Intro: Here is a pretty comprehensive list of things that we learned in the 12/9/16 Pantheon Twitch stream! I did not include the info that has been repeated many times and can be found on the FAQ. I tried to focus on impactful things that had never been announced, had previously lacked much detail, or had only been mentioned once or twice. Hopefully this clears some things up so our discussion can be focused on facts rather than assumptions or hopes. As usual, remember things are subject to change but at least this is a list of things that are straight from the devs' mouths in regards to the way the game is in its current state or their plans. Enjoy the highlights! :)
Crafting/Items:
1. Most dropped items will be unbound on acquire
2. Items can be customized by a crafter to increase the stats or other powers, but at that point become bound to the character.
3. Items can be broken down into raw materials for crafting
4. Most dropped items will have a player-crafted equivalent. That is, in some situations, it may be faster to find a crafter to make a particular item for you instead of grinding it out from a mob.
5. Most items will not have a minimum level requirement. If a powerful item is equipped by a lower level character, that item will then be automatically scaled down to that player's level to prevent it from being too OP.
6. Some dungeons will have special crafting stations in them that are required to craft certain high level items.
7. In some cases, you can sacrifice items/gear at temples in return for longterm buffs.
8. Fishing will be a skill.
Perception/Quests:
1. Anyone who wishes to engage in the lore in the Terminus will be considered a "Keeper"
2. "Insight" is a passive skill that alerts you when certain aspects your environment may be of particular interest or consequence. This prompts you to then either "Embrace" or "Disregard" your intuition.
3. "Investigate" is an active skill that you can use to try to learn more about your surroundings and potentially discover clues.
4. While they have not yet specified exactly how you become a Keeper, if you wait until a higher level to become a Keeper, you will still be able to go back and have all the lower level Perception cues be available to you.
5. Everyone who becomes a Keeper will receive a Tome of Keeping, with which you can re-read past Perception system interactions - things that you have noticed or things that have been said to you.
6. Epic quests will likely be linear, but the majority of quests will not be. That is, there won't be only one right way to complete a quest. It doesn't matter in what order you find the related NPCs or objects, you can always go back and find the rest. It is up to you to figure out how they piece together the story.
7. Sometimes, you will not receive a Perception cue until you approach a particular NPC or object. In other cases, an NPC may actually approach you first and begin talking to you. And in some cases, you may not learn unless you initiate conversation with someone or actively Investigate an area.
8. In addition to epic class weapons, some epic quests will also grant epic class abilities.
Climates:
1. There are six different climates planned for launch: Frigid, Scorching, Anaerobic, Wind Shear, Toxic, and Pressure.
2. Each climate will have 4 different tiers to determine the extremity of the climate. For example, Tier 1 will be survivable without any acclimation, but will have some negative effects such as weapon speed decrease or movement speed decrease. The higher the tier, the more severe the penalties, up to and including eventual death.
3. You get acclimated to a climate by wearing certain types of gear or using items to "absorb" their power and gain acclimation.
4. Some races will have a natural bonus to acclimation in certain climates. For example, it will be easier for a Dwarf to achieve Tier 1 acclimation in Frigid climates than other races.
5. Druids will be able to change the atmosphere or climate of an area. This can be used tactically to have adverse effects on mobs. For example, change a climate to Frigid in order to weaken a boss that is particularly susceptible to cold.
6. Icy floors will be slippery.
Climbing:
1. All classes will have a climbing skill.
2. Climbing allows you to scale certain steep surfaces that you wouldn't be able to just run up.
3. Some areas won't be accessible if your climbing skill is not high enough.
4. Ropes will be able to help assist in climbing some areas.
5. When you jump onto a climbable surface, your character will automatically grab onto it at which point you use WASD to move up, down, left, and right.
Mentors/Guides:
1. Through the mentoring program, you will be able to temporarily de-level your character so that you can provide assistance to a lower level group or friend without being OP.
2. Players will be rewarded for taking part in the mentorship program.
3. Starting in alpha or beta, there will be a volunteer guide program in addition to GMs.
4. Guides will be matched with new players based on preferred play times, playstyles, etc. in order to introduce the game to them, teach them the basics of play, and integrate them into the community.
5. There will be a "guild outreach" program.
Faction/Alignment:
1. Your race will affect your standing with other races and how they treat you - anywhere from killing you on sight to treating you like a friend and everything in between.
2. There are things you can do to adjust your standing with a particular race, either positively or negatively.
3. The fastest way to increase your faction with a particular race may not be to just farm the same type of mob. It will likely be a more interesting and dynamic process.
