AQ3D Design Notes/News/Patch Notes

Frostvale + defender sets OwO

I hope they add a penguin morph OwO

Also want he shadow slayer w set , it looks epic

 

Looking forward to the return of the defender items

Also @Legion Aranx I'd be careful about quadruple posting as it can be seen as post farming and would only lead to a mod merging your posts and maybe giving you a little warning. Dont do it next time

 

Makes me wonder how the AQ3D team is going to set up the return of Roland since all of the drops are "Ashfall" themed which is totally the opposite of Frostval. Maybe they'll have it so that dragons are invading the town of Frostvale which would set some interesting plot. I'd like to see Ashfall get combined with some sort of release just to make it seem like Dragonlord Talyn still have plans going on, and many people are craving for Ashfall Part 3.

 

Im pretty optimistic that we would get some sort of ashfall references in there somewhere, just to whet our appetites lol

 

LIttle Dread
Artix Krieger | Monday, December 11, 2017

"Why Grand Master, what big teeth you have!"
Meet Little Dread. She's a werewolf hunter who speaks softly... and carries a HUGE, DEADLY, SILVER-CLAW-BLADE-THING! She lives in Darkovia Forest which also means she must be crazy... or really, really, really, skilled.



Who are the Dread Riding Hoods?
Nomadic by nature, the Dread Hoods are traveling werewolf hunters. They are keen to detect all forms of lycanthropy from weredragons down to weredrickens. Dread Hoods are pretty skeptical as far as supernatural hunters go. While they use the term "curse of the werewolf" they know it is a type of viral infection. But what do you expect in a world where wizards outnumber epidemiologists 999 to 1? The Dread Hoods may not carry the fame nor clout of the ShadowSlayers, but know that they exist and their extremely honed skills for detecting and exterminating lycanthropes makes them worthy allies-- or, should you one day succumb to the curse and become a werewolf, a most deadly threat.

Coming in Darkovia Part II
Darkovia Forest is a very story-heavy new area which features plenty of quests, challenges, new items, and all new boss monsters. This new release is coming **** *****! Erm, I have been forbidden from giving hard deadlines... BUT since everyone here is done being sick from the "Great Lab Plague of Winter 2017", it is time to get this show started! Raise your arms and send us some of "DBZ Style" spirit energy. Battle on!

 

Cysero mentioned that darkovia would probably be coming this week unless they have some unforseen major bugs... So hope they push through!

 

DragonSlayer Testing for Kickstarter Backers
Artix Krieger | Thursday, December 14, 2017

Calling all Legendary Kickstarter Backers!
We have just released the DragonSlayer class for testing on the PTR (Public Testing Realm). As promised in the Kickstarter, players who pledged at the Legendary tier or above get to give it a try first. Cannot access the PTR from your device or missed the kickstarter? No worries! Read on below on how you can give DragonSlayer a test drive soon. But first... check out the class skills!



DragonSlayer class is.... really good at fighting Dragons.



Dragonlance (and all DragonSlayer skills) do +10% against DRAGONKIND...which, includes drickens.



DragonSlayer Class Skills
If there is one common trait among all DragonSlayers, it is their raw determination to defeat their fire breathing foes no matter the challenge. So instead of mana, chi, or rage, DragonSlayer's have DETERMINATION. Every strike builds a DragonSlayer's determination... and when it is above 50%, all of the DragonSlayer's skills become EMPOWERED causing them to do devastating, bonus effects.

DragonSlayer Auto Attack

• 10% more damage vs Dragons
• 2 Handed Attack animations
• Each hits fills you with DETERMINATION

Shatterscale (Shatterscale Strike)

• Normal: Strike through your enemy with a piercing stab.+10% damage vs Dragons
• When Empowered: Deals double damage and ignores 25% of your foe's armor

Disrupt (Fang Breaker)

• Normal: Deals a heavy blow to the enemy. +10% damage vs Dragons
• When Empowered: Silences target! Prevents enemy from casting spell.

Dragonlance

• Normal: Launch a javelin through even the thickest of dragon hides. +10% damage vs Dragons
• When Empowered: Causes target to bleed.

Final Descent (Death from Above)

• Normal: Jump up into the air and bring down a devastating blow down onto a single enemy. Dealths 10% of the target's MAX health as BONUS DAMAGE (up to double damage). Oh yeah... +10% damage vs Dragons
• When Empowered: This strike becomes an Area of Effect (AoE) skill-- hitting ALL nearby enemies!

