Update 48: May & June 2025

Written By Shawn Lord

Hi all!

Thanks for showing up to the June 27th playtest weekend! We had a great time and got even more useful data. We also found a few critical bugs during the playtest, which we were able to immediately address on the tech side.

We’re following this recent 3-day playtest with a 5-day playtest at the end of this month. The July open playtest will run from Wednesday the 23rd through Sunday the 27th.

We hope to see you there!

Oh, and before I forget…

We’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone that brought friends, family, old guild mates, etc. to the test this time around. There was a noticeable number of comments from people who dragged their people along with them.

It’s incredibly heartwarming to hear! Thanks so much!

 

June Playtest Overview

The next playtest is coming up fast, so we really wanted to get this update out asap. We’ll follow up with a more detailed breakdown and some analysis of the June playtest soon.

For now, here are some high level stats to tide you over:

  • 5592 unique accounts played

  • 1274 concurrent players

  • 8.22 average hours played per account

  • 500+ players supported in a single zone (Night Harbor)

We’ll hopefully post the more detailed update this week.

 

Concept Art & UI

  • Created environment concepts for the Underdocks (Module 1 zone)

  • Created environment motif concepts for [undisclosed expedition zone]

  • Created character concepts for Deep Elves and Deep Elf armor

  • Planned for Deep Elves and Deep Gnomes

  • Created concepts for Basilisks

  • Created new item icons

  • Completed UI work to allow for:

    • a collapsible panel in the primary character sheet

    • a mini stats pop-out window

    • a context menu that appears when right-clicking the character sheet

  • Reworked the merchant view with options to lock your equipped items and only show items of interest to the vendor

  • Added window scaling to customize many GUI elements

 

Character Art

  • Added new crafted plate armor textures

  • Added the Treant model

  • Added the Donkey model

  • Added the Shark model

  • Updated several LERP colors

  • Started work on the Specter model

  • Started work on the Deep Elf player model

  • Started work on the Deep Gnome player model

 

Animations

  • Added Wood Elf special attack animations

  • Added Ratman animations

    • 2-hand spear attack

    • 2-hand swing attack

    • Block

    • Dodge

  • Added Myconid, Treant, and Bear animations

  • Added Giant swimming & combat animations

  • Added Skeleton sit and death animations

  • Overhauled Skeleton rig

  • Added Treant & Bear rigs

 

Environment Art

  • Continued work on Faelindral

  • Completed some detailing work on Rothold (Module 1 dungeon zone)

  • Began/continued work on Scarwood (Extra Early Access zone designed by the community on stream)

  • Continued vertex painting in Night Harbor

  • Continued expansion work in Night Harbor Sewers

  • Updated some areas in Keepers Bight, Fallen Pass, and Glass Flats

  • Added some props and VFX for an undisclosed Early Access expedition dungeon zone

  • Began work on an undisclosed expedition outdoor zone

  • Added the Basic and Gothic weapon sets as props

  • Added gray stone mining node variants for non-desert regions

  • Continued propping, adding camps, bug fixes, and polish in various zones

 

Audio & Music

Shallow Shoals

  • Added new sounds for the ocean, ocean surface waves, two waterfalls (with different recordings), and a rock formation rumble

  • Added different ocean sounds for day and night, with a one hour crossfade at dusk and dawn

  • Added SFX for lighthouse orb trails

Fallen Pass

  • Added a thunder “canyon" state that bounces thunderclap sounds between the cliff walls when players are between them

  • Added pond, river, and waterfall sounds

Night Harbor

  • Added shoreline, at sea, bay water gurgle, stream sounds (4 new audio sources)

  • Added whistling wind sounds at the Wyrmsbane tunnel entrance

  • Added eerie, low-frequency drone sounds near the Wyrmsbane zone entrance

Shaded Dunes

  • Added shoreline and river spline audio emitters that follow the player's position

Sungreet Strand

  • Added sounds to the remaining water bodies

General

  • Updated Audiokinetic Wwise to version 2024.1.5

  • Generated our first sound banks for Mac and Linux

  • Created the effect of thinner air at higher altitudes using an RTPC (Real-Time Parameter Control) linked to the player’s altitude, which controls a high pass filter on the ambience bus in Wwise; it also lowers the audio volume of crickets by fading them out as the player levitates

