Patch notes. May 15th.

Izure · May 2009

Skills

* Skill gain has increased significantly in all melee skills

* Skill progression in archery has been increased significantly

* You are now required to hit a valid target to gain skill in archery

* Skilling up in magic has been increased significantly

* Skill progression in spells requires the caster to hit a valid target

* Number of successful hits required to reach surging mode again with spells has been extremely reduced

* Knockback, Seize and Whirlwind have been modified and skill gain has increased

Gameplay / Fixes

* Small adjustments made to melee reach depending on character race

* Corrected spells that would skill up rigor without dealing damage

* Corrected a problem some players had while buying skills and starter weapons from vendors

* Corrected an issue in auto optimization

* Fogginess of environments has been reduced

* Various client side issues have been corrected

* Clan Mines/Quarries/Groves/etc now start out at 25% capacity and their regrowth rate has been increased

* Clan Guard Tower damage had been slightly increased

Monsters

* Monster loot for Demon and Fire Giant has been updated

* A.I. tactics have been enhanced and improved

User Interface

* Improved worldmap and minimap marker information (You can use the options window to change this)

* Zoom added to World Map

* Improved crafting window

* Improved tooltips for crafting window

* New tooltip for spells display reagent requirements

* Display of active weapon under hotbar updated, improved and fixed

* New chat messages displaying who buffed or debuffed you

* Vendor icons on minimap now display the vendor name

* Player Journal and Clan pages now accessible trough external browsers. Go to http://web001.eu1.darkfallonline.com/darkfall and log in with your username and password

* Trading window confirmation now displays the name of the person wanting to trade with you

* Various skill descriptions have been improved

* Various item descriptions have been improved

* Various problems with Journal and Clan windows have been resolved

Weapons

Melee Range has increased:

* Axes

* Clubs

* Greataxes

* Greatclubs

* Knives

New Polearms have been added to the game:

* Guisarme

* Spetum

* Imperial halberd

* Polehammer

* Glaive

* Partisan

* Dragon tail

* Skewer

Visual Updates

We have made visual updates to:

* Giant Dragon Skeletons

* Blacksmith market stands

* Kobold huts and props.

* Harbor bases

* Human keep bases

* Human skeleton props

* Minotaur Statues

* Some player controlled ships

* Miscellaneous props

New Quests

ORDER OF THE AXE - DWARVEN FACTION

* A New Enemy

* A link to the Leaders

* Fire Standard Leaders

* Helping Out

* The Legendary Blacksmith

FIVE BEARDS TRADING COMPANY - DWARVEN FACTION

* Masters of the Dark Taint

* A Trading Post in Trouble

* Protecting the Trading Post

* Evigvanger is Safe

* The Miners of Otredale

THE RADIANT CIRCLE - ALFAR FACTION

* Rare Sightings

* Forgotten Creatures

* These New Neighbors

* Castle Obad

* Materials for Enchantments

* The Fallen Necromancers

* Shulgan the Cautious

* A Matter of Security

* The Cursed Ones

THE HARN MANDEAN - ALFAR FACTION

* West of Nagast

* Weak Minds

ALFAR CAPITAL

* Tialanta the Fighter

* Five Humans Less

* Hunting Mirdain is Fun

* True Predators

* Big, Slow, Ugly and Stupid

OTHER ALFAR QUESTS

* As Strange as they Come

* Two Eyes

* Hanthar's Gift

* Dangerous Gnolls

Crafting

* Crafting ingredients have been reduced for

* Tribal Pike

* Cultist Polearm

* Crafting skill gain has been increased

* Requirements for getting trueforge armor and trueforge weapon skills have been modified.

* Improved crafting window

* Improved tooltips for crafting window

World Building

There have been area and world building updates to:

* Carpendale

* Winterworth

* Wetstone

* Thangruk

* Waterbourne

* New NPCs have been added in Obad

Magic

* 'Leech' spells no longer work on mounts

* Mana cost for powerful spells has been reduced

* Potential maximum damage for spells has been increased

* Holy/Unholy damage will now drain stamina

* Bone can now be bought from the arcanist

Spell Balancing

AIR MAGIC

* Arrow shield: Effect has been significantly increased

* Arrow ward: Reach has been increased

* Come hither: Reach has been significantly increased

* Exploding charge: Damage output has been increased

* Guiding wind: Effect has been significantly increased

* Lightning bolt: Reach has been significantly increased

* Lightning ward: Effect increased, reach increased

* Lightning weakness: Effect increased

* Lightning shield: Effect increased

* Thunderstorm: Reach and duration increased

EARTH MAGIC:

* Acid Rain: Reach significantly increased. Duration increased

* Acid Shield: Effect significantly increased

* Acid ward: Effect significantly increased

* Disintegrate: Damage increased. Impact area increased

* Gravity: Reach increased. Cooldown reduced

* Impale: Damage increased

* Ironskin: Effect increased. Reach increased

* Pungent mist: Reach increased

* Stamina leech: Reach increased

* Stoneskin: Effect significantly increased

* Tarnish : Effect significantly increased

FIRE MAGIC:

* Dragonbreath: Reach increased

* Fire Shield: Effect significantly increased

* Fire ward: Effect significantly increased. Reach increased

* Haste: Effect significantly increased. Reach increased

* Inferno: Damage increased

* Smoke signal: Reach increased

* Volcano: Reach increased. Duration increased. Damage increased

* Wall of fire: Reach increased

* Weakening blaze: Effect significantly increased

GREATER MAGIC:

* Beacon: Reach increased

* Heal other : Reach increased

* Infliction shield: Effect significantly increased

* Infliction ward: Effect significantly increased

* Insight: Effect significantly increased

* Rend: Casting time reduced. Cooldown time reduced. Damage increased. Area of effect increased.

* Telekinesis: Reach increased

* Venom: Cooldown time reduced

LESSER MAGIC:

* Health to mana: Effect significantly increased

* Heal mount: Reach increased

* Launch: Reach increased

* Lay on hands: Reach increased

* Magic ward: Reach increased

* Mana drain: Effect significantly increased

NECROMANCY

* Bludgeoning weakness : Effect significantly increased

* Desecration : Effect significantly increased

* Death fog : Reach increased

* Infernal shield : Effect significantly increased

* Infernal ward : Effect significantly increased. Reach increased

* Mental weakness : Effect significantly increased.

* Piercing weakness : Effect significantly increased

* Slashing weakness : Effect significantly increased

* Undeath : Effect significantly increased. Mana cost reduced

* Unholy caress : Reach increased

* Unholy flames : Effect increased. Mana cost slightly increased.

* Vampiric touch : Reach increased

SPELL CHANTING

* Bless other : Effect significantly increased

* Blessing : Effect significantly increased. Reach increased

* Hymn of Intellect : Reach increased. Effect increased

* Hymn of Might : Reach increased. Effect increased

* Hymn of Skill : Reach increased. Effect increased

* Hymn of Swiftness : Reach increased. Effect increased

* Hymn of Vigor : Reach increased. Effect increased

WATER MAGIC:

* Blizzard : Cooldown slightly increased

* Cold shield : Effect increased

* Cold ward : Effect increased. Reach increased

* Frostbite : Reach increased

* Ice storm : Reach increased

* Icicle : Slight damage decrease

* Shards : Slight damage decrease

* Toxic rain : Reach increase. Duration slightly decreased

* Water breathing : Reach increased

* Weakening chill : Effect significantly increased

WITCHCRAFT:

* Disease : Effect increased

* Insect swarm : Reach increased

* Ominous drain : Effect increased

* Palsy : Effect increased

* Pestilence : Effect increased

* Sluggish : Effect increased

* Stupidity : Effect increased

* Tongue Rot : Cooldown increased

Ruyn · May 2009

They look really good. Nice to see they finally put in the real ingame map.

Some of the other fixes by reducing the skill up grind is good as well, although you now require targets to get a skill-up, but that just makes sense anyways.

Izure · May 2009

You know I was losing hope in this game, until not. This patch was crucial, and they nailed it for the most part. Now all they got to do, is add in a few pve, some rpg/socialize spots, and maybe housing or something of that nature, and I can say this game might not be dead when MO Comes out. Every patch they do is a step to the right direction, sure they didnt have a great launch, but they help killed macroing and help newbs in this patch. Their launch was horrible in fact, but they are indie and they needed money plain and simple, these patches are all for the better IMO. Nice job AV.

Paragus1 · May 2009

This was just added to the patch notes...

Addition to Magic: Requirements for buying spells have been adjusted.

Vince_G · May 2009

nice patch! Looking foward trying out all the new changes in magic and I'm really excited over the new world map additions.

My dream patch are boats that can function as a hamlet with bindstones vendors, and everything. someone out there hear me?!? I want live at sea.

