Design Notes
October 24, 2011
New Mogloween Story Friday!
When Cysero bakes... who knows WHAT will happen?
Creepy creatures and spooky treats! THAT means it's time for Mogloween 2011, and we have a diabolically delicious, terrifyingly tasty story for you! Cysero is the Maddest Weaponsmith out there, but did you also know that he was a Mad Baker, as well?
If you can't stand the magic, get out of the kitchen.
Cysero's wandering Forge-Kitchen has appeared in MystCroft, and that's where you'll want to head this Friday! He's baked a devilishly-good dessert and is happy to share it with you. But something about it's just... not... quite... right. It might not look like it, but something is very, very wrong with that pie. And when an overly possessive near-by Vampire Lord gets involved, things are sure to go from bat to worse!
Maybe it's not cherry pie filling. It's probably raspberry.
Be sure to turn your sound on when you play this week's release, because you'll miss a large part of the story - some of the most deliciously-terrifying parts - if your speakers aren't on! The only things you'll hear are the things you cannot see. Be prepared. This Friday... it begins!
Trick or Treat!
You've got friends and they've got houses! And they better have CANDY, too! Because this Mogloween, you'll be able to /join all of your friends' houses and go trick-or-treating!
Trick or Treat! You're mincemeat! You're all monsters I can beat!
There's just one catch: the monsters got to the candy first! Battle those baddies to reclaim your candy, then use it to get sweet, sweet gear at the Cauldron Sisters' merge shop!
Plans and Plots for the (not-so-distant) Future
Today the AQW team met to discuss implenting a brand-new in-game functionality. This gameplay addition will add a lot to AQWorlds if we can do it right, and with the rest of the team as excited about it as I am, the chances are good that when it releases, you guys will have a LOT to do! (And of course, there will be features of it only members can unlock!)
It's not guilds, those are still being hashed out, but they ARE on the to do list. It's also not trading. (It will never be trading.) This is something that will be more geared towards individuals. No promises on when it'll come out, but we've already got plans and specs done. We'll see. And hopefully, so will you!
TMBG Rares Away! But not til November 4th.
Epic rares are a part of AQWorlds events, and that means they're going to disappear soon. But NOT until November 4th, so if you haven't snagged a gigantic stash of crazy-awesome equips, this might be your last chance! Everything else in the TMBG event will stay for ONE year (including the Vindicator of They Class!), but after that, all of THAT content will go rare, too!
3rd Upholder Reminder!
The LAST day to become a 3rd Upholder in AQWorlds and get ALL the shiny gear and achievements before they're rare forever is Monday, October Nov 3rd! (That's in one week!) So if you haven't upgraded your character yet but do want the Platinum Starsword, the Character Page/Book of Lore achievements badges, and all the awesome Member-only perks (AND the ones that haven't been released yet!), then why not join the ranks of the greatest Heroes on Lore?
New Enhancements for levels 41-45 are live!
If you've leveled up recently and are missing some enhancements, you're in LUK! Head over to your favorite Enhancement vendor and check their shop, because it's now fully stocked with level 41-45 Enhancements! Battle on your best with Enhancements that will help you win, no contest!
Battle On, Heroes! We'll be fighting with servers, internet connections, and runaway office furniture as we all try to settle into this new Secret Lab #4 this week. (But really, "lab" is going to have to stand for "labyrinth" instead of "laboratory" because this place is HUGE! So easy to get lost!) See you with more tweets, and Design Notes teasers in a few days!
October 01, 2010
Oh yea, Shaman
A new Non-Member Class is finally here!
Yup. It’s pretty early in the morning where I’m from. Or rather, pretty late from the night before. And the new release is still hours and hours away from being launched… so what am I still doing awake?
Check out the title up there. Shaman. As in the new Non-Member Shaman Class. As in the new Non-Member Shaman Class being released tonight!
A whole bunch of my friends on Twitter asked if I could write a Class Guide for the Shaman (I did a few before on Defender, Guardian, Bard, StarCaptain, um…) and I just couldn’t say no. Even though we are all so slammed with this week’s release and next week’s massive AQWorlds 10/10/10 Birthday Event, I wanted you all to get a sneak peak at Lore’s newest Class!
Okay so, that’s not *exactly* what the Shaman Class looks like. To be honest… the art for the Class isn’t finished yet. To be even more honest… I have no idea what the Class is ganna look like. But hey. You see those wings on his back—those ARE arriving tonight, and yea, that really do look that cool (…or hot, since they’re from a volcano…) Hehehe!
Alright, let’s get down to biz, Shamans… and Shawomans
Before swarming Rayst tonight when the servers come back up, you will need to have a Rank 10 Reputation with Arcangrove if you hope to take on the Shaman Class. So if you aren’t already there, I suggest taking the time now to make your way through the Arcangrove saga. (Don’t forget about the Dailys offered by Reens, Ewa, and that Paddylump fella if you need more Reputation)
Shamans are a Non-Member Arcangrove-inspired Class who share a deep connection with Lore's four main Elements. Commanding their primal instincts in battle leads these magic mavens to victory. Shamans regain mana when they strike an enemy in combat (with a more effective chance on criticals) and when they are struck by an enemy in combat.
As a Shammy, you get to master the following abilities:
- Ancestor’s Flame
10 Mana, 4 second cooldown
Deals moderate damage to up to three targets, and applies Scorched Spirit. Damage increased by Elemental Embrace.
- Hydrophobia
15 mana, 4 second cooldown
Deals moderate damage to up to three targets. Any damage caused to targets affected by Scorched Spirit will heal the shaman for a portion of the damage dealt. Healing increased by Elemental Embrace.
- Dry Lightning
40 Mana, 16 second cooldown
Deals heavy damage to the target. Damage increased by Elemental Embrace.
- Ancestral Teachings
Passive Ability
Intellect increased 15%
- Primal Fury
Passive Ability
Crit chance increased by 8%
- Elemental Embrace
60 mana, 16 second coodown
Deals light damage to target and applies Elemental Embrace, negating all target Evasion and Critical Strike chance. This effect also makes the Shaman’s spells more powerful, and gets stronger the more spells the Shaman casts against the target.
Shamans heavily rely on their Intellect, Dexterity, and Endurance… and it never hurts to have some Luck throw into the mix. Enhancing your gear with Wizard enhancements would fare nicely for the intrepid Shaman…
…but I’ve got something better.
Spellbreaker Enhancements!
Yup, along with offering you the Shaman Class, Rayst will have another new shop selling a new set of Enhancement Patterns: Spellbreaker! Ideal for Shamans, Spellbreaker Enhs increase Intellect, Dexterity, Endurance, and Luck. This helps out tremendously when increasing your Magic Power and Critical Strike chance, which are what Shammys rely the most on.
Spellbreaker Enhancements work well for many Caster-type Classes. But it’s always fun to play around with different combinations of Enhs when building your character. And I know you are going to have a blast with this new Class!
You just have to wait until tonight ^____^