4. Your moral alignment will also be a factor. Choices you make when interacting with the world will affect your moral alignment either positively or negatively.
5. Some NPCs may only to respond to faction, some may only respond to moral alignment, and some may respond to both.
Dungeons/Zones:
1. Most zones will have a wide level range. That is, most zones will be large enough to not only house several many different groups, but also groups of very different levels. For example, most zones will have lower lvl content on one part of the map and higher level content on another side. Therefore, it is likely that low lvl characters will often cross paths with higher level characters while adventuring.
2. There will be world and zone-wide unique dynamic events that have various triggers.
3. Amberfaet is a high 30's/low 40s dungeon with a raid area on the lower level
4. There will likely be raids at mid-level in addition to high level.
Monsters:
1. Monsters will have different body types. For example: scale, bone, crystalline, etc.
2. Each body type has different strengths and weaknesses versus different materials, weapon types, and spells. For example, slashing weapons will do less damage to a monster with a bone or scale body type than a blunt weapon would.
3. Monsters will have different dispositions and behavior. For example, monsters may flee or stand their ground depending on the situation.
4. XP/loot for a kill will most likely be awarded to the group that dealt the most damage
5. There will be dragons in Terminus.
Combat
1. Sitting while combat is nearby generates aggro.
2. Some powerful AoE spells may damage your allies in addition to monsters, forcing you and your party to be more aware of positioning.
3. There will be an Assist command.
System:
1. Mac client is planned for launch
2. They are planning on having the game be translated into other languages.
3. Draw distance will only be limited by your computer's hardware capabilities.
4. There will be in-game voice chat.
Miscellaneous:
1. There will no limit to the size of guilds
2. You can roll a 100-sided dice with the command "/roll 100"
3. The shaman spirit wolf pet is randomly assigned a new name each time it is summoned.
I plan on continuing to edit or add to this list if I notice that is incorrect, unclear, or lacking so feel free to let me know if you notice anything.
@Bazgrim
Good job! Thanks for doing this. Everything looks great.
Cant say Im in love with Monsters #4 though, sounds like drama just waiting to happen. Im more of a fan of first come first serve claiming. But then there is always PvP I suppose. Then if anyone even looks at my mob the wrong way Id kill them.
kelenin said:Also, there will likely be a volunteer guide system.
Added, thanks.
Amsai said:Cant say Im in love with Monsters #4 though, sounds like drama just waiting to happen. Im more of a fan of first come first serve claiming. But then there is always PvP I suppose. Then if anyone even looks at my mob the wrong way Id kill them.
Edited to clarify that this is not set in stone, but it's currently what Brad is leaning toward.
https://www.twitch.tv/cohhcarnage/v/106269586
00:11:30 Wild's end
00:14:55 The shaman class
00:19:38 The Gate of Wild's End
00:25:35 Kill stealing and player reputation
00:28:03 Trial and subscription info
00:31:00 The importance of challenge and teamwork
00:32:59 The death penalty
00:35:30 Similarity to EQ
00:37:43 Early development and testing info
00:40:05 PvP plans
00:41:32 End game grouping and raiding
00:43:42 Horizontal progression and a dynamic world
00:45:48 Crafting, Fishing and secondary skills
00:48:05 Symbiotic relationship between crafters and adventurers
00:49:05 Plan that "most of the items in the game" can be crafted
00:49:15 Customized gear becomes tailored to the character becoming enhanced, but nodrop
00:50:20 Player driven economy and removing items from the economy
00:52:30 Gaining crafting experience and levels
00:53:45 Traveling in Pantheon: portals and boats
00:57:30 Gnome backstory
01:00:40 Character customization options
01:01:10 Factions
01:02:35 Perception system: Insight and Investigation
01:08:20 More perception information and recorded info in player tome.
