Rift 1.7 progress set #2 WiP

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original link here this is the 2nd set of notes for the upcoming 1.7

The below notes are *IN ADDITION* to the set previously posted here:



PTS In-Progress Set #1 - 1/9/12



= SOUL PRESETS AND NEW PLAYER IMPROVEMENTS =

This is a pretty bulky system and is also included in this update to PTS for testing; please see details and submit feedback on the new Soul Preset system on this thread:

http://forums.riftgame.com/public-test-shard/293460-preset-souls-new-player-improvements-1-7-a.html





= PTS FEATURES =

* Player Weddings are now available for testing on PTS. At this point the wedding costumes are not yet available and expect to see some placeholder art and audio.

* To check out the marriage rings and wedding instances (and other goodies), Defiants should visit Quichi Bora in Orphiel's Spire [Meridian], and Guardians should talk to Lada Freen in the back of Mariel-Taun's Village [Sanctum].

* The Master Mode of Caduceus Rise is now available!





PVP UPDATES

* In the ongoing effort to more appropriately match up characters of different ranks, and give a smoother entry to high-level PvP, we will be revamping the existing Prestige system in 1.7. The below are some initial changes currently in testing, with more to come over the following weeks. As usual, the below info may change prior to the patch going to live shards.

* The Prestige system has expanded from 8 ranks to 40 - existing ranks will be converted to the appropriate rank on the updated scale.

* Bolstering is now enabled for level 50 Warfronts. Players entering a level 50 Warfront below Rank 13 will have their stats boosted to be more effective for both rank-appropriate and mixed-rank Warfronts.

* Marks of Retribution gained from closing PvP Rifts and completing weekly quests are now consumables that grant 1600 Favor.

* Existing Marks of Retribution have been converted back to Favor at 1600 Favor per Mark. Players who find themselves exceeding the current Favor cap after the conversion will need to spend that excess Favor and get below the cap before more can be earned.

* Reinforced Crystallized Insight is now available for purchase from Girdoom in Meridian and Templar Zim in Sanctum. These consumables grant 100,000 Planar Attunement experience at a cost of 15,000 Favor.

* Characters with excessively high armor mitigation for their Calling at level 50 will have the effectiveness of that mitigation reduced in PvP. The net result is increased Physical DPS in PvP as compared to live against highly equipped targets. The mitigation reduction is shown in the tooltip when mousing over your Character Sheet's armor stat.

* PvP Rifts: To encourage open-world PvP hotspots, only one PvP Rift can now be active at one time across all zones. Sealing a PvP Rift now grants a buff to your entire faction, 'Prismatic Glory', which increases Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Endurance by 10, as well as increasing Prestige, Favor, and Planar Attunement experience gains by 5%.

* Removed grey-item drops from player corpses, and significantly increased coin drops.



PVP SOUL UPDATES - PVP PLANAR ATTUNEMENT

* With 1.7, the PvP-specific Souls have been converted into a Planar Attunement-based character enhancement.

* A large amount of Planar Attunement experience is granted each time you gain a Rank in PvP. Yes, this will be granted retroactively for ranks already gained.

* The Achievement, 'I've Got Soul and I Am a Soldier" is now a Legacy Achievement. [If you're reading these notes on the PTS forum, that means you have time to go pick up your PvP Soul to obtain this achievement before it gets phased out in 1.7!]



PVP EQUIPMENT UPDATES

* Removed Rank requirements from all PvP armor sets. You still need to purchase sets sequentially, but the limiting factor is now total Favor gained rather than rank.

* PvP weapons and Synergy Crystals will still require specific ranks to purchase and equip.

* PvP Synergy Crystals have a reduced notoriety requirement to equip. A new set requiring Rank 40 and Revered with the Order of the Eye or The Unseen has been added.

* The previously-Rank 3 and Rank 4 gear is now available without prior purchase requirements.

* The previously-Rank 7 and Rank 8 armor has been upgraded to include Vengeance, and the amount of Critical Hit on it reduced slightly.

* PvP Armor merchants now stock Bows for Defiants and Guns for Guardians.

* PvP Armor set merchants now display items filtered by Calling. Filtering can still be disabled if you'd like to purchase items designed for other Callings.

* Costume versions of PvP Rank armor are now available from Desma Chontos in Meridian, and Templar Sanzo in Sanctum. These still have rank requirements to equip.



WARFRONTS - MERCENARIES

* Currently in testing on PTS: In order to reduce queue times to as near-zero as possible, players can join the opposing faction's Warfront team as a "Mercenary".

