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Wings Over Atreia: Ode to 3.0
*cue pitch pipe* Twinkle, twinkle, little patch, How I wonder where you're at? In the East they play with ease, In the West you're just a tease! Twinkle, twinkle, three point oh, Hurry please I want you so! I've tried to be patient. I really have. I even avoided any wayward glances at Aion's Korean patch notes (translated, of course) for 3.0. That way, I could contain my excitement a little better. I mean, we already know I am dying for housing, and I also know mounts are involved. But there is always so much more, and I was trying to make the wait more bearable. I stood firm in my resolve. Then I broke down. I peeked. And oh how the many-tendriled beast of anticipation took hold of me once again! Of course there is always the requisite "fixed this bug" and "changed that appearance" filler, but when mining deeper, you also find some definite valuable nuggets. Aion's next patch has some "how cool," some "oh wow, that's really unexpected," and some "about time!" thrown in as well. From new zones to new instances to new features, there is plenty coming our way. Don't want to tax your scroll wheel and sift through the entire patch notes yourself? Wings Over Atreia delves in to uncover some of the most tantalizing treasures for you.
Wasteland Diaries: New skills
Clones of the wasteland: We are heading toward uncertain times. The February State of the Game was announced last week, and there are some massive changes to Fallen Earth coming our way. The 1.4 patch changed the way we fought, and so did the 1.7 patch. This next patch, which will likely be 1.8 (if not 2.0), will probably be the biggest change to the game mechanics since launch (and 1.4 was no slouch). The uncertainty will not be allayed until we see the new system on the PTS. It's slated to hit the test server in "the middle of the month," so we may see it soon. In this post, I would like to analyze the SoTG and try to infer what kind of implications this new system will bring forth. There will be some pretty obvious changes but also some subtle changes that nobody will foresee. Although the new skills and mutations system isn't the only thing coming with the next installment, it will be the focus of this post. There is also a new area called Ruination on the way plus major economy changes and scavenger bosses, but I am more interested in the skill revamp. Fallen Earth will be a different (hopefully in a good way) game by the end of the month.
Lineage II's High Five update coming to PTS
Big changes are in store for NCsoft's long-running Lineage II MMORPG, and the game's official website has updated with details of the new High Five patch that's on its way to the public test server. The patch is so substantial that it's being brought to the live game in several parts, with the first four scheduled to appear on the PTS on February 2nd. High Five features a reduced XP requirement for characters at level 78 or above, and clan levels 6, 7, and 8 will see a similar adjustment in terms of reputation points and member number requirements. The update is also bringing a ton of new character skills to Aden, as well as an extensive list of changes to existing skills. New quests and hunting zone revamps are also in the works (specifically Antharas' Lair and Dragon Valley), and numerous weapons, armor, and jewelry can now be purchased at the Giran Luxury Shop with Adena instead of crystals. Finally, NCsoft has made significant adjustments to the Grand Olympiad system, including revamping the arenas to instanced zones (allowing for 160 simultaneous stadium matches), as well as various tweaks to both participatory and spectator aspects of the system. You can check out the preliminary patch notes on the official forums, and don't forget to read up on the particulars of this week's test server implementation. [Thanks to Justin for the tip!]
