HoN 0.1.62 Test Patch, Matchmaking Game Update

Here's a quick HEROES OF NEWERTH game development update.

HoN is a game title created by S2 Games under the DBG genre.
It is currently in CLOSED BETA.

Latest Server Test: 40,000 concurrent players in a closed beta.

UPDATE: We will be patching when the Master Server comes back up tonight.

Just a heads up, we'll be putting up a test patch later today to test our next patch and our next version of Matchmaking. We will be including a Hack & Slash rework in this test patch. Come test!

To those of you unfamiliar with the test client, it's a special client that updates and installs separately from the regular beta client. When we have content that we know is going to require some more thorough testing, we put it through the test client to get the obvious bugs/issues out of the way (in addition to feedback on experimental balance changes). Some people like to ask "what's the point of the main beta test, then?" The second client really doesn't diminish the value or meaning of the primary beta test. Rather than put out a patch/update to the beta client that we know will have some glaring issues, we run it through this secondary process first. This actually helps the main beta test by not slowing it down with potentially game-breaking issues (our test patches on the pre-beta client receive minimal testing and often we'll patch multiple days in a row as we work on it, a process which would be quite troublesome if attempted on the main beta client).


To participate in the pre-beta test client games, you'll need to participate in our IRC channel. This is open to anyone who wants to join. Our IRC information is:
server: irc.s2games.com
ports: 6667
channel: #hon

Once you're in, you can use /nick to change your name.

We'll be posting the link to the test client in the topic of that channel, as well as information as to where to contribute feedback and discuss the patches.

The exact timing of the test patch's release is not known, but most of them release around 4-5 PST.


Note: This does not mean Matchmaking is coming in the next patch, just we are testing it with the rest of the content with the next patch in one fun bundle.