
Originally Posted by
SSG_Orion
U35 is out.
We are hastily working on some of the known issues of which we are aware.
Known Issues
- Damage issue where too much damage is being removed - affecting both sides. This will be addressed in an upcoming update, hoping this will be soon.
- The skill usage for the new Free People tutorial is not advancing the quest in the tutorial. This will be addressed with the next update, hoping for next week.
- There is an issue with the benefits gained by killing Grodris. They will only apply in the Steps of Gram, Coldfells, and Arador's End. This will be addressed with the next update, hoping for next week.
- Killing Burzgoth in Grothum does not advance the weekly quest for Free People in the Ettenmoors. This will be fixed in a subsequent release.
- Sometimes, the last quest completed for the weekly quest in the Ettenmoors advances the first step of the second weekly quest. We are looking at this and it will likely be fixed in the next release.
Things that we are watching:
- Speed at which players are getting through the weekly quests in the Ettenmoors and rewards.
- Difficulty of the Grodris Fight.
- Overall sustainability of the monster players and their morale.
- Specifically, the healing output on Defilers.
- The power spend on monster players - so far this does not appear to be too far off from the player spend, but we want to make certain that there is a level of parity.
- We are watching the lag and would like to know where you are when you experience the highest level.
- Audacity changes and how they are impacting the overall experience in the Ettenmoors.
Gearing
With the most recent changes to Audacity, we have moved much closer to a point where we can effectively balance the sides. It's still not perfect, but we have made what we believe are some major strides in seeing that the changes are for the positive. This is giving us a moment to really look at the way that we distribute loot in the Ettenmoors and get the items under the same advancement criteria as the PvE gear for the players.
What does this mean? To be clear, the remainder of this year as we move toward the release of the expansion there are going to be a number of changes to a lot of our systems as we work to make the game a little more modern in the approach of encounters for PvE and this means that our gear will be changing, certainly at the new level cap. Along with this, we want to make certain that players who wander into the Ettenmoors early have an opportunity to play with their friends, kinmates, etc... at the outset of their character - that means that we are looking for a solution to an issue of a level 20 character wandering into the Ettenmoors and so...we are working on the following.
Scaled Ettenmoors Gear
We are working on a gear set that unranked players can acquire providing them with scaling stats that they can purchase with coin and make them viable at the outset of their time in the Ettenmoors. What is more, they can take this gear and wear it in the normal world without impacting the advancment curve in PvE.
What this will mean, is that we can create better, scaling gear sets that will not obviate the PvE gear sets that are earned, that can then be moved more readily between the Ettenmoors and the PvE world. This will also provide us with a better way to handle caps in the Ettenmoors and maintain the balance when item level caps increase.
While, I have a prototype on my machine, there is no established timeline when this will be added to the game.
Consumables
Consumables will change. We will be making a thorough pass on both side's consumable items in an effort to make them a) more relevant to the current level bands and b) more easily updated as we advance the player levels and ensure that we establish the correct progression values for the players and monster players.
Artifact Changes
Recently, I was looking at the artifact capture sequence and realized that it is incredibly awkward and restrictive and that it REALLY needs to be modernized.
This is going to be a stepped process to ensure that we handle this correctly, because there are some pieces that are, as yet, untested. The sequence of these changes will be as follows:
Stage 1. When an artifact is taken from the location at DG or OR there will no longer be a timer for a respawn. If the carrier is slain while carrying the artifact, the item will immediately return to the location it was just at so that it can be attempted to be recaptured, immediately.
Stage 2. When an artifact is taken from the location, and the carrier is slain, the artifact will drop at that location and the most recent owner can interact with the object to immediately return it to its most recent location and the side of battle attempting to capture the artifact will be able to pick it up and continue toward the capture point.
Stage 3. When the artifact is taken and dropped, then both sides will need to pick the artifact up and return it to the location to recapture it.
No timeline on when this will be implemented, but it is on the list.
Old New Elf and Orc Camp
We are not removing these, in fact, they are going to be getting some new functionality at some point in the future.
As part of the changes allowing us to make the above adjustments to the artifacts, we will be including a new event that will occur on a rotating basis in the Ettenmoors. Capture the flag will make a return and the two camps will feature prominently.
No timeline on when this will be implemented, but is now on the list.
Siege!
Back at the beginning of the year, which really feels a lot further back than it should. We mentioned that we were considering adding siege mechanics to the Ettenmoors. Well, we have some more details on what this will entail.
Siege, in the Ettenmoors, will not function as it does in the Epic Battles. We will not be allowing the use of the skills earned in the Epic Battle system to translate into the Ettenmoors.
Instead, we are creating a limited amount of siege to change the taking of the towers and central keep.
Ballista, will be primarily anti-personnel capable of hitting players, monster players, the guards at each location, and other siege equipment including the doors that spawn at the towers and central keep. Ballista deal the least damage, but fire relatively quickly. They can be placed along battlements from within the keep, at ancillary tower locations (ie. the ruined towers outside of TR and Lug), and they can be placed in locations just outside of the tower, and around the central keep or within the courtyard of Tol Ascarnen.
Catapults, will be primarily anti-siege, and secondarily anti-personnel splash damage against players, monster player, the guards at each location, and other siege equipment, including the doors that spawn at the towers and central keep. Catapults deal the most damage and have splash damage, they fire slowly and can only be placed outside of the towers and central keep, or within the central courtyard of Tol Ascarnen.
Battering rams can only attack doors. Battering rams deal enough damage that they will take a door down in about 10 strikes, and they attack relatively slowly - giving the defenders enough time to martial a counter attack.
How is this going to work?
After a tower or Tol Ascarnen is catpured, a quest will open to build the doors. This will require a number of materials found throughout the Ettenmoors to construct - wood, logs, metal, etc... from the surrounding flora and fauna. Once complete the door will spawn in and prevent attackers from immediately entering the locations. Subsequent quests will open at the locations to "reinforce" the doors with greater health, etc... up to a maximum level.
When the location falls, any existing Siege equipment left from the previous attacking force is removed.
Immediately after the flip, the new "buildable" locations become active for the would-be attacking side. To build, a player or monster play will need to purchase a schematic with commendations. The cost will likely be around 3000-3500 commendations to purchase a schematic and they will allow for stacking within your inventory. To "construct" a Siege weapon, a player or monster player will need to be at a location where the weapons can be deployed and take the time to "construct" the apparatus. Once successful in completing the induction, the siege weapon will appear. Only one piece of siege equipment can be placed at a build location at a time.
Once crafted, the siege weapon will find targets and begin its assault - using a priority set designated by primary and secondary targets.
Doors and "crafted" siege equipment cannot be healed, but it can be attacked and destroyed. Doors will be much harder to take down without siege equipment.
Work is underway to get a prototype working for internal testing. We are not certain when this will be released, but we are hoping to preview you at some point in the not so distant future.
What about events?
We have some ideas for events, and as we stated not long ago; Grodris is only the beginning of the denizens of the Delving of Fror emerging from the depths and wandering the landscape at large. We want to get the balance right on Grodris and also get some more flavor and direct conflict established before we start unleashing more. But these are still very much in the works and will likely spawn events that happen on a cyclic and rotating basis.
No timeline yet, but they are being formulated.
Closing
It's been a while since I did this, and I wanted to ensure that there was still an understanding that we are working on this section of the game. Please, feel free to leave any questions and I will do my best to answer them.
Orion