Design Notes
April 22, 2018
Coming Soon: Book of Monsters Epilogue
Find out what happens after the events in The Reshaper's Saga
It's only natural that we'd release our earth day event last week, as a lead up to the 2018 Book of Monsters’ epilogue. If you haven't played through the Book of Monsters: The Reshaper story, now's the time, because this Friday, we'll explains what happened to Aria AFTER the Reshaper’s defeat... and just how Fae the ShapeShifter can help her become what she is TRULY meant to be.
AQWorlds Main Story: Ten Years of Adventure
The AQWorlds team has released new story updates each week for almost ten years. "Story update" can mean many things, including our main story (which revolves around your adventures in Lore, and those of your favorite battle companions), holiday events, new towns, challenge battles, dungeon crawls, and more.
On Friday, April 27th, our story update will focus on the events that took place after those from Book of Monsters: The Reshaper Saga. (If you have just joined us recently, that was the 2nd of two Book of Monsters chapters in the larger main story for AdventureQuest Worlds.)
The Queen of Monsters and the story updates her creatures appear in take place after the 13 Lords of Chaos Saga. In the time after her ascension, we've battled her corrupted titans, two of her children, and more than a few of her lower level minions. Her focus has shifted quite a few times, in keeping with her nature. (As you might expect with a creature made of pure Chaos, the Queen likes to be... unpredictable... and keep YOU on your toes.)
All of our updates in the post-Drakath Lore are set in a world where the Queen reigns. And waits. And plots. And watches from above. But though she - and her chaos - are a larger, more global-sized threat, the individual people and towns of Lore still need your help to tackle dangers closer to home. Like dragons rampaging through villages, cabals of dark villains teaming up against you, and lycans and vampires baring their fangs and threatening war.
Coming Soon: Later this year, we'll be returning to Darkovia, to continue the story we began in last October's Blood Moon Saga. The team (and Artix) have a number of other stories we also want to tell this year, like the Great Fire War annd Sepulchure's Origin Story. Hang on to your helms, because even more dark, deadly, and lore-filled battles are heading your way.
AQWorlds Main Story: The Who's and What's
If you thought, "Wait... I thought the main story was about the purple dude with the giant wings?"... you were correct, but only partially. Our main story includes more than just the Chaos and chaos-loving creatures in our title screen. (Though we have a LOT of those!)
The Chaos Sagas include:
- 13 Lords of Chaos
- Queen of Monsters: Titans
- Queen of Monsters: Infernal Invasion
- Queen of Monsters: Book of Monsters
But our developers consider the main story of AQWorlds to be much larger - a comprehensive tale of your adventures in Lore. That is almost TEN YEARS of your epic victories, revelations about your past, your adventures on land, air, and sea. A tale that grand, and massive, covers a lot of ground, and includes the stories of many of your favorite characters, as well:
- DoomWood
- Xan's Story
- Dage's Saga
- Throne of Darkness
- 7 Deadly Dragons
- Seraphic Saga
- Blood Moon Saga
AQWorlds Main Story: The Writers + Schedule
We often get asked who writes the main story. Over the years, that's been a number of people. Artix, Cysero, me, occasionally a number of guest writers from our contributor team, and now Memet. But throughout all of those writer changes, one creative entity has remained the same... YOU.
The direction of our story releases depends on a number of factors; one of the most important is community feedback. Though we always have a general idea of where we want a given story to go, and plan out all the bones of it in advance, if you guys aren't enjoying the way a particular story is moving, the weekly releases give us the freedom to change its direction.
A player on Twitter, emits, asked: So why do you start new stories when you have others from years ago, or place "random filler" stories?
That is a very fair question! Because we DO update on a weekly basis (which includes new maps, monsters, characters, rewards, and cutscene animations), we occasionally need more development time to prepare the next round of story updates. Because we don't want to leave you guys with nothing new to do for a week, we add in things like challenge battles (and their rewards) or other one-week events, which generally expand the lore about someone or something.
April 20, 2018
Become a Djinn Summoner
Upgrade with Select Membership or AdventureCoin Packages!
