Good evening, SAO-RPG. As I'm sure most of you are aware, these appear to be uncertain times. As the onset of 3.0 grows nearer and nearer, there seems to be an ever growing arrangement of what-ifs and confusion regarding the impending conversion and transition into a completely different means of conducting operation on this website. Believe me, I understand everyone's concerns. This entry will serve as a consolidated assortment of 3.0 information, clarifications, and answers to various questions.
The most up-to-date information can be found within the Discord server, which is where the vast majority of out-of-character interaction and information sharing is conducted. While this entry is being forwarded with the intention of being accessible to people who do not use the Discord server, it should be noted that you will always have the most up-to-date information - the quickest - should you join and pay attention to the information shared within. If you haven't already, you can join the official SAO-RPG Discord server by following this link:
https://discord.gg/5ReXwRSNXb
If you have a question that is not answered by this entry, or in the 3.0 Info-Dump, please follow the link to the link to the question thread posted below.
Most updated 3.0 Info-Dump:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17v3SAR0cvER3eW6eb5QXwQiFA8vBtJ8ts_zD8vRAtwg/edit
Link to Question thread:
https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/20759-30-question-thread/
Questing:
Players who have completed a quest are ineligible to receive SP/EXP rewards from that quest with the same character again.
Delayed Thread Closure:
Players will be given 90 days following the official release of 3.0 to complete threads for a case-by-case review, where fair and adequate EXP values will be issued for the completions. Any threads from 2.6 closed beyond this 90 day window will only be eligible for standard page completion / word count EXP rewards. The 90 day window for completing 2.6 threads after 3.0's release is intended to give Players the opportunity to finish up quests and gain rewards from existing threads that have not been closed yet. We feel 90 days is a generous allotment of time to complete any lingering threads. That being said, we are aware that looting becomes more difficult in 3.0, and this is by design. Something we want to avoid is Players stockpiling 2.6 grinding threads and using the 90 day window to grind as much loot under the 2.6 system as possible. As such, standard lootable mobs cannot be spawned in 2.6 threads following the official release of 3.0. Quest mobs and mobs found in dungeons may still be looted as normal, if they fall within the appropriate parameters.
Intent:
The original intent behind adding Paragon Levels was to provide additional content beyond a Floor-coordinated level cap, which we felt was necessary for Floor Boss balancing. There is no cap to Paragon Levels. We decided on a level-to-level conversion from 2.6 to 3.0 with the level cap in mind. We have been transparent about SP earned past 88 as early back as nine months ago. The official position has been, "This is TBD, but do not plan for SP accrued beyond level 88 to count toward 2.6 to 3.0 conversion." The potential harm to being amenable to the contrary is that the Paragon Benchmarks, which we designed with the current level cap of 88 and a conversion system of level-to-level in mind, would be disrupted. 3.0 content is designed to be interacted with in 3.0, not disproportionately completed upon release.
Effort vs Reward:
It has never been our intention to undermine the time, effort, and passion that the Players of our community put into this website, or their characters. That being said, it has been a longstanding understanding that anybody who accrued SP past level 88 did so purely to gain access to further Skills/Mods. That's it. People did so with the knowledge that it would not provide them with higher stats, or more levels, or any other sorts of rewards. There was never a demand for more until the concept of Paragon Levels was published. I will leave my personal theories as to why to myself for the time being, but the contrary to the original assumptions about SP beyond level 88 never should have become the baseline. That being said, we are willing to make some accommodations.
The Plan Moving Forward:
After discussing the matter with my team, the following conclusions have been drawn.
Players with SP beyond level 88 in 2.6 will be given a choice when converting to 3.0. These are your options:
- Use their SP to purchase levels in 2.6 prior to conversion. Here are the prices.
-- Level 89: 20 SP (549 SP total)
-- Level 90: 25 SP (574 SP total)
-- Level 91: 30 SP (604 SP total)
-- Level 92: 35 SP (639 SP total)
-- Level 93: 40 SP (679 SP total)
-- Level 94: 45 SP (724 SP total)
-- Level 95: 50 SP (774 SP total)
-- Level 96: 55 SP (829 SP total)
-- Level 97: 60 SP (889 SP total)
-- Level 98: 65 SP (954 SP total)
-- Level 99: 70 SP (1024 SP total)
-- Level 100: 75 SP (1099 SP total)
OR
- Convert their SP earned beyond level 88 into a special currency that can be spent at the NPC Merchant to acquire exceedingly rare items. This currency can be traded or given to other Players.
