|
|
|
|
| 11/30/2003 | CLAN JAKARTA STORYTELLING |
|---|---|
| On December 18th at 8pm eastern, Clan Jakarta will host a small storytelling event on Hearthstone's steps. Lord Ardwen, renowned merchant and member of Clan Jakarta, is scheduled to dazzle the public with a tale. Afterwards, participants may tell their own stories as well. | |
| 11/30/2003 | ANNUAL SORCERY CAUCUS |
|
As the seasons change, it is once again time for the Sorcerer Headmaster's Caucus to convene to discuss revelations on the Art of Sorcery, and what, if any, impact last year's motions have placed upon it. The Caucus shall be gathering in Ta'Illistim this year, but the location remains relatively quiet outside of the Headmaster's circle. All the members are expected to arrive by the week of the 1st of Eorgaen.
(Nothing is as it seems, and what it seems maybe nothing it is. One is best to keep their eyes open, maybe for nothing at all.) |
|
| 11/29/2003 | KOAR'S SHRINE WARMS TO THE PHYSICAL PROFESSIONS |
| Koar's Shrine at the Top of the World on Mt. Aenatumgana now provides solace and a welcome place to rest for those of the physical professions as it has done for many a year for those following the route of magics. Just as the magical professions expressed their power and are allowed entry into the quiet respite of the Shrine, the martial professions may now, through a touching moment before Koar's Crown, gain entry as well. One must have the endurance and forebearance to make it through the moment though to enter. | |
| 11/29/2003 | ARCHERS, FLETCHERS, AND NEAT FREAKS REJOICE! |
|
Cleaning up life's little messes just got easier! The new GATHER command will allow you to collect all identical arrows, bolts, or fletched shafts from the ground and automatically place them in one bundle in your hand. This command uses the same rules as bundling these items.
Additionally, you may now drop entire bundles of ranged ammunition into an identical bundle in a container, instead of one missile at a time. |
|
| 11/28/2003 | ANNUAL SILVERGATE GALA |
| Come ye all! To the elegant annual Silvergate Gala! Wear your finest apparel and accoutrements to mingle and dance and enjoy a fabulous evening filled with courtly minstrels, tantalizing food and liqueurs, captivating entertainment and exquisite finery for sale. Mark your calendars! This Feastday, the 6th day of Eorgaen between the hours of 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM Elven time. (Saturday, December 6th.) | |
| 11/27/2003 | THE NEW GEMSTONE IV COMBAT MODEL |
|
In GemStone III, combat often didn't last past the first round because criticals played such an important role in the system. This type of combat was extremely deadly ... not just for creatures, but also for players. In GemStone IV, combat is less dependant on criticals, so it becomes more important that you take creatures' hit points.
CHANGES TO CRITICALS As before, your crit is based on your weapon's DF (Damage Factor) as well as how hard you hit. Various other factors are involved as well: your dexterity bonus, crit weighting on your weapon, your target's constitution bonus, and your target's crit resistance. However, now instead of determining your crit, these factors determine your MAXIMUM critical. Your minimum critical would be half of your maximum. A random roll between the maxinum and minimum determines the strength of your critical exactly. AMBUSH CHANGES Due to the randomness of criticals in GS4, ambushing is not as effective as it once was. This means that the character who primarly hunts using ambush tactics cannot expect to dispatch his targets on the first (or even second and third) hit on a regular basis. It would behoove the ambusher to train in a fashion that would allow them to take more hits then they are used to taking or even train to use a secondary combat method. EVADE, BLOCK, AND PARRY Evade, Block, and Parry are the three new "behind the scenes" combat additions, each taking place before the AS/DS check, seen when a character attacks a critter or vice versa. These are passive defenses, so players do not need to actively enter commands to evade, block, or parry an attack. For more information on combat: http://play.net/gs4/info/combatguide.asp |
|
| 11/27/2003 | FIVE NEW RACES |
|
In GemStone IV, you may now play one of five new races.
