Design Notes
January 31, 2011
Just another manic Monday
The last day of January has been the busiest day of the year for me!
You’re probably saying to yourself, “Monday? A busy day? It’s only the start of the week…? And Beleen is freaking out over what exactly?” Are ya thinkin’ something like that? Am I close?
Regardless if I’ve hit the nail on the helm or I’m waaaaay off… I’m going to explain why I’m so busy while revealing everything else that has happened today and will happen this upcoming week! So sit back, relax, equip some anti-pink protective goggles, and enjoy all the bulleted points I’m about to make =D
Book of Lore Badges: Inventory Increase
On Friday, the MAX number of obtainable Inventory Slots in your Backpack went to 100, and MAX Bank Slots went all the way up to 250 (and you can still store an unlimited amount of AC items in your bank)!
Two new achievements were *supposed* to be added to the Book of Lore on Friday... but something went horribly wrong and the ‘Spaced Out,’ ‘Maxed Out,’ and ‘Superhuman Vault’ badges weren’t working properly.
BUT NOW THEY WORK! Yay!
Thanks to the hard work from Yorumi, Llussion, and Minimal, and the tears from yours truly, these achievements now work and show up in your Book of Lore. The Spaced Out badge appears when you have 75 slots in your Inventory, Maxed Out is awarded for getting all 100 Inventory Spaces, and Superhuman Vault appears when getting all 250 bank slots.
Ctrl+Alt+Del Event Fixes
Have you played through the entire CAD Event? Helped Ethan retrieve his Winter-een-mas Crown? And now you wanna farm Battle Zeke buuuut that Cutscene keeps playing and kicks you back to GameHaven?
Well that’s been fixed, too! After you defeat Battle Zeke and complete all the quests in GameHaven, the Warehouse, and Arcadion, you will never have to watch that Cutscene ever again after you pwn Battle Zeke. So happy farming—he has 6 wicked drops if you’re lucky enough!
Also, the Character Page Achievement for the Ctrl+Alt+Del event is still not working. But fear not! Zhoom the fancy-pants programmer says that these achievements *should* show up sometime tomorrow. Once they are up and working properly, we will announce it on the Homepage, on these Design Notes, and on our Twitters =D!
Groundhog’s Day this Wednesday
Holy groundhogs! It’s ALMOST February 2nd! Do you know what that means? …uh yeah, I guess my little subtitle thing up there gave it away. It’s Groundhog’s Day!
On this day every year, Philip the weather predicting groundhog pops his head out of his hole and peers around. If he comes out to play, then spring is here! If he sees his shadow and vanishes back into his warm, cozy burrow, then we know that we are in for SIX MORE WEEKS of winter!
What will Philip predict this year? Log in this Wednesday for a mid-week Groundhogs’ Day release!
Chinese New Year—Year of the Rabbit
February 3rd marks the Chinese New Year—the Year of the Rabbit! So to celebrate this 15-day long festival, Akiba on Yokai Island is currently being decorated with lights, lanterns, and fireworks, and will be fully ready by Friday night's release!
There will be bunches of new quests and even more new items to choose from to get you in the spirit of things! Princess Miko is EVEN getting a makeover for this special occasion. She’s ganna look sooooooo pretty! Hehehhe!
Last year for Chinese New Year, we offered a very special non-member pet for AdventureCoins. And this year… we’re doing the same thing! Can you guess what it’ll be?
It’s only fair to keep the same pricing as last year, so this year’s non-member AC pet will be selling for only 300 AdventureCoins! 300 ACs is fairly easy to get, using the AExtras page (make sure you have a REAL but SECONDARY e-mail set up to avoid possible spam!) and even the basic 3 month membership comes with 1000 ACs standard =D
SuperBowl Sunday… on a Friday
ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Three events in one week? This is MADNESS!
No actually… this is AQWorlds. And we do these kind of things all the time! And this Sunday is Super Bowl XLV! So, naturally, Battleon is celebrating this too in the only way we know how—with pigskin weapons, deadly pom-pom chakras, giant foam fingers, moglin referees, protective headgear, football armors, and cheerleader costumes.
/Cheer your favorite team to victory while showing your Super Bowl spirit!
Dage’s OOPS!
They don’t call Dage “the Evil” for nothing! Awhile ago, in the Black Market Shop (which has currently vanished… and no one knows if the Vendor will come back or not…) had a pair of totally awesome weapons called the Reavers of Amenti.
Dage the Evil mistakenly said on his Twitter that the Reavers of Amenti would be a requirement for a future item in his Merge Shop. BAD DAGE, BAD! No one can make such promises, and last week when his “Zealith Reavers” were added to his secret shop secretly hidden in a secret place somewhere in Lore, the Zealith Reavers DID NOT require the Reavers of Amenti as a turn-in.
We have gotten complaints that some players bought the Reavers of Amenti just for Dage’s weapon. We care about each and every one of you, and we want to make everyone happy! So to make amends, we have made the Reavers of Amenti permanent Rares! Congratz to everyone who has them! That Black Market dealer never knew if his items were ganna go Rare anyway...
But wait, there’s more! If you don’t like the Reavers of Amenti because you wanted Dage’s Zealith Reavers instead, feel free to sell 'em!
The Zealith Reavers are still in Dage’s secret Merge Shop and can be obtained only by completing his ridiculous quests and having some serious luck to get the necessary item turn-ins.
Remember folks, AQWorlds is a game made FOR YOU! Without your support, none of this would be possible. THANK YOU for making all of this possible, and never be afraid to let us know how we can make this MMO the best one out there =D
You guys have been great! And you have survived yet another one of my ramblings. Hehehhee! It’s only Monday, and it’s been the craziest Monday yet, but this hectic day promises a glorious week ahead!
Battle on!
January 28, 2011
Ctrl + Alt + Del Event
The Winter-een-mas event is LIVE!
2 weeks of work, voice acting from Warlic (Ethan), Thyton (Lucas), Nythera (Lilah), Me (Zeke) and Korin (RPG), 2 new music tracks from Warlic, 5 new cutscenes co-authored by myself and Tim Buckley (creator of Ctrl + Alt Del) animated by Miltonius and myself, 3 new maps and several new CAD NPCs from J6, 14 quests from Beleen, 7 monsters from Miltonius and Skyline, and 26 brand new items, armors and pets from Dage, Skyline, Miltonius, J6 and me.
THIS IS A HUGE EVENT!
Some of you were there to grab the rares as soon as we released the pre-release area, giving you a sneak peek of the entire event, and a LOT MORE of you showed up just now when the full release went live!
Winter-een-mas is a holiday JUST for gamers and we are VERY happy to celebrate with you guys. Here at AE we're all big-time gamers and that love of video games connects us to you guys. Thanks for being a part of this event and special Thanks to Ctrl + Alt + Del for making this event possible.
If you complete the event you will recieve the Ctrl + Alt+ Deleted Achievement Badge on your Character Page and in your Book of Lore. The Event will last one week, after that the Rares shop will vanish forever and the event itself will turn into a Member Only area and take all of it's many item drops with it.
Inventory Increase!
After weeks of Zhoom and Minimal breaking their respective backs trying to find a way to get you guys some more inventory space we have finally delivered. Inventories have increased to 100 and bank size has increased to 250!
As promised, we gave EVERY CHARACTER 10 additional inventory spaces ABSOLUTELY FREE (If you just now made your character, sorry, you missed out).
The prices have not changed, BUT we have added 2 more new achievements to the Book of Lore... Maxed Out for getting all 100 Inventory Spaces, and Superhuman Vault for getting all 250 bank slots. *correction, the badges will get sorted out on Monday*
It would cose a LOT of ACs to get both of these items and we don't expect many people will ever get them, but if you are a SERIOUS collector who really NEEDS that space... just know that those two badges are waiting for you.
Other News!
We have released EVEN MORE Player Suggestion items this week, and Dage has release another item in his shop.
Epic Duel Shirts!
If you're a fan of our game, EpicDuel or just a fan of PvP then have WE GOT A SHIRT FOR YOU!
These brand new EpicDuel shirts are now ripe for the bying on HeroMart. They come in one glorius colors (shade, actually), Black but they also come with an AQW Achievement for your Character Page and Book of Lore plus the Color Custom Cyber Hunter armor, and an EpicDuel Achievement!
Reminder!
AEXtras is still a great way to get FREE ADVENTURECOINS and even FREE BATTLEON POINTS, and with new Inventory, Bank slots and Event rares to buy there's never been a better time!
