Well I have to give sigil credit since I openly bitch about things when i don't agree. They are really cranking out changes and fixes, just logging in to test it out but they are definitely making the effort. A few of these racial abilities are going to kick ass on a tough raid fight while others are just smoke and mirrors and have little to no effect. Sure they will adjust some etc but you would think they might have a little better understanding of the effects they could have.

Primarily the one that lets you go out of combat for 10 seconds....not sure if works like im thinking but to me that means you just effectively gave battle rezzes which is awesome and a great ability but giving some race something that good and then giving a wood elf or whoever the ability to not be snared for 30 seconds.....one requires a very specific condition and the other is a huge impact ability. Anywhose still overall i like the list.

Good work sigil, definitely trying to make up for all that dicking around you did. Can't wait to log in and get ass raped by grey 2 dots!




GAMEPLAY
- For PVP servers, someone attacking you if you do not have an offensive target will become your offensive target. If you do have an offensive target, they'll get added to the encounter display correctly. They will not be added, however, if they do not actually hit you

BALANCE ISSUES:
Logging in today you will likely notice some significant changes to combat balance. Today's patch kicks off a series of significant balance patches. The primary focus in this patch is combat difficulty at all NPC dot levels and combat time both solo and in group configurations. We are honing in on our objectives so please be cautious out there! Some things you could solo yesterday may require some help today. The following is an overview of the most significant changes:

NPC damage and hit points have been rescaled at all dot values and levels. In some cases this makes combat harder and in others it makes it easier. Combat times are now closer to our target in most areas. The target audiences have not changed:

- 2 dot NPCs are intended for challenging solo play
- 3 dot NPCs are intended for challenging duo and trio play
- 4 dot NPCs are intended to be challenging for 4 & 5 player groups
- 5 dot NPCs are challenging for a full group
- 6 dot NPCs are very challenging and can require multiple groups

In some areas we did not feel the challenge was quite there and it should be more noticeable now. Remember not all NPCs of the same challenge rating are exactly the same, the dot values represent a category but you still need to experiment to find what you can handle.

Out of combat regeneration: These values have been adjusted this is most noticeable at the early levels. Low level combat cause players to expend more resources however they should be spending much less time waiting for their expendables to return. This faster regeneration begins to scale back significantly around level 4.

In combat regeneration: In combat energy regeneration has been increased. This goes along with an increase in healing costs. We are still striving to find a good balance between energy expended in a long group fight and energy expend when soloing at all level ranges.

Pool size: Caster hit points have been slightly reduced relative to other archetypes and their energy pool has been slightly increased.

Groups: Along with the changes to combat time and NPC damage we have taken steps to allow for more variance in groups at low challenge ratings. This will make forming 2 and 3 man groups easier.

Longer combat times inherently sharpen archetype roles and there is more opportunity to enjoy your class play experience both solo and in groups. This will become most noticeable when fighting against high challenge rating (4 dot+) NPCs. Please have fun experimenting.

Resists: We have introduced non damage spell resists as part of what makes higher dot value enemies more difficult. It is now significantly harder to mesmerize, snare or slow a 5 dot NPC than a 3 dot NPC.

Getting Hit. It is now easier for NPCs to hit players. Players are expected to invest more effort in avoidance (attributes and gear) if they don't want to get hit.

Damage and ability upgrades: The rate at which player damage increases has been adjusted. Particularly at higher levels you will notice a bigger upgrade in the damage of your abilities. We found that there were some situations where it was not worth the increase in cost to move onto an ability upgrade. This should be the case much less often. Remember, player damage is relative to NPC hit points which has also been rescaled.

Class Balance: We are continue the process of class verses class balance and have made quite a few tweaks at the lower levels. This is an ongoing process so expect more soon.


RACIAL ABILITIES:
These are the first pass at racial abilities (Minus Dark Elves and Gnomes, which will be soon to follow) We have done some internal testing, but as always, there are sure to be bugs and unintended side effects.

We will definitely appreciate feedback on the specific following issues:

- Display Descriptions (Although some of these are not final): Was it clear? Do they add enough racial flavor without being too wordy?
- Particle effects / animations (Some these are placeholder as well): Are the effects appropriate?
- Reuse timers: Do you feel the reuse timers are appropriate? Are they short enough to warrant a hotkey slot?
- Ability Effects: Do the abilities do what they're described to do? Are the effects negligible or noticeable? Are the abilities particularly more or less useful based on your class selection?
- Racial Flavor: Do the abilities feel unique? Do they make sense given the lore/background of the race?