01:09:05 In game voice chat
01:10:50 Epic quests and epic ability quests
01:11:20 Questing details
01:12:45 Group and raid sizes
01:14:00 Quaternity and crowd control and mob combat mechanics
01:17:05 Funding information
01:18:20 Client options
01:19:05 Friendly fire possibilities
01:21:05 Minimal voice acting
01:23:00 Cave boss fight
01:24:45 Ranged weapons
01:25:35 Housing plans
01:32:00 Possible pre-alpha test beginning 1st or 2nd quarter
01:33:35 Client Language localization
01:34:15 Race class combination information
01:38:10 Racial abilities
01:39:05 Racial factions and faction grind
01:42:05 Unique Item visuals
01:45:00 Climate acclimatizing and frigid climate
01:46:30 Avoiding content monopoly
01:49:00 Ability advancement and number of active abilities
01:50:00 Ability acquisition
01:56:28 Alternate advancement
02:02:58 Necros and bards
02:05:00 Mana usage
02:07:25 Custom UI mods
02:14:44 Entering Amberfaet: High 30s to Mid 40s raid zone
02:17:20 The six extreme climates
02:20:50 Weapon and body types in combat
02:22:46 Racial climate acclimations
02:23:35 Dragons
02:27:58 Art design process and programs
02:35:03 World and localized events and dynamic content
02:36:22 GMs, guides, and matchmaking
02:38:10 Mentoring and progeny
02:41:15 Community size limitations and guild management
02:48:27 Ability chaining and sympathetic abilities
02:51:10 Server locations and accessibility
02:54:14 The climbing skill
02:56:33 Summoning spells
03:03:30 Big Vistas and draw distance
03:04:50 Environment within environments
03:07:20 Item level requirements and twinking
03:10:26 Pre-alpha, alpha and beta access and projected pre-alpha date
03:12:32 Soloing in Pantheon
03:14:40 Amberfaet Giant battle
Don't know how perfectly these timestamps match the video. Just the notes I made first watch.
edit: Seems the timestamps from the stream are 08:20 behind on the YouTube video. Will link it all eventually.
Amsai said:Cant say Im in love with Monsters #4 though, sounds like drama just waiting to happen. Im more of a fan of first come first serve claiming. But then there is always PvP I suppose. Then if anyone even looks at my mob the wrong way Id kill them.
It's actually not that bad, EQ worked this way and I rarely ever had problems, even though I was an enchanter and not very high dps. There were a couple of people on my server that were problematic at first, but then they couldn't get groups and such at higher levels so they either quit or had to reroll a new character. So the community did its job.
Dullahan said:https://www.twitch.tv/cohhcarnage/v/106269586
00:11:30 Wild's end
00:14:55 The shaman class
00:19:38 The Gate of Wild's End
00:25:35 Kill stealing and player reputation
00:28:03 Trial and subscription info
00:31:00 The importance of challenge and teamwork
00:32:59 The death penalty
00:35:30 Similarity to EQ
00:37:43 Early development and testing info
00:40:05 PvP plans
00:41:32 End game grouping and raiding
00:43:42 Horizontal progression and a dynamic world
00:45:48 Crafting, Fishing and secondary skills
00:48:05 Symbiotic relationship between crafters and adventurers
00:49:05 Plan that "most of the items in the game" can be crafted
00:49:15 Customized gear becomes tailored to the character becoming enhanced, but nodrop
00:50:20 Player driven economy and removing items from the economy
00:52:30 Gaining crafting experience and levels
00:53:45 Traveling in Pantheon: portals and boats
00:57:30 Gnome backstory
01:00:40 Character customization options
01:01:10 Factions
01:02:35 Perception system: Insight and Investigation
01:08:20 More perception information and recorded info in player tome.
01:09:05 In game voice chat
01:10:50 Epic quests and epic ability quests
01:11:20 Questing details
01:12:45 Group and raid sizes
01:14:00 Quaternity and crowd control and mob combat mechanics
01:17:05 Funding information
01:18:20 Client options
01:19:05 Friendly fire possibilities
01:21:05 Minimal voice acting
01:23:00 Cave boss fight
01:24:45 Ranged weapons
01:25:35 Housing plans
01:32:00 Possible pre-alpha test beginning 1st or 2nd quarter
01:33:35 Client Language localization
01:34:15 Race class combination information
01:38:10 Racial abilities
01:39:05 Racial factions and faction grind
01:42:05 Unique Item visuals
01:45:00 Climate acclimatizing and frigid climate
01:46:30 Avoiding content monopoly
01:49:00 Ability advancement and number of active abilities
01:50:00 Ability acquisition
01:56:28 Alternate advancement
02:02:58 Necros and bards
02:05:00 Mana usage
02:07:25 Custom UI mods
02:14:44 Entering Amberfaet: High 30s to Mid 40s raid zone
02:17:20 The six extreme climates
02:20:50 Weapon and body types in combat
02:22:46 Racial climate acclimations
02:23:35 Dragons
02:27:58 Art design process and programs
02:35:03 World and localized events and dynamic content
02:36:22 GMs, guides, and matchmaking
02:38:10 Mentoring and progeny
02:41:15 Community size limitations and guild management
02:48:27 Ability chaining and sympathetic abilities
02:51:10 Server locations and accessibility
02:54:14 The climbing skill
02:56:33 Summoning spells
03:03:30 Big Vistas and draw distance
03:04:50 Environment within environments
03:07:20 Item level requirements and twinking
03:10:26 Pre-alpha, alpha and beta access and projected pre-alpha date
03:12:32 Soloing in Pantheon
03:14:40 Amberfaet Giant battleDon't know how perfectly these timestamps match the video. Just the notes I made first watch.