Legendary Kickstarter Backer Chest Armor
Helm & Shoulders earned separately

While it was never promised in our original Kickstarter, we always try to go above and beyond. So we are creating a armor variants for your DragonSlayer, Paladin, Necromancer, and Ninjas classes. On the PTR (and only on the PTR right now), you can also test out this version of the DragonSlayer chest armor. It is in the Founders Sanctuary in the "Legendary Founder Shop". We will release this all to the live server for you at the same time.

Why test on the PTR?
Classes and other major game-changing features are a pretty big deal. So we test it first on the PTR to find game-breaking bugs, balance, exploits, and get your feedback. The goal is to test them with as many people as possible, fix any issues, and release it to the live server as quickly as possible!

When will DragonSlayer be released for EVERYONE?
Simple release order...

1. Legendary Kickstarter Backers test DragonSlayer on PTR
2. All players can help test DragonSlayer on the PTR
3. Legendary Kickstarter Backers get early access to DragonSlayer on LIVE GAME
4. All players can then quest to unlock DragonSlayer on LIVE GAME

Why do Legendary Kickstarter backers get DragonSlayer first?
Short answer! During the Kickstarter where people pledged to make this game a reality, they paid for this specific privilege. We are very grateful. We would be honored if you would join us in saying thank you to anyone you see pre-testing DragonSlayer. It is the classy thing to do.

But the PTR is not available on Phones/Tablets! How do I pre-test it?
Legendary Backers will get early access to it on the live game. We will make DragonSlayer available on the live server for all the Legendary Backers as soon as it passes testing on the PTR.

Why is the class design on DragonSlayer so good?
This class was a big collaboration between members of the Artix Entertainment team, lead by Rabblefroth. I really like the unique skills and animations which plays very differently than any of the previous classes. You really need to make decisions when playing this class-- and those decisions can change the outcome of intense battles.



FEEDBACK!
Play and give us Feedback on DragonSlayer Skills!

Please use this post to give feedback in the comments section of this post. All players are able to log onto the PTR and give feedback on the balancing changes. Legendary Backers are able to give feedback on the DragonSlayer skills. We will all be watching here.... without blinking. Like this. O_O

P.S. Cross your vampire and werewolf fingers for tomorrow Darkovians! Hoping to sink your teeth into a new release.

 

excited for the dragonslayer class! looks like it's gonna be good !

 

The Darkovia Saga Part II is LIVE!
Artix Krieger | Friday, December 15, 2017

Whilst the war between Vampires and Werewolves rages on, a young life hangs in the balance… and only you are brave enough (or crazy enough) to journey deep into a forest drenched in the curse of eternal darkness to search for a fabled cure. The gate is now open… join us in-game as we explore the forest of Darkovia!



Darker Monsters
Beware! There are far more deadly creatures than just Vampires and Werewolves in Darkovia forest. Take the Terrortoma for example… our top candidate for this year’s valentines card cover.


Darker Heroes
Meet little Dread. As Darkovia’s expert werewolf hunter speaks softly, and carries a BIG metal hand claw thing! Talk to her and perhaps she can help you on your quest. Or at the very least, let you craft your own claw.



Darker Bonus Challenge Fights
You better bring some friends-- once you discover the new challenge fights it will take team work to earn some of the games most interesting rewards.





A guy in a tin foil hat
Hooper is probably crazy.




Darker Dungeons
Dive into Darkovia’s three new dungeons where gear and vampire fangs drop faster than our steam rating. At some point, you are going to wonder why there is a Vampire named David. Then you are going to Google it and go, “Ooooh… I see what you did there.”




The Darkest Darkovia!
We hope you enjoy the Darkovia Part II story and are excited for the Vampire Castle and Werewolf Lair that will open when the story continues. Next week, however, the weather-moglin says to expect snow in the town of Battleon! But this weekend… we descend into the darkness! See you in game.

Battle on!
Artix & AdventureQuest 3D Team

P.S. You can get to Darkovia from the travel crystal or your travel menu.
P.P.S. This weekend I am making a trailer for Darkovia (both, parts I & II). So if you see me running around, I am probably recording-- fight your hardest!
P.P.PS. HeroMart has Vamp and Lycan shirts in, also the Calendar.

