Design Notes

February 13, 2012

Power Week!

Loads Of Stuff Coming This Week!

This is going to be a pretty HUGE week for us so I've started calling it POWER WEEK! (in my head)

Here's a quick table of contents of this Design Notes post so you can skip to the bits that interest you.

• Fishing Trade Skill!
• Old Heroes' Heart Day Returns!
• AQW's First Carnaval Shop!
• New Dage Quests In Shadowfall!
• I CAN HAS MOD Winner Selection today!
• MEMBER PERK: Bonus Member Items for AC packages!
• MEMBER PERK: Reserve your AQ3D Character Name!
• Stuff is Leaving!

So let's get down to it!

Have A Little More Faith!

Fishing, AQW's first trade skill is coming this Friday! It will be the first of several trade skills, including but not limited to fishing, alchemy and blacksmithing and eventually you will use your trade skills to help build up your Guild Town! Fishing might also have other uses if we continue to add trade skills like Cooking!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's go FISHING with FAITH!

You may know Faith as the head of HeroMart but what you may not know is that she is a fishing FIEND in real life! She was the perfect NPC to help you when your line gets tangled.

You will be able to unlock TONS of different fishing Ranks, special items and even get an aquarium for your house where you can display your latest catches!

You will be able to use a regular fishing pole, special member only SUPER POLE that will let you catch up to 3 fish at a time or barrels of HIGH EXPLOSIVES which will make it RAIN fish down around you (the TNT is basicly the AC shortcut since it can't miss but each barrel only costs 8 ACs each)!

As I mentioned, Fishing will become a very handy skill in the future but this Friday it will just be a nice relaxing diversion (like fishing is in real life). It will give you a chance to build up your skill ranks, unlock some of the new items that you can only get from the fishing trade skill and enjoy the music and scenery.

Have A Heart!

Now that you have played through the Love's Eternal Curse Special Event (The event is staying in the game except for the Event Rares Shop which is leaving next Monday), you may be asking yourself where Big Daddy, the Godfather of Love and his LOVE map are this year.

Never fear, Baby! The LOVE map with the Heroes' Heart Day Adventures along with the return of some of your favorite pink (and blue... and other colors) seasonal rares will be reintroduced to AQW this Friday!

Don't Be Sad, It's CARNAVAL!

Many of you already know what Carnaval (not to be confused with a carnival) is but for those of you who don't it's a HUGE celebration. It's celebrated in several countries but in Brazil it's something truly spectacular. Most of the country grinds to a halt just to have this party-to-end-all-parties that continues both day and night for an ENTIRE WEEK! There are parades, dancing, food and CRAZY costumes in every corner of the country as every city and town try and out-party each other. 

It's kind of like Dragoncon if it went on for a week and had 5 million people attending.

This Friday AQW will be joining in the festivities with our first CARNAVAL shop which will contain special items and costumes just for just for Carnaval!

New Dage The Evil Quests Coming Friday!

Now that the portal to the Underworld has been opened (in last week's event) Dage The Evil will be adding several new repeatable quests to his NPC sending you there. The quests won't be any easier but they will give you more options to collect Legion Tokens to buy items from his insane merge shop!

I CAN HAS DELUXE WINNER!?

Today is the day. A e-mail has been sent to the new I CAN HAS MOD WINNER! Winner, you have one week to check your e-mail and get back to us or we will continue down the list! Make sure that you check the e-mail that you have provided for your AQw account to see if you have won!

Of course, we won't announce the winner until we've had contact with them, but as son as we hear back from them (unless they don't want to be known) then we will let you guys know the name of the winner!

There were 233,892 people who entered the contest this time which is more than DOUBLE the number of people who entered last time. REMEMBER: HOLD ON TO YOUR CHEEZBURGER (Inventory or bank, it matters not)!

Last time the Cheezburger was wished into the Darkside Class. Who knows what it will become this time, if anything!

Good luck! There is only 1 winner and 233,891 non-winners (you guys aren't losers) so if you're a non-winner THIS time, then there is always next time!

MEMBER PERK: Bonus Member Items for AC Packages!

In our continuing effort to give the Members more in 2012, we have decided to add Member Bonus Items to the existing AC Packages starting Friday. 

The AC packages will be exactly the same as they always have been. They will cost the same and you will still get exactly the same amount of ACs with each of the three largest packages but NOW they will also unlock achievements in your Book of Lore that will open shops which will give you different Member Only Bonus Items depending on which AC Package you got.

2,000 AC Package: This package will now unlock the badge and shop that will give you the Battle Wyvern. This is a MEMBER ONLY Battle Pet!