Sweet -- thank you, and thanks to everyone putting together such great summaries! It was a long stream and we covered a lot of stuff and this sort of thing is very helpful! *bow*
kelenin said:Amsai said:Cant say Im in love with Monsters #4 though, sounds like drama just waiting to happen. Im more of a fan of first come first serve claiming. But then there is always PvP I suppose. Then if anyone even looks at my mob the wrong way Id kill them.
It's actually not that bad, EQ worked this way and I rarely ever had problems, even though I was an enchanter and not very high dps. There were a couple of people on my server that were problematic at first, but then they couldn't get groups and such at higher levels so they either quit or had to reroll a new character. So the community did its job.
I understand this and Im quite familair with this response every time this is brought up. Im just skeptical it will work out this way in 2017/2018. Id be happy to be proven wrong. Hell I want to be wrong. But haters gonna hate, trolls gonna troll, and the only thing worse than a couple of bads, is a large guild of them. You say community policing? They laugh at you as they are self-sufficient and dont need or want your approval. (Exceptions for PvP servers in which community would actually have teeth or maybe RP servers, maybe). Internet courtesy has gone straight to hell since 1999 is all Im saying.
But ultimately it would be great to have a nice, friendly and mature server full of helpful and polite people. I wish it so. And when Pantheon officially launches I guess we will find out if this experiement in behavior is successful or just how much Humanity has declined lol.
Thanks, Dulla - another good way of organizing things.
Riply said: 5. Most items will not have a minimum level requirement. If a powerful item is equipped by a lower level character, that item will then be automatically scaled down to that player's level to prevent it from being too OP. Not a big fan of this, but to be fair we don't know how the scaling will work and whether or not there will be a benefit to a low level character using the gear. I personally really enjoy after reaching a certain point in the game's lifespan being able to twink out an alt.
I'm not either. I liked the natural scaling in EQ where the item remained the same but the benefit was scaled down behind the scenes by the player's level and skill. Either way the outcome was probably the same, but it felt natural because the item wasn't artificially decreased in power.
Yes excellent job Dullahan, thanks for doing this.
@Riply
They have talked about it before. As far as I remember there will be a benefit to it. So its not like it wouldnt be worthwile. It just wont be crazy OP. Its true they havent specified how much of a benefit. But the devs have spoken positively about wanting twinking in the game. They wouldnt be actively encouraging or supporting the idea if it wasnt worth it I think.
Twitch Stream 09-DEC-16 (Revealed Info)
(O) = Observation
(V) = Verbal Statements/Commentary
(Q) = Specific question answered
Standard 'Kilsin' Notice: Everything is subject to change (TM)
+++ what follows is in real-time, watch for the time-stamp and track Jack Bauer Kilsin's progress.+++
0:11. (O) 'Wilds End' - Halfling Starter City already exists in-game
0:13. (V) There will be unique starting areas for each Race to keep them unique
0:14. (Q) Race + Class restrictions will apply
Seen in-game: (Joppa) Ogre Warrior (Cory) Human Cleric (Cohh) Gnome Rogue (Aradune) Human War Wizard (John) Archai Shaman (Kilsin) Dwarf Enchanter
0:14. (V) Shaman Class (Has 'spirit doggie' pet)
Uses heals/Buffs for allies and can use DoTs/Debuffs
Curses/Hexes = defuffs for stats/resists/atk-speed
Buffs = heals (regenerative buffs)/stat gains
0:17. (V) Rogues will have 'stances' or modes.
0:17. (O) Debuff effects on mobs show under their 'hp bar' below name
0:20. (V) Areas will have 'a wide range of content levels' within them.
No 'treadmill' of rising levels or mobs etc. Zones will have varied level content within it - some much higher level than the other content in the area.
0:21. (V) Open world areas (dungeons), i.e. not instanced.
Many of the dungeons will exist within over-world zones (no zoning needed) and even the dungeons where you zone into them will be 'open world' and they will be large enough that there will be many groups all within the dungeon zone concurrently.
0:22. (Q) How will players 'assist' each other in combat?
