Hey.

I’m back with tons of GE updates for you guys.

1) Extension of Closed Beta Testing (CBT)

I’ve been hearing your heart-wrenching pleas to extend the CBT phase and have taken the case up with the Gods of Vespanola (Read: IAH’s Level 100 Bosses). And yes! The Gods of Vespanola have spoken and agreed to extend the lifespan of CBT for another 2 weeks. CBT will officially end on 19^th March 2007.

2) Pre-Open Beta Testing (POBT)

Pre-Open Beta testing phase will begin in mid April. I’m really excited about this since the version we will be using is V2.0, which has tons more game content! I will elaborate more on this in my future updates, but for now here are some exciting statistics:

	Granado Espada Versions
Statistics	V1.8.23	V2.0
Maps	25	181
Quests	72	395
Items	2393	3219
Recruitable NPCs	32	39
Total NPCs	52	150

Pre-Open Beta Testing phase will last for about a month before we go into the Open Beta phase and eventually into Commercial Launch. As for the most frequently asked question which continually makes its guest star appearance in my email Inbox (Yes. The question of whether we will be going the P2P way or the F2P way). We are still in careful deliberations over this matter. Tentatively, our decision will be announced on the website towards the end of pre-open beta testing phase.

Oh wait. I almost forgot to mention. The best news of all - there will be NO character wipes after the pre-open beta phase! Woot!

3) CBT In-Game Event: 3^rd March, 2007, 2pm (GMT +8)

There will be an in-game event on 3^rd March, 2007, 2pm (GMT +8). More details can be found here. Here’s some off-the-record stuff: I heard it through the grapevine that there may be a second round of the same event being held at a later time in that same day. So even if you don’t manage to win in the first round of treasure hunt, do stick around in-game longer and you might just get lucky!

4) CBT Contests

Since we are halfway through CBT, I think it’s about time we have a little chat about the CBT contests. You know me - there’s nothing I love more than a little elusive mystery and suspense. So well, I’m just going to say that there will be around 20 winners in total and that the contests have been short-listed down to those listed below. As for how many winners there are for each contest… it will only be revealed at the end of CBT. (Yup, this is me trying to make your lives a little less mundane and a little more unpredictable.)

I WILL tell you what the prizes are though. These 20 odd winners will receive an exclusive invitation to access the game servers earlier than the general public for the upcoming pre-OBT phase and will receive a special in-game item (this is the part I am going to be all mysterious again) during pre-OBT. Considering there will be no character wipes from pre-OBT and beyond… read between the lines. ;)

So once again, to recap from my last entry about the short-listed available contests:

a) Highest Character(s) Level: Highest Level Character(s)

b) Top Bug Reporter(s): Most helpful reporter(s) who submits the most bugs
c) Shakespeare's Protege Award: Shakespeare would have been proud to have a protege like you! This award goes to the one(s) who posts the best articles, write-ups, player guides, replies on the forum
d) Andre Janzur Fantastic Award: You know how Andre is constantly in one of his moods? Well, you are the creative one who entertains him and all your fellow GE players by organizing the most interesting in-game events!

Whew. This sure is a long entry. I had better end off now before you guys drift off into lala-land. I’ll be updating quite a bit these few days since there is a lot happening within IAH. Stay tuned for more details!

Hi guys,

Happy Chinese New Year!

1. My Role In Your (GE) Life

Quite a couple of people have been calling me ‘GM’ (Game master) and saying things in-game like,”Hey GM Hrin! Show us the highest level gear! Summon powerful monsters!” Gee. I have this sudden mental image of myself as some ball-juggling monkey at the zoo…

Well, my lovely Vespanolans, unfortunately, I am not a game master. I’m your community manager, meaning to say that I use a normal playing account, just like the rest of you. I can’t make Vis rain from the skies above. Neither can I summon all of Monsters Inc. to do the Macarena in front of Andre Janzur. My role as your community manager is to keep you guys updated with the developments and news updates of GE, to get feedback from you guys, to answer any doubts or queries you may have, and of course my most fave role of all… to be your friend, protector and guardian angel whenever you feel lost or alone in this world. :) Naturally, my roles will evolve with time, but the essence of it remains - that of community building. So do continue sending me emails at: community@ge.iahgames.com

2. A Day in The Life Of Hrin’s Inbox: Lost In Translation

I’m on leave and off to Kuala Lumpur for the next few days, so if I take a little longer to reply your emails, do bear with me. I promise that I will read every single one of your emails and reply them!

