ODDS AND ENDS

Disclaimer: I know some formatting is screwy. On To Do list after holidays.

A collection of letters mixed together to form strings of letters!

Still Different! Still Different! We Called It The Warrior, Not Warrior: Sigil continues to give careful and coy flashes of flesh with the April Vanguard Beta Newsletter. This month’s edition tells us:

The diplomacy system is undergoing some tweaking and improvements. Until these are fully implemented though, users are likely to experience many problems when attempting to test diplomacy. For the time being, please focus your testing in other areas – there will be an announcement when we are ready to restart extensive diplomacy testing.

It was mentioned back in the February newsletter that the Diplomacy system was undergoing changes due to its over-complex nature. Changes that seem to be affecting the fundamental mechanics seem to be still occurring. Yeah, this is beta, so this kind of thing happens, but it does appear as if the diplomacy system being touted as being this mind-blowing new addition to the MMO paradigm is a shade of its former self. From a number of reports, the Vanguard Diplomacy system is comparable to that of the Persuasion mechanic in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In short, a glorified Japanese date sim. (Not there is anything wrong with that. I hear the weapon merchant in Tursh is dreamy)

We've made some additions to ranged weapons this month in an effort to make them a more viable option. Changes include lowering aim time, reuse timer and adding more weapons and ammunition. Please talk to Sherlan Tinderfield in the Tursh weapon shop and let us know what you think on the beta forums.

If the aim time being tweaked consists of anything else but the animation time between pressing the “Shoot” button and sending an arrow merrily along its way, I think I can wager a guess as to why ranged combat is not a viable option.

Bordinar’s Cleft, Starting Locations, Blah Blah

In world creation terms, all 3 previous public Vanguard Beta Newsletters have contained nothing but starting locations and newbie areas. Additionally, only the continent of Thestra has been mentioned. Sigil being secretive or a lack of content? Make what you want from this.

There is a new soloable quest functional in Landsview (Coastal Graveyard). Talk to Guard Kiben on the road between Adynn’s Watch and Tursh for more information.

Woah, woah. Hold on. Not so much at once!

April Class of the Month – The Warrior

You know, stances for tanks classes in MMOs are nothing new. For example, EQ2 has them and Guild Wars uses some form of them. But I guess it had to be expected that forums across both of the internets would be alight with calls of “ZOMG! Vanguard is copying the WoW Warrior!”.

Warriors of MUDs and early MMOs often complained about the eye-gouging boredom of hitting a troll on its head in an effort to deplete its hitpoints before the troll depleted their own. With MMOs as they stand now, stances are a viable way of offering meatshields some form of tactics. The Opening -> Bridge -> Finisher system with varying effects based upon moves used looks like it could compliment this view if it goes deep enough. I guess I’m saying “Yeah, it looks similar, but at least they didn’t go the EQ route with this as well”.

Oh, and if anyone else was picturing in their mind, complete with slow moving visuals and blood spurts, how those varying Opening -> Bridge -> Finisher moves would work;

a) You’re a freak

b) Anyone else think a Furious Blow -> Whirlwind chain could be a free AOE taunt?

 

NCSoft’s Plans To Take Over The World Are Going Swimmingly: NCSoft has announced its E3 line-up. Tabula Rasa is being touted as NCSoft’s major drawcard, with Guild War’s new update (not Factions) restricted to only those people that are able to get into the secret back room. You know, the one that contains the hookers.

Also being paraded around are Aion (NCSoft apparently has high hopes for this title, but they must mean only in Korea. Any news of it has been laying low in this Western market of ours), Dungeon Runners (the World of Warcraft look-a-like) and Exteel (mechs! Mechs!).

Thinking a title was missing, I went and checked up on Auto Assault only to be find myself colored surprised after stumbling across a link that says Auto Assault is to be released today. As in now. Well, gee. That’s the first I’ve heard of that. Is getting people to pay a monthly fee for your game so that they may gain a beta slot for a different game an indicator of why I haven’t heard anything? It seems the single-player slanted gameplay of a title touted to be an MMO may have put more people off than it was able to lure in. In any case, good luck with the launch, Auto Assault guys.