Izure · May 2009

agreed, I know a few guilds that quit just due to the grind and lack of content and macroing, well now they help killed macroing, because you have to hit stuff, and the skill gained increase, so not the world might not be so empty, and they added quests to help fil the world as well, now all they have to do, is maybe add in some more pve and fix some current problems with them and balance it, and maybe more quests, and maybe more tools, to make this into the sandbox its meant to be. GOOD JOB AV,

I know a whole crap load of people whos going to be resubbing, just because the grind and the fight against macroers have improved for the legit players, this patch is great it will add content to the map much more, All they need now is more content and balance here and there and maybe some more options for audio,video etc to help performance and you got yourself a great game!

Einstein-DF · May 2009

Easily one of the best patches. The grind was unbereable damn, hopefully it will be significantly faster to skilll up now, and you have to get out there and DO SOMETHING to gain it.

Crafting is also quicker, good on that too.

Game is heading in the right direction.

Otiro · May 2009

Is the the patch that Tasos talked about last week? Where he said "We have a major update coming".

The fact that you need a valid target to skill up is good. How ever reading the rest all I see is the game going WOWified for a lack of a better discription.

Clan towers now do slightly more damage. Creating more safe spots.

All archery and spell damage is increased while mana use is decreased.

Increasing the range of single handed weapons. Why, to match the range range of 2 handed?

While this may be needed for balancing so they say, I just see it going to easy mode.

Adding more pve quests, while I agree that may be needed, according to the players that post here very few people do them. So other parts of the game should have been looked at more, like having the ability to place cities/hamlets where the clan wants instead of predetermined areas. Or adding in mobs in a lot of he dungeons that are empty or adding creatures to the world to make it look alive.

I just don't see this as a major update that Tasos claims.

Jupsto · May 2009

they keep making some of the EXACT changes I want.

seriously only thursday evening I posted on officials once again that they should make magic level faster but only on targets.

Izure · May 2009

Originally posted by Otiro

Is the the patch that Tasos talked about last week? Where he said "We have a major update coming".
The fact that you need a valid target to skill up is good. How ever reading the rest all I see is the game going WOWified for a lack of a better discription. Not really, the less skill increase, means the pvp (what this game is about, is going to be into a play.) And they are adding quests probably to just add content, even PRE-CU Swg had quests, as well does, eve, all mmorpg have quests( as far I know)
Clan towers now do slightly more damage. Creating more safe spots. Ya but you can parry, they have to be in line of sight, they probably still do hardly no damage to banded or better, this adds to less naked zerging player cities. this is much needed, this helps against naked, but when players get geared it wil mean hardly nothing if they are not dumb.
All archery and spell damage is increased while mana use is decreased. I know spell dmg increase, but magic was sh~!t vs archery, magic needed a boost, and archery didnt get damage increased.
Increasing the range of single handed weapons. Why, to match the range range of 2 handed? Not to probably not give 2handed weapons a giant gap between them, much needed fix, and helps mounted combat.
While this may be needed for balancing so they say, I just see it going to easy mode.Its balance, have nothing to do with easy mode, and skills increase gains will help newer players a lot.
Adding more pve quests, while I agree that may be needed, according to the players that post here very few people do them. So other parts of the game should have been looked at more, like having the ability to place cities/hamlets where the clan wants instead of predetermined areas. Or adding in mobs in a lot of he dungeons that are empty or adding creatures to the world to make it look alive. Ya there are flaws in this idea of yours, predetermined areas are fine to me, but maybe they will change it later.
I just don't see this as a major update that Tasos claims. Well I do, because I have seen what this change can do, it will probably help people move about the world, less macroing, more pvp, less grinding, more higher skilled pvp, help newbs, help kill naked zergs, fix magic more, help melee alot, fix the race balances(which sucks cause I play alfar), give more tools inside game like journal and map, help Ai of pve( o so they say), basically they just did a critial strike to the biggest problems and Balance in game. Next they can start adding in content. even though they added tons of quests and more pve spawns already.

Answered ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jupsto · May 2009

lol the alfar whinge about being alfar and the mahirim whinge about being mahirim, its like guys come on. you chose to be that big or small deal with it or make a new char.

Mrbloodworth · May 2009

We need atleast 5 more threads on this topic.

Izure · May 2009

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

We need atleast 5 more threads on this topic.

I love you mrbloodworth FYI.

Mrbloodworth · May 2009

Originally posted by Izure

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

We need atleast 5 more threads on this topic.

