Announcements - 1999/11 - Release

Patch Details
On the morning of November 23rd, Asheron's Call will undergo its first major update since its public debut.

This update makes some changes to game balance -- the relative strengths of particular skills, monsters, and items. We realize that changes can be painful, and we have no intention of continually shifting the game balance. We are especially reluctant to make changes that weaken characters. However, we badly needed to curtail the effectiveness of a few skills for this update to put them on equal footing with most of the game's other skills. We do not change the character powers lightly, and we do not intend to make this a common practice.

Below are details on the changes, from Chris Foster, lead game designer for Asheron's Call at Turbine Entertainment Software.

CHANGES TO MONSTERS

 * Monsters now have more pronounced "soft spots" in their armor. Choosing the height of your missile and melee attacks will have a more pronounced effect on the damage you do.
 * Monsters now also have clearer "soft spots" in their magical resistances. Mages must choose spells more carefully; using a spell to which a monster has natural resistance can reduce its effectiveness by half or more! Mages who choose proper spellcasting tactics will do as much damage as they ever did.
 * Lugians, Armordilloes, and Gromnies are somewhat faster and better defended.
 * Lugians and some Monougas fit better through doorways.
 * The locations of many monsters have been tweaked to improve game balance.
 * Vats and braziers are now ethereal, so they cannot be used as safe "perches" for picking off monsters.
 * On the landscape, monsters will now be able to open doors.
 * Gromnies will no longer defend their brethren.
 * Shadow creatures and Olthoi have better defenses.
 * Many Monougas will navigate better around pits.
 * Banderling Captains and Tumerok Warriors were not casting spells; this now works as intended.
 * Ice golems no longer take double damage from fire.

CHANGES TO MAGIC

 * Portal spells are now harder to learn, and the spread in difficulty across portal spreads is also greater. (This restores portal magic as a goal to which mages aspire.)
 * The ranges of Harm and Drain spells have been reduced, as the ranges made these attack spells more powerful than anything a War Mage could cast. *Beneficial Heal, Regenerate and Enchantment spells retain their high range. The duration of enchantment now increases substantially with the level of its spell.
 * Vendors no longer hold on to the magic scrolls they buy, and will only sell their standard supplies of them.
 * Minor tweaks: Health-to-Stamina Self II had the wrong scarab, and the Range for Exhaustion Other I was too short. Both will be fixed.
 * Health-to-Stamina Other spells did not display their range when examined. They will now.

QUEST ITEMS
Changes have been made to the requirements for using the following items:


 * Acid Axe
 * Blue Virindi Gem
 * Dagger of Tikola
 * Dull Gem
 * Fiery Shield
 * Fire Spear
 * Fire Staff
 * Gem of Black Fire
 * Green Mire Cuirass
 * Green Mire Yari
 * Ice Tachi
 * Lightning Hammer
 * Lou Ka's Yaoji
 * Obsidian Crown
 * Obsidian Ring
 * Orb of Black Fire
 * Red Virindi Gem
 * Superior Helm
 * Swamp Gem
 * Sword of Lost Light
 * Tibri's Flaming Spear

MISCELLANEOUS

 * Miscellaneous portals now have appropriate level restrictions.
 * A small number of traps, locks, and quest-related items have been tweaked.
 * Mattekar hides are now less commonplace.
 * The values of jewelry created by the treasure system have been made more consistent.
 * A number of locations where players can get stuck in or behind objects are fixed.
 * A number of minor tweaks have been made to spell effects and other graphics.
 * A number of rumors have been clarified and/or corrected.
 * A number of quest-related and collector-related behaviors have minor fixes.
 * Ale and green tea now work as intended.
 * "Healing cheese" is now labeled everywhere it appears.
 * Minor tweaks have been made to improve server performance.