Design Notes

November 03, 2021

November Class Changes

Class Changes for November 5, 2021

The purpose of this week’s class changes is to balance the performance of several late-game classes by adjusting their performance levels so that they are appropriate for their respective progression points. This means that classes that are supposed to be at certain tiers still perform at a level intended for them, may no longer be as large a leap from the previous stages. Classes that have been disproportionately buffed or nerfed by changes have been adjusted back to their intended performance levels.

We have also made adjustments to the Focus aura on some of the classes that utilize it for challenge boss fights, with the intent to create more interactive mechanics in the future.
 

Chaos Slayer

Chaos Slayer's farming performance has greatly benefited from the respawn time and aura-on-kill changes, so we're reducing its damage output while in AoE mode, but making its heal more consistent for both modes, placing it back where it used to be, while affording it some quality of life improvements.

Chaos Blade:
- Now applies Chaos Blight only when Chaorrupted is active
- If Chaorrupted is not active, instead applies Chaos Affliction, which increases outgoing damage by 1%, stacks to 30 and lasts 5 seconds

Surge:
- Surge: Heal now always activates
- Surge: Barrier can now activate alongside Surge: Heal at a 50% chance
- Reduced power of Surge: Heal proportionally

Chrono Assassin

The fix to Haste stacking and changes to Awe Enhancements have caused Chrono Assassin's damage output to far exceed what was intended for it. To address this, we have reduced the damage of its Relapse skill and corrected the values on its Condense Time aura to match the amounts that are stated in its skill description.

Relapse:
- Damage reduced
- Mana cost: 12 > 6

Convert:
- Condense Time now increases Crit Chance and Crit Damage by the intended amount

Legion Revenant

Legion Revenant has been underperforming as of late, so we're increasing the range of all its skills and giving its Wicked Purgatory skill a couple more targets to hit, to better spotlight its performance as a farmer, and keep it competitive as one of the best farmers.

All Skills:
- Range changed to infinite

Atramentous Shade:
- Mana cost: 25 > 10

Wicked Purgatory:
- Max targets: 1 > 3 (damage distribution method still the same as the other skills)
- Mana cost: 30 > 15

Depraved Empowerment:
- Mana cost: 30 > 15
- Cooldown: 10 seconds > 6 seconds

Anathema:
- No longer applies Ars Arcanum
- Mana cost: 45 > 20

Vampire Lord

The changes to the Health Vamp Awe Enhancement have allowed Vampire Lord to match, and in certain situations exceed endgame farming classes, so we're reducing the frequency at which it can auto attack. The class now performs closer to what it was intended to, and what it used to.

Slash:
- Cooldown: 2 seconds > 2.5 seconds

Void Highlord

A lot of recent changes made Void Highlord overwhelmingly strong in every category, so much that it was overtaking niches of numerous other classes. This is due in part to VHL-specific buffs, game engine updates such as the recent aura-on-kill change, as well as other changes before it (including HP cost skills not causing disconnections). Therefore, its performance has been adjusted accordingly -- we intend for it to remain one of the best classes in its category, just not necessarily THE best class in nearly every situation.

Contract:
- No longer applies Abyssal Sacrifice (see Armageddon)
- Soul Breach DoT damage reduced

Shackle:
- Range changed to melee

Highlord's Gaze:
- Congealed now applies a flat -20% reduction to Haste, Hit, and Dodge (was previously only increasing by 5% per stack)
- Mana Cost: 30 > 20

Unshackle:
- Range changed to melee

Armageddon:
- Now applies Abyssal Sacrifice
- Mana Cost: 60 > 50

Relentless Onslaught:
- Crit Chance and Hit Chance: 15% > 20%

Undying Highlord:
- Abyssal Sacrifice now increases all damage taken instead of physical damage taken
- Abyssal Sacrifice max stacks: 20 > 10
- Abyssal Sacrifice duration: 8 seconds > 20 seconds

Yami no Ronin

Giving Yami no Ronin an overall damage boost in both its dodge and damage modes and adjusting the durations of its Ichi, Ni, and San auras to improve the flow of its skill rotations.
Additionally, some skills on the class have been renamed to better reflect the design concept, and sound more realistic.

