The Darkfall team implemented a major patch yesterday that lays the groundwork for the game's next expansion, which is coming in October. For example, the expansion will bring some big changes to naval combat, so this patch has made it so damaged ships will move slower, lowered the hit points of all ships and made ships cheaper to produce.

A small patch was also added today that fixed some bugs from yesterday's patch. You can read the full notes from the main patch after the jump.

 

This patch prepares the ground for Darkfall's October Expansion. All the changes implemented have been carefully considered and balanced before introduction into the game.

Ships

Darkfall's October Expansion brings massive changes to the naval combat landscape. We take the first steps in this direction in today's patch:

• Damaged ships will now move slower. This makes it harder for ships to run away and de-spawn when they are severely damaged.
• All ships have had their hitpoints significantly reduced. This change will bring balance and more of a challenge to naval combat.
• Most ships are now cheaper to produce. This excludes high-end ships for now.
• Trying to unsummon a ship while it's taking damage or being repaired will now break the unsummoning.
• If you attack a ship you could go rogue depending on the status between yourself and the player controlling it.

Warhulks

• Damaged warhulks will move slower
• Trying to unsummon a warhulk while it's taking damage or being repaired will now break the unsummoning.
• If you attack a warhulk you could go rogue depending on the status between yourself and the player controlling it.

Crafting

Skill gain in weaponsmithing has been enhanced: Creating higher rank weapons will now make your skill increase faster. This change will make it more rewarding for crafters to involve themselves in creating higher rank weapons.

Visual and Worldbuilding Updates

There have been many visual updates to the environment (boulders, vegetation etc.), also updates to the Chaldean props, to Dwarven Stone Walls, and to many props around Agon.

There have also been worldbuilding improvements and updates to the following areas:

• Zahnal
• Shargal
• Sorgom
• Velmuna
• Zirdna
• Dun Amsharra
• Fahral
• Kir Janu
• Saenal
• Niasha
• Nerghum
• Aderghum

Weapons / Items

New one handed clubs have been added to the game

• Spirit Club
• Manus Dei
• Bonecrippler
• Composit Club
• Enigma

Durability has been increased for the following transmutation staffs, to align the item's value and resource cost with the item's lifespan.

• Sarracenia
• Cursecaller
• Bonestaff
• Tyrantsmight
• Rod of origins
• Staff of legend
• Draunadan
• Snakeskin
• Corpsecall
• Darkheart

New elemental bows have been added to the game:

• Ravenous
• Flametrail
• Bolt Thrower
• Snowfall

Arcane protection has been added to necklaces
Arcane protection has been added to rings
The inventory of chaos chests has been upgraded
If you attack a cannon you could go rogue depending on the status between yourself and the player controlling it.
The shield blocking damage reduction bonus has been reduced to 80%

Magic

• All spell schools skill up faster. We need to point out that this concerns the schools and not the individual spells. This is the first step in introducing more spells and spell schools to the game
• Unburden has been modified: It's quicker to cast, has a larger effect, a shorter duration and a longer cooldown. The changes are to make the penalty for armorcasting more meaningful add a bit more balance to melee and archery vs. magic.
• Mana and ingredient costs have been reduced for the following spells:
- Delayed shot
- Desecration
- Disease
- Evil eye
- Exhaust
- Holy weakness
- Lightning weakness
- Mental weakness
- Ominous drain
- Palsy
- Pestilence
- Piercing weakness
- Slashing weakness
- Slow
- Sluggish
- Spell curse
- Stupidity
- Tarnish
- Tongue rot
- Weakening blaze
- Weakening chill
• Magic area of effect damage (splash damage) will no longer give extra damage if the target has his back turned against the spell's epicenter. Backstabbing bonuses for magic will only be given if you hit a player directly in the back with a magic projectile. This is another step in balancing magic vs. melee/archery and is counterbalanced by a small reduction in shield blocking damage reduction.
• Heal other & Sacrifice reach has been extended making healers a little more effective.
• Corrected problems with the Reflect Spell
• The Wisdom requirement for learning Maintenance has been reduced to 30 from 50

Accessibility/ UI / Controls

The following are just a few of the many planned improvements to Darkfall's accessibility, User Interface and Control system.

• Added first person animations for bows, grenades and magic staffs when running and walking. You can now see what you're wielding.
• Clicking on a player's name in chat will now open a message tab for that player
• When you are buying in bulk you can now type in the number of items you want
• We have increased the max number of items you can buy in bulk
• Fixed several bugs having to do with the visuals of an inventory.
• Fixed a bug where on rare occasions a player could get one of his old characters restored.
• Corrected a bug where sheathing a weapon before a missile would impact would cause a damage miscalculation.
• A "follow me" button has been added to the world map. This will make the world map always center on you.
• Corrected some party member window issues having to do with dragging the window.
• Auto-sheathing of weapons has been added when pressing the use key on an object (e.g. gravestone, mount etc.)

Village System

• Village Control Points now give 20% more gold output.
• Village Control Points have had their health reduced by 25%
• A global message will be issued 30 minutes before villages go vulnerable.

Monsters / AI

• Fighting against monsters will now approximately triple the skill gain compared to that against player characters
• Getting hit by monsters will approximately triple the skill gain (i.e. resistance) compared to getting hit by player characters
• There have been several upgrades to AI tactics and monster behavior making them less likely to be exploited.
• If you attack a mount you could go rogue depending on the status between you and the player controlling it.

Environment System

There was a bug where some areas weren't seeing enough weather effects like rain and snow and this has been fixed.