What we are working on

Learner tried (with pretty good results) to make use of the zlib library that is linked in the Windows version to the binary (it is needed for the XML parser). He tested compressing the maps and 3d objects with it, and it seems that now the map loading time is faster.
He didn't do extensive tests yet, but it only makes sense for compressed files to load faster, after all the HDD is the slowest thing in a computer, and with today's fast CPUs the decompression is almost instantaneous.

Then we have our 'special effects guy', KarenRei who has almost completed integrating his new special effects in the client. He posted some screenshots here.

I am already working at integrating Schmurk's collision detection code in the server (should take a few more days, plus a lot of testing), and then Learner will add the gzip support to the server as well, so that the maps will load faster, which will mean reduced start up time, which will hopefully compensate the reduced start up time from the collision detection initialization stuff.

All in all, things are pretty good for, and we hope that we will have a new client update around April or May with the new special effects and some speed ups. The arrows are not going to be in the next client though, there is still a lot of work to be done.