Aelotoi: Newly arrived in Elanthia from a home where they served as a slave race, the Aelotoi are flightless, winged humanoids. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/races/aelotoi.asp Burghal Gnomes: Excellent scavengers, and often thieves, burghal gnomes take great delight in the art of tinkering. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/races/burghalgnome.asp Erithians: Erithians pride themselves on their mastery of all knowledge. Shrouded in mysticism, their origin is unknown and frequently debated. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/races/erithians.asp Forest Gnomes: Forest gnomes live deep within Elanthia's forests and feel most at home among thickets, rivers, and streams. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/races/forestgnome.asp Half-Krolvin: The half-breed progeny of fierce Krolvin and their human victims, Half-Krolvin make mighty warriors. http://play.net/gs4/info/races/halfkrolvin.asp |
|
| 11/25/2003 | DECEMBER BUDDY MADNESS |
|
Every friend you refer in December who becomes a GemStone IV customer earns you an alteration AND a free month of GemStone IV!
For information on how you can participate visit: http://www.play.net/gs4/buddy/ |
|
| 11/24/2003 | GEMSTONE IV CREDITS |
| GemStone IV couldn't have occured without the help of many, many people. Here are many of the people responsibile for the creation of this game: http://www.play.net/gs4/news/features/credits.asp | |
| 11/24/2003 | SPELLBURST UPDATED IN OLD TA'F AND SKULL TEMPLE |
| The Spellburst effect that inhibits excessive use of magic defenses in Old Ta'Faendryl and the Skull Temple has been updated for GemStone IV. The previous version relied upon ranks in MIU, Scroll Reading and Mana Share. The new version includes ranks of all magic skills found in the Character Manager from Arcane Symbols to Lores and player level in its calculations. Further research should provide one with a fair idea how much additional help they will be able to obtain from magical defenses. | |
| 11/23/2003 | FAME TEMPORARILY DISABLED |
| Due to technical difficulties, the FAME verb has been temporarily disabled. Players will continue to earn fame as usual and individual fame may be checked at any time by using the EXP command. We apologize for the inconvenience and will update NEWS as soon as the FAME verb has been reactivated. | |
| 11/21/2003 | CONVERT |
|
For the next four weeks, CONVERT has been updated to allow a player to reselect, or select, a deity of their choice. Each player will be allowed two attempts at setting their deity alignment. After the four-week timeframe is up, this function will be disabled, and anyone with a deity selection will not be able to change his or her deity choice; also at this point, anyone without a deity selection will still be able to choose a deity, but they will only get one attempt.
For the time being, the ability to see your deity choice and how long one has worshiped said deity is disabled. This feature will return at the end of the four-week period. |
|
| 11/21/2003 | FAME LIST RESET |
| As a result of the reevaluation of player levels, the current entries on the fame list are no longer accurate. To remedy this, we will be clearing the current fame lists. After they are cleared, all characters will need to check in to a local inn to register their place on the fame list, if they so desire. | |
| 11/21/2003 | CONVERTING WIZARD SETTINGS TO STORMFRONT |
|
For those players who wish to access GemStone IV using StormFront, our new front end, a utility called ThunderMage is available for converting your Wizard highlights and macros to their StormFront equivalents.
To get the utility, go to http://www.play.net/gs4/downloads/#sfconvert and click the link in the middle of the page to download it. Once you have run ThunderMage and it has processed the settings, you then will need to log into the game using StormFront and select Import from the Settings submenu of the Options menu to add those settings to StormFront. |
|
| 11/20/2003 | WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE? |
|
They're going fast, so sign up now for your Character Portraits! Let our team of professional artists create a unique portrait of your character for all to see inside the game. Simply submit a description of your character and an artist will work from your own words!
To sign up, login to the play.net website and go to http://www.play.net/simunet_private/portraits/GS4portraits.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | NEW STEALING SYSTEM |
|
"Borrowing" from others is about to get a lot more interesting! Not only will you be able to steal from a specific container, but it will also be possible to steal more than coins and gems.