  • Limited audio stingers (Level Up, Quest Complete, Death, etc.) to a single voice instance to prevent overlap (e.g. When leveling up while turning in a quest, the Level Up stinger takes priority); additionally, only one Quest Complete stinger will play when handing in multiple items

  • Added sound effects for opening and closing stone doors

  • Added Giant footsteps, death, and falling-to-the-ground sounds

  • Added bell sounds to the lifts in Evershade Weald

  • Added an Idle Sound Controller script to handle idle sounds for much better control; added this script to the Skeleton prefab

  • Added Zombie wheezing idle sounds

  • Implemented a new Spline Follower script that allows us to attach audio emitters to non-linear sound sources—such as rivers or curved shorelines—so they can follow the player more naturally along the path

  • Fixed an issue where the Background Sounds and Background Music functions didn't work

  • Repaired the Toggle Music and Toggle Sound keybinds

  • Fixed lingering underwater sounds when zoning out from Ancient Crypt

  • Fixed an error in the Event Position Confiner script

  • Updated the AkSoundEngineController script

  • Cleaned up PalmTree prefabs from redundant audio components that took tons of resources

  • Increased the max instance limit on the Spell Sound Actor-Mixer to mitigate dropouts on spell casting sounds

  • Fixed certain Wwise events that were lingering after zoning out from Shaded Dunes

  • Removed the bird sounds from Fallen Pass

  • Fixed a voice starvation error in Wyrmsbane

  • Completed additional audio bug fixes and optimizations

 

Design

Systems

  • Slightly increased the Vale of Zintar sphere of influence radius

  • Significantly increased the Caves of Irem sphere of influence radius

  • Added Holy resistance

  • Removed the Pet Summon command

  • Added the possibility of rain to more zones

  • Adjusted rain frequency and storm intensity

  • Added more available skills to Class Trainers

  • Fixed the PvP loot bug

Traits

  • Added the Holy Resistant trait

  • Decreased the skill rate adjustments of refining, crafting, and core gathering/tradeskill traits from 25% to 5%

  • Enabled the Poison Maker trait

Factions

  • Fixed an issue where NPC pets would sometimes cause a faction war

Content

  • Changed the appearances and factions of Night Harbor north bank bankers

  • Updated Bard NPC ability lists

  • Increased the difficulty of many Fallen Pass named mobs

  • Adjusted many Night Harbor factions

  • Continued population work in Keepers Bight and Shallow Shoals

  • Added additional camps to several existing zones

  • Added a Guild Registrar to Evershade Weald

  • Rebalanced Skyseer Illya

  • Fixed several Trainers that were not set up properly

  • Reduced the Guardian of the Life Font’s level from L60 to L40

  • Updated itemization for the Guardian of the Life Font

  • Implemented various bug fixes from Friends and Family and playtest feedback/bug reports

Quests

  • Added starter quests to Evershade Weald for Archers, Bards, Beastmasters, Druids, Fighters, Rangers, Rogues, and Shamans

  • Fixed the Wizard starter quest in Night Harbor

  • Updated the Ashira faction quest

  • Adjusted several class quest rewards so that they are usable by all races

  • Reviewed all current quests for grammar, spelling, formatting, and style issues

Tradeskills

  • Changed Leatherworking recipes for hides to use newer components (similar to the crafted Rawhide armor)

  • Changed Tailoring recipes for wool to use newer components (similar to the crafted Fine Cloth armor)

  • Adjusted various “trivial” skill levels

  • Increased gem drop rate from Mining

  • Made Canvas and Strap recipes similar in their trivial skill levels

  • Fixed Hide Armor recipes to properly use Hide Canvas instead of Rawhide Canvas

  • Adjusted Leatherworking Armor recipes to use Tailoring-created Padding instead of Thread

  • Adjusted Tailoring Armor and Leatherworking Armor recipes to use merchant bought Thread

