The December teaser, The Calm, has just been posted.

Read it here!

Give us your feedback here!

In addition, as per the State of the Network, the event is confirmed for Wednesday, December 8!


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Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

December LttP and Dev Topics Summary Posted!

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We've just posted the December Letter to the Players. You can read it here and leave feedback on it here.

The State of the Network has been updated with the tentative date of the December event: Wednesday, December 8.

We've also posted a new page on the website that lists all current and previously implemented In-Concept and In-Development topics. You can see the list here.
__________________
Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

• Bobo
• WoW
• Role Playing
• Real Life Meetings


http://www.crackednuts.com/asheron/index.php3?journal=3

Vanguard Stratics and the other affiliated fansites of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes together with Sigil Games Online proudly present to you the Vanguard Fantasy Fiction Contest. The grand prize is a slot in the game's first public Beta and the winning story will be put in the game for other players to read!

Check out the rules of the contest right here at Vanguard Stratics and then submit your contest entry! Your entries need to be in our hands by December 8th!

This and That
Fighting frame rates
Playing while tired

After we cleared, William told us to check the bodies for something that will improve the noble weapons. What he did not say, was that we could do this later, and this was the worse place to search for it.

What it did was create the impression that we needed to get this item before we left the dungeon. William came back to get those of us who were waiting for another spawn. We moved on, but still thought we had to get this item, there, today. So we were moving slow, checking all the bodies, and getting irked that we were not finding it.

I could see that William was getting irritated with us. It took a while before he understood what our problem was, and explained that we could get the items at other, safer, spots.



http://www.crackednuts.com/asheron/index.php3?journal=3

Bringing Friends Along

"Being that we were such age-old (and aged) friends, I thought it only fitting that I bring Jack into the realm of MOGs with my all time favorite, Asheron's Call. After all, if there's one game that I can lay any sort of claim to gaming 'roots' in, it would be AC. Have a spell named after me and everything, dontcha know. Been PK'd by a number of the famous figures from the game. Once tried to powerlevel Wi on Darktide. I'm a legend in that game, man."

And a legend he is. Check out Kwip's newest death.. er.. adventure here.

EQ2Stratics and SoE are pleased to announce a house of commons with the developers of EverQuest2 Thursday, November 18th. It will be at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

After the HoC, we will be giving away a few EQ2 Rubik's cubes courtesy of SoE, so stick around if you'd like a chance to win one of them.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6667 or whichever server is closest to you:

• stratics.frws.com port 6667, USA - Colorado


• irc.glowfish.de port 6667, EU - Germany


• stratics.afraidyet.net 6667, USA - Atlanta


• irc.epaxsys.net port 6667, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Coming soon
Expansion
New Players and the success of AC
World of Warcraft



http://www.crackednuts.com/asheron/index.php3?journal=3

Upcoming Uninscription Events

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Greetings Dereth,

What follows is the schedule for our Uninscription events over the upcoming Weekend (20th - 21st)

Saturday the 20th:
Darktide -----12:00 to 12:30 PM EST (See note)
Frostfell -----1:00 to 1:30 PM EST
Harvestgain -----3:00 to 3:30 PM EST
Leafcull -----4:00 to 4:30 PM EST
Morningthaw -----5:00 to 5:30 PM EST

Sunday the 21st:
Solclaim -----3:00 to 3:30 PM EST
Thistledown -----4:00 to 4:30 PM EST
Verdantine -----5:00 to 5:30 PM EST
WintersEbb -----6:00 to 6:30 PM EST

**Please subtract 3 hours for PST and add 5 hours for GMT (Europe).

These are the set times. We will be in the Holtburg Meeting Hall just prior to these start times and we will be sending out 1 global to announce the events. If at the end of the thirty minutes there is still a large line we will stay a bit longer to continue the event. However we do need to be at the next world before the start time so if it is really busy, we may have to cut that world a bit short to make it to the next world on time.

Also, please be aware that our In-Game Assistance Requests will always come first. If during the course of the events our queue gets really busy, we will have to give it first priority. We will come back as soon as we can or we will reschedule the event for another day.