But likely targets need not be concerned, you now have recourse -- WATCH potential thieves to keep your valuables safe. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/pickpocket.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR VALUABLE ITEMS |
|
By registering your more valuable or unique items, GameMasters have a better chance to keep track of them should they need to be replaced or fixed. Should you lose an item, it will increase the possibility of getting it returned if you REGISTER it. You should especially register anything you purchase from another player.
You can register an item by either visiting the local registrar in your town hall, or by typing REGISTER anywhere within city limits. Hold the item you wish to register in your right hand when using the command. |
|
| 11/20/2003 | SAVE YOUR CHARACTER FROM DEATH HARDSHIPS |
| Be sure to gain favor with the gods, and receive your deeds to use in case of your death. The way to earn deeds may be mysterious, but it is well worth the effort. Those in the know hint that you should have at least three deeds at all times, and some even say you should have more. | |
| 11/20/2003 | MINOR SUMMONING NOT RELEASED WITH GS4 |
| Minor Summoning will not be released with the rest of GS4 because it is the feeling of the staff that such a major roleplaying change to the world of Elanthia should not suddenly just happen out of nowhere. The release will be ushered in with a roleplaying event to take place over the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled. | |
| 11/20/2003 | ROGUES AND WARRIORS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spell -- 119: Spirit Dispel
Modified Spell -- 140: Wall of Force Spells with Lore Modifications -- 110, 111, 120, 125, 400s: Minor Elemental Spell Circle (Elemental lores allow a character to become attuned to an element via the ATTUNE verb) For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | BARDS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spell -- 1035: Song of Tonis
Spells with Lore Modifications -- 400s: Minor Elemental Spell Circle (Elemental lores allow a character to become attuned to an element via the ATTUNE verb), 1002, 1004, 1007, 1009, 1012, 1014, 1015, 1016, 1030, 1035 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | RANGERS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spells -- 119: Spirit Dispel, 620: Resist Nature, 640: Wall of Thorns
Modified Spells -- 140: Wall of Force, 610 and 620 combined Spells with Lore Modifications -- 110, 111, 120, 125, 620 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | EMPATHS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spells -- 119: Spirit Dispel, 218: Spirit Servant, 1106: Bone Shatter, 1117: Empathic Link, 1118: Herb Production
Modified Spells -- 140: Wall of Force, 208: Living Rune, 1106 and 1109 combined, 1140: Empathic Dispel Spells with Lore Modifications -- 110, 111, 120, 125, 203, 210, 211, 215, 218, 219, 1106, 1108, 1116, 1117 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | CLERICS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spells -- 119: Spirit Dispel, 218: Spirit Servant, 325: Holy Receptacle
Modified Spells -- 140: Wall of Force, 208: Living Rune, 319: Divine Wrath, 340: Resurrect Spells with Lore Modifications -- 110, 111, 120, 125, 203, 210, 211, 215, 218, 219, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 311, 325 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | SORCERERS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spells -- 119: Spirit Dispel, 714: Scroll Infusion, 725: Minor Summoning
Modified Spells -- 140: Wall of Force, 707: Eye Spy, 708: Limb Disruption, 712: Cloak of Shadows Spells with Lore Modifications -- 110, 111, 120, 125, 400s: Minor Elemental Spell Circle (Elemental lores allow a character to become attuned to an element via the ATTUNE verb), 701, 708, 711, 712, 716, 718, 725 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | WIZARDS: NEW SPELLS AND SPELL CHANGES |
|
New Spells -- 510: Hurl Boulder, 512: Ice Patch, 519: Immolation, 520: Stone Skin, 914: Sandstorm
Spells with Lore Modifications -- 400s: Minor Elemental Spell Circle (Elemental lores allow a character to become attuned to an element via the ATTUNE verb), 504, 506, 509, 510, 512, 519, 520, 901, 903, 906, 907, 908, 910, 914, 917 For more information on spells, review the updated spell database at: http://play.net/gs4/info/spells/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | COMBAT MANEUVERS LIST |
|
The Combat Maneuver List (CML) system was created with a mind towards providing the physical aspect of combat with more features to enhance its enjoyability in a more attrition-based system. It offers a variety of attack and combat utility skills designed to augment and build upon a weapon user's existing abilities, with a focus on enhancing a player's existing abilities or placing an opponent at a disadvantage.
