EQ2 Patch 10-28-2004

[Lyion]

* Headlines ***

- New spells and combat arts for all adventuring classes and subclasses!

- Individualize your character with Traits and Traditions!

- New options for player housing, including addresses!

- Specialized tradeskill workshops added!

- The cities love their artisans! Citizenship granted to crafters at level 6!

- You can now delete quests from your journal and see the quests of your group mates!

- "Fog of war" map system on its way!
- Scouts can track down the enemy (or friends, for that matter)!



*** Character Differentiation ***



- Final class spells and combat arts are available. Many of the old spells and arts have been removed and replaced with new versions.

- Entertainment spells/arts are now available on scribes and trainers.

- Traits and Traditions choices can be made at the following levels:

Level 8 - Trait

Level 14 - Trait

Level 18 - Tradition

Level 22 - Trait

Level 26 - Tradition

Level 28 - Trait

Level 34 - Tradition

Level 36 - Trait

Level 42 - Trait

Level 44 - Tradition

Level 46 - Trait

Level 48 - Trait

- Additional Advancement Paths will be implemented in upcoming updates.



Social Structures

- Treasure has been attached to the level 5, 10, and 15 guild raids.

- The quest log has been improved for the level 5, 10, and 15 guild raids.

- A level 25 guild raid is now available.

- City tasks now award faction when completed.

- Additional tradeskill entrances have been added to the city of Freeport and Qeynos. Each village has four entrances and a district to represent each Tradeskill Social Structure.



Player Housing

- Reduced the number of houses in Qeynos city zones.

- Housing prices now vary based on the location and size of housing.

- The number of sellers that can sell from a particular home is limited by the quality and size of that home.

- Certain homes can now be paid for with guild status and require you to be in a guild of a particular level to access and buy.

- Each home now has a unique address and waypoint to lead you to a person's home.

- The amount of furniture that can be placed in a home is limited by the size and quality of the home.

- Housing zones have street signs so that adventurers can easily locate other adventurers and vendors in the city.

- Players should now be able to access their homes in Stonestair Byway.



Tracking
- Scouts have gained the Tracking skill, which is found in the Knowledge book under Abilities. Activating Tracking brings up a window that shows creatures in the surrounding area. Beings that con red to the scout will not show up in the Tracking window except for guards; certain other entities are excluded from the list as well. The list is sorted by distance, from closest to furthest. The scout can filter the list to show only NPCs, PCs, or group members, and results can be filtered by their con color. The scout's group mates can always be tracked, regardless of distance.



- Pressing the OK button in the Tracking window gives a waypoint to the target and creates a wisp trail leading to it. The scout can stop tracking the current target by bringing up the window and pressing the Cancel button.


Changes & Additions

- Gurk Strongarm no longer has treasure on him.

- Bouncer Prod should no longer break his encounter when engaged.

- Menders within the cities had their buy/sell options removed. They only repair items now.

- Mariner's bells have been updated in Thundering Steppes, Nektulos Forest, and Orcish Wastes.

- Boulden Smitestone should now be wearing Qeynos armor.

- Additional exploration points have been added throughout the world.

- The Isle of Refuge has been renamed to "The Isle of Refuge: Freeport" and "The Isle of Refuge: Qeynos", depending on which alignment you choose.

- Added new food and drink to vendors. Higher-level characters will need to buy the more expensive food to get adequate regeneration.

- The cities of Freeport and Qeynos now place a higher importance on the craftsmanship of their skilled laborers. Artisans who are not already citizens will automatically be granted citizenship when they've obtained artisan level 6.



*** Quests ***



Heritage Quests

- Ghoulbane: Toranim Skyblade's dialogue has been modified.

- Stein of Moggok: The quest should advance properly upon completion of the tradeskill portion.

- Status points are now awarded upon completion of heritage quests.



