Announcements - 2001/10 - Dark Majesty (expansion)
October 2001 - Patch Page
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Lore Articles
Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty FAQ
Original Link (now dead) - http://www.microsoft.com/games/zone/asheronscall/dark_majesty_faq.asp
ASHERON'S CALL: DARK MAJESTY FAQ
[6.27.01]
Overview
Q: What is Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty? Is it a new game? Is it AC2?
A: No, Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty is an expansion pack that includes the original Asheron's Call, and all-new exclusive features and content. It is not a new game from the ground up like the sequel to Asheron's Call.
Q: When is Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty coming out?
A: It will be available in stores Winter '01.
Q: Do I need to buy the original game before buying Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty?
A: No. Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty contains the full version of Asheron's Call, including all the monthly event data as well as new features and content.
Q: Do I need to create a new character in order to play Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty?
A: No, you can use your existing characters.
Q: If I already own Asheron's Call, do I need to buy Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty to keep playing?
A: No, you can continue to play without buying the expansion pack, but you will not be able to enjoy the new features Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty has to offer.
Q: How much will Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty cost?
A: It will cost $19.95 and includes one free month of service. This one free month of service will apply to both new and existing players.
What's New in Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty
Q: So, why would I want to buy the expansion pack?
A: First, only players who have purchased and registered the expansion pack will be able to OWN HOUSES! Yes, Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty will feature true 3D landscape housing. Secondly, only players who own the expansion pack will have access to secure item storage. Lastly, you need the expansion pack to explore the new landmass - which has lots of new quests and enemies for players of all levels. It is much bigger than any of the additions we have done before!
Q: What if I don't buy Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty, what am I missing?
A: You'll still be able to participate in the overall ongoing story, and be able to roam over most of Dereth - but you will not be able to own a home, or visit the new land mass.
Housing
Q: Does everyone who buys Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty get a house? What if I don't get one right away, can I still get one later on?
A: Housing space in Dereth is limited. At the launch of Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty, there will be approximately 1000 homes available in each world (they're not just sites, there will houses on each site they just may not be on the market yet, correct?); however, more can be opened in following months in response to demand. We will manage the growth of housing very carefully.
Q: What do I need to do to buy a house?
A: We're keeping the details under wraps. For now, we can say there will be a purchase cost and ongoing upkeep payments that must be made to maintain ownership of a house; if those payments are missed, the house will be put back up on the market.
Q: Can my friends visit me in my house? What about people who don't have the Expansion Pack?
A: Yes, as a homeowner you have complete control over who can come in your house (even when you're away) and who cannot. People who do not have the expansion pack will be able to visit your house if they have your permission, but won't be able to access your storage.
Item Storage
Q: How will item storage work?
Each house will contain a chest. The chest can store up to X items. The owner of the house may also store items as decorations in their house (e.g. hanging the sword of great woe on the wall, laying down a series of rugs, blah, blah, blah - you get the picture).
Q: Can people steal stuff from my house?
A: It's possible. You may authorize people who have also purchased the expansion pack to have access to your storage chest, giving them extra item storage even if they don't own a house themselves. These authorized people will have full access to your storage chest, so only give those rights to players you trust! However, only the owner of the house can remove items used as decorations; accordingly, items used as decorations will be secure from theft.
New Landmass, Monsters, and Story Arc
Q: So, what's the new land?
A: It is a vast new land. We will provide more details later, but its name is Marae Lassel, which translates to "The Sheltering Isle." Sounds like a nice, peaceful place, eh?
Q: How big is Marae Lassel?
A: We are not releasing exact dimensions at this time. However, the new landmass will have multiple towns on it, if that gives you an idea of the scale.
Q: I imagine there are new monsters too.
A: Yup. Without revealing too much, we can say some of the existing creatures in Dereth have mutated dramatically, and there are some brand new enemies as well. They all contribute to the third epic story arc to take place in Asheron's Call. As you may know, the first arc concerned Bael'Zharon and the shadow attacks; the second is well under way right now; and the third begins when Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty launches. We'll be showing screenshots and artwork over the next few months to give you a better idea of what we're talking about.
Other Questions
Q: What other cool stuff will be in Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty?
Letter to the Players
Original Link (now dead) - http://classic.zone.msn.com/asheronscall/news/asheletteroct2.asp
A Letter to the Players
October 23, 2001
Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is now upon us. We expect that copies will start to appear at your local software stores later this week. In anticipation of the release of Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, we wanted to take a few moments to answer a few questions we've heard from you over the past few weeks.
Many of you have noticed that there are now two sets of lobbies on the AC Zone pages. The new set, labeled “Asheron's Call Dark Majesty,” is for members who have purchased the expansion. The existing set of lobbies is for those who have not purchased the expansion. Once you upgrade your account to Asheron's Call Dark Majesty or buy a brand new Asheron's Call Dark Majesty account, you will need to start going through the corresponding Asheron's Call Dark Majesty lobbies. At that point, you will no long be able to launch through the normal AC lobbies. And once you upgrade to Asheron's Call Dark Majesty, you will automatically be directed to a new set of Asheron's Call Dark Majesty lobbies. You will no longer launch through the Quicklaunch lobbies (the page you arrive at when you double-click the AC icon on your desktop).
When you open your Asheron's Call Dark Majesty boxes, you will notice a new coupon number, which is good for 30 days of free play. You can use this coupon in two ways: You can upgrade your existing AC subscription to an Asheron's Call Dark Majesty subscription. If you choose to do this, 30 days will be added to your existing subscription and you will be charged only once per month for AC. Alternately, you can use this coupon to start a new account. This account will start out with 30 days of free play and be tokenized for Asheron's Call Dark Majesty.
As most of you know, one of the biggest features in Asheron's Call Dark Majesty is player-owned housing. While initially we are placing 1,000 houses on the landscape for players to purchase, we want to reiterate our commitment to adding more houses as part of our normal monthly update. We will continue to add houses in response to player needs.
We are also committed to having a system that does not favor players who are in an earlier time zone or who buy the game before other players can. That means that right now none of the houses are for sale. Throughout the month of October and early November, the houses will come on the market at various times of the day or night--you will not know when that will be. Not all the houses will come on the market at one time either. We feel that this is one way that we can ensure everyone having an equal opportunity at purchasing a house. We will continue to open houses in a similar manner as part of our monthly updates.
We also wanted to make sure that no one had an advantage with housing by knowing the final prices before they opened up. To that end, after we ended the beta phase, we made one final change to the housing prices. When a house comes on the market, that will be the first time anyone knows the total cost of that house. Additionally, when future houses come on the market, the prices will be different. Again, this is in part our commitment to ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity at houses.
In the months to follow Asheron's Call Dark Majesty's release, you will continue to see our dedication to monthly events that impact the entire world. There are new stories to be told and new adventures to undertake. New houses will come on the market and there will be more items to customize and improve your houses. One such improvement is that in the month of November you will see Allegiance Housing become available for all Asheron's Call Dark Majesty players.
We thank everyone for making Asheron's Call the success it is today, and we look forward to some extremely exciting times ahead with Asheron's Call Dark Majesty.
--The AC Team
Video
The movie introduction to Dark Majesty. It plays the first time you log in after installing the game.
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