Patch 56: September 16th 2014 - Renaissance Achievements! CTF v2!

Achievement System

• Implemented a new system that will be rolled out slowly and paired with an expansion of the website player profiles.
• This system is inspired by the achievement system commonly seen on steam games.
• Players will be able to track their progress towards over 1000 endgame style achievements via the website.
• Added a new profile page accessible with the "Ach" command.
• This page will show the variety of counters that will be used for the achievement system.
• These counters will track the following in order to award players with progressive achievements
  • Treasure Maps Decoded
  • Treasure Maps Dug Up
  • Treasure Chests Chopped.
  • Special Fishing Nets Used
  • MIB's Fished Up.
  • Big Fish Fished Up
    
  Note: This is the first phase of the system which will generate live data allowing for the development of our web portal and back end processing systems. Every patch for the next 6 months will include additional work on this system.
  To see the work in progress mock up of the web portal for the achievement system click here

Achievement System - Website Interface

• Created two new data exports from the game server to the website.
• Created the supporting table structures and master achievement database.
• Created a desktop application that allows me to author new achievements.
• Created an icon structure for the 275 initial achievements with color/greyscale versions.
  
• Raw achievement data will export to the game server every 5 minutes.
• Achievement counters will export to the game server every 2 hours.

Attended Verification System

• Implemented a check to make sure that players who are single clicking house signs are doing it attended.
  Note: This does not affect players using the item id skill.
• Implemented additional checks to spot automation when clicking on house signs.
• Reduced the flag rate for placing houses, collecting BOD's, farming and house placement to adjust for server trends.

Animal Lore

• Extended the range in which you can use the animal lore skill from 8 tile to 12 tiles.

Armor

• Minor adjustments to the hit point ranges for various types of armor to match known stratics data for our time period.
  Note: This is the first step in addressing how armor absorbs damage along with other armor related issues such as material bonuses and exceptional bonuses. Additional information can be found here.
  http://www.uorenaissance.com/itemlist/Armor
  http://www.uorenaissance.com/stratics/armor

Bonded Pets

• Reduced the amount of loyalty that a bonded pet will lose over time by 50%.
  Note: This will slow the abandonment process for a bonded pet by approximately half.

Capture the Flag v2

• Implemented the second version of the much loved Renaissance capture the flag system.
• The new system now supports individual player scoring.
• Players kills, deaths, flag captures, and healing is now captured by the system.
• Phased out the old CTF lobby and implemented the new universal event lobby for capture the flag events.
• Players can now sign up in the lobby allowing for CTF players and spectators to both enjoy the event.
• Gates to a spectator zone for each event will be provided from the new lobby while the event is active.
• Implemented a randomization process for players using the Event lobby exit gates.
  Note: Each gate will take the player to a random location near the selected exit area discouraging players from setting traps.
• Event lobby gates will appear as soon as the event is announced and will be colored green.
• Players will not be able to walk onto these gates or cast gates in the same tile. They will need to be double clicked to used.

Capture the Flag - New Features

• Ability to easily switch teams, see who is on which team by clicking the signup book for each event.
  Note: No more finding the right CTF stone. Only the signup books for the current event will ever be visible.
• UOR Broadcast. CTF event progression and results will now be broadcast into the #Renaissance channel automatically using our normal news broadcast.
• Flags will no longer return home after 2 minutes. This has been expanded to 10 minutes.
• Scoring. A much more detailed scoreboard will be shown to players upon the completion of the game or by double clicking the scoreboard in the spectator zone or match area.
• Timing. Incorporated the CTF system into the event system used by other events so players can click on the event clocks around the world, in the lobby and in spectator zones to see how much time is left on the various phases.
  
  

Capture the Flag - New Areas

• Implemented 3 new 4 team CTF arenas. The Small Cross, Large Cross and Hytloth Areas.
• Each with their own spectator areas and strategic designs.
  
  Note: Pictures do not represent the final versions of each area.

Capture the Flag - Rewards

• Players competing in Capture the Flag matches can now earn platinum trophies based on their performance.
• Players on the winning team can earn a statue valued at two platinum for certain accomplishments
• Players on the losing teams can earn a statue valued at one platinum for similar accomplishments.
• For a team with 1 player, the player with the most captured flags will earn a trophy. With total kills serving as a tie breaker.
• For a team with 2 players, the player with the most kills will earn a trophy. With total deaths serving as a tie breaker.
• For a team with 3+ players, the player with the most team damage healed will earn a trophy. With total kills serving as a tie breaker.
• Each reward has a base threshold to qualify. For example 1 flag captured, 5 kills or 250 damage healed.
• A player can only earn 1 reward for each CTF match.
• During a 2 team CTF match 6 rewards can be given out. With 4 teams up to 12 can be given out.
  

Death Logging System

• Created an additional type of death to exclude players killed while in a house from any other death classification.
  Note: This will remove in-house kills from the PvP ranking and processing system on the website.