Things that can be bought with this currency:
- Gleaming Scales
- Demonic Shards
- Enhancement Reroll Tickets
- Demonic Consumables
- Other goodies
Rolling for Unique Skills:
I have heard that there are people who are stockpiling threads in 2.6 without closing them with the intention of shelling them out once a week for chances at obtaining a Unique Skill. I am sorry to inform you all that this ploy will not work. In order for a thread to be eligible for a US roll upon closure, it must be interacted with purely using 3.0 content (or beyond) and its systems. This meaning that the first post in a thread submitted for a US roll must have an original post date that does not precede the official release of the 3.0 system.
Item Combination Clarification
There will be new distinctions of item classifications in 3.0. These item classifications are "Identified," "Quest," and "Crafted."
Only items with the "Identified" classification can undergo rerolls at Appraisers. "Quest" and "Crafted" items are ineligible for rerolls.
When considering combination of items, any time items of any classification are combined, the final result will be classified as "Crafted," regardless of the items consumed during combination. This is to say that combined crafts are ineligible for rerolls at Appraisers.
If items have been crafted, or have been interacted with by means of reroll tickets, Essence of Steel, Pheonix Feather, or anything that has otherwise adjusted the information of the item after having been Identified, they are classified as "Crafted." This convention remains true in 3.0, and for items converted to T4 during the 2.6 to 3.0 conversion.
Nature's Treasure & the Black Iron Dungeon
One of the problems we faced with 3.0 is the fact that, while Players may be of a certain Tier (such as Tier 4 at level 31), the current highest Floor unlocked may not be capable of producing loot of that Tier (as the unlocked Floors lag five levels behind the level cap). For example, when Floor 26 is unlocked, only T3 mobs will be available on that Floor, even though the level cap will leave many Players at level 31, and thus T4. There are two remedies to this.
The first is the Nature's Treasure quest, which has been modified so that you are now always facing loot minimum mobs that will drop loot relative to the Tier of the Player that killed it. The catch is that "standard" loot minimum mobs cannot be faced during the quest. You will instead be provided with a list of possible mob types you can encounter, each with small variations that make them marginally more challenging than a standard loot minimum mob.
The second is the Black Iron Dungeon which, following the release of 3.0, will be revealed beneath the Town of Beginnings. Here, Players can descend into various sub-floors of the castle and face increasingly worrisome mobs. Within the Black Iron Dungeon, Players can square off against standard loot minimum mobs which match their Tier to their heart's content, provided they are on the appropriate sub-floor. However, every five posts a roll must be conducted that may place the Players in grave peril - or reveal to them the opportunity for rare fortune.
For more information on the Black Iron Dungeon, follow this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uzim6IS8sxceikxMebajcRL2UL4O1JHBFkLtWlD_aNk/edit?usp=sharing
Information for the new Nature's Treasure quest will be unveiled with the official 3.0 release.
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Didn't see your question answered? I again invite you to follow this link to ask your question in the appropriate section of the website. Thank you for your participation.
Custom Skills and Sword Arts in 3.0
Hello there, fellow vestigial remnants of our casually decaying reality.
There are some big changes coming in 3.0 when it comes to your Skills and how you can sort them. There will no longer be Skill slots, meaning you can collect as many standard Skills as you want. We will, however, be implementing a cap on Extra Skills, as well as reclassifying certain Skills into the Extra Skills category. As the system is set up currently, it's all too common to see players at a higher level filling a "Jack of All Trades" sort of role, where they simply have so much SP that they can spec into any specialty. Someone can be a tank, DPS, support, medic, and scout all at once. While we enjoy the versatility that our system allows, we do believe that there should be some element that forces players to pick and choose which role they are fulfilling at a given time. Changing the Extra Skill system into one with a limited number of slots and designating certain key Skills as Extra Skills accomplishes this without compromising one's ability to acquire and utilize as many standard core Skills as they desire.
