Return of the Casters pt2

The recent released 4.52 patch is an overall success by introducing the classes while keeping a stable server. It currently has two critical issues that need to be fixed. Every released patch usually brings a few random problems. Sometimes they require 27 reboots and some times they require to download a new client, like now.

One of the critical bugs causes players to crash while loading their initial map file. Another critical issue prevents players from changing their password. Because of the security implications, it's not a good idea to leave these issues unresolved for weeks.

To address both problems, this patch will be released as version 4.53, together with everything that was completed this week. It's not a large update, but it represents the work from just one week of development.

What was made:
After player feedback, it became clear that not everyone likes the idea of being locked out of equipment stats when using gear that doesn not match their chosen class. While equipping mismatched items is still allowed, their stats are disabled. Some players found this confusing, while others simply preferred the simplicity of the original gameplay.

To support this feedback, the Wanderer class has been reworked. As the starting class, players can simply remain a Wanderer if they don not want to specialize. Since Wanderers deliberately choose not to follow a specific path, they preserve the classic gameplay experience by being able to use all weapons and equipment without stat-restrictions and full access to General Skills. The trade-off is that Wanderers have access limited to a limited selection of special skills.

• The Wanderer class will remain the starting class and can freely equip all weapons and equipment.
• Making the Wanderer a nice alternative for people that simply do not want to choose a class

* the Wanderer class can now be picked from the classPick dialog, available through master Kopan and class reset scroll.

What was made:
To better guide players through the class system, a small, cute panda Kopan's Student, has been added to Master Kopan's building in Anundo. This new npc offers a short introductory quest that explains how the class system works, giving both new and returning players a clearer understanding of their options.

The goal for adding this small introduction quest is to make it clear that choosing a class is an opportunity rather than a permanent commitment. EO fully supports players to switch between classes at any time without losing the progress, levels, knowledge, skills and hotkeys they have already earned in previously trained classes.

The quest is also designed to stress that remaining a Wanderer, or switching back to Wanderer, is a perfectly valid options for those who prefer the classic, simple, unrestricted gameplay.

What is done:
Most indoor house maps have been resized to feel better and better match the outside of their buildings. Older maps were often large on the inside, with little correlation to the size or appearance of the house from the outside. By shrinking most indoor maps down a lot, interiors now feel more compact and believable, enhancing the indoor feel.

What was made:
After feedback, it became clear that the !Caster and Fighter, Ranger, Caster of the Weapon Class Group were more confusing than helpful. While Fighter, Caster, and Ranger technically described who an item was intended for, they didn't always make it immediately obvious why a piece of equipment could or couldn't be used effectively.

The catagory has been renamed:

• Light: Rogue & Archer
• Heavy: Warrior & Paladin
• Magic: Magician & Priest

In addition, the previous !Caster (non-caster) requirement has been renamed to Combat, representing equipment that can be used by both Light and Heavy classes. Tooltips have been redesigned to show the weapon types in a compact way.

Tooltip Improvement:
The tooltips have been compacted to display as much information as possible on the second line, including the Weapon Type, Weapon Class, and Weapon Group.

What's in progress:
A new deployable object system is on the way. Players will be able to place objects such as campfires, cooking stations, workbenches, and ovens directly onto the map. These can be deployed from both items and skills, making it easy to setup all kinds of new content using PubStudio.

This probably gets throwed out as far as it gets this week. The focus is on getting the foundation alive: creating and synchronizing player deployables on the map, across all connected clients.

Healing totems, decoys, information displays with a custom message... the possibilities are endless. Of course, plenty of safety limits should be considered, allowing deployables to be restricted serverwide, on map-level and player-level to keep the world from turning into complete chaos.

Get ready for Class Scroll Reset Weekend (and free travel) Friday 7th - Sunday August 9th