Design Notes

September 25, 2015

Starsword: The Legend BeginZ TONIGHT!

AQWorlds 1st - 6th Upholders Can Learn the Origin of the StarSwords!

Only once every thousand years are the legendary DragonStar Crystals active; and the person who gathers them all...will have their greatest wish come true! Join Artix on a quest to scour the very ends of the globe in search of them; and discover the source of ALL Starswords along the way! But be wary - for you aren’t the only ones who want their wish granted...

We could not build our games without the support of our long-time, loyal heroes, so we want to show them where one of their most-loved weapons comes from. If that is YOU, then /bows - thank you for helping us keep AQWorlds alive, and we hope you enjoy what we've created! The story is written and designed by two of our newest, most SUPER-SLAYIN' team members, Aeon and Venthos, and together their skill is OVER 9000!

Rewards include the Starsword Commander helm and armor PLUS new starsword-themed weapons that will match your existing starsword! So if you are only of the lucky owners of the Golden Starsword, for example, you'll be able to get the Golden StarStaff, Daggers, Scythe, and Cape! 

IF you can defeat the boss in next week's release, you'll ALSO have a chance to get the much-sought after Orange Starsword! Upholder collectors have been waiting for YEARS to pick up this blade!

Additional rewards will include the Lava Starsword, the rare Nimbus Cloudrider Armor, the Rainbow Double-Bladed Polearm, and more!

If you are NOT an Upholder, then GOOD NEWS! You can upgrade now with a 3, 6, or 12 month membership and instantly become a 7th Upholder. Then, on October 1st, you'll be able to battle down DragonRoad, too!

* Fusion Dance not required for assembly

Also releasing this week:

• Pirate Class skills get an update tomorrow - check out the skills writeup here!
• The Blazebeard boss now drops the Jolly Roger pet! Find him in the /blazebeard map and get battling!
• EVERYONE can /join battlecon and take on the Rogue Frogzard for a chance to get the Grand Theft Frogzard pet!

Get up to 25% More Free AdventureCoins Until Next Wednesday!

School will be in session for months, but the Back to School AdventureCoin Bonus ends September 30th! Don't miss your last change to get up to 25% more free AdventureCoins with any AC package, then check out Quibble's soon-to-be rare pirate gear!

NEW this week in Quibble's Shop: Pirate Adventure House!

Talk to Quibble in Battleon to find the Pirate Adventure House for 2000 AdventureCoins and make sure you have a place for your entire crew to /rest between battles! The house has 8 rooms, including 2 jungle-themed hangout areas, plus 3 on-deck frames and 2 ship interiors to decorate!

This house will ONLY be available until Quibble's shop leaves, and he won't be around much longer. With 8 rooms, this is one of the biggest houses in the entire game! So rally yer mates, and get t' adventurin'!

September 23, 2015

History of the AQWorlds Upholders

Seven Years of AQWorlds Most Legendary Members Revisited!

Seven years ago, AdventureQuest Worlds went live and players jumped at the chance to become the first Members of AQW. These lucky, early supporters of the game became the game's Founders. Every October after that, we hold the Upholder promotion - anyone upgrading their account during that period (or whose membership ends after November 1st of that year) becomes an Upholder... making them one of our most Legendary supporters. 

AdventureQuest Worlds would not be what it is today without their support. This is their story!

2009: 1st Upholders

Starsword: Golden Starsword
Highlights: The FIRST-ever Upholders, were able to buy Upholder with membership or AdventureCoins
Stats: 40,906 Heroes still have a Golden Starsword

2010: 2nd Upholders

Starsword: Onyx Starsword
Highlights: Survived the Mystery of the Disappearing Upholder Badges... but survived unscathed, and everyone had their badges awarded over the weekend!
Stats: 48,109 Heroes still have an Onyx Starsword

2011: 3rd Upholders

Starsword: Platinum Starsword
Highlights: Had an agonizing month-long wait for their starswords BUT got to unlock the mega-awesome rep quests from the They Might be Giants birthday event while they waited!
Stats: 48,663 Heroes still have a Platinum Starsword

2012: 4th Upholders

Starsword: Chaos and Chaorrupted Starswords
Highlights: The first year to get TWO Starswords... because we love to give you MORE than what you expect!
Stats: 44,615 Heroes still have one of the Chaos Starswords

2013: 5th Upholders

Starsword: Galactic, Chrono, and Legion Starswords
Highlights: Lucky 5th Upholders got THREE starswords -- there were so many good ideas from the community, we picked multiple starswords! Plus, we added "Upholder shops" into the Book of Lore so Upholders could regain their starswords if they'd sold or lost them in the past. 
Stats: 55,794 Heroes still have a Galactic, Chrono, or Legion Starsword 
(With 3 starswords adding to their total, the 5th Upholder starswords win the "Most Widely Used Starswords" award!)

