release 2021-09

.gitignore

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # RANews stuff
 _temp/*
+_downloads/*
 tmp/*
 tools/.env
 tools/err

_issues/2021-08/devnews.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ What's going on in the achievement creation scene.
 
 In July we started the DevQuest #7.
 
-If you want more info about all DevQuests, we centralize information about them [in this forum topic](\https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13060).
+If you want more info about all DevQuests, we centralize information about them [in this forum topic](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13060).
 
 
 ### QUEST #007: Most Wanted

_issues/2021-08/fun.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ author: SporyTike
 category: Fun
 ---
 
-## June's Spot the Difference Winner
+## July's Spot the Difference Winner
 
 <div class="bingo-winner">
   <img class="bingo-trophy" src="../../img/trophy.png" alt="trophy" />

_issues/2021-09/devnews.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+issue: 2021-09
+order: 202109-11
+layout: article
+author: StingX2
+title: DevNews
+toc: true
+toc_float: true
+---
+
+## Intro
+
+What's going on in the achievement creation scene.
+
+## DevQuests
+
+For **this month** (yeah, September) we're going to start a new DevQuest.
+
+If you want more info about all DevQuests, we centralize information about them [in this forum topic](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13060).
+
+
+### QUEST #008: World Traveler
+
+- **Goal:** Develop two sets for games that were never released officially in English.
+- **Point of Contact:** {% rauser Infernox %}
+- **Requirements:**
+    1. All claims intended for this quest must follow normal procedure.
+    2. They must be full sets. Fodder for the Progression Only hub won't count towards the badge.
+    3. If you already have a suitable game claimed, your progress must be under 50% complete to count towards the quest.
+    4. Any sets intended for World Traveler will not stack with any other quests based around developing new content.
+    5. Games that possess English translation patches do count towards the quest.
+    6. Hacks and homebrew **do not** count towards the quest. Unlicensed titles **might** count as long as they aren't blatant bootleg ports or hacks of another game. If you're unsure if a game is valid, contact Infernox.
+    7. **Once your sets are finished, run it by Infernox so your progress can be marked as complete.**
+
+
+## QA Weekly Wrap
+
+QA Team started to post the things they have done on a weekly basis. You can check them in the links below:
+
+- [QA Weekly Wrap 8/12 - 8/19](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13684)
+- [QA Weekly Wrap: August 19th - August 26th 2021](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13725)
+- [QA Weekly Wrap: August 26th - Sept 2nd 2021](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13751)
+

