#1 - April 30, 2013, 8:40 a.m.
Build 4/30/13 April Content Update Release Notes
LIVING STORY
Flame & Frost: Retribution
In secret foundries deep beneath the Shiverpeaks, the Molten Alliance forges deadly new weaponry that combines the fiery power of the Flame Legion with the iron might of the dredge. There, Alliance weaponsmiths test their creations on innocent captives, perfecting their cruel technology until it is ready to unleash on all of Tyria.
In the last chapter of the Flame and Frost series, you’ll strike at the heart of the Molten Alliance with your comrades, Rox the charr and the norn Braham. Take the battle into the enemy’s weapons facilities and defeat a final hybrid menace unlike any Tyria has ever seen!
Molten Weapons Facility
- The Vigil has pinpointed the first of what may be several entrances to the weapons facilities where the Molten Alliance has been creating their fearsome technologies.
- The Molten Weapons Facility is a level-80 single-path dungeon experience where players fight alongside Rox Whetstone and Braham Eirsson.
- All players who enter are scaled up to level 80.
- Entrances to the Molten Weapons Facility change over time as new locations are found.
- Information on the map where the dungeon is located is in the Living World UI on the top right of the screen.
- A wide variety of new and unique rewards are available by defeating the challenging encounters within.
- This content is available from April 30 to May 12.
Achievements
- New achievements have been added to the Living Story category: “Rage Against the War Machine,” “Avenger of the Dispossessed,” “A Rallying Flame,” and “Alliance Breaker.”
- Completing the meta-achievement for Flame and Frost, “Alliance Breaker,” awards you a Fused Gauntlet Ticket. Use this item to exchange it for your choice of Fused Gauntlets, a unique exotic item. Completion of this achievement requires all of the other Flame and Frost achievements except “A Rallying Flame.”
- A new title, “Avenger of the Dispossessed,” has been added for players who see Rox and Braham’s stories to completion.
- The final Flame and Frost achievement, “A Rallying Flame,” is not available until the conclusion of the story arc.
NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
Structured Player vs. Player
- Custom arenas!
- Soon, you’ll be able to host private matches, hone your skills, and build your own community in rentable custom PvP arenas!
- Initially, renting a custom arena will be available on an invitation basis, but custom arena play and spectator mode will be available to all PvP players.
- Once this feature leaves beta, the ability to run a custom arena will be available to any player as a gem purchase.
- View any non-tournament match in real time from several fixed camera locations or from the perspective of players in the match.
- Inspect the statistics, equipment, traits, and skills of players you are watching.
- If spectator mode is enabled on an arena, players can select which team they are on when the map begins.
World vs. World
- Aureate
- Flame
- Verdant
- Norn
- Arrow Cart Mastery
- Increase range on all arrow-cart skills.
- Increase damage on all arrow-cart skills.
- Increase effectiveness of applied conditions.
- Increase radius on all arrow-cart skills
- New skill (slot 4): Toxic Unveiling Shot. Removes stealth and applies poison to targets.
- All Guard Killer bonuses now also apply to enemy lords and supervisors.
- 7% damage to guards, lords, and supervisors.
- Gain endurance after killing guards, lords, and supervisors.
- 10% damage to guards, lords, and supervisors.
- Add 1 stack of Guard Leech on killing a guard, lord, or supervisor.
- Guard Leech: Gain health when attacking guards, lords, or supervisors.
- Trebuchet
- Ballista
- Arrow cart
- Catapult
Guild Content
- Moved guild-mission information from Upgrades to its own tab.
- Guild treks now award influence on successful completion:
- Tier 1 awards 400 influence.
- Tier 2 awards 500 influence.
- Tier 3 awards 700 influence.
BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
- World PolishBloodtide Coast:
- Fixed an errant UI marker during the event to destroy Psylithium Generators.
- Living Covington pirates no longer respawn while players are helping Bill and Hekja fight Risen pirates.
- On completion of the skritt/bandit event, the crate vanishes, preventing a bug during repeated runs of the event.
- The event to slay the Risen drake broodmother is now correctly marked as [Group].
- The great jungle wurm can no longer be killed before its event starts. Increased the scaling cap on the wurm.
- Reduced density of spawns in the event to collect glands for Merla.
- Fixed an event-progression issue with the Cattlepult.
- Fixed tooltips for the jotun greatsword environment weapon.
- Fixed a stall in the “Assist the Foulbear Kraal” event.
- Messenger Laren and her bodyguards now revive each other between fights.
