End of the week with Major Malphunktion 9.23.11

[Produktion_Malphunktion]

Another crazy week. People say coming up to launch is chaos, sometimes it is the weeks after one that is even busier. It basically adds another project to the list, patch gets added to the workload while Update 12 is already at full swing. We will have a hot fix ‘soon’ as in the next week to 10 days, and then a Patch another few weeks away.

Now,I have some good news and some bad news. Go ahead get your torches and pitchforks…I’ll wait.




OK you’re back?
First the bad: Crystal Cove items are going to become Bound to Character (BtC) when the items are updated. This is how it is supposed to be. We noticed this issue back during the event, and decided at the time to leave it alone, it was our birthday at the time and bigger prizes the better for the celebration.
But now this is ‘fixed’, and is like all the other places with this kind of loot in the game. Sorry. We should have had this in the release notes, but I will admit I did not cast my net far enough into the past to notice the fix. Sorry for the confusion. So, before Crystal Cove goes live, if you have items that you want to upgrade (which will make them Bound to Character), move your items to the characters that you want to own them! Note that this only affects items that will be upgraded when Crystal Cove returns, your current loot should not see its bind state change unless you try to upgrade it.
1. BTA cove items with Epic slots remained BTA when a crystal was slotted in the past. Will they remain BTA if a crystal is slotted right now? yes
2. Will old BTA Epic items remain BTA if you slot a crystal after the hotfix? yes
3. Will old BTA Epic items remain BTA if you clear the slot right now? yes
4. Will old BTA Epic items remain BTA if you clear the slot after the hotfix? yes
The only time it will become BTC is if you put it in the barter box and upgrade it.

Now the good:

• Crystal Cove is back from repair(EDIT) and in QA.It will come back sometime around the hotfix. The flip the switch day is up to Marketing, not me.( I love it and would have it on all the time) Oddly it was the same exact bug that caused some crashing issues a while back, due to mushrooms in Red Fens. So, if you examined the door (actually the darkness behind the door) it would crash the instance. See, it was the mushrooms fault…sort of. Why a mushroom and a door work the same is one of those mysteries of life, and maybe only David Attenborough knows the connection.

• We fixed melee attacks. This will be in the hot fix. (cheers!)

• We are still looking at lag- it is a tricky one, but we have a band-aid that may help that is going out with the hot fix.



Then, in the next patch…yes, a sneak peek(Note: these are not set in stone, and due to issues found may be pulled from the patch at any time)

Handwraps! No really:

• Lawful/Chaotic/Evil Outsider Bane is now working on crafted or named handwraps.
• Byeshk Weapons artificer spell now works on handwraps
• Bodyfeeder on crafted handwraps now procs! Feed away.
• competence and an enhancement bonus to attack can now stack on crafted handwraps
• Crafting: Handwraps are now useable in recipes that require the target weapon to be bludgeoning. For example, you can now put the "Stunning" effects on handwraps.
• Mabar Handwraps will no longer be horribly OP.
• Crafting: Enhancement bonus effects can now be deconstructed from handwraps to produce Enhancement Spirit. Before this fix, the enhancement bonus deconstruction option just wouldn't appear at the crafting device for handwraps.
• Added the new handwrap enhancement bonus deconstruction recipes to the item deconstruction device.

Hirelings!
• Arcane hirelings have learned that ranged spells serve them best when they stay out of melee range, and will no longer charge into close-quarters combat.
• Display cool down timers for Pet and Hireling active abilities on the control shortcut bar
• Cleric hirelings have realized that they have weapons, and will now be a little more willing to use them - but only when they don't need to heal anyone
• Some improvements in the AI system to make your hirelings and pets more responsive to player command. Please note that the hireling or pet will not stop in midcast to listen to your order, but will perform the requested action once it is legal for him to do so.
• Players can now zone into raid enabled adventure areas with their hireling(s). Please note hirelings continue to be barred from raid dungeons.

And a bunch of other stuff!!
Back to the mines! Yark!

Go Pats!
Major Malphunktion

[Rosze]

First!!!
Ty for updating beter than trying to read it from the original one cause its realy active.

• Mabar Handwraps will no longer be horribly OP.

Nooo... Whyy? They are the only epic wraps in game exept the alcemical ones so dont they deserve it.

• We fixed melee attacks. This will be in the hot fix. (cheers!)
Great so does this meen also hadwraps attacs work or only normal less bugy mele.

[rimble]

Obviously you realize this already, but the constant BtA / BtC flip-flops are really **** annoying.

And of course, handwraps...keep pluggin' away at 'em!

Thanks for the 'end of the week' posts, they're awesome.

[Phidius]

While the change from BtA to BtC doesn't really surprise or dismay me, I'm going to craft some new Epic items from scratch, and leave my BtA alone.

I'm sure that at some undisclosed point in the future, they will all be forced to BtC regardless of whether they are upgraded or not, but I'll get use out of them while I can.

Edit: Oh, and weekly communication threads rock so hard!

[Cam_Neely]

just a general /thumbsup to 'End of the week with Major Malphunktion' posts in general. Great idea Major!

[Jhenissa]

Handwraps! No really:

• Lawful/Chaotic/Evil Outsider Bane is now working on crafted or named handwraps.
• Byeshk Weapons artificer spell now works on handwraps
• Bodyfeeder on crafted handwraps now procs! Feed away.
• competence and an enhancement bonus to attack can now stack on crafted handwraps
• Crafting: Handwraps are now useable in recipes that require the target weapon to be bludgeoning. For example, you can now put the "Stunning" effects on handwraps.
• Mabar Handwraps will no longer be horribly OP.
• Crafting: Enhancement bonus effects can now be deconstructed from handwraps to produce Enhancement Spirit. Before this fix, the enhancement bonus deconstruction option just wouldn't appear at the crafting device for handwraps.
• Added the new handwrap enhancement bonus deconstruction recipes to the item deconstruction device.