 

Everyone can now test DraognSlayer on the PTR!
Artix Krieger | Monday, December 18, 2017

We need more testers!
Everyone is invited to test and give us feedback on the DragonSlayer class on the PTR (Public Test Realm).The testing will take place this week. The feedback so far has been great-- looking forward to hearing what you think!

DragonSlayer Release Schedule

1. Legendary Kickstarter Backers ($120+ teir) test DragonSlayer on PTR
   
2. All players can help test DragonSlayer on the PTR (Happening now)
   
3. Legendary Kickstarter Backers ($120+ teir) get early access to DragonSlayer on LIVE GAME
4. All players can then quest to unlock DragonSlayer on LIVE GAME

 

Darkovia Saga Trailer
Artix Krieger | Monday, December 18, 2017

Watch the Darkovia Trailer
The trailer for The Darkovia Saga trailer just dropped on Youtube.



Design Notes
I really hope you like it. Thank you to everyone who helped me gather footage the past few days. Side story-- Alina walked into our part of the lab asking why we were all howling. We showed her the video and she asked, "Was that wolf howl....?" And we answered yes, the subtle wolf howl at the end is actually Thyton-- which we recorded on my iPhone about 10 minutes before posting the video >_>.

 

Frostlorn Raiders
Artix Krieger | Friday, December 22, 2017

Frostlorn Raiders invade town!

Who do these Frostlorn Raiders think they are?! Just as the worst snowstorm we have ever seen hits our home town of Battleon, they waltz in with their weapons drawn. We thought they needed help. As our friends rushed out to assist them... they were struck down in cold blood, then they unleashed their army of frost monsters. Even as you read this, these icy abominations are attacking our shops and people. Defender Roland has declared an emergency and re-formed the Battleon Militia-- we need your help. Come quickly!



Frostval returns with seasonal loot drops and crafting!
"There is something for everyone in the Frostval event"

They will only be here for a short time. Login and battle to get your festive “O’Tannenbush” travel form, ugly sweater capes, Yettun horns, Frostlorn items, Frost Defender Armor, Elf Armors, Santa Armor (cannot believe Dage & Yergen got this finished in time), wrapped weapons, festive scarves, and other items. Oh, and Guardians... the Raiders are dropping a Rudolf the Reindragon travel form just for you.



The Frost Labyrinth
The Yettun has returned and the Frost Labyrinth is open! Battle through the Frost Labyrinth to defeat the Yettun and restore the Frost Moglins to the land they lost so long ago. Talk to Blizzy, the light blue moglin near the Travel Crystal in Battleon, to being your adventure.



The 2017 Frostval Collection
The first ever Frostval Collection is now available! Talk to the little blue moglin Blizzy in Battleon to get the new items individually, or get the ENTIRE 2017 Frostval Collection (save about 45%)!

What is included in the Collection?

The collection includes a rare badge, permanent, free access to the items year round (freeing up your inventory space) including both snowman travel forms, and that warm and fuzzy feeling from knowing that you are directly supporting AdventureQuest 3D’s ongoing development.



New Yulgar’s Inn
Town is not the only place getting into the holiday spirit. Yulgar & Melodia just finished decorating the new and improved Inn.



“There is so much stuff to do, but all I want to do is hang out in this cozy inn!” - a player

Come in from the cold, have a seat and warm up! Seriously, you can sit in the chairs now and the Inn’s new music is beautiful.



HeroMart
Here is Vesper modeling the Zobak Ugly Sweater T-Shirt from www.HeroMart.com . You should check out what else they have there now, including our 2018 Calendar if you have not already gotten yours. Also, just because a lot you have already commented on it, but not everyone follows my Twitter or Facebook-- if you were studying this photo closely, um, yes, we decorated the lab’s tree with an Alien facehugger.




Next Week… Frostlorn Boss Raid!
The Frostlorn Raiders have three leaders…. Faustbite, Phrozen, and Sleet. Think you and your friends can take them on in a group vs group fight? We are going to find out. Next week, to bring in the new year, we are releasing a special 10-player raid map where you will battle them! You will also get the chance to craft the Frostlorn Mage and Rogue armor sets!



