Craig kicks off by detailing the final version of the PvP consequence system, which regular readers will be familiar with. The gist of it is that AoC players who attack weaker foes will become outcast 'murderers', attacked on sight by guards, fair game for anyone who wants to kill them, and depending on rough camps on the fringes of society for their needs. There's a new mechanic of 'redemption' that allows murderers to go on special quests to rid themselves of this bloody stain.
Tradeskills, GUI adjustments and, most importantly, combat changes are also covered. Craig mentions the changes to combos, explaining that excessive damage spikes were just as much the reason as 'preloading', a tactic in which a PvP opponent would simply execute the initial steps of a combo into thin air before walloping the target with the final blow.
Perhaps the best news of all for AoC players is the time scale given: Craig says Funcom hope to have the changes 'ready for the live servers over the next couple of weeks.' Will they deliver? That remains to be seen, but given the recent track record, we expect player confidence in Craig Morrison's statements to be much higher than previous assurances from Funcom.
