16 Pounds of Fresh Salmon

Look. Spells are cool and all. Stats are fun and have changed the dynamic of the game. But the one thing that I have longed for since I got here were skills. Not spells dressed as skills -- but the real damned deal of something you could use as an occupation.

Runescape may suck but the skills are great. You don't ever have to swing a blade and you can be successful in the game. Grab your pickaxe and mine away. Find a rod and some bait and you can be catering to the stars. Learn how to bake and pie, pie, pie: you're a frikken leet superstar.

I know there are a lot of things left to do in Endless-Online. Vult-R has so many different things to code and add in the coming months. But how about a skill or two? Why not fishing and cooking. Let a player just fish and sell raw to a fisherman Bob for small amounts of money. Or let him buy fish from other players to cook it and make something that heals hp and tp. High level players might be able to do both if they have enough gold and the right stats to learn.

The game is advertised in a way that makes you think you'll be able to have fun at the game even if you're not an adventurer. Perhaps it's time to lay some of the foundation to make those claims a reality.

I wish, I wish, for a fish, a fish.

Wikky.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.

--2 Timothy 2:8 (TNIV)

It's Holy Week for most of the Christian community. Blessings to you as you remember and celebrate your gospel. As you remember the dying and rising of Christ that happened roughly 1980 years ago may you also know the blessings that come from sharing in it. Grace and peace.

My thoughts are focussed on the Lenten-Easter season as are my prayers and meditations and I got to thinking a little bit about religion and Endless-Online.

We spend a lot of time playing this MMORPG as friends, allies, enemies and foils. We play our characters well and in many ways and places allow our personalities to shine through the sprites that represent us.

Some of that translates into how we approach others. How we treat one another. The way that we play the game with respect to cheating and scamming. Sometimes it doesn't translate. We approach the game in a way that is different from who we are.

Religion is an interesting factor in the MMORPG equation. Some people embrace their religion and make it a part of their character. A Christian might play the game with the purpose of sharing their faith with other players, look for friendships among the worldwide Christian community, and even form a Christian guild.

Others leave their faith at the login screen. This is a character that is separate from real life. You develop the role and play it and if it includes religion so be it...but they are just as happy leaving it out.

The questions that come from this are these: Can you play a role in the game and leave your faith behind? Are you violating that faith through your behavior in a game? Is it appropriate for you to bring your faith into the game?

For Christians, is Christ Lord even in Aeven? Is his dying and rising our Gospel even here? Have we forgotten our faith?

Wikky.

The Endless-Online Forums

Might as well address them at some point. Might as well do it today. The forums are probably one of the only reasons that a lot of players have stuck with Endless-Online so long. The friendships, hatreds, guilds and alliances have all started mostly through the forums.

Think about all the big names in the game. Zemeckis, Tunkz, Cazz, Aramax, Ephy, Rizoru, Rush, Darcia, Vampira, even humble old me. The reason that you know most of these names is because not only have these players been interesting and controversial in game, they have also developed their persona and legend on the forums.

Global battles are usually just an extension of the forum battles. Guilds like the legendary EE were forged mostly due to forum interaction. The EO forums are an important part of the game.

They can also be a rough place for the uninformed.

Our forums are not moderated well or often. Spam is frequent. Racism and bigotry is found daily. Basic respect for the English language is often ignored. And there's Aramax...

For a new player coming in the forums can seem like one of the worst places in the world. Their first post becoming a target for the wrath of the masters of the board. Log in, ask why the server's down, and you can be sure that you will be called every form of gay this side of Richard Simmons.

The reality is that better forum moderation isn't going to happen...at least any time soon. Mizzy and Aengie clear out some of the junk and ban some of the bigger abusers of the forums but for the most part it is a wild forum.

Here's how to survive.

1. Don't post right away. Spend about a week just reading different posts to see the politics and tone of the forum. See what sorts of things we talk about so that you can get in on the conversation.

2. Use the search button. I know most people come on the forums to find out an answer to a question they have. Such as Why is the server down? or Why can't I log in? These questions have been asked before and I WILL RAIN THE FIRES OF HELL DOWN ON YOU FOR ASKING THEM AGAIN. Seriously. If you want to get flamed. Ask a question that has obviously been asked before.

3. Don't use netspeak in the forums. It's barely tolerated in the game but when you're on the forums you have time to type. Think about spelling and grammar. They are important. Use a lot of paragraphs to make your posts legible. If you sound unintelligent you will be treated that way.

4. Don't start 100 new topics when noone answers your questions. First, it's annoying. Second, it's the one sure thing that will get you banned from the forums.

5. Don't start an Admins suck thread, an I got scammed thread, an I need hacks thread, a gimme free thread, or anything else that you KNOW is newbish. You'll be destroyed.

6. Never. And I mean NEVER side with Aramax. He's stupid.

7. Don't steal art and claim it as yours.

8. Don't think you know anyone on the forums or that you understand all the inside stuff. Just because everyone is piling on Tunkz or Zemeckis one day does not mean that you have earned the right too. You haven't. (Except for Aramax. He's stupid. You have my permission there.)

9. Don't post in the wrong forum. The general forum is for gameplay discussions. The lounge for whatever. The wishlist is for that. The bug reports again is self explanitory. Musicians and Artists go to theirs. Advertise and talk about your guilds in the guild forum.

10. Do read Ephy's posts (especially his read before posting sticky). He is someone who came to the forum later, was intelligent in his posts, paid attention to what was going on, and earned the respect of EVERYONE in the forums. If in doubt ask yourself the question WWED (What would Ephy do?).

Have fun.

Wikky.

Guild Rankings are Back...

I wish I could come up with a technical solution for you. One where you could click a button and it would show you guild averages in real time. Honestly, I don't know where Vult-R is on this one. He should have coded this into the Endless-Online website a long time ago.