Event Statues

• Implemented a new more efficient system of naming event statues.
• Event statues won during a CTF match will no longer have a long string saved as the statues name.
• Event statues now can be configured with an event type, character id, and datetime.
• This data will be saved and used to generate the statues name when it is clicked.
• This will slightly reduce stress on the game server (save times) and greatly reduce stress on the web server (storage)
  Note: Existing statues will be unaffected by this change.

Houses

• Changing the locks on a house will now lock all the doors in the house in addition to setting a new keyvalue.
  Note: Previously some interior doors would not lock once the player changed the locks from the house sign resulting in some confusion on house security.

Houses - Detect Hidden

• Using detect hidden in a house that you have proper access to (friend, co owner, owner) will now show the locked/unlocked status of the doors.
• This additional information is only shown to the detector and only if they have the correct house permissions.
• For more information on this change see this thread
  

Houses - House Sign

• Players clicking house signs as a ghost, will now have a small chance to answer an attended verification gump.
• As there is no way to click a sign, as a ghost without being at the computer this will only affect players using 3rd party tools to click the signs to track the decay of the house.
• Added a link on house signs that allows access to the Renaissance House Security guide.
  

Harvesting

• Allowed all harvesting messages to register with razor as system messages with two exceptions.
• Razor and other 3rd party applications will continue to be unable to detect the "no metal" or "no wood" messages when gathering.
• All other messages can now be used in a macro when gathering, such as "fish are biting", etc.

Item ID

• The item id skill/ID wards can now be used on treasure maps to determine the numerical location of the map.
• This is designed to compliment the achievement system and allow for player to player trading of maps based on location.
• Decoding a map with cartography will also identify the map.
• Players can also use the item id skill (at grandmaster) to identify a container full of maps at one time.
  Note: This does not replace decoding a map using the cartography skill. This simply allows players to ID maps sold on vendors to see if they need a map in that location.
  

Mobiles

• Fixed a problem that was causing the ore golems to reflect all magic attacks.
• Fixed a problem that was not allowing the ore golems, and pirate ghost captain to register properly on the website kill logs
• Allowed ore golems to damage each other via bardic control.
• Resolved a problem with mage tower defenders in which they would occasionally cause a client crash. Thanks Descartes
• Fixed a problem with the XML spawner system that was causing monsters to be spawned without a correct decay flag.
  Note: This will result in orphaned creatures now being eligible for decay if they are not tamed, not stabled and not linked to a spawn point.
• This will have little effect on the world other than to allow pets tamed, and moved to a new spot to decay properly.
• Added some additional protections to make sure special items (from events, boss monsters, etc) are given to a player or dropped in their loot container.
• Trolls now have the correct backpacks.
• Monsters can no longer spawn with baskets as their backpacks.
  Note: This was stopping razor's restock agent from working on those containers.
• Monster backpacks now have a name to make it more clear as to their purpose.

Mobiles - AI

• Disabled the ability for players to release hostile monsters within guarded town regions.
  Note: We could find no other purpose for this behavior other than to town kill players without the consequence of a murder count. Non aggressive pets can still be released in town.
  Note 2: A problem was discovered with the way town NPC's were configured allowing them to basically ignore monsters while they were in town. This change would have been enough to resolve this issue however should a player release a pet in town it would be instantly guard killed. This change will prevent that from accidentally happening as well.

New Player Dungeon Expansion

• Setup three new areas to be used as an expansion to our new player program.
• A small entryway, and two Hythloth style dungeon areas will provide young and old players with a new low level challenge.
• Due to the amazing success of our new player program this will allow more options for players to train their skills and get a good start before they leave for the outside world.
  Note: A more detailed review of this dungeon will be posted once it opens to the public. This dungeon will also be bound by the same rules as the existing new player dungeons.
  

Razor Feature Negotiation

• Implemented a new selective system that requires players negotiate features with the server if certain conditions are met.
• This will require that players check the negotiate features option in razor to be able to log into the server.
• However this only affects players in factions, players that have more than 5 long term counts, or players that have been flagged by the staff.
• Should your account meet these conditions you will have to enable feature negotiation in razor.
• However this has no effect on razor, this verifies that should someone attempt to use a 3rd party application the features they might have access to are disabled.
• Features that will be disabled are the following, Advanced Macros, Auto Loot Agent, Auto Remount, AutoBandage
• This will ensure our players a fair and balanced playing environment while still allowing players the option of playing without razor.
  For more information on this feature click here
  Note: This does not imply support for 3rd party applications other than Razor. This change is designed to reduce the benefit should a player attempt to use an unauthorized 3rd party application to gain an advantage in player vs player situations. Razor will continue to be the only supported/allowed 3rd party application for the Renaissance server.

Platinum Store

• Implemented a better cleanup system for when items are unable to be purchased. Thanks Dalavar

Regions

• Added the Ocllo moongate to the guarded moongates collection.

