Design Notes

February 28, 2014

Dark Carnaval Comes to Terra de Festa

Are You Ready To Party?

It's that time of year again! Beads, feathers, sparkly costumes, samba dancing, and lots of celebrating! But before you can get to the party, you'll have to fight your way through hordes of zombies and hexed voodoo dolls - and one ornery ghoul!

What the heck, Samba Zombies?

You'll be able to play through all of last year's content if you /join carnaval. Once you're finished, head to /terradefesta to help Samba's cousin Frevo prepare for the party - assuming Baron Sunday and his zombies don't destroy the island first! 

Don't Forget Your New Party Clothes!

Can't go to Carnaval without a Samba costume! We have a ton of new Carnaval rares for 2014, including two gorgeous full sets for free players: Roroth's HarleQuint set and the voodoo-themed Samba costume pictured below...

Party Time!

New Carnaval Rares Include:

• HarleQuint jester set
• Firebird Carnaval set (above, right!)
• Firebird Maraccas
• Frevo Carnaval set (above, left!)
• Frevo's Voodoo Doll mace
• Voodoo Doll battle pet

New Stuff In Dage's Birthday Shop!

Dage the Evil's pre-birthday celebration continues with a boatload of new additions to his Dark Birthday Shop. That includes the new Hardcore Paragon quest pet, which - if you buy it - will also unlock access to the Living BladeMaster armor, as well as the heavily-requested Dual Blademaster Katanas.

Now Available in Dage's Birthday Shop:

• Hardcore Paragon Pet
• Legion Dreadrider armor
• Dreadmarch armor
• Blademaster Hood, Wraps, Mask and Horns

And don't forget! Once the BladeMaster class goes rare, we'll randomly choose ONE of the players who bought it and send them a free Undead Legion poster signed by Dage the Evil! That's right, you didn't need any extra incentive to get BladeMaster, but we're giving it to you anyway.

February 28, 2014

Hardcore Paragon Explained

Let's Be As Clear As Possible

First, some changes have been made to the Hardcore Paragon Pet being released later today. 

After announcing the extreme challenge quest and rewards in YESTERDAY's DESIGN NOTES, we sat down and did a little math. As of yesterday the quest was to collect 13 drops at 2% drop rate, which would give you 66 legion tokens OR a 1% chance to get the Dual BladeMaster Katanas or the Living BladeMaster armor.

Let's Look At The Numbers

Most of the time, winning battles against binky take an hour on average. 

2% means an average of 50 wins to get a drop. You needed 13 drops. 

13 X 50 = 650 runs, or 650 hours on average. 

The item drops are 1%, meaning it would take, on average, 99 quest completes to get one of them. 

650 X 99 = 64,350 hours, on average, to get one of the item drops. 

That is 7.3 years of straight playing without eating, sleeping, pooping or doing anything else. 

There is no accounting for luck, (and I just KNOW that some lucky turkey is going to get one of the drops on their first turn in) but still it seemed a LITTLE unreasonable to play a game longer than it's been alive to get a single quest drop. Granted, when you got it you would feel like a GOD but even Dage isn't that evil. 

Let's Fix The Numbers

Dage has requested that the drops be lowered to 1 rib, rather than 13. It's STILL a VERY HARDCORE quest requiring an average of 206 hours of gameplay, but a lot more possible to actually complete. The Legion Token reward has also been raised from 66 to 250 per turn in. 

A lot of people also pointed out last night (thank you) that while an optional hardcore quest seems like fun, the POINT of a Paragon Pet is to be able to farm Legion Tokens faster or at least easier then you could without the pet. It was a very good point. 

I've added a second quest (this one is a daily) that will require 20 drops (25% drop rate) off of the Ultra Chaos Warrior, but the reward is 100 Legion Tokens. Not the fastest way to earn Legion Tokens but faster by far than not having the a Paragon Pet. The quest and monster also both drop rather a lot of XP and gold so it's a good place to farm to approach max level. 

If you have 0 Tokens now, get the Hardcore Paragon Pet, complete his quest once a day for the next 20 days, you will have enough to get the Legion Token version of the new BladeMaster Class and still have time to spare before it goes rare. 

Dage has also created the LESSER CALADBOLG (which is just as powerful as the original but harder to get and with no glows or animations to cause lag) which has been added as another 1% drop to the Binky quest. 

Summary!

The Hardcore Paragon Pet is going into Dage's Birthday Shop later today. 

It has 2 quests: 

1. FIRST QUEST: Collect 1 Rib from Binky (2% drop rate). Rewards: 250 Legion Tokens, or a 1% chance to get the Dual Blademaster Katanas, Living BladeMaster armor or the Lesser Caladbolg weapon. This quest is NOT a Daily.
   
   
2. SECOND QUEST (DAILY): Collect 20 Chaorrupted Dark Fire samples from the Ultra Chaos Warrior (25% drop rate). Rewards: 100 Legion Tokens. 

The Hardcore Paragon Pet is showing up in Dage's Birthday Shop later today and will cost 2000 ACs like all of its brothers before it. 

ONCE AGAIN: This pet was made with HARDCORE players in mind. The first quest isn't unfair to anyone because it's not required and completely optional. This is a CHALLENGING quest for people who were asking for a CHALLENGE. 

