---

As of today, Star by Star Gaming will have now reached the ripe old age of 7 years.

It's been a long time. To address the elephant in the room, we've undergone some extreme hardships these last few months no doubt, with the reopening of the server especially, but rest assured we are working to get back to a similar state before the shutdown as soon as possible. We still have a lot of big plans for the community and the server, including the new custom map that's coming and is still in the works, the next big update that is coming soon, and much more. Once these next couple of updates are released, and our new custom map is on the server and ready, we have some really exciting and robust plans to make a big push to bring new players to the server and get the server in front of as many eyes as possible. There is a lot of confidence and a great chance of success behind these plans, it's just a matter of getting to that point first. We'll be there soon enough. Please know, we do not take the support you have shown us over the years lightly, nor for granted. We are genuinely thankful for each and every last one of you who has played on and or supported any SBS game server in any way. We hope that you've been able to find at least even a small element of fun, happiness, and escape from the troubles of everyday life, or even just simply a place to kick back and relax. It's always been our goal to provide just that, especially during times like the ones we are currently facing now. With that said, we're going to continue to do as we always have for our birthday every year, and spend an entire week giving back to the community to show our appreciation.


During the course of this next week, we will be hosting numerous daily in-game events on Galaxy of Magic, specifically to reward the winners with various prizes, as well as spontaneous appearances I will be making on the server to giveaway things at any given time. This could be anything from V.I.P., to custom job whitelists, to game keys, and even gift cards. So be sure to be on the server as often as you can over the next seven days! Any specific events that will have rewards will be posted by server gamemakers and admins in the coming days in the individual server announcement section. You can find the schedule for these events in one place in the thread below. This schedule will be updated as new events are confirmed and posted, so you can continually refer there to see what events you could potentially participate in.


Final Details

To celebrate Halloween (and our birthday), today is Fail RP day on the server just as it has normally been in previous years. A lot of the rules will be relaxed and gamemakers will be hosting random silly events where players can get items like guns and participate in other random acts of fun. The Halloween event for the month and Fail RP day will both end tonight at 11:59 PM CST, so don't miss out on the limited obtainable Halloween items and these various events before they're gone! The next update to the server is well in the works and is nearing a state of completion. We're really excited to bring this one to you as it will be filling in the void for a lot of the various jobs, models, and much more that we lost with the transition, and is the next big step to getting back to a familiar state. We've managed to get our hands on a lot of extremely high-quality models for new characters, creatures, and more, that we are confident you're going to love. More information soon. Again, sincerely, thank you all for your continued support, and we hope to maintain this space for as long as you support it. Thank you for 7 long years of Star by Star Gaming and here's to 7 more! Happy birthday everyone!

---

With Halloween just around the corner, we're ringing in this exciting holiday by bringing the spooks, special events, and exclusive limited-time items! Additionally, Halloween night is the official birthday of SBS, meaning that we will soon be reaching our 7th-year anniversary milestone. As for what you can expect to see from today up until around a few days after Halloween, you will notice a Halloween-themed loading screen as you load into the server, and that the map has been decorated and filled with Halloween spirit. The night version of the 'Forgotten School' map will also be the default map during this time, which if you haven't had a chance to see yet, more information will be provided later in this announcement. But to first be completely clear; this map is not the Starbright map that's currently in the works that was mentioned in previous announcements. Moving on, you will find that you can now play as a skeleton under any dorm scholar job during this time. All V.I.P. dorm jobs even get their own special 'Zack Halloween' variant that can be chosen. We'll be bringing back the fearsome pumpkin boss battles from previous years, with collectible candy that can be spent to buy temporary items and perks. You will also be able to obtain two limited-time items for this year's Halloween events, one being the first obtainable magic staff on the server, known as the 'Staff of the Dead', and a spell simply called 'Jack-o'-lantern'. These items will only be obtainable during this time and there's a chance they may never return, so don't miss out!

---

As usual, we will be conducting an SBS holiday event during the month of October known as the Halloween 2022 Event. From today until a few days after after Halloween, an additional random global class has been added to the class system. This will trigger the Halloween event. An Oogie Boogie NPC will randomly spawn in a hidden position on the map, as pictured below.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/l0kMtvr.png]

Once you discover the location of Oogie Boogie, he will supply you with the limited-time magic staff known as "Staff of the Dead". This staff will only be available to obtain during this time and unlikely available to be collected ever again, so be sure to hop on and get it while you can!

