Design Notes
September 18, 2014
Arr Ye Ready?
How to Talk Like a Pirate
Ahoy me matey! Friday be jus’ over the horizon, ‘nd that means International Talk Like A Pirate Day be here!
Aye yes, and ye best be ready too, ‘cause we pirates don’t take too kindly to lilly livered landlubbers. But fret not, sailor—ye be in luck, ‘cause me ‘nd me AQW Crew has a lil’ lessen for ye in the way o' the Pirate. Yaaaar!
There be Rules, Sailor: Pirate 101
Thee first thing ye need to know ‘bout becomin’ a pirate is ye gatta believe yer a pirate! If ye don’t truly believe ye be a Swashbuckler, then aint no one else ganna be bamboozled! Set ye deadlights on these steps:
Pirates don’t be good at speakin’. We be mutterin’ most o’ our words. Best get used to it, matey!- Ye gatta run ye words togeth’r. Ye gatta slur. Don’t be usin’ no proper sentences, either!
- If ye still got both ye hands, use a motherload o’ gestures. Movin’ ye hands about when ye speak be key to a pirate’s life. It also be good fer protectin’ against Carpal Tunnel!
- Pirates be loud ‘nd lusty ‘nd brash. Thee louder ye be, THEE SMART’R YE SOUND!!!
- Never say “you” or “your” unless ye wishes to walk the plank. It be “ye” an’ “yer” in the Pirate’s life! Savvy?
- Oh, ‘nd it be “me” and not no “I” or “mine”! Fer example, “that be me booty, ye no good two toothed thievin’ scallywag!”
- Drop the “g” after words endin’ in “ing”. There be no need fer that “g” after many words, like goin’, and fightin’, and fishin’, and swimmin’!
- Make up words if ye have to! We pirates don’t be mindin’ a wee bit o’ hornswaggling!
- Pirates be superstitious folk. Never leave port without ye good luck charm, or there be mighty a dire consequence! Me never leaves me home base without me lucky pink skull pendant!
Swanky Pirate Lingo: Pirate 102
Below be a list o’ the best pirate-speak in all thee seven seas! Best practice these phrases, ‘nd ye then be ready fer Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19!
- All hands on deck! – A cry that calls for immediate action.
- Ahoy! – A general greeting, meaning "Hello!"
- Arrr! – A pirate’s most commonly used word that has no solid definition.
- Avast! – A cry that generally means “Stop and give attention.” Can also mean "Whoa!” or "Check it out" or "No way!"
- Aye! - "Yes!"
- Belay - To immediately cease or stop.
- Booty - Anything of value that a pirate can plunder.
- Cat’o’Nine Tails – A whip made up of nine knotted ropes.
- Crow’s Nest – A lookout point at the top of the tallest mast on a ship.
- Cutlass – A curved sword, favored by many sailors.
- Davy Jones' Locker – Technically means the bottom of the sea. It is also where the souls of drowned pirates go.
- Grog – A pirate’s beverage of choice.
- Hoist the Colors! –To raise the Pirate flag before attacking.
- Hearties –Shipmates and friends.
- Hornswaggle—To cheat or to lie.
- Lad—A name for a young gentleman.
- Lass - A name for a young woman, usually more polite.
- Lubber or landlubber—A name give to those who prefer land over the sea.
- Motherload –A term for a very large amount of booty or treasure.
- Salt or Old Salt—The name given to veteran Sailors. Also used to enhance the flavor of food.
- Savvy – Meaning to understand or “okay”.
- Smartly – To do or to perform something quickly.
- Scurvy –A common condition of sailors who go too long without eating fruits and vegetables.
- Shiver me timbers! –"Well, I'll be" or "What a surprise!"
- Swag—The common term for riches and/or gold.
- Walk the plank – To be forced to walk the length of a plank that has been placed over the side of a ship. The outcome is not promising.