Quest Updates

- The following quests should now be working correctly:

A Tour of Antonica

A Lonely Tree

Bird Watching - The Double-Headed Thrush

Bird Watching - The Horned Woodpecker

Crazy is as Crazy Does

Crimson Paw Cloak

Destroyer's Folly

Dragoon Zytl - Black Rank

Dragoon Zytl - Blood Rank

Dragoon Zytl - Green Rank

Enchanted Creature Culling

Enchanted Serpent

Fallen Explorers

Far Seas Requisition #ANT0244

Far Seas Requisition #ANT0424

History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. II

History of the Runnyeye Goblins, Vol. III

Horguz

Hunting the Bloodsabers

Journal of Elkare

JumJum for the Soul

Message for Anessa

Offering of the Faithful

Pretty Ponies, All in a Row

Report to Blight Sage Destroz

Report to Disciple Telas'velle

Report to Marauder Kindolus

Report to Shepherd Sell'ar

Restoring Ghoulbane

Rise to the Challenge

Runed Acorn

Rusty Key

Starwisp Sword

Targok - Part I

Tempt Fate

The Crossing of the Fanged Sea

The Pawn

The Storm Shepherds - The Calm

The Storm Shepherds - The Downpour

Tinmizer's Astounding Frost Disruptor

ZaZa's Little Problem



- Journal entries for the following quests have been modified slightly:

Evil Eye Rampage

Far Seas Requisition - # FG 016

Far Seas Requisition - # FG 073

Far Seas Requisition - # FG 212

Far Seas Requisition - # FG 244

Far Seas Requisition - # WC 002

Far Seas Requisition - # WC 045

Far Seas Requisition - # WC 077

Far Seas Requisition - # WC 124

Far Seas Requisition - # WC 154

Ruins of Varsoon: Tomes of Life and Death

The Amygamalion - The Four That Are We

Treachery



- Items that give quests will now be consumed when the quest is granted.

- Some quests have been re-categorized.

- Updates have been made to the class and subclass quests.

- Killing the Coldwind octopi in Antonica now updates Fawn's Garden appropriately.

- A kill counter has been added to the "Cooking with Elves" and "Far Seas Requisition - # 124" quests.

- A reward has been added to the "Architectural Underground, Part II", "Late for Supplies", and "Stinking Badgers" quest.

- Additional text has been added to the "Path of the Shaman", "Protect the LMS Intruder!", and "Protect the QSS Bootstrutter!" quest.

- An item needed from Pelleas' room has been modified to make it more noticeable.

- Completing "Scrawlings in the Dark" will now remove Scrawlings of Chriannis from the quest journal.

- Examining a Double-Plated Breastplate, a Meteor Chunk, a Shriveled Garlic Cove, an Arcane Rod, a snapped ring, a Metal Bandolier, or a Fading Shirt will now initiate a quest.

- Extraneous data has been removed from the "Roll of the Dice" quest.

- Hailing Aesthetic Winchester should now return a quest if all requirements are met.

- Ironcast will now give players the "Earth and Water" quest if all requirements are met.

- Inspecting an Owlbear Feather should no longer update the "Owlbear Menace" quest.

- The quest completion text for the "Runnyeye - Banker's Favor" quest has been modified.

- The starting quest item in "A Burglar Alert" should be destroyed upon completion of each of the quests in this series.

- The tome quests for the Age of Monuments, Turmoil, Cataclysms, and Destiny now give a reward when completed.

- The "How Did Their Garden Grow?" quest now progresses correctly when a player finds the atrium.

** Zones ***



Dynamic Adventure Camps

- Some modifications have been made to the Sabertooth gnoll adventure camps in Antonica.

- Respawn times have been slowed down for all the dynamic adventure camps. This makes them more manageable.

- New dynamic adventure camps have been added to the following zones:

Enchanted Lands

The Feerrott

Orcish Wastes

Thundering Steppes



-Ecology behaviors have been updated in the following zones:

Willow Wood

Baubbleshire

Big Bend

Stonestair Byway

Temple Street

Beggar's Court

Longshadow Alley

Scale Yard

Elddar Grove



-Fishing spots have been added to the following zones:

Antonica

Enchanted Lands

The Feerrott

Nektulos Forest

Obelisk of Vul

Orcish Wastes

Rivervale

Thundering Steppes



Zone Modifications



Antonica

- The rate at which all solo wanderers spawn has been increased.

