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EpicDuel PVP Game Design Notes

Behind the scenes information about EpicDuel's development and releases, a real-time PVP MMO that you can play online in your web browser.
Nightwraith

December 12, 2013

Blood Hawks Inbound

Blood Hawks!

A cold wind is blowing through Frysteland...actually a cold wind is usually blowing through Frysteland, considering its climate and all. ANYWAY! We've got big, BIG plans for this upcoming release, and as I mentioned last week, this release is so big we'll need 2 weeks to build it. That means, unfortunately, no release Friday, but next week will be incredible!

 

Blood Hawk Battlegear Bundle

In the year since Alydriah was expelled form Frysteland by the Endless, the Krampus people have slowly begun to recover. In addition to the human toll Alydriah's cruelty took on the harsh Northern land, many indigenous species were devastated or wiped out by constant battling. One such species is the rare Blood Hawk. These creatures were used for centuries by the Krampus people for hunting and taming yetis. Thought extinct, they have returned in force to once again aid the Krampus people in keeping the cuddly but ferocious creatures in line.

Now you will have the opportunity to own the Blood Hawk and the Spectral Hawk (energy variant) along with a host of avian armaments!

Blood Hawk Weapons

The Blood Hawk Battlegear Bundle will be available for a limited time. With this package you will receive:

  • 2 Blood Hawk Slayer swords
  • 2 Blood Hawk Battlegear mutating weapons
  • 2 Blood Hawk bots
  • The swords and mutating items will come with a pre-installed Blood Hawk core!
  • 10k Varium

We realize that the last package offered was not that long ago so we're offering the package items in-game as well. It's definitely a better value to get them all together in the bundle, of course, but if you've got a pile of Varium burning a hole in your pocket...you should probably seek medical attention immediately.

If those weapons weren't enough to intrigue you, we have some special surprises in store. Stay tuned for more details!

 

You're Epic, But Are You...LEGENDARY?

Next week, we're raising the level cap to...*drumroll* 40! Rabblefroth is hard at work smoothing the experience curve to make earning levels slightly less painful. But what happens after you reach 40 and max out all your gear? What then? Ponder the great mysteries of the universe? NO! 40 is just the beginning of a much longer journey as an EpicDuel Legend!

After a player becomes Legendary, you will continue to earn experience as Legendary experience. Your level will not increase, but you will instead earn Legendary Ranks! Each rank earned will unlock a Legendary point that can be placed in a broad array of stats. These stats will be more specialized than Dexterity or Technology which influence a range of battle attributes. We haven't finalized the list, but we will build as many as we can by next week. The beauty is we can always add more later, unlike the current, more rigid stat list.

Legendary players will be defined by a uniquely colored name, an icon in their interface, and several other minor aesthetic changes. We'll have more details as the systems are finalized and polished.

 

Achievement Overhaul Continued

Work on the Achievement Overhaul continues as we wrap up a few features we didn't get to last week, in addition to fixing some minor bugs.

New Layout

You will also have the option to switch view modes. If you don't like the new, larger style, you can always switch back to a more classically styled view to see more achievements at once.

Classic Layout

Titan is also working on a new overall progress bar to see how many Achievements you have total. How close are you to earning them all? If you're close, we're about to make getting them all a bit more difficult with the next feature.

 

AE Arcade Bonanza!

We're going all-out with the Arcade next week, offering several new games based on other AE games. Collect weapons, house items, and other intriguing baubles from MechQuest, HeroSmash, AdventureQuest, AdventureQuest Worlds, and MORE! Each of these new games offers a new achievement and a new leaderboard to dominate!

To make it easier to acquire Arcade Tokens, we'll be softening the requirements for the daily missions. If you didn't already know, it's possible to earn Tokens from completing daily mission chains. Some can be a bit on the grindy side so we'll try to make it a more pleasurable experience to complete them.

 

Party Like They Do in Asgard

As if everything else mentioned above weren't enough...ED Artist Revontheus is crafting some slick Asgardian styles to spice up this release. What does Asgard have to do with Frysteland? Well, they're basically space vikings and vikings lived in cold climates sooooo...yeah.

Asgard!

Asgardian styles

Tags: Titan Winter Blood Hawk Weapons Items Armors Achievements Legendary Legends Frysteland Birds Varium Level upgrade Stat balance Gear Vehicles Cores Holiday Arcade


Nightwraith

November 22, 2013

The Dark Harvest

Harvest Festival

It's that time again! Time for family, giving thanks, and, of course, battling to save the world! We've crammed so much into this release that we'll need to hold off on releasing today (Friday) and instead release next Tuesday! Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're sure this update will be worth it. New bots, weapons, missions, achievements, an incredible boss fight, and a new item bank system! There should be something for everyone in this latest harvest release!