Pirate Booty ‘n Treasures: Spoils o’ the Scallywag
Pirates be lovin’ some booty! Har har har! And ye too can plunder yer loot from Quibble’s Treasure Chest makin’ landfall in Battleon this Friday, September 19, at twilight. Some o’ thee best booty in all the seven seas includes:
- Naval Commander Class (ye can read more ‘bout it ‘ere)
- DoomKnight Naval Commander Armor set
- Brilliant Naval Commander Armor sets
- Void Pirate Captain set
- Undead, Bright, and Fiendish Parrot Pets
- 13+ Naval Commander bandanas (ALL sailors can get ‘em!)
- ‘nd more treasures await to be plundered!
Ye be a savvy pirate now, that ye be. On behalf o’ the AQW Crew, ye now be ready fer Talk Like a Pirate Day! Weigh anchor, grab ye cutlass and ye captain’s hat, ‘nd don’t be forgettin’ yer trusty parrot neither! At any time ye be needin’ a smartly reminder, sail back ‘ere ‘nd get a seaworthy refresher!
Savvy, pirate?
Skulls and crossbones, Cap’n Beleen
August 27, 2014
Free to Play Games
The real life scoop on how “free to play games” make money
Ever since Artix Entertainment was founded in 2002, we have embraced the Free to Play Games model. Artix always dreamed of making fun games that everyone could enjoy, and all our games are free to download and free to play.
But… how does a video game company make enough money to support their team of dedicated programmers, artists, writers, game designers, and coffee-deliverers, while at the same time paying for bandwidth, advertising, traffic, web domains, and ninjas?
The answer: Artix has to rely on YOU.
Memberships and Microcurrency bundles (in AQW’s case, Legend upgrades and AdventureCoins, respectively) are how Artix Entertainment stays afloat. Some players might think we’re just money-grubbing individuals, spending their hard-earned cash on expensive cars, fancy dinners, and lavish parties...
Cysero wrote this AMAZING Facebook post about where all the money goes from Membership and AC sales:
Please take a few moments and read that over—it’s well worth it. Here’s the TL;DR version:
“Making a game and keeping it alive is very expensive, and all the money that you pay AE goes back into the games. We're not getting rich off you guys—we're just making ends meet THANKS to you guys. AE is YOUR company; you built it and you keep it alive. Thank you. ”
With all that being said, everyone here at Artix Entertainment hopes you continue playing and enjoying all our games! And, should you wish to see Artix thrive for years to come, won’t you please consider supporting us by upgrading to a Legend and/or buying AdventureCoins?
How to Support AdventureQuest Worlds
There are a lot of ways to get an upgraded Legend Membership and AdventureCoins that will support the AQWorlds team and Artix family!
Worldwide:
- Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express)
- PayPal
- Upgrade now by clicking here!
USA:
- Openbucks (Burger King “Crown Card”, SUBWAY, Circle K, Sports Authority,
CVS, Shell, and Dollar General cards) - Rixty/Coinstar
- Zeevex
- Visa Gift Card
- Amazon Cards
Canada:
- Openbucks (SUBWAY)
- Rixty
- Visa Gift Card
Brazil:
- Rixty Card
Europe:
- PaysafeCard
- Ukash
- Visa Gift Card
Middle East/North Africa:
- OneCard / Smart2Pay
- CashU
Asia:
- Cherry Credits (Singapore, Philippines)
- MOLpoints
- Gudang Voucher (Indonesia)
Big hugs for everyone!
Thank you so much for being a part of the MMO AdventureQuest Worlds. You know, you are so much more than just a player—you’re family! In fact, everyone who plays Artix games and/or who are Artix team members are my family too.
You guys and gals make the BEST family ever!
And when you give back to AQWorlds by Upgrading and buying AdventureCoins, you are helping your Artix family support each other—staff members and players alike!