So, out of interest, are any of you reading currently this looking to pick up this title?

 

I Can’t Stop Thinking About The Cosplayers: There’s an SOE Fan Faire report over at MMORPG (damn, how I wish I had squatted on that domain when I had the chance). Of note:

One of the issues that players have seemed to see as a problem was the 6 month development cycle for expansion packs. This had resulted in things not being as polished as might have been liked. This sentiment was echoed by the developers on the panel, and we were told that that would no longer be the practice, that the new expansion would be given more time to develop, and more time in beta, in order to facilitate a more polished product when it finally hit the market.

I went searching for an update I was confident I had written which quoted someone over at SOE (I’m thinking it was Smed) explaining the 6 month expansion decision, marketing-style. Instead I found this update in which I lamented the issues likely to arise out of expansions released in such a quick successions – similar to ones obviously echoed by the playerbase at this Fan Faire. Take note to read the first comment under that update, written by A_Grouchy_Gnome_01. Back then, that comment had stuck me as a little odd – it had come from someone who had, from most appearances, started his own blog just 2 days prior and was putting faith in someone rather than poking fun at them. Didn’t he know how this blogosphere thing works?

Fast forward to today, and we see Grouchy Gnome has come out of the Internet’s version of the closet to declare he is Ryan “Blackguard” Shwayder, EQII’s Community Relations Manager.

Ye gads, I have been trolled!

For a deeper look at the Fan Faire, Aggro has some thoughts. Regarding the sticker in that first Aggro link, CRGaming broke out their Navajo code to English phrasebook.

Eventually we deciphered the symbols as a pictograph, 
substituting them, for letters we decoded the symbols 
to mean “The Future of Everquest”. But that’s not all. 
I was told there was more to it, and we should look at 
the notches (you can’t see too well, but some of the 
letters have little marks on them). Well, a group of 
players at the summit managed to piece it together, 
and counting the number of notches on each symbol, and 
replacing that number with the equivilent letter of 
the alphabet, led to a shocking message. 
It read:

The Fae are coming winter 2006 

To add to that, doesn’t that main symbol look a LOT like 
the pictograph of a certain god of hate who had friends in 
a certain Castle of Mistmoore? Faydwer, anyone?

So, Everquest II expansion at the end of this year involving Faydwer and something to do with Gods (whom are supposed to have left the world of Everquest II). Hey, that actually isn’t 6 months.

??????: Supposed leaked WoW 1.11 patch notes have been found on a Chinese website. Players soon took out their Chinese to Navajo to Broken English phrasebook.

East of the plague, Sitansuomu depths, can be found at the entrance Nakesamasi cemetery. Baron Ruiwen Daier in the slaughterhouses can be found in a side door into the hidden region. Nakesamasi cemetery is floating in Sitansuomu urban areas.
 
Describe
 
There are four regions : hated zones, Siling Master Ou, death Knight zone and spiders zone. 18 monster who will be here. Ice and frost effects do battle preparations, and, ultimately, to face Keersusade.
 
Sets new career!

In Nakesamasi through the completion of a series of tasks, risk persons who will be able to access a new level of eight pieces of epic sets, each will have a career. These sets will be fully beyond the current vocational sets.
 
The practitioner uses all dispersed category will be slightly reduced consumption, lower consumption of magic wand that supernatural power consumption less than High. However, the lower will not be able to disperse groups dispersed High magic wand. For example, the pastor of one class to disperse trick will only disperse the highest level of not more than 50 magic.

Amended in effect under control skills (such as fear games, the war on), will not be able to correct the mistakes release skills.

A description of the letter has been updated.

Patrick son will no longer provide Zambian across tribal prestige.