February 27, 2014

Hardcore Paragon Pet

How Hardcore Are You?

As many of you know, Dage The Evil's birthday is Sunday and we kicked off his birthday with a bang on Wednesday by releasing the new (eventually Rare) BladeMaster Class!

You can see my Class Breakdown HERE. Maybe you got it for ACs. Maybe you're an Undead Legion follower and you grabbed it for Legion Tokens. Maybe you're still farming Legion Tokens so you can get it before it goes rare in about a month. All good options. 

IF you're a loyal Undead Legionnaire then it's fair to assume that you're a pretty Hardcore Player, but exactly how Hardcore Are you? 

The Hardcore Paragon Pet Club (No Whiners Allowed)!

Tomorrow, we will be adding a bunch of new stuff to Dage's Birthday Shop but my favorite is the Hardcore Paragon Pet!

There would be a 
picture of it here but
Dage hasn't finished
the art for it yet.

Like most Paragon Pets, this one comes with a quest. Since I've been covering for Alina during her well-earned holiday, I've seen a LOT of you saying that Legion Tokens were too easy to farm and you wanted a REAL challenge. So I made one for you. 

WARNING: If the impossible scares you, just crawl back into your casual-gamer hole right now. 

The Hardcore Paragon Pet comes with 3 possible rewards. 

• 66 Legion Tokens (we might raise that, considering...)
• The BladeMaster Dual Katanas

• or The Living BladeMaster armor. 

You asked for a challenge so here it is: You will get 66 Legion Tokens each time you finish the quest unless you get one of the items. Each of the items is a 1% drop (0 AC for storage, naturally) from the quest. In order to complete the quest, you will need to collect 13 Ribs from Binky the ungodly-powerful, nasty-as-frak unicorn monster and each rib only has a 2% Drop rate. 

You read that right. 2% chance to get a rib, IF you manage to kill the unkillable Binky. Collect 13 ribs to complete the quest. 1% chance that you'll get one of these items, making them two of the rarest items EVER in AQW.

Sound impossible? Some say it is. Some say it's not worth buying the pet. That's fine. It isn't for them...

It's for YOU. I made this quest as hard as I could think without making it literally impossible for those few of you who say that the game has become too simple... who say that even Drakath is too easy and you need a REAL challenge. 

Remember: This quest is NOT REQUIRED AT ALL. Complaining about it is like complaining about a test you don't have to take. Accepting this challenge will require you to spend 2000AC on the pet but if you're really a HARDCORE player, then this is just exactly what you've been asking for.

Good luck and godspeed, adventurer. 

Sounds Dumb, What Else Ya  Got?

Fair enough. Also coming in the shop will be the Legion DreadRider armor (800 ACs) and helm (90 ACs)...

... The DreadMarch Armor (500 ACs or 500 Legion tokens), helm (90 ACs or 90 Legion Tokens and cape (250 ACs or 250 Legion Tokens)...

... And finally some items that we missed in the initial BladeMaster release: BladeMaster Hood (90 ACs), BladeMaster Wraps (9000 Gold for everyone), BladeMaster Horns (90 ACs), the BladeMaster Mask (Legend only, 9000 gold) and the BladeMaster Cape (animated, 250 ACs).

Something About A Free, Signed Poster?

Thanks for reminding me. Once the BladeMaster Class goes rare (again, in a month or so) we will be looking through everyone who has it (AC or Legion TOken version, both work) and drawing a name at random. That lucky Legionnaire will recieve a free Undead Legion Poster signed by Dage The Evil. We'll even pay the shipping. 

What Else Is Happening Tomorrow? 

That's not enough? 

No, That's Basicaly Just A Shop.

OK, true. We also have our Mardi Gras/Carnival Big Bad Voodoo Event! There will be beads and dark magic and some colorully attired undead. It's not something that you want to miss beacuse of all those things I just mentioned. Especially the last one. 

See ya tomorrow! 

February 26, 2014

Dage's Pre-Birthday Surprise

Dage's new Blademaster Class is Live!

Dage's birthday isn't until Sunday, but he's decided to start celebrating tonight, and he's got plenty of evil goodies to share with everyone! Log into Battleon tonight and talk to Dage to open his Dark Birthday Shop. The new Blademaster class and Blademaster weapons are live now, and more new Legion gear - including a new quest pet - will be added on Friday. And don't forget, Dage's big birthday celebration is coming next week!

Like an undead ninja.

Login Tonight For:

• Dage's new BladeMaster class - AC and Legion Tokens versions!
• BladeMaster's Sword
• BladeMaster's Katana
• BladeMaster's Fauchard
• BladeMaster's Dual Weapons

And coming Friday:

• NEW Legion pet with owner-only Legion Token quests
• Legion Dragonrider Armor

February 26, 2014

Summer 2014... DRAKATH!

"The future is not yet written... the purple ink will not let it dry."

"The future is not yet written... the purple ink will not let it dry."

"The future is not yet written... the purple ink will not let it dry."

