February 2010 Content Update

[AmonGwareth]

The "Scourge of the Skulk" Content Update is now being applied to Order (and next week to Chaos). You can review the notes here.

And for your reading pleasure, a brief tale introducing you to the storyline on the peninsula.

[Thicklesip]

Story! Yay!

I do wonder why little bits of text on the page are highlighted white, though. o.O Is it a secret message?

[Amarie Ancalimon]

White text? What white text? *whistles mysteriously*

(No idea how it got there, but I made it gone now.)

[Sigi]

Oh, nice story very nice!

[Shian]

* Updated quest "Dragon: Bolster your attack with Gold Rage" to use only Gerix instead of Wintheria
* Updated quest "Dragon: Gain the knowledge of Spiked Scales" to use only Gerix instead of Wintheria
* Updated quest "Dragon: Gain the power of the Draining Strike" to use only Gerix instead of Severant
* Updated quest "Dragon: Improve the Accuracy of your Breath Weapon" to use only Gerix instead of Luadius
* Updated quest "Dragon: Learn the power of healing" to use Gerix instead of Frall
* Updated quest "Dragon: Learn to damage opponents from a distance" to use Gerix instead of Bentaras
* Updated quest "Dragon: Prove yourself worthy of the Gift of the Dragons" to use Gerix instead of Kaliphar
* All level 10 dragon crafter mastery quests now use Xarinnis in Parsinia rather than starting with various NPC's around the world.

Wow, what? And here I thought it was starting to make sense...

I am a bit saddened to see that Gerix is forced once again and no longer sends you a tell when you talk to the *actual* trainer. I only hope that the said trainers are also taught enough to check to see if you have done Gerix/Xarinnis, and if not, they tell you to go see them instead of their blank greeting.

Countless times I go talk to a trainer of whatever and they give me no indication to go see Gerix and refuse to train me without saying why. Also, when I am done with Gerix, he gives me no indication that there are other trainers I can go see.

I understand the reasoning behind herding everyone to Kion (and now making it a requirement to go through before going to racial cities), but it really gets confusing afterward because there is no further prompt in either direction.

[Dhalin]

I understand the reasoning behind herding everyone to Kion (and now making it a requirement to go through before going to racial cities), but it really gets confusing afterward because there is no further prompt in either direction.

When a Hatchling finishes the New Trismus quests, don't the NT Dragons send you to Gerix in Kion?

Once this happens, you do all of Gerix's quests in Kion, and then Gerix sends you to Chiconis and Dralk, right?

By this time you're about Level 20 and finished with Lesser Aradoth (or, well, theoretically).

It sounds like a fairly even and logical progression to me. It might not be, for hatchlings who were created _before_ this change, but anyone making a hatchling _after_ this change would see a more logical progression of quests.

[Shian]

I was more referring to players (and I could be the only one that does this!...) that do say, Primal, Spiked scales, Gold Rage, etc. but don't end up getting around to TNC or Dragon's Gift before one is done with all the quests in LA. You know, two or three 'non essential' quests for one's build from the bucket of 10. I have yet to play a dragon that will get all of them done before they leave for greener pastures.

The quests are forgotten as one is swept up in leveling, dreams towards ROP etc.

Then when one is say, 40 and now wants to catch up on the once useless quests, they go to the trainers and lo and behold! They say nothing! Surely this is a bug! Why won't they train me?

I once spent an hour trying to figure out why the dragon capacity trainer would not speak to me. Deleted my entire quest log and everything.

Or should that just be 'intuitive'?

[Dracaena]

When a Hatchling finishes the New Trismus quests, don't the NT Dragons send you to Gerix in Kion?

Uh, no. Couldn't tell you how many lost hatchlings I have found just silly grinding somewhere on New Tris because they didn't know what to do next. We will see if this is still the case after the world wakes up again. Something besides go explore, grow, mumble, mumble would be nice.


Dracaena

[Dracaena]

I was more referring to players (and I could be the only one that does this!...) that do say, Primal, Spiked scales, Gold Rage, etc. but don't end up getting around to TNC or Dragon's Gift before one is done with all the quests in LA. You know, two or three 'non essential' quests for one's build from the bucket of 10. I have yet to play a dragon that will get all of them done before they leave for greener pastures.

The quests are forgotten as one is swept up in leveling, dreams towards ROP etc.

Then when one is say, 40 and now wants to catch up on the once useless quests, they go to the trainers and lo and behold! They say nothing! Surely this is a bug! Why won't they train me?

I once spent an hour trying to figure out why the dragon capacity trainer would not speak to me. Deleted my entire quest log and everything.

Or should that just be 'intuitive'?

The 'intuitive' part these days: if something doesn't work go beat on Gerix.