Here's the table for how the Extra Skill slots would work.
Slot 1 - Unlocked upon completion of the Gemini.
Slot 2 - Unlocked at Tier 2
Slot 3 - Unlocked at Tier 3
Slot 4 - Unlocked at Tier 4
Slot 5 - Unlocked at Tier 5
Slot 6 - Unlocked at Tier 6
Slot 7 - Unlocked at Tier 7
Slot 8 - Unlocked at Tier 8
Slot 9 - Unlocked at Tier 9
Slot 10 - Unlocked at Tier 10
Extra Skills will be unlocked via completion of certain quests. Similar to the way that mods work now, which Extra Skills you have active in your available slots can be changed freely while out of combat - but this must be declared. This means that you still have a great level of control over your kit, and can be as versatile as you want to be within reason. You just simply won't be able to do everything all at the same time, which will encourage cooperation with your peers when it comes to more difficult challenges. Role designation will be important as you coordinate party optimization with the rest of your team, but you won't be stuck in that role forever if you don't want to be.
As with most things in 3.0, this may be subject to change before the final draft of the project is produced. But this brief explanation was necessary so we could dig into the good part.
Custom Skills and Sword Arts.
The part I'm sure you've been waiting for. You probably read the title and were like, "Woah, that sounds awesome." Then you had to sit through my boring Systems lecture. You may have thought to yourself at some point, "What does this have to do with Custom Skills and Custom Sword Arts?" All will be explained with time, you eager beaver.
You see, there are going to be benchmark rewards for reaching certain Paragon Levels in 3.0. One such proposed benchmark reward would be a choice between creating a Custom Skill or Custom Sword Art. For additional clarification, the benchmark reward would be creating a single Custom Skill or Custom Sword Art. Let's break this down.
Custom Skills
If the earner of this benchmark level opts to create a Custom Skill, they will get to do just that. The Custom Skill will cost 10 SP to add to their kit, and will behave as an Extra Skill. Given its cost, it will be expected to be a Skill of middle-of-the-road quality. Good enough that 10 SP is worth the purchase, but not so good that 10 SP seems cheap for it. All Custom Skills will go through staff for approval via your evaluation thread before use.
Custom Skills should be seen as an opportunity to either round out your build, or push your specialization further in a way that makes it unique and stands out from the crowd. There are no strict rules for constructing this Custom Skill, only that it should be reasonable and comparable in value to the other Extra Skills that exist. As these Custom Skills will be handled on a case-by-case basis, there is no firm rubric for how they should be constructed. Once you've reached the benchmark Paragon Level, you need only submit your Custom Skill concept. If staff does not believe that it can be approved as-is, we will give our feedback and suggestions for how it should be adjusted.
Now here's the kicker. Custom Skills can be taught to fellow players. If you are in possession of a Custom Skill, simply roleplay a scenario in which your character teaches the Skill to another. Once the relevant thread is closed, the Custom Skill will then become available for purchase for the other character. That character may then also teach the Custom Skill to other characters. In this way, players can pick and choose who has access to the Custom Skill in question. You can create a Custom Skill to share with only your group of friends, or create one to share with everyone! How the Custom Skill propagates, if it does, is completely at the discretion of the player(s) that has/have it.
One important thing to note is that, under the current proposal, there is no limit to the number of Custom Skills that can be slotted congruently. A player could, conceivably, acquire four Custom Skills and fill up all of their Extra Skill slots with them in Tier 4. The only limitation is the limited number of Extra Skill slots itself. Filling up all of your Extra Skill slots with only Custom Skills would deprive your kit of other fundamental Extra Skills that exist. We are leaving this open at the time being to see how it plays out. However, we reserve the right to change this and impose a limitation to the number of Custom Skills that can be equipped congruently, or forbid the combined equipping of particular Custom Skills, at any time. If a combination of Extra Skills comes about that is particularly game-breaking, we will take steps to mitigate their abuse.