- Young timber wolves have been added.

- Zombies should no longer be wearing clothes.

- Mender Durry Buntan has been added to the zone. This provides betrayers a place to repair items.

- A floating tent was fixed.

- A dialog response has been modified in Oracle Ulinara's conversation.



Blackburrow

- Some solo content has been changed to group content.

- Centipedes and snakes are now aggressive to players.

- Respawn times for NPCs have been modified.



Commonlands

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses.

- Mender Gubta has been added to the zone. This provides betrayers a place to repair items.

- A floating tent was fixed.

- Bloodskull lumberjacks should no longer appear naked.

- Fisherman Safiya should now have a fishing pole.

- The Orc Runner should now be aggro.

- Additional Bloodskull orcs and wisps have taken up residence within the zone.

- Commander Grik'Sna and his platoon should now be functioning correctly.



Cove of Decay: A Treaty for Treasure

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses.



Edgewater Drains

- Attacking skeletons should no longer cause encounters to break.

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Bosses should now drop loot.



Enchanted Lands

- Additional Seamist sylphs are now available.

- Lamia Thrasher no longer spawns in the air.



Fallen Gate

- Ghosts are longer naked.



The Far Journey

- Players no longer stay in combat mode after killing rats or the goblin.



The Feerrott

- The zone out from the Obelisk of Vul is in a safer location.

- A floating tent was fixed.

- Anrev Kaelyna no longer floats.

- Cythan now looks more like a ghost.



The Graveyard

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses.

- A floating tent was fixed.



Maid for the Mist

- Captain Corrigan now allows characters level 36+ entry to the zone.



Maulic's Stronghold

- Missing kill on sight (KOS) faction has been added.

- Increased the level range.



Nektulos Forest

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- An event with Captain T'Sanne has been added.

- A tent at location -1661, 20, -1102 is no longer floating.

- The patchwork men should no longer be stacked atop one another.

- Gurndundl is no longer a small giant.



North Freeport

- Players can now hail Paragon Jalex.



North Qeynos

- A new dialog response has been added to Merchant Tara Ironforge.



Oakmyst Forest

- Karach the Spider Queen no longer gets stuck after wandering the zone.



Obelisk of Vul

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses.



Orcish Wastes

- The "unnamed" NPC is now called a "Ritual Pire".

- Deathfist Protectors are now aggro.

- Royal Accountant Folwer now responds to hails.



Rivervale

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses.

- The Dusk Maiden is no longer a pink box.

- Shakey is no longer a pink box.

- Fredwen Goldsyrup can be hailed when right-clicked.

- Timbertop is no longer a merchant.



The Ruins

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.



Ruins of Varsoon

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Some solo content has been changed to group content.



Runnyeye

- Some solo content has been changed to group content.

- Additional group content has been added to various areas.

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.



Serpent Sewer

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.



Stormhold

- Missing kill on sight (KOS) faction has been added.



Thieves' Way

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.



Thundering Steppes

- Factions have been added to the centaurs.

- Mora Oshus now walks a different path.

- "[placeholder] Cemetery" is known as Coldwind Shores Cemetery.

- Steelhoof Hunters and Steelhoof Pariahs no longer look like unicorns.

- Walon March now responds to hails.



Tomb of Valor

- Missing kill on sight (KOS) faction has been added.



Tower of the Drafling

- NPCs have been re-leveled.

- Additional treasure has been added.



Training Grounds

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.



Trembling Lagoon

- The timing of the event has been adjusted.

- Breaking into the zone should be much easier now.



Wailing Caves

- Some solo content has been changed to group content.

- Factions have been added to certain NPCs.

- Treasure has been added to all bosses

- Respawn time for NPCs was slightly modified.

*** Mechanics ***



Items

- Tinting has been applied to weapons and shields.

