{"id":202,"date":"2018-06-21T13:37:38","date_gmt":"2018-06-21T13:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heathenworkshop.com\/goca\/2018\/06\/21\/producers-letter-summer-and-fall-outlook\/"},"modified":"2018-06-21T13:37:38","modified_gmt":"2018-06-21T13:37:38","slug":"producers-letter-summer-and-fall-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heathenworkshop.com\/goca\/2018\/06\/21\/producers-letter-summer-and-fall-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"Producer's Letter: Summer and Fall Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Vikings of Midgard, champions of Hibernia, and defenders of Albion,<\/p>\n

\tAs the war rages on in the Frontiers, I write to you today to provide an update on Patch 1.125’s status, dive into some of its features, and to outline our plan for the rest of the year. <\/p>\n

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\n\tSummer Outlook<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\nPatch 1.125 development continues. While we hoped to get this update out earlier this year, there were some unforeseen issues and some technological constraints that arose and conspired to delay us. These technical issues mainly revolved around the promised Race, Gender, and Name changes. We originally planned to provide these “respec” options via the traditional character customization screen but after much work was done towards that aim and after many, many attempts at navigating the various pitfalls and risks inherent in utilizing microtransactions on the character screen, it became apparent that it would not be possible without a significant overhaul to the game client and microtransaction system.<\/p>\n

Rather than push out Patch 1.125 many, many months to perform that work – or worse, removing the much anticipated Race change feature from the patch entirely, we decided to implement the Race and Gender change system within the game itself rather than the character screen. Unfortunately, this does mean that Name changes will no longer be on the table for the foreseeable future. One day perhaps, but 1.125 will only offer Race and Gender changes for microtransactions. We’ll provide more details on exactly how the system will work in the 1.125 patch notes but we will do so in a way that allows players to preview their race and gender look prior to committing to the change.<\/p>\n

While delays are never desired, it will still take some extra time (though much, much less than overhauling the game client and microtransaction system) to implement this in-game Race and Gender change feature. The other silver lining is that this extra time will allow us to further flesh out, polish, and test the myriad other features planned for Patch 1.125!<\/p>\n

And while Patch 1.125 is getting delayed, you certainly deserve some more details on its features! Get comfortable and let’s dive right in:<\/p>\n

\nRvR currency<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the features that we’ve received a ton of positive feedback and questions about is the announcement that it’ll be possible to earn high-end equipment directly through RvR and we’re very excited to finally unveil those plans for you! <\/p>\n

Previously, it was announced that a new currency, Valor, would be obtainable via the new RvR quest system that’s coming. Rather than use a brand new currency that requires valuable inventory space and can only be obtained via quest or drops, we’ve instead decided to use the existing Bounty Point system! For many years feedback has been coming in requesting a more valuable uses for Bounty Points and we’re happy to finally provide!<\/p>\n

However, there are some balance concerns and caveats to using the existing Bounty Point system as an RvR currency while also maintaining our goal to provide a way for players to obtain high-end gear via RvR without also rendering PvE pointless:<\/p>\n

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  • \n\t\tObtaining gear via Bounty Points will not be as efficient or as quick as doing the respective encounter in PvE. It is merely another option for obtaining the gear and one that has the added benefit of participating in RvR while doing so!<\/li>\n
  • \n\t\tCurrent Bounty Point levels are highly inflated on many older characters and while newer characters have a more reasonable amount in general their values have also been inflated with the myriad bounty point bonuses and quests rewards. As such, we’ll be instituting a new Bounty Point maximum with this system. Any character with more BPs than that maximum will have their new BP value set to that new maximum value when Patch 1.125 launches. Consider this letter your invitation to use those extra BPs before you lose them when the update is released.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • \n\t\tWe’ll also be fine-tuning the amount of BPs earned via quest reward and heavily using them as an incentive in the new RvR quest system outlined below. Note: this may mean that the rate BPs are earned gets increased slightly to offset the new maximum limit and high bounty point costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    We aren’t quite ready to announce what the exact maximum BP amount will be yet, as we’re still fine-tuning the system and its pricing, but it will be in the range of 50,000 to 500,000 maximum bounty points per character.<\/p>\n

