The Artix Entertainment team has sent WarCry a double dose of the weekly developer blogs. This week, you get a look at the new BattleOn.com site as well as a peek at the major new AdventureQuest Online enhancements. Check it out!
AdventureQuest Worlds: A Whole New Engine is Live
This is the moment you have all been waiting for! The Public Test Realm (commonly known as the PTR) has finally been released game-wide. This is by far the largest and most epic release in AdventureQuest Worlds’ history, taking gameplay to the next level (or 10 levels with the new Level Cap increase) with the addition of Stats, PvP functionality, Item Enhancements, a new Interface, and a total overhaul of the combat system.
The magnitude of this Release might be too large to fit on any online article (which is remarkable on its own, since I do not think any online article provider has a word cap). But I will try my best at pushing these limits. Bunker down and prepare yourself… let’s begin with Stats!
Stat-us Report
For the past year and a half since the launch of AQWorlds, the world of Lore was a noob when it came to Stats. But with this brand new Engine release, a newly designed Stats system has been brought to life, designed to help make gear choices more fun. Our system focuses on the standard Stats found in most RPGS:
- Strength: Increases Attack Power which boosts physical damage. It also improves critical strike chance for melee classes.
- Intellect: Increases Magic Power which boosts magical damage. It also improves critical strike chance for caster classes.
- Endurance: Directly contributes to your total Hit Points. While very useful for all classes, some abilities work best with very high or very low total Hit Points.
- Dexterity: Valuable to melee-based classes, it increases haste, hit chance, and evasion chance. Dexterity only increases evasion chance for caster classes, however.
- Wisdom: Valuable to caster classes, it increases hit chance, crit chance, and evasion chance. Wisdom only increases evasion chance for melee classes.
- Luck: Increases the critical strike modifier for all classes directly and may have some effects outside of combat. It is called Luck for a reason!
Secondary Stats have also been introduced that vary depending on which standard Stats you hone in on. These include: Attack Power, Magic Power, Critical Strike Chance, Haste, Evasion Chance, Critical Strike Value, and Hit Chance. Remember that you always have some baseline Stats that change depending on what class you currently are… and there is more than 25 classes to choose from! Also, equippable items give you additional stats through their Enhancements, which can be viewed right about now.
Enhancements
In order for most items to be equipped, they must first be Enhanced. Like the name suggests, Enhancements apply Stat values to items that “enhance” your character when you equip them. Enhancements can be purchased from various Shop Vendors throughout the game.
Your Class trainer even offers a “smart shop” that allows you to obtain Enhancements suitable for your level! With over 1700 Enhancements to choose from, you can experiment around and find a build that works best for you. Now that’s smart… shop!
A New User Interface
The Inventory and Shop panels have been completely rebuilt-for the better! This new layout is designed to make critical information much clearer and easier to find, allowing the new Enhancement process to be as simple and informative as possible. This is also a well-refined skill known technically as: making stuff bigger!
The chat frame can now be hidden or expanded to fill the screen vertically. The toggles for these states are accessible in the lower left corner of the interface, next to the chat entry bar. You can now easily scroll through an expansive chat log with the scroll of your mouse button.
The Options panel has been redesigned and now allows you to hide your cloak or helm as well as toggle various features within game play. So even if you don’t have the best internet signal around, you can still play up-to-speed by simply disabling some lag-laden options.
The Character Overview panel is now available from either the main toolbar (that thing at the bottom right of your screen) or by hitting “c” on your keyboard. It provides mana regeneration tips, stat recommendations, and ability descriptions for your current class along with your Attack Power, Spell Power, DPS and Attack Speed. Our game actually kinda resembles a real MMORPG now!
Leveling Up Combat Mechanics
Combat mechanics have been modified greatly in our newest release. One major highlight is mana regeneration! All classes now have a fixed mana pool of 100 MP. Each special action or ability costs a certain number of mana points, and all classes have some way of earning mana back while in combat. You can now fight for much longer than previously possible… meaning that you won’t have to respawn as much! Unless you try to solo a lvl 30 Red Dragon.
