Design Notes

September 30, 2011

Lore is Under Attack!

SkyGuard: Assemble and Defend!

BOOOOOM! The SkyPirate offensive has been launched! Rally the remaining SkyGuard leaders so that they can assemble their crews! They've got to stop the SkyPirates from attacking, because Arcangrove, Swordhaven, Citadel, BattleOn, Lolosia and many more cities are being bombed RIGHT NOW!

Oh no! Arcangrooooooove!

While they do that, you've been ordered to guard the Department of Strategization; it holds many top-secret state documents, experimental artillery, and all sorts of things that King Alteon doesn't want the SkyPirates to get ahold of! So it's just your luck that the SkyPirates are attacking there, too! Defend the DoS (a denial of satisfaction defense is your best offense!) and take down the SkyPirates!

You'll need to take out Pirates, kill them to gain the stolen Alarm codes to activate the Alarm system, and take down their leader! You also REALLY want to find the pieces of the SkyPirate map which will lead you to their hideout! Also available: a SkyShip chase minigame will allow you to fly the unfriendly skies while dodging bombs and TNT. (Don't let them get away with the state secrets!)

And last but not least, head up to the DoS roof and take on the SkyPirates swaming into the building! If you can kill 100 of them there, you'll unlock a member-only character page achievement: SkyPirate Slayer!

Sky-High SkyGuard Rewards!

We've got some first class SkyGuard rewards this week! From the SkyGuard Medic Armor (rank 7) all the way to the SkyHunter Armor (rank 10) and a copious amount of cringe-inducing syringe weapons, these soldiers of the sky are flying high with all of this new equipment!

Medic and SkyHunter Armors

Limited Time Shop Starts NOW! 

Two EPIC armors await members in this limited time shop: the Gilded Magistrate and Magistrate Armors! Sold for 1,337 gold each, you can only get your gauntleted hands on these extra-awesome armors for 48 hours! That's TWO DAYS, and the clock starts as soon as we release!

So shiny, so AU-ntense!

Treasure Chest drops: MORE Treausures!

We've got a bevy of beautious new treasure chest drops for you this week! If you've been battling the last few weeks, you're almost certain to have gotten a treasure chest drop (or several!) from the monsters you're slaying! With Treasure Chest keys (get them at Twilly or free with membership!), you can unlock the amazing rewards locked inside!

The CaPwn Armor and Tommy Gun!

Also added to the chests this week:

• CaPwn Armor, Bonnet, and Hat
• Tommy Gun
• Prismatic Double Scythe
• Crimson Gladiator and Helm
• Turtle Marauder Armor, Helm, and Shell

Suggestion Shop Update Strikes Again! 

We're back with another update to Yulgar's Player Suggestion Shop! This week features ideas from Agyron and Gompa! 

• Agyron's Zealith Warrior Armor - 37,500 gold (member only)
• Gompa's 50 Excalibur - 200 ACs

News to remember!

3rd Upholder starts the first day of October - that's tomorrow! Purchasing an upgrade will get you a crazy-cool character page achievement and the ever-awesome Platinum Star Sword! (Not awarded until November 4th, but it goes great with TLaPD's Platinum Naval Commander armor!) See Cysero's detailed Design Notes post for more info on this!

Quibble Coinbiter's Talk Like a Pirate Day shop will remain in BattleOn until Monday! But after that, it's gone for another year, so grab your chance to get these equips before his ship sails!

Next week we return to MystCroft as we begin the month-long Mogloween/AQW 3rd birthday combo-extravaganza-super-event! (Whew, that is a long name!) It is going to be out of this world!

 Thanks to everyone for all the get-well wishes! I am feeling much better and hope to soon return to eating solid foods. Until then, it's a steady diet of Moglinberry Juice Smoothies and Gorillaphant milk cheese for me! Have a great weekend!

September 30, 2011

Announcement coming!

3rd Birthday SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

The Faxtron 3000 just recieved the signed piece is paper that makes our event for AQWorld's 3rd Birthday... OFFICIALLY ON! The band joining us this year is going to surprise players of many different ages. They are by far our biggest celebrity guests yet, but at the same time I would not be surprised if some of our younger players do not know them.... well, at least not yet (But, we would be very surprised if you have not heard many of their songs from the Radio, TV, and other media!) So, here is your AQWorlds lineup for October!

Coming this OCTOBER!

This week (Sept 30th) SkyGuard "Lore Under Attack"
Next week (Oct 7th) The path to Mystcroft re-opens: Mogloween 2011 begins!
Then (Oct 14th) SPECIAL EVENT! Part 1 w/ Special Guest
Then (Oct 21st) SPECIAL EVENT! Part 2 w/ Special Guest
OMG... then (Oct 28th) BRAND NEW Mogloween special, super spooky release!

The Special Event will introduce a terrifying new villain to the world of Lore, and reveal things about our worlds past that will likely change... everything!

September 28, 2011

Purple Elephants on a SkyShip

That seems like a silly SkyPirate strategy...