For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/maneuvers/ |
|
| 11/20/2003 | WEAPONS, SHIELDS, AND ARMOR CHANGES |
|
Staves: In GemStone IV, magic users will have the option of using rune staves in place of a weapon and shield. Unlike most weapon types, a rune staff is utilized more for defense than for offense. Held in the right hand, skill with a rune staff is based on the wielder's overall magical knowledge. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/combatguide.asp#staves
New Shield Types: Four new shield types have been introduced: Small, Medium (standard), Large, and Tower/Wall Shields. All existing shields are medium shields. While all shield types will be available for purchase in Ta'Vaalor, Wehnimer's Landing, and Icemule Trace -- in the future players will be given the option to have their shield converted to a new shield type. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/armory/armorshields.asp Armor Hindrance Revisions: Armor hindrance was changed to reflect the 100-level cap. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/combat.asp#armor Oriental Weapons: With the introduction of Erithians, oriental weapons and other items have entered the world of Elanthia. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/armory/edgedweapons.asp#katana |
|
| 11/20/2003 | CREATURE CHANGES |
|
Most creature levels have been adjusted comparably to the changes in player levels, although in some specific cases a creature's level has been adjusted to better fit our vision of Elanthia. Many giants, for example, have been increased in level. It is possible that creatures you hunted in GemStone III are no longer in your level range. However, it's more than likely that MORE creatures are now in your level range than were before.
While you're in the game (and in the same room as a creature) you may use the ASSESS verb in order to roughly determine the level of a creature which you wish to engage in combat. You may explore the Elanthian Beastiary (http://play.net/gs4/info/bestiary/home.asp) if you desire more specific level information. In some cases, a radical change in a creature's level has resulted in the creature being MOVED to a new location. |
|
| 11/20/2003 | CITIZENSHIP COMES TO ELANTHIA |
|
Adventurers in Elanthia may now proudly proclaim their citizenship of one of the world's many cities.
Citizenship comes in two varieties. The first is partial citizenship. Some realms may allow certain races/cultures/professions to only gain partial citizenship. The second form of citizenship is full citizenship. Again this may be restricted. For more information: http://beta.play.net/gs4/info/citizenship.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | MEETING HALLS FOR UNOFFICIAL PLAYER ORGS OPEN |
|
A Town Meeting Hall provides a location for member groups to meet as well as services that aid in running the running of events and activities. Each Hall contains several reservable meeting rooms, a place to rent services such as food carts and themed tents, a shop to purchase unique group insignia and other supplies, and a private tavern. The Hall also allows groups to issue news items and event announcements. Some services are available immediately upon joining, others become available after time and demonstrated community involvement. The Hall is not responsible for the quality of events run by member groups.
For more information: http://play.net/gs4/pro/player_groups.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | NEW COMMANDS AND COMMAND IMPROVEMENTS |
|
Demeanor and Befriend Improvements: The DEMEANOR verb was expanded to include more commands. Additionally, the BEFRIEND command was expanded to include more slots. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/commands.asp
Daydream: Tell others you are going AFK instead of saying, "Sleeping". Premium members will be shown in a daydreaming state. Mock: Over 1,000 combinations of ways to mock your friends and enemies alike! Profile: All characters within the game now have profiles to facilitate roleplay and meeting others. GOALS: This new command launches the graphical skill manager. Rune: This command lists common runes on runestones, as well as runes you have learned. Attune: This command allows Wizards to attune to a specific type of elemental. CMAN: This command gives users access to learning and executing Combat Maneuvers. New Movement Commands: LIMP, CRAWL, SKIP New Roleplaying Commands: PRAISE, BELCH, CLUTCH, REST Improved Roleplaying Commands: GLANCE, SHAKE, SWAP, POINT, SAY Movement: This command allows you to set your default movement style. EMPTY: This comand allows you to empty to contents of one container into another. |
|
| 11/20/2003 | *** GETTING STARTED IN GEMSTONE IV *** |
|
Transitioning from GemStone III to GemStone IV may seem overwhelming at first, but the truth is that there are just a few pieces of information that a GemStone III player needs to know about GemStone IV.