[AmonGwareth]

Uh, no. Couldn't tell you how many lost hatchlings I have found just silly grinding somewhere on New Tris because they didn't know what to do next. We will see if this is still the case after the world wakes up again. Something besides go explore, grow, mumble, mumble would be nice.


Dracaena

If the quest lines from Kerian and Avariatus on New Trismus are completed then Kerian directs the player to "Carry a Status Report To Gerix in Kion". That is the name of the quest.

So, what likely happened is that they did not finish those quests.

[Demonwing]

so Gerix holds more quests now??? as an adult dragon would i have to go to him for quests still?

[Frith-Rae]

And on this line of thought - why were the quests "Learning about CHiconis/Dralk" no longer actually make you GO to those cities?

Are there other quests put in to direct the dragon there for the rest of his non-level-10 quests?

I'm not sure I understand the purpose behind removing the visiting of the cities to "learn" about them?

[Morphaz Bladewing]

so Gerix holds more quests now??? as an adult dragon would i have to go to him for quests still?

No. They simply altered the level 10 quests to no longer require you to visit the 'actual' ability trainers in Dralk/Chiconis. I agree however that Gerix should at least hint to them after you completed his quests. Best would be probably that he gives you a letter or something with a list where each trainer is found.

[Morphaz Bladewing]

Might lose my soul for double posting but this just needs to be said:

I -love- this patch. :O Especially the ability changes for dragons and wow, 100 new quests. :O

[Dhalin]

No. They simply altered the level 10 quests to no longer require you to visit the 'actual' ability trainers in Dralk/Chiconis. I agree however that Gerix should at least hint to them after you completed his quests. Best would be probably that he gives you a letter or something with a list where each trainer is found.

He does.

Read the patch notes, they gave Gerix a couple quests involving "The Dragon Cities".

Once you get Level 20 and/or all ability quests done, he probably says "You should go to Chiconis and Dralk and talk to the trainers there" or some-such.

[AmonGwareth]

And on this line of thought - why were the quests "Learning about CHiconis/Dralk" no longer actually make you GO to those cities?

Those quests were actually learning about the Helian and Lunus factions, not the cities themselves. You don't need to visit the cities to learn about the factions.

Plus, sending new players to new cities before they have even learn the small island they are on can be very disorienting and disruptive. So we opted to keep them on the island and keep the progression for new players more controlled and linear.

It may not be the perfect situation for RP or lore, but it is for gameplay and new player retention.

[Guaran]

Impressive list of fixes! I'm glad some of those long awaited fixes are finally coming to live.

Maybe I missed it but, are the regular chests finally fixed to open with keys instead of just smacking them?

Nice to see the additional abilities like Clarity II which will make Sorcerers useful in groups, and as a nice counter to the now non-cleanseable stuns.

T6 Backpacks - appreciated by everyone I'm sure.

Old-Style trainers quests: are those quests simply gone? Or quest bucketed? I'm wondering if new players will still be able to get say "Druid's Edge" and the others. If those are being added as rewards for some newer quests that would be good.

Nice to see thornwoood changes.

* Demon Skin Ablative is now known as Demonskin Armor
* Ice Barrier and Demonskin Armor now count as Damage Shields for buff conflicts.

Since the demonskin ablative is a % chance to land, not useable on demand, shouldn't it stack? This would make it work the same as Reklar's winds of fury. Demonskin ablative is what, 5% chance to go off? And Ice Barrier wears off as well. If demonskin is weaker than ice barrier, yet overwrites it this would be undesireable. If it does not overwrite, but the ice barrier was nearly depleted anyway, then demonskin wouldn't land and ice barrier would then fade. And depending on the school someone is in, both situations are likely possible depending on the tier of the Ice Barrier. I would vote that demonskin be allowed to stack, since it's a random proc. Overwriting and/or not landing would be undesireable. It's a small % chance to even go off anyway.

Ceremonial Shield/Scale - in doing some recent testing on blight, I noticed that the effects for these only proc off incoming spell damage. For the spell ward effects thats fine. But for the melee wards, shouldn't the pop from incoming melee? I believe someone mentioned this months ago but it probably got lost in the shuffle.

Nice to see the dragon techs use available comps again. Thank you.

Multitude of other fixes: Thanks.

[Creme]

Maybe I missed it but, are the regular chests finally fixed to open with keys instead of just smacking them?

Keys work again. I tested on Blight with the last update (179).

[Knossos]

Forest Skulk Fins have successfully replaced Fyakki Stinger Tips as a tech comp but unlike other such replacements, existing Inventories of Fyakki Stinger Tips have not been changed to Forest Skulk Fins.

Aughendell Tailor Trainer Huma Clothspinner is present in name only - no body.

All connies seem to issue spam when opened - listing all items for which one is not qualified to use.

Knossos

[dadown]

I'm getting tons of 'not qualified' spam now and not just from vendors. It also happens when I do quest stuff.