Please join us on Thursday, May 25th, for a House of Commons with the developers of Horizons at 5pm PsT / 8pm EsT in the #StraticsHoC channel on Stratics IRC.

Topic will be on recent changes (staff, ARoP, Lairs, Confectioner, PSB Quest, etc). and the Expansion.

Dev's attending will be:

Jason Murdick – Amon Gwareth: Lead Designer
Bryan MacDonald – Illyist: QA Lead
Adrian LaVallee – Smeglor – Simulation Programmer and Guru
Jason Eubank – Client Programmer

You can connect to one of our IRC servers through the use of your favorite IRC client, such as mIRC, ircle, xchat, or whichever you prefer. Connect to irc.stratics.com port 6668 or whichever server is closest to you:

stratics.frws.com port 6668, USA - Colorado
irc.glowfish.de port 6668, EU - Germany
stratics.afraidyet.net 6668, USA - Atlanta
irc.epaxsys.net port 6668, USA - Colorado

You may also connect through our handy Java link which may be found right here. You must have Java installed to use this which can be downloaded from the Java homepage.

General chat relating to Horizons will take place before, during, and after the chat in room #horizons. We hope to see you there!

Hello,

When it rains it pours! The primary Stratics web server experienced a hardware failure this morning and new equipment had to be purchased and installed. Everything appears to be running fine now.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Regards,

Jhariden
Network Director

The Golden Cogs, Stratics' annual E3 awards, return for their second year in the mix! This year we've pulled one of our awards, Best Sound, and added Most Innovative, Best Franchise, Best Original, Best Hardware, and Best Development Tool.

What we want to know is what do you think? We would love to hear your feedback regarding our selections for this year's Golden Cog awards.

Do you feel we have made a wrong choice for any particular award? Do you have your own opinion as to who should have won the Best Gameplay award or Best of Show? Then please feel free to let us know!

We have created a forum thread for our readers (you!) to offer their feedback. Please join in and offer your ideas and opinions, we'd love to hear from you!

• Best Persistent World: Seed
• Best Graphics: Aion
• Best Gameplay: Gods and Heroes
• Best Booth: Sony Online Entertainment
• Best Expansion: World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
• Biggest Surprise: Hero's Journey
• Most Innovative: EVE Online
• Best Franchise: Lord of the Rings Online
• Best Original: Tabula Rasa
• Best Hardware: PhysX
• Best Development Tool: HeroEngine
• Best of Show: Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

The following additions, changes and fixes were applied to Blight on Monday, May 8, 2006:

• Impenetrable, Indestructible, and Invulnerable Jewelry Crystals will now be configurable in Jewelry Sockets rather than Weapon Sockets.
• Weaker Saris Skeletons on New Trismus are no longer social.
• Weaker Saris Skeletons on New Trismus have had their weaponry downgraded to make them slightly easier to kill solo.
• Mage quest “Collect Maggot Hides” will now delete 5 maggot hides instead of 10.
• Improved the directions in several of the mage quests on New Trismus.
• Event quest “Imperial Army: Protect Harro from a new Menace” can now be obtained and completed without first completing any other Event quests.
• Sand Pygmies have been spotted on the western beaches of New Trismus.
• A new Gnome Community named Pajalsti has been constructed near the community of Genevia.
• Several Gnomes (related to the Peter S Beagle wedding quest) from around Istaria have moved to Genevia Island. Among them are:
• Besoya Shum moved from Dalimond to Pajalsti.
• Lamorak Dree moved from Parsinia to Pajalsti.
• Basiliak Krebs moved from Dalimond to Pajalsti.
• Mabrouk Mar moved from Kirasanct to a new house near Cedar Cove.
• Eliahu Krik moved from Feladan to a house near Istara's Loom.
• Sergeant Gaedin in New Trismus now has a quest to send you to Kion for further training. He offers this at level 10.
• Ishenar in the quest “Assisting the Militia Surplus Officer” will now give you a Refurbished Cedar Cudgel (level 5 weaon) instead of a Refurbished Cedar Club (level 1 weapon).
• Fixed the drop rate on Undamaged Spider Eyes will drop more often when y ou are on the quest “Prove your skills to Ulaven!”.
• Fixed the drop rate on the Alpha's Fang in the quest “Collect a Fang from the Alpha Wolf”.
• Small Brown Wolves will now spawn at a more manageable rate on New Trismus.
• Acolyte Miry the Cleric Trainer in New Trismus now has six new quests to offer Clerics level 4 or higher.
• Updated the Dragon quest “Dragon: Find the Lost Patrol” and Warrior quest “Warrior: Find the Lost Patrol” so that the Marauding Skeleton will always drop the broken patrol weapons in addition to other loot.
• Tiny Grass Beetles are no longer aggressive.
• Sightings of Radiant Wisps have been reported across Istaria.
• Corrected the quest “Dragon Crafter Task: Craft 15 Fire Opal” to track the creation of Fire Opals.
• The pond on New Trismus island has been renamed “Pratt's Pond”.
• Reanimated Warriors have been spotted near the stone circle on the far northern end of New Trismus island.
• Grass and Sand Beetles are now properly scaled based on their inherent type (Tiny, Small, Large, Giant).
• The Marauding Skeleton spawned in the “Lost Patrol” quest will now have followers. He will also now drop more treasure than simply the quest item.