 

Darkness Rises

The evil Chairman Platinum was defeated by the combined efforts of Delta V's warriors and Elon Musk, but while his EbilCorp Factory was active, it stirred something terrible in the depths of Delta V's cavernous interior.

Don't turn out the lights.

This mysterious region of Delta V is known as the Black Abyss. Years after the initial colonization of Delta V, Baelius' scientists concluded that there was nothing of value in this region so it was sealed off from all mining and exploration operations. At least, that was the official story. Once again, Legion and Exile forces are threatened by this fearsome new enemy. If it is not defeated, this may be the last Harvest Festival for the citizens of Delta V. Fortunately, new technology has emerged to help you prepare for the trials ahead!

 

Into the Black Abyss

The dark substance that emerged from the Ebilcorp Factory site was unlike anything Delta V scientists have ever seen. Like most new discoveries, however, it was quickly adopted for the manufacturing of new weapons! The Black Abyss Battlegear will be available in physical and energy flavors from an NPC near the current site of the Wasteland's SolarWorld Factory. 

Black Abyss Battlegear

Black Abyss Battlegera

Again, the Black Abyss Battlegear will be available in-game with a new, locked, active core. We'll post more about that as we finalize details.

We are also restocking Rabblefroth with the seasonal Thanksgiving rares. Be sure to stop by and check them out if you missed them last year!

In addition to new weapons, we will be introducing an exclusive new Varium package that will include 2 new bots, the Black Abyss Bots! In addition to dealing a devastating slash attack, it is also capable to unleashing powerful secondary skill. Again, we will post more details as they become finalized.

Black Abyss Bots

 

Mighty Missions

An epic-sized release wouldn't be complete without new missions, and new missions wouldn't be complete without new achievements! Collect the new seasonal-rare Turkey Terminator achievement from any VendBot. It will only be available for a limited time so get it while you can. Also, the Hallowarrior Achievement will be leaving to make room for this new achievement, so if you haven't picked it up yet, now's your last chance!

Turkinator

New Achievements will also be available for completing the new mission chain related to the anomaly in the Black Abyss. One does not just walk into the cavernous depths of Delta V so level up and perfect your builds for one of the greatest challenges yet!

 

Bank Access Bots

This release introduces the new BankBot system, more accurately described as a Bank Access Bot. Once the release is live, you will be able to load inventory items into a centralized "bank." This bank can be accessed from any BABot you have on one of your homes. To make access as easy as possible, we are gifting all players one free Basic BABot with 20 bank slots. This feature introduces a lot of changes to the current inventory system so I will list them as clearly as possible:

BankBot Assortment

  • Everyone will get a FREE Basic Bank Access Bot with 20 slots
  • Addtional BABots can be purchased from your home item inventory. They will not provide additional slots, but they will allow you to access your bank from any home in which they are placed. Plus, they look way cool
  • Normal Inventory slots will be capped to 100 slots.  If you have slots above 100, you will keep them
  • New players will start with 20 normal inventory slots and 20 bank slots
  • Players can buy more bank slots just like they can buy inventory slots
  • 10 slot / 495 Varium  (same price as normal inventory slots)
  • Mission items WILL begin counting toward your inventory limit.  This is for clarity and to discourage players from hoarding a million of the same item, bogging down the database
  • If you exceed the inventory limit as a result of these changes you will not lose items
  • In a future release, we will allow players to tag items with custom labels so they can easily be found,  ex: "Beta Build", "My Alpha Gear",  "Defeat Titan Set"

Stay tuned for more updates on this epic upcoming release!

Tags: Nightwraith Nightwraith Black Abyss Black Abyss Bugs Bugs Turkey Turkey Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Holiday Holiday Sale Sale Cores Cores Banks Banks Inventory Inventory Bot Bot Cores Cores Weapons Weapons Achievements Achievements Boss Boss Missions Missions


Nightwraith

November 01, 2013

Patch Notes - 1.5.37

NEW CHANGES / FEATURES 

  • New “Musk Mania” Arcade Game
    • New and returning Musk and Ebil-themed items
    • New Achievement
  • 12 new home items
  • New scavenger hunt mission chain on Elon Musk
  • Mission manager now has scrolling
  • Revamped Leaderboard layout supports up to 20 players, 5 portraits, linkage to character page

BALANCE

  • Some active cores will now have energy costs

Tags: Nightwraith Patch Notes Cores Arcade Items balance


Nightwraith

October 25, 2013

Ebil's End

The Battle Continues

Thanks to you and your fellow duelists, Chairman Platinum and his vile sludge factory are all but defeated! When the life bar finally falls, get ready to access Elon Musk's SolarWorld factory, to be contructed on the ruins of Ebilcorp's sluge machine. Within, you'll find many awesome gadgets, including and exciting new power. What power you ask? How about the power of flight!