She just keeps repeating these words over and over in the dark room. The young girl traded her sight for the curse of seeing the future. It was the only way to save her brother. A dark pact made with a being that no human should ever bargain with. She sees what is about to happen to our world. She saw you...  the hero, and she saw your secret. She knows what you truly are. She you and your allies facing the 13th and final Lord of Chaos. An unpredictable war that did not follow the rules and changes everything... The world torn asunder, entire Kingdoms destroyed and changed never to be the same again. She saw lands that could never be drawn on any map. She saw madness. She saw what the gate behind Drakath is for. She saw Drakath's true power... and how he acquired these powers. She saw what happens when Gravelyn finally has the opportunity to avenge what he did to her Father. She saw what everything we have done together was leading up to. She saw you alone, in a duel to the death with the Champion of Chaos, Drakath. She saw our world's final stand....  She saw it happening THIS SUMMER.

"The future is not yet written... the purple ink will not let it dry."

"The future is not yet written... the purple ink will not let it dry."

February 25, 2014

More New Servers - Same Names but Faster!

We have added five more super fast game servers to replace several of the old ones. Each can hold up to 4000 players! The new fast servers use the old names: Artix, Cysero, Twilly, Quibble, Espada

Some of the other servers have been upgraded to max 3000 capacity, and some have been tossed into the hamster graveyard.

February 25, 2014

BladeMaster Class

Dage's Early Birthday Present!

Everybody (except a pirate) loves a Ninja. Every team has a master of stealth. G.I. Joe has Snake Eyes. Cobra has Storm Shadow. The Autobots (G1) have Mirage. The Thundercats have Tigra. AE has Thyton and the Undead Legion has the BladeMaster. 

This is the NEW CLASS coming TOMORROW in the first wave of Dage's Birthday Shop. 

Dage's actual birthday isn't until Sunday but Dage wanted to release this early so you would have time to rank it up before the day arrives. But what is a BladeMaster without his or her blades? 

Pictured above, from left to right, you can see:

• The BladeMaster Fauchard (sword, 50,000 gold, Legend Only)
• The BladeMaster Katana (sword, 250 AC)
• The BladeMaster Sword (sword, 50,000 gold for everyone)
• The BladeMaster Dual Weapons (Dagger, one in each hand, 300 AC)

There are 2 ways to get the class:

• BladeMaster Class (2000 ACs)
• BladeMaster Class (2000 Legion Tokens)

Dage wanted a way for his dedicated followers to get the class through blood, sweat and tears. Both versions of the class and the weapons are all going RARE, but that won't be for at least a month so you have time to get those Legion Tokens. 

But let's stop kidding ourselves. We're all here to see what the class has to offer other than a pretty face. Balancing testing classes and writing class breakdowns were always some of my favorite parts of the job while I was working on AQW, so I'm very happy to be able to do it again in my week filling in for the vacationing Alina. Without further ado, I present the...

BLADEMASTER CLASS SKILLS BREAKDOWN

Dage had a lot to say about the development of this class. He wanted it to be stealthy and roguelike but unquestionably strong considering its rare nature. It is definitely a powerhouse and if you use it right, you're pretty close to unstoppable. 

Normally I suggest a build and encourage you to play around and find a build that works for you but, this time, If you're not using Thief Enhancements then you are wasting your own time. The class THRIVES on Dodge so all you want is Dexterity. 

Some of the skills are fast and others are slow but what you want to balance here it your MANA usage to really master this class. You'll see what I'm talking about .

 NUKITSUKE

1.75 second cooldown

A blade strike from the hilt, fast enough to hit before your opponent gets a chance to act..

Did you catch that? This is your autoattack but it goes off every 1.75 secs, not the standard 2 secs. Being built on the rogue MANA regen model, you get MANA back with every auto attack, so this keeps the MANA flowing in at a faster rate than any other class that does this. 

 BLADEFURY

15 MANA, 9 second cooldown

Unleash a fury of steel striking at up to 4 targets.

This is your only AoE (area of effect) attack. You have to have them grouped pretty tightly but this can pull 4 enemies onto you at once. Sounds like a bad idea? WRONG.

Again, this model of class generates MANA from every auto attack, but also from every Dodge that you manage to pull off. You also get Health back every time you dodge. If your build is sufficiently Dex heavy, then you will be dodging at least 4 enemies at a time with this skill, giving you life and the juice you need to keep stabbing monster face from every direction.

This is not the strongest attack but can help whittle down the group at a friendly pace. Don't want to kill them too fast or you lose your MANA/HP generators. 

 UKE NEGASHI

20 MANA, 25 second cooldown

A technique used to deflect incoming attacks and strike back at your target. Grants Evasion increasing dodge by 20% and critical strike chance by 10%.

Another slow cooldown but this power will become your bread and butter. 20% Dodge, on top of what you're already generating means more survivability, more MANA and more HP for you. 10% bonus crit means more damage AND more MANA since Crits generate additional MANA. 

IT'S MANAFEST 2014 UP IN HERE! 

 SEVER

25 MANA, 9 second cooldown

Deals moderate damage and disables your opponents ability to fight back significantly reducing all damage they deal for the next 5 seconds.

Decent damage here. This will probably end up being your main damage skill due to the cooldown, which means it will probably be where most of your MANA goes, so watch it. In addition to doing decent damage, it also nerfs your enemy's damage for 5 seconds adding even more to your survivability.  