Hey everybody! Welcome to Hero's Journey on Stratics!

Stratics Exclusive

My name's Stephanie aka "Rowan", and if you've ever read an article or press release about Hero's Journey, chances are that if I didn't write it, I had some part in writing or editing it. Allegedly it's because I write perty and spel gud, but I think it's just Eric and Mike trying to keep me busy so I have less time to play with matches.

Oh beloved, slender matches, with your sweet, sulfuric perfume and --

Uh. Right. Back to the letter! We're real happy to be back here on Stratics. I say "back" because about a zillion years ago, when we first took a whack at Hero's Journey, we had a Stratics site. Times, hairstyles, and 3-D engines have changed, and all to the better. The better, I say!

This iteration of Hero's Journey is all about "less tedium, more fun". We're working hard to build a game that'll satisfy the roleplayers, the PvP addicts, the collectors, the explorers, the socialisers, and the lone wolves. Simutronics Corporation has 18 years of experience building massively multiplayer games, and some might say we know a thing or two about what makes MMO communities friggin' awesome.

Stratics Exclusive

Currently, the Simutronics team of programmers, artists, and ninja coders are gearing up for E3, where we'll be offering up a heapin' helpin' of the first ever freeform Hero's Journey demo. People will be able to explore five exciting locales (Riverhaven, Mistwood Hollow, Swampmoss Bog, Arek-Tek's Crypt, and Squire's Bluff Quarry) and beat up the native deviant population to their heart's content. Or until someone knocks them off of their chair at the kiosk. Whichever comes first!

We're excited because the demo is going to provide a first-ever glimpse at some of what's been driving the Hero's Journey design since day one. It's not the finished game, of course, but like any good appetizer, it'll give users a reason to stick around for the main course.

In weeks to come, we'll be discussing some of our E3 "reveals", which I'd talk about now -- except I can't. Because they haven't been revealed. And my boss would kill me. With a plush penguin. In the conservatory.

In the meantime, won't you please help yourselves to some lovely screenshots and the forums? We're so glad to be back, and we're pleased as punch that you're here to join us as we storm the gates of the gaming industry.

Once more into the breach, dear heroes!

Stephanie Shaver
Lead Designer, Hero's Journey

Library: Every single Hero's Journey article and piece of multimedia is cataloged and filed here! The History of Hero's Journey: A guide to the past of Hero's Journey. Exclusive Screenshots: Check out our three exclusive screenshots (including an E3 2006 teaser!) Forums: Join the Hero's Journey Stratics community on the day that it all begins! Beta Contest: This contest, and your ticket to beta, is Coming SoonTM!

Stratics Exclusive

I'll also be meeting with Simutronics on Wednesday, May 10 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) so make sure to check back then, and through the duration of E3, for my reports!

In the meantime, head on over to Hero's Journey Stratics and let your education begin!

Nelson K. Thachuk
Hero's Journey Stratics
Portal Manager

Keep your eyes peeled to E3 Stratics because the coverage promptly begins Tuesday, May 9, and it will be coming hard and fast!

The following additions, changes and fixes were applied to Chaos and Order on Tuesday, May 2, 2006:

Despite the best efforts of the Gifted, the invasion near Harro continues. To combat the seemingly unstoppable horde, Lord-Commander Jatell has called for the construction of fortifications near the Harro Road and Old Oaks. From this outpost, the armies of the Living Races can make a stand and try to stave off imminent disaster!

• Travel directly from New Trismus to Genevia Island is now possible.
• Gaedin the Warrior Trainer now offers nine quests for warriors level 1 to 10.
• Ulaven the Mage Trainer now offers nine quests for mages level 1 to 10.
• An out-going portal is now available in Brandon's Shelf.
• Blacksmith quests offered by Guran on New Trismus are no longer repeatable.
• Bone Golems now classify as undead.
• Breath of Lightning will dispel beneficial effects from the target on a successful hit.
• Vital Defiance will no longer be removed by Expulse or Dispel.
• Corrected the skill requirements and XP gains on hide strips when making lower tiered invisible leather caps using the Journeyman and Expert formulas.
• Blighted Essence Hide and Leather armors will now use a Shining Tailoring Recharge Kit instead of the Bright Tailoring Recharge Kit.
• “Smelting Mastery X” quest can now be completed by speaking with Althanas the Great.
• Refurbished Board Plane is now useable when making items requiring the woodworking or fletching skills.
• Tazoon Prospecting Service Reports quest will now give out the proper reports when speaking with Fulthas.
• Bright Indestructable Jewelry Crystal can be placed into a Jewelry Socket instead of Armor Socket.
• Tier 1 maggots will now properly drop maggot hides, entrails and mandibles.
• Lava Golems are no longer harvestable for opals.
• Bronze Salvage Awl no longer requires Tinkering to equip.
• Replies from NPCs in quests will now properly come from the NPC with whom you are speaking, rather than a random NPC.

Well, the nagging from the community has paid off (not that I want to encourage it...), and one of the casualties of the server move has returned! The Consigner Search feature is back, with more powerful searching and sorting options than before.

The new Consigner Search can be found here, and we welcome any feedback you may have in this forum thread.