Mythic adds more sugar-and-spice to the game, and fixing bugs such as dungeon drops falling through the world to the release notes on the test server. ==================================== Dark Age of Camelot Version 1.43 Test Release Notes January 16, 2002 ==================================== - Dexterity now modifies a spellcaster's casting time. Your casting speed can be modified up to 25% faster for a character that is max-buffed and has a high dexterity. - We removed range restriction from pets in Defend mode. Now they can go after archers autonomously. - Pulsing group based spells now work for solo casters and their pets. Previously, they only worked if the caster was in a group. - Pets may now be commanded to attack doors and objects. - In Defend mode, Pets will no longer go into combat mode against attackers unless that attacker does damage (meaning the pet will no longer attack on a miss/bladeturn). - When a member of your group goes linkdead - they'll change to a different color and their name will be surrounded by *'s. - You can now map a new "strafe toggle" key - hold this with turn left/right to strafe left/right. - When chatting, you can now use SHIFT-HOME and SHIFT-END to move the cursor to the front or back of the chat line. - You can now see larger monsters from farther away. - Right clicking on an empty slot in the backpack no longer shows a question mark. - You no longer have to hit the tilde key (camera toggle) to recenter the camera with the camera recenter key. - When you shift-rightclick to get rid of a concentration buff, you'll no longer quick view the spell. - When you die and release, your camera recenters behind your character in third person view. - Spell effects cast on your player can now have extended information displayed with the SHIFT-I key. Right click on the effect to quickview it then hit SHIFT-I to get more information. - The tradeskill timer window now remembers alpha and position settings. - The middle mouse button is now mappable in the keyboard configuration screen. - The quest accept/decline window will now properly go away if you move too far away from the NPC who gave you the quest. - Treasure in dungeons should no longer fall through the floor. - New Torch field added to monsters to make them light up at night, if they are configured to do so. - The CONTROL-ENTER key no longer allows you to print text in your system chat window. SPELL SYSTEM NOTES - Concentration spells point costs have now been changed over to absolute costs. This means that when you cast lower level concentration buff spells, you'll be able to cast more of them, but when you cast higher level ones, you cast fewer. People have requested this for a while, so test it out. The values are based on concentration pool estimates, but the concentration pool for casters can fluxuate based on stats and item bonuses so the costs may have to be tuned further to get the right balance. - Due to numerous reports of buffs/debuff spells not having noticable effects (such as consitution buffs not modifying hit points, quickness debuffs not modifying attack speed, etc.), the system was analyzed and revised to improve effectiveness and consistency. The result of the changes are that buffs and debuffs should be better balanced, and now have effects that noticeably effect gameplay. Please note that we've changed the system, so the numbers that are displayed when you get information about the spell are lower than they were before this change. They are lower because they are reflecting a different numerical system - there is no correlation between the old numbers and the new. So please, just because the numbers of buff spells appear lower, do not assume that the spells have been nerfed. They are actually much more powerful than they were before. Stat buffs and debuffs should affect the following factors: Strength: Affects offensive skill for players and monsters. Dexterity: Affects defensive skills and casting time for players, and defensive skill for monsters. Quickness: Affects attack speed for players and monsters. Constitution: Affects hitpoints for players, and affects damage absorption for monsters. Remember that pets use the monster bonuses. Players can have a stat buffed up to 10 points or their level, whichever is higher. Also, "Combo Buffs" stack on top of normal buffs to add even more points (up to double). OBJECT NOTES We made large-scale changes to the treasure drops in the Bog of Cullen and Vanern Swamp. You'll now notice lots more treasure there and much more variety. Also, if you currently have items that you've already gotten from these areas, you may notice that they are slightly more powerful than they were before. TRADESKILL SYSTEM NOTES - We changed the difficultiy of Hibernian two handed sword hilt to be similar difficulty to the blade and final combine.