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
[Updated 7.19.01]
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.
Q: I'm an existing Asheron's Call player. If I buy the expansion pack, will my subscription double?
A: No, whether you own the expansion pack or not, your subscription fee will be $9.95 a month.
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.
Q: Will houses be truly physical or more like a symbolic house, where multiple people use it and see their unique 'house' when they enter.
A: The houses will be truly physical houses.
Q: Will houses be located all over Dereth, or just the new land mass?
A: Houses are located all over Dereth.
Q: Will homes in the new expansion affect monster spawn, as they did in other games?
A: Monsters will not spawn in the house area, or right around the house area, so that is taken into consideration as we place the houses around Dereth.
Q: Are there going to be communities/clusters of housing or will the houses be all spread out?
A: For some housing sites, it will be more of a community, but there will be a number of single houses placed as well.
Q: Do players get to pick the house that goes on the property or does one just come with it?
A: The houses will already exist on locations throughout Dereth.
Q: Will there be different types of houses like Castles to cottages or will they all be same type of house?
A: Yes, there will be a variety of different styles and sizes for people to choose from. Some houses will be truly awe-inspiring.
Q: Will you be able to decorate your house in Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty?
A: You'll be able to customize your house's appearance through decorations. This will involve a mixture of existing objects in the game, and some new ones designed specifically for decorating purposes.
Q: Can a player buy multiple houses?
A: A single player cannot become a slum lord. Each account is limited to owning one house.
Q: Can an occasional player (not high level or extremely wealthy) get housing and therefore storage?
A: Yes, we are designing the housing system so that casual players, even if they are not extremely wealthy or extremely high level, will have the opportunity to obtain a house.
Q: Will we be given adequate notification of prices for homes before the expansion gets released?
I would like to start saving.
A: We're not letting people know what the prices are in advance, as that would give some an unfair advantage. It's one of the steps we're taking to insure a level playing field for players who want to buy a house when they become available.
Q: If housing will be 'first come, first serve' situation on the 1000 Homes per server, what is to prevent the folks on the East Coast from getting all of the properties before the people on the West Coast even get out of bed?
A: We've thought about this situation a lot and we have a number of things we're implementing to prevent that kind of First Come First Serve problem. In addition, while some houses will be subject to whomever gets there first, new houses will be opening up and coming down the pipeline, creating a dynamic and fluid housing market.
Q: What happens if we don't pay rent & the house is put on the market?
A: There will be a way for those people on extended vacation or similar events to arrange to continue to pay for their house.
Q: What will happen to the items in your secure storage if you stop paying rent?
A: The current plan is that all items stored or displayed in your house will disappear if you fail to pay the rent after being warned.
Landmass, Monsters, Quests, Items, 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.
Q: Is the "new land mass" going to be on the current AC Map?
A: The new land mass will be on the current AC map. It's our largest terrain update yet, though not as large as Dereth.
Q: Will the expansion have new environment types (new ground textures, etc) or will it be the same old grass, obsidian, desert type scenery?
A: The expansion will include new environment types that will require unique textures and art assets.
Q: What is the minimum character level who can access Marae Lassel?
A: There is no minimum level needed to arrive on Marae Lassel.
Q: Are some dungeons going to have an 'Expansion' restriction on them?
A: The dungeons for Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty will be limited to those who have purchased the expansion.
Q: Will most of the dungeons in the expansion be for higher level players , or will it be evenly distributed?
A: There will be a number of dungeons available in the expansion for all ranges of players, from low level players to those at the upper echelons of the game.
Q: Will there be low level hunting for new users so its not a waste for them to get the expansion pack?
A: There will be both low level hunting opportunities, and low level quests for players on the new island.
Account Questions
Q: If a person has multiple accounts will they need to purchase multiple copies for each account or can they have just one?
A: For every account that you use to play Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty, you will need a separate copy of the game to receive the benefits of the expansion pack.
Q: Will the expansion have any new graphical enhancements, such as better rendering or new 3D engines?
A: The expansion uses the same graphics engine as the original Asheron's Call, but its art reflects the standards we've developed in our most recent monthly props.
Q: Will non-expansion pack users be able to see/use new items obtained from the expansion?
A: Non-expansion pack buyers will be able to see, and in some cases, use new items obtained from the expansion. Many of the premier items to be gained from the new lands will only be usable by those who have the expansion.
Item Storage
Q: How will item storage work?
A: 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.
Q: Will there be storage available other then in the houses?
A: No, secure storage is tied directly to housing.
Q: Can people on other accounts be given permission to take things from my house?
Such as allegiance sharing items?
A: Yes, other people who have purchased Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty can be granted item storage permission within your house. There is no separation of storage however, so anyone who has access to your storage can take/use things you have put in storage, and you can take/use things they have put in storage.
Q: Will all characters on an account have access to the contents of the house and stored items?
A: Only the character from the account who purchased the house will be have all the rights and privileges of an owner of the house (i.e. ability to add/remove decorations). However, you can add house-using functionality to other characters of yours in the same way that you can add friends.
Q: Will people who have access to your secure storage also have access to your home's decorations?
A: Only the owner of a dwelling will have access to the decorations. The owner can only grant storage access permission to others - guests cannot use or remove decorations.
Q: How will item decay for the decorative objects in houses be handled?
If you drop an item in a house (rather than storing it properly) will it still decay?
A: Decorative objects in your house will not decay as long as you own the house. Items not placed as decorations or put in storage will still decay as if they were dropped anywhere else in Dereth.
Misc Questions
Q: What other cool stuff will be in Asheron's Call: Dark Majesty?
A: Right now, we're only saying that housing, item storage, and the new lands will be in the expansion. These features are our primary focus for the expansion pack., but we may add things as time permits.
Q: Will new types of characters be available in the expansion?
A: There are no new player-character types planned for the game, but there are new beasties for you to meet.
Q: Will there be new weapon classes, such as pole-arms?
A: There are no new weapon classes in the expansion pack.
Q: Will you make a new server when the pack is released?
A: We are committed to adding servers to meet growing demand.
Q: Does the expansion include new 'quest technology' to expand upon some of the things we saw in the shadow war?
A: Quest technology is one of the great tools for the content team. We will be expanding quest technology in the expansion.
Q: Will there be unique items in the expansion pack?
If so, will this mean the premium players will be able to sell them at premium prices?
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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