Afternoon, Heroes and Heroines and Anti-Heroes! (Not the same thing as Villains according to literary theory!) Cysero told Twitter that I would write Design Notes. Now, I didn't think that was really wise since I'm taking some medicine for pain (I had 3 wisdom teeth pulled yesterday), but I trust Cysero! He's never steered me wrong yet, except for the time he suggested I eat the snozzberry yogurt. But might have dreamed that memory.

OOOH speaking of literature, I was reading a book Monday to distract myself from the pain in my mouth and it was about Hannibal using elephants in war. And THAT led to my dream - which happened when Rolith made me take a NAP (even though I need to work and not sleep!) - which was KIND OF about the release...

In that I dreamed about the SkyGuard (visions of BattleOn, Arcangrove, Lolosia, and more exploding as SkyPirate bombs fell on them) and SkyPirates using (this is a REALLY bad idea, pirates) purple elephants to attack the SkyGuard's Department of Strategization...

which sounds like defenestration...

which means to throw out of a window...

and the eyes are the window to the soul...

and sailors say "Aye Aye Cap'n"...

and the SkyGuard are sailors of the air...

and air is in hairspray...

which they use to style beehive bouffants...

which sounds like elephants...

that the SkyPirates want to purple! It all makes SENSE!@!!!

...
...

The TV and the DVR are glaring at me with malice in their beady little red LEDs. They're going to get me, and Rolith's out getting more juice! Oh NOOOOO!

I'm gonna need a Hero! And the SkyGuard are holding on for a Hero 'til the end of the Flight! You've gotta be brave, gotta /unsheath at the sight of SkyPirates as they start to fight!

Members will get a chance to be Heroes and earn
a SkyPirate Slayer character page badge this Friday!

I need a heeeeeeee-rooooooo-oooooo! Don't need teeth to sing. Success!

FOCUS. Need to FOCUS. Writing DESIGN NOTES.

Also successful (we think) will be this Friday's Limited Time Shop (member-only items sold for gold)! Cysero talked about that here. Cysero talks about a lot of things (he is REALLY smart! No joke.), and this is one of the ones you should definitely remember to pay attention to.

If you follow that link, you'll ALSO get to learn, or to remember if you've already learned it, about the update to the Treasure Chests this week! We're not going to stop filling those until you have HUNDREDS of items to collect! (That is a HUGE chest! Perhaps it is a Treasure Chest of Holding. HAH! D&D reference. I love being a nerd.)

We will also TRY to update the Player Suggestion shop. It depends on how much time we have.

Ok. Ok. Talk about the SkyGuard release. Talk about the Limited Time Shop. Talk about the Treasure Chest update. Talk about the Suggestion Shop. Check. Check. Check. Check. ... Check please! I'm checkin' out, it's nap time!

I'll leave you with a pretty pretty picture:

Rolith bought me lovely flowers but the cats eated them.

September 28, 2011

Zhoom vs. Lag Monster

Blowing lag to bits.. 01010011010

Even the Chaos Lords know the most dreaded monster in our world is Lag. Oddly,  few people know there are two types of lag monsters. 1^st is Lag from Flash trying to draw our artists' awesomely detailed armors and weapons at 24 frames per second. AQWorlds art has really evolved! The solution for this graphics lag is to hire worse artists. (Someone please make a note of this.) The 2^nd type of Lag is server lag. That is… when you click a button to do anything from battle a monster to open a shop, our servers and database do crazy things to make sure everyone else sees what you are doing. This is the most complicated part of the game and the part most prone to problems. Have you ever experienced lag spikes, “midnight lag,” or got booted from the server for no reason? It is ALL because of Lag #2 (Server Lag). 

This Lag is Elemental!

Zhoom spent the last two weeks rewriting huge chunks of the server and database. As of yesterday combat should be smoother, those lag spikes should be pretty much gone, and midnight lag - once and for all - should be completely gone! Meanwhile, Yorumi and Reens have been working on the graphics lag by going through every cell of every map looking for laggy things and fixing them. Currently, the worst offender is the Mana Golem in /join elemental which drops us down to 4 frames per second when we battle him in a group. You can try this for yourself. Oh, and do not worry, the suggestion of letting me redraw him as a stick figure was vetoed. These server improvements are being made in preparation of the new classes which will be coming in October and the new features we are going to begin working on. *coughs* Guilds *coughs* We are also going to be adding TWO new servers in anticipation of the upcoming AQWorlds Birthday Event. Battle on!

P.S. Because of a promise I had made, Quibble will be in BattleOn until Monday, not Friday.

September 23, 2011

Bloodtusk Under Siege!

Good and Evil Take Over the Ravine!

Fear of Chaos is tearing apart both the Horcs and Trolls! King Alteon and Empress Gravelyn, worried over whispers escaping from the Ravine, have sent their diplomats to take over, instituting martial law.

With the Alliance's Army controlling the Ravine - the Horcs and Trolls are afraid they will be unable to protect themselves from the Chaos Lord, whoever they may be!

Kagg and Sokrakiis call on YOU, Hero, to help them save their homes, their families, and a mysterious Ore that is sacred to them all. Will you defy your long-time allies to help your newest friends? And Drakath's minions... what chaotic Twin-terference have THEY been up to?

This week has some AWESOME rewards AND a member-only area of the map to battle high-exp and gold monsters! (This area also has increased drop rates for quest items and item rewards!)