There will be an 'assist' command in-game
0:25. (Q) How will they address Kill-stealing?
Reputation will act to motivate people since need groups (i.e. build good rep)
Player/Group with 'most damage' will get 'kill credit' and so can loot.
0:28. (Q) What is the payment model to be used?
There will be several shards at launch and players can download the client and play free for first 5-10 levels. Gives players a chance to experience the game before paying. Most likely will be a subscription from that point (say, level 10) onwards (estimated at perhaps $15 USD/month).
0:33. (Q) What happens when you die?
Death penalty severity will be tweaked during Beta, but will be somewhere between Everquest (EQ) and Vanguard (VG). You will likely want to go back to your corpse to get back experienced lost when you died and to regain some/all (undecided currently) items. They intend to balance/tune for severity during testing, but definitely want players to respect the environment.
0:34. (O) Roots and Snares exist. (Wizards have root)
0:35. (Q) Are you planning on mechanics for Corpse runs / corpse summoning?
0:36. (Q) How close is this game to EQ play-style?
(NB: COHH's personal opinion)
This game is what EQ2 should have been. Take EQ1, add some VG mechanic with better graphics and develop some new ideas and this is what Pantheon offers. This is in respect of 'play-style' and 'feel'.
0:38. (Q) Can you explain '(Pre-)Pre-Alpha' ?
Major mechanics are not fully implemented yet - many changes are yet to be put in. When the mechanics are sufficiently implemented to be able to be tested then that will be the point for pre-alpha testing.
0:39. (V) Day/Night cycle is implemented already
0:40. (Q) What is the plan for PvP? and plan for End-game?
- Pantheon is primarily a 'Player versus Environment' (PvE) game where players act co-operatively against the environment and mobs. However, they know there are players who are a fan of PvP - so there will be at least 1 PvP shard at launch. As the game grows, more rule sets may be available for different shards and more focus can be given to PvP.
- Pantheon is not a game where the aim is to rush to end-game. The aim is to make the game fun for lower, mid and higher levels. Although focused on group content, there will be plenty of content for short play periods. In addition things like raids will (hopefully) be available earlier than end-game. The aim is to have lots of horizontal content. These may include things like the perception systems, crafting, foraging etc.
0:45. (V) There will be a raid zone at launch.
0:46. (Q) What are the plans for Crafting and secondary skills such as fishing?
Fishing is very likely to be included.
Crafters will have a symbiotic relationship with adventurers. It will be important as a horizontal component. It is intended that it be possible to 'customize' dropped gear. Most items will be traceable initially (). Crafters should be able to craft these to customize for your needs. This would add to the gear, but make it locked to you: it could be sold (to an NPC?) or broken down.
0:50. (V) Bind-on-equip will be a rarity (generally quest/epic/class specific)
0:52. (Q) How does crafting level up?
Some information given, but too early to have a definitive answer.
0:53. (Q) How will travelling work?
Initially players will travel by running to make it meaningful. Some classes will have ports to certain places. There may be some teleport spells they get generically, but a Druid/Wizard may be able to explore/find and then attune to a (certain number of) specific location that he can teleport to. This means not all porters will have the same port list.
Mounts will be available at higher levels - horses etc. Ships and caravans for players/groups to be dealt with later.
0:55. (O) 'Throne Fast' - Human starter city is in game already
0:56. (O) 'Wolf Spirit' equivalent of SoW exists
0:57. (V) Description of how Gnome Race came about (Gnome Lore)
1:00. (Q) How many playable races are there?
There are 9 playable races
1:00. (Q) What kind of character customization will we see?
There will be a fairly 'standard' number of options available, compared to other current MMOs.
1:01. (Q) Are there going to be factions?
An open, living world needs factions. There will also be 'alignment' as well as 'faction'. Some NPCs will respond to faction, some alignment and some to both.
1:02. (V) The Perception system:
There are no quest hubs. The perception system comprises two parts. A passive skill (insight) and an active skill (investigate). What the passive flags up a perception, you have the choice to 'embrace' the perception system. This makes you a 'keeper'. The information is not hand-holding. There is no absolute indicator of where/what to do next.
In some cases you will be approached by the NPCs, in others you will need to (actively) investigate to find information.
1:02 (O) Kilsin does a 'dance'. (Be warned)
1:08.(Q) If you missed/forgot some of the dialogue, is there a way to re-read it?
Anyone who uses the perception system will become a 'keeper' and receive a 'tome of keeping' which contains some key words for the dialogues give. It can be then checked in there later.