Qalian Barbarians: Desert Skin
- For the next 15 seconds after this ability is activated, you will mitigate 25% of all damage, and every mob that attacks you has a 50% chance of being stunned for 2 seconds.

Thestra Barbarians: Endless Fortitude
- For the next 30 seconds, this ability will double your endurance and energy pool while increasing your spell and melee damage by 25%.

Dwarf: Earthen Embrace
- For 60 seconds, this ability will turn your body to stone. Along with removing all poison effects, you will mitigate 10% damage and become immune to movement impairing spells such as knock back, stun, and snare.

Goblin: Hex of Ghalnn
- Whoever is afflicted by this hex will return 3% of the mana and hit points for every hit that is made on them. The effect lasts for 60 seconds.

Half Elf: Symbol of Jin
- This ability will apply a rune to every member of the group for 60 seconds, which will mitigate damage as well as apply an un-resistible damage shield.

Halfling: Quick Escape
- This ability allows Halflings to immediately remove themselves from combat. For the next 10 seconds afterwards they will also be invisible.

High Elf: Arcane Balance
- This ability will take the cumulative amount of mana in a group, add 25% to that number, and evenly redistribute it to all members.

Kojani Human: Spirit of Jin
- This ability will immediately restore 45% of energy and hit points to the target.

Mordebi: Curse of the Ancients
- This ability will immediately remove a targeted NPC from combat, wiping their agro and reducing their agro range to 0. During this time the creature can not be healed, attack, or be attacked.

Qaliathari Humans: Swiftness of the Sands
- For this next 10 seconds, when this ability is activated your ability to evade all melee attacks and spells will be greatly increased.

Thestran Humans: Inspirational Commands
- You will have 3 inspirational commands at your disposal: Inspirational Presence, Inspirational Wisdom, and Inspirational Tactics. Each command is a group buff that will add either 2% to mitigation, a 3% reduction to mana cost of all spells, or a 2% increase in damage. You may only maintain one command at a time, however you may have all 3 effects active at the same time.

Kurashasa: Symbiotic Armor
- When this armor is active you will be consumed by a symbiotic presence. In addition to regening 2% of your health every 3 seconds, you will apply an effect to all enemies within a 20 meter point-blank radius. Anyone affected by this debuff will become snared and slowed.

Lesser Giant: Strength of Torsheim
- For the next 30 seconds after this ability is activated, you will increase your max hit points by 50%.

Orc: Fury of Ghalnn
- For the next 5 attacks after this ability is activated, you will receive a 10% increase to damage and all the damage you do will return to you in the form of hit points.

Raki: Planar Shift
- While this ability is active, you will gain a 25% mitigation to all spell damage but will slowly lose health. This ability may be toggled.

Vulmane: Spiritual Bond
- This ability will apply an effect to every member in your group, allowing 35% of all damage done by them to return to you in the form of health for 20 seconds.

Wood Elf: Form of Nature
- When this ability is activated, all movement impairing spells will be stripped from you, and for the next 30 seconds your run speed will be greatly increased. You will also be immune to all movement impairing spells during this time.

NOTE: The following two are not implemented yet:

Gnome: Forge Crystal
- This ability allows you to operate a variety of devices, only available to gnomes, which are able to materialize a energy crystals. Crystals will have several common effects, ranging from percentage based mana, health, and endurance heals to several uncommon, rare, and even ultra rare effects such as prismatic group resist buffs, rune and damage shields, minion summons, and more.

Dark Elf: Spawn of Haelufir
- This ability allows you to summon forth a small drake for a short duration. The type of drake you summon will be based on class and level. Each type of drake will have a variety of effects at their disposal, ranging from group aura's, to breath attacks. The higher level drakes will also learn spells that are sympathetic with their associated class.


FACTION CHANGES:
- The following updates have been made to factions. Please report any NPCs acting weirdly as a result:
- Bordinar's Cleft has received a faction pass
- Three Rivers Village has received a faction pass
- Renton Keep has received a faction pass
- Lakeview has received a faction pass
- The Western Watch faction has been renamed to the Thestran Watch
- Vampire Hunters in Thestra have received a faction pass
- Charbrook Village has received a faction pass
- Dahknarg has received a faction pass
- Halgarad has received a faction pass
- Gnolls in the Vault of Heroes should now grant various faction modifications
- The inhabitants of Hilsbury should now grant various faction modifications
- Bloodfist Ogres now grant various faction modifications
- More Bloodhowlers now grant various faction modifications
- The inhabitants of Falgarholm and the followers of Torkald now grant various faction modifications
- A list of races that will be KOS in these areas by default in the future will be published in the upcoming weeks

