Feldon Hot off the presses, er patcher, here are the Game Update 61: The War of Zek Update Notes from the Test Patcher. Game Update 61 is expected to reach the Live servers near the end of August.
Game Update 61: “The War of Zek”
PLANE OF WAR
The time is near for the great Fortress of Drunder to reveal its true purpose to all. The very bedrock of the Eastern Wastes shudders and rocks as a massive planar portal rips itself open within the fortress walls. The sounds of war echo through its halls as the God of War himself prepares his innumerable armies to march across the frozen face of Velious and seize control of the lands of Norrath for all eternity.
The Plane of War is a normal and challenge mode raid.
Elements of War is a normal and challenge mode heroic experience.
Dynamic Dungeons
Two new dynamically scaling dungeons have opened up in the Sinking Sands. These heroic dungeons automatically scale to your party from 60 to 90. Their entrances can be found on the door to the Silent City and from a new portal next to the door. These dungeons scale their difficulty and rewards to your group.
THE PALACE OF SABARON
Sabaron’s Palace is the home of a mad Djinn who believes that by using his power and the power of a newly discovered artifact, the Tear of Anashti, he can raise an army of Sul’Dal to march on the Plane of Air and take it over for Djinn to rule. His palace is full of undead evils he has resurrected as well as his most trusted attendants.
SILENT CITY: THE DELVING DEAD
The dead within the halls of the Silent City are restless after lifetimes of slumber, as if roused by an unseen hand. Ancient overseers crack whips as the undead hordes delve deep into hallowed soil. They labor tirelessly, endlessly searching for an ancient artifact of great power.
GENERAL
- When using Need-Before-Greed loot options, players will no longer be able to select “Need” on equipment, spell scrolls and item patterns that they cannot use.
- Fixed a bug where you could select an invalid race during character create.
- The /sitchair emote now works with SOGA models.
- Fixed a bug that would cause /camp login to sometimes goto character select even if a character was given.
USER INTERFACE
- The weapon stats in the character window will now update when your character’s combat stats change.
- Fixed a bug with how multi attack and spell weapon multi attack were displaying in the default UI.
POPULATION / ZONE PROGRESSION
Shard of Love
- Level 90 players will now correctly have a chance to gain items from WIllowmeena’s rare loot table in Shard of Love.
Great Divide / Eastern Wastes
- A Token of Coldain Loyalty can now be purchased from the Coldain faction merchant once your character has reached +40,000 faction. This token can be traded to any alternate characters on your account and will set that alternate character to +40,000 faction.
- A Token of Ry’Gorr Loyalty can now be purchased from the Ry’Gorr faction merchant once your character has reached +40,000 faction. This token can be traded to any alternate characters on your account and will set that alternate character to +40,000 faction.
- These tokens must be purchased at the rate of one per alternate character and are one charge only.
Great Divide
- Fertilizer corpse loot should be a bit more common.
- The thieving gnomish pirate, Monstrous Beasty, and Warwolf Matriarch, triggered by solo quests in Great Divide, are no longer immune to control aspects. [Fan Faire Request]
Eastern Wastes
- Fertilizer corpse loot should be a bit more common.
- All of the flying-accessible harvestables in Eastern wastes are obtainable once again.
Tower of Frozen Shadows: Shadowed Corridors
- Spectral Librarian Emiida in Tower of Frozen Shadows: Shadowed Corridors should now correctly award the sense of urgency achievement.
Temple of Rallos Zek: Foundations of Stone [Challenge]
- Challenge Mode Statue of Rallos Zek no longer has a Knockback effect associated with his Titanic Swipe AOE.
Crystalline Breaks
- Some of the mobs within Crystalline Breaks now detect stealth and/or invisibility.
Greater Faydark
- There is now a mailbox in the Nursery in Greater Faydark. [Fan Faire Request]
ABILITIES / ALTERNATE ADVANCEMENT
General
- AA selections that are not currently available for purchase will display in grayscale.
- Spell Autoattack will turn on automatically when you cast a damage spell on a target.
- Fixed a bug where some spells could become “stuck” and wouldn’t be castable until you zoned or logged.
