Design Notes
July 15, 2013
Monday Memorandum
and Member Mania!
Happy Monday! Did you have a fantastic weekend? Just wait and see what fun we have in store for you this week to make things even more fantastic!
Tuesday’s Featured Artist Shop
The Featured Artist Showcase Shop launches tomorrow afternoon! And this week we are showcasing the AMAZING art of Aranx!
Aranx is hailed for his beautiful art style, and come Tuesday afternoon, his creations will take flight into the fight!
Check back tomorrow for everything you need to know about Aranx and all his items with breakdowns of names and prices.
Members have ALL the Fun!
You love AdventureQuest Worlds. And AdventureQuest Worlds loves you too! Show your favorite MMO lots of love by becoming a Member today!
When you become a Member, you unlock amazing perks like:
- Create your own Guild and invite your friends
- 3,000+ items are Member-Only!
- Master more than 20 special Classes
- Wield powerful & rare Weapons
- Don yourself in amazing Armors
- Explore exclusive Member-Only Areas
- Dual-wield Swords & Shields
- Increase your Weapon damage
- Adopt hundreds of Pets
- Receive 2 free Treasure Chest Keys from Twilly at the first of every month
- Earn 50 ACs for each Treasure Chest Key you sell back
- And so much more!
And this week, our awesome Members are receiving:
- Special email with FREE gifts from Artix himself
- Game Testing for Guilds Phase II: Guild Cities
- Legendary Hero Class—brand new Skills!
- Legendary Hero Armor Set
- Name change from “AQW Member” to “Legend”
It is because of our wonderful Members who make AdventureQuest Worlds possible for everyone to enjoy! Without our Members...and coffee… your favorite fantasy game could have never accomplished everything bestowed before you... past, present, and future!
When you upgrade to a Member, not only are you scoring tons of Membership perks listed above, but you are also supporting and fueling the AQWorlds team so that we can continue pumping out new, exciting, and totally epic releases every week of the year. Thank you for making all of this possible =D
If you haven’t already done so…
xoxo Beleen
June 10, 2013
OathKeeper Set Leaves Tomorrow!
Take the Oath and Become Epic
Last Tuesday, Dage the Evil unleashed his infamous OathKeeper Armor Set in Battleon’s Featured Artist Showcase Shop. With SOOO many Rare items to choose from, you’re bound to become Epic in 1 way, or, more accurately, in 22 ways!
Here is your LAST CHANCE at owning Dage’s OathKeeper Set before it leaves FOREVER tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday June 11. And here is the breakdown of all of Dage’s items so you know which ones you just HAVE to get!
Swords
Bright SoulSeeker: 45,000 Gold; Member
Bright SoulSeeker: 225 ACs
Kindred SpiritHunter: 175 ACs
Kindred SpiritHunter: 17,500 Gold; Member
Daggers
Alloyed Legion SpiritHunter: 215 ACs
Alloyed Legion SpiritHunter: 21,500 Gold; Member
Staves
SoulSeeker Spear: 18,500 Gold; Member
Two-Headed SoulSeeker Pike: 225 ACs
Armor
OathKeeper: 600 ACs
Helms
OathKeeper Cowl: 75 ACs
OathKeeper Razor Cut: 5,000 Gold
OathKeeper Shroud: 65 ACs
OathKeeper Shroud: 10,000 Gold; Member
Capes
OathKeeper Array: 115 ACs
OathKeeper Array: 15,000 Gold; Member
OathKeeper Halo: 100 ACs
OathKeeper Halo: 18,500 Gold; Member
OathKeeper Mantle: 125 ACs
OathKeeper SpiritHunter (Sheathed): 75 ACs
OathKeeper Wings: 15,000 Gold
Pets
Legion SoulSeeker Pet (w/Quest & Rewards!): 1,000 ACs
SoulSeeker Battle Pet: 50,000 Gold; Member
As you can see, a bunch of these items are Member Only, or sell for AdventureCoins. And because summer is here, now is the PERFECT time to Upgrade your Membership and score a bunch of ACs!
Did you know…
When you purchase your 12 Month Membership package, you’re getting:
- the BEST deal
- exclusive Golden Fury Armor Set (6 items)
- AND saving the MOST money!
