The Nibbler

...when all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

THIS JUST IN - MICE ARE ACTUALLY STIRRING!

Stirring in fear of being HACKED! If you are a mouse, I would advise you to follow these guidelines:

1) Never go out of your predesignated area.
2) Don't steal more points/gold than you're supposed to.
3) Don't pick any fights with other mice, especially the tough ones.
4) Exercise a regular eating schedule.
5) Never give anyone your cheese.

Meanwhile, if you are a human, I would advise you to follow these other guidelines:

1) Stop using the same password for everything
2) Make sure only you can see your email (Privacy->Contact Info)
3) Don't use answers to password-help questions that I could guess.
4) Log out on public computers and avoid keyloggers.
5) Never give anyone your password.

THIS JUST IN 2 - LONGTAIL IS COMING OUT TOMORROW

Source - the internet.

THIS JUST IN 3 - SURVEYS SHOW THAT "THIS JUST IN" MESSAGES CONTAIN BLATANTLY FALSE OR OTHERWISE ERRONEOUS INFORMATION 78.6% OF THE TIME

Source - other "THIS JUST IN" messages.

THIS JUST IN 4 - SOMEONE HAS CAUGHT BALACK!
Oh wait.
Huh. Technically that's old too. Well, in case you missed it, it's here.

THIS JUST IN 6 - SOMEONE HAS CAUGHT BALACK, THRICE!!!
If you thought the previous TJI was exciting, wait till you check out this.

THIS JUST IN 7 - LONGTAIL IS COMING OUT IN 15 MINUTES

Source - a guy using caps lock.

THIS JUST IN 9 - ALL OF THE BOSSES CAUGHT IN A LOG

It appears that Victor Ho (Not to be mistaken for "Victor, Hooooooo!") has taken the liberty of going out and catching Balack the Banished, a Dojo Sensei, a Silth, a BBB, a Dragon, an Acolyte, and a Master of the Dojo in a log. Check that off the To-Do List.

THIS JUST IN 8 - "THIS JUST IN" MESSAGES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO GO OUT OF ORDER

THIS JUST IN 10 - UNRELEASED LYRICS LEAKED
Turn and watch for her Savin up the gold To buy the moon I’m waiting for Her and watch for her Savin up the gold To buy the moon A premonition says ... She calls to me A premonition says She calls to me Woman high up in the sky She’s on the ground She’s on the ground... She’s on the ground... She’s on the ground...

To what? And are they legit? Complete? Nobody knows.

THIS JUST IN 11 - 7 ACOLYTES CAUGHT IN A LOG

It appears that Tex Andersen (with an "e") managed to mark off another one of those things on the To-Do List.
I would like to let everyone know that I've personally met with the To-Do List and it has informed me that the next thing on it is to get 4 Silths in a log.


And Dhruv McSachdev (pronunciation pending) has promised to give said completee of this To-Do List item 5 million gold. And someone else in the thread also threw in another million! There's more supporters further in! Well in any case, catching a Dragon could earn you a lot of money. There is the issue of not really knowing whether or not said "to-do" item is even possible; if it's not, I'll make sure to go have a word with that conniving parchment.

THIS JUST IN 14 - LONGTAIL WILL COME OUT AFTER THE NEXT DOWNTIME, EVEN IF THE DOWNTIME IS ONLY 11 SECONDS LONG

Source - the MH chat room after every downtime.

THIS JUST IN 15 - NOT-SO-UNRELEASED LYRICS LEAKED IN AN OFFICIAL MANNER

The 2nd and more official version of "Vanilla Mice" has made its debut.

THIS JUST IN 13 - "THIS JUST IN" MESSAGES ARE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS
Also, Longtail MIGHT be coming out next week.

Source - a random poster.

THIS JUST IN 16 - HELP IS ON THE WAY

Herman Didier Ng (currently on the 2nd page of the Herman scoreboard) is promoting a group that could perhaps serve as a replacement to An/Am. If you're looking for help, wish to participate, or would like more information, check it out.

