Update Feb 10th

[*cryptc]

New feature introduced: difficulty settings.

You can now use your Essence object to set difficulty setting of the monster zones you go to. The difficulty settings are:

Clueless: This ensures that no matter what area you go to, you will only trigger the lowest tier of creatures that spawn there, no matter your character level. This is useful if you have a high ECL character with few hit points struggling at low levels, or if your character isn't ideal for the enemy type you're facing in an area and struggling because of that.

It will not lower difficulty more than already exists for the area, so setting difficulty to clueless at level 10 will not make Abyss any easier than it is, since it already spawns its "easy" monsters for you then.

Cutter: This is the normal default difficulty that every character has unless they change it. It is equal to how the difficulty was before todays update.

Planewalker: This difficulty forces all spawns to the highest tier of the zone you enter, even if your character level is too low for this normally. This is good for added challenge (and xp), and especially when relevelling. Elite type monsters also spawn more frequently on this difficulty.

Gatecrasher: This is the highest difficulty setting, which in addition to giving you the highest spawn types of a zone, also spawns slightly larger number of monsters and gives you even higher chance of elite types.

There might also be a few special spawns that only trigger for players using gatecrasher difficulty (there are currently three on server, but I've only tested making sure one works yet). This is to throw an additional little surprise in the way of those running at highest difficulty.


Parties: For parties the difficulty setting only works if everyone in the party has changed to the same setting. If there is any difference in group (one clueless and two cutters, one planewalker and one gatecrasher, etc) it will always default to the Cutter difficulty.

Special note: The difficulty setting is not saved permanently, so every time the server resets you are reset back to Cutter difficulty.

[*Agony_Aunt]

Got 5 mins now before i have to go out. Any issues with today's updates and post in the bugs forums.

• Fixes to Baccahe and Moon Dog Bard Summon. The Bacchae no longer has FB Frenzy so doesn't suicide and the Moon Dog can now use its Bard abilities and attack.
• Fix for Spirit Shaman and Favoured souls when scribing scrolls.
• Faction changes - quite a few although some of it under the bonnet. Mainly ability to send out a call for help from fellow factioneers and ability to create faction specific placeables (only 1 or 2 per faction). Some factions do not have their proper banners yet, so its just a blank banner. This will come later when the models are ready. Also faction henchmen work a little differently now. You can always summon but they will always be level 1. Once you get above namer level you will be able to spend some gold to boost them. Same as before, the higher your faction rank, the bigger the boost.
• Placeables from RoN warehouse. Changes in how they work. No longer conversation based, you need to buy the placeable tool from the RoN store. Also two big changes:
  [**] Chests now can be used to display wares from a container in your inventory (up to 100 items). Buy the display wand from the RoN store.
  [**] Crafting stations are usable as proper crafting stations.

I can provide more details if people don't understand, hopefully it becomes obvious when you make the required purchases. Got to run now.

[*Ceremorph]

And in smaller news, the falchion issue referred to in the Bugs forum has been fixed.

[*Agony_Aunt]

And in smaller news, the falchion issue referred to in the Bugs forum has been fixed.

In completely unrelated news... no it hasn't. :P

cryptc held off on updating areas and HAKs until Astral is ready. So maybe next week.

[*Ceremorph]

Oh, LOL. Ignore me then.