General:
- Some skills have been renamed

Batto and Kettou (formerly Dakuaktto and Kyuketsu):
- Flash outgoing damage, incoming damage, Hit Chance, and Crit Chance per stack: 5% > 4%

Tachi (formerly Sutoraiku):
- Ichi duration: 7 seconds > 9 seconds
- San duration: 7 seconds > 5 seconds
- San Crit Damage: 50% > 150%

Hisome (formerly Suteresu):
- Dodge: 75% > 80%

Gouyuu (formerly Sokudo):
- No longer increases incoming damage
- Now increases outgoing damage by 35

Chaos Avenger

As stated in our Dev Blog, Chaos Avenger was balanced around Void Highlord's previous performance levels, so we have reduced the damage output of Chaos Avenger accordingly. Additionally, we have moved the Focus aura from the Fury Unleashed skill to the Flux skill so that damage no longer has to be sacrificed in order to taunt.
The durations of several other skills have been adjusted to compensate for how the class will play, forming a better core skill rotation.

Chaos Greatsword:
- Damage reduced
- Mana restored: 50 > 60

Chaos Siphon:
- Defense Chaorrupted incoming damage per stack: 8% > 5%
- Defense Chaorrupted max stacks: 5 > 8
- Cooldown: 8 seconds > 6 seconds

Flux:
- Now applies Focus for 4 seconds
- Chaorrupted debuff durations: 15 seconds > 20 seconds
- Cooldown: 8 seconds > 15 seconds

Chaos Bulwark:
- Cooldown: 8 seconds > 6 seconds

Fury Unleashed:
- No longer applies Focus

Dragon of Time

Dragon of Time has been falling behind its fellow late-game classes, so we're giving it a boost in farming and bossing performance, based on feedback from you all. We intend it, along with other late-game classes, to be a link between midgame and endgame.

All Skills:
- Rend max stacks: 10 > 5, DoT damage per stack increased

Rend Time:
- Damage increased

Dragon's Will:
- Mana cost: 20 > 15
- Cooldown: 4 seconds > 3 seconds

Burning Fates:
- Now always hits
- Searing Timeline DoT Resistance: -50% > -150%
- Searing Timeline duration: 5 seconds > 7 seconds

Hero's Heartbeat:
- Cooldown: 10 seconds > 8 seconds

Convergence of Destiny:
- Discordance DoT Boost per stack: 10% > 25%
- Discordance max stacks: 25 > 10
- Discordance duration: 7 seconds > 9 seconds

Divergent Providence:
- Endurance reduction: -50% > -40%

Split Timelines:
- Principles of Gravitation activation chance: 20% > 50%

Changes to Focus

We have begun to evaluate loopable taunts as they remove the need to plan around the threat of multi-target attacks from challenge monsters. With that in mind, the following classes have had adjustments made to their Focus auras. Please note that we may continue to make more changes to Focus auras in the future.

ChronoCommander

Time Rift:
- No longer applies Focus (see Severed Rift)

Severed Rift:
- Now applies Focus for 4 seconds

Naval Commander

Strike'n'Parry:
- No longer applies Focus (see Flintlock Fury)

Flintlock Fury:
- Now applies Focus for 4 seconds

July 14, 2017

Deadly Double Server Boost

Get Double Gold, XP, Rep, and CP on the PTR server all weekend!

Log in this weekend to get double Gold, XP, Class Points, and Rep on PTR servers. (That is 100% more!) 

We missed the double server boost on the 4th of July, so we're making it up to you guys this weekend. (Plus, the double boost on the PTR servers is a great incentive for you to check out all the newest changes and fixes.)

