Release Date timing and content update for Update 59

[Cordovan]

Earlier this year we released our Producer's Letter looking ahead to 2023, and as sometimes happens, we occasionally re-evaluate our schedule based on the work being done. We're getting ready to release an update that is expected to make improvements to game performance, and our work to update Droaam is also moving ahead of its initial time frame. As a result, we are shifting our release plans for Q2 and Q3, and moving up our Droaam update to Update 59. This will include an update to both the free dungeons associated with the story in addition to the Attack on Stormreach adventure pack. We expect to have our first Lamannia preview next week, so keep an eye out for further information. Players can expect to hear more about Vecna Unleashed in the coming months!

[rabidfox]

Couple questions:
Will the Q3 updated raid be swapped to Q2 with Droaam too?
Is Vecna being aimed for Q3 now (instead of Q2- which means its raid would be Q3)?

Just trying to figure out when to likely expect the next raid.

[MistaMagic]

Earlier this year we released our Producer's Letter looking ahead to 2023, and as sometimes happens, we occasionally re-evaluate our schedule based on the work being done. We're getting ready to release an update that is expected to make improvements to game performance, and our work to update Droaam is also moving ahead of its initial time frame. As a result, we are shifting our release plans for Q2 and Q3, and moving up our Droaam update to Update 59. This will include an update to both the free dungeons associated with the story in addition to the Attack on Stormreach adventure pack. We expect to have our first Lamannia preview next week, so keep an eye out for further information. Players can expect to hear more about Vecna Unleashed in the coming months!

So just to clarify you are swapping around Vecna and Droaam but everything else is staying the same or is all of Q2 now Q3 and vice versa?

[Cordovan]

Couple questions:
Will the Q3 updated raid be swapped to Q2 with Droaam too?
Is Vecna being aimed for Q3 now (instead of Q2- which means its raid would be Q3)?

Just trying to figure out when to likely expect the next raid.

No, the "raid" referenced in the Producer's Letter is not being moved. Its exact status is unclear currently, although we do intend to do the work. We'll have more about its timing once we know more. Yes on Vecna, although Q3 isn't actually all that far away. We'll have more specific timing about our preview plans for it and beyond as we get closer to that point in the process.

[AbyssalMage]

Earlier this year we released our Producer's Letter looking ahead to 2023, and as sometimes happens, we occasionally re-evaluate our schedule based on the work being done. We're getting ready to release an update that is expected to make improvements to game performance, and our work to update Droaam is also moving ahead of its initial time frame. As a result, we are shifting our release plans for Q2 and Q3, and moving up our Droaam update to Update 59. This will include an update to both the free dungeons associated with the story in addition to the Attack on Stormreach adventure pack. We expect to have our first Lamannia preview next week, so keep an eye out for further information. Players can expect to hear more about Vecna Unleashed in the coming months!

Thinking positively... Thinking positively... Thinking positively... Thanks for the open communication. Yeah. Yeah. Thinking positively...

[ilzarion]

So old school canon Vecna lives: Tovag Baragu instance? , Vecna Reborn, intersection with all the Ravenloft material i assume you have rights to? , and most unlikely Die Vecna Die the Monte cook planescape invasion (most unlikely).
Or do your own thing? , I am excited to see how SSG brings Vecna into the meta of their game. Market forces being what they are, there is also the Vecna incarnation of stranger things...
GL hitting the sweet spot of old and new, can't wait.

[Magnus_Arcanis]

Hello,

Concerning the new Epic Destiny. Is that expected to release in Q2 or Q3?

Super excited for the new option.

[Cordovan]

Hello,

Concerning the new Epic Destiny. Is that expected to release in Q2 or Q3?

Super excited for the new option.

The new Epic Destiny is currently expected to be associated with Vecna Unleashed, so Q3.

[Xgya]

If nothing else, I'm happy about some more communication on the forums.

[karatemack]

Droam update should be interesting! Hopefully we get an update to the crafting system there.

Legendary Vampric Stonedust Wraps?

[Arkat]

Legendary Vampric Stonedust Wraps?

I thought you said you were a Cleric guy?

You got some sort of Ceric/Sacred Fist build in mind?

[Caarb]

Droam update should be interesting!

Im dreading the Droam update. This is by far the best work ever done by the team and I dont think the current devs can improve on it. If we get an awful corrupt a wish refresh like Catacombs I will not be happy. If they mostly leave heroic alone (with a loot refresh) and progress the story with the Legendary version then I will be happy.