In any event, I've been holding off on the guild rankings because of v24. When the new version came out everyone lost their levels and it meant that the average rankings wouldn't mean very much. Now guild masters have been able to clear out the inactives and players have had a chance to regain their original levels so the data is worthwhile again.

The one thing that I noticed right off the bat looking at these averages is that there are a lot of new guilds on the list. Over the past few months there have been a lot of changes like this. Top guilds coming together and then falling out.

When you're looking at guilds you should probably take a peek at the members of the top guilds and see whether they stick together in a guild or whether they are jumping ship all the time. If someone has started a guild and then disbanded it in a week. Then the next week they're in another guild with the same people. And then the week later there are two guilds with those people in it then you should probably assume a lot of drama and infighting going on. Not necessarily the best guild.

Anyhow...here are the guilds, ranked by average, for your enjoyment.

Rank Guild                   Tag Mbr  Lvl   Avg
-----------------------------------------------
  1  order of death           OD  12  114  9.50
  2  together forever        TFE  12  107  8.92
  3  friends for life        FFL  19  157  8.26
  4  reds rangers            RED  16  130  8.13
  5  ravenfall lloves medusa RLM  16  129  8.06
  6  blue lunatics            BL  25  196  7.84
  7  realm of honor           RO  13   85  6.54
  8  missing in action       MIA  22  131  5.95
  9  allegiance of heroes    AOH  16   94  5.88
 10 end less raging army     ERA 148  852  5.76
 11 kinky kitties mafia      KKM  25  139  5.56
 12 i arena legendz l        III  15   82  5.47
 13 g unit soldiers          GUS  11   60  5.45
 14 night crawlers            NC 116  629  5.42
 15 i collective inc l       INC  32  169  5.28
 16 magicks                   MG  12   63  5.25
 17 zues heros                ZH  17   87  5.12
 18 veraciousvaticvagabonds  VVV  61  308  5.05
 19 secks money power        SMP  35  171  4.89
 20 the utility closet       TUC  17   83  4.88

Have fun!

Wikky.

I have to apologize for not posting well or regularly in the past few days. I've been busy working on another video with MizzY which I should have for you in the next little while.

Like now...

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2717472

Anyhow...it looks as though the petitions and the wishlist topics have paid of in v24b. Vult has updated the client with a feature that you all wanted. (Now if you don't have v24b you can click the banner at the top of this page to get it.)

The change -- Resetting stats (In case you messed up...or...you want to do something different with your character.)

Here's what you do. Go to any skill master (either Aeven or Anundo) and select forget all. This will wipe all your stat/skill data.

2 Warnings

1. You must EMPTY YOUR PAPERDOLL INTO YOUR INVENTORY. Everything you have must be taken off including gems, charms, shields, etc. If you don't do this you will lose all your paperdoll items in the process (DEVILS BEWARE).

2. You will lose all your spells and so you will have to buy them all over again if you choose to do this. It could be costly for a spell laden character.

A useful thing to do if you want to change your character from a spell caster to a warrior or vice versa. Or if you put all your points into Charisma and realized how stupid that was.

In any event. Vult-R has listened to the people and done the right thing here. I just wish it would have cost a bit of gold to do since now you can customize your character for free and do whatever you want with your skill points.

Have Fun.

Wikky.

My goodness. Winter has ended early here. The sun is shining, the birds are singing (they're also crapping on my cars), and baseball season has arrived.

My friends we have survived another winter and you know what...this winter was better than last.

Let's think back a little in our Endless-Online history. Last winter was a big one. v15 came out in November of 2004 and the game changed significantly. The number of players increased, the features started to change, and a number of new players arrived and shook up the community.

January came and with it came a brand new server and version 16. Some new maps, some new weapons and the capacity to have 300 players on at a time. For the first week of v16 everything was running smoothly.

Then came the server scam. Vult lost $800 in the deal and Endless-Online was Endless-Offline for a very long time. A few people stayed on the forums and in the chat rooms but it took a while for Vult to mobilize things -- eventually getting the old server running on a limitted basis and then the new server which we currently enjoy.

This winter has been much better. With the exception of some glitches here and there and some abuse from players EO has progressed very well. New features. New additions. New faces and even some old ones returning. It's starting to feel like a game rather than a glorified chat room. All is good.

The next 6 months are going to be a big test for Endless-Online and the development team. Summer vacation will arrive and the pressure on the server from new players and current ones will be more constant. 800 players in the middle of the day is not unrealistic.

Updates are going to be more complex as the basic systems are working and the features that are coming will need to be more advanced in terms of coding and planning. The development team will be working very hard.

Looking at what's happening in terms of EO's development and the state of the game right now I'm going to make a very bold prediction. If EO is capable of surviving this summer and developing at this pace then I believe that we will see a Beta release in the fall.

September or more likely October. The team seems energized and motivated. Vult-R looks like he's recovered from the hits of the past year and is working with passion for the game again.

I wonder what next winter's going to be like. Everything tells me it's going to be good.

Wikky.

Quicky post. It's Sunday and all...

I have to say as I'm editting this post I'm a bit disappointed. I'm happy to see the Big Show and Kane retain the tag titles at Wrestlemania 22 but I'm very disappointed that RVD won money in the bank. Honestly. RVD?!? I suppose you need a nobody to have a chance at holding the belt for HHH to win it for another cheap title.

I don't understand why they're pushing this guy. There's nothing special or fantastic about him. Nothing at all. If HHH wins the title tonight I'm never watching wrestling again. EVER.

Ok. I'll be watching again tomorrow. But I want to file my moral opposition to how Wrestlemania is going right now.

Now for the video links. I'll add them to the right hand side tomorrow but for now here you go.

Here's MizzY and Ragnarock's wedding for everyone to see and enjoy.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2716205

Congrats to the happy couple.

And here, available for your viewing is the play put on by Nyuu and crew available for the first time in public...(note that it is 25 minutes long and that there is no sound).

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2716204

Enjoy!

Wikky.