- Speaking to Legionnaire Riptooth now correctly starts the Bloodgorge Watch event.
- Made some polish changes to the Vidius Castrum event chain.
- All NPCs in the Battle of Buloh Crossing can now be revived and will revive each other.
- Brakkurn and Jhalles are now marked by Protect NPC markers during their event to repair machinery.
- Haki Wolfwatcher stops announcing that the gates of the Citadel of Flame are open when they are not.
- Increased toughness of Agent Marrick’s pack marmox.
- Players can now use the cannon in the siege of Vidius Castrum without being kicked off.
- The monstrous tar elemental now has standard event UI.
- Icebrood no longer clump up during their attack on the Moshpoipoi if they have no nearby targets.
- Fixed an event-progression issue with Victurus the Shattered.
- Map-marker tooltips for asura gates now state their destinations.
- Reduced the creatures in the “Kill the Corrupted High Priestess” event at high scales.
- Adjusted the spawn density and respawn rate in the Bauxite Alchemicals plant.
- Collecting spectral weapons and omnomberries for Byanca now uses standard collection UI.
- NPCs in the Dwayna Temple events can now revive each other.
- Reduced range of the Risen catapult near Doric’s Waypoint so it cannot knock players into Bloodtide Coast.
- Skills for the spectral jammer environmental weapon now display the correct tooltips.
- Collecting eggs for Plink now correctly starts the subsequent event even if the collection is done solo.
- Fixed an event-progression issue with LUM0009 golems.
- Added additional event UI to the Imbued Mark I Golem event.
- Minor UI adjustment for the Luminates Plant event.
- Reduced the contribution required to earn a silver or gold medal in the fire elemental event.
- Researcher Orl is now correctly identified as a karma merchant.
- Added additional UI for the event to prevent the Inquest from contaminating the Whitland Flats.
- Added an overhead marker to the bosses in the Terror 7 event chain.
- Fixed a UI bug in the “Toil for the Coil” meta-event.
- Roefire Hauntclase appears as a vendor only when he has something to sell.
- Fixed an event-progression issue with Sister Brenda.
- Reviving Moa Trainer Kappa now correctly updates her event UI.
- Adjusted levels of some spawns near Brooloonu Waypoint to better match the area’s level.
- Adjusted the UI for the Swampwatch events.
- Fixed a possible stall in the “Defend Shorewatch from the Risen” event.
- The steward who becomes a (normal) merchant after the Ocean’s Gullet event no longer appears as a karma merchant.
- Fixed an event-progression issue with the Pact escort to Temple of Balthazar.
- Reduced the respawn rate of enemies around Agent Raia.
- Replaced a couple of underwater Risen giants with sharks.
- Dobbs and his krewe now revive each other between fights.
- Fixed a minor display bug in the “Assist Dobbs in the ruins” meta-event.
- Bolt throwers used by the Sons of Svanir no longer trap players who destroy them if they are standing on the thrower.
- Bear Shaman Marge is now always responsive during her skill challenge.
- Increased max event scale for the Svanir Shaman Chief in the Frozen Maw meta-event.
- It is now possible (but difficult) to catch kegs thrown by Volden.
- The roadblock built by the Sons of Svanir outside Hoelbrak is now attackable from either side.
- Players can no longer get stuck in snow-leopard form after leaving the Snow Leopard Shrine area.
General
- Added increased scaling to several new events.
- Instances now display an exit even if players have completed their personal story.
- Reduced the chatter frequency of player characters.
- Fixed mouse-based target selection while using the “look behind” key.
- An error message now appears for disconnections during character creation.
- Fixed a progress-blocking issue in dungeon-related Explorer achievements.
- Updated the number of tiers on the Centaur Slayer and Zhaitan’s Bane achievements to be consistent with other achievements in the Slayer category.
- Updated Drake Slayer achievement tiers to match other achievements in the Slayer category.
- Players cannot use transformation tonics when already in a transformation, and leaving these transformations has a 3-second cooldown.
- Blowout effect: Renamed to Launch.
- Summoned creatures and pets can no longer draw aggro from enemies that have not already aggroed on their master.
- Adjusted ranger pet AI when fighting enemies in PvE. Melee pets now attempt to move behind enemies as long as they are not actively being targeted by the creature.
- Retaliation now has its own iconic damage floater.
- Hero Panel now displays magic find.
Dungeons
- Ascalonian Catacombs:
- Players can no longer fall through the map when standing above graveling burrows when they appear in the Ascalon Catacombs dungeon.