The entire Artix team looks forward to continuing our video game adventures alongside you. Thank you so much for everything thus far, and please contribute if you can, so that everyone who stumbles upon an Artix Entertainment game can forever heed the call of
Battle On!
xoxo Beleen! =D
August 25, 2014
Bring on the DragonCon
2014 DragonCon Information
Artix Panel Date & Time
WHEN: Saturday, Aug 30th @ 2:30 PM
WHERE: DragonCon : Grand Salon D room @ the Hilton Atlanta hotel
WHY: To launch the 13 Lords of Chaos poster, to talk about our new Mobile game AQ Dragons, to showcase a new secret Mobile game, and to meet and greet our biggest fans—like you!
Launching: 13 Lords of Chaos Poster!
To commemorate the epic finale of the current AdventureQuest Worlds storyline, we are releasing this AMAZING 13 Lords of Chaos Poster, featuring all 13 Chaos Lords drawn & painted by Diozz and Dage the Evil. The entire Artix team will sign these posters at the lab before they are taken to DragonCon. Anyone attending our panel on Saturday, August 30 at DragonCon will be able to buy these posters before ANYONE ELSE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!
New Mobile Game: AQ Dragons
So you want to know more about AQ Dragons? So OF COURSE DragonCon is the best place to do so! The Artix team will reveal everything we know about the upcoming mobile game, AQ Dragons, at our panel. This is so much better than piecing together tidbits of information via our Twitters =)
Ah yes, a new secret mobile game. Well… it won’t be much of a secret for those who attend our DragonCon panel! And I cannot say much more about it… because it’s been kept a secret from me, too! >…..<
How to Survive DragonCon
Cysero is your best bet for surviving DragonCon. And he’s posted a full length survival guide here.
On behalf of the entire Artix Entertainment team, we hope to see you at the Artix Panel @ DragonCon this Saturday, August 30th, in the Hilton’s Grand Salon D room!
xoxo Beleen =D
Ps... IDK what that drawing up there is for. Cysero drew it... so maybe you can ask him about it on his Twitter?
October 22, 2013
Uphold the Status
and Hold Up your Star Swords, 5th Upholders!
What a wonderful 5th Birthday this has been! The AQWorlds team got to meet all of you at BattleCon, we reached 1 Million Likes on our Facebook Page, we triumphed over BrutalCorn, and thanks to our Legendary 5th Upholders, we can continue to celebrate all month long… and beyond!
If you still haven’t become a 5th Upholder… now is your last chance! As the clock strikes Midnight on October 31, 2013, you will no longer be able to become a 5th Upholder, forever losing your chance at owning 5 Rare Star Swords. Don’t delay… become a 5th Upholder Legend today!
What Does a 5th Upholder Get?
When you become a 5th Upholder, you get FIVE Rare Star Swords (marked 0 AdventureCoins so you can store it for free and forever…because we love you that much), a Character Page Achievement Badge, and some serious bragging rights.
How Do I Become a 5th Upholder?
Super simple: Upgrade your account to become a Legend!
- If you are ALREADY a Legend and your membership expires ON or AFTER November 1st, 2013, then you're are ALREADY a 5th Upholder. Grats and thanks!
- If you help support AQW by buying ANY membership ANY TIME during the month of October (from October 1st to October 31st, as long as it expires on or after November 1st) then you become a 5th Upholder!
Does My Membership Already Make Me A 5th Upholder? How Can I Check?
Easy! Just click the Manage Account link on the left under the ACCOUNT section.
As soon as you sign in you'll see when your membership expires. Here's mine:
How Do I Get My Super Sweet 5th Upholder Swords and Badge?
You will find your 5th Upholder Badge in your Book of Lore in the Badges tab. Click on this badge and you will see that it comes with a shop. You will be able to grab your swords from that shop and start showing them off as well as your Character Page Badge.
Only Upgraded Memberships Count!
You can use Artix Points on the Portal site or any method in AQW to upgrade, but it MUST be an AQW Membership. AdventureCoins DO NOT COUNT TOWARD 5th Upholder.