Let me break it down for you: a 12 Month Membership costs $57.95. So when you break that down, you’re only spending
$4.83 a month!
Dude. I spend MORE than that on my Frappichinos. Everyday. Why can’t Starbucks offer a sweet membership deal like AQWorlds? I’d totally buy it!
But it gets even better. Your 12 Month AQW Membership includes:
- A whole year of Membership access
- 7,000 bonus AdventureCoins (valued at $28.00)
- Exclusive Golden Fury Armor set (priceless!)
- Option for an addition 5,000 ACs for only $5.00 more (valued at $19.95)
So when you take ALL that into account, you’re really only spending
$1.25 a month!
This is FUN! Wanna break that apart even more… by day!? OKAY!
$0.04 per day!
Are. You. SERIOUS?! Oh yes. Very serious indeed. Check my math if you don’t believe me… even though I quadrupled checked just to make sure =D
Obtaining your 12 Month Membership is by far the best deal in the whole world—and the whole world wide web!
Looking for epic summer adventures without breaking the bank?
Want to flaunt your coolness during the scorching summer heat?
Wanna become epic, get epic items, score epic bragging rights, and obtain the most epic deal?
May 31, 2013
The Golden Fury is Here!
Exclusive Armor Set for 12 Month Membership
Legend foretells all that glitters is gold… but the Golden Fury Armor Set has that beat tenfold!
Inspired by Norse Mythology, the Golden Fury Armor Set pays homage to Odin, ruler of Asgard. Ragnar of Battleon and his fellow Asgardians bow to the might of the Golden Fury, recognizing its great power and detailed craftsmanship.
Thou wish to become imbued with Odin’s might? Starting Friday, May 31, when you upgrade with a 12 Month Membership, not only will you receive all the epic perks of becoming a Member, you will also be granted with the:
- Golden Fury Armor
- Golden Fury Helm
- Golden Fury Cape
- Golden Fury Weapon
- Golden Fury Character Page Badge
Saving Money Rules!
Everyone likes to save money. And everyone loves a good deal. And when you purchase your 12 Month Membership package, you’re getting a GREAT deal AND saving the MOST money!
Let me break it down for you: a 12 Month Membership costs $57.95. So when you break that down, you’re only spending
$4.83 a month!
Dude. I spend MORE than that on my Frappichinos. Everyday. Why can’t Starbucks offer a sweet membership deal like AQWorlds?
But it gets even better. Your 12 Month AQW Membership includes:
- A whole year of Membership access
- 7,000 bonus AdventureCoins (valued at $28.00)
- Exclusive Golden Fury Armor set (priceless!)
- Option for an addition 5,000 ACs for only $5.00 more (valued at $19.95)
So when you take ALL that into account, you’re really only spending
$1.25 a month!
Are. You. SERIOUS?! Oh yes. Very serious indeed. Check my math if you don’t believe me… even though I triple checked just to make sure =D
Obtaining your 12 Month Membership is by far the best deal in the whole world(wideweb). So if you wanna become epic, get epic items, score epic bragging rights, and obtain the most epic deal,
Upgrade your AQWorlds Account!
Battle on!
June 20, 2012
Lowell Cats
Gets Yer LOLz On!
This mid-week release takes place in NOOBSHIRE where Captain Rolith has been trying to fight off the Horc Noobs and Kittarian Farmers for as long as anyone can remember, but what would send a group of peaceful farmers up against the battle-tested Horcs training for war?
Enter, Lowell...
This nervous looking fellow is (or at least, was) keeper of the Kittarian Holy Relics until they were recently siezed by the Horcs. It's time to climb aboard the Monorail Cat and head to all points Horc to recover the two pilfered relics!
This Member Only Mid-Week Mini Release pulls HEAVILY from LOL cats. If you don't know what a LOL CAT is then just look above. They are silly pictures of cats with silly captions and the internet fell in love with a few years ago.
If you're a fan of LOL cats or cats in general then this mini-story is purrrrrfect for you!
That was lame. I'm sorry.
But seriously, there is some great Cat Themed Member Only rewards at the end of this story pretty much all crafted by our newest addition to the art side of the development team... ARANX!