The PTR servers are:

• Zorbak
• Safiria
• Testing Server 2

But if you just can't bear to leave the regular servers, you'll still get 15% more Gold, XP, Rep, and Class Points... but you'll be missing out on primo farming bonuses!

January 05, 2017

Evolved Light Caster Class

Find the Light Caster Class in your game menu!

The Order of the LightCasters formed to support the Champion of Light, and need every mage available to fight the battle against Chaos! Head in-game and find the LightCaster Class shop in your game menu! You'll need to buy the Evolved LightCaster armor first to access the shop.  

How to get the Class

It is pretty easy! You will just need to buy the Evolved LightCaster Armor for 1000 AdventureCoins*. Then you can unlock a special shop in your game menu to get the 0 AC version of the Class! (This will be one of only two classes you can get for 1000 ACs, and with the blindingly brilliant animations and fun skills, we think it's a pretty good deal!)

*If you have the rare Enchanted LightCaster armor, you will also unlock the 0 AC version of the Class!

Class Skills: Subject to change!

Auto-attack: 

2 second cooldown, 100% damage

Lingering Light:

4 second cooldown, 10 mana, mid range

Cast down an elemental light beacon upon the target. Does light damage and applies In The Spotlight increasing the amount of damage your opponent takes by 3% per stack and lasts 8 seconds if not restacked. (Stacks up to 50 times)

Light Blast:

3 second cooldown, 20 mana, 250% damage, long range

Blasts your opponent with a ball of pure light. Deals significant damage that is guaranteed to hit but cannot crit. Each hit applies a stack of Blinded by Light which decreases your opponent's chance to hit by 5% per stack and lasts 6 seconds if not restacked. Maxes out at 5 stacks.

Illuminate:

12 second cooldown, 20 mana, 300%  healing, 6 allies

Casts a net of light upon your allies. Heals for 300% spell damage to up to 6 allies and applies Illuminated which increases damage, crit damage, crit chance, hit chance, dodge chance, haste and damage resistance all by 8% for 12 seconds. Cannot stack.

Burned by Light:

15 second cooldown, 35 mana, 500% damage, long range

You focus the power of the entire sun on a single point. Does a large amount of damage then deals 700% damage over time of 10 seconds.

Passive 1: Mentally Bright: Increase INT by 15%

Passive 2:  Speed of Light: Increase Haste by 15%

Passive 3: Power of the Sun: Increase Damage by 15%

December 30, 2016

Frostval 2016 Finale

Battle through IcePike Peak to find the Crystal of Glacera!

Fight fire with fire… and ice with ice! In this weekend’s Frostval 2016 event finale, quest for the ancient Crystal of Glacera to aid you in your quest to save Lore from Karok and Kezeroth!

Glacial Berserker Class!

Launching now: this year's Frostval Class - the Glacial Berserker. It is a pretty cool class, by all reports (pun intended, of course).  Available for 2000AC in the Class Shop, or 100,000gold Rank 10 Glacera Rep in the Northern Defense Rep Shop.

Class Skills:

Auto-attack:  Ancestral Rage

3.8 second cooldown, 190% damage

Your Ancestors speak out to you from their frozen prisons, telling tales of suppression and torture, building rage within. Applies a stack of Ancestral Rage. Each stack increases haste up to of 10% for 8 seconds and can stack up to 5 times. Stacks are activated after using Shout of The Ancients. Also imbues you with Curse of The Ancestors, reducing hit chance by 5% for 4 seconds.

Fists of Frost

8 second cooldown, 15 mana, melee range

Your hands freeze over and are covered in glacier sized ice, increasing your crit chance by 10% (stacking up to 30%)). Lasts 10 seconds. If you have been cursed by your ancestors, their chilling presence cause your enemy's movements to slow, reducing their haste by 10% (stacking up to 30%) lasts 10 seconds.

Shout of the Ancients

20 second cooldown, 25 mana, 275% damage, long range,

You scream with the force of millions of deceased ancestors and strike a decisive blow dealing massive damage. The rage you have built up from your Ancestors is released, increasing your haste based on stacks of Ancestral Rage. If your opponent has been chilled by your ancestors they are overwhelmed and have their crit chance reduced by 30% for 6 seconds.