THIS JUST IN 17 - BALACK IS WAY TOO EASY
Not just easy. Not just too easy. WAY TOO EASY. Do you agree with this sentiment? I hear someone might actually have 4 of them soon.

THIS JUST IN 18 - THIS "THIS JUST IN" MESSAGE IS BEING RELEASED PUNCTUALLY, AND MAY NEED TWEAKING IN THE FUTURE.

This discussion has been carrying on for awhile. Are you okay with tweaks? Are you okay with waiting longer for finalized content? Are you okay with knowing what's coming? Are you okay with surprises? Are you okay? Are you sure? You may want to consult a psychiatrist. Or perhaps the MHA's new and once again improved catch rates estimates page.
Here are some early responses:

Russell Whitchurch
"While thinking about it, personally I think it's an excellent idea, though it comes at a risk- for this release, it was advantageous as you could get a lot more stilton to hunt with. However, for a future release it might prove to be a disadvantage, such as making some mice too hard to catch and wasting valuable cheese doing so."
Philip Hinch
"I prefer internal testing. The game itself is different from beta testing. If you find a bug, you account on a beta test is usually fake and deleted eventually. If you accomplish something like getting a tough mouse in your REAL account and then have it bug with no loot or something, then that would be kind of disappointing."

Lisa Johnson Wolff
"The situation with the VS recipe is a good example. There was an imbalanced advantage to the ME fomula v. the non-ME formula. I personally think they should have decreased the non-ME bean requirement to 5 instead of increasing the ME one, but ultimately it doesn't bother me that much (and I am a donator) because it was necessary and if they had decreased the non-ME bean requirement, they would stand to lose revenue by making it easier to craft without SB+. I like having a say about gameplay and accept that the devs can change things about the game at will. I like being heard and feeling like my opinions can shape the game. That is one of the best things about MH and a key component to its success."
Sharon Wells Jones
"I develop software for a small company. One thing I have learned is that before releasing new updates I have to get the the users on-board. It really helps if they feel that they "own" a piece of the new release and that their ideas and feedback are valuable and necessary. Letting the users know ahead of time that you will be using the community's feedback to "tweak" things will reduce the amount of whining and crying imho. I think the MH devs do a great job of communicating with the community. There will always be a certain amount of whining no matter what you do, it is inevitable."

Nathan Wittry
"It's not unusual for developers to release stable content and then tweak it for balance after it's been release. In fact, I'd say it is more unusual for content to be released and then never touched again." ... "I say release content and then tweak accordingly."

Ryan Cook
"My personal opinion is to hold off on content releases until they've been been tested extensively. I think that more time in pre-release will give a more ideal balance of the game mechanics when its all said and done."

Evan Lundy
"Personally I prefer the latter - internal testing and final release. But let's face it, in some situations, it is not possible. For the latest release, Hunters were dying to get new contents since Longtail is delayed for too long. From this perspective, they made a good move by releasing 'half baked' contents earlier than expected." ... "Look at the forum now, no one's asking about Longtail as loud as before, prior to the Balack update. MH Devs decision is good enough."

Kathryn Cheshire
"Personally I prefer the idea of releasing it after internal testing. I also think it would be helpful to consult with various focus groups for some feedback prior to release. Ultimately though, I think that the Devs have got the balance right now. The recipes were TOO disproportionate and changed the dynamic of the game significantly - especially near the top of the scoreboard. My quibble is mainly with HOW its been managed but I am very encouraged by the communications from Hitgrab staff that make it clear they are wanting to take on board the concerns of the communitay."

Keith Farhall "The developers should have confidence in thier own work and only release new content when they are happy with it."

Michael Gourley "Personally I feel that tweaking after release is the way to go. If the door is shut on making changes to the game when (not if) players find exploits, workarounds, or other imbalances in content that was thoroughly internally tested, making tweaks that fix obviously broken elements would be seen as hypocritical; or at least met with even greater resistance. This wouldn't be a problem if all content was released in a state of pure perfection, but that is not realistic."