Weeeeee!

The new Flight Module equips in your vehicle slot just like bikes and hovercraft. The module is activated by typing /fly to takeoff and again to land.

This new flight ability looks great when combined with the new Musk Husk Armor, a mass-production version of Elon Musk's power suit.

Musk Husk

This elegant, yet efficient design is able to adapt to any class or gender. If you don't have the stomach for air travel, you can always try a more grounded method: the Model L hovercar!

Model L

This new vehicle allows the driver to travel in luxury and privacy while preserving the environment!

 

Core Contingency

The SolarWorld factory will also house two new cores for your dueling pleasure!

Piston Punch

Piston Punch

Deliver a solid, solar-powered punch that absorbs your opponent's energy with this new active armor core! The energy absorbtion is based on your armor's Defense and Resistance values.

Critical Heal

Critical Heal

Always have a backup...especially when your life is on the line! This armor core improves the effectiveness of Field Medic when you're in critical condition (less than 20% HP).

 

Rare Harvest

While you're in the Wasteland, you might want to visit Snork in his subterranean home beneath the Minetower to check out some of his awesome returning seasonal rares!

 

Harvest Husk

The Reapening

Don't get it wet!

Also, be sure to check out the Event-based Harvest missions and collect the Hallowarrior achievement! There's more holiday fun to be had next week -- we just need to boot that pesky Chairman off the planet for good!

Tags: Elon Musk Nightwraith Lotus James Bond Car Vehicle SolarCity SpaceX Chairman Platinum EbilCorp Armor Battle Green Energy Rares Solar Cores


Nightwraith

October 16, 2013

Meet Mr. Musk

Meet Mr. Musk

Ebilcorp is back with a vengeance as Chairman Platinum is attempting to suck Delta V dry of all its precious resources. Fortunately, a more benevolent businessman, Elon Musk, has arrived on Delta V and he's ready to help. Complete Musk's missions to defeat the Chairman and dismantle his life-sucking factory. To help you on your journey, Musk is selling 4 new passive cores to give your stats a much-needed boost!

INNOVATION!

Visit Musk in the middle of Fortune City for a complete list of your tasks. If you complete them all, you'll be rewarded with material treasures, but you can also gain a wealth of knowledge about this real-life innovator.

Transmissions from space

In addition to a full character bio, you can also watch intensely cool videos. You haven't seen anything until you you've seen machines turn 20,000 lb spools of metal into working vehicles. You can see firsthand how Musk is bringing the technology of the future to the present!

Can you spot Dummy?

Are they assembing the next generation of powered armors? Only one way to find out!

 

Challenge the Chairman!

You thought Chairman Platinum would learn his lesson after the beating Delta V's dilligent duelists gave him and his cronies last year, but I guess if at first you don't succeed...

Ebilcorp's Red Energy Initiative

...build a giant, resource-sucking factory on your enemy's homeworld? Classic Chairman!

The only way to shut down his Ebil Factory of Doom in the Wasteland is to defeat the Chairman, but he's too tough to take on in a 1v1 duel. Fortunately, Musk has volunteered to help you and your fellow duelists crush the Chairman and send him packing. However, you'll need to gather a few supplies for Mr. Musk to help him devise the technology necessary for blasting the sinister CEO.

The Factory's strength is measured by a War Bar at the top of your screen. By defeating the Chairman, you can help take the bar down and bring Delta V one step closer to ridding itsself from Chairman Platinum for good! According to Musk, he can re-engineer the factory to be a source of renewable, clean energy. There may also be some other amazing prizes inside once the Ebilcorp Factory's defense are eliminated.

Titans of Industry

If you defeat him, you'll be rewarded with an achievement. Why fight him again, you may ask? Good question!

Boss Tracking

We've add boss defeat tracking to all "boss" achievents. That means every time you bring the pain to Titan, Nightwraith, Caden, or any other NPC that offers an achievement, your achievement will track the number of times you were victorious! Unfortunately, this change is not retroactive so if you want to rack up the wins on the other boss NPCs, you'll have some work to do!

 

Scavengers

Over the course of Elon Musk's epic mission chain, you'll have the opportunity to try a new mission type: scavenger hunt!

Look! A shiny!

NPCs can now direct you to search a specific region of the world to find a mission item. Look carefully -- some items may not be as easy to find as others!

 

Musks' Cores

Musk has come to Delta V packing some pretty amazing technology -- including these 4 passive cores that buff the stats Strength, Technology, Dexterity, and Support!

Cores

If you want an extra edge over your opponents, these cores will provide a great way of doing so!

This release is packed to the brim with content, but we're not done yet! Once the Chairman's factory falls, the real party can begin!

Tags: Nightwraith SolarCity Tesla Innovation Elon Musk Chairman Platinum EbilCorp Cores Missions SpaceX


Nightwraith

August 16, 2013

Shields Up!