Just CLICK HERE to get started!
Or, You can jump onto your Master Account and start earning free BattleOn Games Points using AExtras and use those Points to get stuff in ANY of our games!
January 27, 2011
Psssssssssst.....
Hey…hey… look what I have for you!
*shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh* No one knows this yet… but I snagged a spoiler screenie of a few of the items from the Ctrl+Alt+Del Event tomorrow!
And that’s not even ALL of them! YES I’m serious!! Click that pic if you wanna see a bigger size so you don’t have to squint to see =D
Okay… I better get back to work before Artix, Cysero, or anyone else sees that I’m giving out even more spoilers ^____^
January 25, 2011
Epic Win!
Ready for your daily dose of awesomsauce?
Hi everyone! It’s only Tuesday and already soooo much is going on that I just HAD to share with someone. And that someone is you!
So join me! Bask in the pink glow of these Design Notes as I reveal everything that’s going on this week… and maybe some spoilers that are coming in the near future =D
TWO Birthday’s Today? Two Captains, too?!
Ding! Stratos of the Skyguard and Captain Rhubarb have both leveled up today! Gratz, guys!
Got my goggles!
Stratos landed his airship in Battleon for his special day. Talk to the captain to get your hands on some super awesome Stratos-approved goggles and TWO of his own custom swords! I’m not sure how long Stratos will be in town… so make sure you wish him a Happy Birthday before he takes flight!
EpicDuel T-shirts—On Sale Now!
Wanna score some epic threads in real life? Head to HeroMart now and be the first to equip the super epic EpicDuel T-Shirt!
A +10 Defense buff comes standard when putting on this shirt. But as an added bonus, the Color Custom Cyber Hunter Armor in AQWorlds is yours when you enter the special code that comes with the shirt!
Ctrl+Alt+Del Event Details
It’s the moment we have all been waiting for…for the past week and a half. Cysero worked his magic with the creator of the webcomic Ctrl + Alt + Del and we will be hosting the in-game event this Friday!
The last week of January is a very special time of year for CAD fans... it's Winter-een-mas, a holiday just for gamers! But this Winter-een-mas… something is not quite right (other than the whole holiday not bring quite right). The Winter-een-mas Crown has been stolen and Ethan, Lucas, Lilah, and Zeke need your help getting it back!
There will be Winter-een-mas rare items pulled directly from the pages (web pages) of Ctrl + Alt + Del plus some stuff you've never seen before… like the 16-bit Item Sets in the AC Event Rare Shop!
Digital DOOMknight Armor and Helm, Blade of 16-Bit Awe, and the Light of Digital Destiny!
All these 16-bit digital items (and more!) will be in the AC event rare shop along with a 16 bit pet. Nearly all of the DROPS from the event will be non-member. BUT! After this week, the event goes Member Only so only members will have access to those drops. And when the event goes Member, the AC shop is GONE. Just a fair heads-up for everyone who is reading this now =D
Completely Color Customizable CardCaster Class?!
If you happen to follow me, Dage the Evil, or Cysero on Twitter, then you probably caught a sneak-peek at the newest Class making its way to our Inventory Bags.
CardCaster Class preview!
This completely color custom Class—based off Base, Accessory, Trim, and Eye Color—is still in the making and has no scheduled release date yet. But this Class is special. Very special. The only way to get this Class is by getting your hands on the not-yet-released BattleOn Game Cards set!
Artix, Mido, Cy, Dumoose, and the entire Team have been hard at work on a physical card game that will hit store shelves in the next few months (if everything works out like we hope it will).The card game is SUPER INCREDIBLY fun and I cannot wait until it is actually finished!
I’m sure Artix will give you some more spoilers as the card game nears its final stage. But for now… that’s all I can say. If I haven’t already said too much. Yipes!
And, um, as for the Inventory/Bank Space improvements…. Zhoom? …Minimal? Where are you guys?!
Alright! Time for me to get back to working on the Ctrl + Alt + Del event. As our first HUGE event of the new year… we gatta make sure it’s as epic as it can be!
Battle On!
January 21, 2011
Battle under Crystal Release is Live!
Well technically, it’s Undead.
The battle continues under Battleon! Two levels of BattleUnder have already been uncovered, home to some of the most vicious Undead that Lore has ever seen. The deeper the tunnels travel, the meaner (and higher level) the baddies get.
Warlic the Mage has finally figured out how to activate the Portal in the second level of BattleUnder! (Geesh, that only took him like, what, 6 months?) The only way to pass through the portal to get to the third level is by solving the door’s magic rune puzzle in the form of a minigame!
Awe… I guess the power of love won’t open the portal =(
Here’s the proper way of opening the portal: you have to trace the magical rune symbol with your mouse! Just like in BladeHaven when casting magic spells, you hold the left mouse button and carefully trace the pattern you see. Release the button when you finish tracing the pattern. If the rune glows green, you get to trace the next one! If it turns red, then the Load Balancer will crash again and will make AQWorlds unplayable.
HAHA I’m kidding, I’m kidding—if you mess up, you can just keep trying over and over again. There is no time limit, but these magical runes require a VERY accurate mouse path trace thing. Don’t give up! It took me a bunch of times before I finished the minigame and ended up in…
The Crystal Caverns!
The Crystal Caverns (also known as Battleunderc) is a beautiful change of scenery from the rocky formations of the upper Battleunder cave systems. Huge colorful crystals jut out from the walls and ceilings, allowing you to move freely all over them.
But be careful; these caverns are home to vicious Crystallized Undead and Jellyfish. Yes, jellyfish. These jellies are SO POWERFUL that they don’t even need water to survive. Woah. Be careful out there.
Yara the Pally also has a new Merge Shop loaded with 11 brand-new weapons. You will have to collect enough Undead Essences and Cavern Celestites in order to purchase her wares… and some of her items even require merging one weapon with even more items to get an upgraded version of that weapon!
And the best part: 9 out of her 11 items are NON-MEMBER =D But don’t expect getting them to be easy—you’re going to have to farm your helms off for the coolest gear! Wahahha!
Player Suggestion Shop!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! More items have been added to the Player Suggestion Shop in Yulgar’s Inn! All of the items in this shop were inspired by our fellow players. This week’s newest additions are:
Xusha’s Curse Armor, The Infector, Flamed Aura Blade, and Keeper of Darkness Blade
Wanna submit your weapon or armor ideas, too? Head to the forums with your masterpieces because you never know if–or when–your idea will make it in game and used by thousands!
Stratos is Leveling Up next week!
Stratos, captain of the Skyguard, is leveling up IRL on Tuesday! For his birthday, he wishes to share some of his favorite personal items with you. Make sure to wish him a Happy Birthday because on Tuesday, January 25th, you will be able to get his awesome birthday presents!
Bank and Inventory Expansion Update
Artix, Zhoom, Minimal, and Cysero have been working sooooo hard on the Bank and Inventory space issue. It is still being worked on and we are HOPING to have it out next week, just in time for the CAD event! We are all keeping our fingers and toes crossed that everything goes according to plan!
Uh-oh… did I just jinx us? Every time we say that… things go terribly horribly wrong, the servers asplode, and mushrooms get thrown at my face. But maybe… just maybe… everything will go perfectly fine and we can all get bunches of new inventory space omgomgyesyesyesYES!!!!
Buuuut I’m ganna equip my anti-fungi protective goggles just in case ^___^
Enjoy the release folks! Battleon in BattleUnder!
January 21, 2011
Fixing a Hardware Issue!
AQworld's Load Balancer takes a nose dive
Currently, AdventureQuest Worlds and all 5 of our games are *Makes exagerated explody noise* until we fix a piece of hardware called a Load Balancer. We are on the job and will have the game back up ASAP! Ryansox on Twitter one player commented, "2 major crises in the same week?" To which we confidently respond, "Server hamsters are both cute and unpredictable." This is a great opportunity for us all to learn about Load Balancers! Our first was actually a Alteon Load Balancer. Yes, we named King Alteon, the Balanced... after our 1st load balancer. It was an inside joke but now you can tell everyone you are in on it too! We use a Cisco now (I think) Anyway, a load balancer takes many servers and makes it look like just one. For example, when you play AQworlds, it looks like you are going to a single web page. But, in reality, you may be accessing as many as 15 different file servers... pulling files from whichever one is able to get you your next monster, item, or weapon the fastest. We got a super expensive powerful one which all of the games use. Needless to say, we would have preferred that something else would have broke instead... a single server... Cysero's yogurt spoon... even the secret underground labs already dangerously broken toilet plumbing. Now, we must wait like an expactant Father waiting for the doctor to tell him about his new born baby... or.. more specifically like a lab full of gamers waiting for the tech guy on site to let us know if it can be repaired, or if we need to replace it. Either way hurry up guys! WE WANT TO PLAY AQW! ... wait, this just in. Zhoom created a work around allowing players to get in while we wait for the data center to fix the hardware. Check back often... more updates coming shortly!
