Shadow & Myst

[Nate]

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/pitofwar_male_mystery_gladiator_teaser.jpg

[Kreegan]

So it's finally on the horizon? What are the chances to see it this year?

[Adoede]

Frostee - this is actually one of the new schools that Nate has been hinting at for some time - three entirely new specialties to correspond with Arms & Armor's Rage/War/Theatrics specialties. It will certainly change the landscape of the game, but that's par for the course around here. It's nice that Nate consistently freshens up the game so it never gets stale ;)

Echo Kreegan - any timeframe for this? I'd like to prep some glads for retirement to make space...unless we will have the option to simply switch a legacy glad to the new school

[Sotc]

Hmm looks like he's got a claw and a dagger... very interesting (blade + exotic mix?)

[Dainoji]

Damn that's an awesome pic! Looking forward to this school!

[Nate]

Glad you all are looking forward to this. :) New specialties will always require the same requirements as usual of having room in your barracks and then buying a slave and training them. Yes, lots of cool things on the horizon!

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Adoede]

So no one time re-training of old glads to the new specialties then?

[Apoca1ypse]

So no one time re-training of old glads to the new specialties then?

I am one of the few players who has been around long enough to remember a time when reaching level 10 was a huge thing, and unlocking a tier 3 skill was breaking new ground for the community. I think it would be way more fun for everyone to gradually explore and unlock things as a group, opposed to having everything at our fingertips in one go. Sure, someone could powerlevel a glad, but I think it'd be a lot of fun when there's a lot of experienced managers all having gladiators rise through the ranks together, and exploring options together.

[Kreegan]

Agreed, instantly producing a fully developed gladiator from a completely new school is the opposite of fun and would be too slacker-friendly. Start from level 1 and go all the way to the top.

[Adoede]

True enough. Straight up retirement it is then. Hopefully it won't take too long to find a new glad I like

[Rokchewer]

This sounds awesome. I think an excellent solution to having to retire guys, which I'm sure most dont want to do is to allow us to enlarge our barracks. Let us pay shields to enlarge our barracks up to level 10 or something to accommodate the new warriors. I think this would be much preferred to retiring guys I want to keep. More money to Nate is a good thing right?

[Silverwing]

Cool! Can't wait! :D

[Alba Kebab]

Oh oh oh oh ooohhh!
*jumps up and down on his feet*

[Dainoji]

That is one bad ass piece of artwork Nate! Can't wait for more details!

[Rokchewer]

How about some info Nate? Are you planning to expand the max barrack size for the new classes/races? Are you plannning to just smash the new guys in with the old or are you going to start a new arena for the new school..that then merges with the old at say primus level..or blood gods...hint.hint.. I am sitting on a couple HOL guys atm and it would really help to have some clue what your planning/thinking :p

[Thor]

Well, it would most likely help everyone to know what Nate is developping for us, but I like it the way it is: more tension :D

[Nate]

How about some info Nate? Are you planning to expand the max barrack size for the new classes/races? Are you plannning to just smash the new guys in with the old or are you going to start a new arena for the new school..that then merges with the old at say primus level..or blood gods...hint.hint.. I am sitting on a couple HOL guys atm and it would really help to have some clue what your planning/thinking :p

The barracks max size will not be increasing. Answers to your other questions will come all in good time. :)

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[crow]

Looks great any other appetizers for the new school?

[Kuljem]

What are the chances of getting update or even release(woot) on Christmas holidays? It's been 4 months now. I guess you could slip some hints, Nate. ;D

[Nate]

Thanks for the question Kuljem I'm glad to hear you're excited about the new specialties. There isn't a release date for the new specialties, however, they are my focus now that the Blood Games are done. I don't have a lot to say about them right now, but, I can tell you that in order for a stable to be eligible they'll need to have retired at least one gladiator into the Hall of Legends. There may be some other prerequisites as well and I may offer an early access option for those managers who are interested. I'll release more info in the coming weeks.