* Right now, on PTS, you queue for Warfronts as normal and may be assigned as a Mercenary when the Warfront map loads. You'll receive a Mercenary buff and on-screen callout and will be placed as part of the opposite faction's team.





GENERAL

* A sixth role is now available for purchase! PTS BUG: Right now you can buy the sixth role but it isn't appearing properly on the Soul Tree UI, so you'll see that it's available but can't use it properly yet! We'll be fixing this.

* You know all those times you hit 'Leave Party' instead of 'Ready Check'? Yeah, Leave Party got moved down to the bottom of the menu list.

* Increased the available Wardrobe slots to 5.

* The hit points and damage dealt has been reduced on normal mobs from levels 1-17.

* Mobs now run slightly slower than players in Terminus, Mathosia, Silverwood, Gloamwood, Freemarch, and Stonefield.

* Characters under the effect of any type of Mind Control ability are no longer able to enter new instances - Chronicles, Dungeons, Warfronts, Slivers, or Raids.

* Doubled the duration and removed the 2 minute cooldown on Omen Sight and Quantum Sight.

* The maximum water depth that you can ride your mount in has been increased and made consistent across all player races. Female Dwarves should notice the biggest overall boost, while Bahmi males should see only a slight difference.

* The guild perk Blood Thirsty will no longer be removed by triggering Killing Spree.

* While in a LFG-formed random Expert group for an instance you already have a normal lockout for, you no longer get locked from your random version if disconnected before the first boss.





CURRENCY UPDATES

* Added Eternal Crystallized Insight, a new item that grants 100,000 Planar Attunement experience when consumed.

* Expert Dungeon, Raid, and Planar Goods merchants will now sell Eternal Crystallized Insight for their respective currencies.

* Players can now visit the Crafting Specialty Goods merchants to exchange Artisan Marks for Master Crafter Marks.

* You can now purchase Augment boxes for Artisan Marks instead of Planarite from the Crafting Specialty Goods merchant.

* Augment boxed now award special stat and dual-stat Augments more frequently.

* Added Exceptional Augment Boxes that contain Epic Augments to the Crafting Specialty Goods merchants.





SOULS

* Mage and Cleric abilities that are low-ranked compared to your level now always use the ability cost of one rank below the max currently available to you. This won't change costs for characters who've trained up their abilities to current rank as they level.

* Many tooltip clarity updates for abilities on Souls.

* Planar Attunement: Fixed a case where weapon-based stat bonuses from Planar Attunement could be lost and not appropriately granted when changing equipment.



CLERIC



CABALIST

* Dark Passage: Now teleports 10 meters forward.



DRUID

* Trickster Spirit, Slothful Spirit, Spiteful Spirit: These have all been changed to spells that deal Earth damage at a 30-meter range.

* Eruption of Life: Now triggers off of any damage.

* Faerie Healing: Increased the amount healed.

* Faerie's Favor: Now instant-cast. Increased the healing amount. Now affects up to 4 additional party or raid members within a 20 meter radius if cast by the Greater Faerie.

* Mead Rush: New ability usable by the Satyr. The Satyr charges at the enemy for a damaging strike. 10 second cooldown. Also, MMMEEEAAAADDD!!

* Fury of the Fae: The Satyr will now autocast this even when out of combat.



INQUISITOR

* Corporal Punishment: Duration is now 12 seconds.



JUSTICAR

* Reprieve: Increased the bonus from Spell Power.

* Light Makes Right: Now works properly immediately after being purchased.

* Healer's Creed: Now increases the healing you receive by 5-10%.



PURIFIER

* Surging Flames: The triggered heal now has a 20 meter radius.

* Divine Cascade: Ability removed.

* Gathering of the Ancestors: New spell available at 38 points. Places an absorption shield on up to 10 party or raid members within 35 meters. Cannot be applied again on the same target for 20 seconds - this is a separate ability blocker from the Ward of the Ancestors single-target shield. 30 second cooldown.

* Rise of the Phoenix: New spell available at 44 points. Resurrects the target with 50% health and mana, can be used in combat. 5 minute cooldown.

* Item: Asphodel's Purifier Crystal: 4-piece bonus now reduces damage taken by 7% for 10 seconds. This effect now overwrites and cannot be overwritten by Protect the Flock.



SENTINEL

* Healing Communion, Healing Benediction: Both spells now have a 20-meter radius.