  • Fixed certain recipe quantities

  • Adjusted Alchemy potion durations and tooltips

Itemization

  • Reviewed Ancient Crypt itemization

  • Reviewed Tel Ekir itemization

  • Updated Fallen Pass itemization

  • Tweaked and balanced various items

  • Added higher tier player-crafted Thread items

  • Added higher tier player-crafted Canvas items

  • Added higher tier player-crafted Fastener items

  • Adjusted the Tailoring-created Thread cost

  • Adjusted the Leatherworking-created Canvas cost

  • Adjusted the Leatherworking-created Strap cost

  • Adjusted the Blacksmithing-created Fasteners cost

  • Adjusted Scraps cost

  • Assigned an icon for Coarse Sand

  • Fixed a typo in Minor Serums and expanded the tooltip

  • Slightly increased Scraps drop rate

  • Reduced the weight of Ore, Stone, and Limestone

  • Added self and group teleport spells to Evershade Weald spell merchants

  • Fixed Shirt slot item weights as they were incorrectly set to the wrong values after we converted them from the Arms slot

  • Corrected Ability Scroll costs for L50 - L60

  • Slightly lowered the acquisition level of Tier 2 basic drops

  • Slightly lowered the level at which Tier 1 basic drops stop dropping

  • Adjusted the Volatile Rift Potion to cast instantly and be consumed on use

  • Adjusted the crafted Throwing Dagger cost

  • Started review of Fallen Pass itemization

  • Added new lerps for Alchemy Serums

  • Increased the brightness of light sources

  • Updated satchel item icons

  • Itemized Shark and Treant NPCs

  • Reviewed all current item descriptions for grammar, spelling, formatting, and style issues

General Abilities

  • Reduced the periodic chance for Charm abilities to break early (where applicable)

  • Increased the max levels of non-Enchanter Beguile-tier Charm abilities from 23

  • Changed the Cleric Shock Nuke line and Holy Strike to use the Holy Element

  • Created the Holy Resistant ability and buff for the Holy Resistant trait

  • Added Abilities: Holy Protection and Holy Resistance

  • Removed Exsanguinate

  • Increased the level of Speed of the Predator

  • Fixed an issue where Evershade Weald self and group teleports were not properly applying their port effects

  • Increased all Auras to 30m range

  • Changed all Mesmerize spells to the Conjuration school of magic

  • Changed Reclaim Essence to the Conjuration school of magic

  • Beneficial Dispel abilities can no longer be resisted

  • Reduced the total healing of the highest level tier of healer-unique lines to 1800

  • Reduced the mana cost of the highest level tier of healer-unique lines from 500 to 450

  • Reclaim Essence can no longer be used on charmed pets

  • Fixed an issue where Druids and Rangers still had access to the Invisibility spell (they have the Camouflage line now, and Ranger also has the Shroud line)

  • Decreased pet levels by 1

  • Reduced Hypnotize’s mana cost from 120 to 90

  • Increased Trance’s mana cost from 40 to 160

  • Changed Zeal’s level haste scaling from 60% (L48) to 65% (L55) to 60% (L44) to 65% (L50)

  • Changed anti-undead abilities to Holy resist

  • Added the Spirit Break ability line for Necromancers/Shadow Knights

  • The Mana Burn line now works beyond the first rank

  • Reduced Weapon Shield Physical Damage Reduction from 10% to 5%

  • Removed Unnerving Wail

Bard

  • Sonnet of the Unseen now breaks properly under the right conditions

  • Molto Allegro can now be cast while moving

  • Molto Allegro is now considered a Primary Haste and does not stack with other forms of Primary Haste

Beastmaster

  • Level 36 pets now do less damage than Level 40 pets

  • Removed Bat Form

Cleric

  • Replaced Atonement with Chasten

  • Added Ability: Atonement

Druid

  • Whispers of Eth-es:

    • Reduced Whispers of Eth-es from L40 to L20

    • Updated the tooltip to now specify the increased mana return

    • Reduced the cost of the Whispers of Eth-es scroll to match the L20 ability cost

  • Added Ability Line: Bear Pet (Tiers 1-8)