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Apoca1ypse]

sounds like one of the most exciting things in this game's history is on the horizon :D

[Kuljem]

Thanks for reply!
I have glad(my first xD) that will be allowed to retire in few weeks, so I have that going for me, which is nice. :D

[Adoede]

Looking forward to this!

[Stormcloak]

I'm looking forward to this Nate!
Will the new school glads be competing against the old school or just within their own group?
Any chance we can get a sneak peak at the classes or skill trees? :D

[Nate]

Here's a little something to whet your appetite!

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/_Teasers/shadow_myst_weapons_teasers1.jpg

[Apoca1ypse]

Hmmm. Do I retire Bruce to make another Bruce?

[Kuljem]

Hmmm. Do I retire Bruce to make another Bruce?

Yes you do.

OMG NATE!
That pic looks awesome. I am so excited right now!!
I can't wait. :)

[Stormcloak]

Lol, you're definitely going to have to make a new Bruce Apoc!
Nice art work on those Nate!

[Nate]

Mini-game I'm working on right now for the new update:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SncapPrTusA

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Nate]

That pic looks awesome. I am so excited right now!!


Nice art work on those Nate!

Thanks! I do my best to give you all the best! When I set out to make Pit of War, one of my goals was to give browser games the same level of art, design and polish as AAA games with multi-million dollar budgets and 50+ person teams despite my very limited resources. Being an indie dev isn't easy, but quality is not something I'll overlook. I'll shut the game down before I let it degrade. It is one of the reasons things take longer than other games. Some people don't care about such things, but I do and I'm happy many of you appreciate it. :)

I have a hunch the rest of the art will blow your mind! ;)

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Stormcloak]

Your dedication to quality certainly shows Nate. Everything within the Pit of War universe feels cohesive. I know the big games have all the fancy graphics, animation, sound effects and all that jazz, but I think for all of us here it's about the gameplay and not the distractions. You've hit the mark on player engagement that I think a lot of new games lack. And for being a free to play game, you've done remarkably well with keeping it balanced and competitive.

Nice video too... Will that mini game be in the tavern or black market? Lol...

[Apoca1ypse]

Mini-game I'm working on right now for the new update:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SncapPrTusA

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

I'm sad that this is a fake, but I love it none the less. The real Bruce Lee could do that and probably break your skull with just the ball.

[FrosteeFyre]

Yea, I gotta applaud you on the game's artwork, it's beautiful Nate! It's one of the things, before I understood the game or got in-depth into it, that got me hooked- just the art-style, props to you :)

[Apoca1ypse]

I cant wait to use some nun-chucks.

[Nate]

Awhile back when new skills were being introduced we played a little game of unscramble the skill name! Below is the scrambled name of one of the skills for the next playable specialty. Solve this little riddle to unlock more details!

ECOP TSLUTCARH

Good luck!

-Nate-

[weaw]

cute calthrops %)

UPD.
"capture cloths" is another funny anagram.
But i think, Nate gives a hint: number of letters = (4, 9)...

"spectral touch"! Sounds like spell from WoW or something like. Nice. :)

[Kuljem]

Alright, here are my guesses;
Scop Cartluthe
Cartouche TSLP/PSTL/or any order of those left letters. :D
Rust Catchpole

Need to think some more....

[Apoca1ypse]

It's totally Arch Octuplets.

If it wasnt for the 4, 9 spacint, I'd be saying Spectral Touch too.

[Kuljem]

What is Arch Octuplets?
O_o

[weaw]

It's totally Arch Octuplets. %)

that corpuscle
or
path occulters

i'm starting to think it's not 4+9...

[Nate]

All very interesting and creative guesses! :) Here is another sneak peek puzzle to chew on and then we'll come back and announce the answers and unlock some more details!

TXSSNH EISE

Good luck!

-Nate-

[weaw]

That's easy: Sixth Sense.