Shields Up!

Shields Activated!

Defend your hard-fought War Objectives with Shield Generators! These critical structures allow you to reinforce the influence of other structures you own in a certain region. Like Turrets, Shield Generators can only be used on another structure within the same region. 

Use Shield Generator

Like Turrets, Shield Generators have 3 levels of improvement depending on the amount of your Alignment's Influence.

 

New War Objectives!

Building upon the Turret release last week, we have added Turrets and Shield Generators to all contested regions. Here's a quick look at the new Objectives and their locations. Better hurry if you want a foothold in a heavily disputed region!

Wasteland Missile Turret'

Wasteland Missile Turret

Barrens Shield Generator

Barrens Shield Generator

Central Cannon

Central Station Cannon

Central Shield Generator

Central Station Shield Generator

Overlord Shield Generator

Overlord Shield Generator

Bio Cannon

Bio Cannon

Naval Yard Shield Generator

Naval Yard Shield Generator (formerly Propaganda Tower)

 

 

New Titan Cores!

Titan's birthday may be over, but he's not done giving just yet. Visit him in his frosty Frysteland lair to try three new Charge Cores!

 

Bacon Breath 

Unleashes the powerful scent of bacon on your target, dealing 114% weapon damage.

Blaaaaargh!

Titan's Toxic Breath

 

Titan Chomp

 Summon Titan to chomp your target for 114% weapon damage.

Titan Am Angry!

Omnomnom

 

Bacon Rain

 Rains down delicious bacon, dealing 114% weapon damage to the target.

The Best Rain

Extra Crispy

 

Matchmaking

Rabblefroth is also making some fine adjustments to the Alignment matching. It should allow for better quality matches, especially in 2v2.

Tags: Nightwraith Shields Factions War Objectives Turrets Cannons Destruction Cores Charged Titan Birthday


Nightwraith

August 08, 2013

Fire Ze Missiles!

Missiles Incoming

Covering Fire!

EpicDuel is finally rolling out the heavy artillery for the Dread War. Capture and upgrade turrets to fire upon opposition War Objectives within the various regions of Delta V. Turrets can be upgraded by filling the control bar. The more heavily an alignment dominates a turret, the further it will upgrade.

To fire a turret, simply click on it as you would an NPC. You can then select an option to fire the turret, select your target, then fire. The turret will fire in real time and those on the target screen will see the impact! Remember, you can only fire turrets that your alignment controls so it is imperative to capture and hold turrets to maintain a tactical advantage in any region in which they are present.

 

Titan's Triumph

Soon we will be celebrating the birthday of everyone's favorite Delta V demi-god: Titan. This mighty being uses technology so advanced, it is indistinguishable from magic. Some believe he created Delta V through sheer force of will. These people are quickly dismissed as fanatics, but there is no denying his awesome power.

Visit Titan in his Frysteland lair to collect new mutating weapons and a mighty new sword: Titan's Triumph. These will be limited in quantity so you had better be quick!

Titan Always Triumphs!

Hmmmm...seems a bit sketchy.

Energy Titan

Energy Titan

Also returning will be Titan's Burger Bike! 

 Omnomnomnom

Omnomnomnom.

The image speaks for itself.

 

Core Continuum

We are adding additional Active Cores to the roster of Charge Cores. Each use in battle will deplete a Core charge. We're hoping to have enough time to implement some completely new Charge Cores for your battling enjoyment. Could they be Titan-themed? Perhaps...

 

VendBot Upgrade

One of the oldest and most prolific NPCs in EpicDuel is the humble VendBot. These little guys have seen the evolution of EpicDuel from the earliest Alpha days to the modern Omega phase. In that time, they've traded their inventories of obsolete boosters to Cores. Their old technology can barely contain the demand so they've been refitted for extra capacity to provide you with the latest and greatest hardware upgrades, serving as a one-stop core shop.

VendBot Facelift

Someone's been working out!

Miss the old design? Don't worry, the original will still be around in a few remote places of Delta V. 

Tags: War Nightwraith Titan Birthday Rares Bike Mutating Weapons Turrets Objectives Cores


Nightwraith

July 31, 2013

Core Revamp

Core revamp

Core Revamp

This week, we're taking a small break for the war proceedings to revamp the Skill Core system. New, "Charge Cores" will allow players to equip and try Cores more easily than ever before.  With this revamp, we will be making some changes to existing systems. For clarity, we will be using the following 2 classifications to define Cores:
  • Unlimited Cores: Most Cores currently available in-game will become Unlimited Cores. They can never be depleted. Cores that are locked to a weapon like Improbability Gate will remain locked.
  • Charge Cores: This new class of Core was introduced with the regional influence Cores. They come with a set number of "charges" and thus can be used a limited number of times before they are depleted. To encourage experimentation with new and different Core configurations, they will tend to be cheaper than Unlimited Cores. If a player enjoys using a Charge Cores, an Unlimited version may be available.

