What: AQ3D Mega-Update
When: Tuesday, 21 June
Where: Steam (and web but if you're still playing on the web you should move before the web version is killed off).
NOTE: Remember that all of this can and probably will change before the full release of the game. None of this is final. #Prebeta
The Umbral Caves will be a level 10-ish dungeon located in the Bone Cliffs (also known as Doomwood Graveyard). This dungeon will be significantly cooler than the low level Barrow Pass dungeon, but also significantly more dangerous. We suggesting taking a fully party of THREE level appropriate and well geared heroes and a TON of potions. Some of the rooms in the dungeon have some surprises and require more than just clearing the room before moving on.
Just take a hard left at the Gate Wraith and you will find Lidra and the Umbral Caves entrance.
Every monster in the Umbral Caves is new to AQ3D Including the Ixtis Harvester. The Ixtis are not a species but a nation of sentient insect-like monsters composed of many different species. Not much is known about their culture beyond the fact that they have an underground kingdom so they are mostly found in caves where their world borders on ours, and they have a queen who shares an empathic connection with all of her people, and even the less intelligent Ixtis who are used for their brute strength as guard dogs, workers or beasts of burden.
A new addition to coming to AQ3D with this update... monster skills. Some of the monsters in the Umbral Caves have more than just basic attacks, and their special attacks use their own mana.
Lidra the herbalist lives in Doomwood with her family. Every year they get a gathering party together to head to the Umbral Caves to gather a powerful root use to treat a dangerous illness that sweeps through the villages of Doomwood.
Lidra has a very short quest chain which will take you through the dungeon a few times, but completing her quests unlock her repeatables. Her shop will sell you the POTIONS that you will need in the dungeon (open the USE menu to use them) and she DOES have several new items for you to craft.
You can view her dialogue cutscene using the Cutscene Button on her pop-up (It's the one with the movie pojector icon)!
Crafting 1.0 will arrive in this mega update! This will NOT be the finished version of crafting but it's an interesting start. #Prebeta.
All of the materials that you will need for crafting can be found in the Umbral Caves and one or two come from Lidra's quests as rewards.
Crafting takes time so you will be able to check the progress your items as they are crafted in the CRAFTING section of your game menu. As we have always said, micro-currency will never pay-to-win power but will be used to (among other things) save time. So, after we release micro-currency, if you are impatient and want your item right away, you will have the option of using Dragon Gems to instantly complete any item being crafted.
Some items will take longer than others to craft, based on their power relative to their level, farming difficulty of the materials, item level, and other factors.
Most items will be crafted in the finished game, but not all of them. Another new aspect of dungeons is being introduced into the Umbral Caves: Treasure Chests.
They have a random chance to spawn, and they contain different items based on the rarity of the chest. That's all I'm saying.
A new addition to all shops and craft menus! You will finally be able to see what an item looks like and what you look like with it equipped BEFORE you buy or craft it!
All you need to do is select an item and tap the PREVIEW button to open the preview window. This is probably not the final layout but right now we are mostly testing how well it functions. #Prebeta
BTW, the Tegmina Cloak is one of the new craftable items from Lidra. It was modeled by Xero, animated by Korin, textured by Dage, and statted & balanced by Oishii.
Finally, the moment so many of you have been waiting for. The SHADOW WOLF travel form will be introduced to the game.
If you are a Legendary Founder from our Kickstarter campaign, you will log in (again... this is next Tuesday) to find the Shadow Wolf Paw item in your inventory (Like AQW, if you have a full inventory, it will create a temporary space for itself). As long as the travel form is in your inventory, you can go to the USE menu (where you use potions) and tap the travel form item and transform into the Shadow Wolf!
You will notice (unless you're not that observant) that you run faster and jump farther in this form. Remember that this is a TRAVEL form, so it has no attacks. You can take attacks as you run through mobs but if you use a skill you will "dismount" and change back to your normal form to fight.
If you accidentally sell your Travel Form item, you can re-buy it from Melodia in Yulgar's Inn.
If you're NOT a Legendary Founder... fear not. There will be many other Travel Forms for you to use and collect in time. But not soon. #Prebeta. For now, you Legendary Founders enjoy being the speediest things in Lore!
One of our designers, Circa, had the un-enviable job of taking all of our flat, black and white inventory icons and updating them to match the dynamic, full-color style of the class skills. She did an amazing job and I think it makes the inventory and shop menus so much more appealing.
The boogerlings have evolved into their next form, which much more closely matches the Slime Lord's appearance.
The GateWraith got sick of being kited so he got a new skill!
You can now see a some weather in Doomwood. Not rain, but a light drizzle. The cloud texture has also been updated to a much more dramatic texture threatening a full-on storm at any second.
As always, you will be able to check the Oishii's Patch Notes for a full list of changes and fixes!
Remember... this all comes to AQ3D TUESDAY!
Not toady. (ribbit)
Tuesday.
Of next week.
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