Update 1.06 on TestLive, 10th Dec 09

Tarib wrote: Update 1.06 - Overview

The first iteration of Update 1.06 is now available on the Testlive servers for our players to check out and test. You find instructions here on how to access the Testlive servers and the separate Testlive forums where you can discuss the update and give your input.

Together with various changes and improvements, Update 1.06 also introduces new features and content to Age of Conan. The following overview highlights the most important ones and also includes links to articles which describe them in a bit more detail:

Guild Renown

Guild Renown is a new leveling and reward system for guilds in Age of Conan. Members of guilds can experience their epic adventures as they normally do today while contributing to their guild’s Renown simply by playing the game. There are three types of Renown - Valor (PvE), Glory (PvP), and Artistry (Crafting), which broadly describe three different play styles. As players progress in game, they will be able to progress their Guild Renown for the entire guild and unlock awesome rewards to be shared with each member of their guild. Guild Renown has a maximum of 20 levels to be achieved by the entire guild.

Every week, Age of Conan will rank the top-earning guilds, not only in total points earned (of any kind), but also in the total Valor, Glory, and Artistry earned for that week.

This article here provides further details about the rankings and rewards for each of the 20 Guild Renown levels.

New Tier 3 Raid Instance: "Toth-Amon's Stronghold"

Thoth-Amon’s Stronghold is our new Tier 3 raid instance. It has seven boss encounters, including Thoth-Amon himself. In addition players will encounter some of Thoth-Amon’s most powerful allies, both new ones and some they might have met, or at least heard of, before - like Hathor-Ka.

On Testlive, Toth-Amon's Stronghold can be accessed by talking to the Raidmaster to get attuned for Tier 3 and afterwards entering Toth-Amon’s castle located in the city of Kheshatta.

Read this article to learn more about this new raid instance.

Raid Loot Token System

Update 1.06 also adds something the players have been requesting for a long time – a token system for raid loot. The token system is added to Tier 1 and Tier 2 as well as Tier 3 raids. Hopefully this will help
alleviate some of the randomness (or perceived lack thereof) in the loot drops.

More details about this system can be found in this article.

Tarib wrote: Update 1.06 - Guild Renown

OVERVIEW

Guild Renown is a new leveling and reward system for guilds in Age of Conan. Members of guilds can experience their epic adventures as they normally do today while contributing to their guild’s Renown simply by playing the game. As players progress in game, they will be able to progress their Guild Renown for the entire guild and unlock awesome rewards to be shared with each member of their guild. Guild Renown will have a maximum of 20 levels to be achieved by the entire guild and the Renown or level does not go with the player when they decide to leave the guild.

TYPES AND RANKINGS

There are three types of Renown - Valor, Glory, and Artistry, which broadly describe three different play styles. Valor covers most “PvE” activities, including killing monsters and completing quests. Glory is in turn the “PvP” type of Renown, primarily gained through mini-games and sieges. Finally, Artistry is the Renown type gained through crafting. Your guild can choose to focus on whichever of the three you prefer – any combination contributes to your Renown points and levels. The types are primarily of interest to those who want to top the Rankings.

Every week, Age of Conan will rank the top-earning guilds, not only in total points earned (of any kind), but also in the total Valor, Glory, and Artistry earned for that week. Although each guild can only gain a certain amount each of Valor, Glory, and Artistry every week towards their Renown level, they can earn as much as they want towards Rankings. The only restriction is that for each guild, only its top fifty members are counted towards their Rankings. We anticipate that competitive guilds will each find different strategies for climbing the Rankings, depending on the play-styles of their most active members.

REWARDS

Renown has a variety of rewards, from stylish new horses to new city buildings to arenas and dueling grounds. Add to this over twenty new quests and twenty new companions and there’s plenty to look forward to. As your guild gains more Renown levels, keep an eye on your city, as vendors may update their wares or citizens and gain new quests.

This is an incomplete list, and subject to change! PvP-related rewards in particular are not yet listed, as well as several convenient adventuring rewards:

Level 1

• A Collector moves to your city, stocked with interesting valuables and amusements, including dice and
  coins for games of chance, ritual knives, and prayer books.
  
• A Court Manipulator moves to your city, selling King’s Pardon and Confession Letters, to allow the wealthy to adjust their outlaw status, or lack thereof.
  
• The Guard Captain at the Barracks in your city (if you have one) allows city-members to hire out bodyguards, which protect against wild creatures while you harvest.
  

Level 2

• The Collector upgrades his wares to include seasonal headwreaths.
  
• A Brewmistress moves to your city, selling longer-lasting, “Purified” versions of standard level 40, 50, and 60 mana, health, and stamina potions.
  
• Your city supports small decoration location objects – you can now build shrubs, banners, pillars, and sculptures on these location objects. Architect and Weaver recipes for these are sold by a Sculptor, City Gardener, and War Merchant.
  

Level 3

• A Seamstress, Brothel Madame, and Leatherworker move to your city, selling social, gender-specific clothes to men or women. Only men can buy from the Leatherworker, only women can buy from the Brothel Madame, and the Seamstress sells to both genders.
  