 All cores will be purchased from merchants like regular inventory items going forward.  We felt it was unclear to pay for the Core at the moment of equipping so we're changing the system to a buy and equip model.  You simply visit a merchant, purchase the core you like, and bind it any weapon you choose. Charge Cores will make it easy and painless to try out a variety of Cores with different weapon configurations.

Cores are bonded to an item until they are replaced with another Core, or, in the case of Charge Cores, depleted. It is not currently possible to transfer a Core from one item to another. If a Core is replaced, the old Core will be lost. Likewise, Charge Cores than are replaced before they are depleted will also be lost.

 

Client Diet

We've recently received reports from players failing to load the game client, and we fear that many players have found it difficult to log into the game now that the file size is over 3 megabytes. All the shiny new graphics we've added since Omega have come at the price of quick data transfer. We've externalized many embedded assets to reduce the initial load and make it easier for players to login.

As I write this, I'm seeing reports from players who are not having any problems logging in anymore. There is a chance this issue was also due to ISP caching (something we have no control over) or some other unrelated issue. The point still stands that EpicDuel's game client needs to drop a few KBs. While the reduction may be unnoticed to players with speedy connections, those with unreliable or slow connections should see a major improvement.

 

Legion vs. Exile Matching

We hoped to have this ready last week, but unfortunately it couldn't go live due to a lack of testing. This week we hope to finally implement alignment matching that is quick, fair, and accurate. The system is designed to impose strict matching rules that losen the longer the match queue remains active. This is to prevent extended wait times to find a viable match. With a lot of hard work, rigoruous testing, and a bit of luck, you'll be nearly guaranteed to match against your opposing alignment this Friday.

 

Legion and Exile Styles

Are you a soldier for the Legion or Exile forces? Now you can look the part with these new styles. Don the helms of Legion and Exile footsoldiers or cloak your loyalty in a mysterious hood! Oooooo! 

Stylin'

All of these styles will be available Friday from the Style Change interface. Remember -- these are linked styles so if you unlock the Legion helmet for your Mercenary, that style will carry over even if you change class.

 

Independence Day Rares

Wow! When did August get here? The Indepence Day rares currently equipped to Naomi in Central Station will be leaving along with the Indepence Day Achievement that can be found on all VendBots. Better hurry if you want these seasonal rares before they go back into storage for another year!

Tags: Nightwraith Cores Revamp Independence Day


Nightwraith

July 17, 2013

Dread Domination

Prepare for Dread Domination!

Dread Domination

Are you ready?

After weeks of fighting in the Dread Plains, plans for a powerful new weapon have been captured by both sides of the War.  Now, Legion and Exile forces are prepared to unleash their power upon Delta V in the form of the Dread Domination Varium Package!

This package includes 4 unique weapons and is not available in game!

  • 2 Auxiliaries
    • o Dread Desolator P
    • o Dread Desolator E
  • 2 Sidearms
    • o Dread Disruptor P
    • o Dread Disruptor E

We've equipped the Dread Desolators (auxiliaries) with technology of unknown origin in the form of the Improbability Gate Core. This exclusive core uses technology derived from an undisclosed research facility in the Dread Plains to open holes in the fabric of the universe. These tears in reality have been weaponized to allow players to summon creatures and objects from other worlds to come to their aid and help vanquish their foes! Be warned, however, this technology is quite unstable: you never know what will come through!

 

War Objective Leaderboards

New Leaderboards

Can you rule them all?

New leaderboards on each War Objective will display the top Influence contributors in addition to showing your own contribution. With 34 War Objectives to dominate, you have 34 chances to get your name and face out there, showing Legion and Exile forces that you’re a force to be reckoned with and that either alignment should feel honored to hold your favor. Can you dominate them all? We think it’s impossible, but we also know never to underestimate a dedicated EpicDuel player with unlimited access to energy drinks!

 

Alignment Switching

Alignment Switching

Where do your loyalties really lie?

This week we are introducing the heavily requested feature of alignment switching. Our primary concern with this change is that it could irrevocably tip the balance of the alignments, as players with weak loyalties rush to whichever alignment has the upper hand. 

Ongoing War

Delicate negotiations.

To ensure that alignment switching is treated with the gravity it deserves, we are limiting the feature to Varium only. Players will only be able to switch alignments once per month. Players currently in a Faction will need to first leave the Faction in order to switch. There is still no way for Factions to switch alignments with disbanding and recreating themselves.