A quickstart guide for GemStone III players starting in GemStone IV is available at: http://play.net/gs4/news/features/advancedquickstart.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT CHANGES |
|
There are a number of changes to character development in GemStone IV:
New Racial Bonuses: Racial bonuses were re-evaluated to further fall in-line with more recent concepts of the existing races. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/racial_bonuses.asp New Stats: Stat names were re-evaluated to better reflect what the stats actually do. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/info/stats.asp Training Points and Stat Growth: Each character is now given 640 points to allocate among their starting attributes, with their prime requisites getting an additional +10 each. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/training_points.asp New Prime Requisites: Prime Stat Requisites for each profession were updated to fall further in line with professional concepts. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/prime_requisites.asp Revised Mana Recovery: The new Mana Control skill increases the base rate at which characters recover mana. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/mana_recovery.asp Death Recovery Points: Character death incurs death recovery points which must be paid off with experience. For more information: http://play.net/gs4/news/death.asp New Level Designation System: Levels above 20 continue to require more experience before they may be earned. All character levels were compressed within the 0-100 level range. Experience Enhancer Changes: Experience absorption enhancers were replaced with alternate benefits, such as increased health, mana, and/or spirit recovery. Intra-level Skill Advancement: Characters may train in skills throughout their level rather than all at the end. Extended Skill Gain: Characters who reach the level cap (100), may continue to earn TPs and train in skills up to each individual skill cap. |
|
| 11/20/2003 | NEW AND IMPROVED JUSTICE SYSTEM |
|
The new justice system in GemStone IV provides the following improvements:
Time Limit Improvements: Time limits are no longer limited to "real time." Instead, they are "game time" - reducing potential damage from untimely disconnects. Town Dependant Processes: Each town will have its own judicial processes and punishments fitting to the design and character of that town. First In First Out: Rather than randomly select criminals to see the judge, criminals will be seen in order of arrival. Community Service: Rather than pay a fine, criminals will have the option to accept community service. Incarceration: Criminals will have the option to accept incarceration (or stocks) as an alternative to paying a fine. Item Sales and Collection: If a criminal does not pay thier fine in time, only as much inventory as is necessary to pay the fine will be sold. Banishment: Criminals that build significant and serious criminal histories may be banished from a town. Accusations: Players may accuse other players for assault. Additionally, players may cancel their accusations while the criminal has not yet been judged. Service Refusal: Merchants may refuse service to known criminals. For more information on Justice in GemStone IV: http://play.net/gs4/news/justice.asp |
|
| 11/20/2003 | NEW SKILLS AND SKILL CHANGES |
|
Over twenty new skills allow for further customization of characters in Elanthia. The skills include: Dodging, Lores, Harness Power, Mana Control, and Survival.
