What's the verdict? I hear they're adding spear, crossbow, etc to the racial mix now. Are they really going to let all these weapons remain better than staff in every way forever? Every month that goes by waiting on this makes it less likely that I'll ever return--old friends quitting, old clans dissolving, old mechanics ruinized.

 

-----signature-----

staff sux


and that's a problem!

 

-----signature-----

they plan on giving each race an alternate skill.

Greetings,

We have had a lot of players chomping at the bits about our future racial plans. Many players want to plan out what they want to play and are waiting on creating new characters to do so. We recognize this and want to help them make those decisions by releasing some early designs on our racial roadmap.

First let me say that, like all Design Diaries, these plans are extremely early in their development cycle. We might have to abandon races if the art and animation tasks are not technically feasible. Although we are sharing our early design thoughts, this is in no way an actual feature announcement.

That said, we have some goals:
~ Introduce some cool new races.
~ Keep the races interesting but balanced.
~ Make existing races more compelling by providing some options.

We will be introducing new races, but we also want to give existing races some options to help with diverse play styles. To facilitate this, each race will have a sister race or a counter race with which they can adopt the racial skills of the race instead of their own. This second set of racial skills represent another facet of the racial culture that is reflected in the sister race. This will be done through the Temple of Forgetfulness; there will be new options to allow a race to change their existing racial skills to those of one other kindred race.

The new races will likely be the following, not necessarily in the order of release:

Empyrean
Players from this magical race are recovered from imprisonment in Portal Space, and have been weakened from their ordeal. They have taken refuge upon their return with the Isparian peoples.
Skill: Arcane Lore (Specialized)
Augmentation: Infused Life Magic

Undead
Players from this race are the walking dead from House Mhoire who once bore the curse of Rytheran. These undead have found an alchemical way to stave off the twisted magic curse that destroyed their House. Thanks to this purifying alchemy, they now walk the lands with free minds and hearts.
Skill: Alchemy
Augmentation: Critical Protection

Tumerok
Players from this hunter race are outcasts from the Hea Tumerok, free from enslavement at the hands of the Virindi.
Skill: Crossbow
Augmentation: +3% Critical Damage

Lugian
Players from this large earthen race are disgruntled members of the Laigus caste who have left Lugian society to travel among Isparians and improve their lot in life. The Lugian who leave to live among the Isparian races are sometimes drawn to learn skills of magic that are forbidden to the Lugians in their society.
Skill: Thrown Weapon
Augmentation: Increased Burden


In addition, all races now have another race that acts as their mirror. This sister race either shares an affinity with the race, or has a culture or nature that reflects another side of the race. For whatever reason, players can go to the temple of forgetfulness and trade racial skills with one other race.

The racial pairings are as follows:

Aluvian (Dagger, Assess Person) can change their racial skills to Crossbow.
Sho (Unarmed Combat) can change their racial skills to Deception.
Gharu'ndim (Staff, Item Tinkering) can change their racial skills to Thrown Weapon.
Viamontian (Armor Tinkering, Loyalty) can change their racial skills to Mace.
Umbrean and Penumbraen (Deception) can change their racial skills to Unarmed.
Gear Knights (Mace) can change their racial skills to Armor Tinkering, Loyalty.
Empyreans (Arcane Lore - Specialized) can change their racial skills to Alchemy.
Undead (Alchemy) can change their racial skills to Arcane Lore - Specialized.
Tumeroks (Crossbow) can change their racial skills to Spear, Assess Person.
Lugians (Thrown Weapon) can change their racial skills to Staff, Item Tinkering.

Again, this is all very early in the design stages. It may very well be that we need to cut some of these out or change them substantially. We felt players would benefit in this case from an early glimpse into our future plans.


So while staff might suck you can now opt to take thrown weapon instead.

 

-----signature-----

bwahahahahahahahah

ahh....


bwahahahahah

ahhhahahah


ahhh......


good times.

ph

 

-----signature-----

I have no interest in taking Thrown Weapons on my Gharu mage or Gharu staffer. So now even Viamontians get a better melee weapon than Gharus? Somebody please tell Turbine that's terrible. It's twelve thousand miles from being a satisfactory state of affairs.


Ye gods.

 

-----signature-----

I don't know what to tell you.

Thats not saying they are not going to do anything with staff or anything. I dont know i just know know the ghar race was going to get another option.

 

-----signature-----

Chip!


edit:


Special Properties: Olthoi Slayer, Attuned, Bonded, Biting Strike, Resistance Cleaving: Bludgeoning, Cast on Strike: Shock Wave IV, Ivoryable

pretty sure all the other ones are like slash cleaving and bludge bolt, or pierce/bludge/slash mixes, but never the same. staff has an upper hand vs olthoi in that regard!

 

-----signature-----

Well, that's pretty sweet, that. If a few years late


More like that, Turbine. More!

 

-----signature-----

The more expensive (skillcredit wise) weapon skills will always be better than a free racial.


When staff costs as much as war magic or sword, it will be worth having.

It's just that simple.

 

-----signature-----

truth

 

-----signature-----