Darktide note:
We will be announcing our presence in a global. We will then ask that Monarchs send in /tells to one person and we will be coming to your mansion or villa to do the events.
__________________
Turbine Entertainment Software

Stratics is pleased to announce a House of Commons with the developers
of Star Wars Galaxies on Tuesday, November 16th. It will be at 5pm PDT /
8pm EDT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your
favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer.
Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6667 or whichever server is closest to you:

• irc.epaxsys.net port 6667, USA - Colorado


• stratics.frws.com port 6667, USA - Colorado


• irc.glowfish.de port 6667, EU - Germany


• stratics.afraidyet.net 6667, USA - Atlanta

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here.You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

Worlds are coming back up!

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The worlds are opening up after the hotfix as I type this.
__________________
Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

Hotfix planned for tomorrow morning.

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We believe we have been able to reproduce and isolated the problem that is causing the issues with players being stuck in portalspace, not being able to see some items, having other new items crash their client, etc.

We are currently building new server-side data. Once that is done QA will go over the new data and see if the current problems reoccur. If QA signs off on the new data, NetOps will begin transferring the new data to the game servers.

Under this plan the worlds would come down at 6AM PST / 9AM EST / 3PM UTC, and come back up sometime around 11AM PST / 2PM EST / 8PM UTC.

In the meantime we strongly recommend that players not attempt the Nuhmudira's Cottage quest. Players who are currently stuck in portalspace may be able to get out by using a recall command such as @marketplace, @lifestone or @house recall.

At this time we do not expect a rollback.

We apologize for this unplanned downtime and the issues that players have experienced today. The State of the Network and Launcher pages will be updated shortly.
__________________
Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

Re: Hotfix planned for tomorrow morning.

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Quality Assurance just signed off on the fixed data and we are good to go for tomorrow's... errr, today's hotfix. We were able to successfully reproduce the problems on the old data, and they do not occur on the new data.
__________________
Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

See more about the Halaetan Islands, including the first MAP, in A Primer on Halaetan Geography!

Find out more about Engineer Todd Berkebile in his Dev Bio!

Read about Crowley's work in fleshing out the backstory of the Viamontians in his Dev Diary!


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Alex Beckers
Asheron's Call 1 Online Community Relations
Turbine Entertainment Software

Happy Fifth Anniversary! As part of the celebration, the Council of Sages has placed a gift in your backpack. Treasure it well!

Rollout Article

posted on 11-Nov-2004

At long last the page ran red with blood. Months of unending silence gave way to a horde that rivaled the incursion of the Olthoi. Words scribbled across the page; the prophecies began to form once again. Too long had the book thirsted for blood; too long had its words lay hidden within. The fragile fabric of the future spun from the web of the book's whim as the dark past suddenly returned full circle.

Another piece to a grand puzzle was played. Darkness gained another ally.

Many of this month's changes have already been described in detail in the Letter to the Players. Here are some additional topics that we'd like to discuss in detail.

PKL and the Altar of Asheron
Since the introduction of Player Killer Lite, there has been a bug that could cause PKL combat to interfere with returning to NPK status from PK. For example, if you turn PKL, kill another PKL player, then go PK, you will be unable to go NPK despite the fact that you haven't committed a PK kill.

This bug should be resolved for this event. PKL kills will not count against the PK/NPK timer.

Allegiance Info
The @allegiance info command has always been on a timer to avoid frequent repeated use by multiple players, which could bog down the server. However it was put on the text spam timer, which meant that if you were near the end of the timer and tried to use the command, the amount of time that you needed to wait would increase.

As of this event, @allegiance info is now on a flat 30 second timer. Using the command before the timer has run out will tell you how long you must wait before using it again, but the amount of time will not increase.

November 2004: On Bended Knee

Developer's Notes

posted on 11-Nov-2004

New Content and Functionality

• All existing characters will receive their anniversary gift at first login so long as they have a free pack slot and are not at 300% burden.


• The PvP weapon suites have been adjusted for balance.

Miscellaneous Changes and Improvements

• A bug that could cause a player to fire a bow very rapidly has been fixed.


• There were two Lifestones in the Arena dungeons that players could not recall to with the Lifestone Recall spell. Both have been fixed.


• PKL kills will no longer impact the timer on going from PK to NPK.


• @allegiance info is now on a simple thirty second timer.


• We have made changes that should decrease server lag in certain specific instances of high player overcrowding.


• Burun Guruk now cast their ring spells closer to the ground.


• The extra space in the string used for typeless damage has been removed.


• Some creature generators that were too close to housing have been removed.


• Olthoi Soldiers outside of certain specific dungeons will no longer drop unmutated Leather Gloves.