Amended in special situations release magic wand, the administration has been openly goal in the former impact from the scope of magic attacks, the special status can not be cancelled correct deficiencies (such as Master in a state of calm on the target release meteorite games, and the goal in the meteorite trick flying a cut over time moves on the map. Inside this effect will not be cancelled, but the next will not be composed of magic, and the same effect can be composed).

Passive threat of injury right now will receive value and the value of the threat of natural changes and props impact.

Sainaliao site because guards will not use correct certain Tsam and Duohun angry and stick injuries to the players who do not enter combat situations.

Sainaliao release now in the revival of arts venue, or ancestors of the soul will not be saved by guards attack.

Flight managers worldwide strength slightly upgraded flight managers guards will no longer controlled skills.

Amended in the wake of its copies can be pulled from the fighting in error.

Totem will now have the right to monster threat value. Totem worship no longer be retrieved because of the threat value and enhance their own threats.

Amended part of the regional waters in the absence of a bubble can be normal breathing mistakes.
 

Payment and battlefield

Battlefield victory parties and failure to provide honorary awards significantly reduced. Each flag will have a change of more honor awards.

If the fighting in the battlefield before the start of a number of parties did not reach the battlefield open, then this battle will not provide any prestige and honor awards.

 

De

- Drugs trick - supernatural power consumption slightly lower, but not higher than 50 to disperse level poisoning effect.

Destruction-destruction that continues to be a

Georgia

stalls, or back away, and will not hit a mistake.

 

Hunters

Dummy dead-hunters amended in on the target after release from sustained injuries through dummy dead from the fighting skills of mistakes.

Disrupting fire-will have to replace the charm effect of a substantial threat previous value.

Whenever nails gill-will be able to correct through the magic wand injury effects props to raise revenue.

Multiple shooting - skills that additional harm would correctly spell harm through their effects props benefits.

Dispersed design-hunters are now all in the 30-class time learning to spell. Natural location of the original replaced by the new gift

New gift-maintained, replaced the original disperse fire. The skills to make immediate target shooting, multiple shooting and the firing of the Austrian People cooling time ended. Skills cooling time of 10 minutes.

 

Master

As a major natural systems adjustments will be Master of the natural replacement. Associated with natural magic / skills training costs will be substantially reduced.

Awaken-Master can now all in the 20-class time learning to spell.

Demons detonation technique-it is overwhelmingly made magic, the relevant gift was removed.

Practitioner wrongly - that magic be redesigned. Now it will be reduced by the Master of all injuries, but there will be 30 rounds restrictions. When practitioner shield exist, Master practitioner combustion and will not be drawn practitioner effects, but the practitioner combustion and lessons practitioner can quickly damage practitioner shield.

Ice and frost magic right now will be 15 seconds diminishing returns rule.

Ice and frost magic right now will receive the proceeds from elements curse effects.

Deformation trick-vulgar deformation trick now will not have an impact on senior goal.

Magic counter-cooling time this takes slightly reduced.

Suddenly the storm-the dream of direct injury slightly upgrading injury sustained slight decline in overall injury remain unchanged.

Austrian trick energy-now in life will have a length of time equal to its own role in the cooling time to prevent the simultaneous use of props and other similar. These ornaments including

Zambia

fought heroic properties, a magical energy.

Sorcery curb - this theory has been redesigned. Now it will be reduced in proportion to the injury and the treatment takes effect.

Sorcery efficiency - this theory has been redesigned. Now it will be a proportional increase in the concentration of the injury and treatment results.

Detection magic-the magic of the role of time slightly growth.

A trick ice - this theory has been redesigned. Now it will be reduced as the Master of all physical injury, and enhance ice and frost resistance, and reduced by the Master of all austerity magic harm. A trick when ice presence, Master affected by the austerity takes effect slowdown, the slowdown effect will be reduced, and all physical attacks against Master nearly warfare will enable attackers attack speed and movement speed reduced.