This includes 2 armors, 2 helms, a cape, a weapon and a 2 MILLIOON GOLD PET, the NaN (Not A Number) Cat.
Enjoy!
183 days until Just Another Day
February 24, 2012
Skyguard Grenadier
Courage And Explosives!
Later today we will be releasing the Member Only Skyguard Grenadier Class along with the new addition to the Skyguard storyline.
Before we get to the skills breakdown let me remind you of a few things.
- The Member Only Skyguard Grenadier Class is, you guessed it, for Members only.
- TODAY people who have already worked to get their Skyguard Rep up to Rank 10 will get a full week to preview of the class and master its skills.
- NEXT FRIDAY we will be releasing an AC version of the class (Also Member Only)
- The only way to get the rest of the set (Helm and Gun) are through the Skyguard Rep Shop (Rank 10 like the class)
Now that that's out of the way, let's get crackin'.
SKYGUARD GRENADIER CLASS SKILL SET
Many people don't know what a Grenadier is. Long ago, just after the development of the first hand-thrown explosives, they were bravest and physically strongest soldiers. They'd have to be brave to walk around lobbing explosives that could blow you to bits and they had to be strong so thew could toss them as far as possible.
This combo of traits meant that every Grenadier was half fearless and half insane. As the technology of warfare developed, grenade launchers were invented so you no longer needed to be the strongest but you still had to have that special mixture of courage and madness that makes the grenadier so unique.
The Skyguard Flightpack is not part of the set.
They are often chosen to lead special assault teams and used as shock troops. Each Grenadier is worth a whole squadron of less specialized soldiers.
WARRIOR is the enhancement that you want to use for this class. It's also built on the Warrior mana regen model so you get mana from both hitting and getting hit.
The interesting thing about this is that each skill is a different grenade and each applies its own state to your foe, but the last skill applies a secondary effect based on which state you have applies to the enemy.
AUTO ATTACK
2 second cooldown
A basic attack, taught to all adventurers.
Here is your basic attack. Nothing flashy but it gets the job done.
HAMSTRING
10 mana, 4 second cooldown
Light damage, lowers enemy damage output for 4 seconds plus applies Weakened State. Weakened State replaces any other state.
This is the first skill that you get. It's the cheapest and has the fastest cooldown but also the weakest. The debuff is nice but once the last skill applies the secondary effect this skill gets nicer. I know that it;s hard to hamstring someone with a grenade but somehow you manage to do it. You're that good.
FLASHBANG
20 mana, 8 second cooldown
Moderate damage, reduces enemy chance to hit plus applies Blinded State to enemy. Blinded State replaces any other state.
Twice as costly as the first grenade and with twice the cooldown time. Again, another nice debuff but again it's the secondary skill that makes Flashbang a sweet skill.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
SLEEPING GAS
20 mana, 10 second cooldown
Moderate damage up to two enemies, reduces enemy haste and has a chance to stun for 4 seconds, plus applies Gassed State to enemy. Gassed State replaces any other state.
Again, this grenade has a longer cooldown than the two before it but has multiple effects even before you use the last skill. It's a multi-hit attack with moderate damage, reduces enemy haste on both targets and COULD stun both targets.
ADRENALINE RUSH & BATTLE HORN
Rank 4 passives
Increase Dodge by 10%
Increase Damage by 10%
Decent Rank 4 passives. Increase survivability a LOT and do more damage. What's not to love?
REACTIVE GRENADE
30 mana, 9 second cooldown
High Damage, plus has secondary effect based on whichever State was last applied to your foe. Weakened State secondary effect – Bleed causing Damage Over Time to enemy. Blinded State secondary effect – Rally causing Heal Over Time to to you. Gassed State secondary effect – Elude causing increased Damage Resistance to you. Secondary Effects all last 6 seconds.
Ok, there is a lot going on here so let's take it one step at a time.
Each of the 3 earlier grenade skills apply a State. Weakened, Blinded and Gassed. In addition to doing High Damage, this will add a secondary effect based on which state you have applied.
- If your enemy has the Weakened State applied, then this skill will do High Damage and cause BLEED which is a fairly strong Damage Over Time (DoT) to the target.