    How it works:<\/p>\n

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    • \n\t\tCharacters will be able to craft <\/strong>the high-end equipment (with the gear’s normal stats and procs) after obtaining the following components through the various means outlined.<\/p>\n
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      • \n\t\t\t\tThe full details of this system are still being fine-tuned but the necessary tradeskill value required to craft the items will be extremely low (1-200 skill).<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\tThe items will either be in their respective Tailoring, Armorcraft, Weapon, Fletching tradeskills, with crafted accessories in Jewelcraft -OR- Jewelcraft will be renamed to Bountycraft and contain all of the potential items.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\tIn order to craft the items, characters will need the following:<\/p>\n
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        • \n\t\t\t\t1 or more Bounty Molds <\/li>\n
        • \n\t\t\t\t1 Recipe Template<\/li>\n
        • \n\t\t\t\t1 Bag of Glowing Dust new crafting component<\/li>\n
        • \n\t\t\t\t1 or more rare alchemy crafting components<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • \n\t\tCharacters can visit the Bounty Merchant to purchase 1 or more of the following items for varying amounts of bounty points:<\/p>\n
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          • \n\t\t\t\tBounty Weapon Mold<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\t\t\tBounty Armor Mold<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\t\t\tBounty Accessory Mold<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\t\t\tBounty Molds will NOT be tradable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • \n\t\tCharacters will also be able to earn a new <Type> Recipe Template item from RvR quests and (rarely from) keep chests.<\/p>\n
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            • \n\t\t\t\tThe <type> will be the category of item that can be made (ex: Curse, Otherworldly, Aurulite, Frozen, Hallowed, etc.) from the template.<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\t\t\tThese categories are also the way the equipment will be categorized in the recipe list.<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\t\t\tRecipe Templates WILL be tradable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • \n\t\tThe Bag of Glowing Dust component will be purchaseable from any normal general supplies crafting merchant for 2.5 plat or can be crafted at 1000 Alchemy for around 1 plat in generic component costs.<\/p>\n
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              • \n\t\t\t\tThe Bag of Glowing Dust WILL be tradable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • \n\t\tThe crafted high-end equipment that results from this new system will NOT be tradable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                In addition to crafting high-end loot as described, players will also be able to purchase the following on Bounty Merchants, directly:<\/p>\n

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                • \n\t\tOtherworldly Ore<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tEssences of Omni-Healing, Omni-Regen, Tenacity, and Restoration<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tRandomized Copper, Silver or Gold Keep keys for each keep<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tSome event items directly<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tRandomized crafting component box<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tMagic Orbs<\/li>\n
                • \n\t\tRandomized Doppelganger Shards<\/p>\n
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                  • \n\t\t\t\tThese will no longer drop Magic Orbs or Draught of Supremacy\/Celerity shards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                  • \n\t\tAnd more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    \nRvR Quest and Reward Streamlining<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    We’re also tackling some of the extraneous RvR quests and rewards and streamlining them into a more coherent system that will supplement the new RvR currency system and still deliver the same or even more rewards without cluttering up inventory while out RvRing!<\/p>\n

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                    • \n\t\tNew weekly or monthly repeatable quests will be offered by Commander Wentworth, Commander Hrurdin, and Commander Locke in each realm’s relic towns that will offer bounty point rewards:<\/p>\n
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                      • \n\t\t\t\tThe Royal Accountant’s quest ‘A New Threat in an Old Form’ will have its steps to kill each of the Doppelganger lords as well as 25 normal doppelgangers consolidated into a new weekly repeatable quest.<\/p>\n
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                        • \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThis quest will grant realm points in addition to the bounty point reward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                        • \n\t\t\t\tThe statue quests Tribute: Conqueror, Enforcer, and Peerless will be consolidated into a single monthly quest requiring characters to capture 40 keeps, kill 150 realm enemies, and gather 50 supplies and 50 rubble.<\/p>\n