Of course this is my April Fools prank...Apple Bob???? XD

A brand new area...twice in one week...

Have you been to the orchard yet? Vult's added this nice little area to Endless-Online in his current spree of new mapping. What surprises me is how little play this is getting on global. Of course it is very hard to find and I only stumbled on it by accident. When I was there I found only two players telling me to shut up about it. Which, of course, means it's time to blog it.

Here's how you get there. You need to enter the Woods of Despair (that's the level 3 area north of the abandoned goat farm). From there you make the following moves: Up, Up, Left, Down, Right, Left, Left, Right, Down, Down, Right.

You then enter the orchard. A nice green map with apple trees planted in rows. At the northmost part of this map is a house where you can find Apple Bob. He trades 25 green apples and 25 red apples for a new axe (more about that later).

Monster in the area: Apple Trees. A nice surprise. A few of the trees come to life and do 5 damage at a distance (much like we saw with the glitched kings back in test). It looks like they have about 120 hp, give 100 exp and drop green apples, red apples and 500-ish gold.

New weapon: Orchard Axe (cost 25 green and 25 red apples). A nice big axe with a SIDEWAYS swing to it (nice pixelling Arvid). As an added bonus it does double damage to apple trees much like twin blades do.

Anyhow. I look forward to seeing you in the orchard. Vult, Aengie...keep up the good work!

Happy Friday to you...

Saturday night is the change back from daylight savings. We lose an hour of sleep which means stop playing Endless-Online an hour early on Saturday night so you're not cranky on Sunday morning. This week I am not going to have an average guild report again due to v24 messing up the guild ranks. I'll give everyone a week to clean up their rosters and the report will be back on Friday.

Most of you have noticed that the development team has added two more areas to the Endless-Online world.

1. Dino area -- this looks like it's going to be a launch point to another set of maps which is a good thing for EO. You access dino area by taking the ship in the south end of the port. The area is actually two maps. The first is an entrance dock which has teawci which drop tentacles much as they do in the level 4 bat sewers. The second is a maze of docks with an apparent future exit to the north in which you find the Jesusaurus (or whatever it's called - I didn't really pay that much attention). They hit for 5, give 30 experience, respawn every 5 minutes or so, and don't drop anything.

Honestly - I don't like the area at all. The maze of docks makes no sense in any world and populating them with dinosaurs is pretty silly too. It would be better to have a small port town there with a couple of buildings and then an island with a number of similar maps for hunting where you could have some dinosaur themed sprites.

2. Orc cave -- I like this one. The addition is the right way to do things. You access the orc cave through the Woods of Despair (level 3 maze). I believe the directions are right, down (there might be a second down), right and that takes you to the maps. There are some wilderness maps with varied monsters to hunt (which I absolutely love) and a cave at the northmost part where you can hunt the orc (40 experience and they'll probably drop orc skulls at some point for crafting). The actual cave looks like it's built to be expanded much like the old reaper cave was and that makes me happy.

In response to all of this I have to say KEEP MAPPING. Don't stop with what you've done. Add a map each day for the next month and we should then have a good sized world for the number of players you have. I am still a fan of developing a mapping program and allowing a few players to develop areas for you but if you can focus your energy on making the world bigger for a while I will not complain.

Anyhow. Happy hunting all.

Wikky.

Like I said...I want to feature musicians here and today is the first installment...

Musician Profile: Mark Villar

Of course we know him on our little MMORPG as Percussionist...



Hear his music at his website. Click Here.

Cry No More
Rock ballad with a definite nod to the 80s. The singer brings to mind a young Rob Thomas who with some development and training could add a lot of substance to his range. Lyrics are a powerful tribute to the friendships we build in difficult times and based on an Endless-Online experience. "Hey, Stand my ground, dry your eyes, and cry no more more for I and going to take the place of your fall and baby cry no more."

When Near Seemed Far
A nod to everything that is good about instrumental guitar rock. Indulgent guitar solos that explore the range of the instrument while not getting old or stale. Takes you on a journey through the stars without ever leaving your seat.

Aroused
Bluesy and fun with a catchy riff. Smooth tones and lots of energy. This is the type of blues I'd pay cover to sit, enjoy a pint, and mellow out with the boys.

Solitude of Sunsets
Delicious melody and use of an acoustic background. Would be fantastic with lyrics. Reminds me of Peter Stewart's Dog's Eye View or some of the mellower tracks from Hootie and the blowfish.

The Hunt
Experimental and trippy. Lot's of rhythym change and unexpected but pleasant variations. 80s guitar rock blended with some of the experimental fusion of the 90s.

Check out his site, listen to his music.

Cause Wikky says so.

A Call to EO Musicians...

Too long has EO been dominated by the chibby drawing artists community. Pictures, pictures, and more pictures. All we have to look at each day is another screenful of pixels, vector art, and painful renditions of DBZ characters.

I say let's focus on a different part of the community. The musicians. Those among us who bring instruments to life. Who, as Plato once put it, give flight to the imagination. Who make us want to sing.

Do you have a band or songs that you've composed? Do you have a place on the web dedicated to your music?

Let me know about it and I'll feature you in some of the upcoming Blog reports. This is good for you and it's good for me. As a musician myself I enjoy hearing fresh and original talent. And it means I have a topic for days that I'm running dry. For you it's an opportunity to be heard and another valuable link to your music site. Win/win.

E-mail me at wickedfrost@gmail.com with your music site or a song you'd like to feature and host.

Wikky.

PS - Coming in May -- Aeven Idol -- Look for details in the coming weeks.

What Endless-Online really needs...

Everyone has a wishlist. Some things that they would like to see added to Endless-Online. There are some good ideas. There are some really, really bad ideas. There are some people who fail at another MMORPG and come here and want Vult-R to add something from it so that they can feel cool again. Today I'd like to tell you the top 5 things I think Endless-Online needs.

1. More maps. I'm not talking one or two new areas. I'm talking about a minimum doubling of the current Endless-Online world.

