[UO Herald] Test Center - Publish 66.2 Available Today!

[UO News]

Greetings!

We have the following changes coming to Test Center today. Please note that we are not doing a client update with this publish so those on Test Center may receive client errors while playing over the next week. Other than that have fun and we look forward to your feedback!

Publish 66.2 Notes

• Endless Decanter of Water
  To obtain, throw a full water pitcher at a water elemental (non summoned) there is a slight chance the elemental will throw back to the player a Endless Decanter of Water. The Decanter can then be linked to a water trough, as long as the player is within 5 tiles outside of a house or anywhere inside a house the Decanter will continuously refill itself.

• Live Event - In the Shadow of Virtue: Rise of the Bane Chosen
  Bane Chosen forces are battling the Ophidians in the lost lands. Players may join either side and the faction will reward them for their help. Both sides are most appreciative of players who push back the front line of the enemy (look for the army battle flag to find the front line). Speak with the recruiters in each faction camp to find out what they are fighting about. For each point of loyalty that you gain with a faction at war, you will lose 3 points of loyalty with their enemy so it does not pay to switch sides often. “Peril bonus” is a bonus to loyalty gain (and loss) when other players are assisting the enemy army. Double clicking the flag at each faction’s front line will tell you the progress of the spawn. Special quests are available at the faction camp when players reach 2000 loyalty to that faction. Special rewards are available if players assist a faction in routing the other faction from the field, but be warned, these armies are stubborn and will return! Quests are not available while a faction is routed.

More...

 

[Crysta]

So is this active now? Or will it be sometime tonight? The thing doesn't specify any time.

 

[Nh'bdy]

Nice.

 

[Trevelyan]

Im a bit curious. Fictionwise, UO has followed a fairly reasonable correlation with the Ultima series and, with the Stygian Abyss, I was thinking that something around Ultima 6 would be followed.

But here we have something from the Ultima 7 (part 2) lore. Has the gargoyle "chapter" been closed? What gargoyle fiction have we had? Events seem to follow a blackrock theme across all shards (blackrock having a very distinct presence in Ultima 7 part 1) but I would have thought that perhaps more would be done to focus on the Stygian Abyss and the gargoyles.

 

[Gheed]

Water elementals chucking decanters? Hmm ok sounds weird that something hell bent on killing you is going to be your bro and toss you a drink. But it is as believable as a magic wave I suppose. Still it seems like a lot of hassle for basically the same end result. Endless water is a better idea though because it removes the temptation to script filling pitchers....and you wont be able to fill water barrels with decanters I assume. Can the decanter be used by anyone with access to the trough?

p.s. Make sure you folks document this somewhere as a valid tactic so it doesn't get removed a few gens down the road.

 

[Assia Penryn]

Fantastic! Thank you for listening and making a solution!

 

[Verthandi]

Endless Decanter of Water
To obtain, throw a full water pitcher at a water elemental (non summoned) there is a slight chance the elemental will throw back to the player a Endless Decanter of Water. The Decanter can then be linked to a water trough, as long as the player is within 5 tiles outside of a house or anywhere inside a house the Decanter will continuously refill itself.

What a cute idea!

 

[Flutter]

lol @ throwing water pitchers....

 

[Eyes of Origin]

yay for the possibility of getting an endless water pitcher!!!!

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

Im a bit curious. Fictionwise, UO has followed a fairly reasonable correlation with the Ultima series and, with the Stygian Abyss, I was thinking that something around Ultima 6 would be followed.

But here we have something from the Ultima 7 (part 2) lore. Has the gargoyle "chapter" been closed? What gargoyle fiction have we had? Events seem to follow a blackrock theme across all shards (blackrock having a very distinct presence in Ultima 7 part 1) but I would have thought that perhaps more would be done to focus on the Stygian Abyss and the gargoyles.

The guy in charge of the fiction scares me. He doesn't know UO and he doesn't know Ultima.

However, having said that, I don't think this has any relation to the Banes from Serpent Isle... At least I hope...

 

[Trevelyan]

Took about 25 pitchers to get 3 new ones.

