Design Notes

January 31, 2014

Celebrate Yokai's New Year

Battle Through Akiba's Jingshen Forest

During its New Year celebration Yokai's guardian spirits appear in Akiba, bringing with them a ton of seasonal gear and new adventures for Lore's heroes to explore. This year, the ancestral spirit Senlin-Ma has come to Akiba. An ancient being that takes the form of a horselike Kirin, Senlin-Ma has a ton of new quests which will send you into a brand new, unexplored part of Akiba: Jingshen Forest.

Friendlier than he looks.

If you've never heard of Jingshen Forest, that's because it's usually kept hidden - only Yokai's forest spirits are able to see or enter it. But now, those nature spirits have become tainted somehow and Senlin-Ma, needing the help of a hero to find the source of the corruption and eradicate it, has opened the forest to any who can prove they are worthy.

Come Back on Tuesday for High Level Content

Tonight's Yokai New Year release freatures medium-level content that should be easy for most players to complete. Most of our releases are like this because we want all of our players, even the new ones, to be able to enjoy our weekly content. But we also know that this can be frustrating for higher-level players who are tired of being able to one-shot all of the new monsters.

Cuddly, isn't he?

So on Tuesday, we're going to release an expansion to this story. If you are level 50 or higher, you'll be able to unlock some new quests, along with a new part of the map populated with high level monsters! This seemed like the best way to give our high level players more to do while still remaining accessible to the newer ones.

Yokai New Year Gear

Of course, along with Yokai New Year comes a slew of exciting new gear, including sets by Nulgath and Dage! These, along with some returning seasonal items, will be available in game from Senlin-Ma and Panlong.

Wanna fight? Wanna party?

• Kirin Avatar armor, helm, cape & sai
• Year of the Horse kirin-themed parade set
• Nulgath's Dynasty Warrior armor, helm, cape & sword
• Nulgath's Legendary Horse battlepet
• Chibi Kirin pet
• and more!

Happy Birthday, Roroth!

If Yokai New Year wasn't enough reason to celebrate, prepare to /cheer, because the party never stops in Lore! Log in this weekend to see all of Roroth's birthday gear in the Game Menu! 

Birthday gear available until February 8th!

All-Server Bonus Weekend!

Then head into battle, take on a challenge boss (or 3), and complete quests throughout the game to get more EXP, Rep, Class Points, and Gld because all weekend long, we've got an all-server, all-boost bonus going on! Get 15% more from all your battles and quests on Legend servers and 10% more on all other servers!

And don't forget!

• Get all the info on our new Daily Login Rewards!
• Find the Yokai Sunlord and Lady set in the Wheels of Doom, Destiny, and their merge shops!
• Legends can get their two FREE Treasure Chest keys from Twilly this weekend!
• ALL players get their free spin on the Wheel of Doom or Destiny this weekend!
• Don't forget to login this Sunday for our special Superbowl gear!
• And remember to play through the mid-week expansion on Tuesday!

January 30, 2014

Happy New Year!

...Yokai New Year, that is!

Not a whole lot happened for the Year of the Snake in 2013, so for this Yokai New Year we decided to give you guys a new NPC, a new set of quests, and even a new expansion to the seasonal Akiba map! 2014 is the year of the horse, and it's also the year of the element wood, and Akiba's ancestral spirit Senlin-Ma embodies both...

Friendlier than he looks.

Senlin-Ma is the guardian spirit of Akiba's Jingshen Forest. If you've never heard of Jingshen Forest, that's because it's usually kept hidden from the eyes of mortals. But now, something has started to taint the various nature spirits that live within it, and Senlin-Ma needs your help to find the source of the corruption and eradicate it.

New High Level Mid-Week Content!

The Yokai New Year release that goes live on Friday will feature medium-level content that should be easy for most players to complete. Most of our releases are like this because we want all of our players, even the new ones, to be able to enjoy our weekly content. But we also know that this can be frustrating for higher-level players who are tired of being able to one-shot all of the new monsters.

Your new vacation destination.

So on Tuesday, we're going to release an expansion to this story. If you are level 50 or higher, you'll be able to unlock some new quests, along with a new part of the map populated with high level monsters! This seemed like the best way to give our high level players more to do while still remaining accessible to the newer ones.

Yokai New Year Gear

We're also releasing a slew of brand new Yokai New Year gear, including the gorgeous Kirin Avatar set shown below (created by Zoshi)! These, along with the old seasonal items, will be available in game from Senlin-Ma and Panlong.

We heard you like horns.

• Kirin Avatar armor, helm, cape & sai
• Yaomo Avatar set
• Year of the Horse parade set
• Chibi Kirin Pet
• 2014 Dragon Dance set
• 2014 Foo Dog pets
• and more!

January 30, 2014

“Breaking” News: Exploding Sunroof

Beleen has an Arch Nemesis… but who?!

Yes. You read that title right. My car’s sunroof EXPLODED after leaving the Secret Underground Lab last night.

No, no. It didn’t BREAK… it spontaneously shattered. For no reason whatsoever. There were no cars ahead of me, and no rocks or other debris hit my Scion that would have caused the sunroof to explode.

And it’s a good thing it’s not raining or anything, or else driving to the Toyota Dealership without a roof would be veerrrry difficult…

Ah. 100% chance of rain. Well isn’t that LOVELY.

The Suspects

Alright folks. I need your help on this one. Someone APPARENTLY has it out for me, since, you know, shattering sunroofs isn’t a common occurrence. Here’s a list of possible evildoers:

1. Chairman Platinum

Ah yes, the evil CEO of Ebil Corp. Platinum has been the archenemy of Artix since the dawn of AdventureQuest. And 2 years ago, Platinum nearly succeeded in destroying Artix Entertainment. Perhaps he’s at it again… by sabotaging my car with rain-activated-sunroof-exploding-Windex!

2. Creepy Cactus Creeper

Meet the Cactus Creeper. This SSSSSUPER annoying thing runs around the Sandsea Oasis, exploding into innocent Bupers Camels. Perhaps a Cactus Creeper found my Scion… as it was traveling 40mph… saw its shiny sunroof… and sssssssss KAAABOOM!

And the final suspect is…

3. Artix von Krieger

*GASP!* Yes, I’m serious. Artix von Krieger. Everyone knows PINK is the Paladin’s greatest weakness, and Artix, with his glass-window-slaying expertise, could possibly be to blame. And he KNOWS that I’m currently designing an ENTIRE ZONE dedicated to ME for this upcoming Valentine’s Day release. …Granted, I cannot place Artix at the scene of the crime, since he was at the Secret Lab…tweeting me at the time of the incident… um.. yeah… BUT STILL!!!! I’m watchin’ you, Artix. *glare*

The Verdict?