Troll Rep Shop:

• Troll Warrior Armor
• Trollinator Cape
• Trollinator Helms

Horc Rep Shop:

• Horc Peacekeeper Armor
• Horcinating Cape
• Peacekeeper Hat

Troll Defiance Shop:

• Pride and Glory
• Troll's Last Stand

Horc Defiance Shop:

• Granite Rippers
• Mauling Stick

And even more rewards from Khasaanda and Zot in the /join ravinetemple map!

New Treasure Chest Rewards!

Treasure Chests just keep dropping! And THIS week there's NEW items in them! We're going to keep adding new items to the Treasure Chest reward drop pool until we have hundreds! And this week we bring you the Onikage Armor and Helm!

Noteworthy News!

Quibble Coinbiter's Talk Like a Pirate Day Shop is staying for another week! Grab your doubloons and loot his shop or he'll make you walk the plank. Yarrrr!
The Bloodtusk AC War Rare shops are GONE! Those epic items are gone for good! We also removed all of the Chaorrupted Troll Boss drops except the pets.

3rd Upholder is Coming!

October is AQWorlds' anniversary month! And THAT means that anyone who upgrades will become a 3rd Upholder! That'll get you a sweet character page achievement and the EPIC Platinum Star Sword! (The Star Sword will not be released until November 4th.)

What comes next for Bloodtusk?

If you're really going to help the Trolls and Horcs, it looks like you're going to need to take on the Alliance! But the Twins -and Drakath - aren't going to make that easy. Nor are they going to stop fomenting Chaos between the Horcs and Trolls! And what of the mysterious Chaos Lord? You'll find out! Join us next week for more of the ravages of fear, loathing, and Chaos in Bloodtusk Ravine!

If you can't do quests for this week:

Then you'll need to follow these steps:

If you can't do Kagg's quests in the ravinetemple map, then here's what you need to do:

Head back to the Crossroads zone, and talk to Rawg (all the way to the right and up):

1) Accept the Oracle quest from Rawg.
2) Answer the Oracle's questions in the middle of the ravine.
*** Then follow the rest of the steps below.

If you've already done the Oracle's quest (answered her questions) for the Horcs, do this:

3) Go and watch the Eclipse cutscene at the end of the Crossroads zone.
4) Watch The River Runs Red in /bloodtuskwar
5) Kill the War Boss again.
6) Watch the cutscene, "Chaos Rages."
7) Go to /ravinetemple and do the quests!

If you can't do Sokrakiis' quests in the ravinetemple map, then here's what you need to do:

Head back to the Crossroads zone, and talk to Druuz (all the way to the right and up):

1) Accept the Oracle quest from Druuz.
2) Answer the Oracle's questions in the middle of the ravine.
*** Then follow the rest of the steps below.

If you've already done the Oracle's quest (answered her questions) for the Trolls, do this:

3) Go and watch the Eclipse cutscene at the end of the Crossroads zone.
4) Watch The River Runs Red in /bloodtuskwar
5) Kill the War Boss again.
6) Watch the cutscene, "Chaos Scars."
7) Go to /ravinetemple and do the quests!

September 22, 2011

Interference

The Alliance Is Coming.

The Trolls and Horcs have had problems with each other for hundreds of years, but have always managed to deal with them on their own terms. Now that the rumors of the Twins appearing in Bloodtusk have reached King Alteon and Empress Gravelyn, they feel that it is their duty to step in and help the Trolls and Horcs settle their differences before a new Chaos Lord is born from the mutual hate and distrust.

General Tibias of the Shadowscythe Army and the former Pactogonal Knight, Knight Commander Cynari will arrive in Bloodtusk this Friday with a Alliance army behind them.

There is an ancient temple in Bloodtusk which hold great meaning for both the Trolls and Horcs and plays a large part in their shared history. Now, the Trolls and Horcs battle has managed to spread deep into Blookdusk Ravine and threatens to topple the Ar’Huus Temple, leaving it a pile of rubble.

We all know that Alteon and Gravelyn are dedicated to making the Alliance between Good and Evil work, (at least until the Chaorruption of Lore has been dealt with) but it just seems like trying to FORCE two ancient races to stop fighting is just adding more people to the conflict. I wonder if this is exactly the kind of chaos that the twins were sent to spread?

This release features a new expansion to Bloodtusk as well as a Member Only section of this map with high level monsters with special member only items, but there are plenty of other items in the new area and in the Horc and Troll reputation shops!

It all starts Friday!

TLPD SHOP EXTENDED!

Due to a flood of requests to keep Quibble in town for another week, he has decided to stay but he WILL be leave Friday of NEXT WEEK. If you don't have your TLPD rare booty by then, then you're out of luck.

Our art team had their hands full this week so there will be NO additional items added to the shop. Sorry.

3rd Upholder Is Coming!

You might have already read my 3RD UPHOLDER POST, but if you missed out... here are the finer points:

Upholders are people who help support the game buy buying Memberships during October, which is AQW's Birthmonth. First, there were Founders, next came the 1st Upholders, then last year came the 2nd Upholders and now is YOUR chance to become a 3rd Upholder!