[Apoca1ypse]

What is Arch Octuplets?
O_o

I was being silly. Octuplets (think twins, but 8 of them instead of 2) and they're all evil arch enemies for someone :P

[weaw]

I've removed TO from ECOP TSLUTCARH and then tried to resolve it.
Got Spear+Clutch (+ to).
Spear to Clutch or Clutch to Spear. Have no idea.

[Nate]

That's easy: Sixth Sense.

Sorry to make it so easy on you! I guess I'l have to up the difficulty level! ;)

Try this one:

DUAOEDYNNGCN

Good luck!

-Nate-

[Nate]

Thus far from the combined brain power of the PoW forums we have unlocked:

Spectral Touch

and

Sixth Sense

Decipher the third skill to progress to the next stage where we'll find out what they do!

Good luck!

-Nate-

[Stormcloak]

"Undead agony" would fit the theme, but it's missing an "a"

[Ghkg]

''candy dungeon'' :p
or propably ''uncanny dodge''

[Apoca1ypse]

''candy dungeon'''


Tier 7 bosses would like to welcome you to their clubhouse

[weaw]

Uncanny Dodge is very close to theme. I will be wonder if it is not the answer.

Sorry to make it so easy on you! I guess I'l have to up the difficulty level! ;)
Nate uses prohibited methods! A words like "uncanny" are beyond of my english lexicon. :)
But it seems we resolved it anyway.

[Nate]

The brain power is strong with this group, these simple children's games are no match for it! ;)

So far we've unlocked three skills:

Spectral Touch
Sixth Sense
Uncanny Dodge (although I really liked Candy Dungeon!)

Now that we know the names, anyone want to take a guess as to what they will do in a fight?

[FrosteeFyre]

Spectral Touch sounds like some "revenge from the grave" kind of maneuvre, no idea how it'd work though O_o
Sixth Sense sounds like some sort of bonus to dodge/block attacks (think "Hah! I saw that one coming!")
and Uncanny Dodge I'd say dodging an attack that might otherwise put you below the saving/dying threshold perhaps?

Regardless, I'm really looking forward to seeing this in action and I am retiring THREE slaves very, very soon, so I can't wait to try out this new school.

Thanks for all the hard-work Nate!

[Kreegan]

Spectral Touch: The gladiator commits suicide and starts poking the opponent from the afterlife. Works outside of the arena as well.

Sixth Sense: The gladiator turns into Bruce Willis and starts seeing dead people all around before realizing that he or she has been recently killed and has joined the queue for resurrections in front of the Temple. If the gladiator already is Bruce Willis the skill does not affect him because he's already performing terribly. :p

Uncanny Dodge: The gladiator dodges the opponent's attack in such an unusual way that the crowd starts to suspect fraud and throws stuff at him/her. At level 10 the gladiator has learned not to dodge in an unusual way any more and takes no damage from the stands.

Don't know Nate, these skill seem to be tough to use...

[Stormcloak]

My guesses...

Spectral touch: activated touch attack that ages an enemy (attacks endurance or makes skills less effective).
Uncanny Dodge: activated defense that gives a chance to evade an attack.
Sixth sense: passive skill that increases the chance for a spell to successfully be used.

Some interesting sounding skills Nate! I'm curious if this school will use the same attributes, or if it's possible for the arms and armour school to dip into these trees.

[FrosteeFyre]

LOL Kreegan! Yours made me laugh, out loud, hahahaha

[Prinny]

Spectral Touch: The gladiator commits suicide and starts poking the opponent from the afterlife. Works outside of the arena as well.

Sixth Sense: The gladiator turns into Bruce Willis and starts seeing dead people all around before realizing that he or she has been recently killed and has joined the queue for resurrections in front of the Temple. If the gladiator already is Bruce Willis the skill does not affect him because he's already performing terribly. :p

Uncanny Dodge: The gladiator dodges the opponent's attack in such an unusual way that the crowd starts to suspect fraud and throws stuff at him/her. At level 10 the gladiator has learned not to dodge in an unusual way any more and takes no damage from the stands.