I need your help. Who do YOU think is to blame? Or… do you think it could be someone else?!?!? O_______O

Post your Sunroof-Sabotaging Suspect(s) on my Twitter!

xoxo Beleen and her Scion tC (who has suddenly transformed into a convertible)

January 29, 2014

Embrace the Power of the Sun

Yokai Sunlord set in the Carnival of Fortune!

It's almost time for Yokai's New Year celebration! This is one of my favorite times of year (and favorite zones in AQWorlds), so when it came time to make a new limited time set for the Wheel of Doom, I had something really special in mind... and Tyronius did an incredible job turning the idea into reality: the Yokai Sunlord and Lady!

Shine a light on Yokai Island

Tyronius packed a number of references into this one set, and that's making a TON of people happy: fans of Japanese mythology, like me (with the Sun Goddess Amaterasu) and fans of the Okami anime (with the white/red coloring and nod to her wolf ears), like so many of you guys!

Celebrate the Yokai New Year in style and show the world your respect for Princess Miko and the many Yokai wandering the island... then hoist your lanterns high, set off some fireworks, and get your battle on right!

The Yokai Sunlord/Lady sets contain:

• Yokai Sunlord/lady Armor
• Gilded Celestial Hood
• Burning Sun Helmet
• Burning Sun Blade
• Burning Sun Shields

You can get the gear as drops from the Wheel of Doom, the Wheel of Destiny, or the Doom/Destiny Merge shops. It will be available until mid-February, when we'll replace it with a Valentine's Day-themed set.

January 29, 2014

“New Releases” on Facebook

Get the AQWorlds Weekly Newsletter NOW!

Hi there! I know you love spoilers, and I know you love the weekly newsletters, but don’t you wish there was a way to get ahead of the game like right now?!

Now you can! I added a “New Releases” tab on the AQWorlds Facebook page that is updated with the weekly newsletter. It works just like the real newsletter but now you don’t have to fish it out of your inbox. Because it’s right there on Facebook. Sweeeeeeet!

I just updated “New Releases” with the brand-new newsletter regarding this Friday, January 31, releases. Check it out here!

xoxo Beleen

January 28, 2014

Nulgath’s Birthday Items

Unwrap these Archfiend-approved presents

Nulgath leveled up IRL last week, but you can still party like an Archfiend with Nulgath’s personal stash of loot.

• Nulgath Face Morph
• Nulgath Armor
• Mini-Nulgath Battle Pet
• Nulgath Challenge Pet
• Greater Bloodbeacon Polearm + 5

Find the Nulgath Birthday Shop in your Game Menu and unleash your inner Archfiend!

xoxo Beleen

January 27, 2014

Princess Miko Summons You

Save Yokai's New Year Celebration from Corruption!

Akiba's New Year celebration is ready to begin once more! It's the Year of the Horse, and that means Akiba falls under the protection of Senlin-Ma, Kirin Guardian Spirit of Yokai. Before the /party can begin, though, you will need to cleanse the island of the twisted taint spreading through its forests and towns.* Unsheathe your blades this Friday and log in to discover the identity of the dread oni infecting Yokai Isle!

Princess Miko and the Kirin need your help!

Year of the Horse Exclusive Gear!

For the Yokai people, the horse stands for energy, warmth, and intelligence; those are all traits a true Hero personifies! Heroes born in the Year of the Horse are standout members of their community, clever, and adventurous. 

Nulgath's Huangdi Warrior set

But even if you were not born during the Year of the Horse, you can still celebrate like you were! We've got Nulgath's Huangdi Warrior set, Zoshi's Kirin's Avatar set, all the returning seasonal rare gear, and more. Check out the Design Notes later this week for more previews!

Also coming this week:

• Friday: Roroth's Birthday Shop
• Friday: Limited Time Wheel of Doom gear: Yokai SunLord/Lady
  (drops from the Wheels AND will be in the merge shops)
• Sunday: join us for the Superbowl half-time celebration between the Seahorcs and the Broncoliches!

* Make sure you are up to date on the Akiba storyline before beginning the Kirin's quests!

January 27, 2014

Bitterfrost Dragon's Treasure

Buy a 10k Artix Points Package to Unlock Exclusive Gear!

The icy chill of pure terror is something every Hero has to face on the battlefield, but you don't have to face it alone! You can unlock the Bitterfrost Dragon pet, modeled after Dage's ultra-deadly boss monster, when you buy a 10,000 Artix Points package! Once the pet is yours, go on its exclusive quest for additional gear! 

You can use Artix Points to upgrade or buy AdventureCoins in AQWorlds and all of our other games, too! The Bitterfrost 10k Artix Points package is only available until winter ends, so if you're going to get your pet AND Artix Points before the snow melts, now is the time to /charge into action!

January 25, 2014

Birthday Cake for All

January: Month of Many Birthdays!

In addition to Fae's Shapeshifter Shop and Fae's Shapeshifter Merge Shop, we also have a ton of birthday stuff coming this week! Nulgath, Stratos, Rhubarb, Mritha, and Vokun all have birthdays this month, which means a TON of new birthday gear (or updated birthday shops) going live this weekend!

Too much raspberry smoothie, too.

Stratos Birthday Shop

It's Captain Stratos' birthday today! /Join Airship and take down the Skypirate Draconians for a chance to get Captain Stratos' favorite blade, the Stratospheric Tachi 2014, and find his birthday shop (with all the new and returning gear) in your Game Menu until January 31st!

Rhubarb's 72 Hour Birthday Gear Hunt

Yarrrrr! Today be the piratiest day of the year, so grab your mugs of moglinberry juice, hoist your cutlasses, and /join pirates to quest for the Pierate Birthday Cutlass +5 (gives more gold and damage against Elementals! Some boneheaded scallywag has stolen Rhubarb's birthday present for you, and you need to get it back!

Nulgath Birthday Update

Find Nulgath's Challenge Pet in his Birthday shop now! Accept the Tenacity Challenge Quest to earn Bloodgem of the Archfiend! Merge 5 of these in Nulgath's Underworld Merge Shop into a weapon to unlock the second daily quest, which has a boatload of random gear!*

Nulgath's birthday gear will be in your Game Menu** until February 3rd!

Vokun Birthday Gear

Happy birthday, Vokun! Find this dark artist's birthday gear in your Game Menu until January 31st! And find Vokun's permanent shop and quests next month!

