Note  51  Vildoran     (05/10/24 13:15)  Upcoming Updates

    Greetings Arda!  For the past five years or so, we've been working
on a set of changes to how combat works here on T2T.  As many are aware,
the attack bonus granted to two-handed weapons is extremely strong in
comparison to other weapon choices.  This has led to a situation where
most players prefer to use two-handed weapons, with many others being
rarely used.
 
    We have been working to add additional options to players in order
to increase the power and utility of other equipment.  In particular,
we've made several changes that add more defensive options in combat
and the ability to act as a 'tank' for those around you.
 
Here's a summary of the changes:
 
    1. It is now possible to dual-wield small weapons.  This is based on
        the Lethal Precision skill and will give an aim and attack bonus
        in combat.
    2. There is a new defensive ability called 'defend' that can be used
        when wearing a shield.  In most cases, this will cause you to
        raise your shield and block incoming blows.  Some shields have
        custom effects that do things a bit differently.
    3. Shields have been broken up into two categories, large and small.
        When wearing a large shield you will not be able to wield a bow
        or two-handed weapon, dual-wield, or cast a spell.  Wearing a
        large shield will provide significantly more defensive value in
        combat compared to current shields.
    4. Wielding a one-handed weapon gives an aim bonus based on Balance
        or Battle Instincts skill.  This bonus is only active when not
        mounted.  If wearing a large shield, the bonus is reduced as
        well.
    5. The bonuses associated with two-handed, one-handed, or dual-wield
        do not stack in any way.
    6. We've introduced level 20-25 NPCs.
    7. Unique and semi-unique armours have been buffed.
    8. The Deflecting skill has been given a small buff.
    9. The Constitution and Agility stats are now slightly more valuable
        in combat calculations, i.e., avoiding or taking less damage.
 
    Given the complexity and the number of things changing, we expect
that there are going to be a few bugs and maybe balance issues in the
short-term.  We're going to put a temporary block on login with the next
reboot.  This should only last a few hours at most, and if we encounter
large problems we will revert the changes.  This way, we can be sure
most things are in working order and don't need to perform another reboot
in order to fix problems.
 
    If you notice anything out-of-place, or have feedback on the changes,
please submit bug/idea reports, or feel free to strike up a conversation
with any visible Ainur.
 
Valinor