Demons a trick - this theory has been redesigned. Now it will be reduced as the Master of all magic injury, and enhance all the magic resistance. A trick when demons exist, all of the offensive spark against the Master will be a very small probability reflection. A technique can not be dispersed or demons purification.

Protective flame customs sector - this dream is now able to absorb more flames injury. When the protective flame customs sector exist, will not be affected and Master Suddenly Zhen strike effects.

Protective austerity customs sector - this dream is now able to absorb more ice and frost damage. When the protective austerity customs sector exist, there would be no austerity star Master cream cold piercing to the bones and the impact will not be frozen trap frozen.

Ice trick-magic caused by the slowdown effect was slightly lower, but the time was moderated slightly increased.

Cream cold piercing to the bones - junior ice and frost magic will be the trigger for lower probability results. Ice will no longer be able to trigger the a trick effect.

New magic-wand stolen. When the magic stolen life, being the Master of a non-scope of the offensive attack will be magic wand stolen, and the cancellation of the results, but if the attack was magic resistance, the lack of access takes effect stolen. Master was stolen in theory, will be released once the most stolen magic, the magic will be equivalent to the injury suffered by the magic Master injury, and will not be subject to the effects of magic props impact injury, but could be enhanced energy Austrian games. Sacred is not stolen magic. (For example, when Master stolen in a state of concentration by the success of a shadow Arrow attack, the goal would be to release a shadow Arrow. The umbra Arrow will be based on the injury suffered by the umbra Arrow Master before the injury, and the results will not be hurt by magic props impact. )

Inside-amendments could lead to a calm effect can not be correctly remove errors. Inside results now can not be dispersed or purification.

 

St. Knight

Sacred Zhen strike-the magic effect was upgraded, and can not be resisted.

Divine mercy trick-amendments could lead to a divine mercy trick effects can not be correctly remove errors. Divine mercy trick now can not be dispersed or purification effect.

Crusaders trial-now not only able to upgrade the magic of the sacred goal of injury, will slightly raise the goal of treatment effect.

Trial - when goals were post-trial, the goal will not be able to sneak into the state or stealth.

Mother - When the man after learning of high-grade, low levels of losses will not be able to reuse.

Divine intervention - were now unable to use their control objectives.

 

Pastor

Weakness of touch (dead) - now different grades can not be combined with the weak.

Divine mercy to-back every now

5%/10%/15

% grading of the injury, rather than the original

8%/16%/25

%.

Feedback (human) - The magic emanating from the umbra hurt slightly improved.

Desperate supplication statement-the magic right now will be the props and effects of natural magic thump.

Easter games - when the high-grade study of the revival began, the low levels of Easter games will no longer use.

Souls control - when the control objectives are derived from the injury control, will be additional probability from state control.

 

Bandits

Cutting-Gedang amended this capacity may be, or get back, or did not hit a mistake.

Then-amended lightning struck, the destruction of tropical shield will be in the wrong state

Laser-resistance can now be correct.

Impulse - response approach is now energy adjustment, the overall response rate unchanged.

 

Shaman shaman

As a major natural systems adjustments ceremony will be the natural replacement. Associated with natural magic / skills training costs will be substantially reduced.

All totem will not have a target for neutral hatred, nor will it have a neutral effect goals.

All the while the earth totem will be placed in effect immediately, instead of an originally placed in the case after a period of time before it enters into force.

Turmoil-now no longer be subject to lightning and wind shield of anger effects.

Practitioner of - totem-increasing role of the totem, the supernatural power to effect improvement.

Treatment of spring totem-increasing role of the totem, life to enhance effectiveness.

Be casually waved-now amended for the next three will be successful hit rate of attacks increased effectiveness.

Flame star totem-the totem slight injury caused by upgrading, but countdown time growth.

Lava totem-the totem right now will be to increase or reduce the flame magic goal on injury effects.

Stone joined totem-the totem results slightly upgrading the role of increase.