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/t4CXQUc.jpg]
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/VYXUsHs.jpg]
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/46RHqOu.jpg]
[Image: https://i.imgur.com/gjNo7mJ.jpg]

Halloween 2022 Event Pt. 2

Not only will you be able to snag a limited-time staff, but this holiday event will also allow you to obtain a limited-time spell as well, known as "Jack-o'-lantern", showcased below. This spell turns your target's head into a spooky Jack-o'-lantern!

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/lqXCp8z.jpg]

This spell will only be available to collect for 24 hours from midnight on Halloween night (Oct 31st, 12 AM CST) until midnight on the first of November (November 1st, 12 AM CST). Jack Skellington will be placed on a random static location on the map for the entire day of Halloween, where you will be able to collect the Jack-o'-lantern spell.

Halloween 2022 Event Pt. 3

Pumpkin hunting, candy stealing ghosts, pumpkin bosses, oh my!

Throughout the course of this entire month alongside the other two parts of this event, and at random positions on the map at random times, you'll stumble across destructible pumpkins. You can break open these pumpkins which will supply you with candy. This candy can be collected and used to buy temporary items and buffs from Señor Calabaza in the mid-courtyard at Forgotten School. Though the items and buffs are only temporary, the candy you collect will remain stored on the player until the event concludes at the end of the month. A scoreboard can be found in the mid-courtyard as well near Señor Calabaza which will display the leaders who find and destroy the most pumpkins! In addition, you'll find that pumpkin bosses will spawn at several fixed positions on the map at random times. These bosses are quite tough and will require a solid team of various combat orients to defeat, as even a large group of spells sometimes won't be enough to finish the job. These bosses and their minions also drop large quantities of candy. Finally, keep an eye out for those spooky, pesky ghosts! They're out to get your candy!

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/pRL2UHA.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/uxcbSbp.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/OxYElKG.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/wsDhFg5.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/V1jyWcO.jpg]

This system involving the destructible pumpkins, candy, ghosts, and pumpkin bosses is quite extensive. There are a lot of configurable options, so fine-tuning it will be something that we do over the course of time. If you have any suggestions for this system as far as boss spawn points, boss health pools, candy amounts, shop redeemables, etc, feel free to drop them off in the Galaxy of Magic server suggestions section of the forums. For now, this is intended to simply only be something a little extra to do during this event, as well as a multi-part trial and test run of the system itself. Hopefully, if things work in our favor, we can reuse this system in the future in a more valuable manner and be sure the incentive of the system is more worthwhile. Nonetheless, enjoy it while it's here! It's worth mentioning that this system was used last year, however, all the changes, tweaks, values, etc, that we made to the system were lost. We are hoping to refine the system again similarly to the suggestions that were given last year, that way we can properly save them for any future events.

---

Here's a quick peek of what you can expect to see as far as decorations go for this Halloween event.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/5n7XgDM.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/88d1773.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/Zqw3Em9.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/UGoElMO.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/GsvQF3U.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/suaFZDy.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/RkiUU81.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/t0Ht6hH.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/qovzRVJ.jpg]

Final Details

• Halloween day will likely consist of similar activities to previous years, where the entire day will be considered 'Fail RP' day, and several OOC events will occur. Some of the basic RP rules will be temporarily disregarded for that day, so it could be a bit more chaotic than normal on the server.
  
  
• October is an action-packed month for SBS due to holidays and our very own birthday, amongst other things. We're excited to once again be conducting all of our end of October festivities, events, and celebrations.
  
  
• There is another fairly large update coming to the server soon that will make up for a lot of the unique character and creature models and jobs that we lost due to the transition, and this same update will also include a ton of new stuff as well. We can't wait to share more with you guys and will do so as soon as we possibly can!
  

The Starbright map mentioned in previous announcements is still in the works and is making great progress. Our goal is to make this map better than any map we've had previously, so a lot of time and care is going into the design. We also have big plans to run some large ad campaigns for the server whenever the map is finished, as it will be far more worth our resources and effort when the new custom map is actually on the server. First impressions are important, and we don't really currently have a map that fits all the server's needs to operate as it did previously in the first place. A good map is vital to any server's success and longevity. We will, however, get back to that point soon enough. Until then, we will be running several small ad campaigns periodically to tighten up the ad settings so we're ready for the big campaigns. If you'd like a little more insight into the map's design process, you can catch this video that gives a look into the early stages of development.


We've added a few new maps to the server since the last announcement, including a day and night version of a map called 'Forgotten School'. For those of you who played before the transition, you will recognize this map as a "stripped-down" version of our previous home map. We will maintain the night version of this map as the main map for the month of October while we conduct these events. A new temporary main home map will be decided via a poll in a coming announcement by our Staff Manager while we continue to wait for Starbright. Keep your eyes peeled on the forums for that.