/Cheer for All our Other January Birthdays

A little undead parrot told me AQWorlds' favorite Gypsy Goth Pirate musician ALSO has a birthday this month! Happiest of birthdays to Mritha, Head Moderator of AQWorlds General Discussion forum, as well,and to all of our other team members, heroes, robots, and organic lifeforms not otherwise specified with January birthdays/creation dates!

* These quests are daily quests. This is one way we can combat botting without making quests overly difficult.

** PS: The pets in the Meme Moglin shop have moved into Aria's petshop!

January 24, 2014

(Dragon) Fabled Forest!

Tonight: The Shifting Shape of Chaos!

Rumors have been spreading across Lore of a chaotic monstrosity hiding deep within the woods. An unpredictable foe that constantly changes its shape. It's up to you to hunt down this new threat and end its reign of terror! This journey will take you deep into the Fabled Forest, which is filled with creatures pulled from Lore's past...

...and also a kitty girl with fluffy ears and a tail.

Some of you may remember Fae - and a lot of the other creatures in this release - from our game DragonFable.* But this is her first appearance in AQWorlds! Fae can't remember much about her past, and she doesn't know where her unusual abilities came from. She needs your help to battle through the Fabled Forest and learn the secrets of her past.

* There are some slight differences in Fae's origin story in AQWorlds and that of DragonFable. When this world was created some things... changed...

Introducing Elemental Resistances!

Since the Fabled Forest is home to a variety of elemental monsters, and since Fae is able to change her elemental alignment when she shapeshifts, it seemed like the perfect time to introduce elemental resistances to AQWorlds! While you're traveling with Fae, she will buff (or nerf...) your damage depending on what kind of elementals you're fighting and what element she's aligned with at the time. You can learn more about how it all works in Beleen's Design Notes post detailing this new system.

You'll be fine! As long as Fae isn't an ice kitty.

Monster gear for Apprentice Shapeshifters!

After you help Fae uncover her mysterious past, you'll be able to buy some awesome shapeshifter-themed gear from Fae's Shapeshifter Shop. You can also collect elemental stones to merge these items into even MORE awesome shapeshifter-themed gear!

Spidery goodness.

Fae's Shapeshifter Shop

• Plain Dragon Tail Cape
• Oakheart Helm & Oakheart Armblades
• Not Quite Dread Helm & Armor
• Dreadspider Helm & Capes
• Braken Cape
• Hydra Cape
• Rotting Plague Mask
• Red Dragon Mask
• Faerie Botanis Sword

Fae's Shapeshifter Merge

• Wind, Water, Fire & Nature Dragon Tail Capes
• Oakheart Magic set
• Not Quite Chaos Helm & Armor
• Dreadspider Combo Cape
• Ultra Hydra Cape
• CC Dragon Mask
• Dwakel Techspine Cape
• Faerie Botanis Staff

January 24, 2014

Thank you for playing AQW

Open Letter to All Our AQWorlds Heroes

As the new year gets under way, I have been doing a lot of thinking about what we need to do to make AQWorlds the best game it can be, and a lot of planning on just how to do that. And there's one answer I keep coming back to: you guys. 

We always say we make AQW for and with you, and this year I want that to be more true than ever. I want everyone to get as much enjoyment out of playing AQWorlds as we do making it.

That means more Legend-only content (because without their support, we could not keep the servers running), more focus on gameplay, optimizing core functionality like the inventory/bank, friends/guild lists, and PVP, and addressing any issues which frustrate you (like botting and the chat filter).

A few months back, you guys gave us a lot of feedback on what you want to see change in the game, and we have not forgotten your posts. The list is long, but the list is not more than we can accomplish when we have a whole world of heroes working with us to make AQWorlds great for old and new players alike!

I am really grateful to all of you who play and help us make AQWorlds each week, and who have stuck with us through the lag, the bugs, and the crazy-OMG-releases. Thank you for battling alongside us! You are awesome, and we could not have kept Artix Entertainment and AdventureQuest Worlds running without your friendship and support! 

/unsheathes blade

Now let's go make 2014 the BEST YEAR EVER!

January 23, 2014

Art Nouveau

Diozz's Dage The Evil Art Nouveau Print Is Coming!

UPDATE: The poster is now for sale on HEROMART.COM

Have you seen this yet? 

By now, you know that I don't work on AQW anymore. For the past 8 months I've been working full time on Battle Gems, but I don't often get a chance to talk about something this exciting so I hopped back onto the AQW Design Notes. Sorry. 

The image above is the finished version of Diozz's completely breathtaking Dage The Evil poster done in the Art Nouveau style coming very soon to HEROMART! 

I know from Twitter that a lot of you are already excited about this poster but a few of you have asked what Art Nouveau means so I want to tell you a bit about the style. 

What Is Art Nouveau?

Art Nouveau is an art style that began in France in the late 1800's and quickly spread around Europe. It was a very brief period in art history but it left such a lasting impression that a lot of people are still in love with the style today. 

The style is usually characterized by flowing organic forms, both in artistic elements and typography. Usually you'll see a symmetrical form in the background laying the stage for an asymmetrical centerpiece up front. 

Art Nouveau wasn't just a fine art style. The style was found in everything from the silverware of the time to entire buildings, like the designs of the Paris Metro kiosks designed by Hector Guimard which you can still see today around Paris. 

When talking about the Art Nouveau, most people think of the art and prints of Alphonse Mucha. Mucha was a Czech artist living in Paris and became well known for his prints advertising the plays of Ms. Sarah Bernhardt who was a superstar at the time. Mucha is also my all-time favorite artist. 

Here is one of his prints called "Dance", advertising one of Bernhardt's plays. 

The style, and particularly the works of Mucha, have always been appreciated but recently pop culture has seen an explosion of art in the style, some even referencing Mucha's works. 

Take, for example, Bill Mudron's Dr. Who themed Art Nouveau style works (notice any similarities?)...

... or Mr. Mudron's Art Nouveau style Minecraft poster (hanging in my living room)...

You can find examples of Art Nouveau all over geekdom, like in the Firefly themed Art Nouveau prints of Megan Lara... 

...Or Ms. Lane's Sherlock themed Art Nouveau shirt design (Wearing it today. Took this in the mirror)...

So, now you know a little bit about Art Nouveau (New Art, in French) and maybe you will be able to more greatly appreciate how freaking amazing Diozz's poster really is. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of the style and I'm almost as excited about this poster as I am about the upcoming release of Battle Gems. 

If you want to talk more about the poster, Battle gems or art history, you can always hit my Twitter. 

If you're excited about the poster, feel free to spam HeroMart's Twitter, or Faith's Twitter (she runs HeroMart). 

If you are as blown away by this design as I am, show Diozz some love in his Twitter. 