As a note, all liquids in containers seem to have cliloc errors now.
Also, water eles only give one uber-jug each.

And they have a context menu once filled. Targeted a water ele corpse and a water ele, got one cliloc error. Target anything else, get another.
Target a water trough, and one of the numbers changes. Probably to "linked to a trough" or something.

 

[Stupid Miner]

The guy in charge of the fiction scares me. He doesn't know UO and he doesn't know Ultima.

However, having said that, I don't think this has any relation to the Banes from Serpent Isle... At least I hope...

Sounded like it had more to do with the sorceress.

 

[Yalp]

wait.. so you load yourself up with water pitchers and throw them at every water ele you can find. In the rare case, they throw one back. Rather then being actually endless (or nearly so), you have to have the space/deco slot for a water trough in your house, and remain either inside your house or within 5 tiles? Or can you link this water pitcher to ANY water trough and then take it to your home (ie public smithy shops). Otherwise.. I just have to say.. UGH.. I have no desire to put a water trough in my house.. so I'll continue to run the 10 steps outside my house to the pond in Zento.

 

[Trevelyan]

Found both camps - one is ophidian lair, one is near the swamp nearer to papua (location is shown on radar)

Note - handing ANYTHING to the recruiters will result in it being taken away from you and not given back.

Seems that at neutral, ophidians and banedo not attack you. Kill one, and they will.

Killing from one side will result in multiplied loyalty being deducted from the opposite side

Ophids vs Bane (no identifier for them actually being Bane though.. just humans in dragon scale armour)

Also, crystalline blackrock now drops on the corpses of both sides (no idea why, and not the small pieces instead, which have no use!) and ophidian healers are back. Killing from the bases of both sides yields less points.

 

[Shelleybean]

Hmm. Not found where these bane chosens are but heres the ophids.

Note - handing ANYTHING to the recruiter will result in it being taken away from you and not given back.

Where are you? I've been looking all over for the faction camps but can't find them. Thanks in advance

 

[maroite]

Endless water decanter sounds interesting. I suppose I can stick a trough in with my other "crafter" like stuff. Really wish we could "customize" keeps now though, as a trough doesn't seem to really fit anywhere inside one that makes it not "in the way".

The Ophidian/Bane thing looks good. It will at least give me something to do! Although... it seems a bit annoying as far as deciding what side to join. Bane just seems evil, and the Ophidians have tried to make dinner of me for years. No matter how much preaching of peace the Ophidians do, I just can't seem to want to side with them...

 

[G.v.P]

Where are you? I've been looking all over for the faction camps but can't find them. Thanks in advance

Looks kinda like Nujlem, not sure hm

Cool changes

 

[Shelleybean]

Where are you? I've been looking all over for the faction camps but can't find them. Thanks in advance

Looks kinda like Nujlem, not sure hm

Cool changes

Just saw these recruits:

Spoiler

 

[Trevelyan]

T2A north/east - lost lands

 

[G.v.P]

sounds weird that something hell bent on killing you is going to be your bro and toss you a drink

I think I found the missing strings:

You See: A Water Elemental
You must wait to perform another action
You must wait to perform another action
: Fill from what?
You must wait to perform another action
: Fill from what?
A Water Elemental: Here you go, brochacho!
A Water Elemental has added a bite of lime to your pitcher, brochacho.

 

[G.v.P]

T2A north/east - lost lands

Hehe I was way off. Goes to show how much I depend on runes now .

@Shelleybean: Yay for dragon scale helms

 

[Trevelyan]

Things seem harder than they used to (the ophidians, at least) and take ages to kill even with a jade war axe (reptile slayer).

Also, apparently I kill things in the back ranks despite them being on the frontline? Still, I earn a lot more from the peril bonus of the people im neutral with currently. Takes forever to become a friend though!

Oh and it seems you lose 3 points for bane/ophids you kill and gain 1 point for the "opposite" team.

 

[G.v.P]

Things seem harder than they used to (the ophidians, at least) and take ages to kill even with a jade war axe (reptile slayer).

Also, apparently I kill things in the back ranks despite them being on the frontline?