  • Fixed Grip of Nature so that it doesn't break after a tick

  • Added Ability: Coax Beast

  • Added Ability: Persuade Beast

  • Increased Bear Pet levels

  • Added higher level “Sanctuary" evac ability line for all available teleports

  • Moved Summon Drink from L4 to L12

  • Natureskin can no longer stack

  • Fixed an issue where the Ability Scroll for Sanctuary: Sungreet Strand couldn't be used

  • Changed the Unity resist element to Magic

  • Unity is now slightly more difficult to resist

  • Fixed an issue where Unity would not cast on enemy targets

  • Removed Abilities: Summon Firewood and Conjure Firewood (will likely be reworked and reimplemented in the future)

  • Fixed an issue where the Druid Bear Pet did not have Taunt

  • The Bear Pet now has access to Charge (Charge currently does not work for NPCs)

Elementalist

  • Added Ability: Coax Elemental

  • Added Ability: Persuade Elemental

  • Fixed an issue which caused Commune of the Honorable’s cast animations to persist indefinitely

  • Fixed an issue where Minor Creation: Water was not creating a pet

  • Expanded the Heal the Elements ability line with Revitalize the Elements and Rejuvenate the Elements

  • Fixed an issue where Elementalists could not scribe Rejuvenate the Elements

Enchanter

  • Memory Fog now has a chance to critically fail

  • Renamed Enchant Ally's Runeskin to Enchanted Runeskin

  • Increased Enchanted Runeskin’s absorb from 25 to 25 (L8) to 800 (L52)

  • Fixed the tooltip for Enchanted Runeskin

  • Enchant Ally abilities can now be cast while the Enchanter is sitting

  • Beguile now properly applies its effect

  • Added Ability: Coax

  • Added Ability: Persuade

  • Added Ability: Amnesia

  • Updated the Amnesia tooltip to be more accurate and descriptive

  • The Runeskin line no longer stacks with another caster

  • Decreased Enchanted Runeskin’s duration from 30 minutes to 6 seconds

  • Increased Enchanted Runeskin’s cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds

  • Mana Drain line:

    • Reduced the Mana drained and Mana cost by half

    • Now has a 30 second cooldown

    • Removed the casting sound

    • Modified the casting hit sound

Fighter

  • Increased Offensive Stance’s physical damage buff from 10% to 15%

  • Frenzy now also increases your Melee Attack Speed by 10% for 1 minute

  • Updated the Offensive and Defensive Stance tooltips to show the correct Physical Damage increase/reduction

  • Decreased Unnerving Shout’s Physical Damage reduction from 15% to 5%

  • Unnerving Shout is now L5, up from L2

  • Battle Cry is now L2, down from L5

Inquisitor

  • Dominate the Mind is now an Innate ability

Monk

  • Fixed the Stone Stance tooltip to correctly state that it reduces Melee Damage, not all damage

Paladin

  • Attempted to correct an issue which caused the Ancient Guardian to kill you when it expired

  • Ancient Guardian's level now scales with you

  • Increased Divine Light’s heal from 30 to 30 (L12) to 700 (L54)

  • Decreased Divine Light’s cast time from 4 seconds to 3 seconds

Necromancer

  • Removed the Health Drain line (not Life Drain)

  • The self Mana Regen line no longer stacks with Enchanter Mana Regen buffs

  • Added Ability: Coax Undead

  • Added Ability: Persuade Undead

  • The Lich line of abilities now properly gives a Skeleton illusion

  • Fixed Lich Spirit's cooldown, cast time, and duration

  • Expanded the Mend the Dead ability line with Stitch the Dead and Reconstruct the Dead

Ranger

  • Fixed an issue where Shroud and Greater Shroud were not properly applying their Invisibility effect

Rogue

  • Fixed an issue where Stab/Backstab would roll for 0 damage

  • Fixed an issue where Sap would not work on all races that the tooltip said it did

  • Fixed Backstab damage (again)

  • Fixed Snaring Poison

  • Added Ability: Pick Pocket

Shadow Knight

  • Aura of the Unholy now properly scales

Shaman

  • Increased Spirit Wolf pet levels

  • Reduced Spore Discharge’s heal over time from 10 Health (L10) to 600 Health (L52) to 10 Health (L10) to 450 Health (L52)