• Take New Aeven and put it over where the sky wonder area is.
• Add a number of areas between Aeven and Snow Village.
• Add a lot more wilderness between areas for hunting and levelling.
• Add one more city.
• Put reapers in a couple of areas to reduce overall camping. I have suggested the castle maze. I think it's still a good idea.

The current problem with Endless-Online is that it is a game built for 100 players being played by 800. Now you don't have to make a whole bunch of monsters for these areas. Just use more of the ones that you have and use the tiles you have too. There's no need to get uber fancy. You're just going to create a lot more wilderness to spread the players out.

2. Increase Experience. All around on the monsters. When you have levelling in the 10,000s your monsters have to give more than 6 hps. Increase all the monsters (except bosses) by a factor of 10. Goats would give 20 exp. Carnivos 500. But everyone would have a chance to level.

3. Stat Bob -- Just for now until you hit beta. Why not (for a cost) allow people to reset their stats until beta gets here. Then players can try out all the different combinations of statistics allowing them to make some mistakes and learn a little bit more. Don't make it cheap. Let's say 10k a pop. Also make sure to wipe all learned skills in the process too so that you don't have people taking advantage of the system.

4. As much as I hate to say it. Do not link Str to bow damage. Link it to Agi instead. This would allow for a ranger class and a melee warrior class.

5. And this is the one that I think Endless really needs. A war zone. A place where players can do actual damage to one another. Make a really big map and allow characters to fight. This would be great for guilds, fun for events, allow players to test out combinations of stats and party members, it would increase the odds that we might actually RP. Put it to the north of the Temple.

Wikky.

Endless-Online Basic classes...

Now with the advent of statistics we can start to think about classes of players. In fact, it's probably a good thing that we do since there are now areas where a team based approach is necessary to succeed and my assumption is that future versions will include more of these boss type areas.

While there are no official classes in EO (and there's no guarantee that there ever will be since it looks as though Vult-R is going with a Runescape stye customization scheme) we can see a number of streams that you can take with your stat points (and eventually skill points).

Warrior Class
The primary focus of the warrior class is walk and whack. Be a big ugly tank and smack things around. Melee weapons and bows are the tools of the trade and magic is a luxury but not a necessity. You should dress in battle armour so that you can be recognized in your party.

Primary stats: Strength and Constitution -- level these for additional damage and hit points.

Magic options: Fire. You're already using points on str so why bother with simple lightning.

Useful tools: Potions and lots of them. Warriors are the front line and will take a ton of damage.

Wizard Class
Magic, magic and more magic. Call on the arcane forces to rain down fire and lightning on your enemies. Send the warriors in front of you to protect you as you tear beasts apart atom from atom. Kill stealing is your best way to level and succeed. You should dress in robes of some sort to identify your dark secrets.

Primary Stats: Intelligence and Wisdom -- level these for increased spell damage and manna points.

Magic options: Lightning is the best option so that you don't have to waste points on strength although a 4 str will allow you to do 6-7 damage which could be helpful.

Useful tools: Mana potions -- combat ain't your thing but those manna points can drain pretty fast.

Cleric Class
Healers by trade. Not so much a combat class but certainly one that will be useful as the game progresses in the future. Parties that don't bring healers with them in the future could find themselves at the temple staring at a horses ass. Future spells could also include some good protection ones too. Priest robes, elegants and similar ancient looking robes are ideal to identify your healing touch.

Primary stats: Intelligence and Wisdom - to boost spell effectiveness and manna points.

Magic Options: Lightning is a good one to have. All the heals are your goal. Large heal will become a very valuable commodity.

Useful tools: Heal and manna potions. For you and for those around you.

Rogue Class
Can't make up your mind? Like to do a lot of things and have options. A rogue class is the way to go. Magic, close combat, a bit of healing. You're a good all around player and at higher levels can be the best for solo adventuring. You should tend to wear things like buccaneers and forest robes to give you that air of mystery.

Primary Stats: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution -- whatever you want. I'd suggest that by level 2 you have 4 strength, 2 intelligence, and 2 wisdom to get you on your way. Then just distribute the points wherever you're feeling weak.

Magic options: Whatever you want. I wouldn't consider the high level heals until much later in life but it's your show.

Useful tools: Bows for sure. You aren't going to be as strong as a warrior so melee weapons aren't a great idea. All potions are good for you.

Wikky.

First things first:

I'm not fat. It's the armour. Really.

V24 Features

Monsters new damage tables -- different hps and damage amounts

Aeven: Law Bob (Marriages), Priest (Marriages), Aeven Skill Master

New monster:
Carnivo (there is a fast one and slow one) (exp 50) found in the reaper cave (top right -- new door and areas). The new areas have a bunch of different warp points. Way through to anundo...around the lake to the right, second stairs, up, right, you're there.

New Armour: Heavy Eloff -- 16k (M and F) in ice armour shop
Elegant Armour (M and F) Dropped by Octo
Buckaneer Armour (M and F) Dropped by Drunken Pirates

New city. Anundo (Japanese Village) -- you must solve the carnivo area puzzle to get there. (This is how it's done: go around the lake on the right and in the left most stairs. up stairs, right stairs, down the road.)

3 new shields -- I forget what they're called. Just check the Anundo shop. Hint.. The 2.2k shield is leet and goes well with the new Eloff.

ninjas -- ninja leader owns. 41 damage. 1500 exp

New Area In LvL 4 Sewers
Octo: Found in the Bat Sewers -- There is a place in the water that you can go into to find oct. Tentacles own. Drops lots of gold, 200 exp, and new armour -- Elegenta (f), Elegant (m)

Woods of Despair lvl 3 (alternative route to Anundo) -- North of Goat Farm -- that apparently leads to a chest with barbarians. (Haven't been there yet.)

New Port: New armour (Buckaneer) -- dropped by one of the drunken pirates -- the rest of the pirates drop large fairy sodas.

