Alter Aeon Recent Changes and Additions

Recent code and server updates can be found in this changelog.  Only the
last 20 changes are listed.  For a complete list, click here.

For new area additions and area updates, click here.

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---- Aug 13, 17 [2366]
Dnd ignore mode no longer prevents groups from displaying on the global
groups list.
Try to fix parsing clobber with shopkeepers named the same thing as
items they sell.
The tensor time restriction on auction has been lowered from an hour
to 20 minutes, since few players can cast hour long tensors.

---- Aug 12, 17 [2364]
From Draak:
Change strings and fix a few action start/stop bugs.
Change some poison damage strings from poison to 'toxic'. (Lokar)
Limit merging of different grades of metal ores.
Prevent mycomancy in waypoints.
Lower the necromancer skill 'corpsecutter' from level 12 to level 7.
Raise the obscure necromancer skill 'scent of death' from level 7 to level 12.
Make 'corpsecutter' the root of a new necromancer skill group.
Start splitting out skill groups for stoneworking and haberdashery.
Fix a bunch of minor woodcrafting bugs, and add infrastructure for fletching
and future wood/bone skills.
Slightly reduce the hp cost of bloodbond.
Disallow milking of animals that are in combat.
Improvements and updates to leathercrafting, and add support for future
leather studding skills.

From Shadowfax:
Tensors discs with less than a hour left on their timer can
no longer be auctioned. (Jonathon)
'Defoliate' prevents 'fecundity' from working now.

---- Jul 31, 17 [2363]
Added a bunch of minor fixes that have been laying around for a while.

---- Jul 23, 17 [2361]
Fix some file descriptor leaks and infrastructure bugs.
Bot detector updates.
Consecrate now only creates permanent enchants if you give the
'permanent' keyword.

---- Jul 16, 17 [2360]
Prevent multi-summoning of demonic tutor in a way that could lose
soulstones.

From Draak:
Undead dragon mob type fixes.
Add MSP/DClient sounds for recast failures.
Miscellaneous audio updates.
Mining and other skill fixes.

---- Jul 14, 17 [2358]
Send kxwt_expcap when leveling.

---- Jul 08, 17 [2357]
More mob exp reworks.  This primarily lowers the level 5 to 20 range and
greatly smooths out things.  If it breaks low level players too badly, we
may need to revert it.

---- Jul 04, 17 [2356]
Add on/off to recast commands.
Other minor improvements to spell recasting.
Add strength, dexterity, presence, curse ward, detect undead, and sanctuary
to automatic spell recasting.

Mob death exp code update:
We've got a bunch of new statistics on exp calculations, and it's become a
lot more apparent where we've got problems in the current algorithms.  This
boot contains a bunch of cleanup and code separation changes, most of which
shouldn't affect anything.  On the plus side, one high level exp reducer
was removed, which should hopefully flatten things out a bit.

That said, there's at least one change to the grouping code which could go
either way - instead of adjusting pkdam prior to saving it for a given
vnum, we're now just saving the raw pkdam value and applying a multiplier
afterward.  This pretty much trades one no-so-great setup for another
not-so-great setup, but it's still worth doing because the new version
makes it a lot easier to reason about the system.

---- Jul 01, 17 [2353]
From Draak:
Lots of minor typo, spell, and skill fixes.
More dclient audio hooks.
Add foraging of bugs.
Updates to shield slam skill.

Add automatic spell recasting to the server.  See 'help recast' for details.
Fix broken exp thwacker in turn undead.

Remove a nonlinear factor from warrior hitpoint calculations.  You'll either
see an increase or nothing, depending on your level.  This mostly hits mid
level players.

One practice now removes 24 hours of microlevel time instead of 12.  If
you're leveling back-to-back, the time can spill over into your next level.

The 'hphurt' and 'hptank' commands by default now only show characters
in the same room as you.  'hpall' will still show people in other rooms.
Charmed mob beep now shows controllers.

---- Jun 10, 17 [2350]
Fix some bugs in leathercrafting stat calculations.
The necromancer spell 'soulshatter' is now obscure.
Tweak backstab to raise chance of freaks.

From Draak:
Tweaks to stun code.
Add a 'check' option to stone knapping.
Fix bugs in shovels.
Add leathercrafting of sporrans.
Mining updates to add a lot of new stone types.
Improvements to flourish.
Bone tool can now make shovels.

---- Jun 07, 17 [2348]
From Shadowfax:
Add special moonlit lighting level for full moon nights, which
grants infravision-level lighting.

---- May 31, 17 [2344]
Fix a couple of crash bugs.

---- May 27, 17 [2342]
Fix crash bug in knapping.

---- May 27, 17 [2340]
Add some daily temperature graphs for debugging weather.
Attempt to fix recursive destruct bugs in grenades.
Add some soft matching to help page searches.
Only require a white soulstone for disenchant.
Lower cost of all enchants slightly.
The random object generator now pays slightly more attention to class flags.
Allow reforging of weapons.  Note that this doesn't change dierolls and
will probably eat all the hit/dam on it.
Allow reforge and random weapons with +2 cast level or skill level.

Various fixes from Draak:
Minor plane updates.
Add a hidden carving achievement.
Gathering fixes and updates.
Knapping fixes and updates.
Make inflict spells easier to use.
Mining fixes and updates.
Add new crafting adjectives and strings.
Add super bonuses for various crafting skills.
Woodcrafting fixes and updates.

---- May 25, 17 [2338]
Attempt to fix bugs in mining actions.

---- May 23, 17 [2336]
From Draak:
Fix up sector names.
Lots of minor typo and string fixes.
Updates to leathercrafting, woodcrafting, the new cleric update, and more.
Add ability to gather honey.

From Shadowfax:
Add more hidden achievements.
Allow gathering of stone bullets for slings.
Add an 'autoreload' command for future ranged weapons.
Only display ground strike qualifying message on heavy dtype weapons
upon being identified if they are two wield. (Lexie)
Make ordinary fish not have legs.
Add 'mining' skill.

---- May 15, 17 [2335]
From Draak:
There's been a major update to cleric heal and harm spells and skills.
This includes cleanup to the skill trees, reorganization and moving
useless things to make newbie clerics more effective, and a bunch of
new effects and mechanisms.  Note that the heal and harm trees have
had several renames!  You'll still be able to cast the new spells with
the old keywords, so it shouldn't break too many aliases.

The level 6 cleric spell 'detect poison' has been raised to level 12.
The level 12 cleric spell 'remove poison' has been lowered to level 6.
The level 11 cleric spell 'detect undead' has been raised to level 20.
The level 28 cleric spell 'sacred touch' has been lowered to level 11.
Flamestrike now has extra damage and effects when used on cursed targets.

Add new level 1 cleric curse, 'afflict'.  This curse in general weakens
the target, but its main use is to amplify the damage of inflict.

The spell 'cause light wounds' has been renamed 'inflict wounds'.
The spell 'cause serious wounds' has been renamed 'chasten'.
The spell 'cause critical wounds' has been renamed 'inflict suffering'.

The inflict spells cause as much damage as before, but are they're now
close range and cannot be cast if you are nomelee.  There are also other
effects:

The 'inflict wounds' spell causes extra damage to small or mortally
wounded targets.
The 'chasten' spell lowers the morale of targets. This effect is
increased if the cleric is wielding a blunt weapon.
The 'inflict suffering' spell causes ongoing damage. If the target is
wielding a flexible weapon such as a whip or flail, the spell has chance
to instantly daze or stun the target.
If the caster is wielding a weapon, the 'harm' spell will use the basic
damage type of that weapon in addition to its own damage type.

The spell 'cure light wounds' has been renamed 'soothe wounds'.
The spell 'cure serious wounds' has been renamed 'bolster'.
The spell 'cure critical wounds' has been renamed 'heal'.
The spell 'heal' has been renamed 'major heal'.

The healing spells still heal the same amount, but also now have other
minor side effects, and will show different messages based on creature
type.  See the help page for details.

Newbie cleric intro zone is now open!

---- May 14, 17 [2333]
Require 'noprompt' to be typed out to work.
Add kxwt_audio tags if MSP mode is disabled.

From Draak:
Split areas up into more sectors - include the demon and angel realms.
Improve corpse creation for dragons.
Various minor updates to gathering and woodcrafting.
A whole bunch of minor spell and skill updates.
Split out warrior 'dragonlore' skills into their own tree.

Add new level 23 warrior skill, 'shield slam'.

We now have a mage illusions skill tree!
Add new obscure mage spell, 'hue'.
Add new obscure mage spell, 'magic hand'.
Add new obscure mage spell, 'rorshach'.
Add new obscure mage spell, 'silouhette'.
Add new level 36 mage spell, 'kaleidoscope'.
Add new level 26 mage skill, 'enchant deflection'.

---- May 06, 17 [2330]
Level unconverted players can no longer bank exp, but they can now buy
practices with exp.  Now that practice cost is based on exp cap, this
should allow them to do something without it being an unfair advantage.

Fix some wierd web page link problems.

Changes to pfile cleaner, which deletes old/unused players:
 - players up to 105 in all levels are now eligible to be deleted
 - the base time out is in months, where months = 6 + all_levels/2
 - players in accounts get an extra six months
This implies that a cheapest-leveled level 30 character with 104 total
levels will be deleted after 6+6+104/2 = 64 months, or a little over
five years.

From Draak:
Improvements to skin/meat/teeth resources on mob corpse creation.
Improvements to wood gathering, with new wood types.
Improvements to remise attacks.
Add wooden tower shields to woodcrafting, and other woodcrafting updates.
Improve dodge/parry/shield block audio.

From Shadowfax:
Remove requirement for a slicing weapon when splitting butchered meat.
Begin giving credit for player-submitted suggestions in the changelog. (Boa)
Make thistles able to be cast by uncontrolled mobs. (Myrel)

---- Apr 30, 17 [2328]
Remove the completely useless hourly money market graph.
Remove 'exp lost', since it was basically a custom version of
leaderboard 9, only without time culling.
Add minor 'exp bank' and 'exp unbank' commands.
Add 'pang' command for clients to help the server track connection lag.
Make double exp modes automatic.
Fury of the heavens now gives fame like it's supposed to.

Improve the one handed backstabber converter a bit - most over-weight
stabbers will be adjusted down to usable levels.

Prevent characters from dying due to old age negative regen as long
as old age is their only source of negative regen.