Patch 3/10

[Kaemon]

March 10th, 2004
------------------------


Headlines
------------------------
Combines work again!
Melee Part II!
A new story has been added to your storybook!


The grammar police have invaded EQ and they have made many minor spell, item and quest text fixes that are too numerous to list here.

We'd like to thank all of the players that took time to provide feedback regarding the melee changes. We'd also like to send a special thanks to all of the players that helped us test the additions on the Test and Beta servers. All of the input we received helped to shape the improvements you've seen in the melee classes.

Please continue to give your feedback on the melee system or anything else that you feel requires attention. It does make a difference.

Over the last several months there have been several new additions to EverQuest aimed at increasing the desirability and relative power of pure melee classes.

- Discipline timers were revamped, allowing greater freedom and frequency of use.
- Endurance bar was added as a limited resource to power melee abilities and disciplines.
- Warriors received an innate 5 percent increase in their ability to absorb damage.
- Warriors received the Incite line of abilities, giving them a new tool for aggro management.
- Monks received the Phantom Call line of abilities, giving them a new tool for pulling.
- Several new disciplines were introduced for all three classes.

The endurance system and the separation of the discipline timers have provided us with new tools to add interesting and powerful abilities in the future for melee classes. You can count on seeing new disciplines and abilities as the game progresses and as situations arise that require new abilities to effectively balance class power. We will continue to evaluate the melee system for both balance and enjoyment.

We will also continue to review and make changes to each individual class as needed. Class balance is an important part of any multiplayer game and requires constant attention.

Thanks for helping make EverQuest a great game.


Items
------------------------
We have replaced the spell-like effects on items which produced the following effects: Attack, HP Regen, Mana Regen, Haste and Damage Shield with actual statistics. The effects on the item have not changed they are just set up in a new way that we hope will allow for more item functionality in the future.
Several Gates smithed weapons have had their damage and delay adjusted to be more in line with the difficulty in crafting them.
The Copper Hammer of Striking will no longer proc for wielders below level 50.
The Wailing Coral Staff is now two handed blunt.
Bolas are now one-handed projectile rather than ammo.
Bola ranges have been adjusted slightly.
All bolas that can proc will now do so.
All items that had the "Cleave" series of effects removed, have had them returned.

The drop rate for the following Epic Quest items has been increased slightly:

- Essence of a Vampire
- Decrepit Hide
- Staff of Elemental Mastery (earth)


Expedition zones
-------------------------
You will now have to wait 5 minutes before you are able to accept another expedition zone.


Tradeskills
-------------------------
In order to correct many of the issues with the new tradeskill interface it was necessary to remove all learned and favorite recipes. However the system should now work better overall.
The sell prices for Saltwater Tuna and Saltwater crab, as well as the price for any item made from them, have been reduced.
Rainbow Trout should now be tradeable.
If you are not a gnome, you should no longer be able to tinker with a deluxe toolkit kit. If you are a gnome, please tinker away.
You should now be able to properly search for recipes.
The trivial level for brewing Fish Wine has been adjusted.


Berserkers
-------------------------
Some berserker abilities have had their endurance cost changed.
The duration of Confusing Strike has been reduced.
Berserkers should no longer be told that they can bash at level 6.
The berserker guildmaster in the Plane of Knowledge has been taught throwing and parry and is ready to train berserkers in their use.


Spells
-------------------------
Some Gates of Discord spells should now drop a little more often.
Several heal spells for Gates of Discord have been modified slightly.
The shadow knight Ancient Spell: Bite of Chaos should now work as intended.


NPC's
-------------------------
Hierophant Granix should now give the correct text in Cabilis.
Trimdet Trueheart in Abysmal Sea is less of a snob and should now speak with you correctly.
If you tell Brevik Kalaner in Abysmal what items you [need back], he will return to you any items you've just given him.


Tribute
-------------------------
A few items have had their tribute value adjusted.
Gift of the Enchanters should now work correctly.
You should no longer be able to donate containers with items inside for favor.
Persistent Boon should now give the proper effect.


Alternate Advancement
-------------------------
Dire Charm will no longer reset after being resisted as the ability was successfully initiated.
Dire Charm should now reset when used on an NPC that is too high in level.


Miscellaneous
-------------------------
Corrected a faction issue with the wizard epic.
The monk "Phantom" line of abilities should no longer be resisted in the level 65 "hard" LDoN Adventures.
The rogue's "Assassin's Strike" skill line ability will be re-introduced with the next update.
The Shining Bloodstone will now be restricted to 2-handed weapons. Any who have placed this augmentation in a 1-handed weapon will find the augmentation on their cursor when they log in. If you find that you have no practical use for the 2-handed augmentation, please petition and a suitable 1-handed replacement will be made available to you.

[Langston]

The Copper Hammer of Striking will no longer proc for wielders below level 50.

Death of another twink weapon.

If you are not a gnome, you should no longer be able to tinker with a deluxe toolkit kit. If you are a gnome, please tinker away.

Does this mean you have to find a gnome to recharge shrink devices now?

The monk "Phantom" line of abilities should no longer be resisted in the level 65 "hard" LDoN Adventures.

Gratz monks! I know this was bugging the hell out of a few of my friends.

[Sirens Song]

Some Gates of Discord spells should now drop a little more often.

time to move me and my lute...

[Donnel]

Headlines
------------------------
Combines work again!
Melee Part II!
A new story has been added to your storybook!

Liars, I don't see anything in there that sounds like Melee Part II...

[Metranon]

fix the fucking broken raid content in GoD, assholes

[Zanathar]

March 10th, 2004

Miscellaneous
-------------------------
Corrected a faction issue with the wizard epic.

I will believe this when I see it. What is it now? Almost a year+ since this was broken?

[Chaskoriz]

About time they fixed the Phantom call ... Could have used this patch yesterday. :P

[Thunndarr]

Headlines
------------------------
Combines work again!
Melee Part II!
A new story has been added to your storybook!

Liars, I don't see anything in there that sounds like Melee Part II...

guess you didnt notice the +endurance added to existing items. not mentioned in the message, but log in and take a look.

[Donnel]

After I posted this I hopped on EQIM and people told me about it.

Had one person say some of her HP was removed and Endurance put in it's playce. She's a Druid... so this doesn't seem very fair, but I haven't confirmed this yet (and she was rather sleepy)

[Metranon]

good to see they completely ignored the broken raid content in yxxta and uqua, makes me think more and more this expansion is PoP 2.0-- the endgame and even the later zones are far from finished, so they make the progression encounters mission: impossible to cockblock the first people there

[brinstar]

lol decrepit hide

maybe now it'll be a 3% drop rate instead of the previous 1%

i remember a SK on the sk.org board who kept a running tally of ashenbone drakes he had killed without seeing a hide drop, it was over 135 when i got b&

[Muglack]

Changed the refresh times on a bunch of discs. End was added to items. Seemed to be added to new items, and it was equal to hp/mana on the item, or if they had different values, it was equal to the lower one.

No complaints on this patch except that my 32 bard needs to find a new weapon because they jewed his hammer. Delightful Orb of Forgotten Magic here I come.

[Folian]

Delightful Orb procs at 55 now I think Mug.

[Muglack]

SON OF A BITCH!