U45 Preview 2: Revamped "Catacombs" and Delera's Tomb"

[Cocomajobo]

Update 45 is expected to contain revamped versions of both the "Catacombs" and "Delera's Tomb" adventure packs. This revamp will include the debut of Epic versions of the quests in addition to polish of the existing Heroic versions. The quests that have seen this polish pass are listed below:

Catacombs

• The Friar's Niece 3/23
• Return to the Sanctuary 3/23
• The Old Archives 3/23
• The Crypt of Gerard Dryden 3/23
• Setting the Wards: The Lower Cathedral 3/23
• Setting the Wards: The Patriarchs' Crypt 3/23
• Endgame: Marguerite 3/23
• Endgame: The Archbishop's Fate 4/23

Delera's Graveyard

• The Mystery of Delera's Tomb 5/27
• The Missing Party 7/27
• Free Delera 7/27
• Return to Delera's Tomb 6/27
• Thrall of the Necromancer 8/27

Known Issues

• Catacombs: Some chests in the catacombs are giving items from an old treasure table
• Catacombs: Some of the DM audio is interrupted by the next line of dialogue before it finishes.
• Catacombs: the Vendor Nina Bringtheart has a string table error as one of her two choices of dialogue.
• Catacombs: in the quest journal the questline for epic catacombs will be called ~CR 23 QUEST ARC after completion of the questline
• Catacombs: Human zombie drops empty treasure bags
• Catacombs: Skeleton archer drops empty treasure bags
• Catacombs:Crazed Werewolf has a typo in its name.
• Catacombs: Typo in the quest " ENDGAME: Marguerite"
• Catacombs: Typos in Archbishop Dryden dialogue
• Delera's: skeleton archer drops empty treasure bags
• Delera's: Greater Arcane Skeleton drops empty treasure bags
• Delera's: The end quest rewards for both The "Delera's Tomb" quest line and the "Return to delera's Tomb" Epic quest line are giving out Heroic Loot

Bugs Fixed Since Preview 1

• Archbishop Dryden now wears Silver Flame robes like he should have always

[Aelonwy]

I spent time two weeks ago running both of these on Lammania, in epics to see the changes. Epic Catacombs was rife with improvements and awesome indeed. Epic Delera's not so much. Aside from that one lever in quest2 being changed to a multi-lever puzzle I didn't notice any significant changes in either decoration, mobs, or story.

Your notes do NOT indicate if there have been any changes whatsoever to Delera's since the first preview.

Has Delera's undergone some significant Wow-factor of changes that I should log on to see? Or should I instead spend some time trying to figure out alchemist because there is nothing more to see here than I have already seen?

[Quikster]

I feel like you're missing an opportunity to add mid-epic throwing dagger in deleras.

[Cocomajobo]

I spent time two weeks ago running both of these on Lammania, in epics to see the changes. Epic Catacombs was rife with improvements and awesome indeed. Epic Delera's not so much. Aside from that one lever in quest2 being changed to a multi-lever puzzle I didn't notice any significant changes in either decoration, mobs, or story.

Your notes do NOT indicate if there have been any changes whatsoever to Delera's since the first preview.

Has Delera's undergone some significant Wow-factor of changes that I should log on to see? Or should I instead spend some time trying to figure out alchemist because there is nothing more to see here than I have already seen?

Delera's has not seen any design changes since preview 1.

[AlmGhandi]

Delera's has not seen any design changes since preview 1.

Maybe they could get the voice actor back to make more of an "epic" feel to Epic deleras……

[Aelonwy]

Delera's has not seen any design changes since preview 1.

Thank you. I will spend my Lammania time trying to figure out alchemist then.

[Frogger1234]

Maybe they could get the voice actor back to make more of an "epic" feel to Epic deleras……

You mean Gary Gygax? It would be some trick to get him back for more voice acting.

[Noir]

Maybe they could get the voice actor back to make more of an "epic" feel to Epic deleras……

Aside from some computer generated wizardry.
I can safely say this is never going happen.
And under no circumstances should the voice actor be "replaced" in this chain.

[AlmGhandi]

Aside from some computer generated wizardry.
I can safely say this is never going happen.

Why?
They just need to contact him. Offer enough $$ and anything is possible....

[Noir]

Why?
They just need to contact him. Offer enough $$ and anything is possible....

I hope you are not trolling but it is impossible because
Gary Gygax passed away.

[Aelonwy]

Why?
They just need to contact him. Offer enough $$ and anything is possible....

They would need a necromancer or voodoo priestess. And while thematically appropriate it would still be evil.

[AlmGhandi]

They would need a necromancer or voodoo priestess. And while thematically appropriate it would still be evil.

What?

[Aelonwy]

What?

Answer was right above me.

I hope you are not trolling but it is impossible because
Gary Gygax passed away.

Delera's is voiced by Gary Gygax. He passed away in 2008.

[AlmGhandi]

Answer was right above me.



Delera's is voiced by Gary Gygax. He passed away in 2008.