5,000 AC Package: This package will now unlock the badge and shop that will give you the Member Only Color Custom Dreadnought Armor Set! (NOTE: this only applies to the package itself, not the bonus AC offer when you Upgrade.)

12,000 AC Package: This package will now unlock the badge and shop that will give you the MindBreaker Member Only Class! This bonus class is a balanced warrior of the mind. Special animations have been added to this psychic warrior class.

You will be able to unlock these badges and items contained within when you purchase these AC packages through our site or by using Artix points on the Portal Site. These bonuses will be permanent additions to the game and EVERYONE will unlock these badges, so if you don't can't become a member right now, these items will be waiting for you when you decide to upgrade or re-up.

Each of these items will cost 0AC for free storage.

These are NOT collective and do NOT stack. EACH Package unlocks it's own shop, but to get all of the items you will need to have bought all three of them packages.

This offer is ALSO retroactive for 6 weeks from this Friday! If you have purchased one or more of these packages in the last 6 weeks (from Friday) then you will already have these badges and items unlocked for you.

MEMBER PERK: Reserve Your AQ3D Character Name!

Our game project with the working title AQ3D is progressing and we have decided that it's time to allow Members (both present and past) to reserve their character names for this game!

If you are currently supporting or have EVER supported AQW (or any of our other games) with a Membership, you will be able to reserve your name for AQ3D!

IMPORTANT! In order to do this you need your AQW account connected to your Master Account! Like EpicDuel, HeroSmash and Pony Vs. Pony, you will log into this NEW game with your Master Account info. If your AQW account isn't connected to your Master Account then YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESERVE YOUR NAME!

If you have not yet created a Master Account, Do so by CLICKING HERE!

It's also important to note that this is NOT Alpha Testing. We are still miles and miles away from having something playable for you guys to test. This is ONLY to camp your name before someone else can get it!

We are aiming for Thursday Night but you never know what could go wrong between here and there. You will go to ARTIX.COM and we will have opened the Character Name Reservation Page!

If there is a change in schedule we will announce it here.

Read more about the AQ3D Project
On ARTIX.COM!

One Last Note...

The Punt map and Halftime Shop have left fot another year. Tomorrow Lady Azjurai will be leaving Battleon and taking all of her special wedding gear with her (presumably on her honeymoon. Gratz again Lady Az!). Lastly Quibble and Loves Curse Event Rares shop will both be leaving together next Monday!

July 08, 2011

Chaos Shaper Class / Noxus War!

Chaos Shaper Class & Battle Tested Axe Master Armor!

At long last we are releasing the 3 month and 15 month AQW membership bonus item rewards!

We've been talking about it for a long time and there was a hold up in production as we realized that we simply couldn't do justice to the DF class we were considering adding as the 15 month membership bonus, but then most of you said that you wanted a class original to AQW anyway so that worked out just fine.

Beginning TONIGHT! Anyone who has EVER purchased 3 months (or more) worth of AQW memberships (even if those 3 months weren't all at once, and even if they have expired) will get the AXE MASTER ACHIEVEMENT BADGE on their character page and in their Book of Lore!

Click on your badge in the Book of Lore and you can open a shop that will grant you access to these non-member items:

• Battle Tested Axe Master Armor
• Battle Tested Helm
• Zhilo's Hairstyle

Each of these items are non-member so you can use them even if your membership has expired and they each cost 0 ACs so you can store them for free!

15 Month Membership Bonus Item Sets!

Anyone who has EVER purchased a total of 15 months (or more) worth of AQW memberships (even if those 15 months weren't all at once, and even if they have expired) will get the CHAOS SHAPER BADGE on their character page and in their Book of Lore!

Click on your badge in the Book of Lore and you can open a shop that will grant you access to these non-member items:

• ChaosWarrior Armor
• ChaosWarrior Helm
• ChaosWarrior Wings
• ChaosWarrior Omegus Sword

• Chaos Shaper Class
• Chaos Shaper Cape
• Chaos Shaper Helm
• Chaos Shaper Destroyer Sword

Each of these items are non-member so you can use them even if your membership has expired and they each cost 0 ACs so you can store them for free!

Chaos Shaper Skill Set

Now it's time to do a little skill breakdown for those of you who are lucky(insane) enough to attempt to control Chaos for your own purposes.

Remember that the very nature of Chaos is to be unpredictable. Chaos is insanity. Chaos is random. Chaos is POWER. You have decided to take on forces that nobody, even Drakath, can truly control. But with hard work and a quick mind you can learn to flow with the insanity rather than fighting against it. Can you sharpen and free your mind or will your sanity get bashed against the rocks of Chaos?

Most of the Chaos Shaper's abilities have 2 possible outcomes. That means that you can't really plan out your next move. You NEED to think fast and respond to each outcome. It completely changes how you play, each time you use a skill.

