Stormreach Chronicle (11-10-08)

[Tolero]

Welcome to the Chronicle - a weekly look at what's happening around the forums! Read on for tips, community spotlights, Turbine info, and more!

Letter from the Editors

"We're happy to announce that Free Trial and the Referral program are back in effect! Come try the new player experience, the high level landscapes and quests, and experience the new elements of DX10 in DDO! Also be on the lookout for next week's Hireling Previews!

Do you want to refer a buddy to try DDO? Remember that you can refer as many people as you want! As a DDO subscriber, you have five referral invitations that you can send to friends, relatives, or anyone you want to invite to DDO! Once those five invitations have been opened by your invitees, you'll be able to send out more referral invites! Now you can spread the word on DDO! If you're an existing player, feel free to offer your favorite game tips in this week's issue to help new and returning players learn the ropes!

Are you a new or returning player to DDO? Welcome to the game! This week we gather with existing players to help you with game tips, advice, and useful information that will help you make the most of your play experience."

- The DDO Community Team

The following guilds are looking for more adventurers. Learn more about them here!

Faithful Uprising, of the Argonnessen server

Recruitment Page: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=160820

"Currently we have 10 actual members with 4-6 consistently on from 7:00 pm till 10:30 pm (central US) most weeknights. The others log on about 2-3 times per week. Our goal is to keep the guild smaller (less than 24 people). We are not after the super uber dude that has everything and knows everything. We are looking for that casual to active gamer that is willing to try different strategies and willing to have fun and not treat the game like it is an objective that have to get completed for your job. Ideally, we want to grow our own guild. However, we realize that the game is older now and many people do not want to leave their current guild, even if there are only two members left. If you are in one of these smaller more casual guilds, we are looking to partner up with you for raids and low activity nights. Check our recruitment thread for more information."

Bickering Idiots, of the Ghallanda server

Compendium Page: http://compendium.ddo.com/wiki/Bickering_Idiots

"Bickering Idiots started out as a bit of a joke between friends, but in the six months since our inception we've grown in numbers and are gaining quite a reputation for ourselves on the Ghallanda server! We have about a dozen members ATM and are always looking for fun people to have a good time with! Interesting in learning more about BI? Wanna come on a mission with us to see what we're all about? Seek us out in-game! Check our compendium page, or feel free to contact anyone with the BI tag"

DWG Permadeath, of the Khyber server

Compendium Page: http://compendium.ddo.com/wiki/Khyber_DWG_Permadeath

"We're exploring and growing! We're a diverse, yet mature group that is sure to speak to whatever play style you seek. Most of all, we're dedicated to having a good and drama-free time in meeting the needs of our members. For a listing of our play times and premadeath rules, be sure to check our guild site and compendium page."

Halfling Commandos, of the Sarlona server

Compendium Page: http://compendium.ddo.com/wiki/Halfling_Commandos

"Are you a halfling on Sarlona looking for a guild? You might be right for the Halfling Commandos! An all halfling guild, seek us out in game with a tell to find out how you can be a part of the Army of One-Half"

'en Templa Arator, of the Thelanis server

Recruitment Thread: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=162688

"This guild is for Wizards who like to Role Playing, but there are no Role Play rules. The guild name is 'en Templa Arator, which means Champions of Magic, or in magic champion... but the literary translation is Champions of Magic. More accurately, those who champion the arcane arts. Precisely, this means Wizardry. 'en Templa Arator will initially start off with wizards only. So if you're on Thelanis and have a pure wizard, ask Uthala to join. We will accept multiclasses later on, but not at the moment."

Over 500 guilds have pages available in the Compendium! Read more about guilds in the Compendium by clicking here!

Looking for a guild? Looking for recruits? Be sure to visit the Guild Matchup forum!

Looking for a character design? Unsure which feat you should take next? Seeking build feedback? Join other aspiring builders as we take a look at this week's user-created character builds!

• Featured build: DPS Elven Rogue
• Featured build: DR Monk Build
• Featured build: Pure Breed

For more character builds, Be sure to stop by the Class Discussion forum



A continuation of the popular "Ask the Devs" segment of DDOCast,
we've taken our developers off the mic to answer some of the questions that didn't fit into the show recording.
Here is this week's Ask the Devs question!

"Hi Jerry,

Here is my question, When a new Mod is released, we receive a in-game mail message call "Stormreach Chronicle", can we please have all of those in-game newspapers added to the web site?

