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 |  | The Return of the Grab Bag |  |
|  | Posted By: Sanya Thomas | 2003-10-17 19:58:47 |  |
| |  |  While it's not as good as the middle chapter, it's still pretty satisfying!
Q: Will the ToA beta testers still need to purchase the ToA expansion CDs, or will they be able to just use the beta CDs?
A: While the files are the same, what you need to buy is the CD key that comes with the disk, which is what we use to authorize your account.
By the way, everybody – we at Mythic don't have access to CD keys directly, and we do not have any way of knowing what key belongs to what account. The CD keys come from our publisher. This means two things – one, it won't help to give us your CD key for any reason in the future, and two, make sure your Trials of Atlantis box is closed, sealed, and was never opened before you put down your money for it. If your "CD Key is already in use," you have to take it back to the store to deal with the problem – as much as we'd like to, we won't be able to help you.
Q: I have two accounts, and I don't want to buy two CDs when all I need are two CD keys.
A: I don't blame you at all, and believe me, I have passed on that feedback. But again, Mythic doesn't have anything to do with the CD key process, and can't just give you a key.
Q: Do you plan to make DF seal items (with the new improved bonuses from the 1.65 patch) salvage for their level-appropriate materials? i.e. lvl 45+ diamond seal items = arcanium, etc.?
A: The intention behind the change was to increase the utility of the darkness falls items for player use as armor - not to change the salvage values.
Q: Since 1.65, seems like the mudmen huts around Ardee stopped spawning mudmen. I didn't see a patch note…
A: Whoops. You didn't see a patch note because it wasn't on purpose. We're fixing that in 1.66. I apologize for the error.
Q: (insert 1.65 resist changes question here)
A: Here's the answer I got from Balance Boy:
"Prior to 1.65, resists were all added together to create a single percentage which was reduced from the damage of the appropriate type that was taken.
"For example:
"If you had 26% cold resist in items, 14% in cold resist buffs, Avoidance of Magic III (9%), and Brilliant Aura of Deflection (36%), your total resist to cold type damage would be:
"26+14+9+36=85%
"So if you were hit by a spell that did 500 cold damage, the actual damage you received after resists would be 500*(1- .85) or 75 points. The person casting the spell on you would see the damage result as 75(-425). That's the way it WAS.
"With the NEW system, resists are added into two separate categories that are applied to the damage consecutively instead of all together at once. Items, Buffs, and Racial abilities are calculated into the first resist check and Realm Abilities that affect resists are calculated in the second check.
"Using the same example as above:
"Your 26% cold resist items and 14% cold resist buffs would be counted first, so 26+14=40%.
"Then with the same 500 point cold damage spell, the calculation would be 500*(1-.40) or 300.
"That 300 would then be checked against the AoM III (9%) and BAoD (36%), so 300*(1-.45) or 165. The person casting the spell on you would see the damage as 165(-335).
"So in this case, we a spell that would have only done 75 points of damage before 1.65, now doing 165.
"This change was designed to address the rare cases of extremely high resists (65% and up), without penalizing those with low to moderate resists.(20-40%)."
Now, let me just remind everyone – the example above is JUST an example. The math in the game won't work exactly that way, because in the game, you're wearing armor, debuffs are in action, etc. But for the purposes of explaining the changes, the example needed to be as simple as possible.
Q: I've read that "Trials of Atlantis is designed to further challenge high-level players by introducing a Master Level advancement system. As a player moves sequentially through each of the nine Trials, they will achieve a corresponding Master Level. Emphasizing group play, the Trials will have to be surmounted by groups of players journeying through the portal together."
This needs to be clarified please. I cannot buy the game until I know exactly what this statement entails. Are you saying that this is linear ONLY game play? Are you saying that I cannot complete all 9 trials solo? Are you saying that I must be with the same group of people to complete all 9 trials? PLEASE answer these questions for me!
A: There will be more information coming out in the next few weeks, but in response to your email, here's what I was just handed hot off the email server:
- The expansion is meant to be played much like a tabletop module, BUT
- It has normal hunting grounds as well.
- Groups of players in their 20s can enjoy much of the hunting, but the Master Level Trials and the associated quests start at level 40.
- Many of the encounters that are part of the Trials themselves can be done by one group (although some will require more, such as the final encounter for each of the Trials.)
So, it's not just linear gameplay, there are lots of new places to hunt and new treasures to acquire, but the story arc is meant to be followed sequentially. And you will need a group for many things, just like the current game, but no, not the same eight people for the whole expansion. Solo Trials? No. Hope that helps ease your mind a little.
Q: After patch day, how long does it take the dragon to spawn?
A: All spawn timers in the game have a percentage chance to spawn every few minutes. If the dragon fails his spawn roll, he could conceivably not spawn for several hours. This isn't like other games you may have played, where patch day is a signal for everyone to stay home for work and pray they kill the giant lizard first. Appealing and asking for the CSR to spawn the dragon won't make it spawn any faster…
***
Clicked the Community tab recently? Our Miss Julie is running a costume contest for those of you who are dressing up like a character or a monster out of DAOC this year. We're looking forward to seeing your pictures, so send 'em in. And it's not me judging the contest, so yes, the results really will be announced around Halloween.
Some people have written to say they'd be perfect for the tech support job, and that it's not fair that we won't consider them just because they live in, say, Ohio. I'll tell you, Ohio, your resume kicked ass, and you would have been hired in a second if you lived here. The thing is, we really need someone who can start yesterday. Promotions come from within around here, we just moved one of our good people up, and so there's a gap in entry level tech support right NOW. If we know about a job opening in advance, we consider out of state applicants. Today's opening has some urgency to it. Sorry :( Keep watching the Herald for opportunities.
Shout out to the DC Percival Player Gathering! That rolling party just rolled out of here after a fun filled few hours of dev watching and producer harassing. For those of you who took the bleeping sunglass holders, you rock! Drive safe, Canadians. And thank you, Kardinal and Crunchy Head, for producing these awesome parties. If you're local to DC and would like to catch up to these loons, they're planning to take over the Maryland RennFaire tomorrow… Crownsville will never be the same.
And with that, I'm off. Have fun storming the castle.
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