Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning: Producers Letter: 1.3.0b & 1.3.1 Preview

Warhammer Producer Jeff Skalski gives us an update on what we can expect from this months upcoming 1.3.0b update, as well as some additional info on what to expect from the 1.3.1 update further out in this latest Producer's Letter available on the WAR Herald.

Some examples of what we can expect in 1.3.0b below:

AoE balance fixes:

• All AoE abilities are moving to standardized ranges and coverage, based on their type (Melee "Cleave", Conical AoE, Line AoE, PBAoE, or Targeted AoE).

Crowd control changes:

• All Immunities Persist Through Death: Pretty simple one here, no more Stun -> Dead -> Rez -> Stun -> Dead.
• Increased Duration of Disable Immunities: Immunities for the disable family of CC (knockdown, stun, disarm, and silence) will have their immunity timers increased from 6 times the effect duration to 10 times the effect duration. In other words, if you are stunned for three seconds, in 1.3 you would have an 18-second immunity. With this change, that same immunity would be 30 seconds.
• Root Immunity and Knockback/Pull Immunity Combined: We're rolling root immunity and knockback/pull immunity together into a single "movement immunity" effect. This immunity will remain for 30 seconds, and will prevent you from things such as being pulled in, then immediately rooted in place, making it a much more tactical decision about whether it's better to stop an enemy in place or move them around.
• New Renown Purchase Ability: We are releasing a new Renown Point purchasable ability at Renown Rank 40 that will be a "CC immunity" that players can trigger for temporary CC immunity. This should help break up the "I get CC'd at the beginning of a fight and there is nothing I can do about it" issues.

Additionally, the long awaited Archmage and Shaman changes will be arriving in 1.3.0b, as well as the reinstatement of Mark and Rune stacking for Zealots and Rune Priests. RvR is getting some more incentives as well, with an extra +50% XP / Renown awarded for killing players near keeps and battlefield objectives.

As for 1.3.1, they mention they intend to upgrade Keep rewards in 1.3.1 so that they are based on the number of players present and the rank of the keep being attacked. Depending on these factors, XP and renown awarded will increase, as well as the number of gold bags dropped.

Also, they make mention of a new event known as The Wild Hunt, no real details are provided other than to say it will be an event unlike any other they've done before. The event is intended for the games 1 year anniversary.

Mr. Skalski also touches on the recently announced server merges, and attempts to reassure players that the merges are done for the better of the game, after all, having more players to play with definitely helps in a RvR centric game.

Finally, expect to see 1.3.0b on the PTS later in the week.

Check out the full Producer's Letter here!