Loosening Up A Bit

Hey folks. :) Wanted to drop a small update on what's coming up next:

Based on player feedback, and on some of my own experiences playing the game, in the next build I will be reducing the attribute requirements for many skills and pieces of equipment, in most cases significantly. For example, Ambidexterity, which currently requires 15 AGL and 13 CUN, will only require 11 AGL, 9 CUN.

In cases where continued investment is required to keep the skill relevant, that will be the only change made. (Ambidexterity is such a skill, since you need to continue improving STR and your weapons to keep your attack damage relevant.) In cases where this is not currently the case, the skill itself is changing so that it will be. For example, the Acrobatics skill used to add 30 Evade if you weren't using Chain or Plate equipment; now it gives 15 + AGL Evade (but only requires 11 AGL to learn, not 15.)

The rare cases where the skill did not already benefit from continued investment and could not be reasonably made to do so are usually the skills where no change to requirements was made. (For example, the Diehard skill, which prevents death to non-direct damage like Bleed, Wound, etc., was left alone.)

In addition, some new skills and equipment are also being added. Among the new skills you will find:

• Parrying: An alternate to shields for those using two melee weapons or a two-handed melee weapon, or those with formal Unarmed Combat training who have empty hands.
• Testudo Wall: A Combo skill that allows the front row to intercept enemy actions aimed at the back row while enjoying very powerful defensive bonuses, including against negative status effects.
• Sorcery: Arcane Glyphs: A new spell school revolving around Glyphs. Glyphs are not quick to cast and/or have delayed effects, but those effects are quite powerful once triggered. Summon arcane blades with Blaid, protect allies with a reactive barrier with Shiel, or greatly strengthen the Sorcery and Relic effects of you and your allies with Condut.
• Psionics: Predictive Healing: A new spell school that combines Foresight and Healing to make spells that deliver healing where and when it is needed most. Patrage will automatically heal the first ally to become seriously wounded during a round, Patret will heal the most damaged ally at the end of the round, and the miraculous Retrage will prevent death by healing the fatal blow as it happens!

I hope to release this build in roughly a week or so, so you don't have long to wait. :) Cheers, and good luck on your adventures!