UPDATE: The poster is now for sale on HEROMART.COM

January 23, 2014

Battle Gems Anticipation Shop

Battle (Gem) On with a Pet, Battle Pet, and Sword!

We cannot WAIT until our newest game releases! (It is not live yet... but soon!) So in honor of the coming launch of our first mobile game, Battle Gems, we're putting the Brutal Gemaphant pet and its shop in AQWorlds NOW! Upgrade to unlock our newest pet, and show him off to all of your friends! 

 

Battle Gems is a seriously fun game, and we hope you'll want to share news of it with your friends. And that's why we want to let you share the fun of the Battle Gems anticipation shop with your in-game friends.

So ANYONE can click on your pet to open the Brutal Gemaphant shop, which has the Legend-only Brutal Gemaphant Battlepet AND the Gemmed Ornamental Battleblade which ALL players can use, for 0 ACs (free storage, yay!!!)!

Keep an eye on Artix's Desgn Notes at Artix.com for more news on Battle Gems, or watch Artix and Cysero's Twitter accounts for previews and polls! #BattleGemOn

January 22, 2014

Game Tester Wanted

Do You Have What It Takes To Break AQWorlds?

We release new content EVERY WEEK! (Sometimes, multiple times a week!) If you are an experienced, friendly, and helpful AQWorlds player, know the game inside out, upside down, and right-side 'round, and are willing to spend countless hours playing the game to test, break, and help FIX it... then we want YOU!

AQW Team Searching for 1-2 New Testers!

We are posting this on the Design Notes first because we ALWAYS want to get people from our community. You all know the game as well (and sometimes better O_O) than we do, so it makes sense to bring new help onto the team from our player community! Real life has stolen some of our testers away over the last few months (they are busy with school), so it's time to buff our team count!

Here is what we are looking for. Someone who is:

• Experienced (this does NOT mean you have to be level 50+)
• Knowledgeable (you should know how all the various parts of the game play)
• A good communicator (if you cannot explain the bug you've experienced, we cannot fix it)
• Easy to work with (our testers work hard and have fun. Since this is a volunteer position, we want everyone to enjoy what they do and who they work with)

We will be looking at your AQW account history, social networking and forum accounts if you have them, and arranging an in-game interview to talk one-on-one with potential candidates.

Here is what you need to do:

1. 1. Send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line AQW TESTER APPLICATION
   If your e-mails subject line says anything except AQW TESTER APPLICATION then the filters will automatically delete it. Reading comprehension is good.
2. Include your real name, age (if you are over 18, otherwise just game name), and 
3. Include your country of residence.
4. Include your AQW Game account name and email address
5. Include your Master Account name and email address tied to the master account.
6. Include your Forum account name and email address if you have a forum account.
7. Include all Languages you speak/read.
8. Include a Resume (C.V.)  *please note we'd like the resume in English.

You must be at least 18 years old to be considered for these position(s).*

One application per person. We will read and consider all applications, but cannot reply to them all.  If you are chosen to go through a further interview, we will contact you by e-mail. If we do not respond, we want to thank you for being awesome enough to volunteer! Applications close WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29th. 

Position Details

Please note that this is an unpaid, volunteer position but does come with in-game dev status, free AE game memberships, AdventureCoins, the chance to test game content as we develop it before release and invaluable experience with a honest-to-goodness gaming company which will look good on ANY future resumes.

Thanks, good luck and Battle On!

* If we find the perfect candidate and they are under 18, they will become a staff assistant and will need to get your parents' permission. 

TWO more positions will be announced tomorrow, unless I learn Chronomancy in the next couple of hours, and can set my clock back. 

January 22, 2014

Spoiler Alert: Fable Forest

Introducing Elements & Shapeshifting

This Friday, January 24, 2014, marks the day that your favorite MMORPG introduces Elements into the world of Lore. DragonFable’s famous Shapeshifting NPC, Fae, will guide Legendary Heroes into a new elemental zone: Fable Forest.

Fable Forest is home to the Guardian Tree and the 4 fundamental Elements: Water, Fire, Nature, and Wind. Due to Fae’s unique—yet uncontrollable—Shapeshifting abilities, she will randomly change into a DragonFable-inspired Elemental creature during your quests, which will buff your Attack power, decrease your Attack power, or remain neutral.

If you’re fighting Fire Elementals, and Fae changes into a Water Elemental, you will do an Attack Damage increase!

But… if you’re fighting Water Elementals, and Fae sneezes and changes into a Fire Elemental, then you will do less Attack Damage.

Same thing with Nature and Wind: Wind Element is strong against Nature Elementals, and Nature Elementals will do less damage against Wind Elements.

And if Fae changes into an element that’s neither strong nor weak against the Elementals you’re fighting, you’ll do normal Attack Damage. So if Fae turns into a Fire Elemental, and you’re fighting Wind or Nature Elementals, you’ll do normal Attack Damage.

After you help Fae retrieve the 4 fundamental Elements stones, the portal in the Guardian Tree will open, granting you an acquaintance with the Forest Guardian. Here you will uncover Fae’s mysterious past and how she got her Shapeshifting powers!

It’s Elemental, My Dear Watson

This is only the beginning of Elements in AQWorlds. One of the best features in AdventureQuest & DragonFable is Elemental strengths and weaknesses, which we will slowly and carefully implement into AQWorlds. Only 4 Elements are being introduced this week, but if you wanna get a head start at understanding Elements, then keep on reading!

There are 8 Elements total. Moving clockwise, the Elements are STRONG against the next, so Fire beats Ice, Ice beats Wind, Wind beats Nature, etc.

If you move counterclockwise, Elements are WEAK against the previous, so Fire is weak against Water, Water is weak against Energy, Energy is weak against Nature, etc.

There are 2 Unique Elements not contained within the Elemental wheel: Light and Darkness. Light is strong against Darkness, and Darkness is strong against Light. 

REMEMBER! In Friday’s release, the only Elemental strengths and weaknesses you need to know are:

• Water is STRONG against Fire
• Fire is WEAK against Water
• Wind is STRONG against Nature
• Nature is WEAK against Wind

Elemental Awesomeness!

Thousands of your fellow Heroes on Twitter and Facebook are teeming with excitement about Elementals. We know the feeling, too! YAAY!

But we also understand that some of you might be worried about Elementals “changing the game too much.” Do not worry, my friend! As stated earlier, we will slowly and carefully implement Elements into the game. And with your help and suggestions, we will take AQWorlds to a whole new (gaming) level!