 KEEN REFLEXES & TECHNIQUE

Rank 4 passives

Increases critical strike damage 20% and dodge chance by 15%

Increases dexterity by 10%

20% more Crit Damage which just goes straight into butt-kicking and 15% more Dodge which means more survivability, more MANA and more HP for you. 10% more Dex means the same. 

 NUKIUCHI

35 MANA, 10 second cooldown

Attempt to split your target in two with a powerful strike. Has a chance to stun your target for 2 seconds.

Here's your Nuke. This is a HEAVY damage attack. It eats a lot of MANA and has a pretty short cooldown for such a powerful attack so you'll be tempted to spam it, but you'll run out of juice very quickly doing that. Use it wisely, wait until the moment is right to strike. It also has a 50% chance to stun your target for 2 seconds which is just icing as far as I'm concerned. 

 TANDEN

Rank 10 passive

Increases dexterity and damage done by 10%

Does exactly what it says. More Dex and all the goodness that it brings with it and even more damage. 

Seems like this class would be a monster is PvP but I didn't get a chance to try it there personally so I'll be interested to hear your feedback. Between the dodge, the enemy damage debuff and a 50% stun chance there is NO reason that any BladeMaster should EVER die unless they want to go AFK to make a sandwich mid-fight. Even then, I'd say this beast has a pretty good chance of staying alive on autopilot until you come back, sandwich in hand. 

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the Essence of the Undead Legend will also be in the shop, as usual at the normal 2 MILLION gold pricetag. 

Enjoy and Happy Birthday Dage The Evil! 

MORE BIRTHDAY MADNESS FRIDAY

Friday Dage's Birthday Shop will be getting even more items!

• NEW Legion Pet with Legion Token Quests (Quests for owner only, 2000 AC)
• Legion Dragonrider Armor (800 ACs)

Dage mentioned that he might (or might not) add some items next week too, depending on his time. 

This Friday we also have our brand new Mardi Gras/Carnival event coming. Time to see if you've got the voodoo in you.

February 25, 2014

Spoiled Alert!

Pink presents from fellow friends Princess Rissa, Diane Swiftfingers, Jkg082201hero, and Submeobi! 

Happy Tuesday! And what a glorious day it is! When I arrived to the Secret Underground Lab, two gift boxes greeted me from our fellow AQW heroes!

Ooooh! How exciting! I quickly opened the smallest present and an explosion of glitz and glamor filled my eyes:

OMG OMG OMG! A Bedazzled Pink Computer Mouse from the 3 sisters, Princess Rissa, Diane Swiftfingers, and Jkg082201hero! Eeeeeee I love it soooo much! Thank you pretty ladies =D

Your kindness (and pinkness!) has touched my heart, and for that, I am creating 2 in-game Sparkling Mouse Pets to show the AQWorld how much you mean to me. Princess Rissa, Diane Swiftfingers, and Jkg082201hero will get these pets free of charge while everyone else can obtain these shimmering squeakies from my shop in Beleen’s Dream Island this Friday =D

Now, on to Submeobi’s gifts!

Oh Submeobi, I love-love-LOVE all my gifts! Thank you so much!!! You really know how to brighten my day everyday…and, consequently, doom Artix and Dage the Evil to a life of pink madness =D

That huggable adorable pink squid plushie totally belongs in game. I’ll get to work making an in-game pet for you and put it in your inventory =) Everyone else can get the Pink Squid Plushie pet from my shop in Beleen’s Dream Island come Friday. Do you like its eyes, or should I make them button eyes? Let me know on my Twitter!

Additionally, I am bestowing a Pink Goblet of Love just for you, Submeobi! It’ll magically appear in your inventory once it has finished being forged =D

Oh happy day! The greatest part about working for Artix Entertainment is having amazing friends like you all. I am so blessed to have such caring friends who bring a smile to my face (and pink things for me to snuggle)!

You guys and girls are the best, and I cannot wait to defeat the forces of Chaos alongside you!

Battle On! 

xoxo Beleen  

February 21, 2014

A Fractured Alliance

Chaos is On the Rise!

After King Alteon's death, the kingdom of Swordhaven is in upheaval. Alteons daughters Victoria and Tara, along with his son in law Brentan, all lay claim to the throne. As the alliance between good and evil lays shattered, the forces of chaos close in and prepare to attack. It's up to you to battle the coming onslaught and help the people of Lore prepare for war!

Even Time Dragons can help.

As chaorruption spreads over Lore, many of the towns you helped in the past will need your aid again. Tonight, you'll be revisiting Mobius, Arcangrove and Dwarfhold. All have become ruined by chaos, but with you on their side, it may not be too late!

Good & Evil Alliance Shops!

Whether you fight for good or for evil, there's plenty of awesome new gear to collect from he new Good and Evil Alliance rep shops!

Gutter chaos.

• Alliance Exponent set
• Chaos Punk mythsong set
• Chaooze axe & cape
• Chaotic Forge hammer
• Epiphaneia sword

Time Dragon Warrior Set Now Available

Unlock all 10 items in the TimeDragon Warrior set with the 12 month upgrade package, or choose from the 6 month upgrade, 3 month upgrade, 5000 AdventureCoin, or 12000 AdventureCoin packages for selected items from the set!