This please haha :D

[FrosteeFyre]

Spectral Touch: The gladiator commits suicide and starts poking the opponent from the afterlife. Works outside of the arena as well.

Sixth Sense: The gladiator turns into Bruce Willis and starts seeing dead people all around before realizing that he or she has been recently killed and has joined the queue for resurrections in front of the Temple. If the gladiator already is Bruce Willis the skill does not affect him because he's already performing terribly. :p

Uncanny Dodge: The gladiator dodges the opponent's attack in such an unusual way that the crowd starts to suspect fraud and throws stuff at him/her. At level 10 the gladiator has learned not to dodge in an unusual way any more and takes no damage from the stands.

Don't know Nate, these skill seem to be tough to use...

*cough cough* I smell an April 1st release, maybe? XD

[Nate]

All excellent guesses, albeit we may have to save some of them for a different game! ;)

Here is a brief description of the skills you have all successfully unlocked:

Spectral Touch - An attack that removes endurance from the opponent instead of health
Sixth Sense - The ability to "know" how your opponent is going to react thus lowering their defense
Uncanny Dodge - A maneuver that dodges an incoming attack that is accompanied by an offensive skill

Here is the next skill puzzle:

RTIULYNANLAAGIUT


Good luck!

-Nate-

[FrosteeFyre]

Oooooooh, sounds downright DASTARDLY and DANGEROUS, thank you for spilling a few beans for us :3

[Apoca1ypse]

Sixth Sense: The gladiator turns into Bruce Willis and starts seeing dead people all around before realizing that he or she has been recently killed and has joined the queue for resurrections in front of the Temple. If the gladiator already is Bruce Willis the skill does not affect him because he's already performing terribly. :p

Dont make me go all Die Hard on you :P

[Apoca1ypse]

All excellent guesses, albeit we may have to save some of them for a different game! ;)

Here is a brief description of the skills you have all successfully unlocked:

Spectral Touch - An attack that removes endurance from the opponent instead of health
Sixth Sense - The ability to "know" how your opponent is going to react thus lowering their defense
Uncanny Dodge - A maneuver that dodges an incoming attack that is accompanied by an offensive skill

Here is the next skill puzzle:

RTIULYNANLAAGIUT


Good luck!

-Nate-

These sound awesome!

also, i think the next skill is "unnatural agility"

[Kuljem]

My lame guess;

natural ani guilty
guilty at lunarian


So, Sixth Sense is like Brute Force?

[Lunarion199]

guilty at lunarian

I kinda like the sound of that ;-P

[Nate]

What could this possibly be?

LBSPGEAZINED

Good luck!

-Nate-

[Lunarion199]

Probably it's "gnizalb deeps" ?

[Ghkg]

I was thinking about ''Blazing speed'' :)

[Nate]

I was thinking about ''Blazing speed'' :)

I like how you're thinking! ;)

Ok, geniuses, what make you of this?

EENEEKY

Good luck!

-Nate-

[Kreegan]

Sounds like some Mesopotamian god migrated to the Great Realm.

Keen Eye. ;) Probably has something to do with criticals...

[Lunarion199]

AKA "Kreegan Eye" ;-)

[Dainoji]

Wow, lots of new info since I last checked this thread! Going back through the posts the skill tree looks like this.

Spectral Touch - An attack that removes endurance from the opponent instead of health
Sixth Sense - The ability to "know" how your opponent is going to react thus lowering their defense
Uncanny Dodge - A maneuver that dodges an incoming attack that is accompanied by an offensive skill
Unnatural Agility
Sixth Sense
Blazing speed
Keen Eye

Any hints on what the last four skills do Nate?

[Nate]

Coming soon to an arena near you!

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/_Teasers/pitofwar_shadow_teaser1.jpg

[Apoca1ypse]

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/641/298/448.jpg

[Apoca1ypse]

My only lament is that I only have 2 spare slots in my stable for when Shadows and Myst come out.