* Marked by the Light: Now has a 15-meter radius.

* Life's Return: Cooldown is now 5 minutes.



SHAMAN

* Battle Charge: Reduced cooldown to 10 seconds.

* Brutalize: Now deals 30-60% of Massive Blow's damage over 10 seconds. Reduced maximum stack size to 3.

* Dauntless Courage: Now affects all melee damage.

* Vengeance of the Frozen Earth: Ability removed.

* Ekkehard's Invocation: New ability available after spending 15 points in Shaman. Instant-cast ranged spell that deals Air damage.

* Favored of the Valnir: Now increases the duration of Lightning by 4-8 seconds, causing increased damage on each additional tick.



WARDEN

* Healing Showers, Orbs of the Tide: Both abilities now have a 20-meter radius.

* Healing Cataract: Now has a 25-meter radius and affects up to 10 party or raid members.

* Cascade: No longer has a mana cost.

* River of Life: New spell available at 44 points; resurrects the target with 50% health and mana, can be used in combat. 5 minute cooldown.

* Ripple: Now has a 20-meter radius.

* Waterjet: Reduced the benefit given to this spell by Spell Power.





MAGE



CHLOROMANCER

* Wild Abandon: Fixed a case where this ability could break certain boss mob roots and snares when it shouldn't be able to.



STORMCALLER

* Flash Freeze: This will now deal damage even if the target is immune to the root portion of the ability.



WARLOCK

* Item: Nyx's Warlock Crystal: Updated the 4-piece set bonus. It now reduces the cooldown of Empowered Darkness by 15 seconds, and casting Defile increases the total damage of your damage-over-time effects by 15% for 20 seconds.





ROGUE



ASSASSIN

* Expose Weakness: Fixed a bug where the damage increase from Exposed Weakness was not applied to all three stacks of Serrated Blades' damage.



BLADEDANCER

* Blade and Fury: Your Quick Strike and Precision Strike increase the damage of your next Keen Strike by 10-20%, up from 5-10%.

* Deadly Dance: Can now be triggered by Compound Attack.



NIGHTBLADE

* Dusk to Dawn: This is no longer a channeled ability but a straight damage-over-time ability. Now awards 2 Combo Points when used and does not give additional Combo Points per second. Energy cost reduced to 45 from 60. Cooldown reduced to 45 seconds from 1 minute. Damage has been reduced.





WARRIOR

* Power regeneration rate has been increased.

* Disarm abilities now properly block abilities that require either Ranged or Melee weapons.

* Bash, Furious Rage, Flinching Strike, and Face Slam no longer have multiple ranks to upgrade.



BEASTMASTER

* Calming Influence: Now obtained at 20 points in Beastmaster. Now puts a single target to sleep for 45 seconds - the target must not be in combat at the time of the effect. Any damage on the target removes Calming Influence. Only 1 target can be under Calming Influence at a time.

* Primal Rage - New Ability: Increases the damage of attack abilities for the Beastmaster and their pet by 7% per Bleed effect on the target. Duration is increased by the number of attack points when used. Obtained at 44 points in Beastmaster.

* Enraged Companion: Aura now grants a 7% bonus, increased from 5%, and overwrites the Reaver's Enraged Essence.



VOID KNIGHT

* Spell Sunder: Now checks for line of sight.





RIFTS AND INVASIONS

* Guild Quest: Upping the Ante: Should now always give credit if a Rift is closed by a guildmember.

* Fixed the level requirements on various level 20-29 Earth Rift reward items.

* 'Puresource' type reward containers now stack to 99.





INSTANT ADVENTURE

* If an Adventure Group is waiting for a new chain of adventures to start, the teleport invitation for new group members now waits for the start of the next set.

* The ability 'Crushing Earth' used by Hazeed's Sorrow, Thargwar, and Milgrid the Terrible should be much less punishing now.





ZONES



DROUGHTLANDS

* A new porticulum has been constructed in Fallback!



EMBER ISLE

* Returning the Spirit: Fixed a case where players would be unable to obtain the Blessed Water.



GLOAMWOOD

* Dead Water: The mobs inside the cave you enter on this quest now have a longer respawn time.



SCARWOOD REACH

* Fall of House Aelfwar: Quest should no longer get blocked sometimes by a nearby foothold.

* A Temporary Solution: Players can now get a Pinch of Sourcestone Powder at any time while on this quest.