Just the other day, here I was happily checking my email. Clicking, clicking, clicking… and then I saw this email…

“Hrin… I see you photo in night, I [INSERT ADJECTIVE] and [INSERT ADJECTIVE]…”

Pause. Stunned Silence.

My mouth dropped open in amused incredulity as I quickly scanned through the email. It soon became apparent to me that what was intended as a Shakespearean / Li Bai sort of email had been seriously lost in translation on some Babel Fish online translator and had unwittingly deteriorated into some B-grade adult horror flick, entitled “I know what you did last night”. Still. I think I should spare this poor soul the horror of what had been tragically massacred in translation. So I replied his email:

“Thanks. It’s nice to know I’m… erm… the first thing on your mind when you wake up and gee… the last thing on your mind before you sleep at night. :)”

There we go. May he live on in blissful ignorance! In the meantime, where’s the Dettol? I need to wash my eyes!!! ~>.<~

3. Player-Organized Events: Just Own It!

I was pleasantly surprised to see how some of the GE players have been taking the initiative to organize little, impromptu events on their own. Someone had organized a hug chain at the Leonardo Express while one of the guilds organized a friendly, free-for-all 15v15 PVP tournament. Things like that really make my day, for it perfectly complements the more heroic and romantic aspects of the Baroque era that Granado Espada is set in. Therefore I urge you, to further enhance the spirit of Granado Espada, to challenge yourselves to greater heights and to learn to live for your fellow Vespanolans by bringing a little happiness and excitement into their GE lives.

So do get together and come up with little event ideas. It doesn’t have to be a grand fanfare. Just something simple will do. For it is not the grandness of an idea, but rather the sincere thoughts and intentions behind these ideas that go a long way. And you do realize, your community manager is behind you every step of the way. If you need me to help you publicize your little in-game events, do drop me an email. I can help you to broadcast in-game but please ah, provide me the logistics (Read: Megaphone) to do so. After all, much like her working class real life, Hrin doesn’t lead some kind of *tai-tai life in Vespanola. She grinds hard at Tetra Ruins for her every last Vis! (I am woman! Hear me rawr!)

Ultimately, Granado Espada is a game we are all slowly exploring and falling in love with more and more with each passing moment. And when you feel passionate about something, you take ownership of it. This includes being involved physically, mentally, emotionally... GE is your game. It was made for your guilty pleasure and sinful enjoyment.

Don’t just play it. Own it.

*Tai-tai: A Mandarin phrase referring to a Lady of Leisure. Also commonly referred to as every girl’s dream job.

Hi guys,

Happy Valentines Day!

1. The Silence Of The Lambs

The dawn of CBT has broken. And I'm loving every moment of it!

The only thing I'm noticing is... the sound of silence. From you shy lambs. I know you guys are really eager to be Vespanola's very own Baygon, exterminating all bugs. We really appreciate it. But what we would love even more is for you guys to show some good old fashioned hospitality to your fellow Vespanoleans, especially to the new inhabitants of the land (Read: Noobs! ;p )

I know… you probably feel God-like now, being able to use that funky MCC function of having 3 characters to train concurrently. Well… sorry to tell you dude/dudette, no man is an island, ultimately. At higher levels, you will need to form squads with your fellow Vespanoleans for truly effective training and more importantly, for higher level quests. Here’s another hint: I’m not at liberty to reveal the exact figures, but let’s just say that when you form squads with other people, one experiences a major boom in the XP stock market. Hope that was ‘subtle’ enough. ;)

So now’s the time to start networking, people! No idea what to say to ge[INSERT NUMBER]?

“Hi~ Want to squad me? :) ” would be good.

Or you could always turn to the player beside you, give a psycho smile and say,"Hello Clarice..."