Major Malphunktion

Simply...Thank you.

[corporalspaz]

Hey MM from one military man to another, just wanted to give you a thumbs up for all your work. Regardless of how i feel about the actual changes to the great game of DDO I must say your feedback on these forums is well appreciated.

Wait... you're not a real major are you.... :-D

[Don1966]

Crystal Cove items are going to become Bound to Character (BtC) when the items are updated. This is how it is supposed to be. We noticed this issue back during the event, and decided at the time to leave it alone, it was our birthday at the time and bigger prizes the better for the celebration.
But now this is ‘fixed’, and is like all the other places with this kind of loot in the game. Sorry. We should have had this in the release notes, but I will admit I did not cast my net far enough into the past to notice the fix. Sorry for the confusion. So, before Crystal Cove goes live, if you have items that you want to upgrade (which will make them Bound to Character), move your items to the characters that you want to own them! Note that this only affects items that will be upgraded when Crystal Cove returns, your current loot should not see its bind state change unless you try to upgrade it.

Major Malphunktion

a little clarification on this if you please. if we have existing items, made the last time CC was around, if we upgrade them to the next tier they will be BTA. if we create a brand new item when CC goes live, is it going to be BTA or BTC? if we create a new item, then upgrade it to tier 2 or 3 is that going to be BTA or BTC? if the answer is BTC to all or most then that is going to cut 90% of the time i was planning on spending in CC.

[smatt]

a little clarification on this if you please. if we have existing items, made the last time CC was around, if we upgrade them to the next tier they will be BTA. if we create a brand new item when CC goes live, is it going to be BTA or BTC? if we create a new item, then upgrade it to tier 2 or 3 is that going to be BTA or BTC? if the answer is BTC to all or most then that is going to cut 90% of the time i was planning on spending in CC.

Looks like he said old/current items will stay as is unless you try to upgrade them. Any upgrade, whether it's in epic ritual device, or a CC upgrad ewhen it reopens iwll bind it too character. All new itmes aquired when it comes out will be BTC period end of story. Not sure about things like the little air ellie cheat stones etc...


That's what I got..

[Kalari]

that just means the few items I didnt tier up and have sitting in my shared bank will not be upgraded unless I really want that alt to have it. but now got to worry I have a couple of nice fully upgraded level 20 cove items that are not bound yet cause I didnt add augments to them yet now I dont want to touch them since they are still bound to account.

still all in all better to know then to find out while trying to upgrade them on my cove mule that would **** me off to have a sorc full of useless items.

[aiastelmon]

So when is the cove opening? Surely not 7-10 days from now?

[voodoogroves]

Clarity on what goes BTC and when would be appreciated.

If I have a BTA epic item and I slot it w/ Lahar, does it go BTC?
If I have a BTA epic item and I clear it w/ 3 tokens w/ Lahar, does it go BTC?

[Morlen]

You have the ring! And I see your swartz is as big as mine!

Thanks for the continued effort to keep the community out of the dark. Much appreciated.

(+1, keep this up and your greenis won't even fit on the screen.)

[DnDo-Lemau]

You have the ring! And I see your swartz is as big as mine!

Thanks for the continued effort to keep the community out of the dark. Much appreciated.

(+1, keep this up and your greenis won't even fit on the screen.)

It's the Cove, so in this case it's a SwARRRRRtz

How about leaving the Barter Box around, maybe some where in the harbor. So those that have farmed ingredients can make new items for future characters. Not quite as good as a BTA item, but if you are willing to grind you can at least equip new characters.

Vordax

/signed.

[The_Phenx]

it's The Cove, So In This Case It's A Swarrrrrtz



/signed. :d

Schwartz

[Shade]

What I don't get:

Why isn't this much talked about patch/hotfix on Lamannia right now?

We all know too well how things turn out when patches go straight to live without any player testing.

(BADLY for those new)

[fatherpirate]

I support the Cleric/FS hireling fix.

Lets face it, I am solo with a cleric, I tell him/her to attack the 'whatever' on the left so I can
deal with the 2 on the right.

Current behavior - cleric/FS throws some token spell at it..then just stands there.

If I tell a hireling to attack something..I want them to do that.

[rayworks]

Yes, I'll repeat it.

When will the Cove go live?

I note that you very cleverly didn't mention when in your post. Given that you know we'd want to know, I take it you did it on purpose. Why?

[Yetzederixx]

I think it's hilarious that so many people see the switch from BtA to BtC as a nerfing. Every other epic item in the game is BtC. It would take six generations of having a father/brother to not see this change coming.

Good work on communication. We shouldn't of learned of many of the changes from some guy at a convention, and I think a good chunk of the recent flaming/trolling could have been prevented if Turbine had bothered to do something like this.

"Hey guys! There's a new class coming in, but it'll be a favor reward and unfortunately we don't have enough quests built/tested at this time for you to earn it." (I still say VIP's should of got a discount on it, but that's another gripe.) See? Took me 10 seconds to write that.

Keep up the good work.

[rimble]

I think it's hilarious that so many people see the switch from BtA to BtC as a nerfing. Every other epic item in the game is BtC.

Did he say it just applied to the Epic versions? If so I missed that...