 

Bug Squashin’

Inevitably, when new features are released, new bugs will pop up, sometimes in old features. We try to make each release as bug free and polished as possible within a week of development time, but often bugs slip by. This update will fix several issues that have arisen since the last update (for specifics check out Rabble’s patch notes leading up to the release). To track down and fix bugs as quickly as possible, we need your help. Posting bugs on Twitter, while appreciated, isn’t always helpful since reports quickly get lost in our feeds. The best way to help us fight bugs is to post them to the official EpicDuel Bugs Forum

Please be as descriptive as possible when reporting bugs, explaining exactly what you were doing when the bug occurred. Giving us those details helps us to reproduce bugs more easily. A reproducible bug is usually an easily fixable bug. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Tags: Nightwraith Factions Dread War Alignment Legion Exiles Weapons Varium Leaderboards Bugs Reports Cores Forums


Nightwraith

July 03, 2013

War Shops

The Dread War Continues

War Hiccup

Those of you who played over the weekend may have noticed some wonkiness on the Control bars for each War Objective. This bug tipped the balance overwhelmingly in favor of the Legion. Obviously, this was not intentional and Titan spent all day Sunday repairing this bug. Unfortunately, since the scores for irreparably skewed, they all had to be reset. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused.

 

Independence Day Rares Return

This Friday, you can celebrate freedom with the returning Independence Day rares. You can find them equipped to Naomi in Central Station. Also, the Independence Day achievement will also be available at all the VendBot Achievement shops throughout Delta V.

Bonus bikes!

Thanks to some help from Trizzzcentrino, we've managed 2 new seasonal rare bikes (to be found on Naomi)! Flavoured in Legion or Exile designs, you can show alignment pride while tearing up the battlefield. These are also the first bikes to attempt a new chrome color that's not color custom (the shiny, silvery bits on the bikes). I think it creates a neat effect that's lost on most color custom parts, but we'll see how you like it. 

 

New War Objectives

War Regions

Turret Array

To flesh out some of the less populous regions of Delta V, we have added 7 new War Objectives! You can find the in the West Naval Yard, the Barrens Outpost, and Central Station. Can you help capture them all and dominate Delta V?

 

Regional War Shops

Regional Concepts

Regional Concepts 2

By controlling key points in each region (i.e. the Battle Arena in Fortune City, the Overlord AI in the Overlord Facility, etc...), Alignments can unlock War Shops.  Since supplies are scarce during wartime, these shops only supply limited quantities of items. To allow as many players to collect these items as possible, alignments are encouraged to hold regions for as long as possible since the War Shops will restock automatically over time. These War Shops will offer distinct advantages to those who control them in the form of War Cores. These Cores come either attached to a weapon or separately.

 

New Cores

With this release, we will be introducing new core technology: consumable cores! By equipping them to a primary weapon, these cores will confer a regional Influence bonus that will last a certain amount of battles. After the core expires, a new one will need to be purchased. We have coded them to only count victories as a “use”. 

 

War Chests Revealed

War Chests Open!

Now it can be revealed! Each Legion and Exile War chest contains regional War Cores!  That means eight free cores (one for each active region)! Players with War Chests will start out with an automatic advantage in the War with the flexibility to gain a bonus in whichever region they choose. Since this bonus is alignment neutral, players who purchased the Legion pack, but decided to fight for the Exiles (and vice versa) will not be penalized.

 

Consumables Gone

For those who have been following EpicDuel since before Omega, you are probably aware that Consumables like Health Packs and Boosters no longer serve a purpose in battle. Rather than try to wedge consumables back into the game, we have decided to move toward consumable cores and, as of this release, we will be removing all consumables from the game. All players with consumables in their inventories will receive the appropriate amount of resale currency for the items removed.

Going forward, it will be possible for us to recreate Boosters, Grenades and Bombs as cores, which ultimately has more flexibility and does require the database to store excessive items entries for each player. Initially, we thought we could simply recode all the consumables back into the game, but the game has changed dramatically both code-wise and balance-wise since Omega launched so we determined that this would be the best decision for the overall health of the game.

Tags: Titan War Factions Dread War Weapons Consumables Cores Legion Exiles


Cinderella

May 23, 2013

The Dread War

Hey there, EpicDuelists! Ready for your heaping helping of Design Notes, served just the way mama likes 'em? Whose mama I'm not really sure. It's not my mama. But apparently she likes the way I write Design Notes. So, let's get started, shall we?

 

New Package

Exile Battlegear

Legion Battlegear

To commemorate the upcoming war, we'll be offering special packages with Legion and Exile goodies for your dueling pleasure. Each pack comes with a Physical Mutating weapon and an Energy Mutating Weapon, which come equipped with the Exile Strike Core (for Exiles), or the Legion Strike Core (for Legionnaires) that call in reinforcements against the opposing alignment. 

Call in reinforcements to destroy your enemies!