Thanks -- Harokio"

Community Specialist Tolero says

"With the advent of the updated Compendium, I don't see why not. It was actually the reason we named the forum newsletter "Stormreach Chronicle" after that very same in-game mailing! Once they're added, perhaps we can have a sort of "walk down memory lane" with them. We always enjoy seeing all the "do you remember when" style posts, and it would be fun to reflect back on the in-game Stormreach Chronicles, especially for people returning to the game who may have missed out on some of the excitement! New players would also get to reflect on the rich history of DDO and its players."

Do you have a question for the developers? Be sure to visit DDOCast and send your questions to host Jerry Snook for a chance to get your question answered in the Ask the Devs portion of the podcast!

Game Tip of the Week

You don't have to target a monster in order to hit it in melee combat! Just get close to it and face towards it to engage it in battle. Remember you can also hold your mouse button down to keep on swinging at it!

Are you a new or returning player seeking help? The Academy highlights community efforts to assist incoming and returning players!

There have been many changes to DDO in the course of the game, and this week we'd like to take a moment to highlight some game features that you may not know about, or that may have changed since you last played DDO:

• Questing:
  • Looking for a quest entrance? Using your map, quests that you are not currently on will have a red door icon, while quests that you are on will have green door icons.
  • If you've completed a quest assignment, the quest giver's chalice symbol over their head will be green. If you've not yet finished, the symbol will be blue, meaning you still need to complete a step.
  • Remember that in landscapes, solo quests, and normal quests, rest and resurrection shrines are now reusable!
• Inventory:
  • Getting crowded for space in your inventory? Remember that DDO now features inventory containers to help reduce backpack clutter, such as quivers, ingredient bags, gem bags, and collectible bags. You can find them as rewards, and some are even able to be purchased from vendors. They even come in different sizes to hold more or fewer items! The bags can be set to auto-gather items that you pick up.
• Vendors:
  • Oops! You sold something precious to a vendor that you didn't mean to? Check the buy-back tab to be given the opportunity to purchase the item back. It's a good idea to keep your valuables locked using the inventory lock button, but for those unfortunate mishaps, there's the buy back tab.
  • Did you know that bartenders will now repair your equipment in addition to regular vendors?
  • You can sell all your gems from your gem bag with one easy click of the "sell gems" button on the vendor's UI panel
  • The Marketplace Bazaar tent was destroyed by the Devils of Shavarath! Vendors and Brokers previously located in the Bazaar tent have set up shop in the Rusty Nail Tavern, located in the Marketplace.
• Collectibles:
  • When you defeat a foe that has a collectible on it, whether the body remains or not, a purple treasure bag will appear for you to click on. No longer will frozen, banished, or cindered monsters deprive you of your hard earned collectibles!
  • No more fussing with taking your collectibles in and out of your collectible bags for turn-ins: you can set your bag to auto gather collectibles. Whether it's in the collectible bag or in your inventory, the collector will automatically retrieve the item from you when you talk with them.
• Combat:
  • Don't wear out your fingers with constant combat clicking - you can hold your attack button down to continue swinging your weapon automatically! Your weapon will swing as fast as you could single clicking repeatedly.
• Chat:
  • You can create custom chat channels that can be used no matter what instance or quest you are in! Perfect for guild alliances, keeping in touch with friends, or coming together with your servermates, creating and joining a channel is easy! Type /joinchannel followed by the name of the room you're trying to enter or create.

Do you have tips for new or returning players? Be sure to visit the Newbie Q&A forum, Guest General Discussion forum or Newbie Harbor, where you'll find new and returning players who might have questions, and your tips can help!

For more help be sure to visit the Newbie Q&A forum and Game Play Guides

• Module 8: Prisoners of Prophecy is now available on the live servers! Be sure to check the release notes and known issues for important information about the Module.
• There will be a patch to the game on Tuesday, release notes will be available tomorrow!
• The DX10 screenshot contest is under way! Congratulations to winners Kiwee Strawberry and Stormanne! There's still time to get your entries in - for the complete rules, click here!
• This week we'll be hosting Hireling Previews on Wednesday and Friday nights! Click here for more information. Want to take a peek at them early? Hireling profiles are now available in the Compendium by clicking here!

Looking for updates and information from Turbine?

You can follow along with the latest Turbine talk right here on the forums! Be sure to visit:

• The Dev Tracker
• News & Announcements Forum
• The QA Lodge

Tune in next week for the Stormreach Chronicle! Also visit the Compendium for an archive of previous issues of the Stormreach Chronicle!

[Xyfiel]

Free trials yeah!

Assuming it is Korthos island fix, raise dead fix, and hireling live event addition.

