R236

New update on test server.

New event: Summer Solstice Festival (and a sidekick event Summer Solstice Preparation)

• Summer Solstice Preparation is running (probably few days)
• Summer Solstice Festival (main event) starts after that

The things you see in the progress bar the most is a new currency (it's in the currency bag), probably usable during the festival itself. The other two things are quest items, akin to the dragan's scroll - albeit not at all problematic to obtain.
There's also a second progress bar, which contains only drakens and the new currency, and a third progress bars, which contains drakens, the new currency, and this thing (in amount of 100) on the end:

From what I've seen, it's valuable.

New pet:

Not sure what a "real charmer" means. Is it a jesse's costume? We could expect anything after the "barker" trader made it to the game...

New mount (horse category):


New set (crap again):


...as well as some (crappy) setless uniques:


Now, back to the event... It has a new map, Kalodoro is its name. It looks similar to the regular Mystra map, but has a completly new layout and generally Art Department did a good job again. No new enemies though, it's just full of satyrs and cyclops in the beginning. Aside of that, almost nothing is happening there... but it's because it's just "preparations". During the main event it's supposed to be more lively (judging by the achievement window). While we're at it:


During the preparation event, the enemies in the map don't drop any progress. They drop new quest items though (yay! /s):

When you collect 100 of all the types you can turn it all for 250 progress. Aside of that, killing 1k enemies can be turned in for 50 progress - it's 2-3 times clearing the map, which doesn't take long. Amphoras drop some (1-5-10-15 or such) progress and a bit of those coloured dusts (and drakens of course) with a chance for some other event loot (eg. 1x solstice token). Entry to the map costs "ferry tickets", but perhaps only during the preparation - the item is branded only with "Summer Solstice Preparation" in the key bag. There are three other items (fishing rod, the aforementioned token and "mini-game ticket") which are branded only with "Summer Solstice Festival" and as such are not used during the preparation event.

Ok, so where's the trick? In the entry items of course! They're supposed to be dropping from worthy enemies, but they're rarer than equipment refiners if they're even dropping. I farmed Great Desert a bit, got 2 refiners and none tickets. So... good luck. Let's hope they increase the drop.

The slightly better part is that logging in during this event for the first time in a day gives 10 of each colour of the dust and 2 tickets for entry.

Shop offer :


The more expensive one (2.5k) can be bought unlimited times.

Back to the event. The first quest item from the bar grants you a once-a-day quest to kill 5 leaders in the event map, that gives you 150 progress. It also makes more mobs spawn in the map, along with some stone golems. There's one leader per map.
The second quest item grants a (presumably, also once-a-day) quest to kill 5 sentinels in the event, which gives 300 progress.

Overall impression:
Looks overly grindy with a way to pay around your path to (at least some) rewards. I mean, it wouldn't be that bad if the tickets were dropping. However, I spent 15k andermants just to make some tests to write what you have above. Enjoy.

 

that ring though, even though not viable is a good attempt if they pushed the base to 2k <- yes 2k because of the insane amount of block needed for infernal 5 and up, I would even dare say 2.5-3k unique value and I will show you why its a simple sum.

you use dragan pauldrons and fe 2x of those rings and pauldrons has 7k and those rings on lvl60 has 1.5 each and youre using bloodrune for example thats a total of 10k
+ 100% craft into pauldrons gives you 20k and 50% from wisdom pushes you to a total of 25000 which is just barely enough for 80% block on infernal 3
however lets say fe the rings had 3k base yes insane 3k base but we are talking lvl55 and we are talking infernal7
so that whole sum again this time with 6k from 2x rings and 7k from pauldrons = 13000 with whichever weapon you choose and ofc dragan torso and cloak and a physic leaving you open to use any tonic would put you on 32500.
which isnt 80% on infernal 5 but is a lot and mostly viable even on infernal 5

if you craft dragan cloak with block however you can attain 80% infernal 5 then <- however ofc you would then need bloodrune to maintain high attack speed. <- silly build but imagine a mage with 80% block on infernal 5 or a ranger with bloodrune and 80% infernal 5
even a dk for that matter, yes mecs not so much but we know why ofc.
and then yes a player witha shield will attain enough block for inf7 too

 

SOunds interesting tho it seems like it´d be better for the block stat to be as base value instead of uniq so it can scale with tier and maybe leave the 3k ish for t10 or so...and instead of the uniq block throw some % block in or so
What you say phy

 

So I'll drop a screen here:

 

Runs in new island:
1) INF1 3 progress
2) INF1 3 progress
a bit low?