Custom Sword Arts
If the earner of this benchmark level opts to instead create a Custom Sword Art, guess what? They get to make a Custom Sword Art. The Custom Sword Art would be added to your SA list as a Rank 5 Sword Art. It will have the same cooldown as the already existing Rank 5 SA, and when you use one of your Rank 5 SAs, it will proc the cooldown for both. You get your choice of which attribute(s) to apply to the Custom Sword Art, between Stun, AoE, Delay, and Focus - even if what you choose doesn't coincide with the weapon type's standard attributes! All Custom Sword Arts will go through staff for approval via your evaluation thread before use.
Custom Sword Arts should be seen as an opportunity to round our your weapon type's versatility, and an allowance to pull off unique feats with your weapon that would otherwise be inaccessible. The rules are slightly more strict when it comes to Custom Sword Arts. High damaging Custom Sword Arts (read: high multiplier) will be limited to one attribute, but if you sacrifice some damage and go with a lower multiplier, you can choose up to two attributes for the Sword Art. In addition, a player may only have one Custom Sword Art equipped at a time. Just as with Custom Skills, Custom Sword Arts will also be handled on a case-by-case basis. Reach the Paragon Level benchmark, submit your concept, and staff will evaluate it. If it cannot be approved as-is, we will offer feedback for what would make the SA acceptable.
Custom Sword Arts may be taught, just like Custom Skills. The methodology of doing so is the same as with a Custom Skill; simply roleplay a scenario in which your character teaches the technique to another character. When the thread is closed, that Sword Art will then be available for the other character to use so long as they have achieved Rank 5 of their weapon mastery. That character will then be able to teach the Custom Sword Art to other characters. The really neat thing is that, unless specified by the creator, Custom Sword Arts are cross-compatible with other weapon types of the same handiness. So a Custom Sword Art made for a two-handed weapon will be compatible with all two-handed weapon types. Likewise. A Custom Sword Art created for a one-handed weapon will be compatible with all one-handed weapons. The creator of the Custom Sword Art may choose to designate a specific weapon type in the description of the Custom Sword Art, if they don't want to allow cross-compatibility.
Being that the current rules and restrictions are already fairly concrete, we don't expect much to change with them. But just as with the Custom Skills, we reserve the right to add additional rules, restrictions, conditions, addendums, or any other change we deem necessary at any time. If game-breaking exploits of this system are recognized and abused, we will take steps to mitigate this.
Summary and Concerns
We believe that this extra level of customization will really allow people to carve their own niche and flesh our character builds in an interesting way. It's also a fantastic reward for having put so much time and effort into the website. Being that the Custom Skills and Sword Arts need to go through the evaluation process, there is an additional burden placed on staff to process them. But rest assured, this is a particularly high benchmark to hit, and that itself will bottleneck the workload. It won't be another Father Wuotan situation where we are juggling dozens of requests at a time and scrambling to get everything sorted and approved.
One potential concern raised by my team is that this system, and the teaching mechanic that comes along with it, will create somewhat of a new economy within the roleplay. Custom Skill and Sword Art information has the potential to become a powerful bargaining tool. Moreover, there may be particularly tantalizing Custom Skills or Sword Arts that the creator chooses to keep more exclusive, teaching the Skill or Sword Art to only an inner circle of trusted peers (or even choosing not to teach it to anyone). It is because of these aspects that we have chosen to take this concept and put it to a vote with the community, rather than simply implementing it when it might not even be something that the community wants.
You are encouraged to include a post in response to this poll along with your vote to share your thoughts or concerns. When voting, please do not select the option for wanting neither of these mechanics just so you can insert a personal opinion about a different system you would like more. We would like to keep discussion on this poll relevant to the topic at hand, and not let it spiral into other concepts or debates. Please also do not select the option for wanting neither of these mechanics to propose an addendum to one or both of these mechanics. If you like the concept, but would like to see something detailed here adjusted or changed, vote in support of them and explain the change you would like to see in relation to the content of this blog. Following these basic rules will help keep our data accurate. Voting on this topic will automatically close on Friday, June 12th at noon. It did not specify if this is my noon, or a website-wide arbitrarily assigned noon, so don't ask me what kind of noon it is. It's just... noon.
That's it. You finally reached the end. Why are you still reading this? Go vote already.
