Game Announcement: Chococo Race! Release Version 1.0.1

I am glad to finally announce the release of the online multi-player Chocobo Race! I had planned to wait until I have finished fixing all of the bugs and completed the map design, but the chocobo race is so complex that it will probably never be completely finished So I have decided to release the first beta version for you guys to try out. Now when you visit your Chocobo Farm, you will see a new "race" link in your chocobo options. Clicking on this link will take the chocobo you have selected into the race browser.

Here is where you can view the current races going on for you to join, or you may create your own race. Once you join or create a race you will be taken to a waiting room where you may chat with other racers before you begin the race.

The controls for the race are:

LEFT ARROW - Move racer to the left
RIGHT ARROW - Move racer to the right
SPACEBAR - Jump
H KEY - Stamina Boost
J KEY - Shoot a Carob Nut

Make sure that when you are directed to the actual race to click inside of the Flash screen so that your controls will work during the race. These are only simple pointers so I will leave the rest of the details to anyone who wants to create a FAQ regarding the chocobo race.

If you play the game normally you may never discover any of the weird bugs. I have programmed thousands of lines of code nonstop for the past few weeks and most of them are to prevent cheating. So if you do anything out of the ordinary you may trigger the cheat system which may cause your chocobo to automatically lose, get stuck in the game, etc. So it is best to just race and have fun However I am sure there are normal ways of encountering these bugs. A huge thanks to Shandris for taking the time to create all of the great chocobo image animations and the cool chocobo race banner Another special thanks to sasha for giving me some pointers on how to integrate the AJAX programming language into the game.

The chocobo map "Choco Land" will be getting a MAJOR overhaul so the top record times may be reset when the new map is in place to make sure that the records are fair for all players.

*PLANNED FUTURE FEATURES*

1. Integrate chocobo stats into race so they play a larger factor in the outcome of race - DONE!
2. Moving tiles used to climb a wall in Choco Land
3. Possible for chocobo to do a "long jump" short distance flying across map
4. Special item awarded to winner of race
5. New map named Brumos Village.
6. Sound effects and background music with user turn on/off function
7. Global Chocobo Billy message so you can send invitations to other rooms.
8. Ability to race again in same race after completion.

I am sure you guys will encounter a few bugs and this is another reason for the early release since I need to see how the game reacts to multiple users playing at once. If you have any questions or problems please ask in the Chocobo Forum. Thanks again and hope that you like the game!