I know it's test center, but could make an Ophidian slayer wep, no? That would do more damage.

 

[Trevelyan]

Reptile will do the same as ophidian slayer I think

 

[Shelleybean]

I know it's test center, but could make an Ophidian slayer wep, no? That would do more damage.

That's a great idea.

 

[Trevelyan]

Although they do take a while to heal their friends, healers in groups can be problematic and even impossible if their difficulty was to increase.

Also, saw a dragon rider who spawned with no dragon.

And finally, I think that the spawn take a bit too long to react to enemy presences.

 

[Pfloyd]

Reptile will do the same as ophidian slayer I think

"super" slayers are only double damage i think compared to triple for specialized slayers since a few publishes back

 

[Trevelyan]

Really? Damn.. hmm, do you have a link? And how do demon or undead slayers work then, are they double or triple? And how does the damage increase cap work with triple slayers?

 

[Otis Firefly]

this was put in awhile back before SA release..single slayers do more dmg then super slayers, and i cant for the life of me! find the info about it lol

 

[Trevelyan]

This would be a nice idea; being able to "lead" some of the recruits from either side. Say, they take 1 follower slot per and you simply select "follow" or "recruit" from a menu perhaps. Then, they follow you around, within x distance of their starting location. That lets you move them further toward the enemy line - as it is, a lot of each side just get stuck behind the front line and the only ones that actually get action are the ones at the edge of the spawn

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

The event content sounds cool... I hope it sticks around for a decent amount of time though... T2A (especially Tram side) has needed a revamp for a LONG time... although I had expected this to be an Ophidian vs Terathan idea, not the "banes"... either way though, can't really complain...

Now to consider which side... don't know a whole lot about the Banes, but remember the Ophidian invasions well, so my character is a bit loathe to side with those that invaded the Vesper area. The enemy of my enemy is my friend... or could it be something worse?

 

[Ender]

Wonder what the rewards will be from the war thing. And how players helping the other army will work.

 

[Tina Small]

this was put in awhile back before SA release..single slayers do more dmg then super slayers, and i cant for the life of me! find the info about it lol

Otis, I don't think that tidbit made it into any publish notes. It was discussed on the beta forum though and there's where I remember reading the last post from Draconi that made it sound like he'd decided on 2X damage for super slayers vs. 3X damage for single slayers.

 

[Cogniac]

It seems that I've finally managed to set up actually functioning wireless just in time. This event looks interesting.

Re: The Triple-Damage Thing©: I distinctly remember Draconi implementing this because no one gave a flying crap about regular slayers, and we appear to have a corroborating note about its existence over at UOGuide, in the second paragraph here: http://www.uoguide.com/Slayer#Super_.26_Lesser_Slayers

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

There was some speculation over the Bane Dragons and Hell Hounds being Tameable, atm, on TC, neither are.

The flags tell you how many of whichever side has been lost of the current wave, of the Banes there seems to be three waves. First is recruits, once 20 of those die Hound Masters & Hell Hounds spawn the Masters call the Hounds to help, once you kill 20 of those Bane Dragons and Dragon Riders spawn. The Riders jump on the Dragons at first which works similar to how the Chaos Dragoons used to, they have a breath attack which also Poisons. Once the Rider is dead the Bane Dragon still breaths and can also cast, they have over 500 hp, the breath does 30-40, and they're weakest to Energy damage. Once you kill the final wave of Bane Dragons & Riders they get pushed back and the Ophidians side moves forward.

It takes ages atm, and the points are really low, after two hours I had about half the points needed.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

• Endless Decanter of Water
  To obtain, throw a full water pitcher at a water elemental (non summoned) there is a slight chance the elemental will throw back to the player a Endless Decanter of Water. The Decanter can then be linked to a water trough, as long as the player is within 5 tiles outside of a house or anywhere inside a house the Decanter will continuously refill itself.

Now that sounds like an intelligent solution! Thanks!

 

[Derium of ls]

I wonder why 5 tiles outside of a house?

 

[Trevelyan]

- I dont see a way to get any quest from the Chosen NPC - same may apply to Ophidians. Loyalty is over 1000 (im listed as a "Sympathiser")

- The flags arent immediately obvious, nor is it obvious which sides is which.