- Black Iron Chain Vambraces now use the correct icon.

- Leather Strapped Symbol now uses the correct icon.

- Earring of the Shattering can now be equipped.

- Reptile Meat is now stackable.

- Skullcrusher now appears as a hammer.



Tradeskills

- Values for all crafting components have been adjusted.

- Added three more tradeskill instances to each Qeynos Village and Freeport District.

- Added new tradeskill reaction arts and special events.



Mechanics

- Tuned shield blocking rate so that you block more often.

- Adjusted group encounters in the following ways:

- Reduced damage of NPC abilities like Crushing Blow and Assault.

- Made minor adjustments to damage and hit points.

- Reduced the power of NPC heals.

- Removed negative resists from Trolls, Ogres, and Iksar.

- The speed of all mounts has been reduced in order to avoid the ability to bypass certain content.

- Spikes are no longer available from standard weapon merchant lists.

- A basic torch has been added to merchant lists.

- Traveling boats have been removed from Antonica, Commonlands, Nektulos Forest, and Thundering Steppes.



*** Stability and Performance ***



- Optimizations to improve server performance.

- Server stability fixes.

- Client rendering performance has increased.

- Fixed a crash bug related to the /disband command.



*** Audio ***



- Reverb point is no longer tied to the camera.

- There are now 'watery' footstep sound effects for the Isle of Refuge.

- Use Avatar as Listener option has been fixed.

- Large objects like walls should now obstruct environmental sounds.



*** Characters, Appearances, and Rendering ***



- Added fix to reduce post-combat 'twitching'.

- Armor pieces with spell particles now move when they should.

- Fixed visual bug with the water in Permafrost.

- Tails should no longer wag or heads track while feigning death.

- NPCs should no longer head track while dead.



*** Gameplay ***



- You may now delete unwanted quests as long as they're not related to your character's progression!

- The maximum number of active quests a character can have simultaneously is 50.

- You can now view your group members' quest by using the Group tab in the Quest Journal.

- Skills are once again learned through use where appropriate.

- Fixed bug causing the 'Zone Full' message while exiting Mizan's Cellar

- Setting an item's price in your store now automatically places it for sale.

- The maximum amount of in-house merchant items is determined by the size of your house.

- Changing a friend's housing access level will send them a message if they are online.

- Players riding griffins are no longer targetable.

- Changes have been made to how maintained spells work:

- Group beneficial spells will be maintained as long as group members are within proximity of the caster.

- Group beneficial spells will be reapplied to fallen groupmates if they are within proximity of the caster when rez'ed.

- Single target maintained spells are not subject to the proximity rule. However, the spell will be dropped if the caster leaves the group.

- When in a group event or pocket zone (not standard instanced zones) the proximity radius is ignored.

- Hostile maintained spells still work as before, but the effect will be dropped if the caster leaves the zone.



*** Controls, Commands, and UI ***



- Main UI: Attempting to destroy silver pieces will now do that instead of destroying copper.

- Main UI: Fixed bug causing item quest text to get narrow.

- Maps: Maps now feature a Discovery system (Fog of War) that will reflect the areas of zone you have explored. At the moment this has only been enabled for the Isle of Refuge. If you have already explored this zone (and you are still there) the map will appear fogged when you log in after this update.

- Options: Audio Performance option now allows you to set max number of audible sounds.

- Quest Journal: The Journal will now display if you have too many active quests. If you currently have more Quests than the Journal can carry, you will have to complete or delete some before being able to obtain more.

- Persona: To prevent accidental editing of your bio, you now have to select 'Edit' to do so.

- Waypoints: There is now a Houses category in the waypoint menu to lead you to where the house access points are.

- Pressing back while in auto-run now turns it off.

- Double-clicking on a scroll now auto scribes it.



*** Known Issues ***



- Still working on improving server performance.

- Remaining zone maps will soon be converted to the discovery system. Also, additional maps will be included for the non-city zones.