Meanwhile....
- Become a Member!
While you are waiting for the game to come back up, become a member of AQWorlds! Never wait for long file downloads again. Because our load balancer is broke. ... and the files will not load at all. (Acheivement unlocked: Worst sales pitch ever!) - One-Eyed Doll Fans... help make them #1 on the charts!
It is time for the Austin Chronical to vote for the top band in Texas again. My vote goes to Chaos Lord Kimberly and One-Eyed Doll. If you want to vote... see how to vote at their official website (13+ only please) - Voltaire's Deady 2011 Calendar
It has been appearing in Cafe Press ads all over the internet... Voltaire has release a Deady calendar featuring some AQWorlds Art (With our permission of course). It is available online for $19.95. You can get your Deady Calendar at CafePress . You can also get his last album "Spooky Songs for Creepy Kids" at CDBaby. - Coming soon at HeroMart
The EpicDuel T-Shirt is coming soon.
January 20, 2011
Ctrl + Alt + Del and Inventory News
Winter-een-mas Is Coming To AQW!
You may have already seen on the AQ.COM homepage, or maybe you heard over Twitter but the popular web comic all about gaming is joining forces with AQW in a special event NEXT FRIDAY (Jan 28th).
This Special Event was co-authored by Tim Buckley (Writer/Artist/Creator of CAD) and me, with voice acting by some of the BattleOn Games staff and original music from Warlic!
The last week of January is a very special time of year for CAD fans... it's Winter-een-mas, a holiday just for gamers! But this Winter-een-mas something has is not quite right (Well, ok... the whole holiday isn't quite right). The Winter-een-mas Crown has been stolen and Ethan, Lucas, Lilah and Zeke need your help to get it back!
There will be Winter-een-mas rare items pulled directly from the pages (web pages) of Ctrl + Alt + Del plus some stuff you've never seen before!
Where: In-game at www.AQ.com
When: Friday, January 28th, 2011, starting at Sundown-ish EST
Who: Ethan, Lucas, Lilah and Zeke from Ctrl + Alt + Del, the AE Team, you, and 22 Million of our closest friends
Why: To celebrate Winter-een-mas, score some uber Event Rare items, and play the FIRST special in-game event of the New Year!
WARNING: Some of the content in the webcomic is NOT family friendly, and BattleOn Games assumes no responsibility for the content in the comic but we PROMISE that this IN-GAME EVENt will be acceptable for all audiences.
For the fans of the comic, you'll get to adventure with the Ctrl + Alt + Del cast of characters. For people who hate the comic, you get to beat up at least one of the main characters. If you're just a fan of AQW then this will be another great AQW event with an Event Rare Shop which will vanish after the event and lots of items in the event itself (which will go MEMBER ONLY after the close of the event), and if you hate AQW... then why are you reading this?
Inventory Update Update
Which is to say, this is an update regarding the inventory update which Artix talked about a little while ago. You see there where Artix says "We cannot make any promises yet -- but if things go as planned..."?
Well, things did not run according to plan.
If you do the math you will see that infinite storage space would cause you terrible lag when you were logging into the game, eventually crash your game, eventually crash the game and eventually destroy our servers. It's just not possible.
Minimal and Zhoom HAVE been able to make some pretty vast improvememnts to the inventory system. Again, no promises but here's what we're working on now.
- Increasing the Inventory to 100 Max purchasable space (no price change).
- Increasing the Bank to 300 Max purchasable space (no price change).
- Continuing FREE UNLIMITED AC ITEM STORAGE.
That's 400 total items plus unlimited AC storage (which will, in time, do all of those horrible things I mentioned earlier but it will take much MUCH longer). It's a pretty huge increase from the total 135 current spaces but still Artix is pretty broken up about not being able to provide you with infinite storage. It's a dream we were all shooting for. He wanted to do something nice for everyone to make up for not being able to make that impossible dream a reality. I suggested giving everyone 5 free inventory spaces.
He said no.
Instead he has decided that we are going to give everyone (member and non-member alike) 10 FREE INVENTORY SPACES as soon as these inventory changes go live. It doesn't matter if you are a Founder or just started playing yesterday... if you have an AQW character then they are getting 10 FREE SPACES to store things in their backpack.
So... as of right now, we will be giving away 248,031,430 backpack inventory spaces, in total. See why storage space on our servers is an issue?
We will keep you posted on how testing is going and when to expect the inventory expansion and your free storate spots. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Tomorrow's Release!
Once more, deep beneath the floors of Battleon, Yara has uncovered the hidden path to a new deeper layer of the BattleUnder Dungeon!
You will need to solve an interesting puzzle just to access this new area, but once there you will see some new interesting monsters and Yara will have brand new items to offer brave adventurers who can survive the depths!
We also have another Plaayer Suggestion Update with several new weapons and a new Armor, pulled directly from the pages of our Forums.
January 20, 2011
Who Cut the Cheese?
Oh wait… we did!
Today we celebrate Cheese Day! Yes, just like Taco Day and TLAPD, this is an actual celebrated holiday. Um…we don’t really know where it’s celebrated… but right now it’s being celebrated in Battleon!
Talk to Khaddar the Black Market Dealer to get your hands on some tasty cheese helms: the Havarti Hero and the Munster Master. Time to look extra sharp on this special day!
These cheesy items will stay in his shop until we release tomorrow night.
Cheese On...your head!
January 19, 2011
Battle On…..der!
Heh, get it, 'cuz ‘Battle Onder’ sounds like Battle Under… It’s a… uhhhhgg…..
Third week of the year. Yes, it’s hard to believe. Just 19 days into 2011 and already I am losing my mind.
And that’s a good thing for YOU!
The AQWorlds team has soooo many new things in store for you that a few lost minds is a necessary sacrifice to achieve our totally epic plans. Wanna see what we’re doing this week? You’ve come to the right place.
Third Level of BattleUnder
It wasn’t too long ago that a series of deep underground tunnels was discovered beneath our hometown of Battleon. A few secret passageways can be found around Battleon that will take you into these dangerous caverns flooded with Undead minions.
Two levels of BattleUnder have already been uncovered. Warlic in the Battleon Magic Shoppe is hard at work figuring out how to activate the Portal in the 2nd level of BattleUnder. From his reports, he should figure out a way come Friday evening. A way that involves a minigame of sorts.
That mage really knows his stuff!
Head to Warlic’s Shop and read some of the books on his shelves. *hint hint wink wink* Maybe you’ll uncover where a path to BattleUnder resides!
Yara the Paladin has informed us that the next level of BattleUnder is unlike any place we’ve ever seen. If you wish to journey there during this week’s release, you had better help her complete all her quests first!
Even though no one has seen what lies beyond the 2nd level of BattleUnder, Yara found this screenshot after it dropped off the Undead Berserker:
Is this what lies beyond BattleUnder’s portal? …Oooohhh, I dunno… I guess we’ll just have to wait until Friday to find out! ^_____^
Say CHEESE…day!
Yes. Yes. I am serious. Tomorrow, January 20th, is Cheese Day. No, I didn’t make it up. I heard about Cheese Day from a very reliable source: the interwebs!
And the internet never lies. So tomorrow, the Black Market Dealer in Battleon will receive a shipment of Cheese Day items to celebrate this delicious holiday!
Uhhmm… what kind of items can you make out of cheese, anyway?
Color Custom Cyber Hunter Armor
Some of you guys who relentlessly stalk my Character Page have been wondering what the Cyber Hunter armor is. Cyber Hunters of Delta V are highly skilled and trained warriors that live for the thrill of battle. Their color-custom robotic armor strikes more than just fear into the eyes of their opponent.
Delta V, huh? As in… the Delta V from EpicDuel?
Yuppers! The Cyber Hunter armor was forged specifically for the soon-to-be-released EpicDuel Tshirt!