[karatemack]

I thought you said you were a Cleric guy?

You got some sort of Ceric/Sacred Fist build in mind?

I'm thinking a clonk of some sort. Won't be R10 endgame... but should be fun!

[thegreatcthulhu]

So old school canon Vecna lives: Tovag Baragu instance? , Vecna Reborn, intersection with all the Ravenloft material i assume you have rights to? , and most unlikely Die Vecna Die the Monte cook planescape invasion (most unlikely).
Or do your own thing? , I am excited to see how SSG brings Vecna into the meta of their game. Market forces being what they are, there is also the Vecna incarnation of stranger things...
GL hitting the sweet spot of old and new, can't wait.

Interesting you brought that up. While I see Vecna Lives (with or without Eberron influence) being the most likely, I won't rule out RL either. I saw a rumor on the DDO wiki a while ago that they were thinking about using Ravenloft some more.

[SpardaX]

The new Epic Destiny is currently expected to be associated with Vecna Unleashed, so Q3.

I remember hearing about this new destiny a few weeks ago, on one of your streams. And that it would be on Lam in the coming week (which would be 2 or 3 weeks ago now). But the Lam Forums have no mention of anything new since the Archtypes. Did it actually get shown on Lam and just didn't get added to the Lam forums? Or did it not end up getting shown at all?

[Cruxader]

Earlier this year we released our Producer's Letter looking ahead to 2023, and as sometimes happens, we occasionally re-evaluate our schedule based on the work being done. We're getting ready to release an update that is expected to make improvements to game performance, and our work to update Droaam is also moving ahead of its initial time frame. As a result, we are shifting our release plans for Q2 and Q3, and moving up our Droaam update to Update 59. This will include an update to both the free dungeons associated with the story in addition to the Attack on Stormreach adventure pack. We expect to have our first Lamannia preview next week, so keep an eye out for further information. Players can expect to hear more about Vecna Unleashed in the coming months!

Thank you for this, 100% directionally correct.
It seems SSG is coming around to the understanding that if lag is not finally really seriously addressed there can be no dense servers, and no dense servers mean folks stop gaming as they can't fill raids, LFMs, guilds et cetera.

I hope the player community asking for new content likewise understands that without FIRST addressing the lag to allow for dense servers, all the new content in the world won't matter as folks either:
1. wont be able to run it well due to lag on the big servers or
2. wont be able to run it well due to lack of dense server population on the other servers.

All roads forward lead through fixing the lag first in a serious way.
Best of luck and hope this can be addressed.

Sincerely,
Cru

[superevbully]

Thank you for this, 100% directionally correct.
It seems SSG is coming around to the understanding that if lag is not finally really seriously addressed there can be no dense servers, and no dense servers mean folks stop gaming as they can't fill raids, LFMs, guilds et cetera.

I hope the player community asking for new content likewise understands that without FIRST addressing the lag to allow for dense servers, all the new content in the world won't matter as folks either:
1. wont be able to run it well due to lag on the big servers or
2. wont be able to run it well due to lack of dense server population on the other servers.

All roads forward lead through fixing the lag first in a serious way.
Best of luck and hope this can be addressed.

Sincerely,
Cru

this sums up my thoughts as well ....the communication and lag being highlighted for me

[Cordovan]

I remember hearing about this new destiny a few weeks ago, on one of your streams. And that it would be on Lam in the coming week (which would be 2 or 3 weeks ago now). But the Lam Forums have no mention of anything new since the Archtypes. Did it actually get shown on Lam and just didn't get added to the Lam forums? Or did it not end up getting shown at all?

The preview is still coming. The preview schedule recently underwent a bit of a shakeup, part of this announcement, really. Expect to see the next Lamannia preview next week, but the Epic Destiny won't get a preview until closer to our preview cycle for Vecna Unleashed.

[Villefere]

Lag is mostly client side, most of us are unaffected by it.

[analexius]

Lag is mostly client side, most of us are unaffected by it.

It looks like all my guild has under par hardware and laggy fibre connections then...

I might need a smidget of wisdom here, what is your HW configuration not to have lag please?

I run 64gb ram, rtx2060, ryzen7 and nvme pci4, i might be a bit short XD,

Jokes aside, the lag is what drove loads of people away from the game, that needs to be P0 for the team, we love the game and play it for the last 16 years for a reason,

There were talks to migrate the servers some years ago, not sure it will ever happen...

rgds,

Analexius, BrassusCassius Argo.