ADVENTURING
- Casters - the cast times of your initial nukes have all been lowered to 2 seconds.
- Clerics, Shaman, Blood Mages, Disciples - Your large heals now have a 3 second cast and your medium heals have a 1.5 second cast. This is down from 4 and 2 respectively.
- Cleric - Improved remedy. It now ticks every 6 seconds.
- Cleric - Remedy is know called Alleviate.
- Cleric - Alleviate how has a different level progression, so may need to revisit a trainer to get the latest version.
- Disciple - Removed energy cost from Blessed Wind
- Disciple - The Focused Bond progression has been reworked for you. Increased the amount maintained by 1 and spread the progression evenly across 50 levels.
- Dread Knight - Added hate numbers to Incite ability line. (missed it last pass)
- Dread Knight - Removed increasing drawbacks on combat forms
- Monk - All of your abilities should be usable while unarmed now.
- Monk - Added 30 second refresh on Nerve Strike.
- Paladin - Dictum of Valus now is 137% less lame. It now does appropriate damage.
- Paladin - Standardized all of the paladin's attacks and buffs. Updated many tooltips to read more clearly. Added upgrades to many paladin abilities. Check the trainers!
- Ranger - Forage is now instant cast
- Ranger - Critical Shot is now instant
- Ranger - Critical Shot should now be able to open a ranged chain
- Ranger - Critical Shot now has a greatly increased critical chance
- Ranger - Debilitating Shot is now instant
- Ranger - Debilitating Shot should now be able to open a ranged chain

CRAFTING
- Velt the Knave's expert outfitter work order now requires the outfitting skill instead of the tailoring skill.
- You should no longer get inaccurate faction penalties for abandoning work orders. Most basic work orders no longer impose faction penalties.
- Fixed an issue with gear that was causing its skill bonuses to be very low
- Crafting is available in many places now. Outposts have seen an influx of taskmasters needing assistance.
- Work orders should now take real resources as optional ingredients. This will allow crafters to get a boost of initial grade much like real item recipes
- Work order loot tables have finally had a pass. The tables have been split by a large degree giving work orders more and individual variety as you increase level.

DIPLOMACY
- Horse quests are now available for all races. Use the following list to find who begins your delivery quest: Dwarf - Glanar Scrongold in Bordinar's Cleft Merchant's Hold; High Elf - Princess Kaati in the palace; Halflings/Thestran humans - Lord Thannis Heartsworn atop the hill next to Tursh; Vulmane/Varanjar/Lesser Giants - Grette Tolgar in Halgarad; Gnome - Gaea Permont in the Skyside Bunker; Qaliathari/Mordebi - Getzin the Gnome in the stables of Khal; Dark Elf - Legionnare Ikari in the Hathor Zhi newbie yard; Varanthari/Kurashasa - Aslak Carul in the Lomshir crafting area; Tanvu human/Orc/Goblin/Wood Elf/Raki - Telyn Boarmaul in Ca'ial Brael next to the animal pen.
- All newbie lines have a connector quest at their final NPC that will send you to the horse delivery quests.
- Diplomacy: All races now give a pair of free expression gloves early in their newbie progression, and a pair of pants in the middle of their newbie progression. More loots coming!
- Diplomacy: Horse quests are now active! At the end of your newbie diplomacy line (and you can always come back later), you can accept a horse delivery quest that leads you to a quest for a free horse. To receive the free horse, it does require adventuring OR crafting level 10 to complete.
- Diplomacy: "A Noble House Cause" can now be completed.
- Diplomacy: "A Change of Plans" - you can now talk to Carter Sinclair.
- Diplomacy: "Acquiring Documentation" - quest can now be completed.
- Diplomacy: The Civic Diplomacy buffs "Social Upheaval" and "Whistle While You Work" no longer regenerate many thousands of HP/Energy a tick. Invulnerable mode off!
- Diplomacy: Temporene Orb now is no-drop to reduce the chance of you destroying it.
- Diplomacy: Civic Diplomacy now open in Tursh and Tawar Galan!
- Diplomacy: A bridge quest now leads you from Magistrate Jadedragon to Lan Cho Puregrace in the Kojani human newbie Diplomacy line.
- Diplomacy: "Legends of the Raiders" now has many travel journal entries and a more clear pointer to Ulric's great-great-great-grandkid.
- Diplomacy: A number of fixes to the high elf newbie Diplomacy line.
- Diplomacy: Academic Civic parleys in Halgarad now actually have conversations. Incites now require 5 Presence.
- Diplomacy: Many other parleys did not have proper conversations attached. Please report these! Placeholder text doesn't count for this.
- Diplomacy: Fixed bug with "Unworthy and Unwise."
- Diplomacy: Diplomacy coin rewards now are worth their intended value! No more Jaw Exercisers worth 2 copper!
- Diplomacy: Flag resetter placed at "Death Wears a False Mustache" for testing purposes. ***If you are stuck at "Death Wears a False Mustache" Talk to the Flag resetter FIRST, then abandon the quest and retry it.****
- Diplomacy: Some quests have new Evaluations of different colors added to them. In a future patch, you will receive two Evaluations of different colors so you can generate Expression from 3 different colors.
- Varanjar Diplomacy: Otkatla Beck should now spawn properly so you may complete the quest.
- Varanjar Diplomacy: New evaluations swapped to what they should be.
- Varanjar Diplomacy: Various, and altogether random typo fixes.
- Bug fixes and typo fixes for the Varanjar, Lesser Giant, and Vulmane beginning lines.
- Prince Dargand has been smacked in the head a few times and is not now quite so difficult to beat.