In a couple of days, the EpicDuel Tshirts will go on sale at HeroMart. The only way to get the Cyber Hunter armor in AQWorlds is by equipping these epic threads IRL!
Once we receive word from Faith… and receive the shipment of Tshirts… we will announce it on the Design Notes, Homepage, and probably flood our Twitters with OMGOMGOMG EpicDuel Tshirts are IN! Or you can keep checking the HeroMart homepage and see if you can beat us to the punch =D
Fixed Stacking Bug
Zhoom is much more than just a Sandsea Ranger… he’s also an amazing programmer capable of squashing all sorts of bugs. For some strange reason, stackable items (aka items you collect more than 1 of) stopped working today. I had no idea why, and still have no idea why, but this is why I am not a programmer =p
Zhoom has since fixed the issue so you can continue to farm those stackable items… like from Miltonius’ and Dage’s crazy insane quests. That are hidden somewhere in game. If you haven’t found them yet… try asking your fellow players!
Update on Unlimited Item Collections!?!
Zhoom and Minimal have been working nonstop on the unlimited Inventory/Bank Space mission. Nothing is yet set in stone… but I can tell you that things are looking MIGHTY GOOD!
Here is the recap of it in Artix’s DN post.
If (and hopefully when!) we are able to offer a massive increase in Inventory slots and Bank Space, we can begin implementing something known as a Limited Quantity Shop.
(Uh oh… am I allowed to be saying this? Or am I supposed to keep this a secret…?)
Oh well—no use going back now! Like the name suggests, a Limited Quantity Shop only has a limited number of a certain item. So let’s say there are only 50 of an item available. When 50 players get that item… it will vanish from the shop and NEVER be offered again!
This is going to make for some VERY interesting rare-item collections.
…Okeeeey, I’ve said waaaay too much. I better go now before Artix equips his Anti-Pink glasses and reads what I have just said and revokes my coffee privileges!
Toodles! =D
January 17, 2011
Spend a day with me?
Run a game company with Artix today
A lot of players ask what I do here BattleOn Games. They say I "run all of the games", but what does that really mean? So, last night on Twitter I asked if it would be interesting and worthwhile to everyone if I made a Play by Play of everything that happened today. That way you could get a behind the scenes peek of what a typical Monday is really like here at the secret underground lab... of course... there is no such thing as a typical Monday, or any day. Back in the early days I was all alone and programmed, drew art, animated, wrote storylines, answered customer support emails and... um... made lots of puns. Now, I am honored to work alongside a team of 50+ creative team members... and make lots of puns. I do not know what will happen today, but I hope you enjoy spending the day with me. Battle On!
Monday
???am (Tuesday) Many hours later, the day ends. Zzzz.... Zzzzz..... (snoring on keyboard/pillow and dreaming of what adventures await tomorrow.) Mondays are always planning days. Tuesday is when games and projects go full steam ahead... and Fridays are RELEASE DAYS!
9:04pm Finished DerpQuest Adventure - pretty unpredictable ending! Cleaning up and heading home from the Secret Udnerground Lab. when I get home, I am going to take Daimyo for a walk then power up my machine and start transcribing what happened in the adventure into a storyboard.
5:50pm DerpQuest Begins! (The printer just blue screened while printing out the quest sheets and we realized I left the powercord for the camera at home... we have 30 mins of battery life. Galanoth is getting it while we begin.
5:39pm Setting up for DerpQuest! (Derpquest is a Table Top Dice game that we created to write the animated series. It is heavily story-telling oriented. A game master runs the game telling the players what is happening. All players are given a major quest that they share... but secretly, players are given a list of conflicting quests which often erupt into chaos as the game progresses. Each hour of real game play results roughly 3 to 4 minutes of script. We record the game with a video camera and transcribe it then edit it later. Unbeknownst to most players... you were asked multiple questions a while ago which resulted in selecting DoomWood as the first setting. You made an amazing choice!)
5:17pm Safiria & her doom poodle Phaedra are heading home for the day -- she gets in much earlier than the rest of us. (Saf says goodby and Phaedra says, "Can I eatz them?") Meanwhile everyone sitting at the DragonFable table is preparing for the main event of Monday.... DERPQUEST! Starts in 30 mins or less. I have just enough time to check in with Rolith and make a few art decisions on the card game packaging. Most card games are super serious and medium to slow paced... which is great, I love those games. But to be different and unique I want ours to be really funny and crazy fast. The art on the packaging needs to make people chuckle so they expect the right thing when they open the box. (Which officially shaped like a Mayan Pyramid and opens into a giant playing mat!)
4:58pm So YOU WANT TO BE A MOD? I just spoke with Stratos (who is the head of volunteer moderators on AQWorlds) and he is looking for volunteer mods who are over 18 and speak both portuguese & english. There are very few positions available so please do not be offended if you are an excellent candidate but are not selected during this round. (Note: A good candidate for moderator would not be offended.) You can apply at the moderator info application page.
4:35pm Wow... this is a wierd one. Returning a call to the Suffolk County Police Department in New York regarding "someone who might have stolen money from Artix Entertainment". I do not think anyone has ever stolen from us -- how wierd! (Update: So I checked the phone number against the numbers listed on the NYPD's website and it checked out OK (You can never be too careful). So I returned the call. Apparently he was following a lead on a fraud/scammer who had sent us a business proposition two years ago. I remember that very clearly. The deal smelled fishy and we terminated conversations immediately (Yay for aura of Detect Evil +1!) Hopefully we were able to give the Detective a little info to help him catch the bad guy he is pursuing. It is things like this that I imagine you would never guess I spend time doing... I really do hope you are finding this interesting. I am writing it a bit bland and honest so you can see the real behind the scenes picture. A lot of people think running a game company involves having a video game controller in your hands.
4:26pm Voice acting in the music room for the upcoming AQworld's event. Cysero already did his robot voice... Zazul, Nythera, Galanoth & Warlic are preparing to do their parts. We moved the music room last week and invested in some giant foam wall-thingies to stop all of the echo that plagued our previous voice recordings. Some of the bass still reflects.... next week we will reinforce it some more to create an acoustically "dead" space. This week in-game they are expanding the Battle-Under zone... which you can get to via secret passages found around the town of BattleOn.
4:05pm While I was in the EpicDuel room we had a network wide connectivity outtage. Popular theories is that someone forgot to feed the server hampsters... or perhaps it was part of EbilCorp's Internet Darkening Project... or perhaps the evil tree ninja snuck into the server farm in Texas? No problem. Everything is A-OK and back online. (I am glad something went wrong... it worries me silly when things go smoothly!)
3:46pm Meeting with the EpicDuel team - Titan and Nightwraith
3:26pm Just got approval on the AQW Card Game Boxes! Getting art ready!
3:15pm Eating a Taco! Nom nom nom nom nom nom (Mostly to make Safiria stop nagging me to eat. Please do not tell her I said that -- she only does it because she cares. Or is trying to keep my blood healthy since she is a Vampire.) It is a little weird we have not had any major crisises yet today. (Maybe we should not have said that out loud?) Yay! Finally a moment to check email and answer Tweets!
3:00pm Checking in on the gang in the MechQuest room (aka POD 6) Korin is having a rare item release this week while continuing to prepare for the big Game Show Planet in a few weeks. George Lowe is expected to do some voice acting along with other members of the staff. You can see some Q&A he recently did with players on the MechQuest design notes. Also, Yergen von Smergenburgen is working on a crazy animated intro to HeroSmash. Warlic is going to do soundFX and animation -- looks like 3 days to complete the remaining work if nothing else comes up. Also on the subject of HeroSmash -- we stole back some resources to focus on AQWorlds during January which is why development temporarily slowed down. After the AQWorlds game and inventory changes Zhoom's next goal is to return and do the super customizable super skills in HeroSmash. Dumoose and Llussien made a a new zone that will likely appear in the alpha testing next week.
2:30pm Meeting with Geopetal and the DragonFable team about this week's release featuring Fae and quite possibly the dissasembly of the Blade of Awe. If you are not in on the inside joke... Fae has appeared in countless DragonFable ads but has never actually been put in game. She is a shapeshifter who transforms into a random animal every time she sneazes. Although... Geopetal's plan for putting Fae in game was something I did not expect. Meanwhile, Trey Surehunter (Not only a great name pun... try reading it outloud... but is also Valencia's Father) The last quest indicated that he may have not-so-good intentions for the Blade of Awe (which, 5 years later in the original AdventureQuest... is scattered into many different parts. This quest should explain why and how that happened.)