 

I don't know lose impact and damage for some block value!

It is not even convenient to the Dk, the tank has been replaced by: singularity + guardian, wall of thorns, puddle of oil.

I think we can talk about it with the next expansion but I doubt that they will change anything!

 

so crit and block in base? <- and damage? would make it similar to the dragan pauldrons in nature.

it has crit in base <- not wishing for that to go away

ive been intending to get really loud about this.
Dks are in the sorry state they are because 1 they added 1 second to mws, weakened dragon hide from 80% increased res and armor to some crappy 11k, made dragon hide last 8 seconds instead of 10 <- those were intentional nerfs to the class dk
then what did they do? they boosted mobes per patch exponentially and left dks in the sorry state they chose for it.
mages got balanced
rangers got armor break on bosses
mecs is the OPness killer fav of someone, and dks are just nothing
useless on map, useless in group, useless solo useless everywhere and then what happened? they started leaving en masse

anyways not to drift too far from the topic at hand was merely trying to point that a block build could be interesting <- 2h block build I mean

 

All true and the development of the class is always bad even now!

I think a block value with build 2h can help, but it has its problems. The skills of the Dk work with the impact, otherwise no reduction of skill times and no life recharge. From here we can't do anything with that set!

 

do you think it's normal?

You can make progress ONLY buying Summer Solstice Attire OR buying Helper's Bundle (you need 8x)

DSO not is Free2Play, nor Pay2Win but now is Pay2Play

They've removed Jester because Gambling was forbidden in Video Games
and we can bet using gold or andermants...now they put fishing rod.

 

Fishing rod is fishing rod... see the "treasure hunter" "minigame" and the tickets for it... it's even more gambling... because you have a chance to get nothing...

Wait. We already have gambling with a chance to get nothing in the game. It's called "crafting". If people are embracing it and doing it willingly, why wouldn't they put more stuff like that?

Arena of Endurance... slightly more interesting, bad design still. You have to survive incoming waves of opponents with all your skills off. There are gremlins and elemental witches... also walls of fire are spawning as well as some dragan's rotating lasers. I mean, if the enemies were simply resistant to any damage, but you could use your skills for movement etc., it could make some sense. But what is even this? At least it's something new.

Meanie Rumble is the polar opposite of that. Gremlins are spawning one at a time which can't really kill you... and you have to kill as many as you can in one minute. Isn't it boring? Well, yes, but actually yes. On top of that, each next has more hp than the previous.

There are also some traders for the special currency... among other things, they sell premium and deluxe for two weeks. So, perhaps that's a reward, but aside of that, the event is complete pile of crap. Sad.

 

is Pay2Play only if you're addicted to the game and "have to / must" finish events. Just to play them and progress as far as you can only, that is free.

 

I agree but in this case you can have progress ONLY if you buy ATTIRE so if you don't pay your progress will be 0 (ZERO)

 

thought more of block/crit/hp or so as in case of defensive capes

 

Good idea

 

BUG 1
I've only 8 Summer Solstice Coins and I have bought anything with them

BUG 2
I played fishing more than 100 times


BUG 3
Sometimes you die and trial don't stop.

In any case can't be normal that in such kind of minigame if you die (lost trial) you MUST revive using 120 andermants to collect rewards.


BUG 4
In Underground Channel if you mark chest, lock-in choice clicking on the entrance's brazier BUT YOU CAN'T OPEN CHESTS

BUG 5
No progress from minigames...ah no this is a feature.


--- MERGED ---


New bug?

With 236_6 I played fishing minigames 9 time (1 time for every pool becaus I can't click 2 times on the same pool) then I can't fish anymore.
I tried to change map with no result. Today I tried again and I can't fish...I've 203 fishing rod