Design Preview 7/13/2005

[imported_GhostRdr]

Real good stuffs there [img]/Web/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img] I must admit also,that I'm quite curious about the last thing in developpement
"Elder Game"

Wonder what it is [img]/Web//emoticons/emotion-18.gif[/img]

I am interested to know myself. The only possible answer I can come up with might be their "END GAME", which so many have asked for.

[Death-knell]

Hey Manga, thanks for the update! It is greatly appreciated.


One question though?? Is there any word on lair crafting (lairshaping) How is the skill(s) going to layout?

[imported_GhostRdr]

[img]/images/temp/on_blight.gif[/img] July Focus The following items are the focus for the month of July 2005[*]Ancient Rite of Passage episodes 2 and 3.



Continued construction of "The Rift" and the new monsters and bosses that exist there.
[*]The ability for a plot owner to delete a structure on thier plot and recieve Novian Resources in their inventory. This will allow for easier upgrading of buildings as well as the ability to move structures around plots for added fun and functionality.


[*]Armor Dye Kits that will allow players to add dye to armor post item creation.


[*]Weapon Dye Kits that will allow players to add dye to weapons post item creation.


[*]Changing the Formulae for making Blighted Items to only require only 3 Blight Cores instead of 5 and allowing Players the ability to make Blight Cores from Blighted <Tier> Essence.


[*]Emblems awarded to Crafting Schools for reaching level 100.


[*]Monster "Aggro" Tweaking[/list]

[img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]

The Novian resources for deleting structures is a welcome change.
Awaiting the weapon dye kits forever, glad to see they might go to blight this month.
While changing the blighted item making is great, not many bother making them anymore.
Good to see the Monsters aggro will be adjusted ( hopefully for the better).
Nice seeing moreemblems coming. ( 1 note here, can you make it so they can go into a vault or storage? At present you cant and are forced to carry with you at all times.

[img]/images/temp/to_blight.gif[/img] August Focus The following items are the focus for the month of August 2005[*]Ancient Rite of Passage completed...



Ancient Dragon Character Advancement
[*]Player buildable structures that have the same functionality as resource nodes.


[*]Confectioner School: Reloaded



The Addition of Expert Formulae, Brand new Formulae, Food Sources and Usages
[*]Master Processing Forumula released via world events.


[*]Adding more Set Items and Rares (including more post item creation techniques) across all Tiers[*]The rebeautification of Istaria continues with Dalimond / Chinconis (Tier 2) Terrain and Content overhaul with new monsters and quests.
[/list][img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]

AROP Completion? I believe many a dragon will be overjoyed about this one.
Player Built resource structures? Is likesome sort of green house? If so, it's a good idea, maybe farms will be available soon and those confectioners can plant their foods.
Good to see the Conf class is gonna get some lovin from the oven.
Ahh, the long awaited Master processing formulae.[:D]
More set items are always good[Y]
If the change to dali/chic is like LA, then it will turn out nice.

[img]/images/temp/to_blight.gif[/img] Fall Focus The following items are the focus for the fall season of 2005[*]

School Review and Balancing[*]

Monster Review and Balancing[*]

Tier 6 Adventure Areas[*]

Bigger and Badder Epic Monsters[*]

The Return of the Blight Anchors.[*]

Player Built Shrines allowing players to have a second bind location at their own plots.[/list][img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]

Epic monsters? does this mean more events are coming soon?[:P]
Everything else here looks like it will help but not looking forward to the anchors returning again.

[img]/images/temp/internal.gif[/img] Internal Testing Stage The following items are on our internal server currently undergoing testing.[*]*** New Quest Editor ***



All the new in house quests are now using this tool.
[*]Dragon Lairs



We are able to buy a Lair Plot and build out a Dragon Lair currently, we are working out the bugs and adding more Dragon Lair art assets. This is very real thing and is close to being released. more information as well as a more formal announcement coming soon.
[*]Kwellen Hide Armor



Art and Armor Made, needing Formulas
[*]New Dragon Claw Techniques.