*** Art ***



Characters

- Fixed centaur female LODs

- Fixed centaur female animation issues

- Fixed elephant LODs

- Added tint color support for LODs on player armor



FX

- Created additional combat art variants

- Created additional spell effect variants

- Added spell projectiles that fire two and three at a time

- Fixed shaders on all spells displaying ghost animals

- Optimized more spell effects



Zones

Fixed collision/stuck issues in the following zones:

- Blackburrow

- The Peat Bog

- Nektulos Forest

- The Willow Wood

- Oakmyst Forest

- East Freeport

- Obelisk of Vul

- Nektropos Castle

- Freeport Graveyard

- Enchanted Lands

- Qeynos Harbor

- Qeynos South

- Qeynos Elddar

- Ruins of Varsoon

- The Bloodskull Valley

- Thundering Steppes

- The Ruins



Fixed cosmetic issues in the following zones:

- East Freeport

- West Freeport

- The Forest Ruins

- Obelisk of Vul

- Elddar Grove

- The Feerrott

- Nektropos Castle

[Naginataka]

AH this is the edited one since people were crapping themselves over a typo in the zone changes list.

In dungeons they changed sone hard solo labeled fights to be labeeled as group, and allsolo content now spawns faster.

The typo made it sound like they got rid of solo content.

[Arlos]

Post patch comment from someone at the Monk board:

Well after this patch I can honestly say the game is screwed. So far they have completley gutted priests, my bruiser is even weaker than he was before (not just because he lost a few skills) and the new "trait" system is buggy and innefective.

Add to that the other bugs (summoners, etc) and you get the general drift.

Pulling this stuff so close to release is nothing but a variant of the horizons boondogle where the entire game was gutted from within.

Any replies?

-Arlos

[Naginataka]

Its a big patch. THe servers have been barely up today. Who can say?

Comparing adding content to horizons cutting half their content if funny though.

[Tacks]

Wow, really sounds like it's ready to ship eh?

[Naginataka]

Pretty much. This patch adds the last missing stuff that wasn't in game. I feel sorry for people playing games taht hold back 50% of their game as untested for release.

[mofish]

Im a 19th level brawler and Im still kicking ass just fine. Not sure what this guys problem is. A couple of my skills were replaced, so back to apprentice I on those. But BFD. Its beta.

My traits and traditions arent buggy at all. Picked stamina boost (+2), mental resist boost (42 pts or so) for traits, and I took (of course) troll regen as my tradition. It only lasts 3 minutes and has a long re use, so havent gotten to see what its all about yet. But its definitely not 'bugged.'

Gutted priests? Giving priests 40% better heals for 20% more mana is gutting them? Maybe I missed a line in the patch?

[Witty]

You know though... even still I'd rather play this buggy & inefficient game than go back to WoW. Not to say that WoW sucks, it just isn't for me.

[Donnel]

Im a 19th level brawler and Im still kicking ass just fine. Not sure what this guys problem is. A couple of my skills were replaced, so back to apprentice I on those. But BFD. Its beta.

My traits and traditions arent buggy at all. Picked stamina boost (+2), mental resist boost (42 pts or so) for traits, and I took (of course) troll regen as my tradition. It only lasts 3 minutes and has a long re use, so havent gotten to see what its all about yet. But its definitely not 'bugged.'

Gutted priests? Giving priests 40% better heals for 20% more mana is gutting them? Maybe I missed a line in the patch?

Does that regen work in combat? If so, I think you found the golden egg, long reuse time and all.

[Naginataka]

It should work in combat, since there isn't much use for it out of combat. Most of the traditions seem to be aimed at boosting something in combat very short term.

[mofish]

Yeah Ive only used it once, before servers went down. But it seems to be a combat buff because of the 3 minute duration. Not sure though, furhter testing today =)

There were some other interesting Troll Traditions. One was 'Brutal Barshings.' I almost selected it. The descritpion is a bit cryptic, which I like, just like all of them. I think it might be an extra attack of some sort. Or I guess it could be a melee damage modifier.

[Donnel]

Wow and wow!

How much per tick?