Treasure Maps

• Implemented a function to determine the location of a treasure map based on classical stratics numbering.
• Implemented an additional data point in treasure.cfg to allow for map locations to provide the numerical id as well.
• Found and fixed 8 missing map locations that RunUO was missing.
• As of patch 56 all treasure maps will be assigned their numerical location to go hand in hand with the achievement system.
• Treasure Maps once decoded or identified will show the location in the following manner.
  
• Identified maps still have to be decoded in order to be dug up.
  Note: This change allows for players to buy/sell/and trade maps based on the location so they can seek out the maps needed to complete the "Completionist" achievement.

Sheep

• Sheep will become unhealthy very quickly should they be held within the confines of a ship.
• A tamed sheep, removed from its spawner and placed on a boat will decay by normal means, unless they are relocated and sheered in a new location.

Weapons

• Resolved a problem in which the gargoyles pickaxes were displaying incorrect names. Thanks Avery
• Appended the exceptional tag to weapons, regardless of a makers mark. Thanks Dalavar
  "an exceptional supremely accurate indestructible halberd of vanquishing, it was crafted by <playername>"
  
• Resolved a problem in which axes were being displayed with the incorrect prefix due to their names starting with a vowel.

Website Interface

• Adjusted the update times for the faction town control status data.
• Faction town control information is now included in the 2 hour data cycle. Or roughly 12 updates a day.
• Added new functions to export the achievement data to the website.
• Achievements will be exported every 5 minutes.
• Achievement counter data will be exported every 2 hours.

Website - Hue Tool

• Created a new tool allowing players to visualize various hues
• http://uorenaissance.com/hue/1194
• You can access this using the command !hue #### in irc.

Website - Armor Database

• Implemented a new section in the compendium to list detailed information on all armor available on Renaissance
  http://www.uorenaissance.com/itemlist/Armor
• Created a master listing of all armor pieces and added each item to the compendium.
• Created a detailed sub page for each individual item showing detailed information on magical and material properties.
  
• For more information click here

Website - Spawning Rares

• Created a complete list of all spawning rares (non common).
• Players can see which rares spawn in collections along with links to the database pages for each spawn.
• Rares spawns are grouped by their rough spawning window.
  http://www.uorenaissance.com/itemlist/Rare/Spawning
  

Administrative Features

Client Gump

• Expanded the client gump to provide our administrators, senior counselors and counselors with additional information about players they are assisting.
• Gamemasters will be able to review/adjust the achievement counter data for troubleshooting purposes
• Counselors will be able to view the achievement counter data for troubleshooting purposes.
• Shown below is a comparison between data a counselor is allowed to see vs an administrator. Counselors have access to no information that would violate the privacy of the player they are assisting.
  

Automated Event System Updates

• Updated the AES management system to support the new Capture the Flag System and related automation.
  

Misc

• Improved the level of logging provided when players purchase items from the platinum store.
  Note: This will give the administrators more information to assist players with their purchases or questions.

Special Thanks to the following for their help in development and testing of this patch.
Dalavar, Avery, Darkwing, Russell, Blaise, Mes and many more![/list]

You would just need to release the pet right outside of the guarded town, and let it follow you in.

The change was deemed necessary because town NPC's will slowly start to aggressively call guards on pets released in town (and released pets will immediately try to attack them as well). So before the patch you could release your favorite pet in town, and quickly retame it. After the patch it would be killed almost immediately.

The secondary reason this was disabled was because it was being abused to target generally new players who could not afford a house or safe place develop a character. While town killing is part of the felucca rule set the server needs to be approachable and fun for new players. When a mechanic is used to make the server unappealing to others we generally have to step in to address it.

Just like most other things we have been forced to fix in the past the mechanic is not an issue until it is used to discourage other players. We also factor into the decision the general effect the abuse of something like this has on newer players who are unfamiliar with the Renaissance rule set. . Almost all of the time the staff was contacted by this the players in question were confused and frustrated.

The player complaints led to a detailed review of the NPC guard calling logic, which led to the discovery of the core problem.

Setting a macro, going to sleep, waking up, finding out you are dead, and seeing a murder count gump is what we refer to as an "understood situation". Generally players are not discouraged and frustrated. A lesson is learned and gameplay adapts.

In the same situation without a murder count option the opposite usually happens. Nothing is learned, there is frustration and the perception than an incorrect or broken mechanic is the cause.

That said, once the staff has time to properly reconfigure all the town NPC spawners we would be open to reviewing the release mechanics and rolling back the change. But until then this restriction will be in place.

And to be clear, any method in which Player A kills Player B without a consequence will always be addressed by the staff.

1. All treasure maps will be compatible with the achievement system, even if they were decoded before the patch. Maps will not need to be kept once they are compelted as the achievement will already be processed.
2. Maps can only be decoded once under the Renaissance mechanics. However anyone with the proper cartography skill can dig up the map that someone else decoded.
3. As soon as the patch is implemented the system will go into effect.