STILLMOOR

* The zone event 'The Blight' should now properly award Glowing Puresource for participants who are on the quests Shield of the Land or Frontlines of the Planes.

* One With Nature: The Aelfwar House Signet item is now properly removed from players when this quest is completed.

* Monster Hunter of Stillmoor: Now has additional item rewards available.



STONEFIELD

* A Failure of Leadership: Quest location markers for this quest have been corrected.





DUNGEONS, SLIVERS, CHRONICLES, RAIDS

* If your invitation to teleport to an instance fails because it is full, group/raid members can now trigger the teleport prompt an additional time by re-zoning into the instance.

* Expert and Master Dungeons, Raid Rifts, Slivers, and Raids: Reduced the critical hit damage bonus that most 'regular' NPCs get when they critically hit a target with insufficient Toughness. In effect, non-tanks should be less likely to be absolutely gutted when taking a critical hit by a general-population NPC in these areas.



CADUCEUS RISE

* Fixed the achievement, Bloody Bothersome, that was triggering incorrectly in Expert mode.

* Expert: The Rapid Assault achievement should now award properly in both Caduceus Rise and Upper Caduceus Rise.

* Increased Caduceus' health. Slightly decreased the health of Erupted Core. Drastically decreased the health of Erupted Ember.



DROWNED HALLS

* Players who have been polymorphed by Hydriss should no longer get pushed outside of the encounter area by the Tsunami ability.



GREENSCALE'S BLIGHT: THE FALLEN PRINCE [Chronicle]

* Shadow of Metamorphosis should now properly end if you leave the zone while under the effect.





ITEMS

* Costume versions of PvP Rank armor are now available from Desma Chontos in Meridian, and Templar Sanzo in Sanctum. These still have rank requirements to purchase.

* Amplified Soulstone: Now properly increases damage from Elemental Touch.

* Golem Inductor: Will now proc slightly more often.

* Vornia's Chain Spaulders, Notched Weapon, Maelforge Acolyte's Hat, and Maelforge Acolyte's Slippers now all have proper NPC sale values.

* Adjusted the NPC sale amount of Staff of Eruptions and Searing Obsidian Dagger.

* Updated the description text on Marks of Ascension and Greater Marks of Ascension.





CRAFTING

* Crafting will now use items directly from your bank – No need to swap a bunch of items around before heading over to the crafting stations!

* Artificer: The recipes for Diamond Focus and Diamond Icon have been changed from consuming 8 Brilliant Diamond and 4 Jagged Lightstone; they now require 1 Brilliant Diamond and 8 Orichalcum Bars.

* Carmintium Spellcutter: The recipe and resulting item have both been renamed to Orichalcum Spellcutter to match the actually-required materials.

* Apothecary: The recipe for Mighty Intelligence Serum now requires 2 Basiliskweed Stems rather than 4.





ART AND AUDIO

* Added some visual effect improvements for the low-quality renderer.

* Fixed ambient volume in Droughtlands not being correctly raised/lowered by whatever your Ambient Audio volume is set to.

* Mounts have more audio variety at audio and are not so silent!





UI/SETTINGS

* Fixed the Warfront UI window being blank while your character is mind controlled.

* Your current target is now indicated by an icon on the minimap and main map. The icon will show red, yellow, or green, depending on whether the target is hostile, neutral, or friendly.

* Guild Perk reset charges are now shown in the Guild Bank currency log.

* Fixed the 'receive item' spam in the chat window when combining stacks between your inventory and your bank.

* Right-clicking on the party pet raid frame when using Show Party As Raid mode now shows the proper right-click menu.

* Party member selection hotkeys (default F1-F5) now work properly when your party is displayed as a raid.

* Raid member UI should be a bit better with displaying the state of logged out or AFK members.

* Fixed a loot confirmation popup sometimes appearing if you were grouped while looting an already-owned container (like the Rift Loot bag).

* Planar Attunement experience rewards for Achievements are now shown on the Achievement UI.

* If you get disconnected due to your shard being down, we now show a message letting you know this, instead of surprising you with a different shard's character select screen.

* Target tooltips now show Elite for group and raid encounter NPCs.

* Tweaked the ability tooltips when mousing over abilities in the Soul Tree window; they now show ability stats like cooldown and mana costs in the tooltip.

* Tooltips for abilities with cooldowns now use abbreviated cooldown duration text.

* Updated the character selection screen with faction-sorted and colored Character listings.

* You can now preview various armor sets at character creation to have an idea of what your character will look like in different types of gear!