Dragon + Chrono? Yes Please.

Awesome Updates!

New Player Suggestion Items:

• Dragonfire Of Vengeance sword by TheAvenger07
• Bright Rypt Sword by Vultex023
• DarkLuster sword by Reki
• Twilly & Obake Battlepuppets by El_Rue

Treasure Map Shop Update:

• Champion Snowboarder armor
• Champion Snowboarder Goggles
• Champion Snowboard weapon

February 21, 2014

BladeMaster Birthday Class

Can you master Dage's Darkest Gift?

March 7th, Dage's Undead Apocalypse Challenge begins in the Underworld Arena... but first we've got to celebrate his birthday! (Or as we call it, his deathday.) Next Friday, February 28th, Dage the Evil will release one of his most sought-after gifts, the BladeMaster Class!

Are you ready to fight for your mastery?

It will be available to ALL heroes... either for 2000 AdventureCoins OR with Legion Tokens! (A LOT of Legion Tokens, says Dage... so you'd better get your battle on before next Friday, Legion members!) Dage's birthday shop will release on Sunday, March 2nd, and then the full release on March 7th.

Every master needs a blade he can trust.

Birthday Class Poster Bonus!

If you buy a BladeMaster Class OR earn one using Legion Tokens, your account will be entered into a pool for an exclusive signed and personalized copy of the Legro Inmortuorum poster! The drawing will take place in mid-March (to allow time for Legion Members to farm for their version).

We will contact the winner by email, so make sure the address tied to your account is active! In the email, we'll ask if there is a personal message you would like Dage to write on your poster, too. /cheer! 

Dage's Undead Apocalypse Begins March 7th!

A Hero must face many challenges as they battle for glory, honor, and ALL THE LOOT! But there are some bosses only the strongest, bravest, most fearsome champions should face... and on March 7th, you will stand face-to-face with them all! 

Famine's armor and the Famine boss

The four horsemen of Dage's Apocalypse - Conquest, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. If you can best them (and I KNOW you can!), then the vast riches Dage has created will be yours!

And join us later tonight for the Fractured Alliance release in Shadowfall! Make sure you've completed the Swordhaven Chaos storyline, or you will not be able to begin it!

February 20, 2014

Treasure Map Update: Snowboarding!

Ready for some winter sports?

The treasure map chest has left Battleon and moved to a new, secret location! If you don't have a treasure map yet, just log in and buy it from the game menu in Battleon. Then, read it to find a clue to the location of a treasure chest packed with goodies... including Zoshi's awesome Champion Snowboarder set!

Bet you didn't know Twilly likes extreme sports.

• Champion Snowboarder armor
• Champion Snowboarder Goggles
• Champion Snowboard weapon

And don't forget to check in later tonight for Alliance Salvation, as the forces of good and evil join together to fight chaos!

February 19, 2014

PVP Beast King Merge Set!

Fight Like A Beast King

We've updated the PVP Merge Shop! Starting tonight, if you save up your combat trophies, Legends can trade them in for Dage's new morph set based on Bluddron the Betrayer! If you've ever wanted to look like a beast king, it's time to log in and start slaying!

PVP For Beleen's Heart

• Bluddron the Beast armor
• Bluddron's Bestial Cape
• Beast King morph helm
• Beast King's Crown morph helm
• Ultra Beast King's Glory sword
• Beast King's Lightning animated sword

February 18, 2014

Server Changes

New AQW Servers: Better, Stronger, Faster!

When you logged in today, you probably noticed a LOT of new servers. Thanks to all of you who have supported AQWorlds over the last year, Captain Rhubarb has acquired newer, FASTER servers! When we say we could not build these games without you, we mean it!

Llussion is testing their load-bearing properties.

He's been working tirelessly over the last week and a half to test the increased performance and stability. (If you were one of the Hidden Grotto testers, thanks for helping us test!) Now that we're sure the new servers (and their hamsters) are aligned, we are retiring some of the old servers and replacing them with the new ones.

The original Espada will be replaced with Espada2 (which will be renamed Espada). And now that the Samba/Hidden Grotto's test period is done, J6 has finally (at long last) gotten his own server! When he found out, here is what he said:

We are not re-renaming the server to George.

The Minimal and Zazul servers are being combined during these changes, but in order to let Minimal fans have a way to show their server spirit, we're going to make a Minimal Server house item. Other suggestions have been a Minimal Knight and a Minimal house (something bigger on the inside?!)... what are YOUR ideas?

End of Server Zoning Experiment Coming Soon!

Last April, we began the server zoning experiment, which tested grouping our Filipino players into their own server (and Member servers if they were upgraded). We wanted to see if this would make AQW a safer, happier game for our players, and help make selecting servers easier to understand.

An experiment is, by definition, a test. To be specific, it is "an orderly procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, refuting, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis". After several months observing data and listening to player feedback, we found that returning to an open server model is the better model for the majority of players.* Talim will become an international server, and ALL servers will be open to all players once more.**

Thank you all for battling alongside us as we work to make our game - and its servers - safe and fun to play on! We could not ask for a better, more incredible community of heroes... You rock!