Art looks killer, as always BTW :D

[Ghkg]

Looks great Nate. I'm too going to retire 2 glads when these new glads come to arena near me ;)

[Kreegan]

So... the school name is literally composed of the participating gladiator class names?

[Kuljem]

I'm so excited, and i just cant hide it... :D

[FrosteeFyre]

Ooooooooooooooooooooo *breath* ooooooooh!

[Nate]

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/_Teasers/pitofwar_shadow_teaser2.jpg

The Shadow & Myst Shadow specialty is getting closer and closer to making its debut in the Great Realm and the arena sands! The following are some more details on how the new school and specialties will be handled in the game. In order to have access to the new specialties a stable will need to upgrade their stable and hire a trainer for the specialty in question. For example, if a Pit Master wants the ability to train Shadow gladiators they'll need to hire a Shadow Trainer as can be seen in the above picture. Once a stable has a trainer the option to choose that specialty when buying a new slave will be present.

In the very near future the Shadow specialty will be available for Early Access and Pit Masters interested in participating in this will have the option to do so. Once the Early Access phase is over the cost to hire a Shadow Trainer will decrease and those that didn't take part in the Early Access can then upgrade their stable at that time if they desire.

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[oedi]

will the shadow trainer open up for 5 glads from the shadow & myst school or will 5 glads per stable still be the maximum?

[Nate]

will the shadow trainer open up for 5 glads from the shadow & myst school or will 5 glads per stable still be the maximum?

Hi Oedi, for now there are no plans to expand the barracks beyond five. At some point in the future we may revisit this, but for now five is the max. Pit Masters who already have a full stable and do not wish to retire anyone may start a second stable if they would like to manage six or more gladiators.

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Kuljem]

Hey Nate, great stuff you got there. :D

Will there be 3 specialties like in current school?
Any info on what the prices will be in early access and what after? Because I am thinking of applying for early access, but don't know if i can manage trophies.

[Adoede]

Looks fantastic, Nate. Great work!

[Stormcloak]

Looking forward to the rollout!

[crow]

Looks like a lot of fun. Question, is there a Myst glad as well as the name indicates?

[Nate]

Any info on what the prices will be in early access and what after? Because I am thinking of applying for early access, but don't know if i can manage trophies.

Hi Kuljem, Sorry, pricing has not yet been decided.


Will there be 3 specialties like in current school?

Yes, however, they will be rolled out one at a time as they are ready to be played so they can be in Pit Masters hands sooner than later!

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Nate]

Looks like a lot of fun. Question, is there a Myst glad as well as the name indicates?

It's a secret... ;)

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Nate]

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/_Teasers/pitofwar_shadow_teaser3.jpg

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Kreegan]

So there will be three of them. Good to know. :)

[FrosteeFyre]

Shhhhh Kreegan, don't tell Nate, he doesn't like to reveal seecretss XD

[Kuljem]

Thanks for reply, Nate!

This new pic however, looks very appealing! :D
Can't wait for it!!!

[Nate]

"Most gladiators have learned to hide their serious injuries. Your gladiator has learned to spot them and will unapologetically aim for the injuries with extreme prejudice."

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Apoca1ypse]

IIRC there was a skill in the old rage tree that did bonus damage to injuries, but you still needed to aim for that spot. Noone really used the skill because of that.

Is this new one the same? or will it actually change the targeted point if the opponent is injured? Or is there more to it than that?

[Nate]

IIRC there was a skill in the old rage tree that did bonus damage to injuries, but you still needed to aim for that spot. Noone really used the skill because of that.

Is this new one the same? or will it actually change the targeted point if the opponent is injured? Or is there more to it than that?