- Added Spell Weapon versions of flurry, multi attack, pvp multi attack, ae autoattack, haste and dps for spell weapons.
Player Statistics Updates
- Many stats now provide additional benefits to other stats! See below for details:
- Having parry skill over the level cap now gives a bonus to uncontested parry and uncontested riposte.
- Having defense skill over the level cap now gives a bonus to uncontested dodge.
- Having haste over the cap now gives a bonus to flurry.
- Having weapon skill over the cap now increases your minimum damage amount making it closer to the maximum amount.
- Having weapon skill over the cap now gives a bonus to riposte damage.
- Having spell and combat art skills over cap now increases the minimum damage of those spells and combat arts making it closer to the maximum amount.
- DPS is now a rating that translates into the actual increase to your melee damage with no cap. Mouse over the DPS stat in your persona window to see the actual percent increase to your damage.
- Having spell casting speed over the cap now gives you a slight bonus to double cast spells.
- Having a focus over the cap will allow you cast spells while moving. It will be very slow movement, but will increase as your focus skill increases.
- Multi Attack is now a rating rather than a straight percent chance for additional attacks. Mouse over the Multi Attack stat in your persona window to see how many extra attacks you get, and your chance for an additional attack on top of those.
Alternate Advancement Revamp
- Subclass Alternate Advancement trees have been reformatted. The connections have been removed and the tree is now formatted in rows. The first row contains four abilities and requires no points spent to access. The second row contains five abilities and requires five points spent in the Subclass Tree to access. The third row has six abilities and requires ten points spent in the Subclass tree to access. The fourth row has six abilities and requires 15 points spent in the Subclass tree to access. The fifth row is the endlines – now known as Expertise abilities. These abilities unlock every 20 points spent in the Subclass tree above them. At 20 points spent, you can select one Expertise ability. At 40, 60 and 80 points spent, additional Expertise abilities can be purchased.
- The Subclass Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 30.
- The Shadows Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 50.
- The Sentinel’s Fate Alternate Advancements now unlock at level 80.
- The Heroic Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 80.
Bard
- Vanishing Act is now Dodge and Cover. Dodge and Cover no longer grants stealth to the group and no longer dispels on a block, parry, riposte or when damage is tanking. It grants 100% Dodge Chance to each member of the group for 15 seconds and dispels when the dodge applies.
- Lend Shielding now lasts for 5 seconds, no longer requires a round shield and does not dispel when the target blocks. It now has a 60 second reuse and the range has been increased to 35 meters.
- Skald’s Defense no longer requires a round shield. The Multi-Attack is now 1% per rank.
- Heroic Storytelling now reduces noxious and arcane damage to group members by 3%. The group has a 10% chance to resist Stifle effects.
- Round Bash no longer requires a shield.
- Intoxicating Notes now triggers on any hit.
Berserker
- Enhance: Berserk Rage and Enhance: War Cry have been merged into Enhance: Berserk.
- The Alternate Advancement “Berserk” now applies to the group and stacks with other forms of Berserk. The damage per second and attack speed values have been increased.
- Focus: Destructive Rage now applies correctly to the PvP Multi-Attack Chance.
Brigand
- Enhance: Shank has been added to the Brigand Advancement tree. It increases Shank’s damage by 5% per rank.
Bruiser
- Enhance: Eye Gouge has been added and increases the damage of Eye Gouge by 3% per rank.
Cleric
- Wondrous Buckling is now Wondrous Distraction and no longer requires a buckler.
- Turn Undead is now Divine Demonstration and no longer requires the target to be undead. The damage has been substantially reduced. The reuse time is now 45 seconds.
- Blessed Armament now procs Cleanse instead of Cleanse Undead. It now scales at 10% trigger chance per rank and deals about half the damage of Bolt of Power. It no longer requires the target to be undead.
- Protection from Undead is now Exorcize. Exorcize disables beneficial spells and lasts until cancelled. It requires a small amount of power every 6 seconds to pulse divine damage to up to four targets near the cleric. The cleric must be hated by at least one target within 7.5 meters for the pulse to trigger.
Coercer
- Brainshock now applies the powertap instantly, allowing the spell to be maintained on multiple targets.
