Hello again, redpills. Welcome to the first The Matrix Online producer letter of the year. Let's get the ball rolling with the first big topic.
New "Datamine" Construct is In!
If you haven't checked out Update 58 yet, then you're missing out on a great new construct added to The Matrix Online. The Datamine construct is a "free-for-all" style player-versus-player area in the game, allowing players to take on all comers, even those in the same Organization.
You'll also find the construct filled with active data nodes for you to mine, another first for the constructs. The Anniversary Event update will include new luggable Data Taps available only in Datamine. These will be must-have items for maximizing your $info extraction, but because only a few will be available, finding and keeping one away from all the other operatives will be a real challenge.
Jack in and head to your Organization's Archivist to check out the new construct.
A Fond Farewell to Paul Chadwick
As recently announced, Paul Chadwick has decided it's time for him to move on with other projects. It's been great working with him over the past four years and the team wishes him all the best in the future.
Paul wrote the first six chapters of The Matrix Online story during development of the game. He also created the material for The Sentinel in-game newspaper and storyboarded our cinematics. His work has been an integral part of MxO for years and we will miss his contributions to the ongoing storyline.
Fortunately Paul and Rarebit worked closely on the story over the past three years, so moving forward won't be a problem. Rarebit has already mapped out the storyline for the next year and more, so things will be proceeding much as they have in the past.
Cinematics and The Sentinel
Last year we committed to completing cinematics for each chapter up through and including the recently released Chapter 9.3. We've had a lot of fun making our story cinematics, and you've had fun unabashedly critiquing them, but after a three-year run, the time has come to continue the story through other means.
So we're reviving the long-neglected in-game newspaper, The Sentinel. Rarebit, with some help from the Live Events Special Interest Group, will continue building The Matrix Online story through new editions of the newspaper that flesh out what's going on in the missions and daily events. Look for updates coming to newspaper stands by your favorite hardlines in the near future!
The Matrix Online Third Anniversary
Believe it or not, The Matrix Online is about to turn three! (That's 11 for all you binary folk out there.) On March 19, 2005, redpills who preordered the game jacked in to the world for the first time. Three days later, the floodgates opened and we began learning about living in the Matrix after the truce.
We'll be celebrating our anniversary between March 20 and April 3 this year to allow two full weekends of play. The Smith virus will return for its annual infection of the system, along with twelve new T-shirt designs, and new consumable items to help fight off...the inevitable.
Jack in and join the fun!
It's not every massively-multiplayer online game that gets to celebrate its third anniversary. Many never even make it out the gate much less survive their first year. Thanks to all our players out there for continuing to jack in and fighting the good fight--whatever fight you consider "the good one", that is.
See you on the other side.
Cheers,
Walrus