[*]Baeloch, The Fire Demon


[*]Glaciantus, The Ice Demon
[/list][img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]
[img]/images/temp/dev.gif[/img] In Development The following items are in various development stages with no current ETA and may be different upon final implementation[*]The re-introduction of Crystals


[*]New Resources



(Enriched Ores and Pristine Gems and other Exotic Resource Types)
[*]Elder GameTM
[/list][img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]

All good stuff. Cant wait to see the demons, new crystals and what the elder (END) game might be.

[Death-knell]

[img]/images/temp/on_blight.gif[/img] July Focus The following items are the focus for the month of July 2005[*][*]Master Processing Forumula released via world events.


[*][/list][img]/images/temp/about_line.gif[/img]

AND EVEN MORE EVENTS

[Nalrach]

THANKS Manga !!!!

Well folks we now know what is in the loops, no bull, no whine ... Tulga has goals and we no what they are. Now our turn to dance with them and help get them things into game, tested and running.

Go Dev Go !!! [Y]

[Varangaard]

Hm, the preview begs one question.

So, lairshaping will be a different craft class. Now, this represents a fundamental, top-level change in developers' approach to dragons. Before, they have been represented as a single-schooler race - this being one of the significant points that makes them different from biped races. The question is, if the change is done on crafter side, will adventurer side follow suit?

[Death-knell]

Hm, the preview begs one question.

So, lairshaping will be a different craft class. Now, this represents a fundamental, top-level change in developers' approach to dragons. Before, they have been represented as a single-schooler race - this being one of the significant points that makes them different from biped races. The question is, if the change is done on crafter side, will adventurer side follow suit?

Well from the impromtu dev chat they had. Lairshaping would have 2 parts, the general segment every dragon could do, then there would be a specialization you would have to choose and work on as a new class. If this is true, and I don't see a need to doubt it. It does represent something new for dragons, I don't think I'd jump all the way to redoing the whole dragon structure. I just see this as a means to making dragons socialize with each other more.

But it's also the reason I requested to see how lairshaping would layout. They almost have lairs ready, I would hope they already have lairshaping skills already to go also.

[Aboroth]

I am interested to know myself. The only possible answer I can come up with might be their "END GAME", which so many have asked for.

I dont think theres going to be an "end" game ghost, i remember David Bowman saying after burning archer comes another epic, and between the rest of those, the t6 formulas and new epic monsters, plus dalimond and chiconisnew looki dont think thats soon. And i dont think the devs will do all this work just to end it so suddenly [;)]

Speaking of which tho, keep chiconis dead pool if you can please, that spot was always fun [:D].

[imported_Silveron]

Ancient Rite of Passage completed...



Ancient Dragon Character Advancement



Mmmmmmm! [:D]

[imported_Kepesk]

Great stuff all of it! I can't wait, especially for the lairs and lairshaping skill!

One thing though.. Whatever happened to the Helian equivelant to Gold Rage? A lot of us Helians were waiting with baited breath for that one (no pun intended). Any news on that front?

And if I'm completely missing something and hopelessly sticking my foot in my mouth, just let me know. ;)

-Your friendly neighborhood stripey dragon

[Kulamata]

Since I am sensitized by the history of negative impact changes, I am concerned about the school rebalancing as an avenue toheavily nerf some or all classes. If it is like the dragon rework recently, it would be wonderful. If it is like the ~30% xp reduction for mith smelting as is being tested on Blight, I would be very unhappy indeed.

And with that grumble duly grumbled; RoP and Lairs, of course, very nice. (And I renew my wish that Lairs will be buildable on guild plots.) Novian building resources will be very welcome. The dye kits sound like just plain fun.

Confectioners- at last! Tier VI processing formulae, with world events!

And what may be the most important item on the lists:the tutorial island. I do keep harping on the need to attract and retain new players, and I hope this improves the retention rate markedly.

I'm glad to see more sets and rares added to the loot tables, especially for all tiers. If really spiffy, and common enough that there is a real chance of a player getting one for forty (?) hours of play it might lighten the adv grind with real benefit to the game.