And an Idea from Kathryn Cheshire: "I am really hoping that one day I will open my camp page and on my journal page it will say: "As I bait my trap I start to notice my ancient lantern flicker and dim. Opening it up I see the dragons embers starting to disintegrate and I know it will not last much longer!" I think it would be a really positive move to make players choose between sitting safe in Elub or having access to the high points in Balack's Cove but having to hunt the isles to make more inferno every month or so. It would encourage a range of different strategies and options for achieving whatever goals a player has."

THIS JUST IN 19 - THIS "THIS-JUST-IN" MESSAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Well, not entirely. If you'd like more comical reading material, I'd suggest going here.


Thread of the Day
There's this thread and then there's this thread and then there's this thread, which you may wish to check out. But if you're here for the Thread of the Day then Susan Binks Scrafford (my god that is a long profile #) would like to know what your Myers Briggs type is. Have fun!

Quote of the Day
You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave.

THIS JUST IN 20 - LONGTAIL WAS ALREADY RELEASED. YOU CAN'T ACCESS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.

What you can access is SECTION 2! Be sure to read it!

MouseHunter of the Day

Your Name: Franco D'Auria
Hunter's Title: Hero (77%)
http://apps.facebook.com/mousehunt/hunterprofile.php?snuid=510239199


1. If you were a mouse, what type would you be and what would you do to escape the traps set out for you?

I would be the curious chemist mouse and would use my vast knowledge of chemical compounds to make myself invisible to escape from the hunters.

2. How much cheese do you eat in a day? Which MH cheese are you most likely to eat in real life? Would you ever consider crafting cheese at home?

I eat cheese every once in awhile, probably equal to 0.2 pieces every day, to eat a MH cheese in real life I would have to say I would love to try the Glutter cheese and the gingerbread cheese would have to be a close second! If i had the tools at home I would try crafting my own cheese but as of right now, no, it would be too difficult but i would like to try!

3. Have you skipped anything important just to sound the horn (ie school, work, sleep)? Did you enjoy it?

No I have no skipped anything to sound the horn.

4. Which mouse would you most like to meet? (Assuming the mice could talk, of course.) What questions would you ask that mouse in an interview?

I would like to meet the pirate mouse and ask him about how he lives his life and what he thinks of the world around him.

5. When was the last time you caught a mouse in real life?

I have never caught a mouse personally. My cat always catches mice and brings them in from outside so my cat trap is working quite well!

6. What is your favorite trap in the game and why?

I like the ambrosial portal, I believe everyone deserves the chance to exist so i tend to favor the traps that don't hurt the mice.

7. Do you think you could beat an Aged Mouse at chess?

No way!

8. What was the last occasion where you caught a rare or difficult mouse with a ridiculously low amount of cheese?

Caught the lycan mouse without using any shadow traps with very few pieces of moon cheese.

9. What has been the worst decision of your MouseHunt career, in hindsight?

Opening my mouth to Dave about my tactics so he can go in and change everything around on me.

10. If the Ornament Mouse, Bottled Mouse, and Lambent Crystal Mouse were having a fight, who would win and why?

The lambent crystal would probably win because i believe his "enclosure" would be the most difficult to break.

The Forum Enrichment Center
(An ongoing Nibbler "contest" for everyone!)
This contest is very straightforward. The Nibbler likes it when the forums are a-hoppin' with threads that are a-rockin'. So we're going to PAY people who help bring the goodness to the forums. Yep, it's true! Here's how it works:
That's all we need from you! Then we:
There is no limit to how many times you can submit, or be the one submitted. But you CANNOT SUBMIT YOUR OWN THREAD (OR POST)! This is not a popularity contest... And besides, the best Nibbler mentions are the unexpected ones! A very Nibblery selection of always-useful links
Over time, we hope to expand this section to include a lot of links that would be useful to hunters of all shapes and stripes. Pretty soon, the standard shrug-off reply to forum questions won't be "Check the Wiki", it'll be "Check the Nibbler"!

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Forum Information -Recent News and Updates Guidelines -Newcomer's Lounge Guidelines -Support: Read this first -Tournament suggestion topic

If you've got a link that you think is missing (or one that is broken), then be sure to let us know.