I love you mrbloodworth FYI.

lol.

kishe · May 2009

Originally posted by Otiro

Is the the patch that Tasos talked about last week? Where he said "We have a major update coming".
The fact that you need a valid target to skill up is good. How ever reading the rest all I see is the game going WOWified for a lack of a better discription.
Clan towers now do slightly more damage. Creating more safe spots.
All archery and spell damage is increased while mana use is decreased.
Increasing the range of single handed weapons. Why, to match the range range of 2 handed?
While this may be needed for balancing so they say, I just see it going to easy mode.
Adding more pve quests, while I agree that may be needed, according to the players that post here very few people do them. So other parts of the game should have been looked at more, like having the ability to place cities/hamlets where the clan wants instead of predetermined areas. Or adding in mobs in a lot of he dungeons that are empty or adding creatures to the world to make it look alive.
I just don't see this as a major update that Tasos claims.

the change in clan towers is good imho...

before, and still it has been way too easy for group of people to destroy 4000gp city with 100gp hammers.

They are trying to make town sieges last longer than 10 minutes as they do now

harmonica · May 2009

Originally posted by Otiro

The fact that you need a valid target to skill up is good. How ever reading the rest all I see is the game going WOWified for a lack of a better discription.
Clan towers now do slightly more damage. Creating more safe spots.
All archery and spell damage is increased while mana use is decreased.
Increasing the range of single handed weapons. Why, to match the range range of 2 handed?
While this may be needed for balancing so they say, I just see it going to easy mode.

Clan towers hit for almost nothing... i think rank2 clan towers are like 5hp damage.

Single handed weapons were pretty useless except for on mounts and to parry, so it's a good change (haven't tested it yet though). I seriously doubt it matches 2h though.

I don't see how this makes it "easy mode"

Mrbloodworth · May 2009

Originally posted by harmonica

Originally posted by Otiro

The fact that you need a valid target to skill up is good. How ever reading the rest all I see is the game going WOWified for a lack of a better discription.
Clan towers now do slightly more damage. Creating more safe spots.
All archery and spell damage is increased while mana use is decreased.
Increasing the range of single handed weapons. Why, to match the range range of 2 handed?
While this may be needed for balancing so they say, I just see it going to easy mode.

Clan towers hit for almost nothing... i think rank2 clan towers are like 5hp damage.

Single handed weapons were pretty useless except for on mounts and to parry, so it's a good change (haven't tested it yet though). I seriously doubt it matches 2h though.

I don't see how this makes it "easy mode"

It doesn't smack your balls every time you hit jump, like it advertised.

Fariic · May 2009

They didn't make it easier to skill up.

They made it so you can't macro.

I was suggesting repeatedly two months ago that they just make it so you have HIT something with arrows and magic.

The increase in skill rates is to compensate for the fact that you don't get skill gains when you don't hit a target.

This doesn't make it easier, and for a lot it will make it SLOWER.

You have to HIT a viable target.

Before this patch it's easier to level because you DON'T have to HIT anything. You only needed to shoot.

This will make it HARDER for new players to gain skills; even if they do get higher gains because they HAVE TO HIT in order to get the gain in the first place.

THERE IS NO REASON TO PRAISE THIS PATCH.

Being an indie company is NO EXCUSE when you tell consumers the game is finished.

Once again they added art assets, and instituted drastic changes to the core mechanics.

THIS IS A BETA PATCH!

The mob AI, the same AI that Tasos said a year ago was so advanced that the servers couldn't tell the dif. between players and mobs, WASN'T FINISHED. Adjusting the AI is another way of saying they implimented MORE CODE.

They are WRITING QUEST LINES AS THEY GO.

Everything, right down to the staged release, is exactly how a beta is run. WHY ARE PEOPLE PRAISING THEM FOR DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE!

0k21 · May 2009

Its a shame they didn't fix this when people including me were repeatedly complaining about it at the start of beta, now if only they'd fix their crappy combat system because thats the reason their ranges were screwed up horribly in the first place.

Izure · May 2009

Originally posted by Fariic

They didn't make it easier to skill up.

They made it so you can't macro.

I was suggesting repeatedly two months ago that they just make it so you have HIT something with arrows and magic.
The increase in skill rates is to compensate for the fact that you don't get skill gains when you don't hit a target.

This doesn't make it easier, and for a lot it will make it SLOWER.
You have to HIT a viable target.
Before this patch it's easier to level because you DON'T have to HIT anything. You only needed to shoot.

This will make it HARDER for new players to gain skills; even if they do get higher gains because they HAVE TO HIT in order to get the gain in the first place.
THERE IS NO REASON TO PRAISE THIS PATCH.

Being an indie company is NO EXCUSE when you tell consumers the game is finished.

Once again they added art assets, and instituted drastic changes to the core mechanics.
THIS IS A BETA PATCH!