Anything Else I Should Know?
Absolutely! We couldn't keep AQWorlds running without every single upgrade and AC that you buy. Nearly every penny you spend goes back into the game. Though some people prefer buying AdventureCoins and others prefer upgrading, anyone who spends real money on this game deserves to get as much as we can give them, because without their support... there wouldn't BE an AQWorlds for everyone to play!
You may not know this but AQW (like all AE games) is ENTIRELY supported by the players. We have no financial backers and nobody owns stock in the company. Clicking on ads and doing AExtras offers does bring in some money, but not nearly enough to keep AQWorlds free for everyone to enjoy.
Without everyone who has supported AQWorlds over the years, we wouldn't be able to make these amazing games, or allow anyone on the internet to create an account and begin battling through AQW! I can't imagine having a better job, or better bosses (that's YOU)!
Thank you for battling alongside us, and for sharing your ideas and love of AQWorlds with us. You truly are the best gaming community on the internet! Thank you for the first 5 years of AQWorlds, and here's to another 5 years, 10 years, and beyond!
October 22, 2013
Reporting Players
How and When to Report Bad Players and Big Meanies
Why hello! You know that the AQWorlds team does everything we can to keep your favorite online adventure game safe and fun for everyone—but just like Chaos Lords, there are bad people out there who want to ruin the experience.
Fear not, my dear heroes and dastardly villains! We have an in-game Reporting System that’s easier to use than the Default Sword. With your help, we can keep AQWorlds safe, fun, and jerk-free for years to come =D
When to Report a Player
You should totally Report a player:
- If someone asks for your Game Password
- If someone asks for your Personal Information
- If someone is Harassing you
- If someone is Spamming the Chat
- If someone is using Bad or Inappropriate Language
- If someone is telling you to use bots
How to Report a Player
Reporting is easy! In the game chat field:
- Type /ignore player name to ignore the player
- Example: /ignore beleen
- Type /report player name to report the player
- Example: /report beleen
You can also Report a player by:
- Clicking the player in-game
- Click on the player’s Character Portrait (the circle with their face on the top of the screen) which will produce a drop-down menu
- Select Report to report the player, or
- Select Ignore to ignore the player
What NOT to do when Reporting a Player
- Do not use the report system to report players you think are botting (we are working on a system that will do it for you!)
- Do not report players who are being annoying, but not harassing you (then you just need to use the /ignore option)
- Do not submit multiple reports about the same person on different servers (that just makes our mods' job harder)
- Do not swear or flame people when you are explaining why you're reporting someone
- Do not send us Facebook messages
- Do not send us Twitter tweets
- Do not directly email a staff member
- Do not mail us a letter via the postal service… instead, send cookies and love!!
And there you have it! You now know everything about the AdventureQuest Worlds Reporting a Player System. Feel free to buff your INTELLECT Stats further by reading the Player Safety & Account Security here.
Knowledge is power! /flex
xoxo Beleen!
September 17, 2013
How To Talk Like a Pirate!
Yarr ye ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day?
Ahoy me maties! Glad to see ye made it in one piece (great TV show, me parrot concurs)! This Thursday be International Talk Like A Pirate Day!
Aye yes, and ye best be ready too, ‘cause we don’t take too kindly to lilly livered landlubbers. Har har har! But ye be in luck, that ye be! Me n’ me AQW Crew put together a lil’ lessen for ye. Yaaaar!
Pirate 101: There be Rules, Sailor
Thee first thing ye need to know ‘bout becomin’ a pirate: ye gatta believe yer a pirate! If ye don’t truly believe ye be a Swashbuckler, then aint nobody else ganna be fooled! Best follow these steps below.
- We pirates don’t be good at speakin’. We scowl a lot, and we like to mutter most o’ our words. Best get used to it, matey!
- Ye gatta run yer words together. Ye gatta slur. Don’t use no proper sentences, either!