• The Brewmistress upgrades her wares to include convenient level 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 Restoratives, to give simultaneous potion-benefit to stamina, mana, and stealth. She sells them individually, or by the crate.
  
• The City Gardener gains a few more shrub decoration saplings for sale.
  
• You can now use the first volume of the Manual of Carnage, giving a small boost to PvP experience gain for a time.
  

Level 4

• An Ex-Innkeeper moves to your city, selling improvised weapons for social “barehanded” combat.
  
• Two cloak vendors move to your city, each selling eleven colored varieties of cloak – one sells the Ragged style, the other sells Buttoned.
  
• The War Merchant gains more banner decoration recipes for sale, and a Stoneworker selling pillar decoration recipes moves to your city.
  

Level 5

• A Horse Armorsmith moves to your city, selling pale, dark, and umber varieties of horse armors.
  
• The Sculptor upgrades his wares to include more recipes for sculpture decorations.
  
• You can now compete in the Khemi Sparring Arena.
  
• The Brewmistress upgrades her wares to include a Cursebreaker Charm, which can be broken to ward off the ill-effects of death.
  

Level 6

• A Farmer moves to your city, selling pet chickens, pigs, and sheep.
  
• Your city supports centerpiece decoration location objects – you can now build centerpieces of type sculpture, wood, stone, or flesh. The Stoneworker in your city upgrades his wares to include centerpiece recipes, and a Woodcarver moves to your city to offer more decoration recipes.
  
• You can now use sneezing powder, which prevents afflicted targets from stealthing.
  

Level 7

• The Ex-Innkeeper upgrades his wares to include a blueprint for a new Tavern city building.
  
• The Court Manipulator upgrades her wares to include a Traveling Merchant’s Contract, allowing you to summon a merchant to sell to, from anywhere.
  
• The War Merchant and Stoneworker upgrade their wares to include more decoration recipes. A Visionary bearing more decoration recipes moves to your city.
  

Level 8

• A Settled Nomad moves to your city and offers a quest to adopt a half-tamed animal from Stygia, such as a komodo or cheetah.
  
• A Reverent Settler moves to your city and offers quests to explore the world, in exchange for a pet crab and owl.
  
• You can now use Potent Lodestones, weighing you down against those who would knock you back.
  

Level 9

• Two more cloak vendors move to your city, offering the same eleven color varieties in two new styles – Swept and Roped.
  
• You can now use Repellant Lodestones, which lighten attacking opponents, making them easier to knock back.
  

Level 10

• The Horse Armorsmith upgrades his wares to include a Swift Shemite horse, complete with colorful silks.
  
• Your city supports the building of a Megalith, somewhere in the wilderness of your city’s region. When built, tese Megaliths grant a celestial bonus to mana-tap, health-tap, or stamina-tap to any visitor, depending on what Astrolabe is used in its presence. The Visionary upgrades his wares to sell the recipes to megaliths and astrolabes.
  
• A Bearded Barbarian moves to your city, offering quests to earn four varieties of Cimmerian ward banner decorations. Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to sell Cimmerian-themed decorations.
  

Level 11

• The Ex-Innkeeper upgrades his wares to include a blueprint for a Tavern II city building.
  
• You can now use the minor banners for Wartouched or Fortified morale, giving a boost to your team’s offense or defense in a small area.
  

Level 12

• Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to sell Stygian-themed city decorations.
  
• You can now use the second volume of the Manual of Carnage, giving a boost to PvP experience gain for a time.
  
• The Brewmistress upgrades her wares to include Fortuitous Vittles, which can be devoured to ensure better luck when harvesting raw materials.
  

Level 13

• A Scholar of Equestrian Arts moves to your city, selling manuals to teach your horse to dance or bow on command.
  
• You can now use Itching Powder on your enemies, making them unable to teleport to safety.
  

Level 14

• The Collector upgrades his wares to include thoroughly tamed, wearable critters – a rat, scorpion, spider, and snake, all trained to cling to your upper arm indefinitely.
  
• The Collector also upgrades his wares to include a recipe to weave the Soldier’s Haversack, offering more inventory slots.
  
• Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to include Aquilonian-themed city decorations.
  

Level 15

• A Local Warmonger moves to your city, offering a quest to earn the Stygian Halfbreed horse mount.
  
• You can now compete in the Coils of the Serpent arena of Kheshatta City.
  

Level 16

• Your city Keep gains a trapdoor down to a cultural retreat, including the comforts customary to taverns (food, drink, chairs), and a dueling area in which guild members may fight each other at will. In Stygian cities this area takes the form of Ritual Chambers, in Aquilonian cities it is a Council Forum, and in
  Cimmerian cities it is a Feast Hall.
  
• The Visionary upgrades his wares to include improved, higher-tier Megalith recipes.
  
• Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to include Acheronian-themed city decorations.
  