***? E. Gary Gygax is dead?????
(((((

EDIT: Well I guess that explains 4E

[janave]

Nevermind sorry, didnt check notes, at midnight im not on my top game

[Noir]

Delete: Should have read the thread first post regarding "loot"

[Loromir]

You mean Gary Gygax? It would be some trick to get him back for more voice acting.

That would be EPIC!!!!

[dragons1ayer74]

So tested a full run through of the Catacombs Last night on Epic Hard with a level 22 cleric.

Loved the revamp of the story loved all the little extras in the environment so well done on this part. It was also very nice to see that I could turn the trash undead.

I am not sure how the devs are trying to balance the game for new content or what the base level is but every time they make these new low/mid level epics it seems they keep amping up the difficulty. At a low level epics for most characters your spell DCs are not massively better than good DCs in heroics. If they want to make reaper (especially high reaper hard) go for it, but I want to play the game to have fun and have a chance to pull loot and get rewarded (XP) for my time. The balance IMO was horrible for a relatively low level epic quest this was by far the toughest EH quest chain I have ever attempted. The monster HP was not over inflated for an EH quest but not sure what it was but it felt like over all the dungeon as a whole hit too hard and hit too often. Also the monsters had great saves and every spider and ghoul I encountered had evasion making most of my AOE spells useless on these specific monsters, which epically in the early few chapters there were many spiders. I was on the verge of dying almost every quest (and most encounters with spiders/spiderlings) and did die a total of 4 times making this seem a struggle. The traps felt in line with other EH quests.

Lastly the XP was extremely low I really hope that these are not the values that go live. It took me an hour to do the chain and none of it was contributing towards a saga in a good hour of EH questing I can earn about 600K I did not keep track exactly but it felt based on for how far my epic level bar moved to be around 150K. The players want Epic variety in levelling an Epic life if the quests are not rewarding they will get played for loot and never visited again, and this to me would be sad and a wasted opportunity. Also none of these quests gave commendations at the end as reward options.

Also I mentioned this in the loot thread but it would be nice to see epic weapon from the named items from "The Crypt of Gerard Dryden", I got excited for a second when I seen the battleworn sword and the excitement quickly faded as it was the non epic version in my epic quest.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

I went into Catacombs first quest with a level 2 Alchemist, newly created, and though nothing but 3/4 Korthos.

For that one, it is a chore. But, on the other hand, Catacombs is level 3.
Attacking with Vial Of Sparks is awfully slow, attacking with a mace isn't funny, either. But - I had nothing eldse. Oh, and I totally forgot to use that Orb to block attacks.

I do like some parts of the new revamp.

The Dais of Archbishhip Dryden has left me with extremely mixed feelings :
Meanwhile the new version looks reallly beautiful, it totally ignores the psychological effect the ori´ginal dais had. I mean, you perhaps didn't notice, if you reworked it THAt way,
but the *original* dais on which Archbishop Dryden stands on has a huge opsychological effect . it makes the player/charactzer feel utterly small ! That it a very heavy demonstration of power !

This psychological demonstration of power fits in very nicely into the story of that quest chain. It has a reason why the character should feel small ...


That demonstration of absolute power is totally gone now. Archbishop Dryden is situated oin the same floor = on the same level as thre common man. Why would ... Archbishop Dryden ... do that ? I really don't want to spoil the story, buit this "powerlessness" doesn't fit into the last part of the story at all.


And then the narrator. He tries to do a good job, and I really, really acknowledge his efforts - but I don't like this narration at all. He just doesn't have this ... sinister feeling in his voice. The voice is far too slow, and, even although there are some nice accents and formulations, it just doesn't catch the scenery - what i mean is that he isn't able to transport that horror and dread into his voice.
On the other hand, his voice is imho absolutely exellent for Pirates !


Which leads me into another thing : The bats. They're gone. and with them another great ps<ychological effect . Panic. Panic to not be able to hit them. the same, but much, much milder kind of panic like with the animated heads in that special Mabar quest.

I think that psychological effect of the bats was not see or underrated as well : For a NEW player, it is an absolutely nightmare to be attacked and NOT be able to defend oneself !

Well, armor pieces with let's say ice guard have reduced that panic effect a LOT. Because even if a character stands still : The bat will die eventuaklly fro that "ice goiard" robe (or whatver).
Which means that this panic effect was the most strongest when items having "ice guard", "fire guard", "thorn guarD" etc. were extremely rare in the game. I've seen it in ... 2010 or so.

So, please : Put the bats back into it, and PLEASE ask the voice actor to try to put more horror and dread into his voice. Or just use the old voice.
And perhaps put Archbishop Dryden on a more elevated position (is this the right wording ? English is my second language). So that the player / character ses the message : "I have power !"

That chapel or what it is in which Archbishop Dryden stands right now is really beatiful - don't hesitate to use it in a brand new quest !

I cannot play through the rest of Catacombs because I need to get up early tomorrow (European time zone), so I'm frustrated that I cannot give more feedbak on it.

[SirValentine]

This revamp will include the debut of Epic versions of the quests

Shrug. This just means I'll stop running Catacombs & Delera's in Heroic.

You keep taking away Heroic-only quests. The last time you added any was...2013, I think? The three level-15 Disciples of Shadow quests. Has there been any new content just for Heroic since then?