Thank You for 15 Years of Adventure
We hope you are enjoying this wintery, frostval release. While the team was finishing it up, I made you a special 15th anniversary cape. It will be available for you in game next week. It symbolizes, without question, our community and team’s most significant achievement together. Pouring your life and soul into something for 15 years is a really big deal. What is important about this is not the number, but the dedication, passion, and loyalty that it represents. When you consider that the original AdventureQuest has been updated every single week for over 15 years-- it makes you stop and think “how can someone love these games that much?” Of course, YOU know. Because, if you are reading this, you do too.

From all of us here at the Artix Entertainment “Secret Underground Lab”, we wish you, your family and your friends all the happiness, joy, warmth and fun to be had in this holiday season.

Happy Frostval & Battle on!
Artix & The Merry AdventureQuest 3D Team

P.S. Yulgar says he will put the paintings back up when the holiday decorations come down after Frostval
P.P.S. The monsters ate all the Drickens in town! O_O We will get more after you repel the invaders (Hit the max cap of objects per area)
P.P.P.S. We are releasing a patch to fix the issues in the latest version of the game client (Thank you for letting us know!)
P.P.P.P.S. Please post me your best screenshots on my Twitter! @ArtixKrieger (Especially group shots of people in Snowman, Reigndragon, and Festive Bush travel forms)

 

AdventureQuest 3D on Designated Survivor!
Artix Krieger | Tuesday, December 26, 2017

AdventureQuest 3D on Prime Time TV!?
A recent episode of the ABC TV show, Designated Survivor, had a scene where a major character was playing AdventureQuest 3D’s upcoming release, The Dragons of Ashfall: Part III. We appear on Season 2, Episode 8, “Home”.



What is Designated Survivor
The show is on ABC, Wednesdays at 10pm (9 Central).

It is the story of the most unlikely cabinet member becoming President of the United States after a catastrophic attack. I am (for real) a huge fan of the show and have been watching since it first premiered. Mostly because it stars Kiefer Sutherland-- you know, Jack Bauer from the TV show 24? In my own words, this is pretty much an alternative universe where instead of saving the President, he gets to BE the President. Season 1 is free on Hulu. You can watch Season 2 as it airs on ABC and Hulu Plus. By the way, no one asked me to write this (this is not a paid markety thing or anything like that). I am just, along with our team and community, beyond excited! AdventureQuest 3D appears on Season 2, Episode 8, “Home”.



Lyor Boone = My new favorite character
In the episode, Lyor Boone (played by Paulo Costanzo) is playing the game at the 37:25 mins mark. He is speaking a different language to each of his party members. Lyor is a whiz kid and the White House Political Director.



Behind the scenes... SECRETS
You would have been very proud of us. As with most TV show production, their deadline was extremely tight and our team did some crunch time miracles on the fly that even I cannot believe they pulled off. During the scenes you may have noticed two things. First, Boone was playing with a controller. This may be foreshadowing of future controller and console support. Second, you just got the first glimpse at Ashfall’s GIANT FIRE DRAGON RAID BOSS! This fight is at the end of the adventure which we are working on. There will be a version for solo (story mode), 5-player, and 20-player parties.



I would like to thank Designated Survivor for giving us the opportunity to be a part of their show. It is such an incredible honor. Sincere thanks to you and all of the AdventureQuest 3D players-- because it was your love of the game that made this a reality.

Battle on!
Artix & the AdventureQuest 3D Team

P.S. If President Kirkman ever needs help and Agent Wells is not available, the AE Community will be ready! (...because he cannot call Jack Bauer )

 

1 Million Downloads on Android
Artix Krieger | Thursday, December 28, 2017

Achievement Unlocked
Congratulations everyone! Thanks to you, AdventureQuest 3D has been installed on over 1 million Android devices and is growing. This is an impressive feat for any indie game, especially considering we have not bought any ads for the game yet O_O.

Celebrate with your 15th Anniversary Cape
I am waiting for you in town! Log into AdventureQuest 3D and talk Artix near the tree in the center of town to get your rare 15 year anniversary cape.

 

Frostlorn BOSS FIGHT!
Cysero | Thursday, December 28, 2017

Just released! 10 Player Challenge Boss Fight
Every winter, the Frostlorn Raiders ride south. Using the winter storms as cover, they fall on village after village, taking anything that they can use and slaying anyone who stands up to them.

This year, they set their sights on Battleon. They thought it was just another soft, southern town ripe for the raiding... they did not expect to meet a town full of heroes and Guardians who refused to stand aside.