If you buy any Membership in the month of October OR if you already have a Membership that expires ON or AFTER NOVEMBER 4th, 2011... you will be a 3rd Upholder!

3rd Upholders get the Platinum Star Sword rare weapon and a shiny 3rd Upholder Badge on their character pages to show off that you supported AQW during our 3rd Birthday.

You can use any method you like to get your Membership, even Artix Points, but it HAS TO BE A MEMBERSHIP. ACs DO NOT get you 3rd Upholder. 

You get the Character Page padge as soon as your upgrade takes effect but you don't get the Platinum Star Sword until November 4th.

Since I've been getting a ton of questions from Brazilian players, here it is again... em Português:

Nós temos tido mais questões do que o normal vindas de jogadores brasileiros a respeito do status de 3rd Upholder, então pensei que isso pudesse ajudar.

Para se tornar um 3rd Upholder, conseguir a 3rd Upholder Badge na sua Character Page, e a Platinum Star Sword em 4 de Novembro, você PRECISA ter uma membership (ser membro no jogo) que expire EM ou APÓS 4 de Novembro de 2011 , ou você pode simplesmente comprar uma membership (se tornar membro) a qualquer momento durante o mês de Outubro.

Você pode comprar uma membership utilizando qualquer método no site do AQW ou utilizando Artix Points, mas PRECISA ser algum tipo de membership DO AQW.AdventureCoins NÃO CONTAM. Espero que isso ajude a esclarecer um pouco da confusão, e obrigado por tudo!

Thanks For The Support!

I see a some of you are already sporting your 3rd Upholder badges on your character pages. We know that there is a lot to do in AQW for free, and every Membership and AC is optional, which makes it mean so much to us that you have chosen to support AQW.

Thanks for helping to support AQW with your membership. We really appreciate every Membership and AC, which helps keep the game moving forward every week but we always want to make sure that Members get the most out of the game.

There's no denying that some of the AC items you see are great, and it can be a fantastic short cut to unlockeing some of the best classes in the game but members get tons of pets and battle pets, daily quests to make rep farm easier, some of the finest armors and items the game has to offer, special areas and member only game content, challenge fights and areas, 2 free Treasure Chest keys per month... the list keeps growing.

Members really do get the best that AQW has to offer and we work hard to make sure that you get more than your money's worth. AdventureQuest Worlds would not be possible with out you.

See you tomorrow for the weekly release!

September 20, 2011

3rd Upholders!

What is an Upholder?

AQW is coming up on another birthday! That's means that we are once again going to offer 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 two years ago and 2nd Upholders got the chance last year at this time)

What Does A 3rd Upholder Get?!

That's easy! When you become a 3rd Upholder you get a Platinum Star Sword (it's 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.

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 or last year's 2nd Upholder Onyx 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 or ALL THREE!)

Sounds Great! How Do I become a 3rd Upholder?!

It couldn't be simpler. Become a member!

1.  If you are ALREADY a member and your membership expires ON or AFTER November 4th, 2011, then you're are ALREADY a 3rd Upholder. Gratz.
2. If you help support AQW by buying ANY membership ANY TIME during the month of October (from October 1st to November 3rd) then you become a 3rd Upholder!

Matches the PNC perfectly!

I Think My Membership Already Makes Me A 3rd Upholder. How Can I Check?

Also, easy. Just click the Manage Account link on the left.

As soon as you sign in you'll see when your membership expires. Here's mine:

Or you could just check your Character Page for the 3rd Upholder Achievement Badge!

Cool! When Do I Get My Super Sweet 3rd Upholder Sword and Badge?

As i just mentioned, some of you already HAVE your badges on your character pages but if not it will appears as soon as your Membership goes through. The Star Sword will magically appear in your backpack on Friday, November 4th.  If your backpack is FULL, don't worry... the Platinum Star Sword will make a temporary spot for itself. Once you remove something from your backpack it will fill in the real slot and your inventory will return to its proper size.

Only Memberships Count?

Yes. You can use Artix Points on the Portal site or any method in AQW to upgrade, but it MUST be a membership. AdventureCoins DO NOT COUNT TOWARD 3rd Upholder.

Anything Else I Should Know?

Yup!

We appreciate every single upgrade and AC that you guys pay for. 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, members areas, and your monthly Treasure Chest Key allowance. Without you there is no way that we could possibly keep the game running 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 recieve an upgraded version of your Platinum Dragon pet... the Platinum Armored Platinum Dragon Battle Pet! (non-member).

Double Platinum all the way across the sky...

The 3rd Upholder Platinum Star Sword and the Founder Platinum Armored Platinum Dragon Battle pet (Yup, it's a battle pet this year!) are both going to have a price of 0 ACs so you will be able to store them for free in your bank!

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 3 years year ago, 1st Upholders, 2nd Upholders last year or 3rd Upholder next month 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 our third birthday, and we hope that you will stick around for many more birthdays and keep adventuring with us.

September 19, 2011

Happy TLPD 2011!

Yar!

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day, maties! It be time for a little nautical education. A lot of people didn't grow up in a piratical culture like I did here on the gulf coast of Florida so I'm sure a few of you don't really know what YAR actually means. It's not just something pirates yell to be piratey.