- In addition, the waves dont always seem to update how many are left to kill. I think this is when spawn from the previous "front line" is left behind when a new front line retreats (the spawn isnt attached to a "front line" wave).

- “Peril bonus” seems broken; it is given regardless which players are where. warrior/enforcer = 1 point, no bonus. Avengers/knight errants = 5 points, 4 bonus always.

- What is this Cliloc error about?

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

- I dont see a way to get any quest from the Chosen NPC - same may apply to Ophidians. Loyalty is over 1000 (im listed as a "Sympathiser")

You need 2000.

- The flags arent immediately obvious, nor is it obvious which sides is which.

When you double click them it tells you it is the front line for either Ophidians or Bane.

- In addition, the waves dont always seem to update how many are left to kill.

The flags do this.

- What is this Cliloc error about?

Idk, didn't get any from the Bane side.

 

[Stupid Miner]

- What is this Cliloc error about?

They're when the text isn't put in yet, or somehow got put in the wrong place.
Numbers are the location of the spot that it's supposed to be in.
the "String" in StringId means it's a string of text.

Oh, and try seeing what disarming the Bane fighters does. Disarm usually acts strangely, Medusa, for instance, when disarmed, hits more often and for much more damage.

 

[Mapper]

They're when the text isn't put in yet, or somehow got put in the wrong place.
Numbers are the location of the spot that it's supposed to be in.
the "String" in StringId means it's a string of text.

Aye, They'll need to release a patch. Nice features so far though!

 

[Stupid Miner]

Aye, They'll need to release a patch. Nice features so far though!

Yep, I want one of the new swamp dragons

 

[Trevelyan]

I meant I was wondering what exactly had happened to trigger that text

Also, I meant flags rather than waves - the point is, is that sometimes killing things that should be considered front line spawn (and give a message as such) don't seem to contribute to the wave casualties for a given side after a flag has been moved back.

And as for which flag is which etc.. I meant that it isnt obvious without double clicking one which one it is, and they look a bit "un-obvious" amidst corpses and desert/road

 

[G.v.P]

It takes ages atm, and the points are really low, after two hours I had about half the points needed.

Assuming you're fighting alone, does it take ages only because of the time it takes to fight another wave, or because the progression (doing it solo) is slow?

Kill 20 sounds similar to the mini-spawns in the Abyss.

 

[lucitus]

It seems that I've finally managed to set up actually functioning wireless just in time. This event looks interesting.

Re: The Triple-Damage Thing©: I distinctly remember Draconi implementing this because no one gave a flying crap about regular slayers, and we appear to have a corroborating note about its existence over at UOGuide, in the second paragraph here: http://www.uoguide.com/Slayer#Super_.26_Lesser_Slayers

I think also the hard cap is 300% damage increase, if you use a small slayer for example an ophidian slayer, no other effect should be counted or?

But i think you make the same damage when you use a reptile slayer (200%) with 100% dmg increase armor.

 

[G.v.P]

I know that vermin slayer + repond doesnt seem to really help against cavern rats for me so I just use a primer w/ repond hehe

 

[shulginist]

I know that vermin slayer + repond doesnt seem to really help against cavern rats for me so I just use a primer w/ repond hehe

Vermin + Repond at Cavern = Win

 

[Silverbird]

Anyone remembers the old savages vs orc war? This sounds similar and we have a city to rebuild. So there might be a slim chance that this events starts the rebuilding of Magincia and player actions might have an impact on who becomes control over Magincia. (And it might differ from shard to shard after this war ends.)

 

[G.v.P]

Vermin + Repond at Cavern = Win

vermin doesnt give me any more damage than primer on my sampire build

 

[Derium of ls]

Anyone remembers the old savages vs orc war? This sounds similar and we have a city to rebuild. So there might be a slim chance that this events starts the rebuilding of Magincia and player actions might have an impact on who becomes control over Magincia. (And it might differ from shard to shard after this war ends.)

I hope so! however, they said that about the Trinny invasion, however they didn't uphold their end of it =(