Wizard

  • Reduced Arcane Infusion’s Mana Regeneration from 1 (L1) to 25 (L60) to 1 (L1) to 15 (L60)

  • Increased Seal of Magic's Mark of Magic effect from 1% per stack to 4% per stack; a max stacks increase of 5% to 20%

  • Fixed ability names for the Blanket of Fire line

  • Blanket of Fire now does the proper amount of damage

  • Added a higher level “Evacuation" ability line for all available teleports

  • Fixed the Spell Haste line giving too much Spell Haste

  • Fixed an issue which caused Invert Gravity cast animations to persist indefinitely

 

Tech

Fixes

  • Fixed a bug where you could see invisible group members

  • Fixed /who guild name not working correctly

  • Fixes to the static placement tool

  • Fixes to the /random command

  • Fixed anon players being included in /who queries with level constraints

  • Fixed spell gem hotkeys when using the stack size selection interface

  • Fixed receiving timeout message after declining a guild invite

  • Fixed showing class descriptions on items with SlotMask == 0 AND ClassMask == 0

  • Fixed reagents not consuming on item cast

  • Fixed a null ref when a campfire that’s being used for crafting burns out, to prevent it from eating items you have left in the crafting window

  • Fixed some characters using fallback fonts

  • Fixed campfire flame visuals being inconsistent

  • Casting an ability with an effect that would give you a unique item that you already have will fail at the end of the cast without consuming reagents and let you know why

  • Fixed not sending hotbar and macro data to a client after a crash and quick return

  • Gave the harvest ability messages a chat channel of AbilityMine instead of none so that they are filterable

  • Removed duplicate begin harvesting message

  • Fail more gracefully if there was a problem reading from chats_v1.json

  • Only send the vial of smoke message to clients targeting the disappearing caster

  • Allow all classes that can use throwing weapons to be able to gain skill points in throwing

  • Fixed Cooldown reduction effect not working

  • Fixed crit fail message and normal message both being sent

  • Fixed aoe effects failing the level requirement check when the data is set to -1

  • Fixed punctuation on loot coins message

  • Fixed object placement not cancelling if you camp while placing an object

  • Fixed crafting recipes through experimentation

  • Performance improvements to recipe retrieval

  • Fixed ingredient overlay colors in crafting window

  • AOE abilities assigned to a player pet will now work correctly

  • Activatable abilities now go on cooldown if the associated buff is removed for any reason

  • Polish tweaks to the inventory avatar

  • A team of helpful gnomes, assisted by less helpful goblins, have plugged leaky ceilings across the realm.

  • Numerous performance improvements occlusion, npc swimming, and animation

  • Minor rework to the way stance / aura abilities are handled on the client and server

  • Haste effects no longer receive bard instrument bonuses

  • Fixed discrepancy between level meditate was trainable at, and the level you'd start getting skillups at for hybrids

  • NPCs now get their intended mana regeneration while in-combat

  • Fixed several issues caused when doing a /reload

  • Sort AOE targets so that the intended target is always included, the closest targets are chosen first, and min/max level limits on the ability are applied

  • Items with more than 99 charges will now always display a gauge instead of text display

  • Ensure active items are deactivated when removed for any reason

  • Fixed the Reclaim Essence ability not applying correctly

  • Fixed several instances where movement was still allowed while feigned

  • Make ascending to water's surface a little easier, and jumping at water's surface more intentional

  • Bubbles while swimming should no longer show for some races when your head is above the water's surface

  • Reloading while swimming while no longer break the swimming animation

  • Fixed player trades - players can now manipulate items / coin, before "complete trade" is selected to lock the trade in

  • Fixed aura message spam for group members when certain classes with auras level up

  • Fixed /target to more appropriately match the nearest player or npc, with a minimum number of characters of two (e.g. /target al)

  • Fixed threat system to properly remove threat for skills which reduce threat on the target and those skills to scale appropriately with the player level

  • Fix to zones starting empty

  • Fix to volume based entities such as inns and zone lines breaking

  • Fix to zonelines not working if they overlap with other zonelines

  • Fix refueling of lanterns

  • Fix housing doors

  • Fix NPCs sitting and thinking when they need to be moving to their next waypoint