2:19pm Woohoo! Wrapped up early. There is a problem with the upcoming AQworlds inventory changes -- off to meet with Zhoom. Alina just posted about the DragonFable SoulWeaver Class. (Thanks for finding my mistake Johanan9107 & Yami!) Safiria is choosing what sort of booth we will be running at DragonCon this year. I do not want to be in the dealer room.. I would rather set up a exhibitor booth out in the open where we can meet players and just hang out and give free stuff away.
2:00pm Conference call with LA regarding the AdventureQuest Worlds animated series. (Should last one hour)
1:30pm We had a really interesting idea at this meeting... what if one of you came and ran the AQWorld's release for a week... we could film it documentary style. It would make for an interesting series! We are setting up some quality test shoots for this Saturday. (We normally shoot terribly cheesy videos on Saturday mornings. This was the first one we did... and yes that is what I look like without my armor on. The Ninja was sent by EbilCorp.)
1:12pm A director and his film-student friend arrived at the office. Galanoth took them on a tour (stalling while I finished up) to discuss the live action mockumentary project we are planning to do this year. Think... The Office + Ninjas + Zombies + Gaming! ... OOOH! Just got the cards. Added the updated HeroSmash logo to the card. (The cards work with all games so we are trying to make sure it clearly states it this time. some people did not know you could use the DragonFable cards with AQWorlds.)
1:05pm Met with our businessy guy (official title I think) Trying to schedule a meeting with GameStop. Also, the deadline for art for the new in-store pre-paid game cards is due -- these ones will be in Target, Walmart, Toys-R-Us etc in a few months. I asked Princess Miko & Mido (Mido is semi-new with us. He does a lot of art including the weekly AQWorlds promo banners, Chicken Cow T-shirt and much, much. much. much more.) to make sure we have the right version... because it would be realy embarrasing to send the wrong one! (no way to fix a mistake like that.) They want to know if the pre-paid game cards should be branded BattleOn Games or Artix Entertainment. What do you think?
12:45pm Signing MechQuest Artbooks
12:26pm Meeting with Cysero and the AQWorlds team on unlimited bank space, this weeks release, & the upcoming live event (Only 2 weeks away!?)
12:21pm Using the little Paladin's room. Agt_Grey & some other player son twitter felt that this journal should be EXTREMELY accurate, LOL!
12:13pm 2nd Interview was a no-show so moving on to the AdventureQuest Worlds card game. We got the green light from Toys-R-Us to finish the physical card game which they will have in their stores in March. Dumoose is doing the final balancing of the cards and Mido/J6/Miltonius & Cysero are finishing the final card art. We have a follow up on what sort of packaging to use... the game is a single deck which includes everything you need for 2 to 4 players to play at any time. While Safiria gets verification on our packaging, I am off to talk to Mido about our opportunity to get the card game in an upcoming circular (those giant paper advertiements that Toys R Us sends out... we only have a few days to produce the ad or we will miss it. The ad must contain what our product looks like. Roughly translated: We only have a few days to design everything or we miss our chance to be in the circular.)
11:50am Coordinated the... ... hope it goes well.
11:40am Writing this design notes post. and skimming the forums and Twitter... The day is officially starting. (Official start time here is 11:30am)
11:10am Interview for Spokesmodel/Production Assistant. Wow... she was in the Cruxshadows?
10:00am NPC Band rehersal. We were running late so only enough time to work on 2 songs.
9:00am Daimyo says, "Arf!" ... with those "get your armor on and walk me Paladin eyes!"
8:30am It is a dark and stormy... morning? There is a pretty intense thunder storm outside... my moat is flooding!
Sunday
Two local directors and a few film students were scheduled to come over and premiere 2 short films at my home. However, they showed up with THE ENTIRE CAST AND CREW from both films (over 30 people) We were in desperate need of more chairs and food. My home does not normally have that high of a cute actress to room ratio -- Zhoom is currently single and will be really sad when he finds out what he missed. We were up until 3:30am and after everyone left I was cleaning and fell asleep on the DoomKnight room bed. Earlier that day Zhoom, Galanoth & I went to the Gym and overdid the workout... because of the way I was laying sideways nearly falling off the bed (I cannot believe I am telling you this) I must have cut off the blood flow to my already barely movable arms.... because when I woke up I was unable to move them and was temporarily trapped. I rolled around falling off the bed onto my feet and sleepily made my way back to the Paladin room. All of my experiences in the DoomKnight room thus far have been deadly and embarrasing.
January 14, 2011
The Sandsea Port
Funny Place For A Port
The Sandsea Saga beings this week as Zhoom drags us into the hot, hot desert to help him find a small-time mage named Zahart.
Zhoom believes that Zahart might know something about the mysterious and unnatural sandstorm that recently uncovered the forgotten ruins of the city, surrounding the Sandsea Oasis Village. Track him down and get some answers.
Zhoom would clearly be able to track Zahart down by himseelf but with two of you that makes the hunt go that much faster. Don't worry, Zhoom has your back.
This is one of my new favorite areas of the game. Miltonius really outdid himself with the monsters and the amazing cutscene, Warlic's Sandsea Adventure music is one of the best he's produced for the entire game and J6's unbelievable backgrounds all come together to transport you to the dry wastes of the Sandsea.
Beware of Sandsharks!
Sandsea Oasis Village Updates!
This week we have updated a few of the Oasis shops. Zhoom has some brand new items in his Sandsea Rep shop, like the Assassin of the Sands armor and helm crafted by Dage and helm, and several new weapons!
You might also find that scimitar somewhere in today's release. Cassim the House Item vendor is also getting in a shipment of new items, which might be of interest to you.
A Change Of Items
The Staff that Dage is holding in the picture above is one of the new items coming to our friend Khuddar, the Black Market Vendor.
That is a face you can trust. I heard him say that some other items are arriving and some of his current items are vanishing!
Player Suggestion Changes
Last week we released Reddy's Solarflux Armor and he wasn't happen with Miltonius' version of his art. We stand behind each and ever one of out staff member's work, but Reddy was so unhappy that he said he'd rather have it removed from AQW than have it in as it is.
In a show of what I think makes BattleOn Games great, Miltonius listened to what Reddy had to say, looked at his own work and decided that Reddy had a point. Miltonius, on his own time, took a second shot at the art creating Reddy's EVOLVED SOLARFLUX ARMOR and HELM which will be added to the player suggestion shop today.
You have to admit, it's pretty hot. The first version of Solarflux will stay in the shop cause we like it, but the new version will ALSO be available.
In other Player Suggestion news, the SSS Sword has been removed, and everyone who purchased it has been given a full gold refund for the weapon.
NEW HEROMART ITEMS!
Just so you know we have gotten some new HeroMart items in. Some of the player favorites which sold out a while ago have come back in very VERY limited supply.
Faith tells me we've got:
150 calendars (which come with Chronomancer)
30 Twillies
10 sm chickencow
10 med chickencow
5 XL chickencow
20 2XL chickencow
20 3XL chickencow
EpicDuel shirts will go on sale next weekend. The come with the really cool robotic color custom Cyber Hunter armor. I'll get some pix for you next week.
Reminder!
AEXtras is still a great way to get FREE ADVENTURECOINS and even FREE BATTLEON POINTS!
Just CLICK HERE to get started!
Or, You can jump onto your Master Account and start earning free BattleOn Games Points using AExtras and use those Points to get stuff in ANY of our games!
Thyton Says Thanks
For those of you who were able to attend Thyton's improptu Live Drawing Event last night, thanks. It's a rare treat for us to get to interact with you so directly and you got to see how much fun we have in the lab.
You might not have seen this but after I threw the box at Thyton, he threw it right back. Hard.
For those of you who didn't get to catch it, check out Artix's Write-Up of the event! Have a great weekend!
Or else!
January 14, 2011
Thyton's Live Draw Re-cap
We hope you had fun!
Yesterday we did a live draw with DragonFable, MechQuest & HeroSmash artist Thyton. A video of his art room at the secret underground lab was broadcasted inside AdventureQuest Worlds. It was really fun! Everyone on chat said Thyton looks like Vin Disel... Ichidori posted this on his Twitter.