- If ye still got yer hands, use a motherload o’ gestures. Movin’ yer hands about when ye speak be key to a pirate’s life. It also be good fer ye circulation!
- Pirates be loud n’ lusty. Thee louder ye be, THEE SMART’R YE SOUND!
- Never say “you” or “your” unless ye wishes to walk thee plank. It be “ye” an’ “yer” in the Pirate’s life! Savvy?
- Oh, and it be “me” and not no “I” or “mine”! Fer example, “that be me booty, ye no good two toothed thievin’ scallywag!”
- Drop the “g” after words endin’ in “ing”. There be no need fer that “g” after many words, like goin’, and fightin’, and fishin’, and swimmin’!
- Make up words if ye have to! We pirates don’t be minding a wee bit o’ hornswaggling!
- Never leave port without ye good luck charm, or there be mighty dire consequences! Me never leaves home without me lucky pink skull pendant!
Pirate 101: Swanky Pirate Lingo
Below be a list o’ the best pirate-speak in all thee seven seas! When ye read this, ye be ready fer Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19!
- All hands on deck! – A cry that calls for immediate action.
- Ahoy! – A general greeting, meaning "Hello!"
- Arrr! – A pirate’s most commonly used word that has no solid definition.
- Avast! – A cry that generally means “Stop and give attention.” Can also mean "Whoa!” or "Check it out" or "No way!"
- Aye! - "Yes!"
- Belay - To immediately cease or stop.
- Booty - Anything of value that a pirate can plunder.
- Cat’o’Nine Tails – A whip made up of nine knotted ropes.
- Crow’s Nest – A lookout point at the top of the tallest mast on a ship.
- Cutlass – A curved sword, favored by many sailors.
- Davy Jones' Locker – Technically means the bottom of the sea. It is also where the souls of drowned pirates go.
- Grog – A pirate’s beverage of choice.
- Hoist the Colors! –To raise the Pirate flag before attacking.
- Hearties –Shipmates and friends.
- Hornswaggle—To cheat or to lie.
- Lad—A name for a young gentleman.
- Lass - A name for a young woman, usually more polite.
- Lubber or landlubber—A name give to those who prefer land over the sea.
- Motherload –A term for a very large amount of booty or treasure.
- Salt or Old Salt—The name given to veteran Sailors. Also used to enhance the flavor of food.
- Savvy – Meaning to understand or “okay”.
- Smartly – To do or to perform something quickly.
- Scurvy –A common condition of sailors who go too long without eating fruits and vegetables.
- Shiver me timbers! –"Well, I'll be" or "What a surprise!"
- Swag—The common term for riches and/or gold.
- Walk the plank – To be forced to walk the length of a plank that has been placed over the side of a ship. The outcome is not promising.
Pirate 101: Pirate Booty ‘n Treasures
Pirates be lovin’ some booty! And ye too can plunder yer loot from Quibble’s Treasure Chest makin’ landfall in Battleon come Thursday. Some o’ thee best booty in all the seven seas includes:
- 4 New Naval Commanders:
- Galactic Naval Commander
- ChronoLord Naval Commander
- Legion Naval Commanders:
- Teal Version
- Blue Version
- Flyin’ Cthulhu Pet
- Galactic Cutlass
- Tricorn Hats ‘nd Eyepatches
- Pirate Angler Armor Sets
- And on Friday, 40+ Pirate Top Hats be matchin’ ALL Naval Commanders—past ‘nd present, ‘nd some even got beards for ye hairy hearties!
Pirate 101: PARRRRTY!
On behalf o’ the AQW Crew, ye now be ready fer Talk Like a Pirate Day! Grab ye cutlass and ye captain’s hat, ‘nd don’t be forgettin’ yer lucky charm! At any time ye be needin’ a smartly reminder, come back ‘n get a refresher!
Savvy, pirate?
Skulls and crossbones, Beleen
AQ3D
BattleGems
BioBeasts
Dragons
Undead Assault