I think it was best defined in one of my favorite movies. Katherine Hepburn's character Tracy Lord is talking about a ship she and her ex-husband, Mr. C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) once owned:

" My, she was yar...It means, uh...easy to handle, quick to the helm, fast, right. Everything a boat should be..."

So there you have it. NOW BACK TO SWABBIN' THE DECKS, YA SCURVY SEADOGS! 

Quibble has really outdone himself this time, brining more than 40 TLPD rares including the Platinum Naval Commander Set, The Inverted Pirate Captain set and the Legion Jolly Roger set! Quibble will be here at LEAST until Friday, maybe longer, but he won't stay forever. If you like this year's TLPD rares, grab them quick!

Screenshot Contest Is OVER!

At noon today (EST, server time) our latest Screenshot contest ended and we have a LOT of entries to sort through before we can announce the winners but keep your eyes on the Design Notes and we will announce them as soon as we have some to announce.

Thanks to everyone who participated. I can't wait to see how these new shots look on AQW Screenshot page!

The War Is Over... But The Battle Is Just Beginning.

Word of the Twins appearance in Bloodtusk Ravine has spread far and wide, as well as tales of the increasingly bloody conflict between the Trolls and Horcs.

Princess Gravelyn and King Alteon have come to the conclusion that neither a Troll or Horc should be allowed to become a new Chaos Lord and they are willing to use all the combined might of the Good and Evil Alliance to end this stalemate.

The undead armies of evil are marching alongside the armored knights of good and they are all marching on Bloodtusk. The Allaince plans to force a peace between the Horcs and Trolls by any means necessary.

The war AC shop going rare at Friday's release as well as all of the Boss's drops EXCEPT for the Tigriff and Chaos Tigriff pets. War Merge shop and drops are staying in, as promised.

September 17, 2011

Chaos has Only Just Begun!

The Trolls won the war...

But it looks like each side still blames the other for what happened! The Trolls are SURE that a Horc Chaos Lord is responsible for this tragedy, and the Horcs - many of them - KNOW that the best defense is a pre-emptive offense.

Are you ready for the War Boss?!*

After defeating the Chaorrupted Troll War Boss (this is NOT the Chaos Beast. We are not even close to the end of Bloodtusk Ravine! Muahaha!), you'll be taken to a screen where you can choose to view the Troll OR the Horc war end cutscene.

Trolls will see "Chaos Scars" while the Horcs can watch "Chaos Rage"! Both will give you an insight into the characters and what they are planning for the future of their enemies. Log in next weekend to see the VERY unexpected (in that no one's guessed it. Yet...) outcome of the Bloodtusk Ravine war!

SECRET: We said the winning side would influence the war boss, and it did! Had the Horcs won, the war boss would have been a Chaorrupted Horc. Zot's little sister. /sadface!

The Chaorrupted Troll Boss drops:

• Potent Chaorruption Scythe (member only)
• Chaorrupted Cape (member only)
• Chaorrupted Nightmare Blade (non-member)
• Tigriff and Chaotic Tigriff Cub Pets (member only)

It's 3AM and it's time for all good - and exhausted - game developers to head to bed! See you on Monday, Heroes!

* Thanks to Tweaked, Zereldo, XXJukkaXX, dark warrior overlord, Omnilordzant, and Kroulo for an EPIC half hour of battling while we raised the war meter that last little bit!

September 16, 2011

Talk Like a Pirate Day is Early!

Avast ye, Heroes!

It's Booty-or-Belly-up Time! Quibble has returned to BattleOn with a backpack FULL of accessories that will serve you well on the Seven Seas! If you're ready to leave your landlubber past behind, equip your sea-legs and /swagger into BattleOn! Featured this Talk Like a Pirate Day is the epically-shiny Platinum Naval Commander!

Shown here with the PC Mask, PC Sabre, PC Undead Parrot and PC Cursed Monkey Pet!

Not familiar with Quibble? He's the time-traveling moglin with a... business arrangement with a Time-Travel Fairy. She keeps him supplied with rares from the future - even though they haven't been made YET! And it looks like one of her latest acquisitions comes from the Underworld! Introduccing the Legion Jolly Roger:

And a multitude of terror-inducing Legion pirate helms!

THose skulls look really jolly!

Other Pirrrrratical-themed armors and sets include the Jester of Tortue-You-Ga set, the ShadowPirate set, and the Inverted Pirate Captain set!

We positively LOVE this negative armor!

Quibble is selling 41 pieces of epic booty for AdventureCoins and Gold doubloons, including some member-only gear!

War in the Ravine rages on!

Both the Horcs and Trolls are surrounded by Chaorrupted Jungle Beasts! Battle On, Heroes, to save your friends from certain annihilation! (If only you knew WHO the Chaos Lord was...)

Once the war meter hits 100%, you will unlock the War Boss and, while you might THINK you know what to expect, you will never guess the Boss' identity. To learn THAT, you'll have to watch the cutscenes!

There are separate cutscenes for both the Trolls and the Horcs, each showing the reactions of one of the races to what they've just experienced, and giving YOU and idea of what lies ahead in Bloodtusk Ravine!

