New assault area

[Peekaboo]

New Assault Area (03/01/2007)

In the upcoming version update, we will be introducing the Nyzul Isle Assault area.
The Nyzul Isle Assault area will challenge players with a dungeon that has a randomly generated layout--every floor will contain new opponents to battle, as well as new objectives to complete!

Development Concept
In the spirit of the Salvage area implemented in the December version update, we will be introducing more small-group content in the form of a randomly generated Assault area. In order to reach the highest level of this new Assault area, players will have to overcome various mechanisms and monsters, and contend with all manner of astonishing challenges.
The development team is hard at work creating new content that will provide fresh, ever-changing enjoyment.

Participation
Players can sign up for the new Assault area missions at the Commissions Agency in Aht Urhgan Whitegate. Participation is restricted to the usual 3 to 6 members; however, players cannot choose to impose a level restriction for Nyzul Isle Assault missions. There are no requirements for participating in Nyzul Isle Assault missions other than being a registered mercenary.

Assault Mission Progression
The Nyzul Isle Assault area will be randomly generated as a series of "floors" every time you begin a mission. The basic progression consists of working towards the highest level of the area by completing the objective of each floor within the time limit. Objectives include goals such as the defeat of all monsters on a floor, the elimination of specific creatures, as well as various other challenges. We estimate that approximately 5 floors will be completed during a single attempt.

Recording Progress
When using the Rune of Transfer to exit the Nyzul Isle Assault area, it is possible to record the data of the highest floor you have reached (in blocks of 5 floors). Once this data has been recorded, you will be able to start again from this point, even if you have been ejected from the area due to, for example, an expired time limit.
Starting from a recorded floor will require the use of "tokens" obtained within the Nyzul Isle Assault area. The further you progress, the more tokens you will need to begin the next block of floors. Players will require a substantial number of tokens in order to reach the highest floor of Nyzul Isle.
*All participants will obtain tokens from a mission; however, only the person who operates the Rune of Transfer on the starting floor will receive the recorded data.

Rewards
Due to the special nature of Nyzul Isle, players will not receive Assault Points for missions completed in this area. However, you will have the chance to obtain items from the creatures that appear on each floor. Monsters from every corner of Vana'diel, including many powerful and ordinarily elusive Notorious Monsters, stalk the floors of Nyzul Isle. Triumph over these opponents and you may earn some truly rare and wonderful treasures!

well there she is.

[Added in the banner from the playonline site, it could provide some insight into what NMs are going to be roaming the new area - Blabj]

 

[LadyKiKi]

Max of 6 people .... ? Guess this means no HNMs in the area =p

(well, although some can be taken down with few than 6. But just a thought).

 

[Blabj]

Looks hawt, I can't wait to get my Dalmatica and Crimson Body from assault!

Max of 6 people .... ? Guess this means no HNMs in the area =p

(well, although some can be taken down with few than 6. But just a thought).

Or they scale down the strength of the HNMs to be trio'd - 6 manned.

 

[Uzor]

wow, so this is SE's s-called abjuration solution?

Good thing my assault static is with 18 people. Means we can pick and chose the best set up each time

What makes me sad is this part though:

There are no requirements for participating in Nyzul Isle Assault missions other than being a registered mercenary.

Sounds like it'll be far too easy to go to nyzul isle... I atleast hope the best reard comes from the highest ranks.

 

[Uzor]

there is one thing though...

I don't see the areas exactly as "random". there's 8 floors total, with the 8th being a "boss map" with an astral candescense. The floors, however, are not really random

They are maze-built, so I'm guessing the "randomness" comes from the walls opening and closing similar to The Sacrarium based on what day it is.

I do hope that its not assault tag based <.<; otherwise you have to skip doing normal assaults for salvage in order to do Nyzul Isle... >.< so with 3 salvages per week, that's 6k points, which leaves 1 tag per week for Nyzul Isle in my case =/

Here's to hoping Nyzul Isle assault access comes from the other assault areas in the form of a random drop when you complete it

 

[LadyKiKi]

I think we're overlooking though. Knowing them, you'll probably encounter normal monsters with a slightly higher % of dropping items (i.e. Goblins which drop their random junk) and a rare chance of seeing a NM, i.e. Argus, Leaping Lizzy ... and maybe once in a blue moon, King Arthro or something ...