1:09. (Q) Will there be any form of in-game voice chat.
Absolutely. In-group or in-guild it will be supported.
1:09. (O) Perception POI's
Approaching the Point of Interest (POI) with a 'quest' portion will trigger the perception system without the need for 'clicking' the people/areas.
1:10. (Q) Will there be class specific epic quests.
Absolutely. Not just these epic items, but for class defining abilities too.
1:11. (Q) Do you always have to start a quest at the beginning?
We want players to be able to pick up the quest at any point/level. This means that you should be able to run across any quest and pick it up. Some quests may be more linear (e.g. Epic Quests).
1:12. (Q) What is the max group size? Will there be 'raid size' grouping?
Currently it is 6 players. Raid size is still not fixed until alpha/beta.
1:13: (Q) Will there be 'the trinity' of classes?
Pantheon uses a quaternary (set of 4 roles) : Tank, Healer, DPS and Crowd Control (CC). Here Crowd control can extend beyond simply controlling mobs during the fight, towards 'encounter control' where you are attempting to influence the encounter directly. For e.g. if there was a Boss with substantial cold resistance/shield due to his nature, a druid could perhaps use an environmental spell to change the climate of the room to that of a scorching one. This may render the cold resistance/shield less effective etc. It may include types of abilities to move a boss from a specific location - not just using the 'standard' aggro mechanics.
1:16. (V) Pantheon will support both 1st and 3rd person views.
1:17. (V) Pantheon is funded via seed funding and crowd funding with many pledge levels.
1:18. (Q) Is this a PC only product?
The initial intent is for a PC client. Since Unity allows some flexibility beyond this, it is likely that some systems will be targeted. Hopefully a MAC client for launch, others depending on Unity improvement.
1:19. (Q) Is there 'friendly fire' ?
Nearly all spells/abilities will not do friendly fire, but some extremely powerful AoE spells may well do so. But these would be the exception to the rule.
1:20. (V) Some areas may be denied to some, unless they meet criteria.
If a quest has not been undertaken, it is possible that certain areas may be inaccessible (since, perhaps, you do not have a key for them).
1:21. (Q) Is there any plan for voice acting?
Currently, no. It is a major costs and so would only be taken if it can be done consistently and well. I.e. for all levels/areas.
1:22. (V) You get an 'offensive target' and a 'defensive target'.
While it is 'TAB' targeting, you can have two designated targets (one offensive, one offensive). This allows casting of offensive spells on an enemy while not needing the target to be changed if you need to case a beneficial spell on your 'defensive target'.
1:25. (Q) Any plans for housing on release?
No housing on release. We need to do this right, not simple instanced housing or open world housing sprawls. Initial thoughts are the setting of 'outposts' which can be moved about. This is to be a post-launch feature.
1:32. (Q) When can we play?
We are targeting Q1-Q2 2017 for pre-alpha testing. This is to be the entire continent of King's Reach. Without enough content, we cannot get good/meaningful feedback.
1:33. (Q) Are you going to do localization to other languages?
Most likely, but the timing is undecided. The database is set up to support it, so it is just a matter of timing as to when it is convenient to do so.
1:34. (Q) Will races restrict Cass selection.
Yes, they will. We have not finalised a list yet.
1:37. (Q) For quest drops - how many will drop?
This cannot be tuned until we have more quests implemented. It is possible for linear quests that each player would need to get one, while other quests only one may drop. This is not decided yet, but will depend on what 'feels' best.
1:36. (Q) Will there be specific racial abilities?
Races will matter beyond the cosmetic. This means we like the idea of races having a bonus at the expense of another cost. We have not yet decided on precisely what, yet.
1:39. (Q) Will races have specific factions?
Some 'evil' or other factions for races will have significant trouble going to some areas. This will still be able to be 'fixed' by working to reduce faction - but in more interesting ways than merely having to farm faction in a repetitive manner.
1:42. (Q) On release, what equipment visualization will we see?
With (tens of) thousands of items, it is not possible to have a 1:1 relationship of what you wear to what is seen on your model. However, we want to have as many items visible as we can. In addition, we want recognisable items to stay that way - thus, perhaps, limiting cosmetic impact on key items.
1:42. (V) Mention of 'acclimation' for climates. To be expanded on later.
1:47. (Q) How does Pantheon aim to mitigate a single Guild from locking content/progress?