 

Balance Changes

To make battles a bit more engaging, passive skills are being converted into active skills. With so many points to distribute at the level cap, very little is sacrificed by investing in passives, to the point that they become requirements for most viable builds. Although not all passives will be converted to active skills this release, eventually we would like them all to become active.

Another long-overlooked area has been energy regain for mercenaries, so that class will now be given an energy regain skill. Since many of the changes are still in the testing phase, look for more specific balance changes in tomorrow's patch notes!

 

The Dread Plains

Dread Plains

East of the Barrens lays the plains of Kiirdosh. At least, that's what they were called long ago. After the Kiirdosh Mountains were leveled for Varium mining, the plains were not suitable for human life, and the mountain lizard-goats and dire wolves took over the abandoned mining outposts. However, below the rich volcanic soil and pure groundwater are lodes and lodes of precious gems, and fuel sources, so Legion and Exile forces alike venture into the Dread Plains for the economic resources it contains.

The Plains are currently held by the Legion and overseen by the terrifying Administrator 10. There is a name he uses for official records, but like many coming from the Syndicate, it is not the name he was given at birth.  During the Uprising, many of Delta V's criminal element aligned themselves with Oz and the Exiles, and seeing his opportunity to forge a new life for himself, he traded his criminal allies for a cushy spot in the Administration. However, excepting all of her bad qualities Alydriah values loyalty and trustworthiness. This dishonorable man could not be trusted with the health and welfare of Delta V's populace, so although he is technically the administrator of Fortune City's 10th District, his talent for underhanded tactics is much better suited for a post far, far away from the seat of the Administration. But his hold on the area is tenuous, and after feeling the sting of defeat at the hands of John St. Alban last year, Administrator Descarl isn't taking any chances and is personally supporting the Administrator in this endeavor.


            The miner grasped onto her holdfast and watched the pebbles crumble beneath her foot. The foothold was apparently not as sturdy as she'd hoped. Moreso than falling, she feared awakening the dire wolves who might attack the rest of the expedition. Finally, she got to the pit, attached her holdfast and lowered herself down into the infinite blackness.

 

            “Oi! Neris!” a male voice echoed up the shaft. “What took you so long?”

            “Your fat feet crushed up all the good footholds, ain't my fault.” She unhooked herself, landed, and turned on her helmet light to illuminate her partner's face. “Why's your helmet off?”

            The man's skin was blue from the silver deposited just below the surface, as is traditional for those from Delta VI, and his weathered face scrunched up. “You kiddin'? This feels just like home.” The surface of Delta VI is uninhabitable, so the people live in subterranean cities, illuminated by the bioluminescent fungi. Neris nodded, this was exactly like Taryn's homeworld.

            “Come on, we've got glass to harvest. The first sunrise is in 6 hours, so we ain't got long.” They ventured further, chiseling out a path along the way. After about an hour, she spotted a sparkle in the rocks. Varium. She waved Taryn over.

            “Man, this is better than glass.” Taryn shone his spectrophotometer on the crystal. “150 units for this rock. Ain't much, but there might be more.” Neris prepared the extractor, and cracked open the vein, revealing the beautiful gleaming varium.

            “A whole lot more than 150, Taryn. This is gonna change our lives” Overjoyed at their fortune, they gathered the precious crystal, losing track of time. Before they knew it, the time limit had passed. Panic fell over the two of them as light streamed through an opening in the wall. When they heard the growls, they knew the worst had happened. The wolves had awakened, and they were hungry.

            Taryn pointed toward the shaft. “We can take our chances with the mountain. Come on.” The two ran back through the cavern, the growls of the dire wolves echoing throughout. They reached the shaft, seeing two of their colleagues. Neris shouted for them to send down a cable, and began to scramble up. Neris reached the top first, while Taryn lagged. Neris pointed a gun straight down.

            “What are you doing?”

            “Don't move.”

            “What?”

            “You don't think I'm going to let you take this with you. I have better uses for this varium.”

            “Neris, what do you mean?”

            “I know you've been turning in Exile sympathizers. It took far too long to get close enough to do this.”

            “You're one of THEM?”

            “Don't act so innocent. I know you'd do the same. No, worse. I'll only kill you. You'd have handed me over to Baelius's goons. See you on the other side.” She shot- it went cleanly through his forehead and the body fell into the pit. One of Neris's companions shot a flare, causing the shaft to fall in on itself. The second sun rose, and the three Exiles traveled back to camp, the only witnesses to the murder a pack of wolves.

            Neris removed her helmet, revealing long black hair. Her companion who was not driving removed her helmet as well, displaying the pointed ears and delicate features of a Tech Mage.

            “My husband will give you a new name, and a new occupation as thanks for this.”

            Neris shrugged. “Anything for the cause, Calissa.” She took a knife out of her boot and started sawing at her hair. “Who am I now?”