Magic/Skills

Aeven Skill master sells
1. Heal Self : Int 1, Wis 1, Lvl 1, 100g
2. Small Heal : Heal self, Int 3, Wis 4, Lvl 3 200g
3. Med Heal : Small Heal, Int 8, Wis 10, Lvl 6 1000g

Anundo skill master sells
1. Group Heal : Med Heal, Int 4, Wis 12, Lvl 5 2000g
2. Large Heal : Med Heal, Int 12, Wis 16, Lvl 10 3000g
3. Small Fire : Str 4, Int 2, Wis 2 Lvl 2 500g
4. Small Thunder : Int 4, Wis 2, Lvl 2 500g

A few things that Sabanthrea noticed that I didn't...(or didn't type)

- normal key for opening the jail chest
- big mana potion, big health potion
- you can't go on the altar in Aeven anymore (at least it didn't work
for me), but you still can in Centaur Church
- cheating programs don't work anymore

AND HERE'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION To.

Twin blades - Still 1 hit rocks and do 20 damage to goloms. However Rocks and Golom's hitpoints are reduced big time. I can kill a rock in 6-8 hits. They are not worth 300k anymore. Don't every buy one for that much. It's just another sword that when weapon damage is fixed won't be that much better than any other.

Bows - are modified by strength. And are more leet now than they used to be.

Stats:

Str - Boosts damage and carrying capacity
Int - Boosts Magic Damage and is required for higher level spells
Wis - Boosts Tps (spell points)
Agi - Boosts Sps (fatigue)
Con - Boosts HPs
Cha - will be useful later.

Spell Levels do not affect anything -- there's no point in levelling them yet.

Wikky.

Quick Saturday post. Lots to do...not much to report...

EXCEPT

V24 is out today. As of yet Vult-R hasn't updated the server side of things but the client is available. Warning: Running the new client on the old server is weird. Just don't do it yet.

If you're having a problem downloading the client from www.endless-online.com then here is the auto-setup file hosted on an alternative server. Hopefully that helps.

http://rapidshare.de/files/16397827/EOsetup024.exe.html

Stats quickly:

Str - Apparently it increases damage a bit on melee weaps, the amount you can carry, and hp
Int - Attack Magic damage, TP recovery, important for all spellcasters (You must have some Int to cast spells with new characters)
WIS - Increases TPs.m You must have WIS to learn new spells.
CON - Increases HPs
AGI - Increases SPs
CHA - useless for now.


Wikky.

Hey all,

Two posts in one day...must be something special...and it is...but first:

The winners of the EO Fanfilm Contest

1. Stupidity
2. Sabranthea
3. Andymanandy

Prizes will be available when v24 comes out next week. I haven't got the client for v23 and I'm focussing on the test.

Now for something very special...

Astral's Log-In Lockout Report!!!

They say "third time's the charm".

Replace "charm" with an awesome suicide dive through a emblazoned, barbwire-coated table" then it's fixed.

PPV3: Log-In Lockout: The most hyped PPV yet, with a card filled to the brim with stellar matches with the top heels and faces of the EOWF, Many have had high hopes for such an event, but has it lived up to the hype?

Well, yeah (for the most part) , not going above & beyond the call of duty. The Log-in was sorta over-hyped, decreasing the overall quality for the PPV; granted one matches did reach said hype.

-Wickedfrost vs Kastorus: Winner faces Seridam in the Main Event.
-Cador/Cazz/Darcia/Forte vs Sapphire/Slipn/Tomaxel/Ryuk
-Fatal 4-Way for the Aeven Title: Astral vs Drakkon vs Blake vs Gaffar
-Carnage Cage: Zemeckis vs Vult
-EOWF Heavyweight Title: Seridam vs winner of Wicked/Kastor


Wickedfrost vs Kastorus: Winner faces Seridam in the Main Event.

A match clashing old enemies together for a shot at EOWF Heavyweight waist candy, what went down was what I expected. Well, sort of anyway. Kastor unloads his arsenal of heel tactics, that doesn't give Wicked leeway to stand down, he stands up; sticking it to Kastor. We see vintage Wicked many times throughout the match, reaction to the crowds, the high risk Blizzard Splash, the cold as ice Wicked Spikedriver kept Kastorus at bay, and eventually down for the count. Kastorus resorts to the Torture Rack, his WMD, if you will. The flame inside Wickedfrost starts to shine, that resilency found within many a wrestler, and manages to melt out of the heel's grip; and hit a fast sunset flip, nailing the pin as well as the win. After the match however, was a different story; as Wicked bathed in waters of decadence, the faucet was turned off; as Kastorus outof nowhere hit the Emperor Lariat, Wicked wins! and moves on to face Seridam for the EOWF Heavyweight title later.

A pretty well done starting match, nice spots (Kastor's boot to the head against the steel pipe, FTW) nothing particulary special. This is a main event you'd most likely see on a regular show, to start of with a match of such quality is a good start.


Cador/Cazz/Darcia/Forte vs Sapphire/Slipn/Tomaxel/Ryuk

One of the matches I myself had been anticipating, since it's announcement; The 4 on 4 Heel/Face tag match. After the violent aftermath sub that was last week; The 4 on 4 sandwich left me a little high and dry, making me reach for the mustard (to no avail). That doesn't mean it wasn't a good sandwich though. Faces put up a good fight, each utilizing their unique abilities providing for some good entertainment, and some great spots. Heels gained the upper hand however, punishing the faces for their fantastic folly from throat thrust to the Butterfly Lock provided by Darcia. Speaking of Darc, he got the victory for the Heels throwin down that oh-so-smooth Velvet Touch, then the POENA.

Good entertainment, reasonable levels of chaos, awesome spots culminate to a solid PPV worthy tag match; nothing spectacular, and left me wanting.