Level 17

• A Retired Scout moves to your city. The Retired Scout, Settled Nomad and Bearded Barbarian each offer a new quest, only to Aquilonians, Stygians, and Cimmerians, respectively. Aquilonians are rewarded with a fox companion, Stygians with a sawtooth companion, and Cimmerians with a wolf pup companion.
  
• Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to include even more Stygian-themed city centerpiece decorations.
  
• You can now use the third volume of the Manual of Carnage, giving a more significant boost to PvP experience gain for a time.
  

Level 18

• The Ex-Innkeeper upgrades his wares to include a blueprint for a Tavern III city building.
  
• A certain patron of the arts in Tarantia posts an advertisement in your guild city, for qualified architects to study under a master sculptor and learn four Aquilonian statue city decoration recipes.
  
• You can now use Spiritual Resonators, exposing stealthed targets nearby.
  
• The Brewmistress upgrades her wares to include Acheronian Deathcharms, which can be sacrificed in exchange for the resurrection of a dead target’s soul.
  

Level 19

• Two mysterious women, the Unseen and a Silent Practitioner, move to your city. The Unseen, the Silent Practitioner, the Local Warmonger, and Reverent Settler each offer two new quests, only to rogues, mages, warriors, and priests, respectively. Each quest reward is a piece of unique social headwear, and a choice between three unique (and mutually exclusive) companions.
  
• Various decoration vendors upgrade their wares to include even more Acheronian-themed city centerpiece decorations.
  
• You can now use the major banners for Wartouched or Fortified morale, giving a better boost to your team’s offense or defense in a small area.
  

Level 20

• The Unseen offers a new quest to all fellow predators, to hunt the rumors of a strange creature. All such hunters are eventually rewarded a surviving Tarpani Stallion.
  
• The Collector upgrades his wares to include a recipe to weave the Commander’s Haversack, offering even more inventory slots.
  
• The Visionary offers more varied-looking Megalith recipe
  

Tarib wrote: Update 1.06 - Tier 3 Raid Instance "Thoth-Amon’s Stronghold"

Thoth-Amon’s Stronghold is the new Tier 3 raid instance. It has seven boss encounters, including Thoth-Amon himself. In addition players will encounter some of Thoth-Amon’s most powerful allies, both new ones and some they might have met, or at least heard of, before - like Hathor-Ka.


There are also several new items and quests that will be introduced with Thoth-Amon’s Stronghold. As in any raid instance the loot is very important and there should be new interesting items available for everybody to enjoy!

Story wise this will conclude not only the main raiding thread, there are others who are interested in the dealings of one of the most powerful men in the world and his allies. As Thoth-Amon has gathered many of his most powerful allies in his stronghold the extent of his power becomes quite apparent. Some are probably already aware that Thoth-Amon is the force behind a lot of the problems in the world; including your own misfortune at the start of the game but now it may just be as apparent.

As far as the encounters go we don’t really want to give away too much. But who knows: perhaps someone will have to pay the ultimate prize, like having the Mark of Acheron reapplied, and maybe washing up on a beach near Tortage, again? Ok, so maybe we won’t do that. We do hope the encounters will prove a fun and interesting challenge for everybody. we dare say the foundation we’re building our raid encounters on has improved radically since Wing 3 was released, and I think that will be reflected in the encounters.

Finally, we are adding something the players have been requesting for a long time – a token system. The token system will be added to Tier 1 and Tier 2 as well as Tier 3. Hopefully this will help alleviate some of the randomness (or perceived lack thereof) in the loot drops.

Tarib wrote: Update 1.06 - Raid Loot Token System

Update 1.06 also adds something the players have been requesting for a long time – a token system for raid loot. The token system is added to Tier 1 and Tier 2 as well as Tier 3 raids. Hopefully this will help alleviate some of the randomness (or perceived lack thereof) in the loot drops.

Under this Token System, a player will first obtain a 'relic' drop from slaying a raid boss. These relic items come in several varieties, including one type that is archetype specific. When used in your inventory, these relic items add tokens to your character.

You can then use tokens to purchase items from an in-game vendor that are priced in some amount of tokens plus gold. The token vendors are located in Old Tarantia near the Temple of Mitra, and in Kheshatta near the npc Nefersuktum. You will need to enter a door at both of these locations to access the vendor instance. There is a Royal Collector vendor in King Conan's Castle that will sell special armor to soldiers in exchange for tokens.

A number of rewards are now available only through tokens, a number of rewards are available through both tokens and as a drop, and a number of special rewards are only available as a drop. This means quite a bit more gear available through T3 overall than was available in T2. This allows us to offer a lot more choices to the player, give the player a safety-net that is free from the randomness of loot rolls, but still retain the "what's on the corpse?" factor which we feel adds a lot of anticipation and excitement to encounter completion.

For example : the entire T3 set may be purchased via tokens, but the belt, gloves, wrists and shoulders can additionally drop off bosses. Therefore players have a choice whether to spend their tokens on these pieces, or get the drop and spend their tokens on some other reward that cannot drop.