a time!
11/27/2000
Some people don't understand what "swearing" means. If you wouldn't say it to a teacher or in church without somebody getting a little peeved, DON'T SAY IT HERE. I won't make a list of what words will cause your account to be suspended, just KEEP IT CLEAN and you won't have to worry about it.
11/25/2000
A few updates to improve language filters and a couple of cheats (multiple attacks, etc) were (hopefully) blocked.
11/22/2000
New accounts will require a valid email address. This is part of the banning system for those users who refuse to abide by our simple rules.
11/20/2000
The November quest can now be completed. As usual, hit the pub in Bayspeak, and talk to the pubkeep there to get clues on what to do!
11/16/2000
I've added code to (hopefully) prevent the site from being framed. That will only mean something to those of you using various control panel framesets to cheat.
11/14/2000
Earn more Holorus Stones! Now, once per game session, you can earn one extra Eye of Holorus Stone by clicking on the top banner ad, and supporting our sponsors (and therefore Virtopia)! This is for a limited time only, and the extra stones DO COUNT towards the November contest.
Wondering what you'll do with all those Holorus Stones after the contest? The remainder of the November quest will be online this week, and those questions will be answered!
11/11/2000
11/10/2000
11/8/2000
11/7/2000
11/5/2000
11/1/2000
10/31/2000
10/30/2000
10/26/2000
New Monster! The Species page has been udpated with all the available information.
New city is online. I won't say where it is, or how to get there--ask around, hit the message boards or the chat room, or go looking for the new teleporter! Our new contest is online! The person who can collect the most "Eye of Holorus" stones by Midnight (CST) November 30th, 2000, will win their choice of a new gaming console (subject to availability). Second and third place winners will receive their choice of any video game cartridge or CD-ROM for a video game console or PC (value up to $75)!
Anyone found using a work-around, cheat, robots, external programs other than a standard web browser, modified URL or repeated clicking (prevented a full page load) will be disqualified.
10/20/2000
The new quest is almost ready! Watch for ancient ruins and the skeletons of huge creatures across the landscape... new areas will be open today!
The clan list is now broken down into groups of 40, and much easier to view and navigate.
10/3/2000
The winner of the September contest is "rubydragon". As soon as he contacts us we'll announce his choice of prizes. Even though his method of levelling his pet was *not* what we had in mind, and not in the spirit of the game, the conditions of our contest was not specific enough, and he did have the highest level pet at the time stated.
We're also awarding the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place winners their choice of any game on Games Universe. Here's the results:
1st Place rubydragon
2nd Place PoKeMaSta2
3rd Place SS
4th Place drawong
5th Place CrAzY_MoFo
Watch for more contests coming soon!
9/22/2000
Lots of new things today!
9/21/2000
I began the clean-up of the Clan pages.
New City
Fort Sumner is under construction, but now accessible from a teleporter south of Tofutti. BEWARE, as there are some really nasty beasts in the area. Check out the Species Compendium for the scoop on the latest creatures.
9/20/2000
Evolution Complete
Evolution is now in the game. We won't tell you how it's possible, or how to complete your evolution, it's up to you to find out!
New Monsters, New Items
A new monster has been added to the Species Compendium.
All items needed to complete the first quest are now in the game.
The Evolution Tower is almost ready for business.
9/19/2000
World Maps have been updated and a new area added to the map list.
The new quest is underway, and people are beginning to catch on after many clues... The picture to the left is a key location in the new quest, and you'll surely be running across it in your journeys! Remember, pay strict attention to what the barkeep in Bayspeak tells you, and that he may have different things to say each time you visit him!
The glitch in the Crafstman code that mis-counted the number of items he requires for a gift has been corrected.
9/18/2000
The First Quest is underway! This quest will not be for the light-hearted, you'll need to do some serious fighting to complete it, but it'll be well worth your time! Visit the pub in Bayspeak for possible clues. (Hint: Each time you chat with the pubkeep, he'll give you different messages!)