After a week of attacking Battleon... the time has come to turn the tables and attack back. In a snowy clearing near the Frost Labyrinth, Faustbite, Phrozen and Sleet await you.



Battle the Frostlorn Raider's three leaders for awesome gear!
Blizzy, the little blue Frost Moglin, will take you directly to the challenge fight map, either from Battleon or from his Frost Labyrinth. You will also find two new Frostlorn crafting shops on him in both locations.

NOTE: This Challenge Fight is for level 15+. If you're not level 15 or higher, you have some leveling up to do!

Craftable Items: Rogue Boss Craft

• Frostlorn Rogue Armor
• Frostlorn Rogue Shoulders
• Frostlorn Rogue Hood
• Frostlorn Rogue Hooded Mask
• Frostlorn Rogue Cape
• Frostlorn Rogue Gloves

Craftable Items: Mage Boss Craft

• Frostlorn Mage Robes
• Frostlorn Mage Shoulders
• Frostlorn Mage Hood
• Frostlorn Mage Back
• Frostlorn Mage Gloves

You will also find that these challenge Frostlorn Raiders drop a number of new items including crafting materials as well as various boots, belts and a helm.

Of course, you can still find the Frostlorn Warrior gear in the Frostval Shop and the 2017 Frostval Collection along with other holiday goodies.



Faustbite
Frosrlorn Warrior -
Faustbite is the leader of this Frostlorn raiding party. He is a no-nonsense warrior who know the job and knows that he does it very well. The Frostlorn Raiders have all been doing this for a long time but when a decision needs to be made, Faustbite is the one to make it and nobody questions it. His word is law.



Phrozen
Frostlorn Mage -
Phrozen is the Frostlorn Mage traveling with this raiding party. She is practical to the point of heartlessness. She has no fear and no pity for her victims. The Raiders always follow where the storms of Father Winter lead them, but the Frostlorn Magi are trained in ice magic and sometimes call upon the storms to give them the edge.



Sleet
Frostlorn Rogue -
The Frostlorn Rogues often act as scouts, running just ahead of the storm, learning what they can about the defenses of their next target. Sleet might enjoy his work a little too much. In battle, he goes out of his way just to make every hit hurt a bit more. If a pile of frozen bodies was all that was left of each town he visited, that would be just fine with him. Some people just want to watch the world freeze.



Get the 15th Anniversary Cape from Artix in Town
This year we celebrate one of our greatest achievements yet. To celebrate, Artix is waiting for you by the tree in the center of town. Talk to him to get the perma-rare 15th Anniversary Cape (That's right, perma-rare. We only celebrate our 15th birthday once).



Also in this release!
We hope you enjoy this boss fight challenge addition to the ongoing Frostval fun. Our next stop is going to be the fiery volcano at the center of Ashfall.

The Dragons of Ashfall: Part III is going to be our next major release. In preparation, the Legendary Kickstarter backers are getting their preview of the Dragonslayer class on live now-- so we should be able to launch DragonSlayer along with Ashfall III for all players to buy.

After a period of time where the class will be purchase only, we will release the class to be earned through gameplay. If you don't want to buy it, you can just wait and earn it for free! Be sure to check out our other posts on the homepage this week, including the Year in Review post which will be dropping Friday.

We hope you are all having a great Frostval!

 

Unboxing of the Blinding Light of Destiny!
Artix Krieger | Thursday, December 28, 2017



It is time to unbox Artix's Axe!
Watch the YouTube video as the team unboxes the real life version of Artix's axe, the Blinding Light of Destiny. It was forged by the legendary MichaelCthulhu.





About Artix's Axe
The Blinding Light of Destiny is massive battleaxe with a special secret. Wielded in the hands of one with a pure heart, it is a powerful force against the evil undead. While a battleaxe is an unusual choice of weapons for a Paladin, the strange lore behind this weapon makes it one of the few suitable weapons for Artix to wield.

