Patch Notes/2011-12-06

12-06-11 build 2160.201111172202.1

Patch notes for build 2160.201111172202.1.

Introducing the TPN Campus Incarnate Trial

Storyline

To the Incarnates opposed to Emperor Cole, TPN Campus, the state-run and sponsored media complex, presents a valuable opportunity to broadcast the truth about Emperor Cole to the citizenry and gain their support against him. Cole, for his part, sees an opportunity of his own, and sends his elite IDF and DUST forces to TPN, under the leadership of Maelstrom, to stop the Incarnates and prove his strength. Into this battle steps H.D., master of TPN Campus, who knows that the battle will lead to unparalleled access to the citizens of Praetoria, and will extend his assistance to whomever puts on the best show. Should Maelstrom drive off the Incarnates, the message of Cole's superiority will resonate throughout the world. But, should the Incarnates succeed, the message of Cole's treachery will shock the world, amplified ever more by the power H.D. lends to the broadcast.

Synopsis

The event takes place in and around the TPN Campus complex in the heart of Imperial City. Players are tasked with fending off Emperor Coles forces as they fight their way into the facility's broadcast stations to initiate the broadcast, then continuing to maintain their broadcast. Throughout the trial, players are tasked with building Public Opinion to a point where the citizens of Praetoria become sympathetic to their message. All the while, the Emperor's forces will be deployed to turn Public Opinion in his favor, including IDF Technicians to disable the broadcast, Telepathists to turn protesting citizenry against the Incarnates, and Maelstrom himself, whose presence calms the people. Each of the later phases is also punctuated by a battle with Maelstrom, who has quite a few tricks up his sleeve, and will use them in an effort to prove the superiority of Emperor Cole's regime.

Rewards

TPN Campus will award Physical Incarnate XP. Additionally, on completion it will award 2 Empyrean Merits. During the 20 hour cooldown, TPN Campus awards 1 Empyrean Merit for each completion. There is also a mid-event reward of 60 Incarnate Threads for those who drive Maelstrom from the battlefield at the end of Stage 3. Finally, TPN Campus offers an enhanced chance for Rare and Very Rare Incarnate Salvage in the end of trial rewards.

Some of the Unique Powers

• Marked for Death: During the second battle against Maelstrom, he will mark all players standing near him with a target, which is displayed over their heads. Should a marked player remain too close to him when he follows up with the Time to Die attack a few moments later, that player will be defeated instantly.

• Teleport Kicks: The Maelstrom Device makes Maelstrom a master of teleportation. Combining the technology with powerful martial arts moves, Maelstrom will teleport to his targets during the final stage and deliver devastating kicks. Because of the nature of his teleportation mastery, nowhere on the surface is safe from Maelstrom when he begins using these powers.

• Whirlwind Blast: His mastery of martial arts amplified by the Maelstrom Device, Maelstrom channels a massive amount of energy into his hands, which he then unleashes in a single, swift punch. This causes a massive shockwave which knocks all opponents within 30' back, clearing the way for Maelstrom to use his teleport kicks more often.

• Telepathic Interference: The Seer Telepathists deployed to TPN Campus create a massive field around them which allows them to interfere with the minds of those around them at significant distances. This manifests as continuous damage whenever they are around, out to a distance of 150'. To make matters worse, the Telepathists have also staggered themselves in such a way that their fields can overlap with one another's.

• Pacify: Another weapon in the Telepathist's arsenal, Pacify sends out a soothing signal to the minds of the enemy forces. Though this effect would be enough to completely lock down most people, the powerful Incarnates only suffer penalties to their combat effectiveness. Still, if Telepathists are left unattended and this debuff stacks, the league will be significantly hampered, perhaps even to the point where Cole's forces can overwhelm them.

Introducing the Minds of Mayhem Incarnate Trial

Storyline

After the successful broadcast at TPN Campus, the Incarnates expected that the world would come to see the need to depose Emperor Cole. As the hours pass, however, the opposite happens: the people of Praetoria become more loyal to Cole than ever before. Then, members of the Resistance begin turning to support Cole. Soon, nearly all of Praetoria is enthralled in support of Cole, leaving the Incarnates and a small band of those resistant to the control to investigate the problem. When it is eventually discovered that Mother Mayhem, who now inhabits the minds of both Penelope Yin and Aurora Borealis, has perfected Mindwashing and is using the two powerful psychics to project it upon the entire world, it is resolved that she must be stopped. However, with the Mother of Mercy Hospital physically encased in an impenetrable barrier, there is but one way to make that happen: enter the Seer Network, free Penelope and Aurora, and sever Shalice Tilman's connections to the Network from within.

