Changes on Test Server

[Leiph]

9/22/2008


*** Test Server Highlights ***

Group Merge Ability: Looking to fill the last few spaces of your group? Groups now have the ability to merge with each other without disbanding from their own group!

With this new feature, the group leader of one group can invite the group leader of another group to join his/her group. If the invitation is accepted, the two groups will merge together to form one group.
This change merely allows groups to merge without having to make everyone drop out of their current group. All other group functionality should work as it did in the past. It does not increase the six person group maximum for groups.

Target Window Improvements: The following changes have been made to improve the Target Window:

The target window will now display the buffs on target players, pets, and in the future mercenaries. The Inspect Buffs leadership ability is still needed to view NPC buffs. The target's buff timers displays in hours, minutes, seconds.

We've added the ability to remove buffs from yourself, your pet, and in the future mercenaries from the target window.
The ability to block buffs on you and your pet has also been added to the target window.
The Target Window is now resizable.

*** NPC ***

- Mercenary vendors have been added but you will not be able to purchase mercenaries until the expansion has launched.


*** UI ***

Several changes have been made regarding the design of user interface windows. Some of the changes are noted below:

- The group leader will now be displayed in a different color (Lime for now) in the group window and player window. This is in addition to /groupleader to find out who the group leader is.
- Updated the pet window to display timers in hours, minutes, seconds like the buff window.
- "Caster:" in the buff info window will now display the user friendly name when not in avatar mode. Also, if there is no caster information available, the "Caster:" line should not appear.
- Added the ability to click on a group member and target out of zone / link dead group members. Using the function keys by default should also bring up the players in the target window.

Note: The UI files will most likely receive additional changes with future updates as changes are made available.

- New -

EQUI_MercenaryManageWnd
EQUI_MercenaryInfoWnd
EQUI_MercenaryMerchantWnd
EQUI_TopLevelScreens

- Changed -

EQUI.xml
EQUI_Animations.xml
EQUI_FriendsWnd.xml
EQUI_GroupWindow.xml
EQUI_GuildManagementWnd.xml
EQUI_OptionsWindow.xml
EQUI_PlayerWindow.xml
EQUI_RaidWindow.xml
EQUI_TargetWindow.xml
EQUI_BreathWindow.xml
EQUI_CastingWindow.xml
EQUI_CombatAbilityWnd.xml
EQUI_EQMainWnd.xml
EQUI_CompassWnd.xml
EQUI_HotButtonWnd.xml
EQUI_LeadershipWnd.xml
EQUI_PetInfoWindow.xml
EQUI_TrainWindow.xml


- The EverQuest Team

Also Rangers Triple Attack Cap was raised to 375 (providing you have all the AA's). That is a 25 skill point increase

Also New AA's added:
Spell Casting Reinforcement Mastery Cost 8, Category: Shadows of Luclin
Increase Beneficial Buffs Duration by addition 20%

You can now get rid of Familiars without removing the buffs for all classes

After you die, you will reappear at your bind spot with all your gear

[Pherawk]

Yowsa, some of that stuff just can't go live fast enough. So now the LAA Inspect Buffs is actually useful...

[Dawgrin]

After you die, you will reappear at your bind spot with all your gear

Huh? That a joke? I know I have not played for a while but that is a BIG change!

[Pherawk]

Not a joke. It helps to avoid some issues with people keeping stuff on their corpses. I heard somewhere that you end up with a debuff similar to rez effects.

[Jorrell]

I have not played for a while...

Where have you been, Dawg? /taps foot

[Cenadyen]

As to being revived with items: Yes you receive Revival Sickness for two minutes upon resuscitation.

Overall the custom UIs will need significant adjustment as will current window setups because both the new group window and the target window are obviously MUCH larger.

[Dawgrin]

So do you get the sickness right after you die now in place of rez effectsor do you get the sickness and then rez effects when you are rezed as well?

[Pherawk]

Just sickness when you respawn at your bind, if I understand it correctly.

[Blabberpuss]

I was a bit concerned about the UI changes that are coming down the pike. My UI is heavily modded, and I shudder when a patch/update like what is coming our way is in our future. Since it has been noted that the UI changes are currently on Test, I decided to give Test a visit.

Log into EMarr and into your main, type /testcopy This will move your character and their' bank over to the Test Server.

I copied my EQ folder renaming it EQTest. I logged into test by running testeqgame.exe from my new EQ folder, let it patch, it will take a bit. Open up your newly moved character and check out your UI.

My UI, so far has not been adversely effected by the changes they are pushing to us.