- If your enemy has the Blinded State applied, then this skill will do High Damage and apply RALLY to you, which is a VERY strong Heal Over Time (HoT). This is a great heal, and one of the strongest HoTs in the game.
- If your enemy has the Gassed State applied, then this skill will do High Damage and apply ELUDE to you, which is a decent Damage Reduction buff.
TACTICIAN
Rank 10 passive
Rarely, you see your chance to turn the battle in your favor. You give this attack everything you've got causing VERY HIGH damage to up to 2 targets!
You've seen this type of passive before, but this one causes HIGH DAMAGE to up to 2 targets. If you're fighting a boss then it will just be a nice chunk of extra damage, but if you're farming then BOOM, you just cleared the field.
More To Follow
Keep your eyes here on the Design Notes for more notes on today's release!
301 days until Just Another Day
January 23, 2012
Etherstorm's Water Realm
Galanoth has disappeared!
Water, Air, Earth - all of the Proto-Prime Dragons have been located! The Fire Proto-Prime Dragon has been free the whole time, and you've already met. (He's not too fond of you since his defeat!) The only problem NOW is getting them free of the sanctuary they've been confined in for their own protection! (... wait, so the Priests knew where they were all along? What?!)
Of COURSE they're guarded by a DeepDweller!
If you're going to loose the new Prime Dragons upon Lore, subdue Desoloth, calm the elements, and free the world... you're going to have to break an almost-unbreakable spell! That will be YOUR task this week, Hero! As for what our favorite DragonSlayer has been up to...
Etherstorm's Water Realm is comprised of marshy areas spilling into the ocean!
Let me wet your appetite* for news of Galanoth's whereabouts with the following -
There are two possible outcomes this week:
Disarmed or Unharmed.
When the unthinkable happens, lives will be changed, but you'll have to wait for this Friday to find out whether it's for the better... or worse!
Re-enactment of Monday morning's meeting:
Alina: Hey, Artix? We're REALLY going to do this. Just like we said we would. Fair warning.
Galanoth: They'll NEVER see it coming! Just make sure the DRAGON is there!
Alina: Don't worry, we'll make sure you get to battle the dragon. But... If you're SURE...
Artix + Cysero: Let's DO this! /thumbs up
* We know it's "whet your appetite." It's a pun. We make those a lot.
In the Guardian Tower, who watches the watchers?
You don't know much about the internal workings of the Guardians in BattleOn's Guardian Tower, but this Wednesday, members are about to get a MUCH closer look at what goes on behind locked doors and inside fortified towers!
Seems like they're up for watching YOU, if not a secretive Guardian organization!
Get ready to go on the inside of one of the most powerful - and secretive - groups that control the Guardian organization from behind the scenes. Are YOU up to the challenge of helping them? You'll have to be a member to find out!
Updates from Beleen!
Beleen is SUPER-excited and wants to make sure you know that you can get a PINK version of the Chinese New Year dragon armor in her secret shop (where, oh where, could Beleen be? Gee, I don't know! But I bet somewhere in this Design Notes there's a hint!) AND in the Chinese New Year merge shop!
Gong Xi Fa Cai! (PINK-style!)
She also asked me to remind you of the following bug fixes:
- The Chinese New Year non-member helm no longer requires a member helm.
(Celebrate!) - The inability to /join castle on the Alina server is being looked into.
(For now, please /join castle on a different server.) - The Living Air monster's disappearing/re-appearing head issue has been fixed.
(Guess his head was just in the clouds!)
Have a great Monday night and an awesome rest of the week! We'll see you Friday for the most INTENSE battle cutscene we've ever produced! Seriously.
June 13, 2011
AE needs a GUI Designer!
AE is looking for an Interface Designer!
From this moment forward, AE will try to find talent in the community before posting job postings elsewhere when possible. This position is primarily an art job and will require no coding skill but knowledge of web technologies and flash is a very large plus. You will be working the with AE team and helping to design functional and intuitive interface layouts for some of our websites and possibly some of our game projects.
Let me save you a little time and say that if you don't know what a GUI is, then you are not what we need. It WILL be a full time job, and in the U.S. you have to be at least 18 to work full-time hours, regardless of where you live.