Fatal 4-Way for the Aeven Title: Astral vs Drakkon vs Blake vs Gaffar

One of the better matches of the night, though not what I expected; still an enjoyable match though. What I was expecting to be an great brawl remniscient of the ladder match of DN; this match also fell a little short to me. Though some really wicked spots and surprises kept the match of good quality. Drakkon is sent away early by Astral and his monks who proceed to take him away (What will happen next!?) The match REALLY starts after that. For the most part the match is in control between the three competitiors, soon some good spots start to shine: Gaffar hitting a spectacular Fluon Flash Hurracanruna, Astral's Holy Edge surprise, and then Blake's double Pyr0mg. Vampira rears her head, threatening Gaffar with Sakura's well being; Conflicted, Gaffar leaves; with Astral and Blake remaining. Astral finishes off Blake with the Holy Edge, retaining his Aeven Title.

Again, a good match, not at all what I expected; Good spots, surprise, and suspense help save this match; Leaving me wanting more in a different way, this match was more of a segway to greater things to come.


Carnage Cage: Zemeckis vs Vult

The best match of the night, if one match kicked hype in the bearded prunes; it was this one. The size of a normal show; Zem V Vult 2 (2 or 3?) was a true slobberknocker providing a full course of gritty, unrelenting, pain, brutal gorefest. To summarize such an epic match right here would be ridiculous; cause I don't believe I know how to. Phenonominal spots, gritty, INYOURFACE brutality and sadistic setups, reversals, and finishers. Can you say awesome suicide dive through a emblazoned, barbwire-coated table? I thought you could. Vult in the end dominated, hitting a desperation Stunner and picking up the spare with a stiffarmed Forearm Smash. He picked up the win leaving both competitiors strapped in strainers. Everything was in this match.


EOWF Heavyweight Title: Seridam vs winner of Wicked/Kastor

After Wicked's win earlier, he went on to face Seridam for the EOWF title. Bruised and battered, trashed & scattered, Wicked was ready to go. The two friends shake hands, and we begin. There are many close calls here; from a Wicked Spikedriver on steel stairs and the mats to a soaring Blizzard Splash to the announce table and an excrushiating Sharpshooter, and a jaw dropping DDT. Wicked gave an A performance, he wasn't able to defeat the champ, that sneaky devil, delivering the Small Package Pin, UPS style; getting the three count. Wicked, ever the good sport; congratulates Seridam, giving him his blessing and passing the torch. Seridam has held on to the title for 6 sucessful months.

A good ending, on a good note; another solid match, a good performance between two competitors.



In retrospect, LILO suffered from over-hyping (this is how I felt) while it was a good card with good results, it just wasn't everything I had hoped for. With questions unanswered, next show will hopefully clarify.
Here's to next show.

Here's something for you to think about.

The v24 Magic Guide

One of the biggest changes in V24 is going to be to how magic is developed and learned. Especially with new players. Any skills you have learned to this point are going to stay with your player. So all the spells you have you will have when you start v24.

There's a lesson here. If you do not have alt characters make them now. That way you won't have to pay for spells later if you ever decide to make one. If you've only got one character you might as well take the time to make 2 more. You will thank me in the future.

The other thing about spells is that you can level them with stat points to increase their effect. Go into your spell menu. Click on the spell. Then look on the left...there is a bar for level. Increase the spell level to make it more powerful.

Now let's say you don't take my advice...and you make a new character after v24 is released, or you're wondering about the new spells and their stat/cost requirements...

Here are all the spells and where you are going to be able to learn them in v24.

Aeven Skill master

1. Heal Self : Int 1, Wis 1, Lvl 1, 100g
2. Small Heal : you must know...Heal Self, Int 3, Wis 4, Lvl 3 200g
3. Med Heal : Small Heal, Int 8, Wis 10, Lvl 6 1000g

Anundo skill master

1. Group Heal : Med Heal, Int 4, Wis 12, Lvl 5 2000g
2. Large Heal : Med Heal, Int 12, Wis 16, Lvl 10 3000g
3. Small Fire : Str 4, Int 2, Wis 2 Lvl 2 500g
4. Small Thunder : Int 4, Wis 2, Lvl 2 500g

Hope that helps...

Wikky

Howdy y'all...

Tonight I'd like to comment on something a bit funny, a bit sad, perhaps even a bit lame. I've been on the test server the past couple of days. Some of you have come over to the test server to check it out too. See some of the changes and additions first hand. Try out some of the new features of the MMORPG so that you can get an idea of what you're going to do with your main character.

It's actually a pretty useful exercise. I've figured out the type of characters I want to make. I'm going to make two different chars. I'm going to turn my alt into a tank. An absolute hp/heal self fighting machine. All about crushing and destroying monsters.

My main is going to be a pure fire mage. Everything directed toward offensive fire magic. Tomorrow I'll talk more about stats and levelling so that you can make some decisions. I still want to check a few things with Vult so that you can have the best information.

What's sad is all of these 'test server oldbies'. For the most part they're players who don't get enough attention on the main and aren't elite enough for people to take them seriously. So now they've come to the test server and started picking on main players who have come over to check out v24.

"Get off our server." they say. "If the server gets to 150 people I'm quitting EO."

Do you realize just how sad that is? Really. People are coming to check out v24 and then they'll go and you'll have your precious server to yourselves again for a while. Just because you can't have your uber leet useless pixels before the rest of your fellow 'can't hack it on the main server'-bies.

Seriously...the problem lies with you. Thinking that you own the test server. The reality is that most of you are not the original cast and crew of the test server. In fact, if your name is not Kastor, DF, or your name hasn't been on the EE roster then you are on the server because we passed the info on to you.

These days I'm kind of sorry that we ever did.

Wikky.

Version 24 is almost here.

It's hard to fathom that v24 is in the testing stage. I've been working hard finding all the new items and secrets for you and I believe there are going to be a number of pleasant surprises. Since nothing in this version is for sure yet I'm not going to offer up any spoilers on areas and items but I do want to tell you this for sure.