Defeating Drakath and the Lord of Chaos is still our Number 1 priority, but we wanted to give you a little sneak-peek at what the Team is planning for you. Elements are AWESOME in AQ and DF, and we hope to bask in that awesomeness in the upcoming future with you =)

Feel free to share your thoughts on my Twitter or on the AQWorlds Facebook page, and I look forward to mastering the Elements with you!

Battle on my loves!

xoxo Beleen =D

January 21, 2014

Anti-Bot Fixes in Testing

Now in testing: Anti-Chat Spam and Anti-Emote Flood!

Back in October, we began talking about our plans to combat the flood of botters and spammers in AQWorlds. Since then, we've begun testing our anti-shop load functionity and Yorumi has built most of the improved anti-combat detection. 

Today we are beginning the test for our anti-chat spam and anti-emote flood fixes. If you've seen the walls of spam flooding into yulgar, you know what I am talking about. 

Apologetic robots are the saddest thing ever.

We have always tried to reduce the ways that botters can exploit the game, and take action against the players who choose to use 3rd party programs (bots, shop/quest loaders, auto-kills). We want to make sure EVERYONE who plays AQWorlds can enjoy it as much as possible! 

What Are You Doing About Botting?

Here's a progress update on our anti-botting functionality:

• Anti-shop load functionality: in-game for testing! 
  (We do a multi-stage test to make SURE we will not ban anyone who is not really shop loading)
• Anti-chat spam and Anti-emote flood: In-testing TODAY!
• Anti-quest load: In development, close to testing
• Anti-combat functionality: In development
• In-game suspension on Botter Island: Map art done, ready for coding 
  (Players caught botting will be restricted to Botter Island for a period of time. Visitors allowed. No combat on island. This is one step in an escalating tier of punishments.)

You do not want to stay here.

Not Sure What a "Bot" is?

Thousands of players are banned every week for botting, which tells us a couple things.

Many players don't know what a bot IS.

• A bot or "autoer" is a program built by someone else that plays the game for you. 
• ALL massively multiplayer games have a problem with them, and they are, and always have been against the rules. 
• It is easy to understand why  - it is unfair to legit players who put the time and effort into the game, it takes time away from building the game to deal with botting/cheating/hacking issues, and... these programs are dangerous! 

Many players don't know that botting is not allowed. 
You would not believe how many times we get asked "Is botting/using a trainer against the rules?!" There ARE people who don't know, and to them we say: It is not allowed, and you should uninstall your bot/trainer program right now! 

Players who bot don't know the problems it causes.
Problems caused by bots, and the fixes we've implemented because of them, have delayed, for example:

• Development of new functionality like Guilds 
• An overhaul of the PvP system 
• Cause virtually ALL of the server-side lag 

Players who bot don't know the risks involved.
Many stolen accounts are the result of people entering their login information  into these programs or the websites claiming to provide them. If you download and use these programs, they can execute malicious code that can do ANYTHING a virus or trojan can do, harming YOUR computer... including stealing your personal data.

Do not use bots. In addition to the dangers above, using them will get your account banned from AQWorlds!

Reminder from Artix

As you know, our goal is to keep our game fair, safe and fun. NOT to ban players. We are all human, we all make mistakes.

From this moment on, we hope and encourage EVERYONE, whether you have used bots in the past or not, to help us keep the servers fair, safe and fun. Thank you to all of the players who have always been doing this.... Battle on!

January 20, 2014

Artists: J6 Seeking Apprentice

Do You Have What It Take To Create Map Art For AQW?

Do you dream of vectoring landscapes? Do you love to play with perspective in Flash? Are your shading skills up to speed? If you think you've got the skill, talent, and drive to create background art for AQWorlds, we want to see YOUR portfolio, because...

J6 needs a new apprentice!

J6 has been with Artix Entertainment for years, beginning as a player, then beginning to work for us as a contractor, and is now AQW's Lead Artist. But there is, sadly, only ONE of him, and until Yorumi gets that cloning machine built, there will only ever BE one of him... unless he can train up another map artist.

We are posting this on the Design Notes first because we ALWAYS want to get people from our community before looking outside the AE family, but if you happen to know someone who does not play, fits the criteria and would like some experience in the gaming industry please feel free to let them know.

Here is what we are looking for:

• Experienced/Talented/Skilled Background/Environment Artists
• Artists who can mimic the AQW style
• Artists who have experience with Adobe Flash

We will be looking at your AQW account history to make sure that you have a clean record. We are looking for artists who are mature, responsible, excited about contributing to AQW, willing to take criticism and make changes accordingly. We are ONLY looking for artists who can match J6's  ackground/environment styles at this time.

Here is what you need to do:

1. 1. Send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject line AQW ARTIST APPLICATION
   If your e-mails subject line says anything except AQW ARTIST APPLICATION then the filters will automatically delete it. Reading comprehension is good.
2. Include your real name, age (if you are over 18, otherwise just game name), and 
3. Include your country of residence.
4. Include your AQW Game account name and email address
5. Include your Master Account name and email address tied to the master account.
6. Include your Forum account name and email address if you have a forum account.
7. Include all Languages you speak/read.
8. Include a Resume (C.V.)  *please note we'd like the resume in English.
9. Include links to your online art portfolio or attach examples of your art. (Please note that art will be checked for plagiarism.)

You must be at least 18 years old to be considered for this (these) position(s) UNLESS you are  incredibly experienced in environment art.* 

One application per person. We will read and consider all applications, but cannot reply to them all.  If you are chosen to go through a further interview, we will contact you by e-mail. If we do not respond, we want to thank you for being awesome enough to volunteer!

Please note that this is an unpaid, volunteer position but does come with in-game dev status, free AE game memberships, AdventureCoins, the chance to test game content as we develop it before release and invaluable experience with a honest-to-goodness gaming company which will look good on ANY future resumes.

Thanks, good luck and Battle On!

* In which case, we will consider anyone 16 years old or up. You used to need to be 18 to apply, but no more! If you ARE under 18, you will just need to get your parents' permission. 16 is 

PS: Keep an eye on the Design Notes tomorrow! We will be posting applications for three MORE new volunteer positions on the team!

January 20, 2014

Dream Day Class Points Boost

Battle Today as you Dream for a Better Tomorrow!

Today is Martin Luther King Jr day in the United States. He's one of my personal heroes, and a real-life warrior for just causes: he saw injustice being done and wasn't afraid to stand up and take action to combat it.

We all have dreams, and sometimes you need to be willing to fight for yours - whether that is something you want to change in your life or the world around you.

In reality, we don't get to run around waving swords and shouting battlecries, but if you have a cause you feel strongly about, what you CAN do is gather your friends and family and help them spread the word. With enough movement behind you, one voice becomes many, and change IS possible! 