[BurnerD]

Regarding inventory... the quivers and stuff are great, but we need more bank space...

[ThrasherGT]

Originally Posted by BurnerD

Regarding inventory... the quivers and stuff are great, but we need more bank space...

Agreed. How about Inventory "bags" (Like AoC)? They could drop in random chests or be favor rewards..........

[Nyvn]

Originally Posted by Tolero

[center]When you defeat a foe that has a collectible on it, whether the body remains or not, a purple treasure bag will appear for you to click on. No longer will frozen, banished, or cindered monsters deprive you of your hard earned collectibles!

This is very cool. The collectibles also last longer than the bodies would have.

[Anarkius]

Originally Posted by BurnerD

Regarding inventory... the quivers and stuff are great, but we need more bank space...

Since there are already portable holes available (ie: item that is collected to get the infamous 4th inventory slot). Why not 'adjust' it to where you can actually store items in it?

Just a thought!

See everyone in Stormreach...

[Stormanne]

Originally Posted by Anarkius

Since there are already portable holes available (ie: item that is collected to get the infamous 4th inventory slot). Why not 'adjust' it to where you can actually store items in it?

Just a thought!

See everyone in Stormreach...

Sounds like its high time the famous/infamous Bag of Holding made its debut in DDO. High end reward, say lvl 10 or 12 and up.

[cdbd3rd]

Originally Posted by Stormanne

Sounds like its high time the famous/infamous Bag of Holding made its debut in DDO. High end reward, say lvl 10 or 12 and up.

(Isn't that what the first extra backpack slot is created with? (NPC dialog, IIRC))

But anyway-
...and if you put that Bag of Holding in the last backpack slot (created with the 'repaired' Portable Hole) the inventory slot, bag, and all the contents of both are irrevocably deleted! Perhaps even a Fort save vs. instant death as well.

[Jendrak]

Originally Posted by cdbd3rd

(Isn't that what the first extra backpack slot is created with? (NPC dialog, IIRC))

But anyway-
...and if you put that Bag of Holding in the last backpack slot (created with the 'repaired' Portable Hole) the inventory slot, bag, and all the contents of both are irrevocably deleted! Perhaps even a Fort save vs. instant death as well.

just make sure you put a unique death effect on it so we can all laugh when someone fails the save

but seriously, i think this is a great idea. Bags of holding would be an easy way to increase bank space. Make them exclusive items so someone could only have 1 in their inventory at a time and say a max of 3 in bank. We cant have unlimited bank space....no matter how cool it would be.

[Beherit_Baphomar]

Ok. Enough is enough.

My own guild cant spell it.

My own servermates cant spell it.

And now Tolero cant spell it.

A R G O N N E S S E N.

<sigh>

Now Im going to read the rest of this weeks newsletter...

[Gum]

Originally Posted by beherit_baphomar

ok. Enough Is Enough.

My Own Guild Cant Spell It.

My Own Servermates Cant Spell It.

And Now Tolero Cant Spell It.

A R G O N N E S S E N.

<sigh>

Now Im Going To Read The Rest Of This Weeks Newsletter...

^ ^

[Kistilan]

Originally Posted by Beherit_Baphomar

Ok. Enough is enough.

A R G O N N E S S E N.

<sigh>

Now Im going to read the rest of this weeks newsletter...

Argonnessen FOREVER!!!!!

And then Khyber. To keep the agro off the argo forums.

[yk49]

Originally Posted by Tolero

Here is this week's Ask the Devs question!

"Hi Jerry,

Here is my question, When a new Mod is released, we receive a in-game mail message call "Stormreach Chronicle", can we please have all of those in-game newspapers added to the web site?

Thanks -- Harokio"

Community Specialist Tolero says "With the advent of the updated Compendium, I don't see why not. It was actually the reason we named the forum newsletter "Stormreach Chronicle" after that very same in-game mailing! Once they're added, perhaps we can have a sort of "walk down memory lane" with them. We always enjoy seeing all the "do you remember when" style posts, and it would be fun to reflect back on the in-game Stormreach Chronicles, especially for people returning to the game who may have missed out on some of the excitement! New players would also get to reflect on the rich history of DDO and its players."

surprisingly, "unofficial" wiki already has them.
with current in-game mail UI, its a huge pain to read them... thats why i always paste em to wiki before reading.

http://ddo.enterwiki.net/page/Catego...each_Chronicle

[Tolero]

ack! And you know, normally I'm always so paranoid about it. Every time I type the name I think "two n, two s" - that's what I get for copy pasting heh.