Post by Morreion on May 5, 2010 7:19:37 GMT -5
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures: Alternate Advancement System Explained (MMORPG.com)
Rise of the Godslayer: The Gateway to Khitai and Alternate Advancement (Massively)
The new system features three new 'trees' for all classes, totaling a lot of new abilities available to players, with most of these abilities having five ranks. Players will be able to buy abilities using points earned through the alternate advancement system. The general tree is available to characters at level 20, while the archetype and class trees become available at level 80. The abilities in the general tree will scale with the player's level and means that lower level characters can also benefit from these new trees.
Players can purchase abilities using alternate advancement points. These points come in three different varieties: Prowess, Mastery and Expertise. Prowess points are earned through PvP, mastery represents PvE and expertise points are awarded alongside prowess and mastery at a fixed ratio. For example, if a player earns 10 prowess or mastery points, he will also be rewarded a certain number of expertise points. As the player progresses through content in the expansion, they will be awarded alternate advancement points after accumulating enough alternate advancement XP, the variety of which depending on whether it is PvP or PvE content.
"Alternate advancement XP may be gained both in the expansion, and in the live game. It was important to us that existing live content is continued to be supported," explains Dave Williams, the Lead Systems Designer for the expansion, "although because expansion content will inherently be more challenging for a player new to that content, it will reward alternate advancement XP to an appropriate degree which reflects this."
Players can purchase abilities using alternate advancement points. These points come in three different varieties: Prowess, Mastery and Expertise. Prowess points are earned through PvP, mastery represents PvE and expertise points are awarded alongside prowess and mastery at a fixed ratio. For example, if a player earns 10 prowess or mastery points, he will also be rewarded a certain number of expertise points. As the player progresses through content in the expansion, they will be awarded alternate advancement points after accumulating enough alternate advancement XP, the variety of which depending on whether it is PvP or PvE content.
"Alternate advancement XP may be gained both in the expansion, and in the live game. It was important to us that existing live content is continued to be supported," explains Dave Williams, the Lead Systems Designer for the expansion, "although because expansion content will inherently be more challenging for a player new to that content, it will reward alternate advancement XP to an appropriate degree which reflects this."
Rise of the Godslayer: The Gateway to Khitai and Alternate Advancement (Massively)
As content is completed, the player accumulates AA XP, viewable on the XP readout at the top of the AA window. When the XP bar is topped off, you're given Prowess, Mastery, and Expertise points to spend as you see fit. Funcom has deliberately avoided assigning higher point costs to certain feats, and while Prowess points cannot be used on Mastery abilities and vice versa, Expertise points may be used on any ability.
The abilities themselves are broken into two categories: feats and perks. Feats are passive abilities that are always on, though some of them may generate an ability that must be activated via hotbar, key press, or mouse click depending on your UI preferences. Perks, meanwhile, are abilities that must be slotted on the Perk Bar and present something of a strategic choice to players when kitting their avatars out for battle. Those of you familiar with ArenaNet's Guild Wars will no doubt recognize the inspiration for this new system.
Perks may only be exchanged when out of combat, so you'll want to plan ahead depending on the enemy mob (or player) you're likely to encounter. The Perk Bar itself is a new addition to the UI, and overlays the left hotbar by default. Players can mix and match perks based on the number of slots they occupy on the bar, with more powerful perks taking up more slots, and vice versa.
The abilities themselves are broken into two categories: feats and perks. Feats are passive abilities that are always on, though some of them may generate an ability that must be activated via hotbar, key press, or mouse click depending on your UI preferences. Perks, meanwhile, are abilities that must be slotted on the Perk Bar and present something of a strategic choice to players when kitting their avatars out for battle. Those of you familiar with ArenaNet's Guild Wars will no doubt recognize the inspiration for this new system.
Perks may only be exchanged when out of combat, so you'll want to plan ahead depending on the enemy mob (or player) you're likely to encounter. The Perk Bar itself is a new addition to the UI, and overlays the left hotbar by default. Players can mix and match perks based on the number of slots they occupy on the bar, with more powerful perks taking up more slots, and vice versa.