* Results: We found that just having the language-specific Battleons is the better option.
** You will still need to upgrade your account to access Sir Ver or Evil Sir Ver.

February 17, 2014

TimeDragon Warrior

Unlock exclusive gear when you support AQWorlds!

In the world of Lore, one thing is always true: it is always a good time for MORE dragons!* For the newest package of 2014, we asked Dage to combine two of your most-beloved themes, dragons and chronomancy, to create the TimeDragon Warrior set!** 

Unlock all 10 items in the TimeDragon Warrior set with the 12 month upgrade package starting next Wednesday, February 19th, at 12:01 AM server time, or choose from the 6 month upgrade, 3 month upgrade, 5000 AdventureCoin, or 12000 AdventureCoin packages for selected items from the set!

The 12 month upgrade package comes with all 10 of the following:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• TimeDragon’s Crest Helm
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• Eternal Piercer Bladed Staff
• TimeDragon’s Defender Polearm
• Blade of Eternal Victory
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail
• Eternal Fledgling pet
• Character page badge
• TimeDragon PVP Amulet +3250 ***

The 6 month upgrade and 12000 AdventureCoin packages come with 7 items:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• TimeDragon’s Crest Helm
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• TimeDragon’s Defender Polearm
• Blade of Eternal Victory
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail
• Character page badge

The 12000 AdventureCoin package ALSO comes with the Shadowfall Commander set!

The 3 month upgrade and 5000 AdventureCoin packages come with 4 items:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail
• Character page badge

The 5000 AdventureCoin package ALSO comes with the Shadowfall Commander set!

Current Packages Leaving Soon

As 2013 has come and gone, it's time for the following sets to become permanently rare, too. The following packages will leave Tuesday, February 18th:

• Shadow Bloodcaster set: available with 3 month upgrade
• Shadowfire Emperor set: available with any package of 900 or more AdventureCoins

* I think that is true no matter where you go or what you do!

** If you are not familiar with what the Dragon of Time is, then you should /join Chronospan to begin the 10th Lord of Chaos storyline! You will get answers to how your world was formed... and raise questions that will only be answered during the final battle with Drakath, Champion of Chaos!

*** New PVP medals for all players will release later this week.

February 14, 2014

Weekend of LOVE!

Get Double EXP and Rep while you Battle to Save Beleen!

It is Valentine's Day: a time of love, candy, and SO MUCH PINK! So, of course, we HAD to have Beleen plan out the event; there's just one problem... she's gone missing! If she's ever going to find her true Valentine, you're going to have to find (and rescue) her first! /Join Beleensdream to begin the adventure, because love IS a battlefield, and you're her Hero!

We LOVE to give you extra bonuses!

All weekend long, we've got a Double Rep AND double EXP Boost begins on ALL servers! (Legend servers will get even higher boosts!) 

And do not worry about Artix (who has long had an allergy to Beleen's favorite color). He's been barricaded behind anti-pink shields all week while he and the Omni team pushed to submit Battle Gems! (Check out GameSkinny's review here!)

Paragon of Love and Bluddron's Morph Rares!

Romance is the reason for the season(al) event, so what better time to release the Paragon of Love set from Tyronius? And if you're not a fan of pink gear (or wings), then Dage has crafted a classic-style plate armor set based on Bluddron the Betrayer's gear.

Paragon of Love and Bluddron Armor

And once you finish the event, you'll find the Dream Rewards shop filled with even more heartpoundingly-inredible gear from Zoshi, Memet, Blade, Lovelace, Veneeria, Vokun, and our other artists! This gear will remain in-game FOREVER... just like Beleen's zone! (Though the Hero's Heart Day event will only be accessible for another 2 weeks.)

Also happening this week

• The experience curve for levels 1-33 has been adjusted to make leveling in the early levels progress at a more even rate.
• The Frostbrawl and Chaosbrawl maps were affected by the server rollback, so they have been temporarily locked. They WILL return in the future!
• The Lorelympics regular and merge shops will be released tomorrow! Stock up on PVP medals, because to earn some of THIS gear, you'll need to battle! (

Happy Hero's Heart Day from the AQWorlds Team!

We love Hero's Heart Day! But you do not need to be in a romantic relationship to enjoy it... there are many kinds of love, and many ways to celebrate your love for friends, family, and your fellow heroes! 

If you can't escape the friend zone, /join another map.

But if you haven't found that special someone just yet and you DO want one, do not give up! YOU are a HERO, and that means the only way to fail... is to give up!

PS: Bluddron's BEAST form and ultra weapons will be available for PVP medals along with some additional new PVP gear next week!

February 13, 2014

Head over Hooves in Love

Udderly Obsessed with Beleen

Valentine’s Day, huh? Even beasts need someone to love.

Click to see the full-sized awesomeness...of my love.

Everyone says they love Beleen… and oh yes… oh yes... I can see why.

BELEEN… you SHALL BE MINE this Valentine's Day...

whether you like it or not!

BWAHAHAH!!

February 13, 2014

Love Is In The Air

New Valentine’s Day Event Tomorrow!