And it will be nice to see crystals back in the game, and I am very curious about revised blight anchors. (Ummm visible would be best)

For Horizons to become viable, I think this is the path to follow, rather than trying to sneak in slow-downs and increased grinding.And it is a very nice set of improvements.

[Goriax]

Whatever happened to the Helian equivelant to Gold Rage?

It better be a SPELL equivalent to Gold Rage useable by either Helians or Lunus unless they're willing to take Gold Rage away from Helians. Perhaps Helians might tend to do better with it since then tend tohave higher primal but ONLY as long as Lunus do better at Gold Rage since they tend to have a higher T&C. But it better be useable by both.

[Paganstar]

Truth be told, I have not been playing Horizonshardly at allsince EQ2 came out. I have how ever been lurking in the background watching the changes being made. I also did come back a few times just to see if things had changed and if I might be interested in returning (I had paid a year in advance and so it took a few months for the account to finally run out).

The Ancient Dragon rites has got me really jazzed as does the coming lairs and such (my character was a lvl 84 Hellian) and the other changes also look like a major step in the right direction. So before I say the next part I do want to give Kudos to the Dev team and the job they are doing... but...

The one thing that drove me away and has not changed (had the same issue each time I came back for the last few months) is the engine itself. I would fly low over the ground looking for mobs to hunt and the land would paint out far in the distance with no problem but harvestable trees and resources and more importantly the mobs themselves would not paint until I was right on them or they had already gotten a couple of attacks of on me.

I tried multiple settings and my machine is no slouch (P2.8 2gig RAM 5950U vid card) and that "lag" always remained. I have followed Horizons since before launch and before the "information blackout" and I really want it to succeed and honestly I would really like to start playing it again as (despite all of it's issues) it was a great concept. So I am hoping that some dev will make a comment on if and when the engine might ever get improved and updated. When and if that happens you can guarentee I will be back.

[Mandovar]

´Great news!
Thanks for the Info Manga![Y][B]

[Eni]

Whatever happened to the Helian equivelant to Gold Rage?
It better be a SPELL equivalent to Gold Rage useable by either Helians or Lunus unless they're willing to take Gold Rage away from Helians. Perhaps Helians might tend to do better with it since then tend tohave higher primal but ONLY as long as Lunus do better at Gold Rage since they tend to have a higher T&C. But it better be useable by both.

Give both sides a spell like ability (additional quests) with same power of goldrage and make gold rage and the new spellability share same timer. Problem solved.
Everybody can choose what to use. But never can use both at same time.

[Death-knell]

Well talking bout helian. You have any idea how effective ravage or tailwhip is with all your helians scales on? Don't see an equivalent for that.

[JDexter]

I do hope Monks are in the future plans, but that is biased, of course, since it is my class, and I refuse to change my main. I just hope when things are added (whichever class) that a good portion become unmasterable. I mean how many people have 10 Monk just for foresight? Things like that (in the new abilities) should be for the class, hopefully.

[gusi]

Ancient Rite of Passage completed...

Unfortunately, this has become more or less a "Boy who cried wolf" scenario for me. From previous experince, I won't hold you to this date you guys have provided/aimed for [:|].

[oluviel]

[img]/Web/Themes/Generic/images/icon-quote.gif[/img]Manga wrote: Ancient Rite of Passage completed...

Unfortunately, this has become more or less a "Boy who cried wolf" scenario for me. From previous experince, I won't hold you to this date you guys have provided/aimed for [img]/Web//emoticons/emotion-8.gif[/img].

it's possible that part 3 is relatively short that just includes killing the final npc and the summing up that normally occurs after. it doesn't mean that it'l be a short step though sincesome of this stuff will probably be solo

[oluviel]

Since I am sensitized by the history of negative impact changes, I am concerned about the school rebalancing as an avenue toheavily nerf some or all classes. If it is like the dragon rework recently, it would be wonderful. If it is like the ~30% xp reduction for mith smelting as is being tested on Blight, I would be very unhappy indeed.

Think of it as an opportunity to make more classes a viable main class, and hopefully yes this does mean some classes/crossover abilities will be toned down. It's no coincidence most biped characters gravitate towards the same fewbuilds.