As usual, we ran into a huge slew of unexpected problems... the first one being that we were unable to setup until just 30 minutes prior to the event! ...our HD camera broke so we used a tiny web cam instead. There were a lot of laughs... but unless you had super hearing abliities it may have been hard to hear through the distorted time-delayed sound. You guys are awesome though -- you stuck through it anyway. Over 5 thousand players watched as Thyton draw what they suggested. An EbilCorp tree ninja was hiding in the background for 30 minutes of the event and finally attacked Thyton. Zhoom appeared and took care of the EbilCorp Ninja.... "I don't like dem Ninjas". Just do not tell Zhoom that Thyton is a Ninja too, ok? ( I REALLY wish we had recorded this event) Cysero, Beleen, Ai No Miko, and Thyton also made a quick appearance. We hope aspiring artists found inspiration and hopefully learned something useful. (Other than to not let Artix hold the camera *shake* *shake* *shake*) If you were unable to join us, do not worry -- I have a feeling we will be doing this again soon!
1st Drawing: Panda Cannon
Beleen was sitting in the couch across from Thyton with her laptop. She was logged onto the Sir Ver server where players send an endless waterfall of purple tells to her screen. She read as best she could -- asking questions and making suggestions to Thyton on behalf of the players. The 1st drawing... as suggested by players, was a Panda launching cannon! Please note the functional accuracy right down to the panda cartridge dispenser. This will be available in HeroSmash (which is currently in open stress test) as an arm item, and in AQWorlds as a back item!
2nd Drawing.... Ninja Bot with Waffle Shoulder Pads and Spiky Hands!
The second drawing combined the player suggestions of Ninja... Robot... Spiky Hands... and waffle. There is still a high demand for a Waffletana (Waffle + Katana). But how would he hold it?
For Thyence! (Thyton Science?)
I would like to thank Thyton for allowing us stream live video of him drawing, unscripted, with thousands of players watching his every potential mistake. No pressure or anything! I liked his quick draw with only a few minutes left. Thyton said afterwords (when we shut off the video and did not know the sound was still going /facepalm) that he wished we could have done it for a few more hours. He really wanted to draw more player suggestions for the game. It was really fun! Many players told me that liked seeing that the AE team was made of real people and surprised that we were so goofy and fun in real life too. So if you guys agree... I would like to fix our video, audio, and technical issues and have semi-regular "Live Artist Drawings" with ALL of our various artists streamed in game. Maybe even a competition. Maybe even take you around the lab and show you what I do? O_O
Thanks again everyone. Look for these drawings to show up in HeroSmash soon, and for the Panda launcher to appear in AQWorlds in next week's release! If you have any cool ideas, please let me know on the Forums or on Twitter! Tonight in AQWorld's release... the adventure continues and Zhoom is in a wicked cutscene!
January 13, 2011
HeroSmash open for everyone!
This is what we call a Stress Test…. so let’s see if we can ACE it… or bomb it?
Ohhh yeah, you read correctly. HeroSmash is NOW open to everyone for a limited time! As we draw closer to Thyton’s Live Drawing Contest, we thought it would be a great idea to crash NOT ONLY AQWorlds servers… but also HeroSmash’s!
So while you are waiting for us to give Thyton a pep-talk right before the video streams LIVE from his desktop… head on over to HeroSmash and get your hero-ing on!
Remember folks, this is a STRESS TEST and it could be closed at any time. But in the meantime… and if the servers hold... anyone and everyone can play HeroSmash right now!
Now that’s what I call SUPER! ^________^
January 12, 2011
Live Drawing Event TOMORROW!
The pen Tablet is Mightier Than the Sword!
A long, long time ago (in July, to be specific) in a server just a few clicks away… J6 streamed a LIVE video feed of his screen as you and your fellow players watched as he drew weapons from scratch. Artix, Cysero, and thousands of our awesome players sat down to watch the mastermind J6 craft one-of-a-kind weapons right before our eyes!
You guys voted on everything while J6 was making these stellar weapons… from how they should look to even the colors of Red, Blue, and “Chuck Norris.” Here’s the DN recap of that event!
Remember how awesome that was?
Well… I don’t. Because I was getting a tan 1,500 miles away on vacation =(
Did you miss it too? Wish you could relive that glorious moment?
Well fear not my friends! Because tomorrow, January 13th, at 5:00 pm EST, AQWorlds will be hosting yet another Live Drawing Event in game!
But this time around, Thyton the ninja artist, whose work can be seen in all of our games like HeroSmash, DragonFable, MechQuest, EpicDuel, and BladeHaven, has heeded the call of the 2nd Live Drawing Event!
Wait.. if he's a ninja... how can we see him...?
Thyton confirmed that he will draw... something… in-game tomorrow. So I asked him to be more specific. And he responded with: “something more specific.”
!!?#!?11!&?!12%2!? C’mon, Thyton!
Whether Thyton draws a sword, an armor, a pet, a monster… or something completely and outlandishly different… is all up to him. And you! I guess the team will be just as surprised as YOU will be come tomorrow when the live video streams directly from Thyton’s computer screen!
What: AQWorlds’ 2nd Live Drawing Event
When: Thursday, January 13th, starting at 5pm EST
Where: In-game at www.AQ.com (in case you forgot our url, heheehe)
Why: To watch Thyton create… something more specific… live right before our eyes! Help shape whatever Thyton creates by voting in-game… and flooding Artix’s chat with a typhoon of PMs!
Everyone’s invited – and everyone is going to be there! Can’t wait to see you there =D
January 11, 2011
A Most Reputable Black Market Dealer
So, Uh... Who's The New Guy?
A strange item vendor has mysteriously appeared in Battleon. We don't know much about him but he looks... friendly.
I always try and start conversations with new and interesting people. Maybe if you chat with him, he'll tell you more about himself.
Friday, The Sandsea Saga Begins
Just like it says in the header above this line of text, the Sandsea Saga begins on Friday. For those of you who are big DF players, this will be a vast departure from the DF sandsea with a new storyline and several new characters, but it will keep the original DF Sandsea flavor.
Mmmmm, sand flavored release.
Originality
Some of Artix's Twitter followers have been giving him a hard time over the Cactus Creeper monster being a rip-off of the exploding Creeper from another another great game. Those of you who have been playing BattleOn Games for a while know that every single release is stuffed with puns, or own original ideas and TONS of pop-culture and gaming references. We LOVE taking our favorite things, bringing them into our games but we don't steal these ideas.
It's a fine balance. You want everyone to see it and say "OH LOOK, they're making a reference to THAT thing from that one game we all played or anime we all watched," but it can't be exactly the same or we would be dishonoring the originality of the creators.
Part of why most of the BG Players like our games is our sense of humor and references like the Cactus Creeper are a Large part of that.
It's a lot like when we were playing World of Warcraft and duing a cutscene the high paladin yelled "Battle On!". We were so flattered.
Speaking Of Originality
Thanks to some of our other Tweeps, it was pointed out that the SSS Blade was ALSO art stolen almost directly from another original design found on the web. Remember that fine balance I was just talking about? It is one thing to take your inspiration from another source or to make a satirical reference to it, but if you steal the art directly and we put it in AQW... We really can't stress this enough... people might sue us and shut the game down, and it will be all your fault.
We're pretty web savvy but there is no way we could see everything that's out there so we depend on you to use your own limitless creative potential to make great designs for the game. As I said above, we all enjoy AQW's funny references, but there's no honor in taking credit for someone else's idea or hard work.
We will be removing the SSS Blade from game this Friday and crediting everyone who purchsed the item for the full amount of gold that they spent.
Thanks to everyone who is keeping an eye out for the game and making sure that we are not stealing anyone else's work.
January 11, 2011
2011 is Year of the Moglin!
Field guide to the Good, the Ebil and... Twig?
Moglins are the cuddly* and adorable** mascots of our game. Their origins are a mystery but the Loremasters say they have protected the forests since the times when Dragons ruled the world. With their magic healing powers*** and pure heart s**** they represent all that is good in the world*****. The most famous Moglins are well known to most of you... but for those just joining us this year, here is a helpful guide!