Calm before the Storm

25 second cooldown, 35 mana, 80% damage, long range, 1 target

You center yourself, releasing some residual negative energy and quieting the ancients. Deals moderate damage and heals 800% damage over 10 seconds while preventing Curse of the Ancestors from applying for 6 seconds. If the enemy is Overwhelmed, they become Numb, reducing all damage done by 60% for 6 seconds.

Glacial Storm

40 second cooldown, 45 mana, can't miss, long range

You explode with frozen rage, unleashing a storm of ice and snow. The storm empowers your critical hits and encrusts you with a protective veil of ice. Your crit damage and Endurance are increased by 50% for 10 seconds and your foe's chance to hit is reduced by 50%. You have a 30% chance to buff your haste by 30% for 5 seconds. If your foe is Numb, they become frozen in shock, remaining Stunned for 10 seconds.

Note: "Calm before the Storm's" debuff is required to get "Glacial Storm's" debuff. 

Passive 1: Ancestral Strength: Increase STR by 15%

Passive 2:  Frozen Skin: Increase End by 10% and reduces damage taken by 10%

Passive 3: Berserker’s Hatred: Increase Crit Chance and Crit Damage by 10%

Note: Players that tested the Glacial Berserker last week can choose to keep the Glacial Berserker Test Class (now Warrior art and skills), or trade in for a FREE version of the Glacial Berserker armor in the Glaceran War Merge shop.

January 02, 2017

Last Chance to Get December Upgrade Gear

Northlands Ranger Set Leaves Friday

This is your last chance to unlock the gear from our December upgrade bonus when you buy any membership or AdventureCoin package worth $10 USD or more. All these items go perma-rare on Friday, January 6th, and 6 PM EST!

Tier 1: Northland Ranger

Hunt down evil-doers and rewards Good heroes with the Northland Ranger! 

Tier 2: Icewild Hunter

Your targets will never know you were there... until they find the evidence you left behind. 

Undead Legion Bonus Gear

Last month, Aranx made a special variant of the November armor set just for members of the Undead Legion. We got a ton of positive feedback, so this month... we're doing that again!

If you're a member of the Undead Legion, when you unlock the Northlands Ranger or Icewild Hunter gear, you'll also unlock the exclusive Legion variant created by Dage the Evil - the Darknight Stalker.

Once you log in, you can buy the with Legion Tokens in Dage the Evil's shop in the Underworld!

June 21, 2016

Those Pesky Treasure Chest Keys!

Twilly's Quests Reopened

If you head over to Battleon, you will see that Twilly's Treasure Chest quest has been reopened!  You can now turn in your Key for Epic Loot, and Members have access to their free keys again!

I guess being Warlord Twilly is more work than I thought, so we jumped in and helped by unlocking a few things after the fixes went live. If you tried to turn in one of these quests, then you could not turn in any other quest until you relogged. 

This fix means that those quests will no longer block other quests from being turned in.

April 08, 2016

Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands

LIVE at Yulgar's Inn: Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands!

A mysterious carnival is on its way to town, and with it, the famed Illusionist Musician, Crystal Bright!  Together with her band, the Silver Hands, she is renowned for music that transports all who hear it into a world crafted from their own dreams!

Join them in Yulgar's Inn or head over to the carnival to see what's going on!

Also this week: The April Rares Shop has arrived!  Check in to pick up the first set of gear available only for this month!

Coming Soon: The Bone Castle!

The Darkness is coming... Conquer the Bone Castle next Friday, 4.15.16

Become a Void Caster!

 Buy any AdventureCoin or Membership package of $10 USD or more to unlock your exclusive April upgrade bonus items!

New this week:  Stripeless Void Caster Armor available in the Tier 1 and 2 Shop!

For more information: Check here!