Dream Day Holiday Bonuses!

With so many of you guys out of school/work for today's holiday, we have a server-wide Class Points boost going on! Get 15% more Class Points on ALL servers, or 20% more on our Legend-only servers!

And until 11:59 PM server time this Thursday, if you /join lair, you can take on the Red Dragon for a chance to get the Ultra Switch Katana! The katana is a 0AC weapon for free storage! It starts out the size of a switch blade, but click its handle and you'll have a Switch Katana!

January 17, 2014

Unlock the Ultra Elemental Class

Can YOU Master the Elements?

Harness the power of the element of Water! Equipping this orb makes you deal extra damage to Chaos and Human monsters AND gives you extra Gold when equipped! Merge it with the 7 other elemental orbs to create the Ultra Elemental Warrior Class!

The Ultra Elemental Class is unlike any other. You must harness each Elemental Orb Cape to prove yourself worthy of becoming the Ultra Elemental. Each Orb Cape offers special boosts when equipped:

• Water Orb: Class Points boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Fire Orb: XP boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Wind Orb: Gold boost, extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Earth Orb: Reputation boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Energy Orb: Class Points boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Dragon monsters
• Ice Orb: XP boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Dragon monsters
• Light Orb: Reputation boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Undead monsters
• Dark Orb: Gold boost 
  extra damage against Chaos and Human monsters

AC versions of the capes will be available from Draven Stormbringer in Battleon for AdventureCoins. Legends can quest for some of the Orb Capes (certain levels of Faction Rep will be required) and buy others with gold.

Once all Capes are in your possession, you shall turn them into Draven Stormbringer in Battleon who will grant you access to the Ultra Elemental Class Shop. (You will need all orbs to be the same type to open the shop: all AC orbs OR all Legend Orbs)

This shop contains:

• Ultra Elemental Class: 0 AdventureCoins
• ALL Elemental Orb Capes: 0 AdventureCoins
• Exclusive Chaos Orb: ????????

Happy Birthday, Nulgath!

/Cheer and wish Lore's favoritest, most evil Archfiend a VERY Happy Birthday! Nulgath the Archfiend leveled up in real life and has made a very special birthday shop for you to celebrate! This week is the shop's first update, with a second to follow next Friday.

This week, you'll find:

• Nulgath Armor
• Nulgath Face Morph
• Mini-Nulgath Battle Pet

January 17, 2014

Uncover Lore's Hidden Secrets

Explore Lore and Discover the Truth!

If we are going to save the world from Chaos, we are going to need to know MUCH more about the world around us! And the BEST way to do that is to get out into the wilds and take on the creatures that make Lore up... then bring back the knowledge you learn and put the pieces together!

This week, we are introducing the Loremaster Tradeskill. /Join Librarium to begin collecting information about the monsters around Lore through scrolls that drop as you battle them. In future tradeskill releases, you'll be able to collect information on Chaos monsters, zones, and NPCs. 

Once we put ALL of that knowledge together, we might just unlock the key to discovering how to defeat Lore's greatest threat: Drakath and his Chaorruption! To begin, complete Loremaster Maya's three tradeskill quests, then check your Monsterpedia to see what creatures to go after! 

Loremaster Rewards!

Maya knows that the best way to give heroes incentive is to have good rewards on hand! Complete her rep quests to earn Loremaster rep points and unlock gear in her shop! New tonight is the Battlescarred Warrior set!

Also available in the Loremaster Rep shop are:

• Sneevil, Frogzard, and Baby Dragon on your back capes
• Explorer and Loremaster Daggers
• Dwakel Tech Helm

January 17, 2014

Leaving Later Tonight

Last Chance to Get Holiday Gear!

Tonight's release will have you battling across the world as you quest to uncover the hidden secrets of Lore's creatures... but before you begin that, make sure you grab the last chance to get the following gear!

Leaving tonight

• Frostval and New Year's events leave for another year
• Holiday Paragon sets in WoD and Legion shops go rare
• Lovecaster Armor shop and Class go rare

Releasing tonight

• Ultra Elemental Class arrives
• Explore Lore to uncover the hidden secrets of monsters 
• Nulgath's Birthday Shop (part 1)

Starting tomorrow

• Lovecaster Armor becomes sellable again

Coming next week

We could not afford to let so many players experience AQWorlds for free without the support our Legends provide. To thank all our players who upgraded over the holidays - and to all of those who upgrade this year, next week's storyline release will be a Legend exclusive! We are planning on adding more Legend-only storyline release weeks regularly throughout 2014!

• Legend-only release: Shapeshifting with Fae 
• Vokun's birthday shop and quests
• More gear in the Treasure Chest!

January 16, 2014

Coming Friday: New Loremaster Skill!

Loremaster You!

You've all been to the Librarium - that small room with all the bookshelves where Loremaster Maya hangs out. What you may not have known is that most of those big tomes are actually blank, just waiting for some brave Loremaster to go out and collect the information needed to fill them out. That's where you come in!

Grab yourself a whip and a gun!

As a Loremaster, our intrepid hero (that's you) will go out and conduct research on various creatures (in the form of beating them up until you have the info you need). What you'll be looking for are Unidentified Scrolls, written in a language that no one but the most experienced Loremasters can read. Take them back to Loremaster Maya, and she'll translate then and inscribe the information into the books in the Librarium. Afterwards, you'll be able to open those books and browse your critter collection at your leisure.

Ribbit.

How this thing actually works:

You'll need to talk to Maya at the Librarium to unlock the Loremaster skill. Once it's been unlocked, you'll be able to open the book Creatures of Lore by clicking on a shelf in the Librarium. The Index will show you how many scrolls you've collected so far, as well as how many you still need, like so:

Looks like I have some work to do.

You can click on any entry to visit that scroll's page. If you click on an unidentified scroll, its page will give you clues about what creature you'll need to collect it from - the creature's silhouette, and its scientific name.

Gosh, I wonder what this could be?

Pretty simple, right? The catch, of course, is that not every specimen is going to give you a scroll, so you may have to farm for awhile before you get the one you want. So put together a group of friends and have fun!

Small steps now, bigger ones later.

Right now, there are only a few entries in the Creatures of Lore book. But we'll be adding a lot more in the future - as well as other books that will have you cataloguing different types of things.

January 15, 2014

2013: Year in Review

Thanks for making this AQW's BEST Year Yet!

WOAH man, guys! When you read down this list, you'll see we did a LOT of things together last year! You fought SO MANY monsters (including derp minotaurs, which NO ONE expected!), battled WAY more Chaos than you did in 2012, got a peek into the real life of Adam Bohn, Artix's creator, and so very much more!