Suddenly Zhen strike-the theory being redesigned. When the goals have been attacking flames Zhen impact, will be a continuous fire of injury, and four times in the face after the injury to 10% magic flames.

 

Female

calls ceremony - when the goals and the distance of nearly throughout, calls ceremony will be unable to use.

Umbra cigarettes - that a goal for when the effects of excessive exposure to cigarettes by shadow effects disappear when killed, the soul of debris flow can not be correct mistakes.

Soul-Links - now the pet is hurt when practitioners, practitioners will share some of the harm suffered pets.

 

Fighters

be casually waved-now amended for the next three will be successful hit rate of attacks increased effectiveness.

Hands weapons expertise-now amended to enhance the probability 1%/1%/2%/2%/3% hands weapons hitting targets and upgrade weapons harm 1%/2%/3%/4%/5% hands.

Nazis - The gift was redesigned. When the soldiers entered the furious state, caused by a recent war of physical harm to 8%/16%/24%/32%/40% attack, each successful hit the target, the figure will drop 1%/2%/3%/4%/5%. Directed effect lasted 12 seconds.

Blood of fanaticism-the gift was redesigned. Now soldiers fatally fling, will be adopted immediately to the gift of life

2%/4%/6

% value.

Double weapons expertise - with the exception of injury to upgrade weapons deputy, will also enable the probability upgrade 1%/2%/3%/4%/5% fighters hit targets.

EU-a possible amendment to fighters from the EU goal too far wrong. EU will lift all restrictions on the movement of fighters effect.

Interceptor - fighters of a possible amendment to the goal too far away from the wrong interception. Intercept all restrictions will be lifted on the movement of fighters effect.

The violent opposition - when the state was brought back to life, soldiers will be immune to the fear of death might result, but will still hurt.

To the death - when the state was brought back to life, soldiers will be immune to the fear of death might result, but will still hurt.

Reckless - when the state was left, the fighters will be immune to the fear of death might result, but will still hurt.

Lethal combat-it would be correct to effect treatment technique

St.

, died around, the vampire embrace, lessons of life and the lives of syphon effect.

 

Articles

sacred objects will be adopted more monster flop. 48 levels higher than the monster itself and spirits will be higher probability flop site, and not demons nor cloth cloth.

Rail network Zhusi the flop probability slightly declined.

Magic and the magic practitioner pharmaceutical pharmaceutical treatment of flop probability slightly improved.

 

Mushrooms

 

Valley

non-elite spirits will not flop aggressor natural stone instead of natural stone flop lackey.

Sitansuomu non-elite monster will no longer flop aggressor natural stone instead of natural stone flop lackey.

Blocks of non-elite monster will no longer flop aggressor natural stone instead of natural stone flop lackey.

When the amendment was not wearing a silver dawn of the players voted for the appointment of badges, natural stone, natural stone could lead to the disappearance of error.

The overall level of piracy blood-slightly improved.

The overall level of piracy

South China Sea

slightly improved.

The hot sand Post shipwrecks can now correct renewable.

Nuozi the male equivalent risk fathers will now provide more rich and rewarding task.

Time of the cave entrance is now three dragons correct attribution for the male equivalent Nuozi camp.

Additional props - key string! Now the players will be different levels through a number of players out for the level of access to key string. Key string can be used to keep those permanent underground city key.

It is not possible to remove high levels of saving the pharmaceutical poisoning effect.

Pharmacy cycle shortened to supplement the role of a three seconds, the duration reduced to 12 seconds.

At the same time instructing in the use of pharmaceutical disperse results can immediately obtain a free action

Pharmacy can now correct immunization deformation results.

Pharmacy freedom of movement while in use can immediately cancel the restrictions mobile users results.

 

Tasks and prestige

Xindela now more adventurous persons available to make the task more prestige, and for the corresponding incentives.

Amended mandate

Dalong

 

County

defenders can not correct a mistake.

When courier and escort her to the Union player is now neutral.