2. Contests

Yes! We will be having contests for CBT. After much deliberation with the team, we have finally shortlist the contests down to the following. However, this is not the final version. We would very much like your feedback on which of these contests you would like to see in the final cut. I will be setting up a poll here in the forums. Feel free to give some suggestions about what other contests you would like to see being implemented for CBT. Do bear in mind that IAH management will be making the final decision regarding which contests to use. In the meantime, start casting your votes!

a) Highest Family Level: Highest Level Family (Sum of all levels of family members)
b) Richest Family: The family with the most vis.
c) Top Bug Reporter: Most helpful person who submits the most bugs
d) Top Forum Poster: Most active voice in the forums
e) Good Samaritan Award: Most helpful player who helps out newbies and fellow GE-gamers either in-game or on the forums.
f) “My Beloved” Award: The NPCs have spoken! And they are telling us that you are their most beloved Vespanolean... just cos you've been such a sweetie in helping them out with their various errands. This award goes to the player who has done the most in-game quests.
g) Top Duelist: Player with the most wins for PVP.
h) Shakespeare's Protege Award: Shakespeare would have been proud to have a protege like you! This award goes to the person who posts the best articles, write-ups, player guides, replies on the forum
i) Dark Horse Award: You have awed everyone into silence because they are so impressed with that most creatively ingenious and out-of-this-world idea(s) that you have done. The prize will naturally be as iconic as you are.
j) Andre Janzur Fantastic Award: You know how Andre is constantly in one of his PMS-ing days mood? Well, you are the witty one who entertains him and all your fellow GE players by your funny and wacky antics in-game or forum-based

3. Game Support

Game support will be available between the hours of 0900-1800 (GMT +8) during the CBT period. Please note that Gamemasters will have the official [GM] tag in front of their name. So for example, GM Great will be tagged as [GM] Great in-game.

For any issues related to Bug Reporting, Feedback or Recovery issues, please address these issues in the game support section which has been officially set up on the website here.

4. Your emails!

Once again, thanks for all your emails! I’ve had quite a few complaints that “your photo on the website is too small. only passport size and quality very lousy… can you please please please post up bigger photo of yourself?”

The most amusing one I got went along the lines of “my graphix card sux big time… and i have bad eyesight… email me a photo of yourself ^^ ”

ROFL! I can almost imagine being defined in an imaginary GE dictionary:

Hrin (- noun)
1) Community Manager of Granado Espada
2) Enjoys walks along Port of Coimbra and HealthySpam in her Inbox
3) Her looks are dependent on how expensive your graphic card is. A 512 MB graphic card brings out the color of her eyes.

Aight. I hear you. Here’s my blown up picture. You might get nightmares tonight. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…



Yep. Therein ends “A day in the life of Hrin’s Outlook Express Inbox”

P/S: I had better not see my face being nip/tucked onto some random body on some adult site or you guys are so dead!

Leave your comments on this article here.

So. My laptop crashed and burned. #!?@#%^@%

One of those traumatizing life lessons where the moral of the story is to back up all your data every single day. My bleeding heart...

Anyway, moving along to happier times: CBT is just next week! And here is the FAQ for CBT like I promised:

i) Closed Beta Testing (CBT) FAQ

1) Which version of Granado Espada will be used for CBT?

V1.8.23

2) Will Granado Espada be free to play (F2P)?

We are still in discussion about this.

3) When will Open Beta Testing (OBT) be out?

In a few months' time. Check back here for updates.

4) Which version will be used for OBT?

Tentatively, V2.0

5) How many realms (servers) will there be for CBT?

Due to overwhelming response for CBT sign ups, we have decided to standby an additional 2 more realms. Effectively, there will be 3 realms: Cerventes, Carracci, Caravaggio. However, we will be opening one realm at a time. Once the first realm is filled up, we will then open the second realm and so on.

6) Will there be any in-game events during CBT?

Yes, there will be a major in-game event scheduled in March. More details will be given at a later date. In the meantime, throughout the course of the CBT period, we may be holding ad-hoc in-game events as well. We will keep you guys informed through the website.

7) When will the CBT invitations be given out?

They will be sent out this week. So do remember to regularly check your emails.

8) How long will CBT last?

Tentatively, 3 weeks.

9) Will there be a server wipe after CBT?

Yes.

