Dear lords and ladies,
We got news about the arrival of something that’s very important for all of us and which has been eagerly awaited by all of you:
HTML5 is coming and it will start with our very own Empire HTML5 Beta Version!The Empire HTML5 Beta Version will be held from the 3rd - 12th of December!
As you know times change and sometimes this means that we have to say our goodbyes to old and familiar things. But this not always has to be in vain, because as you know we will have to switch from Flash to the more modern and safe standard of HTML5, due to the former one's expiration by the end of 2020.
Even though this change means quite the big jump for us, the game itself will not change with this technology related switch and will stay exactly the same as it is now! Some of you may probably ask what’s different comparing Flash to HTML5. The most important difference is that Flash is a browser plugin, which is mandatory to be installed in order to play Empire on the web. Even though Flash was one of the major multimedia software platforms for ages, the developers behind Flash will stop supporting and slowly abandon it by the end of 2020. Therefore all major web development companies are currently shifting away using Flash. Without the Flash plugin, the game won’t even launch and you wouldn’t be able to log into your account. As a software company - speaking about Goodgame Studios - Flash is another external dependency we have to maintain during game development. Due to moving from Flash to HTML5, we are able to eliminate the topics mentioned above: the game will run in your web browser independently and without any plugin required.
The HTML5 beta test for Empire will start very soon and we will provide all of you with a link in order to test this new HTML5 version of Empire out. This login will forward you to a page where you’ll be able to login with your standard account (just use your current login credentials). You can always switch back to the Flash version by logging in with your account via your usual login page. Please keep in mind that playing the HTML5 version with your usual account still enables real in-game purchases.
As an important note: Nothing will happen to your account! We won’t make any changes to your account and you can still access the game with your game account and continue playing with that account on the HTML5 version. Your castle will remain in the pristine condition you remember it (so long as you left it in a pristine condition!). Nothing will change here and progress will not be lost.
Our main goal is to provide a stable HTML5 version for Goodgame Empire within the next couple of weeks, which is comparable to the current Flash version or even slightly better in performance.
Converting a game like Empire from Flash to HTML5 is an ambitious project, but we don’t stop releasing new features for the Flash version until HTML5 will be available for everyone and Flash won’t be necessary anymore. That’s why we’ll support both versions for at least a few more weeks and we’ll, of course, let you know about the status quo of this switching procedure on our forums.
The HTML5 beta version of Empire was developed to perform best on the latest version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Other browsers may work as well, while browsers on mobile devices can’t run the current HTML5 beta game version. We will also provide you with dedicated feedback channels for Empire’s HTML5 version on our forum and we would highly appreciate it, if you could give us your feedback on the Empire HTML5 version, including eventual bugs or any other issues which you might encounter.
All the best,
Your Community Team