There is no single answer for this. You need to have a large world, ensure the server is not overpopulated, and a series of positive reinforcements to minimise this. Increased content, with no specific 'ultimate' item, geographically spread out content and enough variety of content should allow us to keep this from happening. We would rather have positive reasons for them not to do this that impose rule sets or, in egregious cases, have it become a customer service (CS) issue.
1:49. (Q) How do you see progression in UI hot bars as characters level up?
We are aiming for a limited action set (perhaps 10). This means levelling characters will have more tools to choose from, but the different environments and encounters may mean using more than a 'standard core set'.
1:50. (Q) When a caster 'Dings', does he get new abilities/spells direct into his book?
While it is still early, we currently propose you have to go to the trainer to get scrolls of your new abilities to be transcribed. You can, of course, pre-purchase these and so have them ready. Beyond a certain point, however, (perhaps level 30) you may have to find rare drops, research them or even find a trainer located within hard to find areas/dungeons.
1:54. (Q) Is there a plan for introducing AAs?
EQ created AAs as a by product of needing to create more powers for player advancement at short notice. To that end, while it world not likely be put in at launch, it would be added post-launch as a planned feature.
1:58. (O) Bows (ranged weapons) will be available - but are not yet implemented.
1:59. (V) Encounter an 'atmosphere'
2:01. (O) Ultra-Rare 'Abominable Snowman' spotted
2:01. (O) Party Wipe
2:02. (O) Close view of Rogue 'skill book'
2:03. (Q) Are you guys planning for a Bard?
Yes we are. The real question will be whether both Necromancers and Bards will be available at launch or just after launch.
2:04. (V) There is no 'skill tree'
(O) See view of skill list in the character UI, however.
'Skill' = Passives, 'Abilities' = Active skills
2:05. (O) There is a 'Vision' skill.
2:07. (Q) Will there be UI mods on release?
UI customising will be available, but no scripting/automation will be possible.
2:09. (V) 'Ring of Anchors' (Quest item) will mitigate specific atmospheric effect.
2:13. (V) 'Frenetic Floor' atmosphere cannot be stood upon without (specific) items
2:13. (O) EQ 'Ding' noise
2:15. (V) Enter 'Amber Fate' Dungeon (Raid) Zone
'High' Tier Atmosphere zone, needs acclimation.
Upper area = Dungeon Levels 37-45
Lower area = Dedicated Raid Zone
2:17. (V) What is 'Acclimation'?
Extreme environments will require your character to become acclimated to them.
We are launching with 6 of these: Frigid, Scorching, Toxic, Anaerobic, Pressure and Wind Shear. They come in Tiers, from Tier-I up to Tier-5. A low Tier atmosphere would have detrimental effects, but none would be lethal, just impairing. A Low tier cold atmosphere might impair weapon speed or movement rate etc, by how much dependent on how acclimated the character had become.
Finding items and applying these to your 'body slots' would allow you to gain 'acclimation' for yourself - e.g. cloak etc can be added to armour perhaps - or items that allow direct absorption of the 'essence' to change your body - e.g. chest, legs, arms, feet, blood etc. these can possibly be changed, slot to slot etc.
Environments can be found within environments too!
2:20. (V) Weapon materials and mob body types matter
Slashing weapons do less damage vs scales or bone. Weapon type vs body type will make an appreciable difference. No specifics have been set, yet.
2:22. (Q) Will some races tolerate some environments better than others?
Yes, to an extent. Some will have a degree of built-in acclimation. This will allow them to more easily get to acclimate to those environments. E.g. Dark Myr may be already partially acclimated to 'pressure' atmospheres.
2:24. (V) Dragons will be in the game. Lots of types of them.
2:29. (V) All dungeons will be open world - not instanced.
2:31. (O) Climbing Skill first glimpsed
2:35. (Q) Will there be World Events?
There will be events, ranging from localised to world events. These may only happen under certain circumstances, but will not be a procedurally generated world. The world will be crafted, but these events may happen, based on set times, moon phases or events.
2:37. (Q) Will be there be a Voluntary Guide Program?
Absolutely. In addition to GMs there will be Guides, a Guild outreach program, mentoring and other versions of 'on-boarding'. This is to get players, unfamiliar with the concept of the game, able to get on board and play - through advice and these programs.
2:38. (V) Mentoring will scale to ensure not being overpowered.
There will be incentives to mentoring. Not fixed yet, but there would be points and recognition for doing this and helping new players.
2:39. (V) The Progeny system can be used to create alts with minor advantages.
2:41. (Q) Is there a limit on Guild size?
There is no plan to restrict Guild size at all. There will be Guild management tools, with ranks for levels of guild membership.
2:48. (Q) Will there be ability chaining?