Before you start reading all of the insane victories you racked up 2013, I want to take a moment to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone! Legends, AC buyers, and free players alike... Without everyone who plays out games, enters our contests, and tosses ideas at us on Twitter, Facebook and the forum, this would be a different game and a very different world.

You - that's right, YOU - make AQW awesome!

Thanks to all of you, we are building something incredible. Not just AQWorlds, but a gaming community where heroes of all ages can come discover who they really are, and just how amazing they can become! 

January 

• January 1: Year in Review of 2012 is posted, anyone else feeling Deja Vu? 
  I cannot believe how FAST last year went by! It is like we are Chronomancers! 
  
   

• January 3: AmberHeat Tower falls prey to The Chaos Rift 

• January 4: Revamped Base Classes 
  A new look for a new year! 

• January 7: Lionfang’s Legacy 

• January 9: Evolved Ranger Class released

• January 9: Shut Up and Take My Rares Contest begins

• January 11: Into Blakhorn Keep

• January 14: Revisit the Golden Onslaught 

February

• February 1: Quibble returns for Falguard

• February 1: Power outage in Canada means no Ghost! Samba and Cysero animate Derp versions of the cutscenes! #BlameCanada (we don't REALLY blame you, Canada! <3)
  These are some of our most FAVORITE cutscenes... EVER! 
  
   

• February 3: The Ravens and the Crows go head to head 
  Punt Twilly for Lore's Superbowl! 

• February 8: Carnaval Event is the first event to be translated for non-english speaking players 

• February 10: Chinese New Year: The Year of the Snake 

• February 14: Alpha Omega Epicduel crossover 
  
   

• February 15: Fighting in the Battle Coliseum for Valentines Day 

• February 26: AQW Ambassadors arrive!

March

• March 3: Dage’s Birthday shop returns once more. 
  Happy Birthday, Dage! ... What should we do for Dage THIS year?

• March 8: New and improved Battleon Town is open for business 

• March 9: Dage’s Soulforge opens its doors

• March 11: Dwarves vs Giants event with MCW guest stars! 

• March 20: Evolved DragonSlayer and Galanoth’s birthday 

• March 20: Artix vs Chairman Platinum cage match 
  STINKFACE?! I CANNOT UNSEE IT!!!! O_O'
   

• March 28: Darkblood StormKing sweeps the battlefield 

• March 31: Help Aria find and hatch her eggs for AQW’s Easter Event  

April

• Arpil 1: AdventureQuest Farts! April Fool Day’s super classy farting soundboard 
  FOOLED YOU! We did not REALLY fart!

• April 6: Help Send J6 into Space 
  He WON a trip to Space Camp! Thanks, guys!!

• April 12: Journey into space for the J6 Saga Finale 

• April 16: 1st Featured Artist Shop begins: Vokun
  Now you can find ALL of the Featured Artist shops when you /join ArtistAlley! 

• April 19: Journey to the center of Lore 
  How many licks does it take Cysero to get to the center of a planet?
  
   

• April 23: Memet's Featured Artist Shop 

• April 30: Beleen puts eyelashes on her car (yes eyelashes) 
  Eye think this is WAY too silly to leave off this list! 
  
   

• April 30: Blood Titan tankes through Lore 

May

• May 2: Origins of the Undead Legion 

• May 6: Found out of the opposite of the norm in the Mirror Realm 

• May 7: Hizu’s Featured Artist Shop is in the house! 

• May 9: Missing Sock Hunt Extravaganza 

• May 10: Mirror Realm Quibble Shop 

• May 14: Mido cat-scratches his way into the Featured Artist Shop roster 

• May 20: Nulgath’s Featured Artist Shop 
  #NulgathNation, FALL IN! 

• May 22: 5 more inventory spaces are added! 

• May 24: The Blade of Awe and evolved weapons of Awe are released 
  This was the month's most AWE-some release! 

• May 28: Jemini gallops her way in the Featured Artist Spotlight 

• May 29: Drakath strikes back with an epic Chaos War 
  
   

June

• June 1: Daimyo’s birthday: Legion-style! 

• June 4: Deathbringer Dage’s Featured Artist Shop 
  Undead Legion members, SHOW YOUR ALLEGIANCE! 

• June 6: The Femme Fatalities know the Fury of Dage’s Scorn (June 6)

• June 6: Celebrates Captain Rhubarb's 10 year anniversary with a thank you shop
  Happy 10 YARRRR anniversary, Rhubarb! 

• June 11: The Age of Aegis Featured Artist Shop 

• June 13: Artix pushed the game to it’s breaking points with the creation of Grimskull’s Vault 
  Prepare for the next Grimskull dungeon release... SOON.

• June 14: Binky the Unicorn become a giant bane in all hero’s backsides 
  
   

• June 18: Tyronius leaves his mark in AQW’s art world with his Featured Artist Shop 

• June 25: Beleen pinkifes everything in sight…AGAIN 

July

• July 2: Diozz Featured Artist Shop 

• July 2: Bad Guys, Good Battles Contest 

• July 5: Trigoras of AQ Classic fame beats down upon the heroes of Lore 

• July 5: The Legion Champion crushes all Legionaries in its wake 

• July 15: Artix tackles the ultimate ninja warrior course, battle suit and all! 
  
  

• July 16: Angelic Aranx Featured Artist Shop 

• July 19: Member-Mania, Exclusive Classes and Blue Names! 
  We want to make sure our Legends never feel blue... even if their names are! 

• July 22: The Final Judgement in Dage’s Kingdom 

• July 23: Tech-savvy Solrac’s Featured Artist Shop 

• July 27: AE does MetroCon 2013 
  Everybody Zomba Dance!

• July 30: Checkmate goes to J6’s Featured Artist Shop 

August

• August 2: ArchFriend class shows true loyalty to Nulgath 

• August 3: HeadMistress Sora to Hoshi opens DragonRune hall to teach the world 

• August 3: Chaos brings the war to Swordhaven

• August 6: Ven du Violetmist rocks AQW with his featured artist shop 

• August 8: Guilds Testing Phase II 

• August 11: Artix has an Axe-ident with some windows 
  
    

• August 12: Cysero explains why he leveled up to be BattleGem’s Game Lead 
  And continues to explain it everyday on Twitter

• August 13: Roroth Featured Artist Shop: Gunslingers and Drow Galore 

• August 15 AQW puts hats and monocles on a Brutalcorn, the internet loses it mind

• August 16: Mechquest gives a final salute to it’s first story arc 

• August 16: Indonesia Independence Day Panjat Pinang event 

• August 20: The Wheel of Doom is released for all players 
  
  

• August 27: The AQW team says goodbye for now to Notsgnal the intern 

September

• September: DRAGON*CON
  
  

• September 3: Aranx's birthday 

• September 4: BattleGems teaser/trailer released

• September 4: Bladehaven 3D announced 

• September 7: Obrigado Brasil!