Major Update: Monsters now carry random items on them, and occasionally you'll find very valuable loot on them! After relinquishing a monster, you'll be taken to a new screen that will tell you of the spoils you've found.
Energy Idols now work properly.
News break--terrifying stick-like monsters were spotted South East of Tofutti, in a heavily forested area! Brave adventures are finding their way back, telling great tales of horrible, disfigured stick creatures with deadly, flailing arms and legs. Be wary! Check out the Species page for more details.
Rumors have it that a new species of monster has been discovered along the coastline near Bayspeak.
An error on the "Buying" page is fixed.
9/15/2000
Monsters have invaded Tofutti! There are now monsters seen occasionally roaming the hillsides around Toffuti. To battle them, click on the monster, then select an attack (if you have enough energy to attack). They WILL follow you if they choose to, and will do a lot of damage, so be prepared to fight, or be ready to run!
You can now click on other players to view their stats.
Rewrote much of the map loading routines, using some new caching techniques, which should result in faster movement around the maps. Remeber, selecting "Show Other Players" will page loading down a tad.
There's a new location! Somewhere around Bayspeak is a small pub, where if you are nice enough to the bartender, he may offer you some valuable information!
9/14/2000
Energy, Strength and Wisdom Idols now work! Activate them from the Inventory screen!
Clan pages are ready! You can sign up for a new clan, let people apply to join, and select which ones can join or not!
Clan pages coming soon! Your clan can sign up and get a web page on our site dedicated to your clan or guild! List your members, schedule meetings and training sessions, and more!
9/13/2000
Monsters are invading Virtopia! Have no fear, as of now they can't harm your pet! But soon... watch the daily news updates here for more info.
Made some changes to take advantage of Windows 2000 ASP enhancements that should speed up moving around in the game.
Added code to prevent use of more than one account at a time.
9/12/2000
A minor change in database code should greatly improve performance when "show other players" is turned on!
City maps have been added to the World Maps page, including Bayspeak and an updated Tofutti map.
Minor updates today, including some new animation. You'll flickering campfires, swaying palm trees, and the teleporters shooting lightning. Watch for continued visual improvements daily.
9/11/2000
A new town has been discovered! Bayspeak is on the Northeast corner of Virtopia, and has it's own Merchant Hall and Arena! Look for a teleporter to Bayspeak near the Clan Hall.
The Clan Meeting Hall has opened! Look for it just East of Tofutti.
New Maps of Virtopia have been released, both for reference, and for use as Windows wallpaper!! Check out the World Maps page to download.
Teleporters have been opened to speed travel between the town of Tofutti and the Toffutian Outpost. Just click on a teleporter to instantly travel to the destination teleporter.
9/9/2000
Strange devices have shown up in the world, with an eerie purplish glow! What are they? What will they do?!? Find out soon...
Added "Show Other Players" feature--it will slow down your pages somewhat, but is worth it if you're adventuring with a friend! Click on "Show Other Players" on your options menu on the main page to activate!
Added a screenshots page.
9/8/2000
The problem with deleting the message at the end of a battle has been corrected.
Minor performance improvements/code reduction in the main page should speed up moving about the world a bit.
Lots of changes today:
- You can now find items while exploring the world! Watch for a treasure chest to appear, and click on it! You can keep the treasure you find, or sell it at a nearby shop!
- Items you've purchased can now be used from the inventory screen.
- Buying and selling are both online! Visit a shop to purchase an item, or sell something you don't need! There are more than 1 shops in the world, and each shop has it's own individual pricing.
- Rumors are spreading of a new shop that's been found North East of Tofutti, and that is has more powerful health kits and energy potions! But watch out, prices in a remote location such as this may not be cheap!
- Training Dojo's are online!
- The world has grown! Check out the current World Map to see the places you can explore!