2014: 6th Upholders

Starsword: Doom and Brilliant Starswords
Highlights: This year we introduced the Sentinel CLASS exclusively for Upholder and Founders - because they are always on guard against Choaos, the Queen of Monsters, and any other threat!
Stats: 37,033 Heroes still have a Doom or Brilliant Starsword

2015: 7th Upholders

Starsword: Paragon and Mechanical
Highlights: Upholders and Founders get an entire zone in Dragonroad dedicated JUST to them in this week's "Starsword: The Legend Beginz" release! 
Stats: 0 Heroes still have a Paragon or Mechanical Starsword... YET!  But many of you are already 7th Upholders and will automatically unlock these when you lock in on October 1st!

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. When we say we make our games for and with you guys, and that your support goes directly back into developing the game - we mean it!

That's why we continue to reward the AQWorlds' Founders, who supported us in the very beginning. It's why we strive to continually add value to memberships for AQWorlds Legends and Upholders - to make sure our members know how much we appreciate them!

Upholder Starswords 2009 - 2015

We are the story-tellers, and the adventure makers. We create the realities we want to live in, and play through. That is the history of the Upholders SO FAR... will you join us in writing the NEXT chapter of the AdventureQuest Worlds upholders? 

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! 

1. 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!
2. 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 01, 2012

4th Upholders!

What is an Upholder?

AQW is coming up on another birthday! That's means that we are once again offering the chance to become an AQW Upholder (The same way that the Founders got their chance at the birth of the game and the way 1st Upholders got their chance three years ago, 2nd Upholders got the chance two years ago and 3rd Upholders got the chance last year at this time).

What Does A 4th Upholder Get?!

Normally, an Upholder gets a Character Page Badge and a rare Star Sword. This year, when you become a 4th Upholder you get TWO rare Star Swords. (they're both non-member, so you can swing that sword forever and 0 ACs so you can store it for free), an achievement badge on your character page and some CRAZY bragging rights.

Why two Star Swords?

Last year, Platinum was the theme of the Upholder Star Sword and the Naval Commander. This year is The Year of Chaos... but do we listen to those players who want a redesigned Chaorrupted Star Sword to match the design of the Chaotic Naval Commander...

...or do we listen to the players calling for a Chaotic Star Sword in the Chaos color scheme but who want to keep the original Star Sword design pure and unchanged?

Easy. We do both and give you TWO Star Swords!

Those of you who have been playing for a while know that Founders already get bragging rights. They can say "I was supporting the game before you even heard of it!" and they have the fancy Platinum Dragon pet and character page achievement badge to prove it!

I'm sure you've also seen somebody with the 1st Upholder Golden Star Sword, 2nd Upholder Onyx Star Sword or last year's 3rd Upholder Platinum Star Sword and said to yourself... "DANG! WHY did I have to miss out on that?!"

This is YOUR chance to grab some of the spotlight for yourself (even if you're already a Founder or a 1st Upholder, 2nd Upholder, 3rd Upholder or ALL FOUR!)

Sounds Great! How Do I become a 4th Upholder?!

It couldn't be simpler. Become an Member!

1.  If you are ALREADY a Member and your membership expires ON or AFTER November 1st, 2012, then you're are ALREADY a 4th Upholder. Gratz.
2. 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 4th Upholder!

I Think My Membership Already Makes Me A 4th Upholder. How Can I Check?

Also, 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:

Cool! When Do I Get My Super Sweet 4th Upholder Swords and Badge?

Starting no later than Wednesday (Oct 3rd), you will find your 4th Upholder Badge in your Book of Lore in the Badges tab. Click on this badge and you will see that THIS YEAR 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 Memberships Count?

Yes. 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 4th Upholder.

Anything Else I Should Know?

Yup!

We appreciate every single upgrade and AC that you guys pay for. Nearly every penny you spend goes back into the game. People seem to like the idea of ACs a lot more than Memberships a lot of you Members said that memberships benefits were getting thin and we listened to you adding more Member items, Member dailies, Member areas, Member rewards added to AC packages, Member Classes, Member Only Mid-week releases (it's been a while since I've been able to do one but I still have more planned!), Member Boss fights, Member perks to trade skills, the Members Only ability to create guilds (with more Member only bonuses planned as we expands the guild system) and your monthly Treasure Chest Key allowance!

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. We get a few bcuks from advertizers but without you we would nobody to advertize to. Without you there is no way that we could possibly keep the game running and we cannot thank you all enough but our Founders will always hold a special place in our hearts for believing in us and supporting the game before we even had a game to support. Once again you Founders will receive an upgraded version of your Platinum Dragon pet... the Chaotic Armored Platinum Dragon Battle Pet!

We are happy to be able to provide our Founders with this special treat every year to keep saying thanks for believing in us. If you missed your chance to become a Founder in AQW, remember that we have two new games coming soon and BOTH OverSoul and Legend of Lore will offer you the chance to become Founders in those games!

I Love AQW! It's The Best Game EVER!

Thank you, AQW Player! What a nice thing to say! But seriously... thank YOU for playing. We LOVE making the game for you guys and thanks to the support of Founders four years year ago, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and now 4th Upholders and everyone in between we get to keep making it better and better every week!

It doesn't matter if you were here from the first day or THIS is YOUR first day... we're so happy that you could be with us to celebrate FOUR amazing years of AdventureQuest Worlds, and we hope that you will stick around for many more birthdays and keep adventuring with us.