A white-cloaked snowy figure appeared at the Herald's Stand. The crowd was so desperate to hear news about happenings in the Empire, that murmurs and whispers, spread only a minute ago, have flooded the Great Capital square with inhabitants in no time. Every single Lord's gaze was tied up to the thick scroll in the knight's left hand.
-Lords of the Empire, - the knight took off his hood and spoke in a way known only to him: though speaking at his usual volume, his words were heard by every single person so clearly, as if each of them was right in front.
-To-day brings a lot of innovations. I'm here to familiarize you with the the list of changes. Behold.
Arctic let loose the grip on the scroll. The crowd gasped: its edge has nearly reached the ground.
1. The Warlords Council has established new standards on military equipment. From now on, every Lord of level 5 and above will not be allowed to engage in combat without a weapon. Any artifact equipped in right hand is considered a weapon. Moreover, the Amunition points total of all artifacts equipped must at least correspond to the Lord's combat level. The AP value of all artifacts is listed in their description.
Minimum Ammunition points required:
Combat level 5 – 5 AP
Combat level 6 – 6 AP
Combat level 7-8 – 8 AP
Combat level 9 and above – 9 AP
Lords have 7 days, until December, 21th, for preparations to match the new standard.
2. Imperial architects have finally come up with plans for newest castle structures. Lords of combat level 11 are now able to train their tier 4 creatures into their upgraded analogues upon building the new Upgraded Construction. The biggest surprise, however, was yet to come: Dwellings to tame tier 7 creatures. Warlord Council has agreed that, in order to handle creatures as powerful as these, one would need to possess extraordinary powers, so no Lord will gain permission to initiate construction unless he or she has reached combat level 13.
3. Mass winter migration of game is bringing us lots of new creature types to be encountered at hunt and on Mercenaries' Guild errands. Rumor has it, Trade Caravans are trying to tame them to include in their convoys.
4. Court alchemists have proven their research useful on inventing new revolutionary methods of enchanting. As of now, each armorer can set modifications for up to 20% elemental magic shield, 2% per Guild branch level. Every masterpiece of Jewellery will improve items for up to 20% magical damage, as well as grant 10% piercing through the counter-element (Earth pierces through Air, Fire through Water and vice versa), being 2% of damage and 1% of piercing per Guild branch level. The alchemists have gracefully agreed to make the already existing enchantments sustain the necessary improvements. In order to get new parameters in action, Lords are supposed to re-equip their armor and accessories.
5. The Empress's new educational reform decree has caused a lot of talks amongst the wise wizards of the Empire. It is generally believed that the changes have been made first and foremost to stimulate Lords to win every combat they take part in.
a) Duels and group battles:
The victorious party receives 130% the normal faction skill points and still the normal amount of experience, the defeated party receives 30% of experience and 70% of skill points earned through fight.
b) Every One For Oneself and Blindfold battles:
The first Lord out gets 30% experience, 50% skill; second one - 40% exp, 80% skill; last but one - 50% exp, 120% skill; last man standing gets 100% exp and 150% skill points earned through fight.
c) Battles against AI:
Victory gains have not changed. Defeats grant 30% of experience earned, while the skill gained can be calculated by the following formula: Skill = ([earned exp])/([character lvl]*1000), never bigger than 0.5. For instance, a Lord of combat level 10 would have to earn 5000 exp in order to gain 0.5 skill, but, given his or her defeat, will only gain 1500 exp and 0.5 skill points. This measure has been taken to limit players that intentionally lose AI combats in pursuit of skill points.
d) Battles against caravans:
The amount of experience gained in case of victory is doubled due to presence of the enemy character. In case of defeat, the amount of experience the Lord gains is calculated as in general Battles against AI.
e) The amount of experience points gained per unit of each faction has been increased, mainly upwards. As a result, experience gained for defeating players of each faction will now be nearly equal (as long as all other conditions are equal);
f) Assistants in hunt will now also gain 100% of experience earned;
g) Welcome certain new coefficients:
-increasing coefficients for 2x2 and 3x3 battles;
-increasing group combat coefficient for experience and skill points depending on creature tier: +10% for tier 4, +30% for tier 5, +55% for tier 6;
-A new coefficient for battles with different character levels:
[A=(sum of characters' levels)/(number of characters in combat)], in short, A=average character level.
Then, each participant's experience and skill points are multiplied by coefficient [K=A/character level], never bigger than 1.1.
6. Finally, the East Bay Society of Living Nature activists have ratified changes in hunt. The hunt for leisure on easier groups of 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3 of your current maximum is now forbidden and will not take place. Moreover, the game seems to have grown a greater instinct of survival. From now on there is a poor likelihood of neutrals to flee until they catch up with another group of neutrals being under attack by a different Lord. As a result, a battle of two Lords versus two groups of neutral creatures, assembled randomly, will take place. In case of victory, the maximum for that creature type will not be increased; each Lord will receive up to 0.5 skill points and twice as big an amount of Hunters' Guild points as usual. Combat levels of the two willy-nilly hunt assistants aren't bound to be same.
There are quite a lot of innovations to catch up with and get used to. Good luck and have fun! |