_issues/2021-09/editorial.md

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+---
+issue: 2021-09
+order: 202109-10
+layout: article
+category: Editorial
+title: "Is Quality Really a Goal?"
+author: meleu
+toc: true
+---
+
+<br>
+
+> "We build computer systems the way we build our cities: over time, without a plan, on top of ruins."
+> -- [Ellen Ullman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Ullman), computer programmer and author.
+
+## Intro
+
+This article covers some parts of the RA history, focusing on the "quality" topic. How it was in the past and how we're working on it today.
+
+If you enjoy the RALore, keep reading.
+
+
+## How to know what is good?
+
+Those who are with us since before 2017 will likely remember what RA was like when it came to quality. Achievements for starting a game weren't rare. Also some other ones for having a "game over". Many grindy, tedious, "impossible" ones...
+
+The simple gut reaction is that this kind of thing happens due to incompetence. How wasn't it just avoided in the first place?
+
+Turns out that the opening quote opening to this article is not a sarcastic joke, like it may seem. What Mrs. Ullman says about computers, can also be applied to the way we build things here on RetroAchievements. And it's not a joke, it's the statement of a fact.
+
+The point is: how to know what is good if we don't know what is bad? We need ruins to build something better on top of it.
+
+
+## Why poor quality work is necessary
+
+So, in order to do something good, one need to do a lot of poor quality work. Of course each person is different, both in terms of intellect and skills, but doing better with each iteration is a key factor for doing something good at some point.
+
+There's still a problem though: when you finish doing something you think is good, a short time later you are already thinking about how to make it even better. It may even reach a point where you won't think it's that good anymore... (for the hardcore nerds, this happens because of [neuroplasticity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity)).
+
+Uh... but... Do we really need to see every single newcomer producing **the same** low quality work over and over again?
+
+
+## How to avoid repeating the same mistakes?
+
+In the pre-historic days of RA there wasn't any documentation. Then a member who was brave enough to open the Memory Inspector could find an address for "game over" and become excited. "Hooray!! I found an address meaning something! Let me create an achievement with this address real quick!". As you can imagine, this led to the creation of a lot of low quality content. 
+
+Fortunately for us, RA fans, some ancient members (like {% rauser Brian %}, {% rauser cirellio %} and the RA creator {% rauser Scott %}) probably made a lot of mistakes but were wise enough to write about their findings, and were generous enough to post them on the forums. Many achievement creation docs we have today, were built on top of their findings.
+
+Thanks to their effort, today we can avoid repeating the same mistakes.
+
+
+## Experiment and iterate
+
+Even with a lot of documentation, to fill the technical gaps, there are still a lot of non-technical mistakes, like bad achievement's design, here and there producing some "basic" achievement sets.
+
+Currently this is not a really serious problem, since we have Code Reviewers and QA Team preventing really poor achievement sets to be promoted as official sets. We have also the revision process, where people can improve the sets over time.
+
+So, it's ok to promote an "acceptable" set, and then enrich it in a future revision.
+
+This way people can start creating achievements as soon as they can, and get better in the next iteration.
+
+But well, it wasn't so "smooth" in the past. And is surely still a source of discontent here and there.
+
+
+## A little of RALore
+
+In the past, when the revision process didn't exist. Changing an achievement set were very rare. Even if the set had poorly designed achievements like "start the game as player X", demoting it could be considered a severe offense to some people (either the author or some players who had unlocked such achievement).
+
+Somehow there was a belief in the collective unconscious that once a set is published it's definitive. This "rule" wasn't verbalized anywhere. We didn't have docs neither a Code of Conduct, but that's how it was in the past.
+
+The problem with such scenario is that, regarding quality, it was very unfavorable.
+
+Key problems:
+
+1. It doesn't allow achievement sets to be improved
+2. It makes some creators who care a lot about RA deter newbies from start creating
+3. (consequence of point 2) It doesn't allow creators to "learn to be good" (make something bad, and then improve it)
+
+With the benefit with the hindsight, now I see that what we were unconsciously trying to avoid was just the complaints coming from the players. We were sacrificing our biggest asset (the achievements) to please people who just consume what we produce. Just because people want to "master" a game and then consider it as done.
+
+That was causing a lot of tension between those who actually put a lot of effort producing content for the project.
+
+Fortunately it's now a problem of the past. But, again, we needed to face those problems in order to fix them.
+
+Although we have left some wounds, over time we're slowly maturing. Today the revision process is working reasonably well.
+
+We even tried to open the voting to the whole community, and faced a sad reality: those who don't put any effort to make RA better can't vote with the same weight of those who spend a lot of their time working for RA.
+
+Most of the players (not all of them) are here to brag about their site awards, and "quality" is relegated as secondary. After many heated dicussions we decided to close the revision voting only for achievement creators again. And this seems to be working fine so far.
+
+
+## So, is quality a goal?
+
+Answering the question on the title of this article: No, quality is not a goal, it's a road.
+
+It is critical to understand that due to our malleable standards of evaluation, this process has no end, ever. We are never going to reach some utopian state where everything is perfectly satisfying. The fundamental reward of an improvement process is the experience of betterment, not some mythical destination.
+