• Originally drawn by Cysero
• The Blinding Light of Destiny has appeared in over 7 video games
• Tons of derivatives version of it have been made including a a Star Wars-ish energy blade version
• The axe was corrupted and sold by a Mysterious Necromancer as the Shadow Reaper of Doom in DragonFable
• The story behind the axe was told in AdventureQuest World's "Doomwood Saga"
• The axe was included with the Artix action figure at Toys"R"Us
• The first real life replica of the axe was broken during a photoshoot several years ago. Made of wood, it was reinforced with a steel rod, painted pure white, and now hangs above Artix's bed.
• The second replica was first seen in that video where Artix appears to smash a giant window.
• 3 cosplayers created their own amazing replicas of the Blinding Light of Destiny
• MichaelCthulhu created the first ever metal version of the Blinding Light of Destiny (featured in this video)
• MichaelCthulu's version is 90lbs. INSANELY heavy! Also, 85% of the weight is in the giant twin blades-- which are razor sharp.
• Vesper and the axe weight nearly the same-- which is why it was so funny when she tried to pick it up.
• This metal version was declared the real, true Blinding Light of Destiny
• It has drawn blood four times. (Including Dage)
• The team is building a special (and safe) display for it in the lobby of Artix Entertainment's Secret Underground Lab.
• The axe has not been release in AdventureQuest 3D... yet.

More links

• Watch the Unboxing Video on YouTube
• Watch MichaelCthulu's video of creating it

 

Happy New Year! The Year In Review
Artix Krieger | Friday, December 29, 2017

Thank you for an incredible year!
Greetings & salutations,
On behalf of all of us here at the Artix Entertainment “Secret Underground Lab”, thank you for being a part of our amazing video game community. This year we celebrated our 15th anniversary of making video games together! We witnessed the eclipse (both in-game and in real life), did our first game release during a hurricane, discovered (and even 3D printed a few) fidget spinners, helped a non-profit 3D print a functional prosthetic arm for a little girl, and somehow, AdventureQuest 3D even appeared in a prime time ABC TV Show. Read on for a look back at 2017, and a glimpse into our upcoming adventures together in the new year.



15th Year Anniversary!
"15 Years, Morty! You & Artix Entertainment, Morty! ...for 100 years, Morty! A thousand years Artix Entertainment, Morty!"
Achievement Unlocked Congratulations to everyone for helping us reach this incredible milestone. It is not about the number, it is about the underlying determination, effort, and willpower that was accomplished over 15 years by our game making community.



Which means… 15 Years of weekly game releases!?
Yup! At the heart of our video games is our weekly updates. The majority of players will never understand how hard it is to make and release fresh new game content every single week-- for 15 years without missing a beat. Could the original AdventureQuest be qualified for an entry in the Guiness Book of World Records because of this?



Designated Survivor TV Show!?
This month, an episode of the ABC TV Show, Designated Survivor, had a scene where a major character was playing AdventureQuest 3D! Check out Season 2, Episode 8 “Home”, at about the 37:25 minute mark. It is a bit of a sneak peak, because the character is battling a boss from from our upcoming “The Dragons of Ashfall Saga: Part III” update.
Read the full post



Real Life - The Blinding Light of Destiny Axe
Famous Fantasy Weapon-Smith, Michael Cthulu from the TV Show "Big Giant Swords On Discovery" created a real life version of Artix's battleaxe. Designed perfectly to size, it weighs over 90lbs… everyone was wondering if I would be able to actually lift it when we unboxed it the other day. You can see the full video of it being created on YouTube.
Watch the Axe Unboxing on Youtube, or read the post about it



AdventureQuest 3D passes 1 Million Players
Over 1,735,881 accounts have been created for our newest video game, AdventureQuest 3D-- even though we have never run an ad for it (yet). The game’s main storyline has started and the development of new features and content has been accelerating.
Read the full post




100 Person Dungeon Live Event at a Conventions
We are pretty sure this was an industry “1st”. We held a very unique live event. People playing AdventureQuest 3D on their computers, phones, and tablets all logged into the same server. There, they entered a giant room built for 100 players to see each other, and play together fighting monsters. Our staff was in there too using their powers to create swarms of monsters and giant boss fights. We ran the event live from a panel (meeting room event) at a convention where not only was the massive horde of people fighting projected on a big screen-- the people in the audience all had their phones and tablets out playing too.
See the full post



Fidget Spinners... /facepalm
One of the strangest things of 2017 was the fidget spinner craze. I really wanted one. So we 3D printed a bunch of unique designs until we finally made one that "mostly" fit in a human hand. (The others were huge!) A very small number of them were printed... and are floating around out there, somewhere.



Virtual Reality
This year we built a special version of AdventureQuest 3D that worked with a VIVE HTC virtual reality headset. We built it pretty darn quick too! Just in time to show off how any device can be used to play AdventureQuest 3D at GDC (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco.





Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was one of the most powerful storm in recorded history. When the storm path was predicted to directly hit us, I was deeply impressed by how the team managed to still accomplish the weekly releases while prioritizing the safety of their families. (Including getting the releases the following week when we had no power.)
Read the full post



Daimyo becomes a legend
“Heroes never die.” When talking about an immortalized video game dog, this quote from Overwatch becomes literally true. My dog, Daimyo, named after my martial arts school, passed away this year. A loyal companion who was with me as I wrote the first line of code in our games. He was featured on the boxes for our toys and games at Toys”R”Us, appeared in 7 of our video games, and to this day over 1 million players own an adorable, armored, rare in-game pet version of him.



Baby & Gender Announcement
I am pleased to announce that my wife and I are expecting a third baby! It is a boy! Kai (assuming my 1st choice of Voltaire gets vetoed...) is expected to spawn this April.
For other behind the scenes stuff follow Artix on Facebook & Twitter



4th Degree Black Belt
Before a panel of Grandmasters, I tested for and earned my 4th Degree Black Belt. During the graduation ceremony, I was deeply honored to be bestowed with the title “Shihan”, along with a Kanata etched with my name and new rank.
Read the full post

 

(continuation)

New Team Members
We have a few fresh faces at the lab! Vesper is our new office administrator. Rexim has joined the player support team. PanicPop & Perseus joined the AdventureQuest 3D team as programmers. Equally exciting are Cemaros (QA/PS), Alley Cat (ED), Crulon (AQWorlds Artist), and Axeros (AQWorlds Artist) who have made the jump from helping in our Creative Community to working with us as contractors. Would also like to recognize all of the new community testers, moderators, and bug hunters that joined us this year!



Designing an aesthetic fantasy shell for the arm.



Prosthetic Arm Project
When the local non-profit Much Foundation & their engineering genius friend reached out to us to help create a functional 3D printed prosthetic arm for a little girl-- we said an immediately and enthusiastic YES! We took 3D scans of the girl’s good arm and hand, and our artists worked under her cheerful and creative direction on the design. That is one of the biggest tech companies in the world got involved. Using their incredible technology and budget they were far better suited to produce the arm this girl needed. It is unbelievable what they made. The girl and her mother brought the 1st prototype over to my home. It cost about $15,000 to produce and was fully functional (she could even make the fingers move.) But.. LOL, during the visit we accidentally broke it. It is alright though, they wanted it “thoroughly tested” and version #2 should be even better.



AdventureQuest Worlds 2D begins conversion to “Cross-Platform”
The most important project we have been working on this year is the conversion of our hit 2D MMORPG game, AdventureQuest Worlds, to cross-platform. This is part of the project to move all of our games off of the Flash platform before 2020. The obvious targets are to make them available to play on computers, phones, and tablets like our new 3D game. But also playable on the Web using a technology called WebGL. I use the word “conversion” lightly, because the vast majority of the game will need to be completely rebuilt. Our top priority is to make sure that players can load all their existing armor and items into the new version of the game. Warlic has designed and coded a reliable system that makes this possible. Converting all 10,000 items in the game is still going to be a major task in 2018! But this new version of AQWorlds will run at 60 frames per second with more particle effects-- and people are going to lose their minds when they experience it.
Play AQWorlds at www.AQ.com

DragonFable
This year we saw the unforgettable Caitiff Saga finale, got new play styles for the DragonLord class, the defensive stats got a redesign, and the addition of the Monster Challenge Arena. Moving forward we are figuring out how to get Verlyrus down to the lab. Being in close proximity will be vital when it is his turn to work with the team here and lead DragonFable to becoming cross-platform.
Play DragonFable at www.DragonFable.com

The original AdventureQuest
15 years… and still it is filled with loving fans who battle monsters and eagerly anticipate the new weekly releases. The new account vault that was added allows you to move your items between your characters. The Vampire and Werewolf subraces got an awesome overhaul. And most importantly, the early parts of the game got an update-- helping out the new players who are signing up and joining us each day.
Play the original AdventureQuest at www.Battleon.com



Adventuring into the new year!
Thank you again for being a part of the universe we are building together. To you, your friends, and family, have a fun, safe, and adventure filled time this holiday season. Prepare for an epic 2018!



QUESTION: What was your favorite memory of 2017?

 

Wow... All their games are gonna go cross platform... Cant wait!