* Except for Zorbak
** Except for Zorbak
*** Except for Zorbak
**** Except for Zorbak
***** Except for Zorbak
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Twilly He is cuddlier than any fabric softener bear and more puntable than a football. Twilly's is a true friend to all. His helpful heals in the town of Battleon have made him one of the most liked and famous moglins in the world. We are not quite sure how he got that chunk taken out of his right ear... erm... left ear... erm... well, I guess it depends on which way he is facing. 2D world dynamics are so wierd! Any way yo ulook at it, Twilly is a good moglin that you can count on! |
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Zorbak 100% Ebil. Even as a baby it was not hard to see that Zorbak was different than the other moglins. While his fellow moglins touched plants, healing them and filling them with life energy.... his touch caused them to rot and become zombified. This does not bother him though. For he is consumed with dillusions of grandier and dreams of world conquest. All that stands between him and his wicked goal is... well, a way to actually do it. So be careful what you give him! Zorbak can often be found teaming up with villians -- mostly to try to take control of their undead armies. He has a soft wpot in his black heart for the sweet voice of a cute Necromantress though. If there is mischief, expect to hear Zorbak's signature "Meh heh heh" in the distance! |
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Twig
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There are many other moglins in the world... Truffle (the rarest moglin because she has wings), Quibble (the never-before-seen-used weapon salesmoglin)... and many others. Each has a unique story, appearance (Well, except for Invisi the invisible moglin), and ability. During your adventures you may encounter these creatures. Do not dismiss them due to their small size. It should be known that Moglins hold a significant role in the balance between Order and Chaos. Why do such little cute things always hold such secrets?
Forum Question: If you were a moglin, what would you look like? What color would you be? What would you wear? Would you have any markings or powers?
January 07, 2011
Fun In The Sun
I Hope You Don't Mind Sand Inbetween Your Toes
The Sandsea has finally made its way from DragonFable to AQW. As usual, we've kicked off the zone with the central town, the NPCs and all of the shops in the area.
Zhoom, the master tracker and ranger, will be your guide to the zone. He's what we call the ZONE NPC. He will guide you around the zone, much the way that Rayst does in Arcangrove and Dorian Mode does in Mythsong.
Once we get the area going, just talk to Zhoom if you're lost and he'll let you where you need to go next to continue the all new Sandsea storyline adventures. He will also be the item vendor for the Sandsea Reputation you will earn doing quests around town and through the story.
Each of the NPCs in the Oasis Village has quests for you, some of which you can repeat as much as you like for a small amount of Sandsea Rep, or MEMBERS can do Daily Quests around the town for much larger rewards and faster rep so you can buy rewards like the Sandrunner Armor, Helm, Cape and Longbow.
You will be able to visit the Oasis Bazzar...
...where you can speak to Cassim for all new Sandsea themed House Items (thanks to Skyline) or Nkuku, the Sandsea Pet Trainer for a bunch of new desert loving pets (thanks to Miltonius)!
If you need a trim, head to Kephri's Barber Shop.
Dage has designed a handful of new hairstyles that are sure to keep you cool in the hot desert sun! As usual, we will be adding more as the area develops.
If you get tired or hungry, head to Bastet's Oasis Inn for a quick rest.
Each of her foods has a different effect on you. You could try the MEAT for double damage or the refreshing water for a helpful Heal Over Time effect! TheSuper-Coder Minimal has designed these to be some of the most powerful effects we've added to date so be careful not to over-eat.
Too much dessert in the desert.
Around the Oasis, something has disturbed the desert wildlife. You may have to defend yourselves against exploding Cactus Creepers, and the fearsome saber-toothed BUPERS CAMEL! If the phrase Bupers Camel makes no sense to you, read Beleen's earlier post. She explains it all. Like Clarissa.
Enjoy this intro and keep in mind that we will add more and more to the shops in town until the zone is finished!
Player Suggestion Shop Update
We have poured over the Suggestion forums and picked some of our and your facorite items suggested by players just like you, to add to the Player Suggestion Shop (Found in Yulgar's Inn in Battleon). Miltonius has taken all of these great suggestions and brought them to live in AQW!
- The SSS Blade by Second State Sauske
- The Solar Flux Armor by Reddy
- The Piercing Light Gun by Reki
- The Spirit Sword by Ichidori
- The Dual Terosin Blades by Terosin
We are always happy to pick a few great suggestions that we really like or get the most attention from you guys on the forums and bring them into the game. Keep up the great work guys and we'll keep adding your impressive items!
There was supposed to be another great armor and helm in the shop but thanks to our wonderful and attentive community, it was pointed out that the art was taken from another game entirely.
It was probably accidental. We all have things we really like. TV Shows, other video games, card games, movies, bands, and so on and we know you want to see those things in AQW, but remember that some other artist worked really hard on their own creation and we don't want to steal their stuff. Please, when you suggest stuff in the forums, make sure that it's either original or you credit the original source for your suggestion.
Minor Dage Update
Just a hint, Dage might have updated his shop today as well. If you're a fan, take a look!
Reminder!
AEXtras is still a great way to get FREE ADVENTURECOINS and even FREE BATTLEON POINTS!
Just CLICK HERE to get started!
Or, You can jump onto your Master Account and start earning free BattleOn Games Points using AExtras and use those Points to get stuff in ANY of our games!
Artix's Inventory Post
There has been a lot of confusion surrounding Artix's revelation that we are working on a way to provide a HUGE boost to Inventory space, both for normal game items and possibly house items.
Please be patient with us, we're still trying to see IF it is even possible. Once we find that out, then we will figure out exactly how it is going to work, what it will cost, if it will only be available to Members who pay to support the servers or if they will be AC purchases available to everyone... we have a log way to go before we make any of those calls.I can tell you one thing... it will cost a LOT in terms of server storage and game bandwidth, so it won't be entirely free.
Just know that we have heard your cries of pain during Frostval, tossing away old rares for new ones... and we are, as always, doing our level best to listen to you and give you what you ask for, but this is a BIG DEAL that will require a LOT of work for us so it may take a while.
Right now, it is out #1 priority project.
January 06, 2011
Infinite Bank Space...?
... and more major improvements for 2011!
I ate something called a Wolf Fish the other day. As my friends I would like to tell you... always Google something before you eat it. (It was quite tasty though) Moving on... We started this year with a BIG AdventureQuest Worlds meeting. We carefully reviewed the things you and your fellow adventures told us through the forum, twitter, fan letters, and in-game. Then we talked about each of our personal goals and dreams for the game this year. The result? A plan so HUGE that we need to double servers, bandwidth, databases and the size of the AQWorlds team to make it all a reality. Which is exactly what we are going to do. (Unless Zhoom finishes the cloning machine.. in which case we will just use that instead.)
Increasing your inventory space
As I am sure you have already guessed the game will get bigger releases, a lot more live events, special monsters and things to do in game as we battle our way to Drakath and see what lies beyond. (Remember, though ANYTHING can happen in AQWorlds... one of the remaining Chaos Lords might defeat us and win... including the new Chaos Lord of the storyline that is starting this week!) But the hot issue on everyone's mind is how to solve our inventory problem. Which is -- we are all out of space for new items! If you read the design notes regularly you may already know that we hit the "physical ceiling*" of items per player with the way the game is currently structured. So Zhoom and Minimal are re-writing 1,000s of lines of code and restructuring the database. We cannot make any promises yet -- but if things go as planned, all of your bank space will be added to your main backpack (giving you more storage during while adventuring) and the bank will become potentially big enough to hold EVERY ITEM in the game**. (Not through AdventureCoins, but ideally as a normal part of your Membership) Just a note: All of your purchased bank space will be added to your main bag. You will not lose any space and no ACs will not go to waste! We could probably make quests to create "Collections" of items too. Like I said -- we are not making any promises, but we have been listening and inventory space increase for all players is the #1 improvement... and we are pushing for it to happen later this month!
* Talking about ceilings... during the holidays Princess Miko's brother fell through my ceiling while exploring the secret passages in my new house. Remember: Always double reinforce your secret passages! (True story)
** Every time someone gets excited reading that line... the AQWorld's database cries
New, bigger, faster game Network & more servers
Today we are moving AQworlds to a... CLOUD! Maybe you have heard the internet's latest buzzword "The Cloud" on commercials or fancy pants ISP marketing brochures. What is a cloud? Honestly, I have no idea. My guess is they use Aeromancer sky weaver magic to put our AQWorlds weapons, armors, and other files up fluffy white clouds which increase your player speed when they float over your house? So next time you look up and see a cloud... give it a nod... it might contain a piece of your character! Using the cloud has increased our bandwidth by a number I do not even know how to pronounce and will free up over 9 servers. Those file-servers can be cleaned, super charged with radioactive hampsters and used as new AQworlds game servers -- maybe some international servers for players who would like to play with other players that speak their language? (Suggestions welcome!)