- The Lovers can now be knocked back consistently.
Fractals
- Mossman no longer becomes unresponsive in combat.
- Cliffside: Players can no longer exploit the final boss by keeping him stunned in an emote loop.
Personal Story
- “Among the Kodan”: Boosted the power of the Overminer’s Boomstick (but only when used by a player).
- “Armor Guard”: Pact soldiers now revive each other. Tegwen’s behavior is now consistent.
- “Deadly Force”: Fixed a bug when using the Ghostbore cannon.
- “Don’t Leave Your Toys Out”: Adjusted difficulty. The charr now revive each other.
- “On Red Alert”: All of the Priory Novices are now using the correct voices.
- “The Championship Fight”: Players are no longer blocked if they ask Eir to wait a minute before proceeding.
- “The Sad Tale of the Ravenous”: Adjusted story-step difficulty.
- “The Stone Sheath”: Increased size of the escape region so it is not possible to accidentally run past it.
- “Through the Looking Glass”: Adjusted timing of the subtitles to match the spoken VO.
- “Untamed Wilds”: Increased scaling to keep the story step challenging for multiple players.
- “Where Life Goes”: The NPCs in the story step can now revive each other and be revived by players.
- “Ships of the Line”: Goop dropped by the oozes now time out and disappear after 15 seconds, preventing the hold from filling with infinite goop.
- “What the Eye Beholds”: Fixed a possible stall if the player talked to Trahearne during the testing process.
Items
- Corrected Rune and Sigil tooltips to say “chill” instead of “freeze” or “frozen.”
- Sigil of Water: Tooltip now correctly states % Chance on Critical instead of just % Chance.
- Time remaining on buffs now display with increased resolution.
- Bolt, Incinerator, Rodgort, and Frostfang now have a base elemental damage type. Note: This is a visual change only.
- PvP: Weapon-upgrade bonuses no longer disappear when players die while transformed.
- Updated many item icons.
Profession Skills
Elementalist
- Comet skill: Blast finisher now occurs at the comet’s location rather than at the elementalist’s location.
- Conjure Flame Axe skill: Updated the Flame Leap skill fact to display the proper burning duration.
- Rock Blade skill: Projectiles now correctly hit targets up to the intended 1200 range.
- Mist Form skill: Activation now locks heal, utility, and elite skills.
- Ride the Lightning skill:
- Increased recharge increased 20 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Recharge is now halved if the player strikes a foe.
- Reduced the range to 1200 from the previous (hidden) 1550.
Engineer
- Flame Turret skill: Now has the proper recharge when the Deployable Turrets trait is equipped.
- Static Shot skill: Changed the maximum targets skill fact to number of bounces to better indicate its actual effect.
- Elixir U skill: Now always applies quickness correctly.
- Reserve Mines trait: Updated description to be more accurate.
- Elixir S skill: Activation now locks heal, utility, and elite skills.
- Incendiary Powder trait:
- Increased burning duration from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Increased internal cooldown from 3 seconds to 10 seconds.
- Increased activation chance from 33% to 100%.
- Reduced the deployed heal by 50%.
- Healing range is now 2520-3270.
- No longer applies 2 stacks of regeneration every time the turret fires. Now applies 3 seconds of regeneration every 3 seconds.
- No longer passively creates a water field.
- Normalized the ranges of all aspects to 480 (previously 240, 360, or 480).
- Reduced Healing Turret overcharge skill recharge from 60 seconds to 15 seconds
- Now heals as much as deploying does.
- Healing range is now 2520-3270.
- Now applies 5 seconds of regeneration.
- Removes 2 conditions when activated.
- Now deploys a 3-second water field.
- Normalized the ranges of all aspects to 480 (previously 240, 360, or 480).
- Increased duration by 1 second.
- When gaining Haste, players now take regenerate endurance at 50% effectiveness (increased from 0%) when under the effects of this skill.
- When gaining Frenzy, players now take 25% more damage (reduced from 50%) when under the effects of this skill.
Guardian
- Perfect Inscriptions trait: Recharges can no longer be refreshed.
- Wrath skill: Updated the damage skill fact to indicate that the damage is done incrementally during the skill’s channel.
- Pure of Voice trait: Now properly converts fear.
- “Hold the Line!” skill: This shout now converts a condition only if the Pure of Voice trait is equipped.
- Bane Signet skill: Increased passive stat bonus by 100%.