Finally, as aforementioned, SBS's 7th Birthday and Anniversary is Halloween night. We have a lot planned to celebrate this milestone, including an entire week of celebration featuring lots of events, an absolute ton of giveaways, and more, just like every year before. More information will be shared and announced regarding that soon. Until then, come experience and see what the spooks in the Galaxy of Magic are all about!

Staff Manager applications for GoM are now open!

Since I've held the position as Interim for a bit, it's time we get things moving along and find a more permanent manager. 
If anyone is interested in holding the position, feel free to apply!

Best of luck to any applicants! :)

EDIT: Position filled

---

We've replaced the previous two dorms we launched with, with SIX new ones. You read that right, six. Each dorm is represented by a God from a different mythology, and each God represents the specific attributes that the dorm itself also represents. We've had custom runestone icons made to represent the dorms, brand new and unique scholar models made with an extensive amount of customization, an updated dorm 'election' system, and a revamp of the class system.

Starting with the dorms;

Dorm Kratos, founded by the Greek God Kratos. This dorm represents strength and vigor.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...os_200.png]

Dorm Hachiman, founded by the Japanese God Hachiman. This dorm represents glory and honor.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...an_200.png]

Dorm Concordia, founded by the Roman God Concordia. This dorm represents peace and tranquility.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...ia_200.png]

Dorm Thoth, founded by the Egyptian God Thoth. This dorm represents knowledge and wisdom.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...th_200.png]

Dorm Loki, founded by the Norse God Loki. This dorm represents deception and mischief.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...ki_200.png]

Dorm Arawn, founded by the Celctic God Arawn. This dorm represents terror and despair.

[Image: https://starbystargaming.com/images/gom_...wn_200.png]

With these new dorms, naturally, comes a new dorm 'election' system. This is essentially a revamp of the old system, redesigned for our six new dorms. It features the new icons, as well as new visual and sound effects.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/KO2k1Sp.jpeg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/tcMnbg3.jpeg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/XKv4DBH.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/Ha0c8MQ.jpg]

We've also introduced a new unique statue model that you interact with in order to use this system, being a statue of Themis. The goddess of order and the gods will.

[Image: https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/u...0CFEC2B81/]

Finally, with the addition of all the new dorms, the class system needed an overhaul. The timetable has been changed and updated to reflect the new dorms and has also had some overall improvements as well.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/3RjCSCS.jpg]

---

On to another big part of this update, the new scholar models for the new dorms. We have introduced new witch and wizard models that are both very high quality and very customizable. In fact, these are the most customizable models the server has ever had. These models are already pushed past source's limits, but we hope to test those limits even further in the future with these models as well. With various head types, skin tones, hair colors, and accessories, there are hundreds of combinations of body groups that you can use to make yourself stand apart from everyone else. There are recolored male and female variants for all six dorms as well as the undergrads.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/M3JsBSM.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/PInUzDq.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/NktmnTI.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/KyD05ul.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/dHNUfFW.jpg]

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/EeuiuLK.jpg]

---

Included in this update is not only an entire overhaul of all the names of the existing spells but around 20 brand-new spells as well. We had plans to add more new spells, but due to time constraints, some spells had to be cut until the next spell update or update that includes new spells.

Changes

All of the existing spells were renamed, and here's what we've settled with for now. It's worth mentioning that a lot of these new names may also not be final, we wanted to quickly get the names changed to something more simple and easy to understand, which would in turn give us time to work on making them more unique in the future, should we decide to go that route anyway. A lot of the new spells are reflected here as well, but not all of them. We'll go into more detail regarding the new spells below.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/DEY9Yc6.png]

In case you missed it in the previous announcement, with the reopening of the server under the new theme and name, we introduced 14 new prestiges, and the !prestiges command has been updated to reflect the new spells that have been added that can be unlocked via prestiging specifically. More information regarding the prestiges can be found in the previous announcment that was linked at the beginning of this one.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/GKb3Oni.png]

Additions

Scrub-a-dub cleans decals and is mostly effective on props. It can be obtained at Acuity 1 or higher with Waterball learned.

Malfundo I is one of several new spells that are being categorized as 'stat' spells due to their status effects. Stat spells cannot stack on a player and have fairly long individual casting cooldowns. If a player is under the effect of any stat spells at all, no other stat spells will work until the status effect wears off. This means individual players can only be under the effect of a single stat spell at any given time. Malfundo I imposes a 5% chance of your opponent's wand malfunctioning for 60 seconds and can be obtained by reaching Acuity 2 or higher with Disarm learned.

