April Fool's 2008

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:49 pm

Given the average amount of time it takes to do things here, I'd say we start planning April Fool's early.

The basic idea I discussed with tank on IRC is that we could run a fake server that reports itself as being version 0.4.0_alpha20080401, filled with a couple of fake players (maybe a changing random selection of developers and made up names) and featuring threedimensional maps. Obviously it would have to reject any client that tries to connect as being too old.
Maybe even publish a news entry on armagetronad.net and a forums post advertising an alpha release of 0.4.0, which would be a modified client that segfaults in some obscure way when started… I'm getting carried away, time to stop

Anyways, feel free to rip it apart or suggest something else!

Post by **Tank Program** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:05 am

As I indicated in irc, I'm partial towards this idea.

Post by **Lucifer** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:28 am

Well, I'm way too busy to worry about any april fool's pranks this time, so anything that lets me smile and bask in some share of credit without actually doing work is fine with me.

Your_mom · Post by **Your_mom** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:25 pm

You could post this [attached image] on the front page(going along with wrtls plans for 3d movement). I rendered it [over] a year ago in blender for no real reason. Their's actual lighting and some rendering anomalies but you could chalk that up to bugs in the "new 3d engine".

You don't have to use it, just thought it might be useful in convincing people.

Website · Post by **Z-Man** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:14 pm

The fake server is ready. It'll claim to be version 0.9_alpha8389 and have these users popping in and out randomly:

Code: Select all

static char const * names[] = { "Tank Program", "Lucifer", "Z-Man", "wrtlprnft|mbc", "joda.bot", "|x|~epsy", "dlh", "Your_mom" ,"luke-jr", "k@work", "marrow", "klax", "philippeqc", "subby" };

I thought it would be nice to include the oldtimers as well

I'm not sure about the clan tags, please correct me if I got them wrong.

I didn't take much care to make the popping realistic. If people watch it closely, they'll notice the order in which people appear is always the same, and there are no authenticated names reported.

Name suggestion: "Bugfarm Cubed". This leaves it open to the imagination of people what the server does exactly. The options say "True 3D, Yeah Baby!".

I've made it so that the server appears as a regular server in the browser and not as an incompatible one at the bottom of the list where nobody would spot it. All connection attempts are refused with the usual incompatibility error, of course. There's our chance to point people who have fallen for it to an URL, maybe with mom's "screenshot" and fake download links that lead to screenfilling APRIL FOOL graphics. I think the URI displayed in the server browser should stay at the default. We shouldn't do a news item either, otherwise all our news items will be silly April fools jokes some day

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:20 pm

Here's my version of the patch: http://armagetron.at/~armagetronad/stuff/cube.patch

I already have the server running at armagetron.at:4108, not talking to the masters of course. Note the port number

If luke doesn't complain I'll just add the temporary cube/ subdir on beta.aa.net directly and commit to SVN later.

I also hacked my own version of the screenshot. I think it's convincing enough, I couldn't do any better without getting kicked from café for not grinding.

Website · Post by **Z-Man** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:19 pm

What's going to be in the cube directory? The crashing client?

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:27 am

Either that or the HTML page you suggested, with the screenshot and a couple of fake download links. Maybe only have the windows link lead to a crashing client, linux users probably won't fall for a patch that only contains garbage.

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:06 pm

Ok, seeing that it's april 1 in some parts of the world already the server just started talking to the masters. http://beta.armagetronad.net/cube/ is a bit lame, if you have any suggestions feel free to make them.

Website · Post by **Z-Man** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:38 pm

Nah, it's perfect

We wouldn't want to put more energy into an afd joke than into a real realease. Good job.

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:37 pm

/me requests that we move this thread to some public forum when AFD is over.

Website · Post by **Z-Man** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:30 pm

/me seconds that. So no talk about next year's prank

Can we add the names of those players that claimed it works for them to the list of random players on the server?

wrtlprnft · Post by **wrtlprnft** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:50 pm

Done and restarted.

Code: Select all

    static char const * names[] = { "wrtlpwnd |me|", "CuRbSidE", "ct-voodoo", "ender |mbc|", "ct-kyle",  "Tank Program"         , "Lucifer"       , "Z-Man"       , "wrtlprnft |mbc|" , "joda.bot", "\246\327\246epsy", "dlh", "Your_mom", "luke-jr", "k@work", "marrow", "klax", "philippeqc", "subby" };
    static char const * auths[] = { ""            ,  ""        , ""         , ""           , ""       ,  "Tank\\ Program@forums", "Lucifer@forums", "Z-Man@forums", "wrtlprnft@forums", ""        , "epsy@x"          , ""   , ""        , ""       , ""      , ""      , ""    , ""          , ""      };

Post by **Lucifer** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:11 pm

Haha, that's cool. So people who figured out it was a prank get some recognition.

Post by **Tank Program** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:35 am

Well, I think this worked pretty well this year.