- Signet of Mercy skill: Increased passive stat bonus by 100%.
- Signet of Wrath skill: Increased passive stat bonus by 100%.
- Hammer of Wisdom skill: Increased health of this summoned spirit by 25%.
- Shield of the Avenger skill: Increased health of this summoned spirit by 14%.
- Healer’s Retribution trait: Now functions with racial healing skills.
- Sanctuary skill: No longer destroys unblockable missiles.
- Shield of Absorption skill: No longer destroys unblockable missiles.
Mesmer
- Reduced mantra cast times from 3.25 seconds to 2.75 seconds.
- Confounding Suggestions trait: Now functions with the Chaos Storm and Counter Blade skills.
- Clones wielding a spear underwater now execute the full spear combo.
- Mirror Blade skill: Added an unblockable skill fact.
- Into the Void skill: Updated description to be more accurate (“Temporal Curtain”).
- Mind Stab skill (one-handed sword combo): Renamed to Mind Spike.
- Arcane Thievery skill: Now correctly transfers the boons removed from enemies and the conditions removed from the mesmer.
- Moa Morph skill: Can be used while moving.
- Moa transform flee: Reduced run distance and reduced cooldown from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.
- Blinding Befuddlement trait:
- Increased duration of applied confusion from 1 second to 4 seconds.
- Can now trigger only once every 5 seconds on any target that is blinded by the mesmer.
Necromancer
- Well of Corruption skill: Updated damage skill fact to indicate the correct number of attacks.
- Well of Suffering skill:
- Updated damage skill fact to indicate the correct number of attacks.
- Updated the number of attacks to be consistent when affected by Focused Rituals.
Ranger
- Tail Wind trait: Now has an internal cooldown of 9 seconds.
- Furious Grip trait: Now has an internal cooldown of 9 seconds.
- “Guard” skill: Reduced cooldown from 30 seconds to 15 seconds.
- “Sic ’Em” skill: Reduced cooldown to 40 seconds from 60 seconds.
- Lightning Reflexes skill: Reduced cooldown from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Signet of Stone skill:
- Reduced cooldown from 120 seconds to 80 seconds.
- Increased passive toughness by 100%.
- Now allows capture of control points in all formats and communing in PvP.
- Increased cooldown from 85 seconds to 180 seconds in PvP.
- No longer revives defeated allies.
- Increased duration by 1 second.
- Players are now healed at 50% effectiveness (increased from 0%) when under the effects of this skill.
Pet Attributes
- Adjusted health and/or armor of ranger pets:
- Ursine pets: health increased from 26,000 to 29982; armor is now 2061 (up 687). Polar bear’s power now matches that of all other bear pets.
- Dogs: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 2061 (no change).
- Cats: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
- Devourers: health increased from 11,089 to 14868; armor is 2748 (no change).
- Birds: health increased from 11,894 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
- Drakes: health increased from 11,683 to 22,425; armor is 2061 (no change).
- Spiders: health increased from 18,646 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
- Pigs: health increased from 20,538 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687).
- Moas: health increased from 16,781 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
- Armor Fish: health increased from 16,781 to 22,452; armor is now 2748 (up 343).
- Jellyfish: health increased from 11,089 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
- Shark: health increased from 13,000 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687).
Canine Skills
- Intimidating Howl skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Regenerate skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Howl of the Pack skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Chilling Howl skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Terrifying Howl skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
Drake Skills
- Lightning Breath skill: Reduced cast time from 2.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds. The lightning from this attack no longer tracks targets.
- Fire Breath skill: Reduced cast time from 2.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Insect Swarm skill: Reduced cast time from 2.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Frost Breath skill: Reduced cast time from 2.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
Feline Skills
- Icy Pounce skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
- Rending Pounce skill: Reduced cast time from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
Jellyfish Skills
- Immobilizing Whirl skill: Now sticks on its target instead of passing through.
- Chilling Whirl skill: Now sticks on its target instead of passing through.
- Poisoning Whirl skill: Now sticks on its target instead of passing through.
Thief
- Skills that must be performed from stealth are now labeled as “Stealth Attack.”
- Vigorous Recovery: Improved accuracy of description.
- Cloak and Dagger skill: Now functions with the Hidden Killer trait.
- Needle Trap skill: Removed the duration skill fact as being misleading.
- Shadow Shot skill: The projectile portion is now unblockable.
- Choking Gas skill: Added an Unblockable skill fact to reflect functionality.