Recoil I reflects back 1 damage to your attacker each time you are damaged. Works for 12 hits before wearing off, and can be obtained by reaching Acuity 2 or higher with Unbreakable I learned.

Divinate reveals the last spell that was performed on your target, and it can be obtained by reaching Acuity 3 or higher with Starlight learned.

Enfeeble I is a stat spell that imposes a 5% decrease in the amount of damage that your target inflicts for 60 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Acuity 4 or higher with Viridio learned.

Spellepathy is a telepathic spell that causes the target's subconscious to 'echo' the last spell that they performed. It can be obtained by reaching Acuity 5 or higher with Smokescreen learned.

Vulnerability I is a tickling stat spell that imposes a 5% increase in the amount of damage that your opponent takes for 60 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Acuity 6 or higher with Giggle Jinx learned.

Recoil II reflects back 2 damage to your attacker each time you are damaged. Works for 10 hits before wearing off, and can be obtained by reaching Acuity 6 or higher with Unbreakable I learned.

Batchoo tickles your target's nostrils causing them to sneeze out bats, and can be obtained by taking your first leap into Prestige 1.

Amnesia erases specific memories from your target's mind. Makes your target forget which spell they were about to cast. (Switches their active spell to 'None'), and can be obtained by reaching Prestige 2.

Recoil III reflects back 3 damage to your attacker each time you are damaged. Works for 8 hits before wearing off. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 2.

Vulnerability II is a powerful tickling stat spell that imposes a 10% increase in the amount of damage that your opponent takes for 60 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 2.

Deafen renders your target unable to hear anyone speak for 10 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 3.

Enfeeble II is a stat spell that imposes a 10% decrease in the amount of damage that your target inflicts for 60 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 4.

Vengeance paying homage to OSRS, rebounds 75% of the damage of the next hit that you take back to your opponent. It also, at this moment, trades one-hits, and has a very long cooldown. We understand that alongside the new stat spells, this spell will vastly change PVP meta, but we believe it will add a level of refreshment as well. We are open to the percentage of reflected damage changing if necessary, as well as removing one-hit spells exchanging with Vengeance. We want to, at the very least, give it some time and a chance to trial the spell exactly as it works in its current state. Be sure to voice your feedback regarding this spell specifically, as the way it currently works is not set in stone. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 4.

Shank used to precisely and accurately cut something. If used inappropriately, it could cause death or injury. Inflicts 25 damage per landed cast. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 5.

Malfundo II is a powerful stat spell that imposes a 10% chance of your opponent's wand malfunctioning for 60 seconds. It can be obtained by reaching Prestige 6.

Vengeance Other allows you to apply the Vengeance effect to other players. It can be obtained by reaching Master Prestige 4.

---

There are dozens of miscellaneous updates that have been completed since the server reopened that were either implemented within the weeks following or were specifically introduced in this update that are worthy of mention. Some of these were even completed months before the shutdown of the original server, but never had a chance to be mentioned in an update announcement until now. Here's what else was done;

Additions

• Added several new models of various races of different species from other realms and or planets to replace the placeholder model on the "Wandering Scholar" job. Added an additional playable slot to the job. Fixed the ability to collect homework and spells. Fixed the ability to be able to go to either active class while playing as this specific job when two separate classes are active without needing V.I.P. to have this perk.
  
  
• Added a new Phoenix V.I.P. job that has two different variations of models with different animation sets. One of these animation sets is brand new and for the first time will allow us to add other bird-like creatures for jobs in the future. The Phoenix can fly, heal others, and is reborn (respawns) in a burst of fire in the position where it last died.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. Cyclops job to remedy the Giant jobs we lost during the transition. The Cyclops also has a few different skin variants.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. Cerberus to remedy a similar job that we lost during the transition.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. Manticore job. The manticore has a sting attack that inflicts continuous damage similar to that of Blade Frenzy.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. Satyr Companion job to remedy similar job(s) that we lost during the transition. However, this job is not neutral and is purely Celestial-sided. We plan to add a counterpart for the Void, being a Void Companion, very soon.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. 'Familiar' job that can heal and follow a 'master' of their choosing.
  
  
• Added V.I.P. Enforcer versions of all the new dorm jobs to remedy jobs of similar nature that were lost during the transition.
  
  
• Added a V.I.P. 'Autolycus' job to remedy a similar job that we lost during the transition. This job has the ability to pickpocket just as the previous version of this job.
  
  
• Made body groups randomize on initial spawn to make all newly spawned players look vastly different from each other. A simple but nice touch.
  
  
• The new dorm icons were added as chat emotes. There are two different variations of these icons for the emotes.
  