Conjuror
- Enhance: Fiery Magician, Enhance: Aery Hunter and Enhance: Earthen Avatar have been merged into Enhance: Summon Spells.
- Enhance: Roaring Flames and Enhance: Aqueous Swarm have been removed.
- Unabate is now passive and persists through deaths.
- Fire from Within now grants PvP Potency.
Crusader
- Knight’s Stance can no longer apply to the Crusader’s ranged weapon.
Druid
- Calm Animals is now Calm. It now mesmerizes any non-epic single target, rather than animals. The reuse is now 45 seconds and it scales from 10.6 second duration to 19.8 second duration. In PVP Combat, the duration scales from 3.5 seconds to 6.6 seconds.
- Charm Animal is now Charm Creature. It now charms any target that is not immune to charms. The duration is now 4 minutes 24 seconds at rank 1 and scales to 8 minutes 15 seconds at rank 10. In PVP, the duration scales from 3.5 seconds to 6.6 seconds and the spell is a mesmerize.
Enchanter
- Quickening no longer requires a one-handed weapon.
- Counterblade has had its damage increased.
- Dreamweaver’s Trance now also increases Disruption.
- Daydream now inflicts damage over time.
- Hypnosis is now Dreamweaver’s Trance and grants an augmentation allowing the Dreamweaver to have a chance to mesmerize any enemies attacking them with a melee weapon for a short duration.
Fury
- Enhance: Root has been removed.
- Kudzu now lasts for 4 seconds in PVE and has a 25% chance to break on damage, instead of 100%.
Guardian
- Enhance: Sentinel and Enhance: Taunting Blow have been removed.
Illusionist
- Split Personality is now Illusionary Instigation. It lasts for 20 seconds and grants 20% Strikethrough, 20% Hate Gain and 20% to the size of the target’s taunts. It casts in 0.25 seconds and has a 90 second reuse.
Inquisitor
- Enhance: Tormenting Conversion and Enhance: Incarcerate have been removed.
Monk
- Enhance: Will of the Heavens has been merged into one Alternate Advancement with three ranks. It now reduces the reuse time by 10 seconds per rank. The final rank adds the ability to cure Trauma effects.
- Enhance: Silent Threat and Enhance: Challenge have been merged into Enhance: Taunts.
- Reprimand has been added as a new Expertise ability. Reprimand is a taunt with a 24 second reuse, 20 meter range and 0.25 cast time.
- Combination now fires automatically when a punch, jab and a kick have been used in quick succession. It now only hits once.
Mystic
- Enhance: Spirit of the Wolf and Enhance: Ancestral Balm have been removed.
Necromancer
- Mortality Mark now correctly increases the caster’s mitigation, not the target’s.
- Enhance: Grim Sorcerer, Enhance: Undead Knight and Enhance: Nightshade have been merged into Enhance: Summon Spells.
- Beyond the Grave now grants PvP Potency.
Paladin
- Smite Evil now works against Rangers, Illusionists, Monks and Templars.
Predator
- Smoke Bomb now inflicts moderate poison damage and no longer clears the enemy’s target or reduces threat. The amount of threat positions reduces has been increased to 2 positions.
Shadowknight
- Enhance: Soulrend has been added and increases the damage of Soulrend by 5% per rank.
- Unholy Concentration has been added as a new Expertise ability. Unholy Concentration passively grants 15% strikethrough to the Shadowknight.
Ranger
- Befriend Animal has been removed.
Rogue
- Opportunistic Cover no longer requires a round shield. It now grants 2.5% Damage Per Second per rank.
Sorcerer
- Concussive Blast now inflicts minor magic damage and stuns all of the affected targets for 1.5 seconds.
Summoner
- Animated Dagger is now a direct damage spell that inflicts piercing damage.
- Parrying is now Theurgistic Prowess and increases the summoner’s subjugation, ordination, focus, disruption and ministration.
- Implode is now Theurgist’s Detonation. Theurgist’s Detonation inflicts magic damage around the summoner.
- Cabalist’s Cover now applies a 20% chance to prevent magical damage from the pet to the caster. It no longer allows the pet to avoid melee attacks for the caster.
