That's right, Serpentine has been completely overhauled and improved! Hopefully you will feel that most of the changes are for the better, but I want to hear your feedback, so let me know how you feel. The first change I want you to notice is that you'll now use <a href="http://serpentinegame.com">SerpentineGame.com</a> to get here instead of http://games.cobradragon.com. Second, just take a look around and get comfortable with the new digs.
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This monumental change has been brought about by my desire to improve the Serpentine experience in order to acquire more traffic and more players. To do this, I've streamlined the process of jumping into a game (no need to register, just click "Start Playing" and you'll be logged in as a guest), and I've also put a lot of work into making the new player experience as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. The biggest change in this regard is how new players get their ratings. Newly registered players will start off with a rating of 0, then after playing ten games they will "hatch" and will be rewarded with a certain number of rating points the game thinks is appropriate. What this means is that rather than starting everyone at 1200 by default, and having to watch your rating get decimated game after game, you'll start at an appropriate level and work your way up! Another addition is the Achievement system, which rewards you for certain actions, such as getting a long word, winning a round, or any number of other things. You can see other players' achievements and they can see yours, and you can even show them off if you want.
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However, the biggest change to the change is <a href="/view/upgrade">Premium Accounts</a>, which gives you lots of additional social features that will both make your experience here more fun and engaging, but also help to directly support this game, which keeps me and my family fed. <a href="/view/upgrade">Premium Accounts</a> cost a small amount each month (they are not necessary to play Serpentine), but if you spend any length of time here, you're going to want to get in on this! What you get for your money is a completely ad-free experience, the ability to make friends, make your own custom Serpentine rooms, send whisper chats to friends, and invite players to your games (and this list will grow over time).
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One final thing about <a href="/view/upgrade">Premium Accounts</a>. Many of you have been incredibly generous over the years and your donations have helped keep Serpentine afloat! That's why, anyone who has ever donated gets one free month as a <a href="/view/upgrade">Premium Account</a> member. Anyone that has donated $25 or more gets six months free. And for the three people who have donated more than $50, Doris Bryant, Nick Yuran, and Faye Kyle, you're getting free lifetime Premium Accounts!
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I'm very excited for this phase of Serpentine and to see how things work out, so please let me know if you have any suggestions or feedback on anything, including the new site design, or game tweaks you think might make the game more enjoyable. Also, please bear with me for a few days as I iron out any kinks in the new design and game, as there will most likely be a few.
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Thanks!<br />
Adam
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<b>Note</b>: For the people who starting trying to login right away, there was an issue with the login system that I've found and fixed, but unfortunately you will need to <a href="/view/forgotten">reset your password</a> in order to login. I apologize for the inconvenience.