Forum Question: "IF" we were to make a AdventureQuest Worlds TV Show pilot.... (please do not let Cysero or Beleen know I am asking this question or I am going to get in BIG TROUBLE, ok?) which we would want to premiere in the summer and simultaniously release the zone/area featured in the TV show pilot... would you prefer DoomWood, Xan's Volcano, Pirate vs Ninja Island & the sunken city, or another upcoming AQWorlds area?
January 04, 2011
Sneak Peek at the 1st Release of 2011
Arm they pink-protective eyewear and get ready for a massive spoiler regarding Lore’s newest zone, Player Suggestion Shop update, brand-new NPCs, and the fabled discovery of Bupers Camel.
Yesterday was the first Monday of the first week of the first month of the new year. Artix, Cysero, Safiria, Zhoom, Minimal, and I journeyed into the War Room for a little brainstorming session about this week’s release… and that somehow evolved into a 4 and a half hour discussion regarding the amazing new future for AQWorlds! Omgomgomgomg =D
I can’t really tell you what we have in store for you… but keep in mind that it’s HUGE. We know how much you love AQWorlds – and you know how much we love making AQWorlds for you! We listened to your comments and concerns and have come up with many ways to improve your favorite MMO in 2011. Many, many, many, many, many, many, *deep breath* many, many, many, many, many ways!
But let’s not focus on that just yet. There’s still another 361 days left to discuss our new plans. We’ve got a massive NEW release arriving in just a couple of days that I’m sure you wanna get the low-down on. Bring on the spoilers!
The Sandsea
This week you will travel to Lore’s seemingly endless desert known as the Sandsea. DragonFable heroes should be familiar with this parched paradise full of palm trees, sand dunes, and desert monsters surrounding a prosperous oasis city.
Recently, a very unnatural sandstorm has blown across the Sandsea and revealed that the oasis community was just the center of a much larger town… once devoured by the sands and forgotten by the people. Here you will meet Zhoom the Ranger (and full-time programmer) along with many other oasis inhabitants.
A Bazaar of new NPCs, Shops, Items and Monsters
Much like the thriving cities of Arcangrove and Mythsong Canyon, the oasis town features many NPCs and Item Vendors. Zhoom is the main NPC and Reputation guy offering you all sorts of necessary Sandsea armors, weapons, and various gear. The town also has a Barber with new hairstyles, a House Item Vendor, a Pet Shop owner, and an Innkeeper who sells consumable food!
Oh yeah, you heard read correctly. Consumable food. Food and drinks you can actually EAT to give you all sorts of different buffs! These will act just like the equipable Scrolls and Potions… but comes in delicious food form! Mmmmmmmmmmm tasty!
There are also two new baddies making the scene. Since the oasis is just about the only source of fresh water and vegetation in the Sandsea, exploding Cactus Creepers and Bupers Camels have made their way to this desert sanctuary.
…Bupers Camel?
Ah yes, the legendary Bupers Camel. No one knows exactly what a Bupers Camel looks like… or even what it is for that matter… but it’s revealing itself this Friday for the first time ever.
Here’s how Bupers Camel came about, quoted from Cysero himself:
“I was showing Warlic the Google voice recognition app. You just say what you want to search for and it googles it for you. I played with it quite a bit and it did really well but Warlic held the phone to his head and said "Dissertations on Bruce Campbell" and what came back was "Dissertations Bupers Camel". I don't know what a Bupers Camel is but I think we're going to have to add it as a monster when we add The Sandsea to AQW.”
Currently, Bupers Camel is a mythical beast that has been used in newbie trickery. Veteran heroes convince new players that catching a Bupers Camel in Greenguard Forest will grant them Mod Status.
Psh, that doesn’t even look like a Mod. At all. Where’s the gold name?
Please note that a Bupers Camels does not look like that. Or wait...maybe it does? I don’t know, I’ve never seen one myself. Gatta love our creative players out there -- thanks Loki Bloodstone!
Who will be the first to capture a screenie of the Bupers Camel in its natural habitat? Prt Sc! Prt Sc!
Player Suggestion Shop
Because releasing a whole new zone with all the amenities isn’t enough, we are even expanding the Player Suggestion Shop in Yulgar’s Inn. There are already 40+ masterpieces in this shop created by your fellow players… and we will be adding a whole lot more Friday!
You never know if your idea will be put in game… but there is only one way to find out! Head to the forums and submit your awesome weapon, armor, or helm, cape, or pet idea!
Before I leave…
A quick reminder! This is the last week to get Quibble’s Items and all of the items from the Big Red Bag and Tinsel’s quests! Quibble and the rest will be leaving town this Friday, January 7th, so make sure you pay them a visit before then.
Give your eyes a rest now. You deserve it =3
January 02, 2011
Evolved ClawSuit Class
Deck the halls…and monsters’ faces!
The giftboxes opened yesterday revealing oodles of presents for everyone – including the Evolved ClawSuit Class for Members!
If you haven’t already mastered the Evolved ClawSuit Class, here’s a nice skill write up so you can be on your merry way in dominating the battlefield.
The Evolved Clawsuit is an unexpected (and unwanted) gift to all the naughty beings of the world. You spread more damage than cheer -- and are incredibly good at it. Evolved ClawSuits regain mana when they strike an enemy in combat (more effective on Crits) and are struck by an enemy in combat.
Evolved ClawSuit Abilities:
- Naughty, Rank 1
20 mana, 3 second cooldown
A quick damaging attack. Applies Naughty debuff, making this attack stronger, stacking up to 4 times. If Nice is present, it is replaced by Frostburn, a Damage over Time effect on the target.
- Nice, Rank 2
20 mana, 3 second cooldown
A weak physical attack that heals the caster slightly. Applies Nice debuff, making this attack stronger and stacks up to 4 times. If Naughty is present, it is replaced by Holiday Cheer, a Heal over Time effect on the caster.
- Check the List, Rank 3
40 mana, 6 second cooldown
If the target is Naughty, deals heavy damage and applies Lump of Coal, lowering the target’s Haste. If the target is Nice, applies Blitzen’s Blitz, increasing caster Haste and damage done while reducing damage taken. Does not consume Naughty or Nice. - Workshop Master, Rank 4
Passive Ability
Increases Strength and Intellect by 10%
- Spiked Nog, Rank 4
Passive Ability
Critical Strike chance increased 5%
- Arctic Stamina, Rank 5
50 mana, 30 second cooldown
Reduces your incoming damage by 30% and increases outgoing damage by 20% for 8 seconds
Evolved ClawSuits are a very well balanced Class, meaning that they would benefit from an array of Enhancements focusing on Strength, Intellect, Endurance or Dexterity.
Even without any applied Enhancements, a Rank 10 level 35 Evolved ClawSuit looks like that. Just without the name Beleen. Because that’s ME and u no can haz mah name =3
So play around with your new class and see which build best works for you! A great starting Enhancement would be Hybrid since it improves all of the stats Evolved ClawSuits rely on. You can get these Enhs from Mazumi the Ninja Trainer in Greenguard Forest, Artix in the Swordhaven Inn, and Tarvarya the Rustbucket Trainer at the Crash Site.
Happy New Year 2011 and Battle On!
January 01, 2011
DING! The World Leveled Up!
The World Is Now Level 2011!
You have probably already noticed but the Gift Boxes have opened!
Tinsel's gifts to the non-members appear to be a Snowman Armor and mathcing helm. It's the perfect Frostval disguise for those of who love the snowball fight room!
The member gifts from the BIG RED BAG appear to be the EVOLVED CLAWSUIT SET! Complete with helm (bearded and non for you smooth faced types), Sword and matching cape!
The Suit itself has undergone some significant changes. Gone is the heafty, jolly ClawSuit Class from yesteryear. This is a new sleek look intended to put the fear of Santa into the naughty!
The Skills have undergone as much of a change as the look. You can look forward to several ALL NEW SKILLS for this class, but we kept true to the original ClawSuit and left the top shelf skill exactly the same. You can use your Naughty Skill for more damage, your Nice Skill for more self-heals and the Check the List skill to bring it on home, consuming your Naughty or Nice stacks for additional effects!
Beleen will have a skill write up for you guys by tomorrow at the lastest but the hardcore grinders will already have unlocked the skills AND mastered using the class to the best of it's ability.
The Gifts will stay where they are until the end of the week but the folks that get them NOW don't get the sheer joy of waiting to unwrap those mystery gifts.
Some of you may have noticed the "DJ Lance Rock" class on my character page. I just put that there to mess with you.
Don't you just love surprises?!
Happy Frostval, everyone and have a great new year!
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