Statistics are here and they make a difference.

I've only had a chance to play for a little bit and Vult-R still has some tweaking to do but statistics make the game interesting. The rebalancing of the monsters also makes a huge difference in gameplay.

I'm not going to tell you what he's done but I will tell you that teamwork and group hunting are going to be incredibly important in v24. Also having specific spells within your party are going to be more useful that you can imagine. You're going to have to have healers and attack mages and tanks or else you are going to die. Strategy is going to be as important as items.

Also something that's public knowledge...t-search, speed hackers, and other cheating programs. They don't work any more. Vult's taken care of them. Well done. All you losers who have to cheat at an MMORPG in Alpha testing can go somewhere else now.

Are there things that aren't solved in v24 -- yes. Kill stealing is not dealt with but Vult-R assures me that is his project for v25. Are there some eq drop issues. Yes but vult-r is still listening.

All in all I think you're all going to like this one.

Wikky.

Hey All...

A couple things of note. The first is that I'm glad Blogspot was so quick to restore my ability to post to the blog. I'm not spam dammit. The good thing is that it gave me the weekend to think about some of the upcoming things I'm going to be doing with this blog.

The second is that it allowed me to play the game a little bit more and listen to some EO Radio. Props to EORad (link on the right) for bringing back a new source of entertainment.
On the rumour mill for our beloved MMORPG. v24. It's supposed to be tested this week (according to reports from the test server crew) which means it will be coming to us in a very short time. As always I'll have the report of all the new additions to the game and commentary as soon as I possibly can.

I have to say that I'm pretty delinquent when it comes to putting together the EOWF list of shows. But then again I'm able to put together a comprehensive list from the thread so that you can read them all. So there is a bit of a bonus.

A bit of a challenge to Astral. I love your recaps of the shows. When you do your commentary can you copy and paste it to me in a message so that I can post it up in the blog? I'd love to feature your commentary here.

I have to say I'm loving the storylines. They are developing incredibly well. Even though it's fantasy wresting Zemeckis brings us a recap that is almost like being there. You can feel the tension between the wrestlers and he writes it in a way that makes you look forward to the next match.

If only the Hollywood writer monkeys at the WWE could be so creative. Honestly. Zemeckis for WWE writer. Vince McMahon. Make it happen.

Previous EOWF Related Posts:

1st 19 Shows

PPV2: Server Showdown

And Now the rest of the shows Note: I've figured out how to get the actual post so you'll be directed to each show instead of having to look for them now.

Show 20 - Server Showdown Aftermath

Show 21: Participants Announced!

Show 22: The Battle Royal

Show 23: Who wins the Battle Royal

Show 24: The Ladder Match

Show 25: No Escape

Show 26: Zem's Challenge

Show 27: The Dream Team

Also from the Man himself...this show should be today or tomorrow and the PPV will be on Thursday...

Show 28 - Full Card Announced!
One week before Log-In Lockout, and it'll be a huge night. Right after the show, Aengie made two matches. Gaffar will team with Blake against Drakkon and Astral! How will Astral and Drakkon react to each other, or will they break loose and attack?

Also, the main event will be a TEN MAN TAG! Zemeckis/Darcia/Cazz/Cador/Kastor face Seridam/Wicked/Vult/Sapphire/Ryuk!

Finally, Aengie will announce Log-In Lockouts card.

Enjoy and have a great day.

Wikky.

Hey All...You'll probably get this report a little late. It seems that all the contests I've been doing that connect to other sites trigger Blogspot's infamous "spam-prevention robots". Honestly. I think it's just a cover up from keeping you, good citizen, from your daily dose of truth.

I blame Aramax.

2 Blog related announcements.

1. Tomorrow's post is going to be an update of Zemeckis EOWF and a summary of major happenings in the storyline.

2. There will also be a new banner tomorrow at the top of the page for 1337w4r3 d3s1gnz. That's my little cafepress store where you can find some 1337 stuff. I've got a few things up already. Especially cool is the Official Aramax is Stupid t-shirt. http://www.cafepress.com/wickedfrost to check it out.



And a sample of my heart line.

Guild averages will return next Friday

You know...the averages are also a useful tool for guild leaders and recruiters. What you can do with your average level is determine the level of player that you wish to recruit. Let's say you have a guild average of 3.5. That means that somewhere around half your players are below 3.5 and half are above (not always -- but usually). If you want to raise your guild average you would want to recruit people with a level that is higher than 3.5.

If you are interested in raising your guild average in a meaningful way I suggest you use the 1.5 rule. Take your guild average. Add 1.5 then round up or down to the closest level. Do not recruit anyone below that level. Then your statistics will increase and you'll have a better shot of increasing the strength of your guild when statistics come out.

I hope this is helpful to you.

As for me...I'm going to keep sticking it to the man...er...robots...damn you Blogger. Damn you.

Wikky.

Hey y'all. I've been holding off for long enough. I just can't wait for your films to be done anymore. I know, I know...3 Weeks is not enough time to do 2 hours worth of work. I get it...

Anyhow...I received 3 submissions for you to take a look at and vote on. So here's what you do...

watch the videos...then click on this link: http://www.endless-online.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30268

Then Vote.

Vote for your favorite. Since there aren't five entries I've decided to award the prizes this way. The winner will receive 250K. 2nd Place 100K, and 3rd Place 50k.

Here are the nominees.

Sabanthrea

Andymanandy

Stupidity

Wikky.

While we're waiting for all the film contest entries to arrive and be sorted I thought I might embed some fun for you.

Also...get the Lazy Friday mp3...here!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YTH7YYS3





Enjoy. Film Contest folks. Get your films to me ASAP. All the voting begins tomorrow.

PS. Yes I know I said the deadline was today at 10...but I know that you folks are somewhat slow. So films that get to me today will still be eligible.

Wikky

Just the contests today because we're dealing with deadlines. So make sure you read through because both contests have to be entered by TOMORROW morning.