Synopsis

The event takes place, in the real world, in the abandoned Underground beneath First Ward. There, players will meet up with Desdemona and other individuals who remain free of Mindwashing's control. With Desdemona's assistance, a gateway will be opened into the Seer Network which will allow players to first deal with Mother Mayhem's "firewall", Malaise, and then to take progressive steps pushing the mind of Shalice Tilman out of those she controls. Eventually, after learning even more of the secrets of Praetoria, players will find themselves disconnecting Shalice Tilman from the Seer Network... though to do so will require players to fight Tilman in a place where no one can come to aid them....

Rewards

Minds of Mayhem will award Psychic Incarnate XP. Additionally, on completion it will award 2 Empyrean Merits. During the 20 hour cooldown, Minds of Mayhem awards 1 Empyrean Merit for each completion. Minds of Mayhem also offers an enhanced chance for Rare and Very Rare Incarnate Salvage in the end of trial rewards.

Some of the Unique Powers

• Nightmares: Malaise is a master of the dream world, and when players come to confront him, he is prepared. Looking into their minds, Malaise finds memories of vicious monsters, abominations and machines they have fought in the past and brings them to life to fight on his behalf.

• World of Anguish: During the battle against his Nightmares, Malaise will create deadly voids of psionic energy on the ground. These voids will target multiple players and will gradually expand to cover a wide swath of the battlefield. When these voids appear, mobility is key, as a void is capable of defeating a player in seconds when at its largest extent.

• Psionic Typhoon: The network node in which Penelope Yin can be found is wracked by a titanic psionic storm, the manifestation of the ongoing battle between Penelope and Shalice Tilman for control over her body. While players are within her node, this storm will deal continuous damage, but there is a way for players to find respite from the Typhoon through the assistance of an ally.

• Shared Suffering/Suffer in Silence: When players come to finally confront Mother Mayhem, she will see to it that they suffer for daring to challenge her. She will cast one of these two powers at a random target. Depending on which one is chosen, the affected target will need to gather allies around him/herself to split the damage amongst all near her or will need to flee away from his/her allies in order to minimize the amount of damage done to him/herself and allies.

• Desdemona's Blessing: Throughout each battle but the last, Desdemona will be in constant contact with players, as it is she who holds open the portal linking reality to the Seer Network. Because of this link, Desdemona is periodically able to raise fallen players, granting them full health, full endurance, resistance and defense to psionic damage and protection against some deadly attacks found within the network. This comes at a cost, however, as each blessing accepted reduces the amount of energy she has to maintain the portal, and pushes players closer to the point that they will become trapped in, and annihilated by, the network.

COMBINED

Incarnate Trial - The Underground

Players now receive 60 Incarnate Threads for defeating the Lichen Infested War Walker in the Underground Incarnate Trial.

Note: Currently you must be eligible for the 'Regenerate This' badge.

Incarnate Trial - Keyes Island

• Fixed an incorrectly positioned hatch door in the Keyes Island Incarnate Trial and corrected its exit animation.
• Anti-Matter's Disintegrate should once again show its green circular FX for its full duration around anyone struck by it.

Incarnate Lore: Prometheus

Prometheus will have additional insight into the nature of Incarnates and the Well for those who have completed both the Underground and either TPN Campus or Minds of Mayhem.

Team Search

Fixed the "/sea" command not finding players when in non-Praetorian zones.

Super Group Bases

• Players and their Base Items have reconciled their differences. As a result, defensive base items will no longer attack friendly players.
• Fixed missing supergroup logos in supergroup base decorations.
• Base Editor vertical placement feature will now not function until the item is initially placed on the ground.
• Remote auction house now properly disabled in mission maps and SG bases.

Charater Creation

• Attempting to register a character with a duplicate name will no longer result in a letter-boxed register menu.
• Reserved names in the name check should display as invalid names.
• Creating an Arachnos Epic Archetype should no longer require a weapon to be explicitly selected (in some cases) to enter the game.

Graphics

Fixed a problem with particle effect texture animation going faster at higher frame rates.

Costume Creator / Tailor

• The costume creator will correctly assign costume pieces of a cloth based costume set.
• The Vampire Brooch should now appear properly with all cape and jacket combinations.
• The Back Detail scroll list in the Costume Menu should populate correctly, regardless of whether there is a Back Detail item selected.
• Certain backpacks should no longer disappear from the character when entering the tailor.
• Fixed an issue which could cause some costume pieces to appear locked when they should be available.