  
• A blacklist for jobs that can be DOS was created and any jobs can be easily added to this blacklist by recommendation.
  
  
• Added a console print message for the admin/gamemaker "psay" messages so that players can refer back to the message if they missed it initially.
  
  
• Added a KOS command similar to that of DOS for leaders such as Elite Sentinels and the Starbright Dean. This can be used to put a kill-on-sight on revealed Void or otherwise.
  

Changes

• Replaced the Starbright Dean's male model with a new version and added a female counterpart.
  
  
• Changed the "Transfer Scholar" job name to "Wandering Scholar".
  
  
• Changed the detained player console print messages to include a players Steam ID to match the kill console messages.
  
  
• Obliterate now works over armored players who have obtained armor by means of the Armor Potion or otherwise.
  
  
• Players can no longer trap other players with a perfectly timed combination or exchange of Entomb and Entangle or other freezing/locking spells.
  
  
• Disabled the ability to cast Ghastlius Hexio while crouched or while in the air.
  
  
• DOS console print message color was changed to be more noticeable.
  
  
• Freerpname ability was given to Moderators.
  
  
• Players can no longer be bucked while riding shapeshift forms that are under the effects of the Entomb spell.
  
  
• Players can no longer stand up from sitting on another player's back while the shapeshift form is under the effects of the Entomb spell.
  
  
• Players no longer take damage while in detainment or while in Celestial jail.
  
  
• Removed an unintended feature of the familiar potion that gave the player 50 HP randomly.
  
  
• Switcheroo and Tongue-Tie no longer work on Instructors with active classes.
  

Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused an error sign to appear above the player's head and disappear almost instantly afterward upon job change.
  
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed players who died to Obliterate, Cineres, or similar things that damage players using the same damage type to walk around in a 'ghost'-like mode.
  
  
• Disconnect chat messages were fixed and now correctly display and appear in chat.
  
  
• DOS status now properly removes on death.
  
  
• Generally fixed a couple of exploits with Ghastlius Hexio that allowed the player to reach (far away) places they shouldn't be able to otherwise.
  
  
• Fixed an exploit with the Shrink spell that allowed the player to bring Shapeshift SWEPS from one job to another that wouldn't otherwise have them.
  
  
• Fixed the arrow projectiles for the bow SWEP randomly getting stuck in the air, though a new job will need to be added to V.I.P. to remedy the job we lost that primarily used this SWEP. We are open to recommendations.
  
  
• Numerous bug fixes with the Wraith's Essence Absorb SWEP. Most notably, players in a "Wraith Fight" no longer take any form of damage, with the exception of the wraith's victim, only inflicted by the wraith themselves during the fight sequence.
  
  
• A bug related to being able to grab cuff-pinned players as ghosts, shapeshift forms, and other restricted circumstances while they were pinned to specific entities has been fixed. It should no longer be possible to interact with restrained players period in any instance under these aforementioned circumstances. IE: While playing as a ghost, while in a shapeshift form, or similar things of this nature.
  
  
• Blade Frenzy no longer affects players in various protection spells such as Swiftguard, Unbreakable I, Unbreakable II, etc.
  
  
• Blight no longer randomly kills people with low or 'zero' HP.
  

---

Final Notes

• We are still actively looking for and open to suggestions for virtually every aspect of the server, including and not limited to models for various existing jobs, or even new ones, maps to test or use until our custom one is ready, and much more. Please continue to share your suggestions or feedback in the 'Suggestions Discussion' section of the forums, here https://starbystargaming.com/forumdisplay?fid=193.
  
  
• We've already added a new version of the rp_medieval_v2 map that we've been using since reopening, that we've just recently discovered. It removes the weird invisible boundaries the previous version had, changes the water to real water, and alters the overall map in a plethora of ways that we believe are a vast improvement. However, the lighting on the map is a bit duller than the other version. We are open to the idea of hiring someone to edit this map further for us since our mapper is so heavily tied up in our custom map. If you know anyone or are able to yourself, please reach out to me via forum PMs.
  
  
• The Acuity or Prestige that you unlock any of these new spells at is subject to change, so be sure you are aware of this before acting surprised in the future, in the case some of your favorite spells are moved around.
  
  
• Due to the number of new spells all being thrown onto the server at once, even though these spells have been rigorously tested, it's very likely there will be bugs or other issues present, and maybe many of them. It's easy to have a lot of oversight over potential issues or bugs when you are testing so many new things with a small number of people. The testing will be accelerated since the spells are now on the live server with more players all using them at once and over time. In any case, please be sure to report any bugs on the forums, to staff and managers, or, if game-breaking, to myself.
  