 

The team with the City

amended its pull its ruins and the players can draw from the house, following the death in combat or through the release of the soul to rejoin the battle of mistakes.

 

Vichy

degrees

Slovakia

can now be austerity trap correct slowdown.

Chal Tugra attack capability slightly improved.

Tenacious Fankeruisi the slight decline in the value of life, and its offensive power slightly improved.

Hahuolan Princess toxic Jianyu offensive power slightly declined.

The two-child emperor will become even less of the two-child morning.

Amended a server maintenance, the dealer Aonikexiya, Zuerge Raab and Alaxi ruins will be replacement mistakes.

Amended by the parliament because of a players strike aircraft as a result of Kelly Lord, Yaerji Princess Mary was the replacement mistake.

Patches of sand dust storm frequency launched decline slightly reduced the scope of the role.

 
Some items of note:

Nazis - The gift was redesigned. When the soldiers entered the furious state, caused by a recent war of physical harm to 8%/16%/24%/32%/40% attack, each successful hit the target, the figure will drop 1%/2%/3%/4%/5%. Directed effect lasted 12 seconds.

Thank Cthulhu for this nerf. That Nazi movement has been overpowering for far too long.

New gift-maintained, replaced the original disperse fire. The skills to make immediate target shooting, multiple shooting and the firing of the Austrian People cooling time ended. Skills cooling time of 10 minutes.

I hear those Austrian People were involved with the Nazis at one point.

Umbra cigarettes - that a goal for when the effects of excessive exposure to cigarettes by shadow effects disappear when killed, the soul of debris flow can not be correct mistakes.

You heard the man. Umbra cigarettes are bad for you.

sacred objects will be adopted more monster flop. 48 levels higher than the monster itself and spirits will be higher probability flop site, and not demons nor cloth cloth

I don’t think I want to know what a monster is flopping around.

Magic and the magic practitioner pharmaceutical pharmaceutical treatment of flop probability slightly improved.

Yeah, I get those types of emails all the time.

Another translation, attempting to clear up some of the confusion (what confusion?) followed.

Within

Eastern Plaguelands

, there will be a new 40 man instance. The entrance may be found deep within Stratholme. You will be able to find the gates to this new instance (which I can't translate the name to) on the left side of Baron Rivendare's Slaughterhouse. This new instance will be a city floating in the air.

There will be 4 areas. A hatred zone, death magic zone, death rider zone, and a spider zone. There will be 18 monster bosses. Prepare your frost resistance.

There will be a new set of epic gear for each class. By completing a series of quests for this new instance, players will have access to this 8 piece set.

-All debuff removal spells will have the mana cost reduced. Lower rank skills will have less mana requirements than a higher rank of the same skill. However, lower rank skills may not remove higher level debuffs. For example, rank 1 of a priest's dispel magic ability can only remove buffs/debuffs that are up to level 50.
-Fixed a bug where players will not be able to use their abilities after being MC'ed.
-A lot of tool tips are updated.
-Hakkar's sons no longer yield Zandalar Rep.
-Fixed a bug where under special circumstances a spell is cast, if the target leaves the range of the spell, the spellcaster will be stuck in the spellcasting motion.
-Damage from passive skills now generate the correct amount of threat and will receive the proper threat buffs from talents and items. (guessing they mean thorns)
-The guards in Silithus will no longer put players who are ooc into combat when they use their aoe skills (i.e. cleave attack and demoralizing shout). Casting redemption, resurrection, etc. will no longer cause these guards to attack you.
-All flightmasters throughout the world have been slightly buffed. The flightmaster's guardians can no longer be crowd controlled.
-Totems will now correctly generate threat. A certain shaman skill will no longer cause the threat of totems to raise the shaman's threat.
-Corrected certain water zones that allowed breathing despite not having air bubbles.