_issues/2021-09/events.md

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+---
+issue: 2021-09
+order: 202109-40
+layout: article
+category: Current Events
+title: Current Events
+author: HolyShinx
+toc: true
+toc_float: true
+---
+
+## Intro
+
+Here's the list of events that are open to join. This is good way for players to get involved with the RA community.
+
+For more info, check the [Current Competitions and Hall of Fame of RA](https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=9014) forum topic.
+
+
+These events are open to any community member who wants to particpate.
+
+## Achievement of the Week 2021
+
+- Forum topic: <https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=12143>
+- Period: January 2021 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic ikki5 %} and {% rauserpic Flara %}
+- Currently 1st place (with 39 points):
+  - {% rauserpic Arekdias %}
+  - {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+  - {% rauserpic CMatador %}
+  - {% rauserpic DoctorV %}
+  - {% rauserpic Pudpod %}
+  - {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>
+
+
+## Simple Monthly Master
+
+- Forum topic: <https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=10753>
+- Period: May 2020 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic Hotscrock %}
+- Previous Winners:
+  - 2021:
+    - July: {% rauserpic RomaKiev %}
+    - June: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - May: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - April: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - March: {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+    - February: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - January: {% rauserpic earfly %}
+  - 2020
+    - December: {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+    - November: {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+    - October: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - September: {% rauserpic Xeinok %}
+    - August: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+    - July: {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+    - June: {% rauserpic BahamutVoid %}
+    - May: {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>
+
+
+## The Unwanted
+
+- Forum topic: <https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=11073>
+- Period: July 2020 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic StingX2 %} and {% rauserpic televandalist %}
+- Current Winners:
+    - Month 13: {% rauserpic Tayadaoc %} and {% rauserpic Wilhitewarrior %}
+- Previous Winners:
+    - Month 12: {% rauserpic Freezestar %} and {% rauserpic Televandalist %}
+    - Month 11: {% rauserpic Xymjak %} and {% rauserpic SlashTangent %}
+    - Month 10: {% rauserpic ISmileyzI %} and {% rauserpic SlashTangent %}
+    - Month 9: {% rauserpic Gamechamp %} and {% rauserpic SlashTangent %}
+    - Month 8: {% rauserpic HolyShinx %} and {% rauserpic SlashTangent %}
+    - Month 7: {% rauserpic multonic %}, {% rauserpic Whynot15 %} and {% rauserpic SlashTangent %}
+    - Month 6: {% rauserpic deng %}
+    - Month 5: {% rauserpic Kisumebuckets %}
+    - Month 4: {% rauserpic freezestar %}
+    - Month 3: {% rauserpic multonic %}
+    - Month 2: {% rauserpic guineu %}
+    - Month 1: {% rauserpic guineu %}
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>
+
+
+## Peak Streak
+
+- Forum topic: <http://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=12108>
+- Period: January 2021 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic Bendyhuman %}
+- Currently 1st place (with 200 points):
+  - {% rauserpic YahwehTzVaoth %}
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>
+
+
+## Challenge League 3
+
+- Forum topic: <http://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=12318>
+- Period: February 2021 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic SnowPin %}
+- Winners of atleast 4 Challenges:
+  - {% rauserpic freezestar %}
+  - {% rauserpic minibt %}
+  - {% rauserpic ParaParaKing %}
+  - {% rauserpic ShadwSonic %}
+  - {% rauserpic StingX2 %}
+  - {% rauserpic Tayadaoc %}
+  - {% rauserpic televandalist %}
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>
+
+## Leaderboards of the Month
+
+- Forum topic: <https://retroachievements.org/viewtopic.php?t=13412>
+- Period: July 2021 - Current
+- Host: {% rauserpic Searo %}
+- Currently 1st place (with 65 points):
+  - {% rauserpic Xymjak %}
+
+
+## Spot the Difference
+
+The RANews Spot the difference minigame was posted in a previous [Fun](fun) section of RANews.
+The goal was to find all 10 differences between different parallel universes.
+
+- Winners of Spotting the Difference:
+    - August: {% rauserpic Nevermond12 %} & {% rauserpic TheFetishMachine %}
+    - July: {% rauserpic blendedsea %}
+    - June: {% rauserpic Burgins %}
+    - May: {% rauserpic Nevermond12 %}
+
+
+<a href="#top">:top:</a>

_issues/2021-09/fun.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+issue: 2021-09
+order: 202109-99
+layout: article
+author: SporyTike
+category: Fun
+toc: true
+---
+
+## Last Month's Winners
+
+Yeah, we had two.
+
+<br>
+<div class="bingo-winner">
+  <img class="bingo-trophy" src="../../img/trophy.png" alt="trophy" />
+  {% rauserpic Nevermond12 %}
+</div>
+<br>
+<div class="bingo-winner">
+  <img class="bingo-trophy" src="../../img/trophy.png" alt="trophy" />
+  {% rauserpic TheFetishMachine %}
+</div>
+
+
+## Spot the Difference
+
+Today Bijou saw a wonderful rainbow and another Ham-Ham, Prince Bo, fell down from it because his magical umbrella, which allows him to create rainbow, loses its colors. It seems like that the same thing which caused the umbrella to lose the colors also changed several objects in the Ham-Ham base. Can you find all 10 differences in the lower image?
+
+![spot the difference](img/spot-the-difference.png)
+
+## About the Game
+
+| Game | Console | Genre | 
+|------|---------|-------| 
+| <a class="gameicon-link" href="https://retroachievements.org/game/9596" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <img class="gameicon" src="https://retroachievements.org/Images/041783.png" alt="Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue"> <span>Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue</span></a> | Game Boy Advance | Role-Playing (RPG) |
+
+Suggested by TheFetishMachine.
+
+**Note:** The first user who finds all 10 differences and sends proof to SporyTike via Site DM or Discord will be listed in the next issue as the winner. Additionally a random selected user which submitted the solution until the end of the month will be chosen to select the game of the next picture.