Reminder:

Quibble Coinbiter's shop leaves the game on 4.22.16.  Get your items while you still can!

March 22, 2016

Mystical Dark Caster Class confusion

There are 2 versions of the newest Dark Caster Class - the Arcane Dark Caster Class which can be purchased for 2000 AC in the March Rares shop and the Mystical Dark Caster Class which owners of ANY of the newest Dark Caster Armors can get for FREE!

The Mystical Dark Caster Class is identical to the Arcane Dark Caster class.  It has a different name to show the difference in how the class was obtained.

The quests to obtain the Mystical Dark Caster class are available from the Arcane Paragon Pet NPC in Battleon.  The NPC can ONLY be seen if you have one of these armors (or the Arcane Dark Caster Class).  The Arcane Paragon Pet NPC offers 5 Quests:

• Owners of the Shadowed Dark Gunner armor (purchased for 2000 ACs) can do a quest to get the Mystical Dark Caster Class for free
• Owners of the Shadowy Dark Gunner armor (purchased for 1000 ACs) can do a quest to get the Mystical Dark Caster Class for free (your quest requires the purchase of a 1000 AC token from the Paragon Pet NPC's Merge Shop)
• Owners of the Shadowcraft Dark Gunner armor (From the Undead Legion Merge shop - required purchase of the 2000 AC Arcane Dark Caster Armor) can do a quest to get the get the Mystical Dark Caster Class for free
• Owners of the Arcane Dark Caster ARMOR (purchased for 2000 ACs) can do a quest to get the Mystical Dark Caster Class for free
• Owners of the Arcane Dark Caster CLASS to get the Arcane Dark Caster ARMOR for free.

The only way to get the Arcane Dark Caster ARMOR for free is to purchase the Arcane Dark Caster CLASS from the March Rares shop.  There is no way to get the Arcane Dark Caster Armor for free by doing the quests for the Mystical Dark Caster Class.

February 09, 2016

The Most Delicious Release is LIVE!

Grab Your Maple Syrup!

The Grand Master Lunch Lady Oishii has returned to Battleon bringing with her a few silly, pancake based items. You can find her in Yulgar's Inn until this Fridaybut watch out, you will probably get hit at random by her flying flapjacks of doom! 

Seasonal items are returning - like the Pancake Hat w/Butter and the Oolong the pancake bunny pet, and the fan-favorite Pancake Puppy pet!

Oishii's Pancake Goodies:

• Pancake Hat
• Pancake Hat w/Butter
• The Full Stack
• Oolong Pet
• Pancake-Topus pet
• Pancake Puppy pet

November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Item Hunt

Take a break from the Turkey and Hunt down items!!

That's right!  When it's time to take a break from the Turkey, head on in to AQWorlds.  Today's Black Friday Item Hunt item is here!

These 0 AC drop items* will be available in-game as drops until the Black Friday shop leaves in early December!

Countdown to Black Friday schedule:

• Monday: get the Dark Noble Garb from Giant Crashers in Weddingdead map
• Tuesday: get the Charred Phoenix Pet from Mana Phoenix in the Thirdspell map
• Wednesday: get the Elegant Doom Toga from Flame Soldier in the Embersea map
• Thursday: get the Shadowseer House Guard from the Sullied Master in the Dagefortress map
• Friday: get the Dark Ripper House Guard from the Blademaster in the Evilwardage map
• Saturday: get the Cyber Dryad Set from the Red Dragon in Lair
• Sunday: get the Cyberfire Torches from the Astral Ephemerite in the Timespace map

* Different items will have different drop rates - some will be harder than others... but some will be pretty easy. Happy battling!

November 25, 2015

Thankstaking - A Feast of Fear

The Feast of Fear has arrived!

What happens...when Mogloween doesn’t end? This year, one mad scientist aims to serve up a taste of terror you’ll never forget...a Feast of FEAR! And if he succeeds, those two holidays will never be the same again!  A plague of Pumpkin Spice is upon us... and only you can help save Lore!

