How to read this journal: ElBlot is still in beta. “Completed” identifies work included in the current product boundary. “Upcoming” identifies planned work that is not active and does not promise a release date.
Milestone: · Current · Platform
PAL model levels, minimized MMR, and Books
The public platform now matches the current product boundary. The retired preset-PAL catalogue has been replaced by three selector levels: Jahfal / Fast is open to everyone, while Almuhtam / Balance and Motafoaq / Deep require their owned and equipped unlock Books.
All three choices currently use the same professional PAL behavior. The selector Books unlock the interface choice and do not change PAL decisions, matchmaking, ratings, or MMR.
Live MMR room cards now show only starting credit, the same-MMR Sakka win value, required Player Level, end date, and Free Entry. Player caps and total prize values are not part of the public card.
ElBlot Books now documents active PAL Books, Malqof Books, and the two selector-unlock Books. PAL and Malqof use separate three-slot loadouts, and each Book detail page includes a clean shareable information card.
Milestone: · Historical · Platform
The public platform expands
ElBlot’s public website now reflects the competitive platform more clearly.
This historical release added the first public MMR and PAL pages plus a no-login Training Room. Its capacity and preset-PAL presentation was superseded by the 20 August 2026 platform update above.
The live Watch Table concept was removed. Public competition pages now focus on useful room information and standings without exposing private live-table activity.
Training starts an authoritative Baloot table with one player and three Stage-1 system PALs. It awards no PAL POINTS, LEVEL POINTS, MMR, match history, leaderboard result, or public PAL statistics.
Historic engine profiles and public URLs remain preserved for compatible records and search continuity, while current PAL and Book pages follow the newer single-personal-PAL model.
Milestone: · Historical · Matchmaking
Picker-first Skirmish matchmaking
Skirmish was redesigned around a direct choose, search, and automatic table-entry flow. The preset and Stage selection described by the original release has since been retired; current Sakkas use one professional PAL behavior and the three-level presentation selector.
Signed players and legal guest sessions share the player queue. If no compatible player is available after the human-search period, the server can start a fallback match using system-controlled opponents.
The flow removes the old tier, team-composition, and manual match-acceptance decisions. Friend rooms remain invitation-based.
Signed Skirmish players receive score-derived PAL POINTS after an eligible completed Sakka. Guests, system opponents, and unfinished Sakkas do not receive durable PAL POINTS.
Milestone: · Completed · CAL / REF / Rules
Closing important table-rule gaps
A versioned rules update resolved several edge cases without changing the meaning of historic matches.
The work recorded purchase-decision expiry as an authoritative table action, added the defined Qid path for a direct teammate Sun Pull, added the correction path for a wrong-seat Ashkal, and tightened the requirement for a timely opposing declaration before Speak becomes available.
These changes were added through a new rule profile. Older profiles and their records keep their original meaning instead of being silently rewritten.
Players can learn how claims work in the Qid and Takweesh guide and review the current public baseline in the official ElBlot rules.
Milestone: · Historical · Multiplayer
From certified rules to playable rooms
The playable table moved from isolated rules-engine certification into small private multiplayer sessions focused on a complete Sakka flow.
The room layer became responsible for seats, connection authority, commands, reconnection, and player-safe projections. CAL continued to calculate observable game facts, while REF remained responsible for evaluating a submitted rule claim.
This separation is still central to ElBlot: networking and rankings consume gameplay results, but they do not decide what the cards or rules mean.
Milestone: · Historical · Competition
Designing independent MMR rooms
The first ranked-room design separated each competition into its own MMR environment.
The original internal design included room capacity and competition configuration. Current anonymous cards intentionally publish only the approved player-facing values: required level, starting credit, same-MMR win value, end date, Free Entry, and standings.
The public MMR directory and standings described by this work are now part of the current platform. Visit MMR Rooms for the active public directory.
Milestone: · Historical · PAL
Defining fair PAL knowledge
This entry records an early PAL-knowledge design. The current professional PAL uses a bounded, server-private and fallible reading after the full deal, but receives no raw CAL or REF verdict authority and exposes no private reading to players.
The later preset and six-stage line was also retired. See the current behavior and selector truth on the PAL AI page.
Milestone: · Historical foundation · Engine
v0.3 Beta establishes auditable settlement
The v0.3 Beta established the first complete observed-settlement foundation for ElBlot.
The engine recorded visible actions, kept rule evidence separate from physical card ownership, and waited for eight collections and the SUM confirmation before committing the deal result. It also established the versioned audit structure used by later CAL and REF work.
The v0.3.1 successor corrected project eligibility, effective-buyer project transfer, Kaboot, and Reverse Kaboot behavior without rewriting the historic v0.3 profile.
v0.3 is a historical engine milestone, not the engine used for new rooms today.
Current · Active · Books
PAL and Malqof Books are active
Books are now an active customization layer. PAL Books rank lawful PAL preferences, Malqof Books enable registered help handlers, and the Balance and Deep Books unlock selector choices while equipped.
Players build separate three-slot PAL and Malqof loadouts. The valid equipped set freezes before the next Sakka, and no Book can create an illegal action or bypass the game rules.
Current catalogue: browse the active effects, PAL Point costs, cover art, and shareable cards on ElBlot Books. Items explicitly marked Coming Soon remain inactive.
Upcoming · In review · Rules
CAL, REF, and OG rules alignment
The next rules pass will review a focused set of original Baloot rules across three authorities:
- OG, the documented gameplay rule source;
- CAL, which records and calculates observable game facts; and
- REF, which evaluates specific submitted rule claims.
Approved corrections will be documented, tested, and added through a new versioned profile for future Sakkas. Historic records and replay meanings will not be silently changed.
The exact rule list will be published only after the rulings and test cases are approved.
Built in public
Development notes describe the state of the product at each labelled milestone. This page was first published on 6 August 2026; later entries may replace an earlier design direction without deleting its history.
To report a rule correction, gameplay problem, or technical issue, use the ElBlot contact form and include a clear example when possible.