• Scrolls for Salvaging spells can now be found on Scriveners.


• The damage of the Noble Bow, Crossbow and Atlatl has been increased.


• A bug with the variance on the Noble Spear has been corrected.


• Ulgrim should now successfully summon a portal when given the correct item.

Minor Details

• Leopold no longer says "mast" instead of "mask".


• A typo in the description of salvaged Oak has been corrected.


• The icons used for the Flange Aegis spells are now correct.


• The icons for the Fellowship Regeneration spell scrolls are now correct.

November 2004: On Bended Knee

The Asheron's Call Vault and Maggie the Jackcat are hosting a November video teaser! It should be available from both sites shortly after you read this, if not immediately.

Download it from:
AC Vault
Maggie the Jackcat's Kick Ass Fabulous AC Site


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Alex Beckers
Asheron's Call 1 Online Community Relations
Turbine Entertainment Software

A goodbye from Orion

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As many of you know, Orion is one of the team members who will not be accompanying the team in our move to Turbine's new Santa Monica studios. Instead, he'll be moving to one of Turbine's other projects.

Orion has been on this team longer than any other current member, and has moved from community relations, to design, and finally to lead designer. Most of the centerpiece content that has been added to the game in recent years has had his fingerprints on it, from the Gaerlan arc through the Burun.

Today is his last official day on Asheron's Call, and he asked me if he could post a goodbye to the community.

Without further ado, I give you our outgoing Lead Designer, Allan "Orion" Maki.
__________________
Alex "Ibn" Beckers
AC1 Online Community Relations

Of all the things that I have had to do in my life, I am finding that this is simply the hardest. How do you say good-bye to something that you love? How do you tell people that you have come to call friends, good-bye? How do you go back home when you are already there? How do you leave Dereth? No seriously, how do you leave Dereth?

On November 11th, we launch the fifth year anniversary update of Asheron’s Call. Five years ago I was playing my first character after having been involved in the end of beta event. Five years ago I would never have dreamt of working at Turbine and I certainly wouldn’t have ever thought that I would be creating content for Asheron’s Call. In February of 2001, I was proven wrong about getting the chance to work at Turbine and roughly nine months later I was working on content for Asheron’s Call. Life is funny that way.

Well, here I am three years and nine months later and life is being funny again.

On November 11th, we launch the fifth anniversary update of Asheron’s Call Live and I leave the team. Three years ago I never thought I would be leaving the team and moving on to other projects here at Turbine. Two years ago I never would have thought that the Gaerlan event would be remembered the way it is. A year ago I wanted to roll back time and make another try at the Olthoi story arc. Now, here I am at the end of my time on Asheron’s Call and I don’t want to leave, but it’s just that time.

Life is funny that way.

Before I go I just want to say a few things. I love Asheron’s Call. I want you to believe that. I have loved Asheron’s Call since the first time I heard that high-pitched whine of portal space. I was hooked the first time I heard a drudge cry out. Whether you liked the content that I designed for Asheron’s Call or you hated it, I want you to know that I poured my heart and my soul into everything I did for Asheron’s Call.

I have loved working with my teams and I have loved all of the players. I am fortunate to be in this industry. I am fortunate to be in this place. I am fortunate to have met a good many of you. I am very fortunate and grateful to have been able to spend three years with all of you, living and breathing in Dereth.

I wish you all safe journeys throughout Dereth and beyond. Just remember, I know what happened to Martine and no, we haven’t forgotten about Aerbax.

Good-bye Asheron’s Call.

Allan “Orion” Maki
__________________
Orion

Questing with a mule
Instance death
Who is the moron who said this was easy?
80+ Tusker dungeon
Throne of Destiny
Hard Ride


After traversing the slot, I climbed up to the plains. I cleared several spawns, and I saw a monster I wanted to kill. It was in a large pod of mixed monsters. This is normal on the Plains. You will have to clear one type at a time generally.

I saw some Shadows in there, and decided to take them out first. I got back just far enough to open up with a double attack. This is where you toss a normal war, immediately followed by an Arc spell. Except for a handful of monsters, this will let you get two spell attacks at once. Most monsters will die to that.

This time my victim survived. What I had missed was a bunch of Grievvers just behind them. If I had seen the Grievvers, I would have attacked them first. Grievvers will defend Shadows, while Shadows will not defend Grievvers.


http://www.crackednuts.com/asheron/index.php3?journal=3