- Flanking Strike skill:
- Now evades and delivers one strike instead of delivering two attacks.
- Removed boon removal.
- Reduced initiative cost from 4 to 3.
- Now toggles for 5 seconds to a second skill, Larcenous Strike, if the attack hits an enemy.
- Improved reliability of flanking strike.
- Increased duration by 1 second.
- Players now regenerate endurance at 50% effectiveness (increased from 0%) when under the effects of this skill.
Warrior
- Arcing Arrow skill: Added a radius skill fact. Removed the burning skill fact on the traited version because it did not actually burn.
- Fan of Fire skill:
- Updated the cast time and aftercast to match other fan skills.
- Reduced cast time by 0.5 seconds and aftercast by 0.5 seconds.
- Fixed the attack radius to correctly match the ground targeted decal radius.
- Added a radius skill fact.
- Fixed the damage displayed in the skill fact at zero adrenaline to be consistent with the skill at all adrenaline levels.
- Now a blast finisher.
- Updated the radius skill fact to be consistent with the skill’s effects.
- Removed extraneous 500-millisecond aftercast.
- Increased duration by 1 second.
- Players now take 25% more damage (reduced from 50%) when under the effects of this skill.
Structured Player vs. Player
- Minimap icons for team members now show their profession icon instead of a dot.
- Updated requirements for PvP daily achievements.
- Heart of the Mists:
- The PvP locker now has a tab for back-slot items.
- Glory vendors now sell PvP guild banner back-slot items.
- Added new Fused Gauntlets to the Match Win Reward Chest.
- Players can now use transformation tonics here.
- PvP Steady weapons are now Basic rarity and have had their damage increased.
- Ride the Lightning distance is reduced by 40% while carrying the orb.
- Tornado move speed is now correctly reduced while carrying the orb.
- The orb is dropped if the orb carrier uses an invulnerability skill.
- The orb now spawns 10 seconds after match start instead of immediately.
- Increased altar commune time from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
- Fixed multiple locations where teleport skills would fail for no visible reason.
World vs. World
- Updated confusion and retaliation effects to do the same damage as they do in sPvP.
- Added a buff to display time remaining before siege weapons are destroyed from inactivity.
- Siege sites are now destroyed 2 minutes after being placed if they receive no supply.
- Increased arrow-cart damage:
- Increased Fire damage by 80%.
- Increased Fire Crippling Arrows damage by 17%.
- Increased Fire Barbed Arrows damage by 60% and increased the Bleed duration to 15^^seconds.
BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions
- You can now purchase Braham and Rox’s weapon skins in the Gem Store! Braham’s Mace and Shield and Rox’s Short Bow and Quiver are each available in the Style category for 600 gems. Apply each skin to any weapon of the same type to change its appearance. Skins can either be applied to a PvE item or added to your PvP locker for use in the Mists.
- There is now a rare chance to get the Cheetah Charr or Killer Whale Quaggan backpack covers from the Black Lion Chest. Black Lion Chest Keys can be obtained from the Gem Store in the Consumable category for 1 for 125 gems or 5 for 450.
- To celebrate spring, the Gem Store will make available one miniature baby animal each week for the next 5 weeks. The first of these adorable additions is the Mini Hippo Calf, which is now available in the Minis category of the Gem Store for 400 gems each.
- The Sonic Tunneling Tool can now be purchased from the Style category of the Gem Store for 250 gems each. This neat piece of tech lets your character move just under the surface instead of running. Simply equip the item in the toy slot of your town clothes and use the skill to start tunneling. The item does not change obstacles, and entering combat makes you resurface.
Improvements
- A pack of 8000 gems can now be purchased through the Gem Store. Select Get Gems in the upper-left corner of the Gem Store to start the gem-purchase process.
- Dancing Spirit skills now have a 2-second recharge time.
- Increased duration of summoned Merchant Express and Trading Post Express NPCs from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
- Increased duration of spawned Boxes o’ Fun from 10 minutes to 15 minutes.
- Backpack straps that come with backpack skins no longer require typing the name to delete them.
- Boxes o’ Fun now drop from the Black Lion Chest.
- Reduced the drop rate of Name Change Contracts from the Black Lion Chest to reduce duplication.
Bug Fixes
- All sell listings are now shown for Instant Buy on the Trading Post, instead of only the 20 lowest prices.
- An active customer-support link now appears when attempting to purchase gems fails.
- The Cook’s Boots town clothes items no longer look corrupted when worn by a charr character.