  
• When we first reopened the website, we did some polling on a few main aspects of the server, such as the dorm concepts and scholar model concepts. We will likely continue to use this method in at least some capacity to help make bigger decisions moving forward. This will be more helpful than ever since we are actively coming up with our own theme and concepts for the server from now on.
  

I have been working every single day tooth and nail since the shutdown to reopen and re-establish the server to a state and quality that you are all used to and expect. With this first major update to the server, I feel confident that it's a great first step in returning to normalcy. The original goal was to get the server open as quickly as possible, and with a majority of our content having to be changed or removed, and the server essentially being “blown up”, I quickly threw the first things I could find or think of at basically everything. Whether it be models, names, formats, layouts, etc. I didn’t expect much of what was done or changed to stick, especially since we no longer have a specific theme to follow; we have to charter unbounded territory with a new concept. It took a long time to establish our server even in the previous theme, years in fact, so it’ll take some time to re-establish and build quality content for our new concept. I do believe we’ve already made massive strides and this first update to the server has really propelled it to a more established state than it was even just a few days ago, let alone when we first reopened. At the very least, I’d recommend giving the server some time and another chance, if not now with this update, but in the coming updates. Give us some time to get enough stuff made to make up for what we've lost and I think you will all find enjoyment in the server just as you have before, and at the very least, a lot more than when it first reopened or the last time that many of you have played. Good things take time. Once our custom map (mentioned in more detail in the last announcement) is completed enough to be added to the server in an early Alpha state, the server will feel a lot more like the overall experience you had in the past. This new map is going to be leaps and bounds better than our old (custom) one as we are taking the old design, improving on it, and adding a lot of cool new areas and elements that weren't part of the old one. More information regarding the custom map will be shared soon, but do know it's heavily in the works and we are making great progress. We have a lot of great and exciting ideas planned for the server. The beauty of being free from the bounds of an already existing theme is exciting and has lit a strong creative fire for me personally. Thank you for being a part of our community and for giving us a chance.

Hey, gamers. Welcome back. I understand many of you will have lots of questions, some of which I should be able to answer here, and a lot I may not be able to at all, at least not just yet  There is a ton of information to cover, so let's start with what happened, what's currently going on, and what to expect;

In case you weren't aware, on approximately June 8th, Facepunch Studios, the company that owns and operates Garry's Mod, received a takedown notice from an IP holder and was legally obligated to disable the game mode that our server was operating under. This affected not only us, but all Garry's Mod communities from around the world that were also operating servers under the same game mode, and this circumstance would also prevent all new ones from forming or attempting to reform in the future. In fact, Facepunch has already taken down dozens of servers attempting to capitalize on the situation almost as soon as they've opened over the course of the last few weeks. This is a clear indicator that Facepunch will not allow any servers, even ones that are remotely close at all, to open under our old theme and game mode. This also resulted in every single server IP address that was operating under the game mode at the time of the takedown being blacklisted, including our original one. Due to this entire situation happening, we were obligated to disable the website, all of our social media, and otherwise, while we removed all content and or references related to anything regarding the previous theme of our server. The best and most realistic solution was to simply wipe a majority of everything, change what was left over, and start anew, so that's what we've done. That's also why everything has remained closed for so long even after doing a 'soft launch' of the new Galaxy of Magic server that was announced only on Discord around a week ago. At the time of this announcement, however, everything should be reopened to some capacity, including the Steam Group, our Discord servers, Twitter, etc. The IP holder of the theme that our previous server was based on is still actively watching and looking into this situation surrounding Garry's Mod, so we don't expect to be completely out of the clear, nor this to be 'over' just yet. Because of this, it is of utmost importance that we are extremely cautious moving forward with every aspect of the new server (more info regarding the new server to follow below), our website, and every other outlet otherwise. There is a lot more I wish to be able to tell you, but for legal reasons, I cannot. This is the best that I can do for now.

Moving on to the good news and what to expect;