Even though this class require a lot of Luck to help your Crits, it's a very strong Warrior based class that is best at mowing down your enemy fast by overpowering them. I suggest STR based enhancements for fast damage.

AUTO ATTACK

2 Second Cooldown.

A basic attack taught to all adventurers.

TWIST TIME

30 Mana, 16 Second Cooldown.

The powers of Chaos alter time increasing your attack speed OR reducing the speed of your enemy 

There is a 50/50 chance that your haste will increase for 6 seconds or your enemy's haste will decrease. That means that either your foe is dealing less damage to you, giving you time to make your next decision OR your speed increases which is a great way for this class to bank a bunch of mana when you need it as it recieves mana on successfully hitting an enemy.

CHAOS FOG

30 Mana, 10 Second Cooldown.

A Chaotic stuns your target OR weakens the target reducing the damage it does.

As with most possible stun powers this is a good lead off ability but again, either way you win. Either your foe loses HALF of its damage dealing ability for a few seconds OR it gets stunned, giving you a chance to Twist Time and get some mana back fast or let the next skill do its job.  

CHAOTIC TOUCH 

20 Mana, 7 Second Cooldown.

A Chaotic touch that harms your target or heals yourself.

This Ability can be a lifesaver but I have found that it's never that outcome that I want when I want it. Either your target gets a fairly powerful DoT (Damage over Time) placed on it that ticks away its life which you go to town on it, or... and you need this one... it hits you with a fairly powerful HoT (Heal over Time). I've found that this is a good skill to use if you pull off a stun. You will come to depend on that HoT but remember that you can never count on anything when you're playing with Chaos!

CHAOTIC STRENGTH & CHAOTIC FOCUS

Passive.

Increase STR by 10%

Increase CRIT by 10%

Once again, as you rank the class up you will unlock these new powers which will increae the entire class's effectiveness in combat.

DEATH GRIP

30 Mana, 10 Second Cooldown. 

The power of Chaos causes high damage to your target BUT might backfire and cause harm to yourself instead!

This skill is the live saver and the heart breaker. You have a 60% chance to deal a MASSIVE blow to your target and it's just about as expensive in terms of mana as any of the other skills allowing you to do a LOT of damage over and over and over. But that leaves a 40% chance that your Chaotic power will backlash against you dealing a massive hit to yourself. YOU CAN KILL YOURSELF, so beware!

There you have it. One of the most powerful and least predictable classes in AQW and our first CHAOS based class. It's a LOT of fun to play but it can drive you to the very edge of insanity with its unpredictable nature.

There has been a recent surge in AC items which has been a response to player demand. There are just a LOT more people who are willing to buy ACs rather than memberships and we always listen to our players to the best of our ability. We go where you lead us, but that does NOT mean that we are going to abandon our members without whom none of this would be possible. For all of you who have helped keep AQW going with your member support, we cannot show you enough how much we appreciate you and we hope that you enjoy both of these member bonus shops and everything you find inside them, the member only areas, member only classes, weapons, pets, houses and just remember that as ACs are great for grabbing some rares or taking the shortcut to classes like Necromancer but Member content will just keep growing with AQW.

Seriously, thank you.

THE NOXUS WAR!

This week the DoomWood Saga continues as Noxus sets his plans in motion and uses his commaned of the undead armies at his disposal to attack SHADOWFALL!

Gravelyn is no fool, and knows what is coming for her. King Alteon would send his knights but his forces are already spread too thin fighting the undead attacking LightGuard Keep. Noxus has no respect for Gravelyn or the truce between Good and Evil against Chaos and sees Shadowfall as the key to the rest of Lore!

This means WAR! The Good & Evil Alliance has to pull together and rush to Shadowfall's defense! Will you answer the call to war?! We have some really great Star Warsian surprises in store for you in this week's cutscene animated entirely by Samba!

You will also find a War Merge Shop and a few drops which will go RARE when the war is over.

Very Small Suggestion Shop Update

This week I challenged Mennace to take some of the less well developed art from the suggestion forum and create some truly EPIC items out of them. Unfortunately he got really ill during the week and could only finish a few pieces but the ones he did were really nice.

• The Fire Flail designed by L3r421L
• Dual Frost Breath by paultaker

Hopefully next week we will have some time to add some more items!

Reminder!

AEXtras is still a great way to get FREE ADVENTURECOINS and even FREE BATTLEON POINTS, and with new Inventory, Bank slots and Preimere Event rares to buy there's never been a better time!

 Just CLICK HERE to get started!

Or, You can jump onto your Master Account and start earning free BattleOn Games Points using AExtras and use those Points to get stuff in ANY of our games!

Have a great weekend guys!