            “Your name,” Calissa said “is Anya.”

Tags: Legion exile Varium Promotion War balance Cores balance Cinderella


Nightwraith

February 28, 2013

The Tournament Continues

We are already on the cusp of the second week of the Golden Yeti Tournament and the competition is extremely fierce! There is still one more week to go so don't give up yet! Any breaks the leaders take is a chance for latecomers to swoop in a snatch one of the top 100 spots!

Leaderboard

Do you see your name up there? Congratulations! But be afraid! Those top positions may be difficult to secure as the tournament continues!

 

New Cores!

Need some diversity in your build? Gear up with 3 new cores this Friday!

Nanosteel

Nanosteel Armor: Critical hits getting you down? This passive armor core effectively reduces the damage reduction of all critical hits inflicted on your character!

Dead Battery

*Dead Battery: Applies a curse to an enemy that causes that target's remaining energy to go to you if the enemy is defeated while the curse is active. This means that if you apply the curse to an enemy, and they still have 20 energy after dying, that energy is added to your own pool!* This works even if your ally is the one to defeat the target.

*Dead Battery still requires some more testing, but we do not wish to push the release any later. We will continue testing this core after the release and hopefully make it available next week!

Plasma Meteor: Meteor shower just got an energy damage based equivalent!

 

Sneaky, Sneaky Azrael

Azrael Scythes

For those that missed it last week, we introduced two new Azrael Scythes last week on the Alydroid. These were limited quantity, so of course they sold out very quickly. This Friday, we will restock twice (depending on demand). Once at 10 AM EST, and again at 5 PM EST. We will also restock the Dage rares at these times. We will only restock if the quantities are depleted.

 

EpicDuel Turns Four!

Alpha Shot

It’s hard to believe that four years ago EpicDuel had just launched it’s first public Alpha. It’s even harder to comprehend how the game has changed since this momentous event. In that time, we’ve joined with Artix Entertainment, gone through four development phases, released thousands of weapons, developed countless features, and hosted over 100 million battles. Now we are in the midst of the most exciting evolution in EpicDuel’s history: Omega!

 

Mod Application Deadline

The application deadline is almost upon us, but it's not too late to submit! Please send your COMPLETE application before 12 P.M. E.S.T. this Friday (March 1st) to: EDCallForMods@artix.com

Lycus and Cinderella are still hard at work narrowing down the list of qualified applicants, but unfortunately, due to the volume of mail, we will not be able to respond to all of you to explain why you were not selected. 


Balance and Bugs

To round out the release, we're making some adjustments to balance, targeting the rise in power of Support builds and some more tweaks to help classes that are underperforming. We have some larger changes in mind to help with balance, but we don't want to do anything too drastic while the Tournament is still live.

There will also be a number of crucial bug fixes. For a complete, detailed list of the fixes and changes, check Rabble's patch notes shortly after the release goes live!

 

Coming Soon!

The Endless is coming

This guy.

Tags: Nightwraith Azrael Tournament Yeti Leaderboard Cores Omega LQS balance Bug Fixes Endless Moderators


Nightwraith

January 25, 2013

Omega Progress

AI Online

We made huge progress today on NPC AI. NPCs were completely rewritten for Omega and we were initially a bit concerned that they would need to be cut or severely limited for delaying Omega, but things just kind of came together -- as they sometimes do. Actually, they're even better than they were before since they can now use auxiliary weapons, like our friendly neighborhood Overlord Guard is using on me here: 

Zooka to the face!

With this major hurdle out of the way, this weekend should be smooth sailing. Well, smooth-ish. At this point, we're not taking anything for granted. The to-do now quite small, but we don't want to get overconfident. Another full weekend of working is ahead for us!

 

More Character Previews!

Check out these new screens form the Dev server showcasing the new character customizer with the new Bounty Hunter styles in-game! We're still working on color separations, so look for more previews on our Twitter feeds as the weekend rolls on!

New customizer

Hopefully you'll enjoy these new armors as much as I enjoyed making them. EpicDuel has come a long way since it's creation and we are confident Omega will be the best phase yet!

This one's for Vypie

Keep following our Twitters and DN posts for further updates! Here's hoping we'll be completely feature-locked by Sunday!

Tags: Omega Progress Cores AI NPCs Characters Nightwraith


Titan

January 22, 2013

Omega Video Update

Did you know EpicDuel has it's own Official Youtube channel? If not, you probably didn't know that EpicDuel Mod and tester Practel just released a new video showing footage from the developer server testing Cores and the new stat editing system. Practel also answers some frequently asked questions about Omega. 

What are you waiting for? Check out the video now! Be sure to watch the video until the very end!

Tags: Titan Omega Video Practel Cores Youtube

 

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