10) What are we (those selected to participate in CBT) supposed to do for CBT?

You guys are the 'chosen ones' to test out Granado Espada for bugs. The purpose of having a closed beta testing is for gamers to discover and most importantly, to inform us of the bugs in the game that will affect game play experience. In this way, we can fix the bugs and improve the game for you guys.

ii) IRC Channels

Undecided about which combination of classes to play? Need to vent your pent-up frustrations about how you can't wait to play Granado Espada (I know how you feel... welcome to my world...)? For those on the Galaxynet server, a group of GE fans have set up channel #granadoespada.

At the same time, the Granado Espada International Community has set up their official IRC channel on Rizon (irc.rizon.net), channel #ge.cc which I will be popping by at night every now and then to answer any questions you may have.

iii) Your emails!

Thanks for all your emails! It’s always a pleasure hearing from GE fans. A sincere word of thanks goes out to the readers who emailed me in regard to some graphical errors on the website. The marketing team has already resolved this issue. And of course, thanks to all those who sent me 'my fave type of emails' ;)

The most unforgettable email I received which sent me into laughing fits, was from this dude:

"first of all, i think you're really hot.. seriously, i will be your slave if you want me to.. i hope i can make it to become one of the beta testers.. and i hope the CB gets on this valentines.. i'll make a 'Hrin' family and a guild that will be purposedly build to worship you only.. ciao.. ja ne.. later.."

Uh huh... Right... what on earth would such a guild be doing when they are not grinding or questing?!

Sing Britney Spears' "I'm a slave for you" hymns in the Cite De Reboldoeux streets every Sunday?!

...Or chant Hrin-ma Sutra scriptures? "Hey Hrin... You're hot! - HealthySpam 3:16"

In any case, methinks The Queen of Vespanola would probably stone me for this... ;)

Hi again!

I'm back with some updates on GE.

1. Website Updates

How's the new look of our website? Is it hot or is it just absolutely fantabulous? ;)

Our marketing team spent sleepless nights and weekends perfecting it. All their blood and sweat is in every last pixel that you are admiring right now. So do take the time to click on every single link and to appreciate all their hard work and efforts.

We are currently working on getting the GE forums up and running as well. Most of the technical functions have been done up. We are pretty much left with tons of admin stuff to settle such as setting up forum rules and categorizing the boards etc.

2. Closed Beta Testing (CBT) Updates

Lots of people have been asking me the same question: When is CBT going to start?

Patience, young Padawan, patience. Let's just say for the singles out there, come this Valentines Day 2007... you'll be lonely no more. :)

For the gamers who have been selected to participate in our CBT, you will be receiving an email confirmation with your assigned username and password next week. Something important to take note of: Please remember to save that email and to keep your assigned user name and password confidential as you will NOT be able to change either your user name or password during the span of the CBT period.

I am aware that you guys have tons of questions to ask about CBT. I’ll be talking more about what will be happening during CBT within the next few days as well as to post up an FAQ in regard to the most commonly asked questions I have been getting these days.

3. Blog Section

The marketing team is currently helping me to set up a separate blog section. In the near future, this ‘News’ section will consist of purely no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point GE news. On the other end of the scale, in my blog, I’ll be dropping hints about unofficial, ‘off-the-record’ GE stuff, blogging about the various adventures I’ve been having with you guys in Vespanola, giving my two cents worth of the latest GE topics that everyone is talking about… basically, the works.

Being the die-hard blogger/GE fan that I am, I will be updating as much as possible. But you can be sure that I will definitely have an update every Wednesday. So here’s something else to look out for come Wednesdays, other than Mambo Night!

4. My Email Address

A special note of thanks goes out to the GE fans in the ‘Granado Espada International Community’ who brought to my attention that their email to me was being rejected by our powerful spam email firewall. Our technical team has already resolved this issue. So please feel free to spam me with email at community@ge.iahgames.com

But please ah, only healthy spam. I’m more than happy to get email that go along the lines of:

“I love GE because…”

“Some questions I have about GE are…”

“Hi Hrin! Let me tell you about myself…”

“Hey Hrin… YOU’RE HOT!” <--- my fave kind of email! *beams*

3 words remain: Healthy. Spam. Please.