The Golden Horc Armor and helms will be added to the Horc Merge shop tonight!

New war rewards are going into the War Merge shops tonight, so be sure to check both the Horc and Troll shops for new rockin' equips! Battle On, Heroes, because the war is almost at an end! As Artix says: "Don't give up now, you're just about to WIN!"

We'll see you all on Monday as we start building the next installment of Bloodtusk Ravine! Until then, raise your mugs of grog high and get your Pirate booty movin' as you /dance a jig to celebrate this year's Talk Like a Pirate Day event!

September 14, 2011

We See You Trollin', You're Horcin'...

You guys aren't fightin' dirty...

Because true heroes like you are commanding the Bloodtusk battlefield! Fighting the Chaos monsters wherever they are found. Paired up in parties of Trolls, Horcs, or just soloing as extraordinary, everyday heroes, you're hack-and-slashing away at each of the war meters! And if you keep pushing as hard as you are, you'll soon find yourselves face-to-tusks with a Chaorrupted war boss that NO one will expect!

Trolls take the field!

Trolls should be hitting 50% sometime tonight (they are at 48% now); the war is half-won, but the battling is NOT done! Fighting on the Troll side is ferocious, with artists putting down their paintbrushes and musicians laying aside their lutes to pick up anything with a point to really put it to those twisted jungle terrors! They will not let the Horc Chaos Lord destroy their home!

Trolls have turned from ballet postions to battle-stances!

NEWS FLASH: Horc Report!

Horcs can hit 45% tonight (they are at 41% now) if they continue ripping through the Chaorruption with as much will and stamina as they have shown so far! Battle On, Horcs! Do not let the Troll Chaos Lord take over your land and ravage your people! Your hearts are not made of easily-shattered crystal, no! Embrace the stone-strength that courses through your veins and emerge from the jungle victorious!

Using strength and a courage as solid as any stone from their mountain, the Horcs push forward!

The identity of the War Boss depends on YOU, so get your fellow Horcs (or Trolls) into the jungle and confront those Chaos monsters head-on! Samba has made some crazy-cool chaos pets as war boss drops, too! (No matter which side wins, these will drop.)

Talk Like a Pirate Day this Friday!

Yo ho, yo ho, a Pirate's gear for me! Quibble is coming back to BattleOn this Friday and he's got bountiful amounts of bad-axe booty and piratical equips for you this weekend!

His sea-worthy swag will sell for both AdventureCoins and gold doubloons, so now's a good time to loot your couch cushions and commandeer your piggy bank! His piratical backpack will hold everything from Pirated Media:

I thought Bounty Hunters went after people who pirated media...

To the Platinum Naval Commander:

Platinum Naval Commander with optional Platinum Helm

And introducing the newest Talk Like a Pirate Day armor - Shadow Pirate!

Totally NOT a ninja!

Other armors featured in this year's Talk Like a Pirate Day shop are the Legion Jolly Roger and the Jester of Torture-You-Ga! Pictures of those on Friday!

So shine your peglegs, make sure you're gear's clear (because no matter how much you love your parrot, your shoulder's NOT the poop-deck!) and polish your eyepatches, because you're going to want to look ship-shape when you set sail this Talk Like a Pirate Day! (Or else the other pirates in your party will make you walk the plank!)

Reminder!

AEXtras is still a great way to get FREE ADVENTURECOINS and even FREE BATTLEON POINTS, and with new Inventory, Bank slots and Premiere Event rares to buy there's never been a better time!

 Just CLICK HERE to get started!

September 12, 2011

No place like home... page!

And 10/10 Birthday Teaser

For the next two weeks I am back on the AQWorlds team to do special projects*! First and most importantly, AQWorld's 3rd Birthday is coming up next month (October 10th). So we are literally 3 days away from signing a deal with a popular and very famous** special guest band! Wish us luck. Second, I am working with Alina and Miko on fixing and adding new pages to the AQ.com website. We are going to make pages for classes, dungeons and more. We are also going to overhaul the player support section (probably of all the games) Third, I am working with Zhoom, Reens and Yorumi on mega bug/lag/wierd-thing fixes. The to do list is pretty long... and we are going to need your help. For example, what do you think should actually be on our homepage***? Meanwhile, this week's release will include the next Horc vs Troll adventure and Talk Like a Pirate Day! (or... um... weekend! Do I smell Platinum Naval Commander?)

* Special Projects: Roughly translated....  I get us into trouble. The rest of the team gets us out.
** Not saying who, but they might be huge!
*** Please note: AQWorlds is a no-pony zone.

September 09, 2011

Bloodtusk is at WAR!

The river runs red for both Trolls and Horcs!

Chaos and paranoia have infected the residents of Bloodtusk! There is no chance of peace now; not when the Trolls fear a Horc Chaos Lord is attacking them and the Horcs fear a Troll Chaos Lord is determined to crush them!

Each side wants YOU to battle alongside them to save their home and keep their people free! Grab your sword, equip your stoutest armor, and bring a BIG backpack because there's a LOT of loot to grab!

