- Mar 8, 2005
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Now that we've had a good play around with the source code and started to rebuild the servers from the ground up, I think it's time to officially announce our intention to launch Phoenix XE and Taral XE by Easter 2021.
Until now we have been running in beta, learning the new source code and generally getting a feel for the direction of where we want to take the server. It was requested fairly early on to create a server less focused on PvE and less strict on the ruleset, many of our old players asked us to bring back Taral for this reason.
So we now have a 3 part server setup planned:
Phoenix XE - Will continue to focus on PvE and be family-orientated, we have little people playing on this server already and its a place where a lot of our original players and staff can reconnect. This will be a low-medium rate server, by comparison, however, we have removed rebirth and current have content in-game up to player lv150.
Taral XE - Will contain no gameplay ruleset, you play how you want to play, kill steal, pk, PVP to your heart's content. Common sense social rules still apply, just be sensible. This will be a medium rate server, by comparison, and similarly has content in-game up to player lv 150.
PTR XE - All development work and updates will occur here first, this is where we will add content before sending it out to the main servers, this will give us a chance to test new features and do the needed balancing testing before sending it over to the main servers.
Both Phoenix XE and Taral XE will share almost all features but will have some server-specific feature where needed. They will also be starting from fresh so yes a complete restart, once launched we plan to utilise a season style leaderboard to allow new waves of players to compete for rankings as well as allowing longer-term players to still compete and collect their own achievements.
All of the servers will use our modified Zircon codebase (Aptly codenamed ZirconXE) so whilst a lot of things may be similar now, we are likely to get further and further away from the main code base)
The estimated launch date is currently set for Easter 2021, which we are currently on target to meet.
I will go into details about the main changes later, but a summary of the larger changes can be found below:
Discord Channel Link: https://discord.gg/WrWg9fbR
Alternatively, Search Discord for Xtreme Servers
I'll update some more closer to the release window, I'll be more active on our Discord channel until then.
Until now we have been running in beta, learning the new source code and generally getting a feel for the direction of where we want to take the server. It was requested fairly early on to create a server less focused on PvE and less strict on the ruleset, many of our old players asked us to bring back Taral for this reason.
So we now have a 3 part server setup planned:
Phoenix XE - Will continue to focus on PvE and be family-orientated, we have little people playing on this server already and its a place where a lot of our original players and staff can reconnect. This will be a low-medium rate server, by comparison, however, we have removed rebirth and current have content in-game up to player lv150.
Taral XE - Will contain no gameplay ruleset, you play how you want to play, kill steal, pk, PVP to your heart's content. Common sense social rules still apply, just be sensible. This will be a medium rate server, by comparison, and similarly has content in-game up to player lv 150.
PTR XE - All development work and updates will occur here first, this is where we will add content before sending it out to the main servers, this will give us a chance to test new features and do the needed balancing testing before sending it over to the main servers.
Both Phoenix XE and Taral XE will share almost all features but will have some server-specific feature where needed. They will also be starting from fresh so yes a complete restart, once launched we plan to utilise a season style leaderboard to allow new waves of players to compete for rankings as well as allowing longer-term players to still compete and collect their own achievements.
All of the servers will use our modified Zircon codebase (Aptly codenamed ZirconXE) so whilst a lot of things may be similar now, we are likely to get further and further away from the main code base)
The estimated launch date is currently set for Easter 2021, which we are currently on target to meet.
I will go into details about the main changes later, but a summary of the larger changes can be found below:
- Waystones, teleport locations that can be revisited once found, these exist in the overworld and in dungeons.
- New Mounts System, mounts are now items, you can collect many (currently 15 mounts available in-game)
- Drop system overhaul, drops are now categorised differently, there are level range drop tables, monster-specific drops and area-specific drops. This means you will always find items relevant to the monster/area level, you no longer have to stay in one place and it makes going to new locations worthwhile.
In terms of the drops chances for players it now works out like this:
1) Level Range Drop Chance
2) Monster Specific Drop Chance
3) Area Specific Drop Chance
4) Bonus Items Drop Chance (Such as potion explosions or bonus items)
5) Event-Based Drop Chance - Item Naming Framework, this works similar to prefix/suffix items from the diablo series, sometimes when an item drops it has a chance of gaining a name, these names assign new stats to the dropped item, there is even a possibility of the item obtaining a players name (draws from players that are currently online when this happens). On top of this naming bonus, we also implemented a chance upgrade system, dropped items can also randomly achieve a rarity class upgrade and gain additional stats this way too.
- We have a creature capture system with ~70 obtainable pets across the whole game, pets can also be levelled up and gain there own experience, levels and stats making each one unique even when you have the same type. Pet Shards count as items, and can be traded, and will also retain stats after trade.
- Boss Soul collection, as an additional reward for defeating bosses, you collect their souls and can use them as a sort of currency to spawn a boss in the Hall of Souls (accessible from Sanctuary map).
- The synthesis system is currently going through a redevelopment effort, synthesis points can still be collected from any sub-boss or boss mob, but until the synthesis forge is ingame all original refining systems are working as expected.
- Behemoth class monsters are in game, these are essentially what scions used to be if you used to play our server and can appear at various levels of play from low-level caves up through end game content areas.
- Rift Raids are ingame, currently available are: (Once certain requirements are met a Rift Stone will spawn, these take you to Rift only dungeons)
Temple of Kings (4 floors, multiple bosses, mega boss and area only items)
ToK was a big one (the base game is there already and it’s all been rebalanced seemingly well for now at least.
Arcane Library (Multiple floors, centred around skill book hunting - Companions are in and working with custom item filters, inventory size was increased massively, and all item weights changed to 1.
- Skill systems have been completely revamped, we've changed the way elements affect spell power formula's, which makes owning element plus items much more worthwhile. We've also edited skill powers, costs and requirements for almost every skill in-game. Removed all cooldown timers apart from a few exceptions, and improved summons.
- Also added some custom warrior skills (shouts that buff the caster and their party), a new poison style skill for wizards.
- Replaced the 'shield' slot with a wider-ranging 'Off-Hand' item slot, these items allow for new play styles with existing classes. Such as being able to have a Warrior that can kit out to be a true tank, or a Wizard that focuses on a certain elemental power, or a Taoist that can be a true healer or summoner subclass, or an Assassin that can focus on High DPS or Poisons.
- Healing wells were added to most of the safe zones for a free way to heal up characters and pets
- Castle wars are working and other forms of organised PvP are in development.
- I've probably missed more important changes, but feel free to connect to the discord channels for more up to date information.
- Removed rebirth, base level cap set at Lv100, all base stats aligned based on class (these are unique to our server)
- Added Ascension system, this allows a player to go beyond Lv100, currently supports up to character level 250, every additional character ascension adds +10 to the characters level cap and unlocks a +1 to skill level cap (currently up to skill level 10)
Discord Channel Link: https://discord.gg/WrWg9fbR
Alternatively, Search Discord for Xtreme Servers
I'll update some more closer to the release window, I'll be more active on our Discord channel until then.
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