We do not want a full 'combo-system' but we like the idea of sympathetic abilities. We will know better once we have the next reveal on abilities.
2:51. (V) Shards will not be regionally locked.
2:54. (O) Climbing Skill
Improving climbing skills will determine what type of sheer face you can climb up. In a vertical dungeon, if your climbing skill is not sufficient, you will not be able to get to parts of the dungeon.
Rogues may get a 'rope' skill additionally.
2:56. (Q) Will there be party ports like Call of the Hero?
We do want to have abilities to summon group members, but not at the expense of circumventing content restrictions. If you can walk there, then the facility should be there - but some obstacles or thresholds will not allow these since it would allow you to bypass content restrictions.
3:00. (O) 'Impossible' Jump. Difficult Jump/Climb will be in higher level areas
3:03. (O) No clip plane maximum
3:05. (V) Atmosphere inside an atmosphere and High end Crafting
Higher tier crafting will need the use of specific atmospheres and NPC crafters. This means working with faction for these NPCs found deep within the dungeon and in areas needing much acclimation. This opens the possible link for players to find or obtain the ores from these places to sell on to the crafters who can use them.
3:07. (Q) Will items have level requirements? What do you think about twinking?
No hard level limits for items, but they will scale down when used by a weaker player. there will be incentives to trade in items for long term buffs, customising items etc. It will thus benefit the player in many other ways to use the items rather than hand them down.
3:10. (Q) How do we get access?
You can get access to pre-alpha, alpha and Bet through pledges. There will likely be an open Beta to stress test the system, but most of the testing will be 'private' under NDA with the intent to improve the game.
3:12. (Q) Can the game be played by a soloer?
While this is a group-centric game, there will be no effort made to discourage solo play. If you can find ways to solo, then you are free to do so. There may be some quests that have solo requirements, for example class advancement quests.
3:14. (O) Boss fight starts
3:22. (V) Website update in 1 week with further information
3:22. (O) Pantheon website crashes
Thanks so much for putting this together. Always good to have some cliff notes, whether it be for games..or school :P Good work!
Bazgrim said:Crafting/Items:
6. Some dungeons will have special crafting stations in them that are required to craft certain high level items.
Climates:
5. Druids will be able to change the atmosphere or climate of an area. This can be used tactically to have adverse effects on mobs. For example, change a climate to Frigid in order to weaken a boss that is particularly susceptible to cold.
I absolutely loved the example in the stream for Crafting #6. Having to adventure deep into a dungeon, get acclimated to the extreme tempatures and get faction up in order to craft a high level item is such a great idea, imo. Will provide a great sense of accomplishment, plus just adds that extra uniqueness to crafting. Really, really cool.
For Climates #5, I'm not sure if this has been addressed, and sorry if so. I wonder if there will be certain fights/areas that you will need a specific class/race to complete or adventure into? I could see the pros/cons for this. Would certainly add value to particular hybrid classes
-Geppen
"Perception system"- You guys keep touting it as something new and phenomenally dynamic, but it just appears to be either:
1. An invisible exclamation point above an NPC's head that you choose to read or ignore when you come into range.
2. Voiceless text describing an area or situation when you come into range - you know, like any adventure game - ever. Think.. "Zork" old. (Additionally, if you want to see some actually cool examples of this look at what Dungeons & Dragons Online did with it.) What you guys have put forward is kind of sterile and boring.
I am not trying to denegrate here, I am hoping to be proven wrong. Is there something more to this "system"?
Additionally I don't know why you guys are patting eachother on the back for features like:
1. No minimap
2. No voiceacting
3. No questlog
4. No "conveniences"
This is 2016 - the SECOND someone makes a minimap/questhelper plugin for your game - I will have it installed. I will never understand why anyone would DESIRE a more unpleasant gaming experience.
I am an eagle scout and actually taught many young men how to utilize orienteering, BUT I will happily use GPS the rest of my life if possible.
Martell said:Additionally I don't know why you guys are patting eachother on the back for features like:
1. No minimap
2. No voiceacting
3. No questlog
4. No "conveniences"
This is 2016 - the SECOND someone makes a minimap/questhelper plugin for your game - I will have it installed. I will never understand why anyone would DESIRE a more unpleasant gaming experience.
I am an eagle scout and actually taught many young men how to utilize orienteering, BUT I will happily use GPS the rest of my life if possible.
They've said numerous times that the game is going to be a niche game based on old school MMOS and would lack modern mmo conveniences. That's how they've advertised and sold it the whole time.