Happy Thursday! I am soooo super excited because Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! And that means we are 1 day away from finding me a Valentine. Woohooo!

Even my fortune cookie knows I’ll find true love!!

Tomorrow at sunset, you shall embark to Beleen’s Dream Island, and whoever is the first to claim the Legendary Cherry atop the Red Velvet Cake Mountain will be my Valentine =D

Check it out! Last week, I received a bull balloon (a bulloon!) from a secret admirer. Who could have sent this adorabull gift? I love it so muuuc---

OMG! A wild gust of wind appeared. It’s super effective! (looks like love AND wind is in the air... who knew!?)

Come back here, bulloon!!! You’re not getting away from me!

“Noooooo! My bulloon is flying away! I gatta catch it! BRB!”

February 13, 2014

Double EXP, Rep, and ACs

Battle Bluddrun the Betrayer for Hero's Heart Day!

Tomorrow night, the Double Rep AND Double EXP Boost begins on ALL servers! (Legend servers will get even higher boosts!) Login this weekend to battle the Bluddrun the Betrayer, find Beleen's Valentine, and show the world how much you love to battle in AQWorlds!

Love is a battlefield... and so is this Friday's release!

• Log in now to replay previous Hero's Heart Day events!

Starting with tomorrow's release, you can:

• Find the Paragon of Love set and other gear in the Valentine's Day Rares shop
• Check out the Olympics 2014 gear in the Limited Time Shop in your Game Menu
• Get the Dark Heartbreaker set from Wheel of Doom!  The Yokai Sunlord set leaves the Wheel of Doom.

Update: The Snowboarder armor set in the Treasure Map shop will be released next week.

Get Double the ACs with Matomy!

We LOVE that you can get free AdventureCoins by doing Matomy offers, and we hope you do, too! Starting tonight at 12:01 AM and running through Sunday at 11:59 PM, any Matomy offers you complete will earn you 2x more ACs than normal!

February 12, 2014

Test new Hidden Grotto server

We are testing to see how many total players we can have online with this server without too much server lag.

Remember that there are at least four different types of game "lag".  For this test, I am most interested in learning about Lag #3 and #4 below compared to our other busy game servers.

1)  Animation Frame Rate Lag
This type of lag is from too many different animating things on the screen.  This type of lag is totally dependant on the complexity of the equippment and monster artwork.  If your computer is faster, you will have less animation lag.  The server you are connected to will not affect this type of Lag.

2) Animation File Loading Lag
This lag can happen after your character first appears on the screen and the game has to download your armor and equipment graphics.  If you have recently cleared your browser cache, this takes longer than normal.  There is also loading lag time when another player enters your game screen, and their artwork files have to download so that you can see them.  The server you connect to will not affect this type of lag, except if the server is full of players on your screen, with artwork that needs downloading.

3) Data Loading Lag
This is when you log into the game and your game character data is loaded from the game database.  The more inventory and house stuff you have will affect this time. If a lot of people are all trying to log into the game all at the same time, there will be more data loading lag.   A busy server will cause more of this type of lag.

4) Chat/Combat/MonsterRespwan Lag
This lag does depend on how busy the game server is.  The more people battling and chatting will create more of this type of lag.

February 11, 2014

Next Friday: TimeDragon Warrior

Unlock exclusive gear when you support AQWorlds!

In the world of Lore, one thing is always true: it is always a good time for MORE dragons!* For the newest package of 2014, we asked Dage to combine two of your most-beloved themes, dragons and chronomancy, to create the TimeDragon Warrior set!** 

Unlock all 10 items in the TimeDragon Warrior set with the 12 month upgrade package starting nextWednesday, February 19th, at 12:01 AM server time, or choose from the 6 month upgrade, 3 month upgrade, 5000 AdventureCoin, or 12000 AdventureCoin packages for selected items from the set!

The 12 month upgrade package comes with all 10 of the following:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• TimeDragon’s Crest Helm
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• Eternal Piercer Bladed Staff
• TimeDragon’s Defender Polearm
• Blade of Eternal Victory
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail
• Eternal Fledgling pet
• TimeDragon PVP Amulet +2500 ***

The 6 month upgrade and 12000 AdventureCoin packages come with 7 items:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• TimeDragon’s Crest Helm
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• TimeDragon’s Defender Polearm
• Blade of Eternal Victory
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail

The 12000 AdventureCoin package ALSO comes with the Shadowfall Commander set!

The 3 month upgrade and 5000 AdventureCoin packages come with 4 items:

• TimeDragon Warrior Armor
• Armored Faceplate of Eternity
• Dragon’s Victory Daggers
• TimeDragon’s Tail

The 5000 AdventureCoin package ALSO comes with the Shadowfall Commander set!

Current Packages Leaving Soon

As 2013 has come and gone, it's time for the following sets to become permanently rare, too. The following packages will leave next Tuesday, February 18th:

• Shadow Bloodcaster set: available with 3 month upgrade
• Shadowfire Emperor set: available with any package of 900 or more AdventureCoins

* I think that is true no matter where you go or what you do!

** If you are not familiar with what the Dragon of Time is, then you should /join Chronospan to begin the 10th Lord of Chaos storyline! You will get answers to how your world was formed... and raise questions that will only be answered during the final battle with Drakath, Champion of Chaos!