- Perceptor’s Bodyguard no longer requires the pet to be a fighter. The amount has been reduced to 1% health per rank.
- Animist’s Transference is now Transference and is in the Cabalist line.
- Magic Leash is now in the Animist line and no longer requires a mage pet. If the pet is a fighter, it will taunt the entire encounter. If the pet is not a fighter, it will detaunt the encounter. The fighter pet has a chance to improve its hate position as well.
- Shadowstep is now in the Magician line and no longer requires a scout pet. It now inflicts magic damage and if the pet is a scout or a fighter, they will teleport to the target.
- Minion’s Uproar is now in the Magician line and displays the exact effects.
- Reanimate is now in the Magician line and can now reanimate any primary pet.
- Perceptor’s Command is now Perceptor’s Parry and increases the uncontested parry of the pet.
- Shockwave can now trigger on any hit and can be triggered with any pet.
- Unflinching Servant can now be used on any pet.
- Animist’s Bond is now Animist’s Evasion and reduces the caster’s threat position by 24. The reuse is 3 minutes.
- Minion’s Barrier is now Minion’s Attention and grants a proc that has a chance to increase threat position if the pet is a fighter and reduce threat position if the pet is a priest, scout or a mage.
- Minion’s Uproar has been replaced by Symbiosis. If the pet is a fighter, the summoner transfers some of their threat to the fighter. If the pet is a mage, priest or scout, the pet transfers some of their threat to the summoner.
- Focused Minion is now Symbiotic Bond. It increases the amount of Symbiosis by 1% per rank.
- Minion’s Zeal is now Teamwork and is the Cabalist line’s endline ability. The scout pet grants 10% Multi Attack and PvP Multi Attack, the fighter grants a 20% chance to reduce incoming damage by 30%, the Ooze and Hydromancer pets grant 5% maximum health and the mage pet grants 5% Potency and PvP Potency.
- Arcane Minion now works on all primary pets.
- Cabalist’s Aura now improves the max power, max health, Potency and PvP Potency of Beyond the Grave and Fire from Within.
- Empower Servant is now in the Cabalist line and is now Cabalistic Conversion. It reduces the group’s power cost by 1% per rank.
Templar
- Enhance: Sooth has been removed.
- The second Enhance: Involuntary Gift advancement is now Enhance: Involuntary Gift II.
Warden
- Shatter Infections now lasts for 8 seconds, has a 35 meter radius and cures all effects on anyone in the group who falls below 50% health.
Warlock
- Vacuous, Enhance: Nullify, Enhance: Concussive and Enhance: Nullmail have been removed.
- Plaguebringer should now stack when more than one warlock uses it on the same target.
Warrior
- Unshakable Grip can now be cast while moving.
Wizard
- Enhance: Vital Transfer and Enhance: Harvest Mana have been removed.
- Frigid Gift now lasts for 24 seconds.
- Enhance: Frigid Gift now adds 1 second to the duration per rank.
- Fireshape now modifies Surge of Ro to convert all magic and cold spells to heat, rather than being its own spell.
- Iceshape now modifies Frigid Gift to convert all magic and heat spells to cold, rather than being its own spell.
TRADESKILLS
- Harvesting abilities can now only be modified by direct means, so only harvesting tools or racial abilities should affect them. Casting speed will no longer modify them. Harvesting and tradeskill skills will no longer be modified when mentoring.
- There is now a Rare Harvest Chance stat for tradeskillers. This is the chance to get a bonus rare harvest in addition to the normal harvest rewards from a harvest node.
- Tradeskilled Battleground Jewelry and Armor bags can now be traded and sold on the broker.
- Carpenters can now make some stone textured room dividers, and a wider variety of floor tiles to match their room dividers. [Fan Faire Request]
Tradeskill Alternate Advancement Abilities
- Crafting classes now have their own alternate advancement tab to spend AA on. This AA is earned through the normal course of gameplay when crafters do crafting quests.
Details:
There are three rows of abilities.
Each ability can have up to 5 points spent on it.
A maximum of 25 points can be spent in this tab.
Each row needs a minimum of 10 points in it to buy into the next level.
Level 1
Ample Harvest: Each rank bought increases your chance to harvest a second time by 3%.