Join Oishii and the Magical Candy makers to stop this plague of Pumpkin Spice and stop Gourdello and his evil plan to unleash the OverGourd!

Gather all the spice you can to stop Gourdello from taking over even more Holidays!  Oishii will take all the Pumpkin Spice you can gather in exchange for some gourd-geous new gear!

November 25, 2015

Share The Love, Get A Prize

AQ3D Backer Quest!

Share our AQ3D Kickstarter announcement post on Facebook and retweet Artix's AQ3D Kickstarter announcement tweet! If the community completes the quest, everyone in AQW, DF and AQ Classic will get a FREE SWORD designed by Dage. The higher the score, the bigger and crazier the weapon gets! See how many we can get before the Kickstarter ends on the first day of the new year!

Share this:  Facebook AQ3D Kickstarter post

Retweet this: Artix's AQ3D Kickstarter Tweet

That's all there is to it. The Blade unlocks at 1000 TOTAL shares and re-tweets. (example: 500 shares + 500 re-tweets = 1000 total), and it evolves the more we share these two posts! This is great because you get something for doing almost nothing AND you're helping us spread the word about the AQ3D Kickstarter!

P.S. Oh, if the community somehow goes over 2,500 then we will film a video of Dage's reaction when we tell him he has to make it even bigger and crazier.

Check out the AdventureQuest 3D Kickstarter

November 24, 2015

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Frostval!

It's that most wonderful time of the year... almost!

Once the Harvest Festival is over, Lore takes a few (a VERY few) days off to relax before the next awesome holiday!  What is in store for us this Frostval?  Will Twig cause something to go crazy... again?

Who knows what is in store for you this year - but you know for sure that there will be epic gear, fantastic items and a CRAZY story!

November 24, 2015

Coming Soon - Black Friday and Cyber Monday!

Black Friday Shop Opens on 11.27 at 12:01 AM

Set your alarm clocks because the Black Friday shop is ALMOST HERE! Featuring the rare BladeMaster Assassin CLASS, armor set, houses and house items from Dage the Evil plus a ton of gear from Blade, Tana, and your other favorite AQW artists - the darkest shop of the year is also one of the brightest spots in our calendar!

The shop will also include:

• Dark Spirit of Conquest Armor and helm
• Black Void of Revontheus
• Elegant Toga Armor
• Dark Daimyo Pet
• and more!

Cyber Monday Shop Opens on November 30th at 12:01 AM

DOUBLE set your alarm clocks because the Cyber Monday shop is ALSO almost here! Featuring an all-new Cyber house from J6 plus cyberized base classes and an overclocked Void armor set from Laken, and super-charged weapons from Osu, this is going to be one super-cyber shop you won't forget!

Keep an eye on Twitter for more Cyber Monday previews as they are created!

August 06, 2015

Hunt for the Treasure Dragon's Egg!

Pirates have stolen the Most Valuable Treasure of all!

The Treasure Dragons have long been revered by the people of (and off the coast of!) Terra Lacuna.  Tragedy has struck the area, with the theft of the Lord of the Treasure Dragons' heir!  Chrysos, Lord of the Treasure Dragons, will NOT be pleased that pirates have stolen Xergon's Egg. His heir isn't even hatched yet and he's already getting into trouble!  DragonMaster AuScythe was supposed to be looking after Xergon, but the Pirates managed to steal away the egg from underneath his nose!

Phione - one of the mermaids living off the coast of Terra Lacuna - spotted the pirates who stole the artifact from Chrysos, Lord of the Treasure Dragons. 

YOU are going to need to get his treasure back... before it's too late for the entire Treasure Dragon race! But beware - the protective curse-magics surrounding this artifact are strong - you can see how they've begun affecting Phione, slowly turning her and anyone nearby to gold. 

While you're battling to take down the thieves and recover the artifact without being gilded yourself, keep an eye out for the deadly creatures of the deep!  You never know what you'll find in the depths!