The competition for the Dreamcast/PlayStation/N64 giveaway is really heating up! There's fierce competition for the top spot, and there's still 22 days left to go! Eagle has not only lost the #1 spot to Itchy, but fallen to 4th place behind CYBER and Lord Zophar, all N'Dorian. The top 4 ranks are all withing 4 levels of each other--it's going to be a tough battle to keep the #1 rank!
9/7/2000
Fixed a problem where a URL could be modified during sign-up to alter stats of a new Pet. Accounts I find where this was cleary used as a "cheat" will be deleted or modified.
The store should be online today, along with some navigational changes to make things a little easier.
9/6/2000
To battle in the Petz Arena, you must select "travel" from the menu after logging in, and click on the Castle. You'll see a list of people on-line, their stats and their availability.
Lots of changes today, and I've realized a lot of places where navigation and layout need major improvement, or this game is going to get too confusing for anyone to play ;) Watch for continued improvements over the new few weeks.
New World Engine Coming!
I'm refitting the world map engine from the Pokemon Village Online Arena for Virtual Petz! This new version will feature much better graphics, higher performance, less bandwidth usage and virtually unlimited areas to explore! Keep your eyes peeled for announcements!
9/5/2000
New species! Archaeologists have discovered the "Paoloidians", an insect-like species with incredible speed and strength. Sign up to get yours today!
Also, more level adjustments. Please remember, the level number has nothing to do with your pet's skills and abilities, and is purely a way to compare your pet to others. Reducing your level number doesn't affect your pet in any way!
9/4/2000
Major changes in the levelling formulas today. This reduces everyone's level significantly, and when you're higher level, will require more experience to level. BUT, you'll earn 1/10th of your level in lifepoints when you DO level. A level 40 pet will get FOUR lifepoints when moving to level 41!
9/2/2000
Win A DreamCast, PlayStation or N64 with Pokemon Stadium!
Our September contest will be a big one... and a simple one! Whoever has the highest level Virtual Pet at 11:59PM CST on the last day of September, will get their choice of a Sony Playstation, Sega Dreamcast, or Nintendo 64 with Pokémon Stadium!
Even though there are already some Petz over level 20, you still have plenty of time to get your Pet caught up!
9/1/2000
2:52 PM CST: The Petz Battle Arena is open! Find somebody to challenge, wake up your Pet and go to it! Lots of other adjustments/improvements/fixes today, but most notably is the "Who's Online" list.
8/31/2000
10:02 AM CST: Petz will now go to sleep automatically if their energy level falls below 5%.
9:06 AM CST: You can now "train" your Pet to increase one of the three primary skill groups! Just make sure your Pet has plenty of energy!
8:47 AM CST: Reduced the XP req'd to level, adjusted the curve. A lot of people will benefit from this right away.
8:44 AM CST: Added "Psychic Shove" to the list of techniques. It's a level 6 psychic attack that requires an INT of 20.
8/30/2000
5:23 PM CST: Help page has been updated.
4:38 PM CST: You can now spend Life Points to increase your skills and learn new Techniques (attacks)!
3:10 PM CST: Techniques menu is up, though you can't learn new techniques yet. This will give you an idea on what skills to concentrate your Life Point spending on!
1:50 PM CST: Levels will now increase at various intervals, depending on your Pet'z experience points. Life Points, and XP needed for next level are now shown.
10:58 AM CST: Added images! A few pictures depicting your Pet'z mood have been added, and I'll be adding more throughout the day.
9:44 AM CST: Putting your pets to bed now speeds up their healing, slows down hunger growth and increases energy replenishment.
8/29/2000
10:24 PM CST: You'll notice the new Petz image on the upper left of each page... images are coming soon!
7:50 PM CST: The problem on the main.asp page with new accounts throwing a "Invalid use of Null" error is corrected.
3:30 PM CST: Virtual Petz are now online! While we only have the most basic features in place, we're now accepting adoption applications for Virtual Petz!