Swift Creation: Each rank bought increases your progress gained each round by 2%.
High Quality Materials: Each rank bought increases your durability gained each round by 2%
Level 2
Rapid Manufacturing: Each rank bought increases your progress by 2.
Resilient Materials: Each rank bought increases your durability by 2.
Effective Method: Each rank bought increase your success chance by 2%.
Advantageous Practice: Each rank bought increases your critical success chance by 2%.
Level 3
Trim Reaver: Each rank bought increases your chance of harvesting a rare by 0.2%.
Conservation of Mass: Each rank bought increases your chance of not using materials when crafting an item.
ITEMS
- All group/raid dungeon items 20 to 90 have been reitemized except for Velious and SF raid/group dungeons.
- All overland zones have been reitemized.
- Brand new loot has been added to many named creatures in outdoor zones!
- Players who wish to procure the Scaleborn arena champion should seek out Ellywig Sprocketbaker in the Bonemire.
- The Lodizal shell shield house item now hangs properly on the wall.
AMENITIES
- The guildhall Adventure Writ Agent amenity now offers Odus and Velious writs in addition to its prior Kunark writs.
- Added tinkering and adorning recipes to the Guild Hall Tradeskill Recipe Salesman.
- Fixed a bug where you could get an invalid amenity listed in your guild hall amenity list.
LIVE EVENTS
Dragon Ring and Wizard Spire Event
- The Fayberry Muffin Plate has returned to the event merchant.
QUESTS
- Thousands of new rewards have been added to hundreds of quests throughout Norrath!
- Fae and arasai who are level 85 or higher in adventuring or tradeskilling may now work with scholar Aarne to learn more about the faefolk’s lost power of flight.
Great Divide
- With The Order of Rime pressing at the gates, the Goahmari are forced to find alternative ways to support Stormfeather’s Pride. All god-touched that have completed Norbu’s training are being summoned to the village. Seek out Hircus within the rookery to begin!
- Dort Lumrick’s quest “A Page From Their Book” now updates for the entire group when the pirate thief is defeated, even if the player who kills the NPC does not have the quest.
Eastern Wastes
- The efforts of the Ragebourne within Kael Drakkel to free the Thrael’Gorr have been very successful with the aid of adventurers. The result has allowed a once defeated clan to rise and seek a new home. Ry’Gorr Clan Joiners are being summoned by the Ry’Gorr emissary within the Ry’Gorr Keep to continue their aid and bring hope to Clan Thrael’Gorr!
Kylong Plains
- For the quest “The Domination of Phrotis” players should no longer be able to gate the quest by engaging the Will of Phrotis before they are needed to.
Crystal Caverns: Collapse
- Coldain for the quest “Trapped Within the Crystals” should no longer run off until players have gotten the update for the quest.
Steamfont
- Fixed a bug with the Material Support quest where the haywire clockwork spider would look like it was in combat when it was not.
Nektropos Castle
- Players that have completed the quest “Whispers of Fortune” but have not spoken to Rikantus’s benign spirit within Nektropos Castle are now given the hint to return to Nektropos Castle. [Fan Faire Request]
Commonlands
- Players wanting to do the quest “The Spread of Undeath” for the Rodcet Nife deity quest line can now enter a special instance of Befallen: Caverns of the Afflicted that does not scale. This version of the zone will not offer a shard chest or collectables.
Iceshard Keep
- Agent Provocateur: Players should no longer be able to receive a new mission from Provocateur Bas Darkfrost while locked out of the zone.
BATTLEGROUNDS
- Fixed a bug where PVE crit bonus was being used in battlegrounds. Now PVP crit bonus will be used for all targets in a battleground.
- Fixed a bug where NPC kills in a battleground were giving a player deathblow credit on the scoreboard.
- Fixed a bug where NPC kills in a battleground were giving both the points for the NPC kill and points for a PC kill.
- Call to Guild Hall no longer can be cast while in a Battleground.
- Velious Discord faction can now be earned from all battleground matches.
ATTENTION! WARNING! ACHTUNG!
As we have already been advised, these are only PART of the Game Update 61 Notes, and represent what’s been promoted to Test thus far. Notably absent are the House Rating System, Dungeon Finder, and the Beastlord Prelude Event (which may not go on Test).
