3.10

## Patch notes: Patch 3.10 - Harvesting, NPE and balancing

**New Player Experience:**

As some our new team members observed, especially the more graphically oriented ones, the interface and game is rather "mute", it neither explains nor informs the player.
To improve that aspect, we have implemented a new pop up framework in the user interface which can be triggered by any sort of event, be it movement, opening a window, gaining a new item or a certain level of a skill.
The goal being to make the game much more hospitable for newer players and to have a solid foundation to build upon when we'll need to explain more advanced concept. In this first iteration, we have covered the basics.
In the same effort we have continued our work on providing feedback to the player and letting him obtain contextual information by looking at the world.

* The game now has a new series of tutorial windows and contextual popups that will explain the movement, interface and a few key points in the life of a new player.
* We've continued to add new information to the interface and improve messages so that all players can know more about what is happening in the game. Especially when something isn't.
* An area bellow the cursor will now give additional information on objects observed in the world, similar to the extra information window but with less clutter.

**Distance based harvesting:**

As one of our first tool to allow for a more localized world, we have implemented our distance based harvesting system.
The objective is two fold, to make harvesting a more engaging activity through risk and reward, but also to start valuating locations in the world differently.
This first iteration focuses on regular harvesting and distance rules, but in the long run, the goal is to have more and more dynamic harvesting system.

* Now, mining, woodcutting and herb gathering nodes scale based on the combined distance to the closest bank and closest racial guard tower.
* The amount of harvestable resource has been lowered to 20 item per node, with odds of rare loot lowered.
* As you get further in the wilderness, the total amount per node is increased, alongside the amount per harvest and the odds of rarer material.
* Harvesting failures have been removed.

**General changes:**

* Stamina will now regenerate even when sprinting.
* Keen and magnitude enchants now operate outside the traditional crafting damage cap.
* Selecting any skill will unsheathe your weapons.
* You should now see your party members on the minimap even with labels turned off.
* Loot scaling should no longer apply on equipment.
* Damage based Xp gains have been readjusted to better follow the new damage cap.
* Mount sprint is now slower.

### **Armor Balancing:**

**Metal armors:**

* Have had their Physical and lightning protections increased,
* their Health regeneration strongly increased, but have lost the back protection trait.

**Robes:**

* Have received a minor increase in physical protections and an increase in Mana regeneration,
* but have lost their arrow protection, relying only on piercing protection now.

**Leather:**

* Have their Encumbrance increased to be up to 49 with a full Exarch Armor, but have their trait reduced to be at most 15-18%.

**Bones:**

* Bone armors have lost all physical Traits, but have increased magical traits going up to 15-18%.

**Encumbrance change:**

* Armored casting, armored archery and armor proficiency have been removed and made baseline.
* Encumbrance values of individual items now follow the same ratio as the traits and protections.

**Magic changes:**

* Toggle buffs now toggle at a speed equivalent to a r50 spell, cost as much Mana as a Bolt but have a longer cooldown.
* Protection Shields and Stoneskin now give a stronger protection value.
* Medium and slow Staffs have had their Magnitude reduced by 25%.
* Buff others and debuffs:
	+ All buff others have an increased reach equivalent to the spell Sacrifice.
	+ Have a much shorter duration, going from 8s to 28s depending on level and gear.
	+ Debuffs have the same duration as buff others, going from 8s to 28s.
	+ Spell Chanting attribute buffs last longer, with a duration of 12s to 45s.
* Bolts have had their mana cost and damage reduced by around 20%, depending on gear and skills.
* The Necromancy and Arcane bolts have been normalized damage wise, but still impact all three resources.
* r50 have had their mana cost reduced by about 15%.
* Pungent Mist's mana cost has been reduced by 30%.

**Bugfix:**

* Parry should no longer lock the default attack.
* Power Hour should now survive a relog even if it is off cooldown.
* Mirdain females should now have bones boots and gloves.
* Some leftovers from the legacy item recovery system have been taken care of.

**As a general note on balancing:**

This patch was mostly based on player feedback and we believe that it gets us much closer to the Truth regarding the balance between the various Armor , and by extension, playstyles.

**We still have work to do though, so keep in mind the following points:**

We expect that medium and slow Staffs will still be a topic to monitor due to Magnitude no longer being bound by the Crafting cap.
Magic still has a few changes coming, especially charge up Rays, improved damage drop off on aoes, and of course, non damage effects being impacted by magnitude.
All three of which are being worked on and we should see results in not too long.

We have high hopes for this week end's player tournament, we will be watching and we hope that it also serves as a testing ground to how the current situation is balance wise.
Have a nice week end and have fun