*** New PVP medals for all players will release later this week.

February 11, 2014

Graveclaw the Destroyer Legend Fight

Think You Can Take On Graveclaw the Destroyer?

Tonight, a new challenge fight arrives in the Coliseum! Legends can login and /join bosschallenge to battle the toughest contestant in the Coliseum, Graveclaw the Destroyer. Part minotaur, part zombie, and part mutated horror, this grotesque beast is even worse than the original Graveclaw. Think you can handle him?

Then get in there and prove it.

Heroes Heart Day seasonal items returning tonight!

• Royal Romance Armor
• Royal Role Reversal Armor
• Love At First Scythe
• Ex's Caliber
• Diamond Ring Staff
• and more!

February 11, 2014

Heroes Heart Day Returns!

Returning Heroes Heart Day Content Is Live Tonight!

Friday you'll be battling for Beleen's Heart, but there's plenty of pink, love and hearts to go around in the meantime! Log in and /join love to start playing through all of our past Heroes Heart Day content. The Love map goes live tonight, along with all of our returning Heroes Heart Day seasonal rares! And don't forget to help J6 and Mia the Mer'Angel in /lovescurse - that map is available all year, but isn't this the best time to revisit it?

So much pink.

Seasonal items returning tonight!

• Big Daddy Pet
• Snuggle Bear and Armored Snug Bear Armors
• Pink and Blue Snug Helms and Armored Snug Helms
• Heart Dispenser Pet 
• And more!

February 11, 2014

Lag Fix #1: Temporary Server Rollback

Engine reverted to improve performance

Due to the vast number of awesome gameplay additions, functionality, classes, and new challenge boss fights we've released over the past few months, we have strained our servers almost to the limit. You may have seen our plans to rebuild them better, faster, and stronger, but before we do THAT, we need to stabilize them.

So we are rolling back the game's engine to a version live in early December. Earlier today, we tested the rollback on Evil Sir Ver and Cysero servers and received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback, so we are rolling back the rest of our servers tonight.

What that means for you and your gameplay

This rollback will change how the classes released in December and January work (because we write new code for each new class, and we are reverting it). Dumoose has changed the skills so that the classes DO work, but the skills are not the same. This is NOT a permanent change. These classes will return to normal once we are done working on the servers.

The fableforest and librarium maps have also been removed, as we made significant changes to the game's engine in order to release them.

You will still keep all of your gameplay progress!

You will not lose any progress you've made over the last few months. The following remain unchanged:

• Your storyline and quest progress
• Your Reputation or Class rank
• Your inventory items

You SHOULD see:

• Less lag in chat and combat
• Faster room joins
• Fewer disconnects

Please let us know how this works for you on Twitter, Facebook, and the forum!

February 11, 2014

Valentine’s Day Wallpaper

Because you can’t have too much pink. Trust me.

Valentine’s Day is this Friday, February 14th! And as you know, I’m like SUPER DUPER busy setting everything up on Beleen’s Dream Island. Luckily, I have the help of my awesome friends, like Randor the Red, who made these awesome Valentine’s Day wallpapers for you!

Click the pic for the full size!

Click the pic for the full size!

Oooo! What do we have here? iPhone 5 wallpapers, too!

Click the pic for the full size!

Click the pic for the full size! 

Wowie, thanks so much! *hugs* Make sure you give Randor the Red a shout-out on Twitter!

Now… how do we… um… “convince” Artix to use these wallpapers on his desktop and phone?

Thoughts?

xoxo Beleen!

February 10, 2014

Fight for Love This Tuesday

Fight for Love, Candy, and To Destroy the Color Pink!

This Tuesday, grab your sharpest weapon and enhance your gear to its maximum power, because the battle for love, candy, and all things d'awww-ful begins Tueday! This Friday, join us to help Beleen search for her Valentine, the one Hero who will always save the day! 

Love is a battlefield... and so is this Friday's release!

Battle for Beleen's Heart in "Beleen and the Beast!

Beleen loves ALL of Lore’s heroes, and they love her… but WHO will win her heart? (And can Artix survive the floods of pink threatening to crash down across AQWorlds?!) Quest to help Beleen find her true love… or help her learn HOW to love! It will all depend on what Lore’s perkiest pinkomancer’s heart desires most!

Even monsters need love sometimes.

• Tuesday: past Valentine’s Day events return 
• Friday: Roroth's Birthday shop leaves
• Friday: Snowboarder gear in Twilly's Treasure Chest + Olympics LTS
• Friday: Limited-time Valentine's Day set  in the Wheel of Doom arrives, Yokai Sunlord set leaves
• Friday: DOUBLE EXP and REP weekend! Beleen LOVES Valentine's Day, and wants to see YOU online!

NEXT WEEK in AQWorlds!

• Tuesday: Last Love Ultra Boss (Valentine’s Day Legend-only bonus!)
• Friday: Help defend towns around Lore in the Alliance Salvation, Part 1!
• Friday: the TimeDragon Warrior tiered special package arrives! 
• Friday: NEW Gear in the Treasure Map shop AND Suggestion shop!