Unlock the exclusive, fully color-customizable Djinn Summoner armor set when you buy any AdventureCoin or Membership package of $10 USD or more until May 4th. Get the Djinn Summoner gear and the exclusive Djinn Palace House House + Djinn House Guard items with a 12 month membership or 12000 AC package.
12000 AC or 12 month membership packages: Djinn Summoner Set + Palace House
Get more gear and save more of your real-world gold with our largest upgrade packages! Unlock the armor set and the house with our 12000 AdventureCoin or 12 month membership packages:
- Djinn Summoner armor set (fully color customizable)
- 6 helms, 2 capes, 2 weapons, pet + battle pet
- Djinn Palace House
- Djinn Palace NPC* + 2 Djinn Guard house items
- 7 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts added straight to your inventory
The Djinn Palace House has 7 rooms (including the exterior), plus an armor/character customization room (just like Yulgar's Inn).
To unlock your Djinn Palace House + House Item Guards, log in and /join battleontown, then head to the Curio Shop. You'll see the Djinn Guard with a house shop just for you.
The Djinn Palace NPC is built into map and has a quest for the Battle Pet and Scimitar Daggers. House Guard items can be changed from room to room.
2000 and 5000 AC or 3 and 6 month membership package: Djinn Summoner Set
- Djinn Summoner armor set (fully color customizable)
- 6 helms, 2 capes, 1 weapons, pet
- 5 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts added straight to your inventory
All packages will also come with the Djinn Summone character page badge, so you can show all your friends who really rules the Djinn Realm! The Djinn Summoner bonus gear goes rare May 4th, 2018.
Upgrade Bonus Prizes
Back in March of 2017, we started a new upgrade incentive to show our appreciation for all the heroes supporting AdventureQuest Worlds. This year, we're doing the same... with a twist!
Each month, we will choose FIVE winners from among the list of people who upgraded the previous month. Winners will find a note in their inventory with details on how to contact us with their prize choice. They will get to choose one thing from the following list:
- 1 Epic Item of Donated Awesomeness ticket
- 5 More bank, inventory, and house spaces (over the cap, if they are already maxed out)
- A 20% boost to one weapon of their choice (that they already own)
- 2000 AdventureCoins
- 1 month membership
And because we know not everyone is able to upgrade every month, we will ALSO choose 1 person from the list of all the everyone who logged in within the last 30 days. They'll receive the same prizes listed above.
Prize FAQ
Where will I see the note? What will it look like?
Winners will see the note in the Miscellaneous Items tab in their inventory. It will look something like this: "January 2018 Golden Ticket"
If I already won the Ultimate Item of Donated Awesomeness, can I win the Epic one?
Yes, you sure can! (If you're that lucky, we have a couple favors to ask...)
Are there limitations to the boost I can pick?
You can only choose an item (weapon, helm, cape, armor, etc) you currently own. It cannot already have a boost on it.
Available boosts are: Gold, XP, Class Points, Rep, Racial (increased dmg to humans, dragons, etc)
Can an upgraded account win the "log in" prize?
We went back and forth on this. Short answer: no.
Long answer: The pool of 5 winners is only drawn from people who upgraded in the previous month. If you did not, then you're elgible for the "log in" pool.
We know there are some of you who would love to buy a membership or ACs, but just can't. Real life happens (and so do bills). We want all our free players to have a chance to win awesome prizes like this, too.
Ultimate Epic Item of Donated Awesomeness
Back in 2012, heroes who spun the Wheel of Doom had a chance to get the Ultimate Item of Donated Awesomeness. Anyone with the UIoDA could choose one item from a list of items donated by other, SUPER generous heroes. For years, you guys have been asking us to bring back the UIoDA. And now... we HAVE!
The Epic Item of Donated Awesomeness is the exact same thing... only you have a chance to get it by upgrading your account with an AdventureCoin or Membership package. (Or a smaller chance just by logging into the game!)
The list below is a sample of items donated by your fellow AQWorlds heroes. If you log in and find an Epic Item of Donated Awesomeness in your inventory, follow the instructions on it to claim your prize.
Sample list of items
Want something that's not listed above? If you get the Epic Item of Donated Awesomeness, follow the instructions on the item description and ask the team. They'll see if one is available!
Want to Donate Your Items?
Want to donate one of your rare items? Email your username and the list of items you'd like to donate to: DonationHero@battleon.com!
We will contact prospective donators before removing items, so be sure to send the email from an address you check regularly. Once you donate an item, you will no longer be able to buy it back from your Buy Back Shop, so be sure before you say "yes"!
April 20, 2018
Featured Gear: Djinn Sentinel Sets
Rare Dark Sentinel + Permanent Jaan Sentinel Sets
In a realm of might and magic, you can choose to ally with the forces of Light… or Darkness. This weekend, find the Dark Sentinel armor set in your game menu’s Featured Gear Shop, available until Friday, May 4th!
Then join the event in /djinnguard and fight to unlock all-new permanent event gear, including:
- the Jaan Sentinel armor set
- the Djinn Warrior armor set
- the Guardian’s Blade of Light
- the Spirits of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth armors and helms
Friday the 13th Event Rares leaves Monday, April 30th
Don't miss the Death Hunter and Slasher's Top Hat items in the Featured Gear Shop. These items will leave game permanently later this month!
April 20, 2018
This Weekend: Djinn Realm Guardian Trials
Battle to Join Crulon as a Djinn Realm Guardian!
Crulon, Guardian of the Djinn Realm, is one of the last remaining defenders of his home. He would do anything to safeguard its magic and mystery. That is why he’s sought out our world’s best and brightest hero. This weekend, he invites you to face the Trials of Water, Air, Earth, and Fire. Pass, and you too will become a Guardian of the Djinn Realm!
PLUS: log in all weekend long to get a 25% Gold Boost on all servers, and get an additional 25% XP Boost on PTR servers!
Celebrate Earth Day this Weekend!
Be a hero, join the clean-up crew to save the world from the evils of pollution! Captain Lore is back this weekend and he needs your help! /Join pollution to help Captain Lore battle General Pollution, the foulest villain around, free his eco-friendly energy platform from the chaotic clutches of General Pollution! Reduce, reuse, and recycle as many elementals as you can to unlock Captain Lore's shop and gain access to the greenest gear in the game!
He also needs your help fighting on the side of nature to keep a smog-spewing factory closed for good. Once the largest source of pollution in Lore, the long-abandoned Totengeld Factory has been consumed by nature and has become a habitat to many forms of life.
Need help battling through the Earth Day seasonal event? Check out the event guide in the Lorepedia!
Updating the Book of Lore
We plan to update the Book of Lore later on this year, potentially bringing back some features of the previous layout while keeping the most useful parts of the current Book. Please share your thoughts and feedback on Twitter or the forum!
Poll 1, Poll 2, Forum discussion
April 16, 2018
AQWorlds Patch Notes
Check the list of bug fixes to see what the team has addressed
Reens, Cemaros and the AQW Bug Hunter team are busy squashing the bugs you submit each week to the Bug Tracker at www.Artix.com/bugs.
Check back weekly to see if the bug you reported has been addressed. Please remember that not all bugs are "easy fixes" so some reported and confirmed bugs from each week may not be on the fixed list as they will require more time or a different person to fix them.
If you would like to know how the reports go from you to fixed, check this page:
http://www.aq.com/lore/guides/BugReportFAQ
Bug fixes:
- Removed rare items from Enraged Constantin.
- Removed the non stacking Gold boost from the Ice Treasure Chest Quest.
- Fixed the Exp boost on Staff of the Northstar.
- Removed the rare items from Blood Moon Vampire and Lycan Shops.
- Bulletproof Blob and Locked n' Loaded Blob have been convinced to stop stomping your toes.
- Elissa Keelhaul Pirate shop now recognizes all 4 variants of Pirate class.
Art Fixes:
- Prismatic Maugs Slayer female red line on coat panel is now CC.
- Dark Crown of Envy repositioned.
- Cape of Envy repositioned.
Extras! - Tell me what you want to know!
Hi again! So most of these extras have been based on the reports we get, and why something is the way it is. This week, I want to do something a little different. This week, I’m asking for ideas on what types of questions you guys always had about things.
Is there something specific you always wanted to know about? Shoot me a tweet at @Cemaros_AE with your questions.
I’m not going to be able to answer the questions individually as they come in, but what I will do is collect them and answer them in future Extras.
Sound like a plan? Excellent! Send me those questions!
April 13, 2018
Friday the 13th Returns
Classic Horror Movie Mayhelm + Summer Camp + Shrade = AWESOME!
What is undead can never die… Not when there is always another Friday the 13th. Log in on Friday, April 13th to face an abomination straight out of your worst nightmare (or favorite horror movie)... Shrade!
- WHO: Gypsy Pirate Musician Aurelio Voltaire, the AQWorlds Team + your fellow Heroes
- WHAT: Fight to survive a night in Camp Gonnagetcha
- WHEN: Friday the 13th, April 2018
- WHERE: www.AQ.com
Uncover the Mystery Behind Shrade to Survive
Join Cysero, Memet, and our favorite Gypsy Goth Musician... and Camp Counselor (?!) Aurelio Voltaire for some seriously spooky summer camp shenanigans as we battle through Camp Gonnagetcha! Gear up to fight through the Black Knight and Dark Makai cabins, rock out to Aurelio Voltaire's wicked tracks, and hunt for clues to Shrade's TRUE identity (and to get DEADLY rewards)!
Those of you who've played through our 3D MMO, AdventureQuest 3D, will recognize this Friday the 13th's main villain: the ambiguously-supernatural hero-hunter, Shrade.
Some of you may /shrug off the threat he poses as just another creepy internet hoax. But this urban legend is no fairy tale. Shrade exists, and this weekend, Aurelio Voltaire is going to prove to you that the threat is REAL. And that what you THINK you know about Shrade is dead wrong.
Your Luck is In: Friday the 13th Rewards
Friday the 13th may be all about bad luck, but not this weekend! We've got three all-new armor sets heading your way:
- the rare DeathHunter Set from featured Community Artist, Rare
- the Shadow Cultist, a dark and deadly seasonal set available from this weekend's boss that will make you Scream
- the BoneSaw Judge, one of the most evil sets you ever Saw,* available from the event merge shop
* Disclaimer for the members of the Prescriptivist Grammarians Guild: yes, "you ever saw" should be "you've ever seen," but pun > proper grammar in memes, lolcat graphics, and this design notes post.
April 12, 2018
Legacy of April Fool's...
Caladboogly Blade Now Available!
On February 28th, I had a dream. Maybe it was more like a nightmare. But as the team was ramping up to build Dage's the Evil's birthday event for March 2nd, I had spent so much time staring at @DageTheEvil's Caladbolg that that night... I dreamt it started staring back. On March 1st (coincidentally only a month before April 1st) I made my dream a reality. I called it...
Anyone with the Altar of Caladbolg can complete its quest for a chance to get the 0 AC Caladboogly blade! The blade is 0 AC for free storage, and has a drop rate of 5%, so while you work towards getting your very own Caladbolg, you'll have THIS FACE to keep you company on your adventures!
April 09, 2018
Patch Notes Extras!
Lag Monsters Identification Guide
Hi again! This week, let’s talk a little about everyone’s least favourite monsters, the Lag Monsters. Now some of you may already know that there is actually more than one type of this monster. For those that don’t, here’s a short guide on how to tell them apart.
Server Lag Monster: This monster shows up when commands are sent to the server, such as saves, buying and selling. When a lot of them happen at once, this monster attacks. This monster can sometimes be avoided by playing on less populated servers.
Database Lag Monster: This monster is most likely to attack when servers are restarted, such as for updates, when everyone is trying to log in at the same time. This monster usually makes brief appearances and then goes back to sleep on it’s own.
Graphics Lag Monster: This monster is a particularly obnoxious breed as it manifests different to different people. It generally appears around highly animated items, or lots of action on screen. It has been found that this one can often be tamed by a decent video card, and making sure your drivers are up to date. Can also be affected by CPU speed.
Cache Lag Monster: This monster is a sneaky one. It sits around and waits while you fill up your browser with all kinds of information and then just appears and wrecks your day. It will cause everything you do to be a little bit slower, and slower, and slower. The good news is this one can be chased away by clearing your cache.
Tab Lag Monster: This monster appears most often when 3 or more tabs have been opened. It’s also far more likely to put in an appearance when those tabs have streaming content on them. It’s like a summoning ritual. The more tabs open = the stronger it gets. And the last thing anyone wants, is a lag monster, let alone a super strong lag monster.
Flash Tab Monster: This is a rarer version of the Tab Lag Monster. This one attacks when you are tabbed over, and return to the game screen. It will either freeze your graphics and you may need to drag the tab to a separate window, or it will try to play everything you didn’t watch at the same moment.
April 09, 2018
AQWorlds Patch Notes
Check the list of bug fixes to see what the team has addressed
Reens, Cemaros and the AQW Bug Hunter team are busy squashing the bugs you submit each week to the Bug Tracker at www.Artix.com/bugs.
Check back weekly to see if the bug you reported has been addressed. Please remember that not all bugs are "easy fixes" so some reported and confirmed bugs from each week may not be on the fixed list as they will require more time or a different person to fix them.
If you would like to know how the reports go from you to fixed, check this page:
http://www.aq.com/lore/guides/BugReportFAQ
Bug fixes: April 9, 2018
- Rare items removed from “Live at Yulgar’s Merge” shop.
- Enchanted Djinn Pet non-battlepet no longer acting like one. (Actual battlepet version is a quest reward from Radwan in the Djinn Palace House.)
- Mastery of Death Gauntlet (Daily) and Time to Battle On! (Daily) quests no longer interfering with each other.
- Elissa Keelhaul no longer trying to send you to a locked seasonal map.
- Tibias no longer refers to King Alteon as an Empress.
- The 3rd wolf has stopped hiding in (or as?) the wall in Greenguard West.
- Stryche in Artixpointe is a bit less flirty now.
- Paragon Helm House customization buttons moved from behind the house menu.
Art Fixes:
- Belt details now show on Laken’s Personal and Laken the Seraphic Paladin male armors.
- Skuller of Vokun coat tail no longer changes when moving.
- Combat Helm and Masked Combat Helm shading fixed.
- Enchanted Void Aura and Enchanted Void Dragon Capes have CC eyes again.
- Horned Djinn Summoner Locks and Horned Djinn Summoner Locks + Scarf horns are now CC.
April 06, 2018
Return to Oaklore + Undead War
Polishing the Blades, Battles, and Bosses in Oaklore Keep
A Hero never stops training, and we never stop working to improve what we’ve built. Log in this weekend to see the first round of new improvements designed to help new heroes get the most out of the Oaklore tutorial zone. New and experienced adventurers can battle hordes of skeletons as we bring back the original Undead War!
Oaklore: New Gear, New Polish
Many of the NPCs in Oaklore have had their dialogues and functionality adjusted. This is designed to help new and inexperienced heroes better navigate through the Keep. ALL heroes can (and should!) talk to Stryche inside the Keep. Complete his quest to get the pieces of the GreenGuard Knight set. New heroes never looked so good entering Battleon for the first time!
Why Return to Early Zones?
In the last (close to) 10 years, we've introduced over 1,000 unique zones, 3,000+ monsters, and almost more gear than a hero can count. With your help, we've had an incredible amount of amazing adventures, and have built a game we are truly proud of. But just like a Hero never stops training, WE never stop working to improve what we’ve built. Join us this weekend, as we introduce changes designed to help new and experienced heroes enjoy the town of Battleon even more!
Return of the Undead Invasion!
Like the Horc War that returned recently, this war was never meant to go perma-rare, so we are bringing it BACK for everyone to enjoy! /Join WarUndead and talk to Artix to begin battling the army of skeletons. If you're an experienced Hero, tackle the higher level liches for a chance to get runes to enhance the gear from Artix's quests!
AQ3D
BattleGems
BioBeasts
Dragons
Undead Assault