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July 31, 2000 - Your Coverage of the Patch

Dear Maggie -- 

It was the end of a long night of toil and trouble in AC -- the night of the July 11 patch. I spent the evening trying to stay alive (very uneven success) and carefully testing the creatures around Teth for changes.

I checked your site just now, and ...I am amazed! Good grief, you have LOTS of info. 

I know it looks bad to have me (I am your only vassal, after all) spewing immoderate praise, but this effort -- the extensive coverage of new info, thrown together in less than a day -- is outstanding. 

And I was VERY glad to read that the shadows are now transparent. I'm embarrassed to say ...I thought my (very fancy) video card was going haywire.

Ned Cleversun
Thistledown
Level 43 Archer/Mage 


Dear Ned Cleversun, Best of Vassals -

Thank you so much for the immoderate praise. It was a nice change from your usual mail about the website -- your helpful  rundown of all my grammatical and spelling errors, suggestions on how I could improve presentation and content, criticism of my mail responses, etc. ;-) Glad you liked it!

- Maggie


July 31, 2000 - May I Call You Master?

I am in Thistledown now, and I was wondering if you wanted a hard working vassal. I am not very high level yet, and I am only able to get on for an hour to an hour and a half every day. From you site, however, I have decided that you would be a great patron! You do not need to give me anything. I just want to be your vassal.

Chris M.
Thistledown
Level 3 Unarmed Fighter

Hi Chris M. -
Thank you so much for thinking I would be a good Patron. I'm very flattered to be asked. However, I'm going to have to decline your generous offer. I've had people ask me in the past and I've always explained to them what limited time I really have to play the game. I'm lucky if I get an hour or two in several times a week. The web site, of course, cuts into actual playing time as well. I think most players would be better served by having a Patron who can spend more time with them in-game. 

I've pretty much decided not to take on any more vassals than I currently have. Ned Cleversun, now 17 levels above me, is very indulgent and understanding, as well as fairly self-sufficient and manages fine with a little assistance from other high level players on the server, such as Danier. Again, thank you very much for asking me! I appreciate your offer and hope you understand why I must decline. I'm sure you'll get hooked up with a nice group in no time at all!

Maggie the Jackcat


July 31, 2000 - Stamina Potions

Is there any way to make stamina potions?

Dragon XZane
Harvestgain
Level 16 UA/Xbow

Hi Dragon XZane -
The answer is no, as far as I understand. When we were in Boston for the Player Luncheon, the subject did come up. Turbine stated that at this time, Stamina Potions cannot be made because if they were possible, it would nerf cooking too much. Makes sense when you think about it.

- Maggie the Jackcat


July 31, 2000 - Golem Mace

Maggie,

Great pages!  I have a Granite Golem heart that I want to turn into a mace.  Which Trophy Smith will do the job?  I previously took a Granite heart to one of the ones listed in the strategy guide (the one in Qalaba'r) and all I got was 500 pyreal.  Help me keep from making the same mistake twice!

Jack the Samurai
Frostfell


Hi Jack the Samurai -

Thanks for the compliment on the web site! For a Golem Mace, you'll need an Iron Golem heart, not a Granite one. The absolute best place on the web for detailed information on crafters and collectors is the section Caeryn Dryad did for Crossroads of Dereth. You can find it here:
http://cod.xrgaming.net/compendium/crafty/crafters.shtml

Good luck!

- Maggie the Jackcat


July 31, 2000 - I Hear You're A Hottie

And finally...

Hey, I heard from a lot of people that you are hot in real life. Could you send me a picture of yourself? Thanks.

[Name Withheld]

Sure! (*thinks to herself there's one in every crowd -- makes a note to kick Wynder's ass*) I have my picture posted on my web site here.

Maggie the Jackcat


July 11, 2000 - About the Composite Arms...

I have discovered the following about Composite Arms. There are four possible arms that one can make. They are:

1. Fire Auroch Horn + BLUE colored Sinew (regualr or small). Shows up as a white horn with grey cuts.

2. Fire Auroch Horn + Cured Large Sinew. Shows up as a white horn with blue cuts.

3. Mattekar Horn + BLUE colored sinew. Shows up as an orange horn with grey cuts.

4. Mattekar Horn + Cured Large Sinew. Shows up as an orange horn with blue cuts.

That is what I have found so far. For some reason, the Auroch horn shows up as white (?) and the Mattekar horn shows up as orange. The blue sinews (regular and small) show up as grey cuts into the horn, and the Large sinews (orange) show up as blue cuts into the horn. That is what I have found from pictures and my own experience in making composite arms.

Orthanc
Leafcull
X-Bow Unarmed

Hi Orthanc -

Thanks for sending the info in! I'm still working on compiling the stats and the biggest unknown right now is the Melee defense. So far, I pretty sure that the type of Horn used for the Arms determines the Melee Bonus. If you're correct that there are four types of Arms, and if the Arms follow the pattern of the other components, giving three possilbe outcomes (the better of the lesser pari equaling the lesser of the better pair), then my best guess at this point is as follows:

#1 produces +2% melee
#2 and #3 produce +4% Melee
#4 produces +6% Melee.

Thanks again for the information! Please keep me posted if you discover more!

Maggie the Jackcat

[Update: It has been confirmed that the horns do determine Melee Defense. A Fire Auroch Horn (from a Bull only) yields +2% and a Mattekar Horn yields +6%.]


July 11, 2000 - Removable Handle?

I am interested in making the composite bow and since my character is low level (18), my success rate will be low.  I am making it with the least components because that is all I am able to get.  I would like to know if the bone handle is removable...therefore replaceable as you gain levels/exp?