PVP Battle Grounds
The amount of honor acquired from winning or losing the game will greatly decrease. However, whenever a point is scored, the amount of honor gained will be greatly increased. If there aren't enough players for a game, there will be no rep or honor gain from this game at all.

Druids
Abolish Poison - Mana cost slightly decreased. But will no longer be able to cure poisons above level 50.
Destroy - Fixed a bug where this move will be dodged, parried, or blocked. (no clue what this skill is - direct translation)

Hunter
Feign Death - Fixed a bug where a Damage of Time will cause the FD to be resisted
Distracting Shot - This shot will not have a mocking effect as opposed to generating a high amount of threat.
Viper Sting - Will now correctly receive a bonus from spell damage.
Multi-Shot - Will now correctly receive a bonus from spell damage.
Scatter Shot - Is now a skill available to all hunters at level 30.
New Talent - Calm - will replace scatter shot. Using this skill will instantaneously reset the cooldown for aimed shot, multi-shot, and arcane-shot. 10 minute cooldown

Mage - Due to the many changes, all talent points will be refunded. Blah blah blah
- Evocation trainable at lvl 20.
- Arcane explosion instant without talents, talent removed.
- Mana shield redesigned, now reduces damage taken by the mage, but
has a 30 charge limit. While mana shield is up, mage is not affected
by mana burn or mana drain, but those attacks will destroy mana shield
very fast.
- Frost chills will now suffer from the 15 second diminishing effects.
- Frost spells will now correctly receive damage bonus from curse of elements.
- Lower ranks of polymorph will not affect higher level targets.
- Counterspell cooldown lowered.
- Flamestrike direct damage increased, DoT lowered, total damage
remains the same.
- Arcane power now creates a cooldown equal to its duration,
preventing it from being used together with trinkets like ToEP and
ZHC.
- Dampen Magic and Amplify magic now will decrease or increase magic
and healing effects by percentage.
- Detect magic duration increased.
- Ice armor wnow reduces all physical damage taken, increases frost
resistance, and reduces damage taken from frost spells. While ice
armor is in effect, chill effects on the mage is reduced, all melee
attacks against the mage will cause the attacker's attack and movement
speed to be reduced.
- Mage armor now reduces all spell damage received, increases all
magic resistances. While mage armor is up, all hostile spells have a
chance to be reflected. Mage armor can't be dispelled or purged.
- Fire ward will now absorb a higher amount of fire damage. While fire
ward is up, mage will not be affected by impact or blastwave slowing
effect.
- Frost ward will now absorb a higher amount of damage. While frost
ward is up, mage will not be affected by frost nova or frostbite, and
will be immune to freeze traps.
- Frostbolt's chill effect will now slow less, but will last longer.
- Lower rank spells have a lower chance to proc frostbite, ice armor
will no longer proc frostbite.
- New spell: Steal magic. When activated, next non-AoE spell cast on
the mage can be stolen, and its effects canceled, but if the spell is
resisted, it can't be stolen. If the spell is stolen, the mage can
cast that spell once, damage will be equal to damage received by the
mage, not affected by damage gear or effects, but can be affected by
arcane power. Holy spells can't be stolen.
- Clearcasting can no longer be dispelled or purged. Fixed bug where
clearcasting would not be used up.

Paladin
Hammer of Justice - Effect upgraded, can no longer be resisted.
Divine Favor - fixed a bug where the buff would not disappear
Judgement of Crusader - Now properly receives bonus from spell damage
Judgement - When a target is being judged, he cannot vanish or stealth. (WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Redemption - You will no longer be able to use lower ranks of this skill once higher ranks are learned.
Divine Intervention - Can no longer be used on MC'ed units (Razorgore???)

Priest
Touch of Weakness - Different ranks of this skill will no longer stack.
Blessed Recovery will now

5/10/15

% healed over time instead of the original

8/16/25

%.
Feedback - The shadow damage that this skill does will now slightly increase.
Desperate Prayer - Will not properly receive bonus from +healing items and talents.
Ressurection - You will no longer be able to use lower ranks of this skill once higher ranks are learned.
Mind Control - When the target takes damage from the caster, there will be a chance that the mind control will break.