1. The FanFilm Contest: There is still time to enter. It doesn't have to be a long production...it can be very short as long as it's funny, pertenant, relevant, ummm...done. Making a movie using the SnagIt software and Windows Movie Maker is incredibly easy. You could have yours done in less than an hour. Get your films to me by 10 AM Eastern Thursday Morning and you'll be eligible to win from the 400k prize pool.

(note: It does not HAVE to be an in game movie...it can also be an animation, a webcam production, a live action film...The only thing it has to be is EO Related...so you could go and block people from going into a church and film it and that would satisfy all the requirements XD)

2. The March Madness Contest: All you have to do is sign up at http://fantasysports.yahoo.com - enter your team in the Endless-Online group (the details and password are at the bottom of this page) - and then pick some teams to win in the basketball tournament. The whole process takes about 10 minutes (5 if you already have a yahoo id). The easiest 50k you could ever make. The deadline for this is also tomorrow morning. Teams cannot be entered after the basketball tournament starts. NO BASKETBALL KNOWLEDGE IS NECESSARY TO WIN...JUST THE ABILITY TO POINT AND CLICK WITH YOUR MOUSE!

Wikky

Endless Secret Routes
Castle Warp - Go to the top right wall by the throne. There is a warp point in the wall that will take you to the Aeven Town Square

Skelly Dungeon - In the first level of the dungeon you can enter through the right side of the wall jutting out from the north. This will get you into the hall.

Castle Maze -- Check the interactive map (right--> utilities) for the complete route through the maze

How to run EO in a Window: This is incredibly Useful -- that way you can read the report, MSN, play another game, and run EO at the same time and not have to minimize anything.

Start Menu, All Programs, EndlessOnline, Setup Endless Online, Graphics Tab, Select run program in a window, save setup, run Endless.

Goat Farm - Castle Shop road -- Gets you behind the counter in the castle shop.
1. Go to the goat farm (east of aeven).
2. Go behind the houses and follow the south side of the river to the left.
3. You'll be transported to a secret route.
4. Stick to the walls when you can and walk straight through each opening from wall to wall. Don't veer of course.
5. You're there. The chests spawn gold and charms.

Void Fire (Previously Posted)
1. Enter the void through the sewers under Aeven.
2. Turn on the map function.
3. Go 12 spaces up (up arrow).
4. Go 8 spaces down and one space right.
5. Go right to the second last space.
6. Go down and then follow the walls. You can't get off the path at this point.
7. You'll be transported to the blue road. Follow it slowly as it has some tricky teleports.
8. One teleport will bring you to a square in the middle of nowhere. Go down.
9. Finish the road and you'll be in void fire. The four corner exits will take you back to the beach.

Void Beach (Island Route)
12 up
8 down
1 right
8 right
1 up
8 left
1 down
2 down
2 down
2 right
2 right
2 up
2 up
2 left
2 left
2 down
2 down

March Madness!!!

I'm pretty sure that there are a few college basketball fans who play Endless-Online. Even if you're not here's a good way to have a little non-EO fun and perhaps win some gold too.

Also a huge reminder: The contest deadline for the fanfilm contest is in 2 days. Click on the Fanfilm picture on the right to find out more details, links to useful software, etc. Note: The prizes have been increased so that 1st through 5th will win cash SO IT IS NOW A 400K Fanfilm Contest.

Now back to our regular programming...

Everyone seems to be filling out brackets these days so I've got a little 50k gold contest for you. Join my Yahoo Tournament Pick'Em, fill out your bracket, and let's see who makes it to the end of the final four. The winner of the group will get 50k gold from me.

Here are the details from Yahoo...

You have been invited to join princewikky's Private Group in Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports Tournament Pick'em.

In order to join the group, just go to the Yahoo Fantasy Sports Page and click on the "Sign Up" button to create a team. After completing registration, or if you already have a team, click the "Create or Join Group" button and follow the path to join an existing private group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information...

Group ID#: 85949
Password: vult-r

Wikky.

My guest report hasn't arrived so perhaps something from the Wicked Vault...

How to avoid scamming:

Some simple rules for you to follow:

1. If someone asks to borrow something. Say no for pete's sake. (THOU SHALT NOT LEND UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT IT)

2. If someone asks you to drop something. Say no for paul's sake. (THOU SHALT NOT DROP UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT IT)

3. If the offer looks too good to be true. Say no for mary's sake. (THOU SHALT NOT BE STUPID UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT IT)

4. Just say no! If the deal isn't exactly what you want then cancel it. And pay attention to what is going on in the trade window. If you don't understand click cancel and start again when you're clear. (THOU SHALT NOT...IT'S EASIER THAT WAY)

5. Related to 5...if someone offers you something good combined with a lot of crap...they're trying to confuse you...simplify the equation...only make trades with 2 or 3 items each tops. That way you don't have to sort through the garbage. Trade a d-blade for a weapon and cash. Or trade armour for 2 or 3 things that equal it's value. Don't get caught trying to sort through goat horns and skelly parts when your stuff could be at risk. Again -- Just say no.

6. Keep these rules even with your friends. How well do you know them? You may think well...but you probably don't. Take the risk and you could lose your stuff...

7. Don't even trust WickedFrost -- I'm a good guy. I don't scam. But even the guys who seem to be good might not be...again take the risk and you could lose your stuff. If you follow these rules you can't get scammed. Now you've read them. You've been warned. Play smart. Have fun. Throw a snowball.

8. When someone offers you a low price for something you have -- it's not a scam, it's trying to get a good deal...just say no and wait for a better offer.

9. When selling something, have a price in mind. If you want 1.5k for a d-blade say so...saying "offer" is irritating and you're going to get upset when you get offered 1k for your d-robes.

10. Now that you are properly educated rule #10 is this: Now you know. If you get scammed from this point forward it is your own damned fault.

Wikky.