Josiah I, Morningthaw
Bow-Spear-Unarmed Sho
curing of sinews in AC

Hi Josiah I -

As far as I understand, the handle is not removable. Once it's on, it's on. That means you'd have to actually make a whole new bow if you wanted one with a better handle later on. Good luck with it! And when you have it put together, I'd love it if you could take a minute to send me the complete stats, along with the components you used. I'm still trying to compile information on some of the lesser level bows.

Maggie the Jackcat


July 11, 2000 - Curing Lugian Sinews

Question for you.

I have a cook with a cook skill of a whopping 68.   Just for fun, I decided to cook up some Small Sinews.  I got Cured Lugian Sinews as a result.  Are you SURE that the Cured Lugian Sinew is a success when cooking the small ones?  It would seem to me that they would be the product of a failure with Cured Small and Cured Large being the good ones.

Please let me know if what you put on the web was in error.   I'm pretty sure that 10-10 sucesses with a cooking skill of only 68 would pretty much be impossible.

Thanks.

Tim

Hi Tim -

Did I mention that some of the Composite Bow/Crossbow quest is still unknown?! I wish I could say I have an answer for you, but this is something I'm going to have to test to be sure. It's possible I have the Cured and the Cured Small backwards. Without more data, however, it's hard to know. I appreciate you passing your stats on to me and if I find out one way or another, I'll let you know! Thanks again!

Maggie the Jackcat


July 5, 2000 - Deceptive merchants!  Help!

Maggie, your site is an inspiration to me.  So many young adventurers willingly sacrifice fashion for added protection at the expense of everyone else's eysight.  I love to see the fashion showcased on your site.

I was wondering if you could help me with a fashion problem I've been having.  I'm attempting to assemble some outfits, but the shopkeepers keep fooling me!  They'll show me a nice white pair of pants, but when I buy them and try them on, they look dirty and grey!  Or they'll show me a nice dark blue hat, but when I buy it and put it on it looks purple!  I try the clothes on right there in the shop's fitting room, but the shopkeeper always insists that I pay up front, and he never lets me exchange my clothes for a full refund!  I keep the receipt and everything!  First they misrepresent the color of their clothing and then they won't even give me my money back. It's so dishonest! 

I have the same trouble when I find clothes and armor in the dungeons.  I dislike trying on clothes in the dungeons (no privacy!) so I often end up carrying around hideous garments for a long time before I can try them on and see how they look. 

Can you offer me any advice?  Do the merchants have some secret color-mapping code that I need to know, like "hot pink = purple" or something like that?  Is there somebody I can report these crooks to?

Thanks Maggie,

Nura al-Qadibi
Harvestgain
Level 4 Sorceress

Hi Nura al-Qadibi -

Your complaint is a common one, and one I've made myself many a time. I'm afraid there's just no easy answer. Dereth is, in many respects a wild and ungovered land. As far as I can tell, there's noone in charge. Which suits me fine, because that means *I* can assume the mantle of authority just as well as the next person.

The merchants will not change their ways. They'll sell you some green looking leggings and when you get them on they'll be orange. Your complaints fall on deaf ears. They'll insist you made a good buy! Your best bet, if you're looking for items of a particular hue, is to trade with your fellow players. But if you do, be cautious. If you think the shops are full of crooks, just wait 'til you get to Arwic!

Use common sense when trading and don't hand your AL: 184 Amuli Leggings to a Level 1 player named Kl3p+0. Even consider using a 3rd party high level player to complete your transaction. Good luck with outfit! And thanks for the nice comments on the site!

- Maggie the Jackcat


July 5, 2000 Question About Your Listed Axes

I was Looking over the sports section, and i decided i would read what you had listed for axes (I'm an axe warrior). Anyways, I saw the "blackened Pyreal Silifi" damage was 30 - 50??? Is this a real axe? If so I'm shocked, because the highest damage I ever saw was 11 - 22 on the SoCS.

Warlin
Harvestgain

Hi Warlin -

I had forgotten about that one. I'm sure it's not correct. I started gathering information for many of the sections during beta. I collected stats on all sorts of items in spreadsheets, from in-game, newsgroups, web sites, all over. I tried to clean most of them up with game data that was current and accurate when I exported the spreadsheets to the web, but I'm sure some of the rumored, made-up, beta, unverifiable items slipped in. Really, if there was an axe out there that did 30-50 damage, you'd have heard about it!

I'll try to get that removed next time I update that section. Thanks for pointing it out!

- Maggie the Jackcat


July 5, 2000 Hola mi Amiga!!

Hola Maggie,
I luv the site. It is the hella bitchenist coolest site that anyone named Maggie ever made.

I have written this email to formally declare war on auroch cows, due to a recent death in Yaraq from one of the uncivil barbarians. I declare war on all aurochs. All Derethians join my cause!!! LET THE HOLY WARS BEGIN!!!!!!! I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE SEA TURNS RED WITH THE BLOOD OF THE DAMNED AUROCHS!!! I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I HAVE FORCE FED AN AUROCH COW A STEAK MADE FROM IT'S YEARLING!!!BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

......on a more serious note I would like to say that your quests section is quite the little helper.

SUCCESS STORY!!!
At level 7 i got my Hamud's Katar!!
Of course i was with a level 40, my level 35 patron, and level 30 grandpatron and a couple of other high levels....and since they knew the way and had all the keys, we didn't use the little quest walk thru that is here. But I still think that you somehow had something to do with me getting the Katar. So thanks. =) I am quite happy with my smokey pokey thingie and my purple stickie in electric socketie thingie as well. Adios!

Unholy Warrior
Frostfell

Unarmed

Hi Unholy Warrior -

What can I say? Your letter made me laugh! I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for the compliments on the site! I'm glad it helped you get your Katar. (I am happy to take complete credit! :) Good luck in your Holy War. The next Auroch Cow I see, I will smite dead, just for you.

- Maggie the Jackcat



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