All great questions! I can't wait to find out the answers! :)

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Apoca1ypse]

You tease :P

[FrosteeFyre]

Hahahaha, Nate for "Biggest Tease Developer of 2015" no contest XD

[Nate]

The soldiers and war machines of the Great Realm expanded East awakening an enemy unlike any ever encountered. On the battlefield soldiers lay dead inside undamaged armour, others slashed asunder with surgical precision and always a haunting chill lingering in the air. With no living witnesses, only the devastating aftermath hinted at the presence of this mysterious terror. Deep within the borders of the Eastern Empire lay a secret weapon, daemons some called them, devils from the Underworld others would whisper. It made no difference to the Pit Masters of the Arena what they were or where they came from, only that they fatten their purses and delight the crowds with something they've never seen before!

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Kuljem]

I guess this is infocard about Shadow!!
Holy Molly!
Does this sound like a tip of a paradise or what?
:D

[Adoede]

Hey Nate,

Will there be any changes to strategies with the addition of the three new specialties (six new sub-specialties)? Even with the introduction of the three new tier 6 skills a while ago, it has become much more difficult to set strategies that account for the six sub-specialties that currently exist in the game. Five strategy lines would seem to be inadequate to address the twelve sub-specialties that will be present in game once Shadows and Myst is fully implemented.

[weaw]

Bravo, Adoede.
And the number of sub-specialities is more than 6 now...

[Nate]

Hey Nate,

Will there be any changes to strategies with the addition of the three new specialties (six new sub-specialties)? Even with the introduction of the three new tier 6 skills a while ago, it has become much more difficult to set strategies that account for the six sub-specialties that currently exist in the game. Five strategy lines would seem to be inadequate to address the twelve sub-specialties that will be present in game once Shadows and Myst is fully implemented.

I've always said PoW players are among the most intelligent out there in the gaming world and I'm always amazed how many of you craft brilliant builds and strategies. I have no doubt you'll figure out how to use the tools at your disposal to continue to do so and raise to any new challenges that present themselves! :)

Good luck in the Pit!

-Nate-

[Kuljem]

I'm so impatient. I check every day in hope this is out of early access. :D
Wooooooooooo, LETS GOOOOO!!

[Apoca1ypse]

The metagame will shift, and people will adapt. People will try and make generalised strategies and hedge their bets, others will try and target particular builds/strategies and play the odds there.

POW is constantly changing, and 5 lines has always been enough. For a long time, most people didnt even use more than the first 3 lines....

[Kreegan]

That's because before the skill tree changes nobody bothered to parry or manage endurance, shields were fairly useless and everybody's "strategy" was to get Last Stand and laugh at the opponent's attempts to deal with it. Strategies became really important after that.

[Nate]

http://www.pitofwar.com/images/_Teasers/pitofwar_male_myst_gladiator_teaser.jpg

[Stormcloak]

Oh... that looks absolutely amazing!
We need more teasers!!!

[Team Kaos]

HOLY SWEETNESS!!! That weapon is reminiscent of the light sabre in the new Star Wars trailer. Not sure how one would exactly swing that without taking off a limb of his own.

[Adoede]

I am seriously impressed with the artwork and concept - didn't think it could keep getting better, but this is even more jaw-dropping than the first shadow style image.

This guy also seems to be wearing even less armor than the previous shadow, so it looks like it will be light armor...or maybe none at all...
And with muscles like that, I wonder if this could be a str/agi type build? That would be different...

I do have a secret Shadow stable I've been grooming for these bad boys...sure is fun to learn new styles all over again...

[Dainoji]

WOW is right! I'm truly amazed how you are able to continue to raise the bar each time. I'm very much looking forward to learning more about this beast!

@Kaos, I think that is two separate weapons. Nice reference though, ha! It looks to me the weapon running perpendicular is behind the handle of the front sword and his right hand is holding it against it for the pose...Maybe we've got a regular kind of long sword and some kind of double sided short sword? Either way, awesome work Nate!

[Kreegan]

Impressive artwork indeed.

[Ogornomus]

Lovely art. Does it mean it will be out soon?
I am so hyped for the rest of Shadow and Myst. Too bad my stable only trains gladiators with medium or heavy armor... This one looks unarmored though,
so unless the last class wears at least medium armor (ronin?) I might skip it (or make a second stable just for the martial arts, he he).