ANNOUNCE NEWS #1063
Date: 4/20/2008 at 3:39
From: Estarra, the Eternal
To : Everyone
Subj: Artifact Upgrades and Weapon Rune Cost Reduction

ARTIFACT UPGRADE
================
We are implementing a method whereby you may upgrade certain artifacts
to the next level. In other words, if you own a Lucky Strike Rune (200cr
value), you can upgrade to the Prodigious Prowess Rune (600cr value) for
400cr. Credits to upgrade must be bound. You should be able to upgrade
most artifacts that have multiple levels.

Syntax:
ARTIFACT UPGRADE COST - view cost to upgrade to the next
level
ARTIFACT UPGRADE CONFIRM - upgrade the artifact (bound
credits)
WEAPON RUNES
============
After hearing some concerns voiced about weapon runes, we have decided
to lower the price across the board on these runes. For those who have
bought weapon runes already, we are refunding 2/3 the difference between
the old price and new price (as though you are automatically trading in
the runes).

Old Price New Price Refund (2/3 diff)
Puissant Knight 150 100 34
Cosmic Knight 400 275 84
Vernal Knight 900 600 200
Puissant Champion 150 100 34
Cosmic Champion 400 275 84
Vernal Champion 900 600 200
Damage Mod Runes 350 250 67
Bleeding Rune 200 125 50

NOTE: These refunds are exceptions; we reserve the right not to offer
such refunds the next time an artifact price is lowered.


Penned by My hand on the 16th of Tzarin, in the year 204 CE.

WOOT.

That is all.

Joygasm.

Sweeet!

So like...what was this supposed to fix? I mean, it benefits me, but how was artifact runes being too expensive the source of the problem?

It's supposed to give people a chance to buy a lower level rune without having to lose any credits to upgrade to a higher level.

We decided they were too expensive, so that was the problem!

Ok. It just looked like it was related to the forum discussions about balance or something. If they weren't intended to solve that then that's fine, they may indeed have been too expensive.

I believe the forum discussion was about the balance between the cost of the runes for warriors compared with other archetypes. There was a suggestion for converting warrior runes into jewelry runes which was something we definitely did not want to do, and after consideration we decided to lower the rune costs.

I believe the "fix" was mostly based on the fact that 90% of warriors agreed that the archetype was way too reliant upon artifacts. The "fixed" prices are indeed a balance, in that they put runes in a price range accessible to a greater percentage of the general populace. Also, the reduction of price for the cheapest (100 cr) runes may provide a momentary fix for forging by reducing the cost to make weapons permanent, increasing demand from those of us who haven't amassed a full set of runed weapons yet.

EDIT: Bah, Estarra is a big cheating ninja. At least I can read her mind, though.

I still believe that's the best way to go, simply because warriors need many different weapon sets-- and, just as the magic rune affects all types of magic damage, it would be best for these runes to just affect all weapon damage.

That said, this is a pretty good change, even if it is still a heavy investment-- it's so much less than previously!

What about Artifact Tattoos (or Brands or Marks or something) rather than Jewelry runes? So it's on the warrior/monk's body and can't be lent out, but would still effect any weapon the wielder happened to be using?

Very very very awesome. Whee!

That refund credit spam was startling, but welcomed.

I'm probably eventually shooting myself in the foot here, but I like the idea of them being bonded to weapons, because it makes that weapon feel "special".

If only I had waited.... I would have recieved those refunds... alas... traded in, added to a ninjakari chain... then traded them in again..

Bah! But still it is nice to see them lowered


I will be able to rune my klang soon.

Wow.

Nothing forces you to realize just how much you've put into weapons quite like the size of your refund.