The Freeport Revamp, Tradeskill Apprentices, Item Reforging, Mercenaries, Design Your Own Dungeon, Beastlord Class, etc. are all part of the EverQuest II: Age of Discovery expansion to be released this November.
…possibly not testing the Beastlord Prelude Event?
These fools really DON’T learn, do they…?
I really hope there is more from the AA revamp I was hoping that at least several of the massive number of worthless or obviously inferior AAs would be looked at. For many classes it seems all of one AA was tweaked (often still not making it worth a second glance).
Disappointing.
So it looks like dirge and troub are the only classes not addressed other then the general bard changes in this wave of AA changes on test…. 🙁
Anaogi,
Again, that’s speculation on my part. They like their surprises. But if they are going to do a surprise, it has to be completely tested and bug-free, and things have come up a bit short in that department lately.
Looks like there won’t be any desire to lock for AA now since you can’t even touch most trees based on level now. Bad move imho.
I too am disapointed about the AA revamp. Its a re-order not a revamp. All the crappy worthless AAs are still going to be there just changed to maybe slightly less crappy (e.g., druid charm) sigh. At least we will get new raids and dungeons no one will ever use and a few more quests that wil offer nothing to those maxed in AA and have semi decent gear.
Please SOE – Pull the plug already —- this game had flatlined now, especially with the “no expansion content” with meaty GU like this one that is really a pile of crap.
Who else thinking about going back to eq1?
Wait – so in the re-itemization it goes to 90 but will not effect SF dungeons and raid loot — WTF —- uhh whayt else is 90 except for the crappy itemized velious gear that you continue to ignore.
While the point is valid, given SOE’s recent track record, I’m not what you call ‘optimistic’ on this subject.
Setting sail for fail once again…
We *could* have 26 useful dungeons at level 90. But by choosing not to reitemize SF instances, we’re stuck at just 13 dungeons.
I know Feldon, I am just dumbstruck by this and do not forget the TSO zones that scaled to 90 – guessing those will be ignored also – They must of really really hated their SF expansion should completely shove it down the “shitter” like they keep doing 🙁
I thought they where adding Reforging at this point to solve the lvl 90 itemization problems?
COME ON!!!
•Spell Autoattack will turn on automatically when you cast a damage spell on a target.
But they can’t get the Rangers to have an automatic Ranged AA option.
Did not take long for the fair buzzkill to happen
Seems like an awesome update to me 🙂
LOL
Louey, I can see why there is a some unrest. When they said “AA Revamp” I’m sure that most expected it to be much more far-reaching and comprehensive than the notes suggest. It’s not a “revamp”, it’s a series of minor tweaks.
Jeez, folks this is the first push to the player test server. It is not going to live for a while. Believe me, the devs WILL listen to folks from test after the spires debacle.
I hope the “not re-itemizing the SF content” is addressed, that makes no sence.
Quote:
Comment by dropdoff — July 28, 2011 @ 10:18 am
COME ON!!!
•Spell Autoattack will turn on automatically when you cast a damage spell on a target.
But they can’t get the Rangers to have an automatic Ranged AA option.
Dropdoff, I’m not sure what you mean here. No one is actually getting an automatic Spell AA option, all that is happening is, when you cast a spell, the “spell auto-attack” turns on, i.e. you start firing with your wand. It is exactly the same if I use a melee attack combat art my melee auto-attack turns on, and if I use a ranged attack CA my ranged auto-attack turns on.
Now, I understand that some rangers would prefer to have have EVERY combat art, ranged and melee, KEEP ranged auto attack on and not melee auto-attack at all, but that is not what the spellcasters are getting. And, to solve this little problem, it is possible to make a macro for each melee attack. After each attack you make a command line that reads /autoattack 2 which will turn on your ranged auto attack (0 turns auto-attack off, 1 turns melee attack on, and 2 turns on ranged auto attack . . . I hope they add /autoattack 3 to turn on spell auto-attack as well . . . )
Wait, spell auto-attack? I think I missed something here…
Has anyone found where to get a wand for spell auto attack? The only thing I’ve found doesn’t currently work.