We've just opened a new server titled '[SBS] Galaxy of Magic' that's also operating under a game mode named 'Galaxy of Magic' within the Garry's Mod server browser. To get some of the bad news related to the new server specifically out of the way, we appealed our original server IP address blacklist with Facepunch. Though we had gone through the entire appeal process including an inspection, and it appeared that we had made a sufficient number of changes to the server, it was ultimately decided by Facepunch's legal team that the server IP address would need to remain blacklisted. This is unfortunate, however, we are able to operate this new server on a new IP address. Additionally, all GameTracker stats have been successfully transferred to the new IP address. Our ultimate goal is to make this new server feel right at home. We understand it will look a lot different than before, but the idea is to make sure it doesn't feel very different. Nearly all of the gameplay mechanics are the same. Your progress has remained. Though many have changed, virtually all previous donation rewards have also remained, and we will work to make them just as good or if not better than before. We are hoping to seamlessly transfer factions, their rulesets, and things of that nature to the new concepts and names we've come up with. Due to the fact that SBS is space-themed, we are basing our new server name, overall look, and lore, on Greek Mythology, Astrology, and space in general. It just makes sense for us. With that said, you will notice a ton of references in various names. This includes job names, spell names, class names, and more. The Celestial (the good guys). The Void (the bad guys). A magical galaxy that hosts 'Starbright University of Magic', a prestigious magical university known across many worlds other than just our own. Starbright was founded by the Greek Gods, with the goal of passing down their knowledge of ancient magicks till the end of time. With this concept being so new, and due to the fact that we have complete creative freedom with no bounds to fall within, everything is subject to change in the future. We can build this server on a concept completely of our own, with nearly boundless possibilities. The names and changes we have now were all decided and completed in an extremely time-crunched period, but we are still very happy with this concept as a starting point. Some stuff is still missing, and we have placeholders for other things.

A few notes for custom job owners specifically;

Some custom job models may be in use for standard server jobs as temporary placeholders. We are working as fast as possible to get replacements, and at the time of this announcement, there should be little to none being used for this purpose anymore. Some custom jobs have temporary placeholder names for the sake of keeping them on the server until a new name is decided and approved. Some custom jobs had to be entirely removed either due to names or the designs of the models, or both, and some may have only had one model removed and possibly a name change. A large majority of the custom jobs are unscathed. I will work with custom job owners that had entire jobs or models removed, or had name changes, but I ask that you all remain extremely patient. This alone will be an extremely large undertaking, and there is still so much left to do to get the server back to a point we are completely happy with. If your custom job was changed or removed, there will be an attempt made to allow you to come up with a new name for your job or have previous models retextured. I will not be able to provide entirely new models, however, in virtually any cases related to custom jobs where the model had to be removed and cannot be readded at all. A very small number of custom jobs are also gone entirely and most likely cannot be remedied. Some custom jobs, and other jobs in general, may also be missing previous abilities, such as !rd, spawning cuffs, etc. We are sure some of these things slipped through the cracks due to the enormous number of mechanics on the server that jobs tie into. It will take some time, but we will get back to being more established. If your custom job was affected by any forceful changes that we had to make, please reach out to me at a new temporary email that is specifically for remedying custom jobs that were changed at sbscustomfix@gmail.com.

Let's cover some of the new stuff we added and plan to add soon;

+ As for the website, we've already updated all support guides and threads to reflect our new server name and format. This includes the compendium, which is still a work in progress, that can be found here https://starbystargaming.com/galaxyofmagiccompendium. All in-game commands should be updated at the time of this announcement as well.

+ Part of the update that was coming to the previous server, being a large number of new prestiges, has already been implemented into this new server. If you were previously master prestige, you have the ability to start these new prestiges right away, and get a head start towards the new unlocks that will eventually be added. The overall number of unlocks associated with prestiging has diminished, but we will get back to that number and more as soon as possible. All of this happening has stunted the progress towards having these ready, but we will get back to work on that soon. Additionally, all prestiges after Master Prestige will still have to start over with collecting their spells, however, these new prestiges will be able to collect 5 preselected spells from the 'Prestige Spell Tome' near the prestige board right away. You will still need the level requirement, now called 'Acuity' (uh-cue-uh-tee) to use them, however. All Prestiges after Noble Prestige will no longer result in any spells being lost at all. There are now 21 total prestiges, with Legend prestige being the new max prestige, and you can see those here:

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/EKhb8y6.png]

+ We are also working to scavenge everything else we can that was coming with the planned update, including a ton of new wand models, and a lot of new spells, which we will soon implement as well. There will be around 25 new spells added, and they will be added at some point in the next couple of weeks. The wands will take a little longer due the delay caused by having to revamp the entire server. The spells listing and in-game command has also been updated, which can be found below. The names of the spells may not be final, we just went with the theme to get this out as soon as possible, but this is what we're rolling with for now:

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/iw441e0.png]

+ Even though we have lost a lot of jobs, especially in the V.I.P. and prestige category, we have added a few completely new jobs with new creatures that no server of ours has seen before. These jobs include and are not limited to; a Phoenix that has healing abilities, new unique flying animations and respawns where it dies, Cerberus, Cyclops, Satyr 'Companion' that assists Celestial forces, and a generic Familiar. We will keep adding new jobs as quickly as possible to make up for everything that's been lost, some ideas being creatures such as Pegasus, Hydra, some form of a Void Companion, etc, and we will keep working on better models for jobs otherwise that are using any type of temporary placeholders. Some other more notable new jobs to mention, the 'Starbright Dean', being the head of the university, the 'Triumvirate', being the head of the 'Galactic Council of Magic' that oversees 'The Celestial' side and the 'Sentinels' that protect and enforce the laws. The 'Void Overlord', being the head of 'The Void' side, the 'Void Disciples', being the followers of the Void Overlord, and the 'Void Captors', being the minions of the Void Overlord and the Void Disciples alike.

