Testlive patchnotes 3.01.0

[KingV]

Update Notes for Update 3.01.0
**These notes do not necessarily reflect the final version that will be deployed on Live**

General
* New server side PhysX that improves our infrastructure and server performance.
* New Server Load Balancing, and system changes, to improve performance in Raids and Siege PVP (or indeed any situation with lots of players present).
* Major Database update that will allow us to expand player inventory and storage space in the updates that follow this one. This one means we will also be expanding the quest log space by 15 slots for premium players in this update.
* Back end optimisations that help server performance and should reduce instances of 'server lag'.
* Improved handling of Damage numbers that should help client performance for some users.
* Improved handling of offline buff timers for better consistency.
* The 'tap' style combat systems was reworked, both to optimise performance, and ensure that the results appear consistently.
* The stack size of Imperial Insignias was increased from 100 to 1000.
* The Playfield Access window now has a category tab.
* The inventory GUI now displays the repository cash for free players.
* You will no longer get multiple cancel buttons appear on the main screen when timing out.
* Fixed an issue where you could suffer from rubberbanding and warpback when walking over small gaps.

Khitai
* Northern Grasslands: Changes to the wildlife and citylife to improve gameplay and player experience. Safe spots have been created, gank squads removed, some patrol lenght reduced and the amount of choke points have been reduced.
* Paikang: Changes to the wildlife and citylife to improve gameplay and player experience. Safe spots have been created, gank squads removed, some patrol lenght reduced and the amount of choke points have been reduced.

Turan
* New Collectors have moved in to the Temple in Ardashir City offering high quality raid armor in exchange for Relics.


Class Changes

Assassin
* The Corrupted Poison feat now also lowers the reuse time of the Grim Corruption combos.
* Increased the finisher bonus damage of the Slow Death Strike combos.

Barbarian
* Slightly increased the finisher bonus damage of the Wreck Armor combos.

Bear Shaman
* Removed 1 step from the Bewilder combo and increased the finisher bonus damage.
* The Improved Ether Theft feat now also increases the damage of the combo.
* Slightly increased the finisher bonus damage of the Crush Armor/Feral Growl combos.
* Clarified the description of the Wrath feat 'Combo - Bloodthirst'.
* The bearshaman spirit during casting is transparent again.

Conqueror
* Clarified the feat descriptions of Improved Fire Weave and Lingering Fire Weave.
* Clarified the ability description of Rend Flesh.
* Clarified the feat description of Mocking Sneer.
* The Hate Increase on combo starters gained from the feat Mocking Sneer have been replaced by a flat amount of Hate Modification. Furthermore, the amount of extra hate generated by this feat has gone up.
* Targets hit by the Fire Weave Banner will now play a visible particle effect.

Dark Templar
* Dooming Presence will no longer cast Recently Impaired on npcs.
* Fixed issues with rubberbanding and stamina loss for targets affected by Dark Burden.
* The Dark Burden feat was slightly changed: The first point will give you a snare with a greater movement hinder then before but shorter duration. The second point will increase the duration and decrease the recast time.
* The Talisman Mastery Buff should now always be reapplied after zoning.

Demonologist
* The spellweaving subspell Hell's Garden now displays a particle-effect in the area of effect.
* Let them Burn can now also do critical hits.
* Consume Flames will now only eat the Incinerate stacks built up by the caster. It will correctly also only give mana back based on the stacks of the caster. It can also no longer be cast when the demo does not have Incinerate stacks running on the target.
* Clarified the feat description of Phase Out.
* Clarified the feat description of Charged Storm Chains.

Herald of Xolti
* Thundering Flames will now place a visible 20 second immunity buff on the target.
* Molten Flesh now has particle-effects that last for the duration of the buff

Necromancer
* Clarified the feat description of Unholy Inspiration.
* Adjusted up the bonus on Chilling Breath.

Priest of Mitra
* Fatalities triggered through Repulse will now play fatality spell-effects.

Ranger
* Cancelling a combo that used a directional attack bonus will no longer prevent you from getting a directional attack bonus for a few seconds.
* Clarified the ability description of Pitch Pot.

Soldiers
* The AA feat Veteran should now correctly increase the duration of Furious Inspiration, Sadism or Vengeance on the soldier having the feat trained.



Quote:
More details about the tap system changes :

Tap System

The old tap system reported health, stamina and mana gain for every single hit. This created a lot of network traffic and feedback in the game also causing loss of frame-rate in certain situations. In the new system health, stamina and mana tap results are now accumulated on the server and released once per second. We have also added a minimum amount the accumulated value must reach in order to be released. The value interpolates between 2 and 12 from level 1 to 80 (This can easily be tweaked). This makes sure characters with low tap ratings no longer get constantly spammed with insignificant tap results. The goal of the new system is also also to better communicate tap results. They are clearly identified as taps in the combat log. A tap per second approach will also communicate the value of taps much better. We have also fixed a number of issues such as physical DoT effects from combos not producing any tap results.