No, I haven’t logged on yet to test to look for wands, but I was wondering that very thing, where to get one.
And yes, spell auto-attack. Casters (I THINK that means anyone that can cast spells, but I am not sure exactly who . . . for example, just mages, or priest too . . . and will crusaders be able to as well? /shrug I’ll have to log in and see) will be able to get wands that you can put in your ranged slot that fire bolts, rays, or whatever else Sony comes up with that do damage.
This will allow casters to do some damage when they are out of mana, as well as have to worry about stats like:
There will be spell autoattack versions of the following stats
* DPS
* Flurry
* Multi Attack
* Haste
* AE Autoattack
Now you’ll have even MORE stats to try to get to be competitive . . . just like us melee DPS! Aren’t you LUCKY! (Many casters have complained about them being totally dependent on mana . . . careful what you wish for! (-; )
You can check out Feldon’s write-up (right here at Eq2 Wire) at:
https://eq2wire.com/2011/07/09/live-blog-eq2-panel-5-mechanics/
Or check out the left panel, choose Fan Faire, and look for the Mechanics panel. You can watch the You Tube video from there as well. Spell Auto-attack is explained there.
Personally, I don’t mind needing to look for more stats. Really, I’ve just been going for Potency and Crit bonus at this point as there is no other way to increase my DPS.
So far, though, I haven’t found any working wands. None on the broker, none of my old gear, even the “wand” I got in a new quest line didn’t work. When you hovered over the wand, it compared it to my range slot item, but was only equipable in my primary slot and only did crushing damage.
I’m not 100% sure what the complaint about reitemization for SF zones is. They are reitemizing to reflect the fact that classes only need two stats (stam + whatever main stat) and items pre SF were mostly willy nilly with stats ie. you could find robes with no int whatsoever. Items in SF were designed so that you know “what class they were for” BASED on the main stat they had. The reitemization is not to create a whole undertier or loot that is competitive with top tier content, but rather to address changes made to the statistics system that have come with recent changes to the game…
Am I to understand that come the update, we will all have to redo our aa lines? I have a lvl 67 ranger with 143 aa (11 unspent,) will I lose them? My warlock has 300 aa, and I like my build. Now I will have to figure out how to keep things as they are within the new structure. I hope my worries are for naught.
I surely hope they kick off the Beastlord soon. I miss mine from EQ1 and I think it will make a great addition if done correctly.
Lizzieanna, you won’t “lose” your AAs. your ranger will still have 143, your warlock will still have 300. I haven’t been on test yet, so I am not sure if ALL AAs are reset, or just affected trees, but your AAs will become unspent and you will have to re-choose your AAs again.
You might want to write down or take screen shots of your current AA abilities now if you want to keep your build. Oh, and if you have any specs on any AA mirrors in any of your houses, you’ll have to go to them and respec and re-choose your AAs there as well.
Lizzieanna, You’ll probably like the changes. Your Sorcerer, Heroic and TSO trees will stay the same as before, but the subclass (Warlock) tab will need to be re-done. There are a few minor changes to some aa, but the biggest change is how you spend them. There is no more lattice that you need to spend to get some AA’s. For example, on the Wizard tab, I used to have to take 20 points in the “mana” line to get manaburn which involved getting a bunch of AA’s I simply didn’t want or need. Now I can spend 20 AA on any Wizard ability and unlock manaburn. Spend another 20, and I can buy another end line. The change will most likely let folks spend a few more points in AA’s they want rather than filling useless prerequisite AAs fist.
Anyone else pick up on this little gem? Better hope the toon you’re playing isn’t fully geared out because if this goes into effect, getting gear for alts (when not on the alt) goes out the window. Are there THAT many loot-whores out there abusing the “NEED” option to require this? This change basically negates the HEIRLOOM tag.
Sometimes players like to play their main character, but the group or raid calls for an alt instead. When this happens, it’s accepted that a person could roll for an alternate character instead of the one they’re currently on. This would completely eliminate that. I officially HATE this change, and hope it doesn’t go into effect.
The NBG change is a terrible change – should only be for cross server dungeon finder when it comes in (same server no one would abuse that without getting a bad rep)
OK the AA changes to the dirge tree appear minor until you get close.