• September 13: Talk Like a Pirate Day/Friday the 13th Crossover! 

• September 19: Talk Like a Pirate Day/Quibble Shop - Galactic, Chrono, and Legion Naval Commanders released 

• September 23: Featured artist returns with Zoshi's shop 

• September 27: Swordhaven royal wedding 

October

• October: 5th Birthday! 
  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, AQWORLDS! 

• October 2: Battlemage class released 

• October 4: All the previous year's Mogloween events return! 

• October 8: Better botting solutions announced 

• October 9: 1 million AQW likes on FaceBook 

• October 12-13: Battlecon 2013: in-game convention 
  
  

• October 17: J6 GOES TO SPAAAACE 

• October 18: Dragon Shinobi class 

• October 25: Oracle class for FREE!!! 

• October 29: Arklen 10 year anniversary 

• October 31: Mystery Mogloween boss! (Oct 31)

November

• November 4: Return to the mirror realm 

• November 5: Artix’s wedding announced 

• November 12: J6's birthday

• November 15: 2nd lord of chaos showdown!

• November 15: Chaos Realm Storyline Quibble Shop 

• November 21: Harvest fest returns
  Such a (candy)corn-y event!

• November 20: Memet's birthday 

• November 22: Name changes are live 
  A Hero by any other name would fight as well... and smell as sweaty! 

• November 22: Doctor Whooooo's 50th anniversary shops 
  We present a weebly-wobbly, timey-wimey shop! 

• November 22: Confront Drakath... IF YOU DARE!

• November 25: Trudrakolich challenge fight 
  

• November 27: 30 additional bag slots 

• November 28: Black Friday shops and quests 

December

• December 2: Cyber Monday arrives!

• December 4: Artix’s wedding video posted! 

• December 5: Anti shop-loader live test! Yay no cheaters! 

• December 9: Glacial Warlord Class

• December 13: Friday the 13th in-game wedding! 
  Congratulations, Artix and Trinni! 
  
  
  

• December 14: Beleen’s Birthday
  Happy birthday, Beleen! 

• December 19: J6 says Thanks! Spaaaaace shop

• December 20: Quibble Frostvale 2013 Shop 

• December 20: Dage’s Dark Winter  

• December 20-28: Frostvale war/8 Days of Frostvale 

• December 21: Love Caster class! 

• December 27: Level cap raise to 60 

January 14, 2014

Spoiler Alert: Ultra Elemental Class

Sneak Peek at the newest Class arriving Friday

Normal is good… Evolved is better… and Ultra is the BEST! The Ultra Elemental Class is arriving this Friday, January 17, 2014. It is the first new class of the New Year, and it is probably the last Class you will EVER want to master!

The Ultra Elemental Class is unlike any other. You must harness each Elemental Orb Cape to prove yourself worthy of becoming the Ultra Elemental. Each Orb Cape offers special boosts when equipped:

• Water Orb: Class Points boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Fire Orb: XP boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Wind Orb: Gold boost, extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Earth Orb: Reputation boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Elemental monsters
• Energy Orb: Class Points boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Dragon monsters
• Ice Orb: XP boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Dragon monsters
• Light Orb: Reputation boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Undead monsters
• Dark Orb: Gold boost
  extra damage against Chaos and Human monsters

AC versions of the capes will be available from Draven Stormbringer in Battleon for AdventureCoins. Legends can quest for some of the Orb Capes (certain levels of Faction Rep will be required) and buy others with gold.

Once all Capes are in your possession, you shall turn them into Draven Stormbringer in Battleon who will grant you access to the Ultra Elemental Class Shop. This shop contains:

• Ultra Elemental Class: 0 AdventureCoins
• ALL Elemental Orb Capes: 0 AdventureCoins
• Exclusive Chaos Orb: ????????

The Ultra Elemental Class is undergoing hardcore skill training at the moment (HA, and I thought CrossFit was challenging!). Due to my sneaky-sneak abilities (and not knowing what "keep this a secret" means), I managed to catch a glimpse of the Ultra Elemental’s Skills before Dumoose chased me off.

• Elemental Fusion: Strike your opponent with the elements you currently have charged. Different effects based on which elemental magics are combined.
• Blaze: Deals a burst of fire damage and charges your next Elemental Fusion with Fire Magic.
• Stoneskin: Reduces all incoming damage for a duration. Charges your next Elemental Fusion with Earth Magic.
• Chain Lightning: Strike multiple opponents for increasing damage for each jump. Bounces up to 5 times. Charges your next Elemental Fusion with Energy Magic.
• Command of Darkness (passive): Strength increased by 10%
• Command of Light (passive): Intellect Increased by 10%
• Blizzard: All Elemental Fusions have a chance to unleash a fusion of Wind and Ice. The blizzard will lower your opponents haste significantly for 5 seconds.

These skills are subject to change before Friday, so don’t hold everything up there verbatim. I just wanted to share with you what I found because… well… that’s what spoiler alerts are all about!

I know you’re looking forward to mastering the Ultra Elemental Class. So make sure you log in this Friday night to be one of the first Ultra Elementals in Lore!

xoxo Beleen

January 11, 2014

48 Hour Membership Extension

Membership Compensation for Server Outages 

Captain Rhubarb and our server host have been working all evening to address the rolling site/server unavailability today. If you have an active upgrade, Rhubarb will be adding 48 hours onto the length of your upgrade as our way of making up for lost gameplay time.

That means if your upgrade was supposed to expire at 11:59 PM servertime tonight, it will NOW expire at 11:59 PM server time Tuesday!

25% More Rep/XP on ALL Servers Until Wednesday

Because we also want to give players who have not upgraded a bonus for waiting out these server issues with us, ALL servers will gain 25% more XP and Rep. Plus, the 48 hour Frostmane's Nightmare Limited Time Boss Fight challenge has been extended until 6 PM server time tomorrow, as well! 

We are taking every step possible to reduce the length of time our servers will be unavailable in the future. Thank you all for battling alongside us as we corral these server hamsters and take down the gremlins chasing them away.

Leaving Friday, January 17

• Frostval and New Year's events leave for another year
• Holiday Paragon sets in WoD and Legion shops go rare
• Lovecaster Armor shop and Class go rare
• Ultra Elemental Class arrives