Ice Age

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Help Keywords : 'Ice Age' IceAge Reboot Hotboot.
Help Category : Features.
Last Updated  : 2024-04-21 12:24:54.
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An Ice Age is the MUD's "reboot" system for introducing various code and
other changes/fixes. An Ice-Age is started with a countdown - usually 30
minutes but may be less if a reboot is more urgent.

There are several warnings during the countdown. You can also check 'time'
to see if there is a reboot coming and the game will warn you if you login
with an ice age pending.

WARNING: Any equipment left on the ground will disappear when the MUD
reboots. It is never a good idea to leave owned items, or anything else
of value, on the floor because the game could still crash at any time and
restores are not available for items lost on the floor, even in manors.
(See 'help reimbursement'.)

Certain game actions are disabled when an ice-age is pending:

30 minutes to reboot:
  - Gquests will not start.
  - Wars will not start and cannot use 'startwar'.
  - Cannot start a poker game.
  - Lasertag games will not start and a game cannot be manually started.

20 minutes:
  - Cannot start a mafia game.

15 minutes:
  - Cannot superhero loud.
  - Cannot use daily double.
  - Cannot use double exp christmas card.

10 minutes:
  - Cannot use regular auction or remort auction.
  - Donation double will not run.
  - Cannot retier.

5 minutes:
  - Cannot use oedit, medit, redit, zedit or mpedit.
  - Cannot create a new player.
  - Cannot quest request.

1 minute:
  - Cannot log in to the game if not an imm.

The following now save over a reboot so they are no longer lost:

    - Shopkeeper gold.
    - Mobdeaths, mobkills, areadeaths, etc. These now reset monthly
      with the monthly rankings.
    - Channel history for global and clan channels. Personal channels
      like ftalk, spouse and group chat do not save.
    - Most keys now save over reboots and have a fixed timer instead.

Once the Ice Age finishes, the new code is active.  There is a short
period of quest reset (see 'help qreset'), reboot-only quests are again
available, and everything is shiny and new.  Most Ice Ages include an
Announce board note shortly after reboot explaining changes/additions.

There are still rare instances where the MUD will completely shut down
and disconnect players. In those instances, the game will mention that
the ice-age is a full reboot.

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