You MUST be at least 18 year old. If you are under 18, if you don't include your age, or if you start with "I'm not 18 yet, but..." the application will not be considered.
What they need you to included in your email is:
- Your real name, age, and country of residence.
- AQW Game account name and linked email address.
- Master Account name and linked email address.
- Forum account name and linked email address if one is entered. (not required to have one)
- Languages you speak/read.
- Resume (or C.V.) *please note we'd like the CV in English. If we can't read it then we can't hire you. If you do not know what a resume is or do not have one, then you are not who we are looking for.
- Samples of your work. Ideally this will be a link to your online Design Portfolio, however if you choose you may attach no less than 3 samples of your Interface Design to your e-mail.
Please send your COMPLETE application to [email protected]
If the application is not complete, It will be deleted. And please - one application per person. We will read all the applications. If you are chosen to go through a further interview, we will contact you.
Unfortunately, since we will get thousands of applications, we can only reply to those who have what we might need. Otherwise you will not hear from us. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of submiting your resume and portfolio, it probably means that you have not been selected.
Good luck, designers! We can't wait to see what you've got.
Very Small DoomWood Member Release Today!
If you're really on the ball then you've already noticed these but We have added a few more DoomWood Daily quests for Members only today. That will make repping up a little simpler for you members.
Fixes Coming Friday
Yorumi has tracked down the bug which is breaking the stats panel and he is in the process of ironing out the bugs now. Assuming everything is stable that pesky bug should be fixed by Friday at the latest. We will also be rolling a few fixes to the Tower of Necromancy through the week.
Fixes Coming AFTER Friday
Pretty soon we will be adding new server to the selection menu except THIS server will have a tiny little Brazilian flag icon next to it. Since our Brazilian population continues to grow, the time has come for AE's first nation specific server. This will be an English server, exactly like all the rest but hopefully it will be a welcome sight for our new Brazialian players to enter a server where all the other players speak their language!
We would like the make a Barzilian-based NPC and add him or her to the game but we thought we would go to YOU for ideas. If you happen to speak Portuguese, what do you think would be a good name for the NPC/server? Let us know on the FORUMS! Please, no profanity. We WILL check out what the words mean before we consider them.
This is the first step into true localization. It's a small step but who knows where it could lead?
I should also mention that we are working on the SoulWeaver class as the 15 month AQW membership bonus. We've found a workaround for adding new battle effects which might work, so we can finally proceed with that class.
You may remember talking about the Membership Perks before. If you have at least three months of AQW membership (V.I.P X-over from HeroSmash does not count toward the total, must be AQW membership) then you will earn an Achievement Badge and The Battle Tested Axe Master Armor & Helm!
But there's more... If you have had FIFTEEN or more total months of AQW memberships, you will earn a SECOND Achievement Badge and also gain access to the SoulWeaver class (similar to, but not exactly like the DF class of course).
These items are just little perks for people who have supported the game. They all both be FREE NON-MEMBER (set at 0 AC for free storage) itemsOur way of saying Thanks and another Member Only perk, even after your membership has expired.
They won't be ready this Friday, but I wanted you to know that they are still coming. After all, what is constantly updated design document for?
Technically, that sentence should read "After all, for what is an constantly updated design document?" but that just sounds odd.
COMING FRIDAY!
Speaking of Member Only Perks, THIS FRIDAY we are heading back to the Member Only Skyguard Area. I'll save the details for Alina to tell you in future Design Notes posts this week, since she is writing the zone.
We will also be buffing the Player Suggestion Shop with a bevy of Member Only items this Friday.
Father's Day is this Sunday so we will be running the 2011 Father's Day shop from Friday until Monday.
Now that I'm someone's dad I can say... be very nice to your dad.
Lastly, since you guys have been asking for it I was able to talk Zhoom into finding room for 10 more Friends List spaces for everyone, also coming This Friday. Yay, Zhoom!
I Just Noticed...
... That Artix has already written a Design Notes post today. If you're just reading this now, be sure to check out Artix's E3 Review below!
AQ3D
BattleGems
BioBeasts
Dragons
Undead Assault