The boss battle will be determined by the intensity of the fighting. There is no telling what vile creation this mysterious Chaos Lord is planning for the end of the war, but you can bet he is waiting and watching... he will choose whatever hurts you the most!

TWO AC Rare shops and TWO war merge shops!

Both AC Rare shops will disappear once this epically divisive war event is over, so get your gear while you still can! The merge shops (and the merge shop drops) will continue to be available once the war is over. The war itself is permanent content.

Troll AC rares shop:

• Battle Priest Helm
• Razor Blade
• Trollish Quickblade
• Troll Marksman Armor

Troll war merge shop:

• Broken Sword and Shield
• Essence of Mana Blade and Shield
• Mystique Blades

Horc AC rares shop:

• Horc be Trollin' Helm
• Gorillaphant Tusk Bow
• Horc Battleblade
• Horc Slicer

Horc war merge shop:

• Horcish Furred Cape
• Tusked Battle Helm
• Horcish Slicer Daggers
• The Pain Blade

Cysero says: Members get your Keys!

If you haven't heard about the new Treasure Chests, here is how they work: As you adventure you might find a Treasure Chest that can only be unlocked by Twilly in BattleOn by using the Magic Treasure Chest Keys that he sells. Each chest contains a random EPIC item! As a AQWorlds Member, Twilly will give you TWO FREE KEYS every month for the duration of your membership!

Except last month when a small bug caused most Members to get a LOT of free keys.

Anyway...

Members, the time has come for you to claim this month's keys for yourself!

All you need to do is visit Twilly in Battleon and click on his Treasure Chest button like you would if you wanted to buy more Magic keys or open a

Then you will see the Back button, the Open Chest button, the Magic Keys button to buy more keys and the new FREE Magic Keys button...

Simply follow that button, Complete the quest given to you and just like that... 2 more Magic Keys! This only the lastest in and increasing list of AQW Member Benefits!

This Free Keys quest resets on the 1^st of every month but you can complete it for your free keys at ANY TIME during the month for as long as your membership lasts. Just don't forget to visit Twilly at least once a month. If you skip a month, you miss out on your two free keys!

I don't think that remembering will be a problem considering that we have been and will continue to add new items all the time including TODAY! Remember that they are all set to a cost of 0 AdventureCoins so you can store them for free in your bank (like all AC items) and the keys are only 200 Acs so you can easily complete an AExtras offer for another key!

Happy adventuring and if you find a Treasure Chest... good luck!

Talk Like a Pirate Day is Coming!

Yarrrrrr! It be almost Talk Like a Pirate Day in these here parts! On September 19th, all you landlubbers will have to find your sealegs, because we're going dubloon-or-nothing with this year's TLaPD rares! Mennace has made a whole hull's worth of the saltiest loot in the land! And Dage's Platinum Naval Commander will have all you lily-livered scalawags full-blooded pirates before the day is done!

Obrigado Brasil!

The Brasilian Independence Day shop will remain until Monday! Get your gear while it's still here!

September 07, 2011

DragonCon Review!

It is... STORY TIME

A design notes post was so big... it gets it's own page! Proceed if you dare witness embarrasing photos of the real life staff and this years line up of Artix Entertainment's DragonCon adventures!

Best Dragon*Con EVAR!!!!!!!

September 07, 2011

Feliz dia da Independência!

We'd just like to say: Obrigado, Brasil!

Thanks for your continued support of AQWorlds, and congratulations on the anniversary of your Brasilian Independence Day! And to share the excitement that comes with a holiday like that, we've made the Brasilian Independence Day items available to everyone!

Obrigado to Ivesmoral for the epic picture!

Aproveitem os raros épicos! There are some awesome new Brasil-themed items as well as all of the items from last year!

This year we're introducing:

• Dragao de Independencia Armor - 600 ACs
• Azul Macaw - 15,000 gold (member-only)
• Ouro Macaw - 15,000 gold (member-only)

And we're bringing back:

• Capacete Brasiliero 2011 - 7,000 gold
• Punhais Brasilieros 2011 - 8,000 gold
• Espada Brasiliera 2011 - 10,000 (member-only)

Enjoy your Dia de Independencia, Brasil! And thanks for your continued support and enjoyment of AQWorlds!

September 06, 2011

Chaos Rising means WAR!

Back from Con and busier than ever!

We are back from Dragon*Con! Thank you to all of you who came to see us, it was SO COOL to get to meet you all, and hear all your excellent (if occasionally unfeasible) suggestions! Artix is going to write a BIG post about all the AWESOME events that happened at Dragon*Con this weekend, but right now we're going to fill you in on what will happen this week in AQWorlds. We've got a LOT planned and very little time to do it. So lets get started!

Two races. One land. A recipe for WAR!

If you've been keeping up with what's happening in Bloodtusk Ravine, you'll know that there is an uneasy peace between the Trolls and the Horcs. Not all of the Trolls and Horcs are for a truce, though, and when Chaos rears it's divisive head this week, the ravine's river will flow with more than just water: it's not called BLOODtusk for nothing!

With EPIC war rares and lots of loot that you'll only be able to pick up here, this will be a war to remember as some familiar NPCs gain new roles and raise their voices for and against war. And keep an eye on all of the Bloodtusk residents. One of them is more underhanded than they seem...