  • Closed some cooldown and /reload or zoning based exploits

  • Fixed some performance bottlenecks relating to animation

  • Fixed some performance bottlenecks relating to loading zone data

  • Fixed some performance bottlenecks relation to creating and destroying entities

  • Changed how charms and roots break

  • Changes to address FD exploits

  • Mob HP changes

  • Mob resist changes

  • Changes to address Kiting exploits

  • Fixes to mob pathing where someone uses a navigation exploit and the mob cannot get to you

  • Added anti cheesing code relating to navigation

  • Fixes to group exp distribution

  • Mobs differentiate being VERY snared and rooted preventing mobs from turning around and attacking you when they are snared and have very low health

  • Pets no longer forget to /pet back as soon as they are attacked again

  • Fixed melee and ranged slows, and ranged hasted

  • Fix for monks unequipping 2 handed staves and then losing their offhand punches

  • Adjusted lighting levels to give more lighting resolution

  • Adjustments to moons and some bug fixes related to moons

  • Ability to set mob spawn when successfully fishing (for those big fishing based bosses)

Added

  • Added the ability to require reagent for clicky item.

  • Added and improved a number of GM commands.

  • Added notes in the description of food and drink items that they are a meal or a drink.

  • Added min/max target level descriptions when inspecting abilities.

  • Added confirmation to /split command.

  • Added /clear command to clear your current chat window.

  • Added the ability to set hunger and thirst modifiers for zones.

  • Allow /who level arguments to be separated.

  • Added support to respect ability cooldowns for item procs.

  • Added some additional error messages when inviting an invalid player to a guild.

  • Added /char alias to /charinfo command.

  • Added specific text for all emotes when you have yourself targeted.

  • Added /welcome emote.

  • Added animation support for riding mounts

  • Recipes can now use tags to specify ingredients

  • Improved internal tooling for placing harvesting nodes, adding weapon models, and configuring NPC appearance

  • Mount controls such as mount/dismount and mount inventory added to pet window

  • Added support for Pickpocket ability

  • Quests can now require a certain skill level to activate

  • Item enhancing effects such as poison now use a click interface to select the item

  • Chat message persistence - chat will persist through zoning

Bigger Features

  • Mounts now have a dedicated set of equipment, including a rigging slot that controls what types of containers can be equipped by the mount.  Rigging changes your mount between a rideable steed, a pack animal, or pulling a cart

  • When killed, equipment can be looted off the mount, or the mount can be brought back to life with a spell

  • While not quite ready for player purchase, support for purchasing mounts from Stablemasters has been added

  • Combat idle animations can now vary based on your equipped weapon

  • Ledgers - Character and Social Ledgers (still some work to be done here)

  • Styling added for UI checkboxes, sliders, and dropdowns

  • Individual window scaling - Most windows have the option to scale them up or down to customize their size individually along size the UI scale (see UI section above)

  • Independent chat settings menu - there is now a separate chat settings window in the main menu, previous settings were under interface (see UI section above)

  • Chat color selection - Customize your chat channel colors

  • Player inspection system - You can press Y (default) or right click on a player target and select inspect, to see what items are equipped

  • Shortcuts to your hotbar can now be added from any of your inventory bags, allowing you to swap equipment and use items like bandages, alchemy, or potions from inside your bag

 

In Closing

That’s about it. As I mentioned above, we’ve got another playtest coming up, so we’ll be focused on getting ready for that.

You’ve done a great job getting the word out. Thank you for your support, and please keep at it! As always, if you’re looking for ways to help, share the game with folks you think might be interested and send them to one of the following links:

If you do bring in new people to check out the game, we recommend sharing the below video with them. We found it to be incredibly helpful and wanted to spotlight it here:

While any comparison to other games is completely coincidental—since we’re an entirely new creation that derives its inspiration from many different sources—we felt that this creator got a ton right.

If you liked the video as much as we did, please give acatwithopinions a sub and a like on the video! Maybe the cat will make another one…

See you in the next update!

Shawn Lord
Next

Update 47: March & April 2025