Paragon Market

The Paragon Market browser should no longer appear without the top row of store buttons when accessed by means of the Menu dropdown.

Team Up Teleporter

Fixed a bug where players can't toggle off join LFG UI event choices

POWERS

General

• Time Manipulation: This power set's long help has been updated to refer to the user in second person instead of third person.
• Poison/Poison Trap should now properly benefit from all enhancement and set types allowed in the power.

Beam Rifle

The "Dark" Effects for Beam Rifle now line up with the muzzle of the rifles properly.

Pets

Non-combat pets can now be used while Walking and riding the Rocket Board.

Class Specific Powers

MasterMind

• Field Mastery \ Power Blast now properly accepts Knockback Sets.
• Field Mastery \ Power Blast no longer accepts Endurance Modification Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Tanker

• Arctic Mastery \ Ice Blast now properly accepts Slow Enhancements and Slow Sets.
• Soul Mastery \ Summon Widow no longer accepts To Hit Debuff Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Brute

• Arctic Mastery \ Ice Blast now properly accepts Slow Enhancements and Slow Sets.
• Soul Mastery \ Summon Widow no longer accepts To Hit Debuff Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Corruptor

Leviathan Master \ Summon Coralax no longer accepts To Hit Debuff Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Defender

Leviathan Master \ Summon Coralax no longer accepts To Hit Debuff Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Dominator

Leviathan Mastery \ Summon Coralax no longer accepts Defense Debuff Sets, Knockback Enhancements or Knockback Sets as they did nothing for this power.

Controller

Leviathan Mastery \ Summon Coralax no longer accepts Defense Debuff Sets, Knockback Enhancements or Knockback Sets as they did nothing for this power.

INCARNATE POWERS

• Vorpal Radial Judgements with Defense boost components will no longer play an incorrect combat message log for the user.
• Vigor Boost Rare and Very Rare powers now properly boost the effects of Auto powers that enhance Regeneration, Max Health, or Healing.

Interface:

• The damage of the DoT portions of Cognitive and Degenerative interface has been increased by 60%
• The Degenerative Interface -MaxHP proc has been strengthened. It should now properly function against all types of NPC and players.
• The Spectral Interface chance to immobilize has been increased by 250% at all tiers.
• The duration of the Spectral Interface immobilize procs has been standardized at 4 seconds in PvE and 2 seconds in PvP for all ATs.
• The base magnitude of a Spectral Interface immobilize proc has been increased from 1 to 2.
• The Cognitive Interface chance to confuse has been increased by 200% at all tiers.
• The duration of the Cognitive Interface confuse procs has been standardized at 4 seconds in PvE and 2 seconds in PvP for all ATs.
• The base magnitude of a Cognitive Interface confuse proc has been increased from 1 to 2.
• The magnitude of the Endurance Drain in Preemptive Interface has been doubled in PvE.
• A chance to decrease the recovery of affected targets has been added to Preemptive Interface's Endurance Drain debuff.

Resilient Alpha

• The To Hit Buff in this tree has been moved from the Radial tree to the Core tree. The Taunt Duration in this tree has been moved from the Core tree to the Radial tree.
• The Resistance boost of Resilient Total Core Revamp and Resilient Core Paragon has been increased from 27% to 33%

TASKS

Freedom Tutorial

• Vanguard Airstrikes in the Freedom Tutorial should now strike the Giant Shivan repeatedly.
• Added a pop help after defeating four Shivans that explains waypoints to new players.

Neutropolis

• The Great Escape Zone Event - Fixed a bug where players couldn't use any powers instead of just non-Recall powers in The Great Escape and several other regions such as the Resistance hubs.

Signature Story Arcs

Episode 2 - Removed blank paintings that were appearing in the final mission.

Positron Task Force

• Fixed an issue where the mini-map was not displaying correctly on mission to save Atlas Park.
• Positron's Task Force options are again available to Rogues.

Alignment Missions

Vigilante Morality Mission "The Ends Justify the Means" - Fixed an issue where Ghost Widow could be killed, preventing the mission from being completed.

KNOWN ISSUES

Tailor/Costume Creator

You can erroneously select Trench Coats with an existing back detail (such as capes). This will prevent you from changing Upper Body options until the change is reversed.

User Interface

• UI window opacity and color will reset to defaults after exiting the game client.
• Under certain circumstances, the UI windows for newly-made characters will be misplaced.