Brazilian Independence Day Shop comes tomorrow!

Obrigado, Brazil! (That's the only Portuguese word I know. How do you say "Happy Independence Day, Brazil!" and "Enjoy the epic rares!" Someone let me know! Those online translators make mistakes sometimes.) We've got some awesome holiday rares coming your way to celebrate Brazilian Independence Day! If you live in Brazil (or just think the colorful items they've inspired are awesome), then you'll want to check out these celeb-rockin' items!

Pictures will come tomorrow once the shop rolls live since Samba is working on schoolwork and recovering from Con today.

Many people on Twitter are asking "Why do Brazilian players get a shop for their Independence Day and not (their country)?" Our answer to that is: Brazil has one of the largest (and friendliest) numbers of AQW players in the world.  This is just a way to say "thank you" to the entire nation of Brazil for their overwhelming enthusiasm for AQWorlds!

Members' Treasure Chest Keys: Update

SO many of you Members are flooding us with requests for your two free Treasure Chest keys. We want to give them to you, as well! And we will, just as soon as the code to do it gets written up.

What we've realized is that it will be easier to have a monthly member-only quest which will give the keys as a reward (a quest like the treasure chest turn-in). Once we get that set up, you'll be able to get your two free keys.

Dragon*Con Pet and Dragon Khan Blade

If you attended Dragon*Con and saw us at the Panel, fan table, or just wandering around, then you probably got your name on the list for a Dragon*Con pet! (And really, who wouldn't want a chibi, candy-throwing Zazul pet?) MOST of the people who wrote their account names down on the list have received a "DragonCon Not-Yet-Pet" item which will turn into the REAL pet once Dage finishes making it.

Like this, but chibi. And with more candy.

However, there were some people who wrote the wrong information down, or whose handwriting got blurred. If you don't have your D*C placeholder item in your inventory yet, please let me know on Twitter or by contacting Customer Support (though Twitter will probably be faster). We have a list of names to check against and ways to match your info, so attempts to sneak onto the list will be met with gentle laughter and a "Sorry!"

A BIG dragon requires a BIG blade!

You might also have seen some people with a Dragon Khan blade in their inventory. You DON'T need to have gone to Con to get this crazycool modified DragonBlade! So long as you can get the code from someone who has it, you can use it to unlock Valencia's shop and wield one of your very own!

AQW's third birthday next month!

CRAZY! AQWorlds' third birthday is in a month, and so is Third Upholder (with the attendant gift-badges and loot galore!) We're starting to plan out what we want to do for it, but what would YOU like to see happen?

Look for Artix's crazily-detailed (and sometimes hard to believe) Design Notes post about everything that went on at Con later today!

September 03, 2011

Con Release!

Dragon*Con does NOT Drag On!

It can't, because it NEVER STOPS. It's 1:46AM and Yergen, Rolith, and I are sitting around relaxing and going over the AWESOME panel we hosted earlier today. But first, let's go over the AQWorlds release before I either fall asleep or fall into the middle of a conga line of StormTroopers. Both options are equally as likely to happen.

Mystery MMO (Massively Molten Operation)

That's right, a mystery villain has kidnapped you and dropped you at the bottom of a volcano! He doesn't want to have to deal with you because he KNOWS how much trouble you were the LAST time he dealt with you.

That's right. You've tangled with him before. But not in AQWorlds. Good luck taking on his fiery, furious riddle-laden dungeon crawl. I mean it. You better hope you're lucky, because he is INSANE.

20 floors of battling on will have you in a frenzy of flame-laden fighting until you reach the top... and FREEDOM!

Suggestion Shop Update!

• Raging Fire (by Na Tra)
• Legendary Bow (by xserenax)
• The Unknown (by theavenger07)
• Unknown Hood (by theavenger07)
• Medieval Shadow (by Dudulokinho)
• False Blade of Champions (by Ayuzu)
• Turbulence (by Ninjudo)

Members' Free Treasure Chest Keys Coming Soon!

We're all at Con. Working. Yep. Working. (And playing. It's a company retreat to learn, meet players, and recharge our creative batteries.) So we will get the functionality for the 2 free Member Keys working once we get back to the Lab on Tuesday.

Con Fun! (Not Con Funk. That's different, and gross.)

We have already had SO much fun, and met so many awesome players! Aeonarial, Practel, CrystalStar, and so many more came to our Player Pizza Party! We destroyed 30 pizzas, had a lot of laughs, and got a lot of great ideas for AQWorlds!

Today's panel was AWESOME! We announced 3 VERY big announcements which I will let either Artix or Cysero tell you next week. (Unless you hear it on Twitter or the forums from someone who was here.) Voltaire came and performed live. We gave away calendars and Zazul threw a LOT of candy at people.

It's 2AM. Rolith and I are going to go find Trouble. (When Cysero is involved, the word uses a capital T.) Trouble will likely include a Wookie, a superhero, and possibly a Hynotoad. We'll have to see!

Cysero will share more stories and many pictures here in the DNs next week! For regular Twitter updates from Con, just check my Twitter account, or Cysero's, or Artix's!