Now that things are getting back on track, I think it’s time we all discuss what’s been happening with Potted.

Let me start out by saying that when I created Potted, it was with the idea that people might keep ten plants in their home. I never expected this game to become what it did, and even if I had hoped it would, I never would have expected it to do so in a matter of six months.

As a result, the current version of Potted was simply not designed to handle the volume of activity we’re seeing from our players. We’ve realized that, to continue offering this game in a managed way, we need to restructure many aspects of it. We need Potted 2.0.

Potted 2.0 has been in the works for some time. However, as you might have noticed from the slow return of available products after the move, updating this game is a huge undertaking in its current form. One of the changes in Potted 2.0 is streamlining the update process, making it easier and faster for future improvements.

We know that you are all frustrated that this has not been resolved faster. On my end, I see a tiny company that has been running on a treadmill since it began. We didn’t have a website when Potted started, or a ticket system. Our store was donated space on the corner of someone else’s sim. From January to today, we have been setting up infrastructure as well as trying to keep up with a demand we hadn’t expected. And I am personally very proud of what we’ve managed to achieve in that time.

I know, however, from the outside, most of these things are not seen as achievements, but rather expectations of what a company should have. All of those should-haves take time, effort, and dedication to put into place, though. And we’ve been working hard to make that happen.

Potted 2.0 will take much of the game serverside. It will add in functions we desperately need to manage the game. It will resolve some issues we know we have, in ways that will hopefully help us move forward far more quickly in the future. I know we are ALL looking forward to that!

So, why do you see some updates to the game, but not others? That’s because I am able to code LSL, but not serverside scripting. Amanda Bork has created our current tracking in the server and is working on moving more of the game serverside, which will solve many of the headaches we have experienced. This means that we have two people who are able to do different script-heavy jobs. I can update things within the existing game while she works on the big changes.

To address the recent exploit and the accompanying rumors, let me clarify: First off, Potted’s code is not Open Source. If it was, it would stand to reason that we would see many other games like Potted on the grid. Since we don’t, I think we can lay that rumor to rest. The exploit was caused by a single bug in the code, using a method I was not aware existed. The moment we were made aware of how it was being done, we shut down the store and began working on a fix. Let me say this very clearly – I had a bug in my code. It was missing one line. Those who chose to use this bug to cheat, created an exploit. Those people deliberately and methodically cheated a glitch in the scripting. Bugs happen. Cheating doesn’t have to.

I think most of you know how hard we work, every day, to try and keep everyone excited and happy. I think most of you appreciate the community that has been built around this game, and all the amazing work we have done together in our fund-raising, parties, and support for each other. Each and every day, I have the honor and pleasure of speaking directly with customers, and they always leave me feeling determined and inspired to continue making this little plant-game-that-could be something we can all enjoy and be proud of.

I appreciate each and every one of you. And I am so lucky and grateful to be on this adventure together.

With love,

Cort