Tired of targeting only one monster at a time? Your prayers have been answered in the form of AoE (Area of Effect) attacks! Many classes exhibit at least one AoE ability, such as the ProtoSartorium’s Arc Lightning that bounces between monsters and deals more damage with each consecutive hit. Healers also offer AoE heals, like Healing Word, which heals friendly units around the main target for a predetermined amount.
Healing has been made much easier with the addition of a Healing Icon. When in battle with a group, an icon will pop up over any player who has just taken more than 10% of their HP in damage or who is below 50% health, if you are playing a healing class, that is (like a Paladin or a Healer). Clicking this icon will automatically heal that player, making Healers much more group-friendly, which is pretty important since you are ganna need them now!
Potions and spell scrolls are our final addition. You may notice that your last action on the action bar is a grayed-out slot that says you can equip consumable items to use them there. These items would include things like Health Potions or a special Scroll, such as the Scroll of Chain Lightning. You can equip them from your inventory and use them in combat as you see fit!
Player vs Player: Aimed for Friday?
Our newest engine release allows for PvP combat, although we are not releasing this content just yet. The functionality is there… but the PvP areas are still MIA! We are hoping to release this highly-anticipated feature on Friday, where the PvP maps will be accessible through the PvP Queue (a new addition to the user interface), but nothing is set in stone just yet-but at least we have a deadline in mind! New PvP award items will be obtainable as well with the introduction of PvP Amulets, allowing the strongest (and most committed) players to unlock limited-time items, such as the Werepyre Slayer Armor.
AdventureQuest Worlds is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG that plays directly in your browser. No downloads are required, allowing for instant game play anywhere an internet signal is present! Become the greatest Hero today at http://www.AQ.com !
Battle on!
Artix, Beleen, Cysero and the AQW Team
Artix Entertainment: A New Way to BattleOn!
One company. One hundred million registered users. And one login to rule them all!
Artix Entertainment proudly presents the BattleOn Games portal site that reigns over our five free-to-play browser-based games! By creating a Master Account login, BattleOn Games provides you with the simplest way to continue your adventures throughout the world of Lore… without having to bookmark each game’s individual homepage.
Tuesday marked the highly-anticipated arrival of “BattleOn Points.” Getting BattleOn Points allows you to get what you want, when you want it, for any of your favorite Artix Entertainment games! When you obtain BattleOn Points on your Master Account, you will be able to redeem them for any AE game that you have an account in, from AdventureQuest Worlds to MechQuest and even our newest PVPMMO, EpicDuel. This is our first time introducing the BattleOn Points system… and the only time that the Rixty Ripper will be available!
What is a Rixty Ripper? Glad you asked (even though I kinda set you up for that one). Rixty is the newest way to get BattleOn Points by exchanging your loose change for FREE at 10,000 Coinstar machines throughout the USA. You can also buy a Rixty prepaid card at a nearby convenience store and transfer your cash online with no fees. And when you use Rixty to obtain BattleOn Points, a special in-game item unlocks just for you: the Rixty Ripper!
Each AE game features a Rixty Ripper item that can be yours with the help of BattleOn Points! Players can purchase points using any number of payment methods and then combine all those points to get bigger game upgrades. There are many ways to obtain BattleOn Points, but because Rixty is the newest method, we have set up a 2-week long promotion to help inform your fellow players of the awesome weapon they can receive via Rixty. You can check out the Rixty Ripper item unique to each game by visiting the BattleOn Games portal site. Be one of the first to harness the powers of the Rixty Ripper!
A Little Blurb about Artix Entertainment
Our privately-held game development company specializes in free to play browser-based Role Playing Games built in Flash. Artix Entertainment games feature a traditional fantasy and sci-fi environment with a completely original plot and outline that is inspired by player feedback. AdventureQuest ( http://www.BattleOn.com ), DragonFable ( http://www.DragonFable.com ), MechQuest ( http://www.MechQuest.com ), AdventureQuest Worlds MMO ( http://www.AQ.com ), and EpicDuel ( http://www.EpicDuel.com ) offer extremely customizable characters and are updated weekly with new weapons, armors, quests, features, and… some really weird stuff… continually added by the friendly Team!
Until next time….
Battle On!
Beleen and the AE Team
Published: Apr 19, 2010 05:10 pm