The mob AI, the same AI that Tasos said a year ago was so advanced that the servers couldn't tell the dif. between players and mobs, WASN'T FINISHED. Adjusting the AI is another way of saying they implimented MORE CODE.

They are WRITING QUEST LINES AS THEY GO.

Everything, right down to the staged release, is exactly how a beta is run. WHY ARE PEOPLE PRAISING THEM FOR DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE!

The #1 hater of dfo, they needed money so they realeased. The skill are easier to level up, they help new players, they help kill macroing, they balance races more, People have to hit stuff now, so more hunting npcs and pvping, then just shooting in air, it will add more to the immersion of having a populated world, Also they added more quests for content, and monster in last patch, they are adding adjusting and improving over all,

Find another game you fail at and post on there forums about how the game makes you play like trash.

Fariic · May 2009

Originally posted by Izure

Originally posted by Fariic

They didn't make it easier to skill up.

They made it so you can't macro.

I was suggesting repeatedly two months ago that they just make it so you have HIT something with arrows and magic.
The increase in skill rates is to compensate for the fact that you don't get skill gains when you don't hit a target.

This doesn't make it easier, and for a lot it will make it SLOWER.
You have to HIT a viable target.
Before this patch it's easier to level because you DON'T have to HIT anything. You only needed to shoot.

This will make it HARDER for new players to gain skills; even if they do get higher gains because they HAVE TO HIT in order to get the gain in the first place.
THERE IS NO REASON TO PRAISE THIS PATCH.

Being an indie company is NO EXCUSE when you tell consumers the game is finished.

Once again they added art assets, and instituted drastic changes to the core mechanics.
THIS IS A BETA PATCH!

The mob AI, the same AI that Tasos said a year ago was so advanced that the servers couldn't tell the dif. between players and mobs, WASN'T FINISHED. Adjusting the AI is another way of saying they implimented MORE CODE.

They are WRITING QUEST LINES AS THEY GO.

Everything, right down to the staged release, is exactly how a beta is run. WHY ARE PEOPLE PRAISING THEM FOR DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE!

The #1 hater of dfo, they needed money so they realeased. The skill are easier to level up, they help new players, they help kill macroing, they balance races more, People have to hit stuff now, so more hunting npcs and pvping, then just shooting in air, it will add more to the immersion of having a populated world, Also they added more quests for content, and monster in last patch, they are adding adjusting and improving over all,

Find another game you fail at and post on there forums about how the game makes you play like trash.

None of that has anything to do with the point I made about the patch.

I have participate in betas.

I know the dif. between a post release patch and a pre release patch.

I know that art assets should be finished, quests should already be written, AI already coded, and core mechanics fully implimented.

This patch is the complete opposite of what should be expected from a released game.

If you insist on arguing my points, actually argue them. Don't sling insults.

I'll gladly take the no 1 hater title. I'll wear it with pride.

Especially when a company takes money for game time and then doesn't provide the full game time. Something AV did that I have never experienced with another MMO.

They have taken my money and not provided me the game or service that money paid for. I'm not a hater, I'm a pissed off consumer. Learn the dif.

PS: I have yet to get a responce from that sham of a company on why my account was inactive after the 28 days of 30 I paid for.

mach789 · May 2009

Originally posted by Fariic

Originally posted by Izure

Originally posted by Fariic

They didn't make it easier to skill up.

They made it so you can't macro.

I was suggesting repeatedly two months ago that they just make it so you have HIT something with arrows and magic.
The increase in skill rates is to compensate for the fact that you don't get skill gains when you don't hit a target.

This doesn't make it easier, and for a lot it will make it SLOWER.
You have to HIT a viable target.
Before this patch it's easier to level because you DON'T have to HIT anything. You only needed to shoot.

This will make it HARDER for new players to gain skills; even if they do get higher gains because they HAVE TO HIT in order to get the gain in the first place.
THERE IS NO REASON TO PRAISE THIS PATCH.

Being an indie company is NO EXCUSE when you tell consumers the game is finished.

Once again they added art assets, and instituted drastic changes to the core mechanics.
THIS IS A BETA PATCH!

The mob AI, the same AI that Tasos said a year ago was so advanced that the servers couldn't tell the dif. between players and mobs, WASN'T FINISHED. Adjusting the AI is another way of saying they implimented MORE CODE.

They are WRITING QUEST LINES AS THEY GO.

Everything, right down to the staged release, is exactly how a beta is run. WHY ARE PEOPLE PRAISING THEM FOR DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE!