Design Notes

January 31, 2013

Carnaval: One Week Away

The Largest Party in the World… coming to AQWorlds!
A Maior Festa do mundo.... vindo para o AQWorlds!

Hi my friends! Long time no PINK, huh? Well that’s about to change—right now!

Olá amigos! Tanto tempo sem ROSA, huh? Bem isto está mudando a partir de agora!

As you may know, the Carnaval of Brazil begins next Friday, February 8^th. This world-renowned party brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors to the festive streets all across Brazil. Carnaval is all about turning fantasy into reality, and just like AQWorlds, you can transform yourself into anything you want here!

Como você já deve saber, o Carnaval do Brasil se inicia na próxima Sexta, dia 8. Esse mundo novo trará centenas de visitantes para as ruas festivas em todo o Brasil. Carnaval é sobre tranformar a fantasia em realidade, e no AQWorlds, você pode se transformar no que quiser aqui!

Carnaval began back in 1641 in Rio de Janeiro. But there has never been a Carnaval in-game event in ANY game… until 2013! Starting next Friday, festoon yourself in beautiful Carnaval costumes and journey to the all-new permanent zone of Terra da Festa! In this magical party land, you will find:

Carnaval se iniciou em 1641 no Rio de Janeiro mas nunca teve um evento de Carnaval em qualquer jogo... até esse ano! Começando próxima sexta, se fantasie com grandes roupas e inicie uma jornada em uma zona nova e (bold)permanente(bold) da Terra da Festa! Nesta terra mágica, você irá encontrar:

• Tons of Items, both Rare and permanent 
• Vários itens, ambos Raros e permantentes
• Brazil Mythology Monsters
• Monstros da mitologia Brasileira
• Rio de Janeiro-inspired Map
• Mapa inspirado no Rio de Janeiro
• Day and Nighttime versions of Map
• New NPCs
• Novos NPCs
• Carnaval music
• Músicas de Carnaval
• Cutscenes
• Videos
• Special surprises for Paymentez players
• Surpresas especiais para jogadores que usam Paymentez
• Entire English and Portuguese translation
• Tradução em Inglês e português
• AQW player Tendou no Mazo will be helping us with Carnaval!

WOW! Now that’s A LOT to get your tail-feathers shakin’! And to all our Brazilian friends out there who have experienced Carnaval in real life, we just KNOW you are going to love the Carnaval of Terra da Festa!

WOW! Agora é tudo que você precisa pra entrar na folia! E para todos os nossos amigos brasileiros que vivenciaram o carnaval nós SABEMOS que vocês vão gostar do Carnaval da Terra da Festa!

Stay tuned for more updates while we prepare costumes, characters, floats, and more for the Terra da Festa Carnaval! All the fun begins next week!

Fique ligado pra receber mais atualizações enquanto preparamos roupas, personagems e muito mais para a Terra da Festa do Carnaval! A diversão começa próxima semana!

Festa On!

January 29, 2013

Hunt for Graveclaw's Gear

Wednesday's Hunt for Graveclaw's Kamas Is On!

It may be that Graveclaw has already had contact with creatures outside his prison! The hunt for the newest version of the Shattersword Kama is on! Battle creatures throughout Lore using the clue below as a starting point for where to look, then slay anything that might fit the hint! 

Decipher the clue, defeat the creature, get the prize!

The location of this weapon - and the clue - will change each day, as will the color of the wrapping on the handle! Each item is 0 ACs, so enjoy the free storage after you /party up with your friends and start hunting! 

Another ally, Graveclaw's trying: 
A minion who battles, never falling, undying.

In Graveclaw's shadow, warriors fall
and rise again at the Defiler's call!

Wait, Who is Graveclaw?

Graveclaw the Defiler is a monstrous beast defeated and imprisoned by a young King Alteon decades ago. Since then, he has raged inside his prison - Shattersword Cavern - deep below the Forest of Chaos.

In recent years, Empress Gravelyn began sending warriors down to battle him. That activity bled off the strength he used to enhance the powerful magic he controls. What no one foresaw was that the dark magic Graveclaw possesses would be twisted by the earth fairy magic of the caverns! Now he has an army, and he's ready to rise up against Swordhaven AND Shadowfall!

Quibble Coinbiter's Shop Returns Friday!

Who doesn't love art previews? I know I do! A lot of you have been asking to see some of the Darkblood gear that Quibble will bring, and Solrac just sent some in this morning! With this armor, you'll be able to stalk the streets of Falguard, City of Secrets, unnoticed!

Shops Leaving Monday, Announcements Coming!

Australia Day Shop and Stratos/Vokun's Birthday Shops are leaving next Monday. Next Tuesday is the SHUT UP AND TAKE MY RARES drawing! As soon as Reens is feeling better, we'll get an update from her about the in-game moderator hunt.

January 28, 2013

This Friday: King vs Beast

Defeat Graveclaw the Defiler in Shattersword Cavern!

Prepare for battle, Heroes! Decades ago, a young King Alteon defeated Graveclaw the Defiler, imprisoning him beneath the Forest of Chaos in Shattersword Cavern. To drain off his power, Gravelyn has been sending warriors down to face Graveclaw in battle. But the Cavern’s dark magic combined with Graveclaw’s own power to twist him… and those sent to fight him.

He’s gained enough strength to rise again, and this time he brings an entire army to confront Alteon, Gravelyn, and all those who confined him so many years ago. Head down into Shattersword Cavern and defeat Graveclaw before he can unleash his army against Swordhaven!

ALL players can watch a young King Alteon take on Graveclaw in the Forest of Chaos, but you'll need to upgrade to descend to the depths of Shattersword Cavern and defeat the beast! Find the golden Statue of King Alteon in Battleontown this Friday to begin the adventure!

The Hunt for Graveclaw's Kamas begins TODAY!

It may be that Graveclaw has already had contact with creatures outside his prison! The hunt for the Shattersword Kama is on! Battle creatures throughout Lore using the clue below as a starting point for where to look, then slay anything that might fit the hint! 

Decipher the clue, defeat the creature, get the prize!

The location of this weapon - and the clue - will change tomorrow! The item is 0 ACs, so enjoy the free storage after you /party up with your friends and start hunting! 

Magic users big and small, Graveclaw will recruit them all. 
Find the creature, take its prize. Swift comes the Defiler's rise!

Quibble Coinbiter Arrives This Friday!

The traveling sales moglin, Quibble Coinbiter, returns to Battleon THIS FRIDAY with an all-new assortment of rare items (most of which he is willing to part with in exchange for AdventureCoins)!

This shop's theme is Golden Onslaughter/Darkblood, so prepare yourselves for the shiniest and darkest gear yet!

Look for more details on what comes in Quibble's shop later this week!

Leaving later today: Witch Hunter Shop, Boosts!

Both the Witch Hunter shop and the server-wide boosts leave game at midnight tonight! The Season of the Witch Hunter shop will return the next time something wicked this way comes. The server-wide boosts will happen regularly from now on, but we do not have a set schedule. Let us know on the forum, Twitter, and Facebook what special times YOU would like to see them!

January 28, 2013

Double EXP Until Midnight

Log in to Battle On With MORE Rewards!

Login any time until 12AM EST (midnight server time) on ANY server to get DOUBLE experience points from any battle or quest! Get Double EXP plus extra EXP plus Double REP on member servers!

This boost stacks with the AC XP Boost available in the Class Shop in Battleon, so if you needed help leveling up, today is the to play!

We will be doing more boosts in the future, too! Some of them smaller, some of them different. We can cycle between gold, exp, rep, or rank boosts! Member servers will always get MORE of whatever boost is being offered on all servers. 

January 25, 2013

Chaos Lord Lionfang

Starting the AQW Power Weekend Right!

The Darkblood City of Falguard. Its great stone walls and massive oak doors have kept the secrets of the Darkblood safe for centuries... until now. 

Months after mysteriously disappearing from Onslaught Tower, Archlord Lionfang has reappeard as Chaos Lord Lionfang and he is turning his chaorrupted army and startling new powers on the city of Falguard! 

Join forces with Captain Madra of the Falguard Dreadwatch and safe as many of the Darkblood people from his wrath as you can. His powers are great, but if he unlocks the secret of the Darkblood weapon against Chaos then there will be no stopping him. 

The city of Falguard features the Thunderforge Reputation Shop, Daily Rep Quests, repeatable rep grinding quests for Members, a Darkblood Weapon Shop, the Darkblood Armor shop and even the Darkblood Styalist for those of you who need your horns reshaped by Darkblood magic. 

As always, this is just the beginning of the Reputation Shop. it will continue to be filled as the storyline unfolds before you.

AQW Power Weekend! 

Welcome to new magical time we call the AQW Power Weekend!

Here's what you need to know. 

1. The Power Weekend runs from now until Monday around Noon, server time. 
2. Players can get DOUBLE XP on EVERY SERVER!
3. Members can get slight MORE than DOUBLE XP on the MEMBER ONLY SERVERS. 
4. Members can also get DOUBLE REPUTATION on the MEMBER ONLY SERVERS.

It's as simple as that! This really is one weekend you don't want to miss out on. 

MOD Birthday Shops!

This weekend it is Stratos and Vokun's Birthdays! Stratos is our Bug Hunter General as well as a holding a number of other positions in AE. Vokun is one of our newest volunteer developers on AQW's art team!

You can find Stratos's Birthday Shop in Battleon and Vokun;s in Shadowfall, but if you get lost just talk to Stratos in Battleon. His button should take you to Shadowfall! 

We are getting reports that some of Vokun's birthday items are missing but we added everything that he sent us. He might have left a few items out of his show so we will add them as soon as we get them!

QUIBBLE COMING NEXT WEEK & More!

Don't forget that Quibble Coinbiter will be coming next week with a bunch of super sweet rares and items! he's always got some interesting stuff!

We added a big button to the Dragon's lair in battleon ebcause quite a few ne players had no idea that it was there. Just dropping some love on an old favorite. 

The new Jade Samurai set has replaced the Golden Set that accomplanies the ONE YEAR UPGRADE. This set is ALSO Limited Time Only so grab it while it lasts! 

Coming next week: Watch as a young King Alteon defeats Gravelclaw the Defiler, imprisoning him deep below the Forest of Chaos! Members will need to battle to the bottom of Shattersword Cavern to stop  him from rising again!

This will be a pretty fun weekend and I have a few alts to level so maybe I'll see you guys on AQW!

Have a nice weekend.

OR ELSE!

January 25, 2013

Jade Samurai Set is Here!

Unlock the Jade Samurai with a 1 Year Membership!

Upgrade your account with a 1 Year Membership Package, to become a Jade Samurai, one of Yokai's elite military commanders! The set comes with an armor, helm, single and dual katanas, Gitou sword, and character page achievement! Unlock pets, member-only servers, exclusive zones/items/battles, and more! 

Command the battlefield and control thousands of warriors as a Jade Samurai! Long honored across Lore for their battle prowess, the Jade Samurai is also one of the highest ranks in the Emperor of Yokai's elite personal guard!

Double EXP Weekend, Bring All Your Friends!

Login tonight on ANY server to get DOUBLE experience points from any battle or quest! This boost stacks with the AC XP Boost available in the Class Shop in Battleon, so if you needed help leveling up, this is the weekend to play!

And Members who play on Sir Ver and Evil Sir Ver will get a DOUBLE REP boost on top of the Double XP Boost, plus a little MORE XP than regular servers! Perfect timing for the new ThurnderForge Rep quests releasing tonight)! We can do these at any point in the future, so keep an eye on the homepage and Design Notes for random boost announcements!

Happy Birthday to MANY Team Members!

We've got a number of staff birthdays happening right around now!

• Captain Stratos, BugMaster General and Asst. Lead Mod
• Vokun, Asst. Artist for AQWorlds
• Captain Rhubarb, Programming Pirate Captain
• Draven, Web Design Destroyer
• Stryche, HeroMart Ninja
• True Mortal, Artist for DragonFable

Happy birthday to all of them! Cthaptain Stratos AND Vokun will each have an in-game birthday shop, too! Find Stratos' in Battleon, and talk to Vokun in Shadowfall!

Australia Day Shop Arrives Tomorrow! 

Oi, we can't NOT celebrate Australia Day! Login tomorrow for awesome aussie Gear! Aranx is already hard at work crafting new versions of last year's extra-aussie items! Those will release TOMORROW in Battleon!

January 24, 2013

Server-Wide Exp+ Boost Testing

Login to Member Servers Now to Help Us Test!

We're testing NEW functionality on both member servers! You will get 5% more exp, gold, faction rep, and class rank from battles and quests! Upgrade now to take part in the testing! 

When Do I Get the Boosts?

The test is live RIGHT NOW on our member-only Sir Ver and Evil Sir Ver servers! Log in and begin battling or questing to get 5% more exp, gold, faction rep, and class rank!  This boost is added exponentially on top of any current boosts you have active, so today is a VERY good day to be a Member!

How Long Will This Last?

We will leave this test up for the rest of the day! At some point in the future (the very NEAR future!), if this works, we do MORE server-wide boosts! We can boost all four categories, just 1, or a combination of all of them!

January 23, 2013

DragonPlane Portal Moved

Changes to Battleon are Underway!

In the spirit of Artix's Rapid-Fire Wednesday Design Note at Artix.com, we've got a fast blast of info for you! Log into Battleon tonight and you'll find something missing... but nothing has been lost! The construction moglins just finished relocating the DragonPlane Portal* to its final home right outside the Etherstorm Wastes!

Desoloth the Final is Waiting!

Play through the DragonPlane and the Etherstorm Wastes Saga by joining /firestorm, and see what Hs'Sakar the High Priest of Fire has in store for you! Help save the dragons of EtherStorm Wastes from Desoloth's Elemental Chaos!

* Which many of you might remember from the 11-11-11 event featuring Desoloth the Final!

Wait... What is Happening?!

We are working on a complete redesign of AQWorlds' starting town, Battleon, and the surrounding areas!

Rumors include a museum, weapon shop, library, TONS of new quests and more. We'll be releasing these changes with the help of the construction moglins in pieces over the next several months. Keep an eye out for what happens next!

January 23, 2013

Coming Friday

Darkblood, Treasure Chests, MOD Birthdays and More!

This Friday the new Chaos Lord Lionfang saga continues in the Darkblood city of Falguard. 

Captain Madra and one of her Falguard Dreadwatch Soldiers

This week you will enter the mysterious Darkblood city of FALGUARD, whose doors have remained closed to outsiders for years. The Darkblood Scroll has been translated and a newly empowered CHAOS LORD LIONFANG plans to test out his new powers searching for the Darkblood weapon that may be able to defeat Chaos. 

The City will feature the Thunderforge Reputation Shop (on Madra herself), A Weapon Shop, An Armor Shop, a Hair Shop, at least one dark alley, a few quests to grind Thunderguard Reputation (more for Members) and, of course, the storyline quests. 

Can you find the secret weapon of the Darkblood before Chaos Lord Lionfang rips Falguard apart?

Other Stuff Happening This Week

• We have new treasure chest items coming for all of you who have unlocked been stocking the treasure chests up and Members who have been stockpiling your free Treasure Chest Keys from Twilly
  
  
  
• We have TWO Mod birthday shops coming Friday as well. Captain Stratos, Co-head Moderator and Bug Master General and Vokun, one of our newest volunteer assistant developers!
  
  
  
• The 1 Year Member Golden Set Member Package is going away, to be replaced by the Jade Samurai 1 Year Member Set which is exactly the same as the other package but with a different set.  

Stuff Coming In The Future

We're working on some new Membership perks for you guys, in addition to the one that Alina talked about earlier. We are trying to workout a system where Members would simply get MORE ACs. If you buy the 2000 AC package and you're a Member then you would get more than 2000 ACs. 

How many more? Still working on making it happen (It may never happen, but we're trying) so we'll saw for sure at that time. 

Next week Quibble will be coming back to Battleon and will be bringing a host of all new, slightly used rares from the future (and past in this case). A few of you were asking if Xavier Lionfang's Silver Lion Armor would be released during the Lionfang Saga... well, it is. 

Funny story: ORIGINALLY the Lionfang armor art was silver, but went back for a recolor and came out the gold version that we all know. Makes sense that Xavier would get his big brother's hand-me-downs. 

Changes to Battleon will start happening soon. Things will start moving, appearing, vanishing, shifting, sliding and expanding. 

The Search For New Mods Continues

Reens and Stratos are still looking for a few good players who help expand the Moderator team of AQW. 

If you want to know how to apply, READ THIS CAREFULLY. I've had people e-mailing me and even trying to apply on Twitter which just proves that you either

1. Didn't bother to read the directions,
2. Skimmed them but didn't pay attention, or
3. Can't read English well enough to be a Mod.

No matter which way you go, if you can't even apply correctly then you lacking some very necessary qualifications that we need in our Mods. 

People have been asking me who "won the Mod contest?". I can't stress enough that this is not a contest to be won, it's a volunteer job to be applied for. It's a pretty serious and necessary position and we have some fairly high standards for what we expect from our Mods. 

It's hours and hours of helping, reading thousands of player reports and trying your best to help other players. It's a thankless job but that's OK because we don't pay you anything. We even put restrictions on the items that Mods get. The only rewards are a gold name, the chance to test the releases before they are finished and the chance to help make AQW a better and safer game for everyone. 

January 23, 2013

Upgrade to Get Bonus ACs

Getting Free Stuff is Awesome!

Especially when you get MORE of it than you normally would! Cysero and I found out yesterday* that if you renew your membership anytime during the membership OR up to 1 week** after it expires, you get 100 BONUS AdventureCoins for every month you re-upgrade!

* Captain Rhubarb, who does a lot of the back end for our Payment system, knew about this and thought we all did, too. Now we're making sure YOU do, as well!
** When we announced this earlier today, we thought the period was for 2 weeks. It has been updated to the correct length of time, 1 week. 

That's been true for a long time now... but it sounds like we haven't let everyone know about it. It's never too late to share good news! Especially when we are releasing a new set with the 1 year upgrade package this week: the Jade Samurai set!

What this means is... if you buy a 1 year membership while your account is upgraded, you'll get 1200 extra AdventureCoins! OR if your membership just expired and you upgrade this week with a 3 month membership, you'll get 300 extra AdventureCoins!

Upgrade to Become One of Lore's Greatest Heroes!

AQWorlds members make it possible for our servers to run (and for the dev team to eat)! But besides those very vital things, every membership unlocks even MORE awesome bonuses and extras than the one above!

Click here to see more Member Perks!

• The ability to create and lead your own guild
• Battling alongside pet companions... and Battle Pets who will fight WITH you
• Exclusive storylines, challenge battles, and zones
• Member-only servers

New Idea for Membership Bonus!

We are working on ANOTHER Member Perk! Cysero had the brilliant idea of giving a 5% AC bonus to ANY of the 4 main AdventureCoin packages purchased for any upgraded character. So if you're buying 12K ACs for your upgraded account, you'll get 12,600 ACs instead! We don't have a set date for this, but we are working to see if it CAN happen!

January 23, 2013

Mod Application Deadline

STATUS: Not ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS 

Reens has received over 1800 applications to be an in-game moderator! Thank you to ALL of you who are so eager to help the AQWorlds community. We really do have the best users on the internet! But with so many applications to process, we need to end the submission period.* The last call for moderator applications ends tonight at midnight, server time.

But if you aren't old enough to apply just yet, read on!

Next Mod Application Period Begins in the Fall!

It's because we have SO many awesome players who want to help their fellow heroes that we're going to be looking for new mods multiple times a year. If you aren't 18 yet, but will be later on this year, all hope is not lost! We'll announce the start date of the next mod hunt once September gets closer.

* Or just turn Reens undead! Who needs sleep?!

January 22, 2013

Last Chance for Golden Plate

1 Year Upgrade Package Bonus Items Leaving!

Blind your opponents with the gleam of your gear! Upgrade your account with a 1 Year Membership Package before the Golden Plate set leaves... forever! The package comes with the bonus Golden Plate armor, helm, cape, and weapon AND 7,000 Bonus Adventure Coins. 

And later this week, the Golden Plate Set will be replaced by...

The Jade Samurai set!

Command the battlefield and control thousands of warriors as a Jade Samurai, one of the Yokai's most-skilled military commanders! Long honored across Lore for their battle prowess, the Jade Samurai is also one of the highest ranks in the Emperor of Yokai's elite personal guard! 

And we thought you'd like a behind-the-scenes look at just how such an epic armor is created! In the picture below, you see how he's got reference pictures of a samurai armor, and then also an image of jade, to get a feel for the colors in the stone. 

Because we received MANY requests to switch the items attached to the one year package more frequently, this set will not be available as long as the Golden Plate Set was.

Thank you for supporting us by purchasing Memberships and AdventureCoins! We can't wait to work with every Good, Evil, (and Chaotic?!) Hero in Lore to make 2013 the most explosively amazingyear in AQWorlds' history!

January 21, 2013

New Moderator Search

STATUS: Not ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS 

We have always said that we make these games for and WITH you... and that's why so many of our team members began as regular players*! Now we need some of you to join Reens and Stratos' in-game team of volunteer  moderators to make AQWorlds a safer, funner** game for everyone!

Reens and Stratos want YOU to join the mod crew!

Reens will begin regular hunts for in-game moderators. In the past, we've always hunted when we needed more, but we realized that we were missing a LOT of potentially good team members. So she will put out a call for new mods every few months. 

* Dage, J6, Ghost, Tomix, Solrac, and I (plus many more!) all joined the AE team after playing the games... and you can, too!
** It's totally a word. Honest. It's linguistically correct.

So... What IS a Mod?

All Admins (Devs, Mods and Player Support) have gold names in AQW. We have certain rights, special Admin powers, and a boat-load of responsibilities to deal with on a daily basis to help keep the game going strong. 

	Moderators are a team of dedicated volunteers who help players with in-game issues, protect the game from cheaters and people try to make the game less fun for others (or break the Terms of Service agreement). They are the team who review your reports and hand out bans and mutes as necessary.
	Player Support Team Members are a team of incredible individuals who help players with game-related issues such as retrieving lost or stolen accounts, helping with payment issues or technical problems.
	Developers are the coders, artist/animators, writers and others who build all of the great AE games. We are the ones who write the adventures, program the game engine, write and peform the music, draw the items and animate the monsters and cutscenes. (Find a list of the AQW Devs here.)

Interested in Joining the Mod Team?

Then read this letter from Reens, the lead in-game moderator!

Hi guys! Stratos and I are looking for new mods for AQWorlds (and HeroSmash), and now is your chance to apply!  One thing I have to stress - you MUST be over 18.  If you are under 18, if you don't include your age, or if you start with "I'm not 18 yet, but..." the application will not be considered.  

We are most in need of moderators who are bilingual (or more) in English and one of the following languages:  Tagalog, Portuguese, Spanish.

We will need the following in an email:

1. Your real name, age, country of residence.

2. AQW Game account name and email

3. Artix Entertainment Master Account name and email (Portal Site)

4. Forum account name and email (not required to have one)

5. Languages you speak

6. A cover letter describing yourself, and what you think being a mod will mean.

Please send your COMPLETE application to [email protected].  If the application is not complete, we won't consider it.  And please, one application per person. Stratos and I will read all the applications. If you are chosen to go through a further interview, we will contact you. Unfortunately, we cannot reply to everyone.
Battle on!

* Note: please do not email applications to join Player Support. We are only looking for new in-game moderators, but we love how eager you are to help us and your fellow players!

Coming This Week in AQWorlds!

Journey to Falguard this Friday but be careful - that is DarkBlood territory! The Darkblood are a race of humanoid creatures but make no mistake, they are NOT humane! They identify as Evil but have not yet approached Empress Gravelyn. 

In the last few hundred years, the Darkblood have built the city of Falguard in Thunderforge and withdrawn from interacting with all other races in Lore. We do not know what you will find there... 

January 21, 2013

Hail To The King

Lessons From The Past

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born on this day in 1929) spread a message of unity & equality, of peace & hope, for which he was murdered. Remember the man but carry the message with you. Use it, as he did, as your sword and shield against hatred.

Humanity will always suffer from ignorance. It is a war that we cannot win, but the ONLY way we will lose it is if we forget that ignorance and hatred can be neutralized with education, patience, forgiveness and the willingness to work side by side with those whom we consider our enemies toward a better, brighter and more whole future.

Dr. King and those rare individuals like him still have so much to teach us and everyone always has more to learn.

Be proud of who you are but always try to be a better person.

Stand up for what you believe in but be brave enough to admit when you're wrong.

Never give up... always Battle On.

January 21, 2013

Fight for Justice, Heroes

Defeat General Porkon, Avenge the Villagers!

Defend the villagers of Greenguard Forest from the Horcs! General Porkon has ordered his Horc Warriors to invade Greenguard Forest! 

We do not know why... but we know the villagers in the area need your protection! Head to /orctown and slay General Porkon to scatter his warriors! 

Become a Warrior for Justice!

Defeat General Porkon before 12PM (noon server time) on Tuesday and you too could become a Warrior of Justice, charging onto the battlefield with your Arrows of Truth! The Horc Warriors  in /greenguardeast and /greenguardwest also have a small chance to drop a helm, too!

Each of these items is 0ACs for free storage, and they will never return! Defend the innocent and claim your rewards! You don't need to accept any quests to get this gear, just get in there and slay those horcs!

January 19, 2013

AQW Servers are Back Online

Thank you for your patience!

Our quest to optimize AQWorlds' performance continues! The game servers WERE offline while we cleaned up the database, and we've seen some improvement behind-the-scenes. Now that we're done, take a look at the news we posted while the servers were down!

Back to work, server hamsters!

News About Battleon's Re-Design!

If you've been reading the Design Notes (and to get all the latest news, you should!), then you've heard about how we're re-designing the town of BattleOn! After Artix, J6, Cysero, Beleen, and I got done with the initial planning stages, work has finally begun! J6 is finishing the next Lionfang map, then starting on the new Battleon art. This week, I began plotting out the MANY quests the new town needs, and getting them in the database.

Danger: Falling Puns!

So far, we've got:

• 30 Pet Exploration shops ready for Aria's Pet Shop!
• 4 pet shops that unlock as you explore through AQWorlds!
• 10 Monster Pet Challenge quests!
• 3 Daily Quests 

Next up: Just as many quests for the Museum! Anyone in the mood for a treasure hunt?! Because there are a LOT of relics in Lore Valencia will need you to find!

We want to do this Battleon redesign RIGHT, and that means MANY new quests, new town and NPC art, a way to walk to your house, a place to learn about guilds, a re-designed Guardian Tower, a Battle Coliseum, Library, new Magic Shop, Forge, and more! What else do YOU want to see?

We do not have a set release date for the new Battleon re-design, but the construction moglins (and the AQW team) are hard at work on the project!

January 18, 2013

The Golden Onslaught

The Imvasion of Onslaught Tower!

We need your help more than ever before! Archlord Maximilian Lionfang has recovered the Darkblood Scroll which reveals the existence of an ancient weapon which might have the power to defeat Chaos itself, and with this information in his hands... he has revealed his true colors! He has kidnapped Artix, Robina, Alina, Yorumi, Beleen, Warlic, King Alteon and several more of our friends... even me. Our very lives depend on YOU!

This former general of King Alteon's Army has broken the Great Truce and taken up the title of Archlord of his zealot faction, the Golden Onslaught. In recent days the heroes of battleon and even King Alteon have gone missing, replaced by illusions cast by Gravelyn's Imperial Illusionists to prevent wiespread panic! Tonight you will relive the exciting story of AQW's first Birthday event as you battle at Empress Gravelyn's side to save your friends from Onslaught Tower. 

This expanded version of the Invasion of Onslaught Tower features an elnarged map so you can see more of the tower than you ever did before. It introduces a new NPC in the form of Archlich Xollen, Commander of the Shadowscythe Invasion Force, as well as a new expanded storyline full of new quests and a crazy amount of new items (all the rare items from the original event stay rare)! 

• Lionfang Invasion AC Shop: 13 Items including the DoomKnight Prime and a number of other great new AC items, plus the classic DoomKnight items presented by Gravelyn in the original event.  
  
  
  
  
• Lionfang Invasion Shop: 13 Member and non-member items for gold. Unlock this shop by completing this week's release
  
  
  
  
• Monster Drops: 8 Member and non-member drops! Every single monster drops something new this week!
  
  
  
• Member Only Side-Quests: Members can quest to get the hard-to-get Color Custom Lionfang Royalty set when they unlock the bonus quests at the end of the release!   
  
   
  The blue parts are color custom 

This week's release sets you up for next week, as we head to the Darkblood city of Falguard, deep inside the boarders of Thunderforge!

New Barber and Armor Color Pets!

Check out the Battleon Helper Shop for 2 brand new pets that do cool stuff!

• Sergeant Snipps: This little Moglin will be happy to follow Members around giving them haircuts, dye jobs and even colored contacts at will!
  
  
• Daro: This violet Moglin is a master blacksmith's helper and can recolor your armor on the fly. He's a NON-MEMBER pet that you can purchase for 1000 ACs.  

Season Of The Witch Shop

The Season Of The Witch Shop has been update with 4 brand new items including a new Battle Pet for Members! 

These are GUARENTEED Rare items, but there are lots of Grimm Stalkers out there so you might see other versions of the armor in the future. This version will never return once it is gone. 

Verification Weapons

Finally, we have completed our long-awaited upgrades to the verification shops promised last month during Frostval to all of our DragonLords, Star Captains and Guardians. 

Thank you all for upgrading in the other games and thank you for your continued support in AQW! :)

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY RARES

Just a reminder that you can still get your February Rares Raffle Ticket from Cleric Joy's shop for your chance to win the SUATMR contest and walk away with something that smells like the inside of my backpack. 

Remember that you can increase your chances of winning with Memberships and AExtras but you NEED ACCESS TO YOUR REGISTERED AQW E-MAIL TO WIN. No E-mail, No rares for you.

For a full list of the contest rules check the SUATMR contest page.

Have a great weekend!

Or else! 

January 18, 2013

Epic Items Arrive Tonight

After You Battle Through Lion's Keep...

Check out the newest gear in Battleon's Helper Pet Shop!* Our two new helper pets want you to look your best before and after every battle! Upgrade to take Sergeant Snipps (of the Barber Brigade) along with you, or pay Daro 1,000 AdventureCoins to travel with you!

Sergeant Snipps allows members to customize their hair, eye, and skin color while Daro will alter any color-customizable armor his owner has equipped!

You can still /join Yulgar to use the color customization room there, but Snipps and Daro will travel with you wherever you go, making sure you look picture-perfect in every screenshot you take!

* These pets will not go rare. Soon they'll make the move to Aria's Pet Shop in Battleon Town.

New Gear in the WitchHunter Shop!

Hunt the creatues of the night in the GrimStalker armor! We're adding NEW gear to the Season of the WitchHunter shop in Battleon: the Battle Chimera Familiar and the regular Chimera Familiar. 

And when it comes time to battle the witches, lichs, and undead of Lore, do not leave home without your instruments of purification! 

Verification Shop Weapons Arrive Tonight!

Upgrade in the original AdventureQuest, DragonFable, or MechQuest to unlock access to the Verification Shops! In addition to the new versions of the classic armors the shops received last week, you will also be able to access the new weapons we are adding later tonight!

Guardian Prime Blade, DragonLord Prime Blade, StarLord Laser Prime

Don't Miss Tonight's Story Release!

Relive a special, expanded version of the assault on Lionfang's Keep! If you missed the original event, you're free to play through it on your own, but we suggest bringing a party of your strongest friends to storm the Keep! Battle through an expanded map, new quests, gain access to NEW rewards, and see updated versions of the cutscenes!

January 16, 2013

Hunt the Creatures of the Night

The Season of the WitchHunter is Here!

Become a GrimStalker and slay the creatures of the night! Stalk the shadows along the trail to Battleon, slashing and slaying your way to victory over darkness! The Season of the WitchHunter shop is in Battleon with the GrimStalker Armor, cape, helms, and weapons now!

FRIDAY we will add the member-only Chimera pets: regular pet for gold and the Battle Pet Chimera for AdventureCoins... PLUS the Hammer of Justice weapon!

What's in THIS Shop?

Excellent question! In the WitchHunter Shop in Battleon, you'll find:

• GrimStalker Armor
• Grim Stalker Helm
• Secretive Stalker Helm
• Grim Trophy Cape
• Chaotic Orb Staff
• Crooked Hook Staff
• Gilded Idol Staff
• Creature's Claw Staff

The Chaotic Orb, Gilded Idol, and Creature's Claw staves all have increased damage ranges. Then, on Friday, we'll add:

• Chimera Battle Pet
• Chimera Pet
• Blade of Purification!*

* Changed to Blade of Purification from Hammer of Justice

How Long Will the Shop Be Open?

Even better question! This shop will be around for at least 1 week, but not much longer. It WILL return eventually, though, because witches, liches, and other creatures of the night never seem to STAY dead! The Season of the WitchHunter never really closes, so although the GrimStalker items in THIS SotW shop will go rare, the next time it opens, we will have an all-new set of night-terror slaying gear!

January 14, 2013

Gone Missing

For Your Eyes Only

Hero, As you well know, several heroes from around Lore have been reported as missing. I've had my dark illusionists disguise themselves and take the places of Artix, Cysero, Alina, Zhoom, Ai No Miko, Warlic and a number of other heroes to avoid any panic. Most recently King Alteon has gone missing. Something must be done. 

I don't expect the replacements to fool people for very long. Posters like this one have begun to pop up all over the land. 

I have recently discovered who is responsible for the abductions. I command you, in the name of the Great Truce, to meet me at my fortress this Friday. I have devised a plan to rescue our friends and I will need able bodied soldiers to put this plan into action. 

Echos Of The Past

Do you recognize the message above? Then you were probably playing back in October of 2009 when we first ran this adventure for AQW's first birthday. This week we continue Lionfang's Legacy with the re-release of the Assault on Onslaught Tower. There will be no war this time, but there will be a larger, expanded tower map, new quests, Member Only side quests, new music and of course new items!

Blackhorn Tomb

Have you ventured into Blackhorn Tomb to face the Bonefeeder yet?

The first part of the Lionfang's Legacy storyline was released last week with a number of new quests, 2 new cutscenes, an AC shop, an unlockable item shop several new monster drops! 

If you want to understand more about Maxamilian Lionfang, then Blackhorn is the place to start! 

Some History

Some people were confused about how last week's story design notes fit into the history of the game. I will explain all of this in this week's release but I might as well clear it up now. 

After Drakath revealed himself to the world and destroyed my father, King Alteon and I sent agents out into the world to look into the threat that Chaos posed and any possible solutions or weaknesses. 

General Lionfang found something interesting in Darkblood rumors and made his way to Thunderforge where the Darkblood live in the city of Falguard. His first act in the area was to "cleanse" an ancient tower of the necromancer who was living there. Much of the crumbling structure was destroyed in the battle between the undead and Lionfang's loyal soldiers. Finding the location a valuable strategic asset, he converted the remains of the necromancer's tower into Lion's Keep, building it far stronger than it was before. 

Lionfang's report to his King stated that the Necromancer had gone rogue and was killing loyal soldiers of Good only to reanimate them as servants of Evil, thus breaking the Great Truce. Reports of Lionfang's actions against my Evil followers had grown in number so I commanded my scryers to show me the past.

The truth of the matter is that General Lionfang simply attacked the necromancer who was using Shadowfall sanctioned body parts to perform his experiments. This means that it was LIONFANG who actually broke the Great Truce, boldly striking first against the side of Evil.

If only we had known General Lionfang's true feelings earlier, we might have been able to stop him from building his powerful base of soldiers and zealot followers which he now calls his Golden Onslaught. He has even changed the name of the tower from Lion's Keep to Onslaught Tower, flaunting his military might. 

The man made a dangerous enemy when he decided to break the Great Truce and attack my follower. LONG UNLIVE THE SHADOWSCYTHE! 

Season Of The Witch Hunter

This Wednesday, the Season of the Witch Hunter begins and the rare GrimmStalker armor will be sold for a short time. 

It's being sold in celebration of the release of the new Hansel and Gretel movie for all of you classic dark fairy tale fans out there. 

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY RARES

The SUATMR Contest is in full swing! 

Want to win one of the rare items on THIS LIST? 

Here is what you do:

1. Buy a February Rares Raffle Ticket from Cleric Joy's Shop (or Warlic's Shop) in Battleon.
2. Increase your chances by buying a Membership (every day left increases your chances by 1)!
3. Increase your chances again by completing AEXtras offers (every one completed since Jan 1 increases your chances by 1 again)!
4. Have a valid E-Mail attached to your AQW Account. We notify winners by mail. If you don't check your mail, you lose. No exceptions. 

Good luck, hero. 

January 13, 2013

Coming Soon to AQWorlds

The 2013 Release Momentum Keeps Growing!

Strap on your hardest helm and equip your sharpest blade this Friday, because you're definitely going to want to see the next chapter in Lionfang's Chaos storyline - the updated and polished version of the Golden Onslaught War! You HAVE battled through the Blackhorn Tombs, right? 

Last Friday's release took place in Lionfang's past (but you did not travel back in time. Try not to think too hard about the mechanics of that. Timey-wimey explanation!) Cysero's going to try to find time ("Heeeeeey time-travel fairies!") to build a timeline to make things easier to understand!

The team is ALSO going to be working on re-designing the town of Battleon (and Battleontown)! Current plans for the restructure include re-doing the Guardian Tower, updated town NPCs, FINALLY questing to unlock the pieces of the Blade of Awe and SO MUCH MORE!*

This project is HUGE and will take at least 2-3 Phases to complete, but work on Phase 1 begins this week!**

* Watch out for falling puns!
** Construction moglins are magic, and move so fast that the town's appearance is likely to change in the blink of an eye (or a server restart) once it is ready to release.***
*** Release date not set yet. 

And to top off all the excitement, J6 and Beleen are planning out the next "J6 the Bounty Hunter" release! Speaking of J6... Don't forget to vote to send him into space in REAL LIFE!

January 12, 2013

Read the Design Notes for News

And See How Your Ideas Make AQWorlds Happen!

AE is a company built on direct player feedback; we always want to know what you think of our plans and how we can make them even MORE awesome! We want to see your drawings, hear your ideas, and find out what YOU want to see come to AQWorlds next!

Sometimes though, things get so hectic that the ideas we throw out on Twitter, the forum, or Facebook never make it to all of you. So remember: For OFFICIAL announcements of what's coming in AQWorlds, read the Design Notes and the homepage!

This is the button to click to get all your AQW news!

You've already found them, so you're one step ahead! Anything not said here is not officially planned. It's an idea, a thought, a "would this be cool?"

And even after we've announced the release schedule, plans may change. Nothing is final until the servers restart. Because as much as we may WANT to do something, sometimes we find out that it's just not possible that week. So keep an eye on the Design Notes for progress updates as we find them out!

January 11, 2013

Into Blackhorn Keep

I Hope You Love Spiders!

Today we begin the new Maximillian Lionfang's Chaos Story. Many of you have long wondered if Lionfang, who began his life as a one-off bad guy for our first birthday event, would ever actually become a Lord of Chaos. 

Spoiler: He does. 

We're trying something kind of interesting and new with this release. Based heavily on Lionfang's established lore, we're back tracking a bit and showing you how you first met Maximilian Lionfang when he was a General for King Alteon. 

You will follow his lead to the ancient Blackhorn Tomb (some of you might recognize the name from last week's adventure) where General Lionfang has tracked an ancient scroll that might reveal a way to defeat Chaos itself! 

In this release you will find an AC shop at the beginning of the release with a host of amazing items, lots of drops on the monsters and if you complete the release you will unlock another shop full of Member and Non-Member gold items and armors! 

NEXT WEEK: Come back to relive a special expanded version of the assault on Lionfang's Keep, or play through it for the very first time! 

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY RARES!

Our newest and dumbest contest yet is live! Read ALL about it on the SUATMR Contest Page (pronounced soo-AHT-meer)!

WHAT IS IT?: It's a contest where you can win one of my or another dev or mod's rare items! 

HOW DO I ENTER?: Talk to Cleric Joy in Battleon, click her SHOP button and buy a February Rares Raffle Ticket! You must have this item in your backpack or bank on the day of the drawing to enter the raffle.

WHEN IS THE DRAWING?: The drawing will be the first Tuesday of every month, so the first drawing will be held on Tuesday, Feb 5th!

HOW DO I HELP MY CHANCES OF WINNING?: The Rares Raffle Ticket enters you in the contest and gives you 1 chance to win. Every DAY of AQW Membership left on your account on the day of the drawing increases your chances by 1 (200 days left = 200 more chances). Also, every AExtra that you've completed from jan 1 to the day of the drawing increases your chances by 1 more (12 AExtras done =  12 more chances to win). 

WHAT CAN I WIN?: See the SUATMR Contest Page for a list of possible prizes! 

I DON'T GET IT!: Really? OK, then you should really, really go read the SUATMR Contest Page. Seriously, read every word. 

RANGER CLASS, 2000 ACs

We've been getting a FLOOD of requests in recent months to sell the Ranger Class for ACs like all other recent classes. When I say a flood, I mean a FLOOD. Of all the the coming features that we've talked about or hinted at, all the bugs past and present this one change has beaten them ALL in terms of the numbers of people asking for this. 

I've never been a fan of the idea since I thought that it was quite the badge of honor to have earned the class. More reasonable heads than mine pointed out that it's STILL a badge of honor if you earn it, even if a version is sold for ACs. 

As of tonight, you will be able to buy the Ranger Class from Ragnar's Class Shop for 2000 ACs, BUT the earned version of the class, identical in every other way, will be renamed to the MASTER Ranger Class so you can more easily prove to your friends and other players that you EARNED this class. 

This is the only Class for which we plan to make this concession, so enjoy it all you hard core Sandsea farmers (past, present and future)! Wear your Ranger class with pride! 

Seasonal Rare Shop On Twilly

A few changes to Twilly's Pop-up in Battleon. He is now hosting a Seasonal Rare Shop. This little shop is just an fun little option for people with ACs to burn who like the items he has. Every season (Spring being the next) Twilly will get NEW seasonally-themed items that will also go rare. 

All you have to do is purchase Twilly's 2013 Ice Token and that will enable you to open the shop and grab ALL of the Seasonal items which are all 0 ACs. Items will go perma-rare in March when the Spring shop opens! 

The New New Mage

The new Mage base Class Art is live and with it the new Mage Armor in the mage trainer's shop. 

Due to a large influx of player requests, the previous version of the mage armor will remain availible but as been renamed "Noble Mage". Dage really went all out redesigning the base classes and we are now VERY proud that new players, just coming to AQ.COM for the first time will be greeted by these amazing classes. 

New Offer Pop-Ups!

Recently, we have added a couple of special offer pop-ups in-game for a very small amount of people who met the exact qualifications for the offer and a lot of people were asking "Why not me?!"

In response to this we have added a small array of NEW special offers targeted directly at YOU. If you DO qualify for these special offers, keep in mind that these are limited time offers and you might never see them again. 

If you guys like these and continue to ask for them when we might expand the offers even further. If not then these will just... go away. 

New Verification Armors

Members of our OTHER games were promised updated armors for their DragonLord, StarLord & Guardian shops in the Guardian Tower as a Frostval Gift. Sadly, a million things fell down on our heads all at once and these got backlogged BUT THEY ARE FINALLY HERE! 

You can find the new armors in the same verification shops where you can find your special classes, and the weapons for the new armors will arrive NEXT week! Enjoy and Happy (Belated) Frostval!

Last Chance for 2012 Holiday Gear!

Alina says remember: Make sure to log in before Monday, January 14th, because that will be your LAST chance to access:

• our Kezeroth the World Ender Frostval event until December
• the Save the Sun New Year's event until January
• Quibble Coinbiter's Shop 
• the 2013 Sun/Moon Rares Shop*  
• the Last-ever Limited Quantity Shop** 

* This shop will go PERMA-RARE! Welcome in 2013 with some of the shiniest gear of the season!
** This is the LAST Limited Quantity Shop we will do. Once this gear is gone, it will NEVER return!

Weekend Project

This weekend Artix, Dage, a few of the other team members and I are getting together to sharpen out Mobile Development skills. I can't even say that we're making a game, per se. I will say that we are making something very small and barely functional for multiple mobile devices. 

Whatever we spit out at the end of this weekend might just be a total disaster but we DO plan on releasing it for free on as many mobile platforms as we can figure out, 

Keep and eye on our Twitter feeds, Artix.com and the AQW Facebook Fanpage for updates to see how things are going! 

Have a great day.

OR ELSE!

January 10, 2013

2012 Holiday Events Leaving

Last Chance for 2012 Holiday Gear!

AQWorlds has had an AMAZING holiday season these past few months! But like all good things, their time to go is almost here. Make sure to log in before Monday, January 14th, because that will be your LAST chance to access:

• our Kezeroth the World Ender Frostval event until December
• the Save the Sun New Year's event until January
• Quibble Coinbiter's Shop 
• the 2013 Sun/Moon Rares Shop*  
• the Last-ever Limited Quantity Shop** 

* This shop will go PERMA-RARE! Welcome in 2013 with some of the shiniest gear of the season!
** This is the LAST Limited Quantity Shop we will do. Once this gear is gone, it will NEVER return!

Hard at Work on the Verification Shop Armors!

We're pushing to get the verification shop armors out! Dage has finished the Guardian Prime and DragonLord Prime re-designs, and is powering up to finish Starlord Prime tomorrow. We HOPE to release them tomorrow, but will give a final answer as we draw closer to launch.

Twilly's Seasonal Shop Arrives Tomorrow!

Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to talk to Twilly to access a Seasonal Shop! Purchase the IceBreaker Shop Token for 1,000 AdventureCoins to open the Winter Seasonal Shop.

Then choose any (or all) of the following items:

• IceBreaker Warrior Armor
• Dual IceBreaker Axes
• FrostWarder Cloak
• Winter's Wrath Scythe

All items cost 0 AdventureCoins, so take advantage of the free storage! The shop will be available until March, when the items will change for the Spring Seasonal Shop!

Reminder: Ranger Class Arrives in Battleon!

Rangers are stealthy and hard to track down! But tomorrow, the Ranger Class will be placed in the Class Shop in Battleon for 2,000 ACs. In the past, the Class was earned by ranking up your SandSea Reputation, one of the hardest (and therefore most satisfying to complete) factions in the game.

The AC version of the Class is a short-cut intended for our players who want to enjoy the Class but don't have enough time to earn it through many, MANY victories in battle!

To differentiate between the two versions, we're re-naming the original Ranger Class. Starting tomorrow, those of you who have it already will find the Master Ranger Class in your inventories. The AC version will remain the same as it currently is.

Tomorrow: Find Darkhorn Tomb... and Lionfang!

Chaos always has a beginning; but will YOU be its end? Travel back in time to discover how Maximillian Lionfang started down the path to become the eleventh Lord of Chaos.

After learning that his General might have found a flaw in Drakath's Chaotic power, King Alteon sends you to aid Lionfang in his quest. Fight alongside this great and powerful Warrior before he takes up his banner against Evil.

January 10, 2013

Cookie Contest Winners

The Most Delicious Contest of the Year!

Congratulations to EVERYONE who participated in our Frostval Cookie Contest! These tasty treats really take the cake! (And the cookies, and the frosting!) We can't wait until the next Cookie Contest in December, because we're ready to feast our eyes on more! Look for your awards to be added to your accounts tomorrow... and Bake On!

Grand Prize Winner: Rena Hikari!

This frosty frosting recreation of the Quetzal battle won our hearts... and would have filled our stomachs!

The Sweetest Entry: SweetCupcake2009!

This is a cookie face only SantaClaus could eat... because WE think it's way too cute!

Green with Envy Entry: Susami Moonwolf!

This is the only Holi-Daimyo cake we'd ever eat! It looks dog-gone delicious!

Let's Do Lunch Entry: StellaLuna22!

The holidays are all about feasting, not eating healthy... but with this peanutbutter snack moglin, you can do both!

Have a Herpy Derpy Frostval!: Enchanted Dawn

Derp the halls with lots of frosting! Fa la la la laaaa, la la la la!

Frostval is Magic... and Cake!!: ACW0

To Wrap-Up our Winter Cookie Contest, we've got the tastiest cake on the table (better hope it's stable)!