Post by Bryan Nautilus on Oct 10, 2023 19:54:06 GMT 9
Patch 2.0 Live Announcement
At 4:00pm on Day 2 of UNOVRCON, the lights of the Giant Stage dim, and the massive screen comes to life showing a majestic cinematic of Zapdos soaring over the ocean. He clutches the Giant Shrine in his massive talons, and his back is covered in the multicolored specks of hundreds of trainers hitching a ride to the new area.
As Zapdos approached land he swoops down, soaring over a coastal area. The bay is filled with the rusted skeletons of ancient ships. Rip-tides slash through the waters, colliding in churning whirlpools.
Zapdos flies inland, past the flooded harbor and deeper into this unexplored land.
The slick of salt water follows you inland, inundating the rising suburban landscape. Houses and offices poke out of the glittering waters. Foliage has reclaimed the city, and vines cascade down the sides of office buildings as if the concrete is nothing more than a giant lattice. Roofs have become rooftop gardens, parking lots are broken and erupting with wildflowers, and pools of rainwater flourish into urban oases.
Zapdos flies further North, through the broken city. The water dries up, and the greenery is replaced by a thin sepia coating of sand. Soon the strees are filled with orange dunes. The desert is consuming the city. The sand stretches northward, out past the city limits and toward the horizon.
The light fades as night falls, and shooting stars streak towards the sands. The shining trails form letters in the night sky and as the camera pulls back you see the words 'OSTELLIA' written in the stars.
"Hey there everyone!" says Bryan, jogging out onto the stage as the crowd erupts in applause. He grins out at everyone and points up to the screen where the starry name 'Ostellia' is still displayed. "Hope you're all having a blast at the con so far. I know I am! Now I know there's been a ton of rumor and speculation about the new patch, so let's get right down to it. Patch 2.0 will go live at midnight on October 31st, and we've got treat after treat after treat lined up for you. Not a trick in sight! Well, maybe a few tricks, but you're going to love them.
"Things are going to be very different in Area 3. We're shaking up the gameplay, and a lot of the functions you're used to seeing won't be available until AFTER the world event. I know that's a bit vague, but you'll see what I mean when you arrive in Ostellia.
"We're also going for a more focused and streamlined feel in this expansion. The reception to our personalized story quests in Asper was hugely positive, and we've expanded that system so that all players will be able to access multiple, dynamic story quests that all lead up to the World Event!
"We want everyone to be instrumental in the story unfolding!"Asper
"And while we don't expect everyone to be able to enter the new area right away (the new Pokemon are crazy strong), we have also made some changes to Asper to keep things fresh for new and returning adventurers.
"The world is always changing and the Pokemon change with it, so we're updating the spawns in Asper!" The screen behind Bryan changes to display the new spawns. It cycles through footage of the routes, where the updated new Pokemon interact with trainers and other local Pokemon."And a few of you eagle-eyed players have notices changes around Ash's Camp on the Surge Steppes. We've been hinting at something being built there for a while now, and with the release of Patch 2.0 we will the camp location replaced with a pop-up Pokemon Center! That's right. We have dispatched a new Nurse NPC who'll be taking care of your Pokemon from now on after a tough battle. However this isn't a shrine so there will be no form changing, sacrificing, exalting, or removing Corruption."Updated Asper Spawns!
Purrloin and Pidove added (Tutorial)
Purrloin and Pidove replaced by Bramblin and Murkrow (Settlement)
Seedot and Dewpider replaced by Flabebe and Shroodle (Rt. 2)
Klink and Magnemite replaced by Phanpy and Tauros (Rt. 3)
"And speaking of building, we'll soon be launching another worldbuilding event to create new in-game locations within Asper! So keep an eye out for that on socials in December."Shrines and The Everworld
"Speaking of, we are making some changes to Exalting, Sacrificing, and the Everworld to keep them clear and feeling like special player moments.
"With the explosive finale of the Thunderfall Raid we saw all of the spirits from the Everworld explode into the raid and assist the players in the battle. As such the Everworld now has NO wandering spirits, and has been canonically weakened after the event. Going forward, you won't be able to claim Pokemon sacrificed or abandoned by other trainers, only your own.
"So how does this impact shrine interactions? Well, when you interact with a shrine there will now be two clear options: Sacrifice and Exalt.
Exalting a Pokemon is similar to releasing it. The Pokemon will disappear from your inventory and will join the service of the legendary Pokemon associated with the shrine. Nine times out of ten we expect players to be selecting Exalt when they leave a Pokemon at a shrine.
"On the other hand sacrificing will send your Pokemon straight to the Everworld and leave behind a phantom that will haunt your inventory until banished. This is meant to be a strong narrative decision that may further your personal stories. It will also be one of the two ways of visiting the Everworld.
"The other way of visiting the Everworld is unchanged, and is simply if you white out or black out in battle. When this happens, a random Pokemon will be selected to go to the Everworld, and you will then be able to go through one of Seta's Trials to rescue it later.
"We think these changes will make visiting the Everworld feel even more special and unique than before, since it's a chance that doesn't come around often!"Story Quest
"Let's talk about Story Quests a bit more. Now that Bunya's Story Quest has ended a lot of you have been asking us 'What's next?' and now we can answer that. There are three story threads launching with Ostellia. First are the dynamic storylines that I mentioned before. I can't say more right now, but our writers are super proud of these ones and you'll be exploring all over Ostellia putting together pieces of the greater story.
"Second is the Professor Ash quest. Some of you received an exclusive in-game item after the Thunderfall Raid: Ash's Letter. Now I've seen a ton of theories on forums and some of you are getting close to the truth. Let's just say that some of you will be heading back to a familiar location.
"And as for Bunya, you'll be seeing her story pick back up in December as our seasonal event. I'll leave you with one word: Dig."Balance/QoL Adjustments
"In Asper we introduced the Ride system, where players could purchase a saddle and make any Pokemon a rideable partner. Unfortunately, this didn't get the traction we wanted, so we're re-working the system. Going forward you will be able to freely ride Pokemon with a sufficient carrying capacity. This does mean no more Wurmple horses, but in exchange there is now no longer a cost associated with it! If you already purchased a saddle you can get a refund through the in-game store.
"Keep in mind that flying is not possible on UNOVR. We want you to experience the world, not fly straight over it. If you ride a Pokemon that can fly it will be restricted to a very low hover.
"Additionally, the Rookery is now available year-round! You will now be able to purchase a ticket for a single Rookery expedition each month for 200 Bytes, and at the end you are guaranteed an egg of the type of your choice."Game Length
"There's been a lot of online speculation about the length of the game. Some people have been saying that it's going to be another 10 year game. Some are saying we're going to release UNOVR 2 in a couple months and make you all pay for another game. Well, neither of those are true.
"At Hydance we feel like we've hit our stride, smashing out great updates and expansions for you. We've hit terminal velocity and expect Ostellia to run for about six months, including the World Event at the end.
"After that we have one more six-month Area planned out, then one final six-month finale, and that will finally conclude the storyline of UNOVR.
"That's right! In about eighteen months you'll be experiencing the final chapter of the UNOVR story.
"Any questions?"