New Version Roll-out to Planets.nu

For the past several months we have been working on an upgrade to the Planets user interface. One that builds on the core framework we've tuned and improved over the past 10 years. This new version is the first substantial screen design change over that period. 

There are 2 major reasons we've decided to make this change. First and foremost we want to create a single unified user experience that scales from desktop all the way down to mobile screens. Second, we wanted to upgrade the look and feel of our 10 year old platform to a more modern experience. 

As we have built the new version, an important part of the process has been ensuring that transitioning to the new version would be relatively easy. The new version is an upgrade, it will feel familiar, but it has some obvious differences that take a little getting used to. 

In addition to the design upgrades we have been incorporating more and more features designed to make it easy for new players to join and learn the game. Simpler rule sets for beginners, better tutorial systems and a mobile friendly UI. 

These changes are working. 

For the first time in several years we are seeing significant returns on our efforts to grow the community. Newcomers which have been directed to the new version are staying and playing. 

To help make that experience consistent across our platform we will be replacing Planets.nu with the new version. 

Existing Version and User Scripts

The current version will continue to be available at http://play.planets.nu once we change over. There will be an easy one click link from inside the Planets.nu version to "go back to the old version". We will continue to support the old version for core functionality, but new features and enhancements will only be occurring on the new version after the cut over. 

We expect that quite a few user scripts will continue to function on the new version. The new version is fundamentally the same as the old, but has significant UI changes. Therefore, some of them may have UI issues that need to be addressed or may not function without some tweaks. 

You are welcome to use the old version as long as you like. You are not forced to change, but we hope you will. :)  

Testing and Fixes

This is a new and significant change. We have been testing and improving upon it for several months now and many turns have been played on the new version. However, this version has not had 10 years of "hardening" so it is entirely possible that some lesser used features or situations have not been correctly converted. For this we ask that you help us in testing the new version by starting to play some of your turns on it. You can play on desktop on the new version right now by going to http://mobile.planets.nu and logging in to play there. 

Timing

We are hoping to make the change over to the new version within the next 2-3 weeks. We will attempt to quickly fix any reported issues. We currently have 1 significant missing piece - the battle simulator - but this to be completed before the release.  

These are exciting times for our game and the future of Planets Nu. Please continue to welcome the new players who are arriving and help us succeed with the upgrades and changes we are making. We will continue to do our best to improve your experience and fun while playing Planets!  

As always your feedback is welcome and appreciated.