Given how close in proximity we are to a release, I think it’s time that I go over a few of the more major (if also controversial) changes that lay ahead. As I see it, it’s only fair that you guys get some foresight to what’s about to go down in the next little while.

As Bill Nye once said, please “Consider the Following” for v2.0.5′s release:

• As a result of the MS Reform, we can no longer provide legacy support for older SRB2 versions on the Master Server. In other words, upon launch, no official/unofficial version of SRB2 prior to v2.0.5 will be compatible with the MS. Attempting to connect to the MS with these versions will result in the game locking up. This includes v2.0.4 (and all of its respective EXE mods), 1.09.X, SRB2JTE, and any other version you can think of. There’s nothing we can do to retain compatibility with the new MS, so you’re just going to have to play over IP.
• The Master Server banlist will be purged at launch. Since we are rewriting the MS rules, it makes sense to clean the slate of those stuck beneath our old rules.
• The old “reporting” system has been redone from scratch to suit the needs of the new Master Server, and has been completely integrated with our message board software.
  • I’d also like to take this moment to discourage those who go around and join netgames for the sole purpose of finding a server to file a complaint about. We are redesigning the MS rules with this goal in mind, and hope that the complaint box will be used only when absolutely necessary.
• Due to the changes to the IWAD and the in-game physics, all time attack records and demos will be invalid.
• Oogaland’s SRB2 Launcher (not to be confused with the launcher on the download page) will not be compatible with v2.0.5, and will cease to function after its release.

More info on what’s changing (including the full 204-to-205 changelog) to come at launch. See you then!

Because you’ve all been really nice and patient with us regarding v2.0.5 (trust me, we’re almost ready!), here’s a little something that we’d like to share with you in return. Fellow STJr. programmer and Wiki maintainer Inuyasha has been posting a few v2.0.5 clips of his own to his personal YouTube, highlighting some new minor additions and ‘interesting’ achievements he’s accomplished in the game. See for yourself:

In unrelated news, the MS Reform testing that occurred on May 9th went on without a hitch, and everything was confirmed to be in good working order. With some luck, the transition to v2.0.5 should be the most stable and flawless transition yet.

Going from a concept to a physical and enjoyable stage isn’t always easy.

The difference between the concept and the stage itself can range from trivial (where the level was sketched out and replicated in a WAD editor nearly line-for-line) to grossly different (the level sketch was used as the concept’s foundation while the level itself was considerably altered), depending on the mapmaker. In either case, concept sketches are as beneficial to the design process as they are interesting to look back on and see where it all came from.

Continue reading after the jump to see some concept sketches of some of SRB2′s multiplayer stages. These sketches range from six months to over eight years old.

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