The Patch Message - 01/09/03

[Tobin Itharel]

January 9, 2003 3:00 am
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** Demise of the Classic/Velious Interface **

Over the last six months we have been keeping the Classic EverQuest interface as well as the Velious interface working through all of the features that we have added (built-in MP3 player, item links, compass, enhanced /bug reporting tool, and others). However, with the release of some of the new features in this patch, such as running EQ in a window, we must now say goodbye to the older interfaces. They have been disabled as of today.

They served us well.



** EQ in a Window **

EverQuest can now be run in a window. To place EverQuest in a window, simply press Alt-Enter. You can also switch out of EverQuest to another program by using the familiar Alt-Tab. It is important that you do not do this until you are in-game, do not do this during the login process.

It is important to note a few things. Running the game in a window may reduce game performance a bit. And, as always, the more programs you have running at the same time the more resources they use.

At this time, due to some changes that need to be made on the front end, it is not possible to run two instances of EverQuest. We will be working to make the necessary changes over the next few weeks.



** Songs Window **

We have added a new window to the interface along with new game functionality. The Songs window is a new buff window that holds up to 6 bard song buffs. This increases the potential maximum effects that a character can have to 21 (15 standard and the 6 new ones). The new window only holds certain bard songs (generally the 3-tick songs). Only beneficial songs will qualify for the new buff box, and not all of those. Any buff in the new Songs window is considered temporary and will not be saved when you zone.

Songs that qualify to go into the new window will go into that window first. Any qualifying songs over six will be rerouted to the main Effects window. Cancel Magic effects will see these new buff slots as buff slots #16-21.

Note for User Interface skin creators: The Label EQTypes 80-85 are the Songs window song names.



- Some magical effects on Planar class armor have been altered. In most cases the effects were upgraded, but a few items were given weaker effects that were more in line with the difficulty of obtaining them.
- Fixed a bug that was causing a few Planes of Power NPCs to take too long to respawn.
- Wu's Attack should now work correctly.
- Incoming damage now interacts with Wrath of the Wild and other rune-type spells in their proper order.
- Pact of Shadow and Shadow Compact will once again heal player characters.
- Charmed Pets will no longer remain charmed after the owner dies.
- Sending special characters (such as < and ") via EQIM will no longer freeze the game.
- Hitting Autoattack when in explore mode at Character Select will no longer cause the game to crash.
- The Loadskin window will now load skins other than the default properly.
- Fixed and issue that caused some NPC's text to be cut short.
- Fixed (but did not rename) the Broken Golem. He should no longer be hated in Fear, just feared...
-Lowered the duration of calm-type spells that effect creatures level 50 and over.


** User Interface File Changes **

ShortDurationBuffwnd.xml - NEW
EQUI.xml
BugReportwnd.xml
Lootwnd.xml
Selectorwnd.xml
PetInfownd.xml
Window_ Pieces04.tga

[Iannyen]

10 Hours for such a short list? Me thinks that either they accounted for a couple of shots at it, or we wont be seeing our guildies for a couple of days...

[grylore]

My interpretation of a long patch would generally indicate that they need a fair bit of time to cover serverside database changes, and conversion of existing data to fit into the new structure they will use from this day forward.
Putting a patch up on the patch server, takes very little time. changing data structures is a different matter entirely.

Just my take.

Grylore (and Gry*)
250 Elven Smith of Tallon Zek.

[Pootle]

Anyone notice if they added POM ubdate yet?

[Tenasi]

PoM

I'm sure VI would rather delete PoM than fix it. It's been the red-headed step child of zones for so long...

As for the length of the patch, it may seem like a 'small list', but just look at that list: bigger buff-box (a new temporary box) and EQ in a window. That's *big* change. I'm just wondering how bad this patch messes up bards (every patch messes up bards). :roll:

[Itzena]

I just want to know how many new quests and tradeskills recipies are going to be discovered now that the NPC text cutoff has (supposedly) been fixed.

[Ianthe]

Nah.. Inner Acrylia is the red headed step child of zones... PoM at least there are rumors of things dropping.

[Maena Bowyer]

Actually, the "EQ in windows" is actually a minor patch... basically just need to change the exe(s) that we download to run the game. The hard part, the coding, has already been done. However, changing the spell database, adding additional buff slots to every character in the game... *that* is gonna take some time. Though I note that the new slots are "temporary", and also probably won't be saved when you log (just like they won't be saved when you zone) which means that they won't have to do a full scale conversion of every character in the game. If those slots were NOT temporary, I'd expect this patch to be significantly longer.

[Flabbo McFattyfatfat]

not all

They didnt list stoicism (lvl 44 mini torpor, drops off rallos zek!) and pureblood going live, which according to lucy they did. Not sure on other classes new spells going in, but cleric mini aego probably hit. So theres some things which went in but werent announced. We can always pray they made ore/jointing stack.

Of course, maybe they will get off their asses and add ogre/troll agnostic some time this year before my roommate has full velious questsed. Yeah... right!

Weren't bard buffs first dispelled when above regular buffs on your list previously?

I thought having a bard twisting while fighting a dispelling mob would keep your buffs up fairly well.

Was I wrong about that?

If thats the case... then I think it may not be a feature so much as a headache, I have never had over 20 buffs on anyhow.

[furioso]

thank god

I thought having a bard twisting while fighting a dispelling mob would keep your buffs up fairly well.

If thats the case... then I think it may not be a feature so much as a headache, I have never had over 20 buffs on anyhow.

Isn't it great when people use you buffs as crap buffs? I play a 65 bard. At most raids people have 15 buffs filled. I have to remind the raid constently to save buff slots for songs like ae resist. Funny how some scream for 50ish added to a resist from a shaman buff, but doesn't care about saving a space for a 150ish bard resist buff. Or how they will demand C4 (18 mana/tick) yet tell me to turn off my ae mana song (22 mana, 48 hp regen per tick) because they are running low of buff slots. Or my favorite, when they ask for shaman haste (50%ish) when I play 60% + 30% overhaste for a total of 90% haste.... but they have no room because celery or swift like the wind have eaten up the buff slots.

Makes me laugh every time.

Furiso, I love and respect Bard buffs...

But they get refreshed as the song continues to play right.... so its only dispelled for a few seconds, rather than my HOS, C3, or Ageo that is gone for good.

If a few songs are being played over my regular buffs, then in theory nothing will be able to be dispelled...

[Tobin Itharel]

Good Thread on Bard Topic at EQDiva's board

[Tassrin]

Fix the interface

Gotta go in and fix my interfaces again... *sigh*

I use about 5 different interface folders for my charachters (different needs for each class right) I sure do hope this will only need a minor fix or I am not going to be a happy camper. I do like the new buff box though. Course, I am a neat freak, and like to have all my regular buffs in a nice row on my buff window, which doesn't always happen if bard buffs are going in my open slots

Im sure there are better reasons to like the new window, but that is mine.

[Tweedledea]

Patch

I see when they stopped quest text cutting off the end, they made things cut off at the beginning instead (eg, the random spooky messages in Hate)

I like that things that are being offered to you in a trade window now are shown in your chat box.