WORLD POPULATION
- Lomshir Quest: The Races - Increased the time allotted to 70 seconds.
- The following areas have had an itemization pass: The River Palace, Imanjal Sacellum, Kalendra's Coven, Sacrifice Island, Ra'hazi Jungle, Pantheon of the Ancients and various overland camps in those areas.
- The aggro range of NPCs in the Fallen Lyceum of Ingolas has been increased slightly.
- The named encounters in Fallen Lyceum have had their difficulty increased to a more appropriate level.
- Old Fluur was punished for griefing players at the respawn altar and will stop going there. He is also less likely to be up often.
- If you do the quest 'Finish Her' (located in the Ca'ial Brale area) in a group, the entire group should get credit if one person poisons the Injured High Mudwitch now. Also, her respawn time should be much faster now. This should alleviate much of the pain of waiting around for her to spawn while there are multiple people/groups around her.
- Base NPCs at the Gataro Camp directly north of Ca'ial Brale should now aggro players from a shorter distance. They should now only appear at level 6 rather than level 6 and 7.
- Changed the required number of Egglayer Bites for the quest 'Abdominal Pain' from 7 to 2. Also attempted to make the Egglayer Bites proc more often.

Bug Fixes:
- Multiple broken appearance sets have been fixed in the Tursh and Khal regions.
- Kalendra the Dark Witch once again drops loot
- In Vol Tuniel, ancient elven urns now look like they should.
- In Marsh of Peril, Veraelian weapons should look better now.
- Quest journal waypoints should work correctly now in Marsh of Peril, Karrus and Zossyr Hakrel, Tauthien Delta, Skawlra Rock, Ksaravi Gulch and Qa Riverbank.

CODING
- Fixed some bugs that would scramble your group UI.
- Fix for the bug where you lose coin when looting or hitting the merchant


~The Vanguard Team







Vanguard Build 01670 Patch Notes 1/11/2007

GAMEPLAY
- Dual wield attacks now count as a full addition hit at 50% power. This means they now include your strength and level weapon contribution to damage; previously it was only a weapon damage bonus.
- The evasion penalty for dual wielding has been reduced.
- Two handed weapon damage has been significantly increased.

GUI
- Modified the color of various points of interest on the map to improve visibility.
- Abilities will now show their refresh time (if applicable) in the tooltip.
- Class/race descriptions updated for character creation.

CODING
- Changed the ToggleMouseLook keybind to ToggleMouseTurn and changed its behavior to better represent the behavior people seem to want out of it.

~The Vanguard Team






Vanguard Build 01666 Patch Notes 1/11/2007

GAMEPLAY
- Fix for another bug preventing martial swords from applying their parry bonus. It should really work now!
- You no longer have to wait for an empty corpse to decay before skinning it.
- For applicable NPC's /hail (default h key) and right click now behave the same
- Damage over time (DOT's) spell damage has been significantly reduced for all NPC's.
- For the purposes of balance data collection we have disabled epic critical hits for the remainder of beta. They will be coming back on just prior to release.
- PC melee special attack damage off by 5% bug fixed. This is a decrease in damage by 5%.
- Melee auto-attack damage is no longer normalized by weapon category, this means the strength and level portion of your melee damage while auto-attacking is now tied directly to your weapon speed. This was a bug with auto-attack damage. When duel wielding this includes your dual wield damage but does not significantly change dual wield damage. The best dual wield combinations remain nearly 20% higher damage when compared with 2-handed damage of equal caliber.

ADVENTURING
- Dread Knight - Added hate numbers to all DRK abilities. This should help you determine how effective your abilities are at taunting.
- Paladin - Prayer of Life can now only be used while out of combat.

CRAFTING
- Fixed problems where adding a grade A second ingr