 

[Uzor]

from the image, there's a flan NM, soulflayer NM, fafnir and behemoth, which makes be believe there's also a Poroggo NM. In the .dat's, there's a poroggo "named hat" that looks like it'd drop from a poroggo NM. The poroggo NM in question haven't been found, though.

So my guess is that it'll drop from the poroggo NM, and the drop can later be turned in for a reward... or something

 

[LadyKiKi]

Oh it's Fafnir on the 3rd pic??? Sorry I didn't know. I seen him once for a second while hanging around in Dragon's Aery, but because my connection sucks and that the place was overcrowded, he disappeared off my screen and while I still had it targetted, it died shortly.

 

[Uzor]

well, I'm guessing its not really fafnir since it'd have to be a rather tuned down version. Probably a Wyrm with another name.

 

[Blabj]

It's Vrtra, lol...

And I'm sure they can code in dynamic areas, and quite honestly I think it'll be nice to have some variety thrown into assault, instead of the typical "go in, nuke some walls, follow the set path, win." methodology.

 

[Uzor]

Naw, look in the .dat's there's 8 areas total in a maze formation. I'm rather sure by "random" they simply mean the walls move.

they can't make the entire areas random as long as they want to show a map for it

Besides, the area is already in the .dat. I've .dat snooped around in it <.<; the 8th floor looks identicall to the other boss rooms in Salvage, with one exception: there's an astral candescense there. The other ones are missing

 

[pchan]

Don't worry uzor we didn't dowload the update yet, so we cannot say mch about the zone.

They do say and that you can encounter normal NMs too, and since they shw a pic of a wyrm and a behemoth, then maybe they wil drop their stuff

 

[Blabj]

If the maps random, all they need to do is randomly generate different terrain types into an empty zone, and include any bits of code that teaches the server how not to block routes off, to give it some inteligence when dynamically generating maps. My thought is that the new assaults either wont have maps, or they do will be dynamically generated once the assault portal is opened and the participants enter.

However, all this dynamic map generation will be very intensive on servers, so maybe that's not the route they'll be going down, however this is just the vibe I get from reading the update.

 

[Uzor]

You didn't read what I said, did you? <.<;

I said, that the zone is already in the game. The maps are too. The whole zone is a giant maze. So I'm rather sure the randomness will be which walls are open and closed, similar to Sacrarium in CoP.

And the terrain is Alzadaal Undersea Runis, just like Salvage.

 

[pchan]

Generating a random floor is easy, considering this assault is in Alza<tab> background, you merely need to open/close those stupid doors.

I hope this assault use AP instead of ID tags, if not we will be short on points

 

[Xalioniaf]

Contrary to what others wish for, I'm hoping it does use ID tags. I never really got into Salvage because I never found a steady Assault group, but Nyzul Isle. But this looks rather interesting, and I'm sure I could find some people to static this with (since only the leader of a group gets the save data, I guess if you want everyone to get to the end you need to go with the same people).

Would be kind of odd to get stuff like Leaping Boots and Monster Signa from Nyzul Isle.

 

[Ewok]

Keep in mind, though the statement from SE seems to state that we will run into old NMs (kind of vague), no where does it state drops that already exist in the game will be obtainable here.

 

[Khajit]

Holy crap It's mojo!

 

[Necrosis]

Keep in mind, though the statement from SE seems to state that we will run into old NMs (kind of vague), no where does it state drops that already exist in the game will be obtainable here.

Says "you may earn some truly rare and wonderful treasures", it'd be nice having some ridills dropping from salvagefafnir ;p

 

[pchan]

Keep in mind, though the statement from SE seems to state that we will run into old NMs (kind of vague), no where does it state drops that already exist in the game will be obtainable here.

well why put a pic of Behemoth and of a Wyrm then ? They could have just keep
ToAU Nms. Like those Stupid Nms you encounter in halvung (eg Dorgerwor the astute).