Status Update: Version 1.420 Bug Fix

Thanks to Hurricane Isaac, our bug fix for the "rare mutation" mentioned on the 25th had to be delayed a little... We used the extra time to address some other issues that arise when back-crossing earlier Limited Edition plants with the new version, as well as add a new mutation and a couple of cool appearance features.

• In addition to the new Blonde Lebanese strain mentioned in the earlier post here, we added three previous Limited Editions to the internal database that every seed carries. Version 1.420 females are now fully compatible with foliage from Giant Champion, RFL Pink Ribbon, and American Beauty papas, and those cool LE foliages are no inheritable!
   
• Second, the "bug fix" seeds will feature a special "Dayglo Bright" mutation (25% chance) that sets foliage into full bright node.
   
• Third, plants rotate randomly from zero to 180 degrees at germination to help break up the monotony of a row of identical plants.
    
  
• And lastly, there's a 50:50 chance that the foliage texture will flip left to right at each growth interval, again to provide a little more visual interest to your gardens.
  
  

Hopefully, the post Isaac clean-up won't take too long, and the bug fix (tentatively labelled 1.420 K-9) should be in the store by week's end. 

A rare mutation has been discovered in version 1.420k2 offspring. 

This ONLY affects purebred offspring where both parents are the same type.  When germinated, these plants will display the version number instead of the correct name, and the banner will not show all the stats. 

The solution is simple: RENAME the plants.  This forces a complete refresh of the banner & stats.

In honor of this discovery, we will be releasing a Limited Edition (with bug fix) in the next day or so - BLONDE LEBANESE!

Version 2.10 Update

Icon for New ḈḁṇṇḁḇḭṦḼ HUD

Things have been really busy at the ḈḁṇṇḁḇḭṦḼ Skunk Works lately! We're very close to having Version 2.10 ready for beta testing and a projected roll-out later this month!  (And yes, it's Version 2.10 because that's half of 4.20.)

All the new features originally planned for the update -- one-prim sculpty build, potential for multiple offspring from a single female, inheritance of dad's foliage and not just mom's, and dwarf/giant mutants -- are functional.  We're doing accelerated testing, cleaning up the scripts, testing, collecting statistical data, and did we mention testing?  Along the line, we've finalized some critical details and added an exciting new feature.

First, the odds of multiple seed production...  Each female has an 80% chance of producing one seed brick, a 15% chance of producing two, and a 5% chance of producing three.  This translates into a total yield of about 125% of the original seed "investment." Extensive offline testing of the scripts showed that actual yields varied from 117% to 127%.  In-world tests with small batches (up to 8 generations of five to ten initial seeds)  have all showed acceptable gains.  What this means is that you are not likely to see your breeding stock "fizzle out" after several generations.

As mentioned in a post last month, offspring now have a 33% chance of displaying the father's foliage color (and not just the mom's like version 1).  This is inheritable, and we've observed test grows morph from the mom's coloration to the dad's coloration in a couple of generations (with a bit of "statistical luck").

Several breeders have commented that plants "grow up too fast."  We're changing some of the growth rates to make things a little more manageable, and Version 2.10 will be changing to a 90 minute growth cycle.  This will make your plants grow about 50% slower, but it will also mean that your mature males will remain viable for six days instead of four!

Finally, responding to numerous requests from growers, we've developed a simple HUD to let you toggle hovertext banners on and off, switch between private/public messaging in local chat, and feed whole groups of plants at the same time with just a couple of mouse clicks.  What's more, the HUD system can be set up to control several different groups of plants independently, and you can share a HUD (and your password) with a trusted friend or partner so they can take care of your plants if you have to be away for several days!  The HUD will be distributed free with seed packs and starter kits.

We're excited, and we hope you are too! Happy Growing! 

ḈḁṇṇḁḇḭṦḼ PLANT FOOD JUMBO CRATES

By popular demand, ḈḁṇṇḁḇḭṦḼ Plant Food Spikes are now available in 10-packs to make things easier for folks who have been buying lots of the 2-packs. Save time and money! Fewer boxes to open, fewer folders to juggle, and for a limited time, our 10-packs contain eleven spikes. One box, one folder, more food! "Buy 10, get one free." L$500 only at our store in The Borough