+ We are already in the process of creating a new custom map for the server, and I will provide an early concept of the layout below. We will be going for a more 'fantasy' ancient Greek look and feel to this map, but that doesn't mean the rest of the aspects of the server need to follow. It also doesn't mean we have to stick with this at all, as we are open to things changing especially in any future custom maps that we can and will make. Meanwhile, we will be forced to experiment with and the server will run on workshop maps until this map is complete. This is far from ideal, but it's all we have, we hope for only a month or two maximum. We realize that having a map, even if less detailed, that fits all of our needs is going to be far more important than any 'good looking' map we can use from the workshop that doesn't have everything we need. In this case, we are working to get some form of a map out as soon as possible, even if it lacks some details at the start. It's worth mentioning that many elements of this new map will be familiar, including some of the original floorplans, notably the courtyard with the surrounding four main classrooms, the outer walls, the vast flat area for game makers leading to what will now be the colosseum, the world defined boundaries, etc. Measurements and scale from our old map will also be reused here, so the sense of familiarity and utilization of the map will make us feel right at home.

[Image: https://i.imgur.com/44nYxNb.png]

In conclusion for now;

We have now added a new section of the forums titled 'Suggestions Discussion', where you are able to share your suggestions with the community and discuss them. This includes anything you like about the new theme, don't like, or would like to see added or changed. I've already posted a few polls of some of the more important aspects of the server that I feel will be crucial to have your feedback on moving forward, you can vote in those or share your opinions here:

https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=19254 < Scholar Model Concepts

https://starbystargaming.com/showthread?tid=19255 < Dorm Theme Concepts

Absolutely no aspect of the server is set in stone. With this being completely new territory, we are open to taking this where a majority of the community would like to see it go. Even though we are running with the current theme now, it doesn't mean everything has to be or appear Greek, nor does it have to take place in an ancient time period or be or look overly fantasy, we can take this in whatever direction we want. Theoretically, the university could still be standing millions of years or more later after it was built by the Greek Gods, so it could even take place in modern-day with more 'average' and 'modern' looking player characters; or perhaps our lore takes place in an unknown realm, or a realm of which we have a name for. A specific planet, such as earth, or maybe even one that we make up. It literally does not matter and is up to a majority of the community. We have no longer have any 'guidelines' or 'boundaries to follow', so let's make this new concept our own. Some part of me hopes we don't specify some of the details of the lore of the server, ever, for the sake staying of leaving some of the story to be interpreted by the player(s) themselves. To be abundantly clear for a final time; quite literally no element of the server in its current state, whether that being the overall theme, the name, the game mode name, the model types, etc, are set in stone. We are completely open to suggestions and are willing to take this in any direction that a majority of the community would prefer, but we still have to stay away from anything remotely similar to our previous theme as much as possible. There is too much risk at this time to do anything remotely close, and this would all be a waste of time if we try to do anything too similar again, as it could just all be ended again in the blink of an eye. At the end of the day, there were more than enough reasons to just let what happened to be the end of it all. We chose, instead, to at least give this a shot in a new way. We, at the very least, owed that to you all to try. So let's see what happens and what direction you would all like to take this in.

There is certainly plenty of new content for you to indulge in while we continue to work on the server, and while we all mold the server together in a direction we all like. A lot of said content will be getting accustomed and adjusting to the vast amount of changes alone. The goal has been to get this out to you as soon as possible while making sure we have made every necessary change to be able to open a server safely, so please don't expect perfection. There will likely be bugs, things missing, or even stuff that may have been overlooked that needs to be changed. Feel free and please be encouraged to report these things as you discover them in the bug report sub-forum within the new 'suggestions discussion' section.

We hope you enjoy the new server and join us on a new journey to take this server to places we never have before. You can quickly and easily join us by visiting https://starbystargaming.com/play/galaxyofmagic, connecting directly using the new IP address 208.103.169.55:27016, or by finding us in the "Galaxy of Magic" game mode listing within the Garry's Mod server browser. Thank you for playing and see you soon!