For more information on skills: http://play.net/gs4/info/skills.asp Nearly all skill costs have changed. For details on the new costs for skills, visit the professions pages: http://play.net/gs4/info/professions/ Additionally, the skill once called "Scroll Reading" is now called "Arcane Symbols." |
|
| 11/18/2003 | CAUTION: SPELLS AND CHARACTER CONVERSION |
| Please be aware that when characters convert from GemStone III to GemStone IV, all spells (defensive or otherwise) will be stripped from them. This could cause some potential hazards for those characters who last logged out of hunting areas. Please be cautious. | |
| 11/17/2003 | GEMSTONE IV STATUS |
| Please read the following forum post for important information about GemStone IV Platinum: http://www.play.net/forums/messages.asp?forum=30&category=1&topic=1&message=466 | |
| 11/14/2003 | REALLOCATION PHASE POLICY |
|
DEATH RECOVERY POINTS
No characters will incur death recovery points for 2 weeks after the launch day of GemStone IV. REALLOCATOR (THE OLD STYLE) The reallocator will be available for 1 month following the launch of GemStone IV. All characters will be able to use the reallocator a total of 5 times. STAT MIGRATOR The stat migrator will be available to each character for one month following the day that they CONVERTED to GemStone IV. Each character will be able to use the stat migrator a total of 5 times. SKILL MIGRATOR (TEXT AND GRAPHICAL) For three days following a character's conversion to GemStone IV, skill migration will be instantaneous. For the following 27 days, skill migration will be very rapid (30min-1hr for a full migration). After that, skill migration times will be very slow. (A character could not expect to do a major reallocation on an old character more than once, maybe twice, a year.) |
|
| 11/12/2003 | A GIFT OF THANKS |
|
Starting on the day that GemStone IV is launched, and extending 45 days after that, all basic characters will be granted a 1.5x experience multiplier. The multiplier will expire 45 days after GemStone IV is launched. (To be clear: NOT 45 days after the character first logs in.) Characters who have been a premium member will receive a 2x multiplier until it expires 45 days after the GemStone IV launch. (To be clear: NOT 45 days after the character first logs in.)
Additionally, all existing characters will receive two levels worth of experience based on the character's level. This will be two full levels worth of experience, NOT just enough experience to gain two levels. This experience reward will be granted AFTER the character is auto-converted. And finally, as a thank you for joining us in the exciting new world of GemStone IV, each account will be given one gift box. You may only obtain one gift box per account, AND ITS CONTENTS WILL BE BASED ON YOUR CHARACTER'S RACE AND PROFESSION. Once you get a gift box, you cannot use another character to get a second one. Once you have decided which character you wish to receive the giftbox, please type GIFTBOX. (Warning, please be careful which character you choose to receive the gift box. Some of the contents of the gift boxes will ONLY work for the character who receives the gift box. Additionally, staff will NOT be providing new gift boxes if you decide you would prefer another character receive this gift.) On behalf of Simutronics and the staff of GemStone, welcome to GemStone IV. |
|
| 11/12/2003 | VARIOUS ROLEPLAYING IMPROVEMENTS |
|
Food and Drink Improvements: Food and drink now allow for greater variety and customization in taste, as well as racial or cultural food preferences.
Age: All variety of elves will once again live very long lives. Culture: Half-elves, lacking in culture as they are, will no longer be noted as "Pariah" in title. Language: Dark Elves, Sylvans and Half-Elves will once again have access to the Elven language. Titles: In keeping with level compression, the requirements for achieving titles have also been compressed. Be forwarned that in some cases a title may not convert exactly, and will need to be re-earned. In most of these cases, the difference is within a couple of levels. |
|
| 11/12/2003 | BUYER BEWARE |
|
GemStone IV operates in a "buyer beware" economy. When visiting merchant shops, use the tools provided to get an idea of what you are purchasing, namely any posted signs and the INSPECT verb. Though keep in mind, many merchant shops intend to keep an air of mystery about their wares. All shops items are sold as-is and no refunds or changes will be made, unless there is an error in how the item is constructed.
When making a purchase from another player, there are several ways everyone can protect themselves from getting scammed, such as asking to see the note or contents of a container before buying, getting a bard to LORESING, having a warrior ASSESS, casting Elemental Detection, and using one of the magic crystals (such as the one in the Abandoned Inn). In order to avoid someone running off with your money before handing over an item, use the EXCHANGE verb. All buyers are responsible for protecting themselves from dishonest dealers, so it is a good idea to check into the reputation of a seller when making a large investment of silvers. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it most likely is! |
|