Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tenth Edition - June 2014

Colosseum is Now Hiring!

The Darkveil Colosseum is looking for Taskmasters! Any and all persons interested in scheduling the most entertaining fights this side of the city walls should contact Altros Dages for more information. We're looking for reliable, regular, enthusiastic heroes to orchestrate the greatest battles of our time!

Current opening include operators for the following leagues: All class leagues (except Hunters and Jugglers), Groups, and Clans.


New World Things!

Take a look at this exclusive* interview with Darkblade, the game admin for WoD.net!

*Exclusivity of the content below has not been confirmed, endorsed, or supported by WoD Management and is used solely for advertising purposes.

WH: So, Darkveil has been rolled out on the old framework. What can we expect out of Darkveil that wasn't around in Caledonii?

DB: The original framework is still around. Even the "new" world is based on old framework, but with newer content. Some of the changes we have already started migrating to Darkveil.
Race names and especially the description updates.
New Legend medals as well, although the start with those was a bit shaky. They are now moved to the player creation routine so they are assigned automatically.
Adventures are also being utilized. I wanted to start using these for crafting, especially for players to have something to do besides marketing between the dungeon explorations.
Battlefields are also coming. This is a feature that will allow clans to enter a battlefield (on a map) and try to complete objectives to gain points.

WH: Adventures sound great so far! Can you break down the design goal of adventuring a bit?

DB: I had originally planned to just abuse them to create a working crafting. The framework has always been there, but was regarded by the owner as "highly buggy". For example the reason most players can see crafting adventures they should not normally see is because players in their groups were triggering it with their hero class / race. We have fixed that now by allowing all in, but in the first level we filter out the players who should not be in it. Not a pretty solution, but effective.

Cerise took it to the next level by creating a very extensive adventure to rescue Father Wuel. I can let you know that some people do know "how to complete it", but that does not mean that they have gotten all bonuses out of the adventure. There are lots of twists that have nothing to do with the completion, and reward the heroes even more.

Cerise, Black_Phoenix and myself have been really hammering away at the adventures to push them to their limits, documenting as we go, to feel out whats broken, and what works.

WH: So, we can craft equipment...will that replace end-game items with custom crafted gear that make heroes super strong?

DB:Some items will never be replaceable *strokes the Kooors blades of damnation* my precioussssssss.
Custom crafted gear is geared towards the classes and races that can use that particular crafting directly, but we also have the Tanners, who will be able to make armor for just about anyone. This armor wont replace the best in game, but it will be upgrade-able to help bridge over those long gaps where there is nothing on the market, and nothing useful in the drops.

WH: I think we all noticed that race names changed. Has anything else changed about the world we know and love?

DB:More stuff to come to know and love will be added regularly now. I have been trying to balance it out a bit to not release too much, too fast.

WH: Is any new content being tested out in Darkveil that will help with the design process for the next new world?

DB: Yes, we are really pushing the framework to be certain that we are able to give the players as much to enjoy as possible.


Bashing Heads: Finding Success in the Colosseum

Want to do better in the arena? Check out these tips and insights from scout327, the current Champion of the Young Bloods League! While you're at it, register for a league today at the Colosseum!

WH: So, you've been doing quite well in the Colosseum at the start of this world (including beating up on Darkblade!). What's your secret?

S: My secret is spinach.

Nah, kidding, my secret is playing a strong class and having a good equipment. There's not a lot of options in settings and skills early on, so this two things are the most important by far.

WH: Are barbarians just super strong in low level duels, or is there something specific you need to focus on in order to be successful.

S: Barbarians are the strongest class by a long shot in low levels. As everyone has a similar skillset at the beggining (offensive skill + defensive skill), the amount of hitpoints makes the diference and barbarians have tons of them.

WH: Do you think you'll "fall off" in effectiveness at a certain point in duels? How do you balance contributing in dungeons and winning duels?

S: Definitely. For example, in duels makes sense to invest both in offense and defense, but in dungeons going full attack is generally better. I will probably focus on dungeons, because succeeding in dungeons means better equipment and hopefully that allows me to keep winning even with a weaker dueling build.

WH: How can a new player try to stay relevant in both scenes? Are certain builds better? For example, can a barbarian focusing on roundhouse be a strong duelist?

S: Unless you invest a lot of points in a multiple target skill like roundhouse or cut-throat (Not worth in my opinion, because mana becomes a huge issue) you will stay relevant in the arena. You wont be as strong as with a pure dueling build, but most of your opponents wont be using that build either.

Using variable EP and switching equipment can make a huge diference in some cases.

WH: Any final words of encouragement for anyone new to the dueling scene?

S: Challenge people of similar strength. Losing over and over against stronger opponents can get boring fast, while winning against weaker opponents wont teach you anything. Plus that means closer and more exciting duels.

Dont be afraid to ask for advice, I learnt one basic thing yesterday from my direct competitor in the leaderboard, that means most people is willing to help anyone.


RE-RUN: The Herald Wants YOU!

Got an interesting build you'd like to share? An idea you want to get out there? Too much bundled up creativity and no outlet? The Herald is looking for interviewees. To sign up, send a message to Jasvyr and shout your glorious information to the world (figuratively...there's no yelling allowed in journalism...)!!! Seriously, message me in game, I want to interview you (assuming you have something even REMOTELY interesting to say)!