Rogue
Rupture - Fixed a bug where this skill was dodged, parried, or blocked.
Sap - Fixed a bug where lightning shield will break stealth when the rogue casts sap.
Blind - can now be properly resisted (WTF!!!)
Adrenaline Rush - while the amount regenerated will not change, the matter of regeneration will change (meaning not 40 every tick).

Shaman - Due to the many changes, all talent points will be refunded. Blah blah blah
I'll do this later. Stormstrike has been reworked.

Warlock
Summon - When the target is "too close" to the warlock, he/she may not be summoned
Shadowburn - Fixed a bug where the warlock would not receive a soul shard when the target receives too much damage from shadowburn.
Soul Link - When your pet takes damage, the warlock will now appropriately take a portion of the damage.

Warrior
Whirlwind - Corrected so that the next 3 attacks will receive the +hit bonus
2h Specialization- Now increases the chance to hit by 1/1/2/2/3% and damage increased by 1/2/3/4/5%.
Enrage - This talent has been redesigned. When enraged, the warrior's damage will increased by 8/16/24/32/40%. Each successful hit will reduce this by 1/2/3/4/5%. Effect lasts 12 seconds.
Bloodrage - This talent has been redesigned. When the warrior is victim to a crushing blow, his maximum life will increase by

2/4/6

%.
Duel Wield Specialization - In addition to the damage gain, the warrior's chances to hit will also be increased by 1/2/3/4/5%.
Charge - Fixed a bug where the warrior can charge a target who is out of range. In addition, charge will now remove all movement impairing effects on the warrior.
Intercept - Fixed a bug where the warrior can intercept a target who is out of range. In addition, charge will now remove all movement impairing effects on the warrior.
Berserker Rage - The warrior is immune to fear but is still susceptible to damage
Death Wish - The warrior is immune to fear but is still susceptible to damage
Recklessness - The warrior is immune to fear but is still susceptible to damage
Mortal Strike - Will now properly affect life-leeching abilities (i.e. shadow embrace).

 
Confirmed by Blizzard as being fake, I’m inclined to accept that point of view at this point in time, even if Blizzard has previously claimed patch notes that turned out to be real as fake. Why?

The overall level of piracy

South China Sea

slightly improved.

Those pirates aren’t leaving anytime soon.

 

You Didn’t Go Linkdead, I Can Hear You Breathing!: VoIP, coming soon to an MMO near you. This is something I feel could really help propel some certain sub-genres of MMOs along (search for “VoIP” here).

 

Random Pulls: Rumblings abound that Bungie is working on an MMO. Like Abalieno, I see it being less traditional MMO-y, more Planetside-y…Pretty much confirmed when Raph admitted to leaving SOE, it’s now double-plus confirmed that Cindy Armstrong has joined Webzen…Blizzard banned and suspended 16100 accounts for botting and other crimes nefarious crimes against grinding…Onyxia gets 8-manned. Clearly it was the Shaman doing all the work.

And, in closing, have a Happy Easter everyone. I'm off to watch some penguins. Really.

Comments

[Staarkhand]

That first translation was up on my guild's website, it is such comedy gold. I can't believe the number of people that can read that and merely comment about how some change will affect their class when it contains such sweet tidbits as "Laser-resistance can now be correct".

I see it more as a goldmine of nonsensical phrases to be randomly shouted during raids, "50 DKP minus" has about lived its useful life.

[Grouchy Gnome]

I so got owned. Keep in mind that I was technically still in QA back then (although I was also theoretically a Community Relations Representative), which means a few things: 1) I wasn't actually on the EQII development team. 2) I was a little looser with my tongue. 3) I didn't quite "get" it back then. All of a year ago. I don't actually remember posting that comment, but it sounds like something stupid I would say so good catch.