A number of things have been moved from one line to another, hard to be sure which because some of the icons seem to have been inadvertently swapped at the same time. I could now spend 63 points in this tree to get the endlines I want (Confront Fear, Luck of the Dirge, Degredate) Freeing up to 19AA to put elsewhere. For me this means considerable flexibility if they had lifted the 100 point cap in the Bard Tree to 120 or even 110 I would be a very merry dirge.
I like how the stat revamp and uncapping is a nerf for many people.
For example MA after 500 no longer works the same.
6 attacks at 500 MA, 7 attacks at … 1000 MA.
So my current 555 MA goes from 6.55 attacks to 6.05 attacks.
Lack of change to DOV gear ? What everything pre DoV gets cool procs and upgrades yet they couldnt revamp our current situation , I dont play in the past xpack I play in the now cmon make it happen!!! Our gear from normal mode DoV raids into HM DoV raids is so blaaa. Who gives a crap about SF and below its past. No item reforgeing till next xpack ! 3 months from now ? Cmon fan fair had me excited but this is crap.
I have to agree that the NBG change is just dumb. Why is it even necessary? I don’t see rampant abuse of the current system. There’s just no need for it. I like rolling for my alts too when i’m not on my main, but with this in place, I’d have to convince everyone in group or raid: “could you all please hit ‘decline’ so I can loot that item?” = Stupid. This just adds more hurdles go through to get loot. =(
Started playing with my AA on test copy and WHAM!! it hit me. Those new tradeskill AA’s come at the cost of real AA’s. Any points spent in the tradeskill tree mean less to spend elsewhere.
Outcome no points for me in the Tradeskill tree, nor I think for any serious player. This tree seems to be for crafter toons that will never ever enter even a heroic dungeon.
If only there were a device to save a heroic AA setup while you’re crafting. I’d call it an AA Mirror…
@milliebii Well, now that AA mirrors can be placed in every home with a different spec and according to Rothgar they don’t plan on fixing it.
This really is looking like an awesome update and I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
tbh it looked good at first glance but as you read it the more it turns into a great big ninja nerf, if you replaced nerfed with fixed it would be more accurate, i was so full of hope for this update after FF but as always it fails in so many ways, makes me wonder AGAIN if any devs actually play the game
The NBG change is hardly the issue y’all are making it out to be. Remember, even Heirloom items can be traded among party members within 48 hours–that is, it goes greed and you make a deal with whoever got it.
The spell auto-attack and overcap changes are terrible for too many reasons to explain here. I hate how they’re making long-term game balance a complete impossibility just so that their lazy item script works a little better.
If I had DOV PQ weapons and auto attack while casting with multiple attack adorments, I would multiple cast too?
All I have to say is whats going to be in the xpac in november if were getting it all now in the next 2 game updates.
The casters all get a free no-cost (AFK) dps upgrade with a ranged auto-attack that costs them nothing and does not have to be timed with their spells.
I think the best news I saw for melee dps is that our multi-attack is being nerfed. Rangers won’t go through NEARLY as many arrows and poisons that we buy to do dps. I know it’s not just rangers…most scouts eat arrows and poisons like crazy.
Finally, NOT reitemizing the SF and DoV gear was a SMART move on their part. Think about it…they are changing stats so the stock gear won’t be optimal (or even worthy of using in many cases) so the November expansion that adds item reforging will just FLY off the virtual shelves.
The level restrictions on AA tabs are actually a really annoying nerf:
The Subclass Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 30.
The Shadows Alternate Advancement tab now unlocks at level 50.
I know that, for an SK, inquisitor, mystic, warden, or necro, the first aas I worked on were in the subclass tree. Not being able to get reaver or tainted heals until 30+ (or melee arts, for wardens/inquisitors/mystics) really sucks.
im stunned that with all these changes that we STILL cant get a hate transfer for rangers equal to the assassin, or some other ability that would make them more atractive for raiding.
Its true , I run a guild that clears several HMs and I wont guild a ranger anymore ,all they are is ranged DPS and bring nothing else to the table , Beast lords will be more sought after than rangers lol.